Appreciating all that makes America special

Currently browsing: Americana
Americana means different things to different folks. Here at Great American Things, it means cool stuff that doesn’t fit into any other category. I guess we could have called it Miscellaneous, but “Great Miscellaneous Things” doesn’t tell you much, does it?


Kid Stuff: Little League

Posted by on Jul 26, 2009 in Kids Stuff, Sports | Comments Off on Kid Stuff: Little League

If you’re boy between nine and twelve, the most important place in the world isn’t Washington, DC. Or New York City. Disney...

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Americana: The Far Side

Posted by on Jul 24, 2009 in Americana | 2 comments

It’s been fourteen and a half years since new panels of The Far Side took our funny bones by surprise in the daily paper. And you...

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Americana: 1969

Posted by on Jul 17, 2009 in Americana, Music | 3 comments

It’s a Great American Things first – a year is recognized. Three events propelled this selection onto the list: The first man...

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Travel: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Posted by on Jul 12, 2009 in Americana, The Arts, Travel | Comments Off on Travel: Metropolitan Museum of Art

I have the same feeling with this entry that I have when I encounter The Met: I don’t know where to start. Visit New York, go to the...

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Americana: Statue of Liberty

Posted by on Jul 4, 2009 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: Statue of Liberty

Lady Liberty. What a grand nickname. What a great gift from the French, back in the 19th century when they still liked us. Today, July 4,...

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Americana: The U.S. Marine Corps

Posted by on Jul 3, 2009 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: The U.S. Marine Corps

I can’t begin to appreciate the pride shared by members of the Marine Corps. No matter what you do for the rest of your life, whether...

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Kid Stuff: Popsicles

Posted by on Jul 1, 2009 in Food, Kids Stuff | 1 comment

According to official Popsicle lore, these frozen treats came into being by accident. A man left some soda water with a stirring stick in...

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Travel: Blue Ridge Parkway

Posted by on Jun 23, 2009 in Americana, Travel | 2 comments

Now, this is what a stimulus project is supposed to be. Authorized by Congress during the Great Depression, much of the early work on the...

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Kid Stuff: Superman

Posted by on Jun 14, 2009 in Kids Stuff | 1 comment

“Faster than a speeding bullet…More powerful than a locomotive…Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.”...

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Americana: iPod

Posted by on Jun 3, 2009 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: iPod

Ride shotgun with me as we go into the Wayback Machine. Let’s travel deep into the past, all the way back to the time when portable...

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