Appreciating all that makes America special

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Nothing unites Americans in quite the same way as standing around the water cooler, saying, “Did you see Lost last night? That was so cool.” Or debating whether Adam Sandler can actually, you know, act. (Our conclusion: not much.)


Film: Toy Story

Posted by on Mar 1, 2010 in Film | Comments Off on Film: Toy Story

This post honors Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999), both of which are among the best animated features of all time. In the original,...

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TV Shows: Greatest Theme Songs

Posted by on Feb 21, 2010 in Americana, TV Show | 3 comments

I’m not sure if theme songs are as important to TV shows today as they used to be. In the early days of TV, they were used to...

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TV Show: Lonesome Dove

Posted by on Feb 18, 2010 in TV Show | Comments Off on TV Show: Lonesome Dove

Roots is probably the most influential miniseries in television history. But I think you can make the case that the best miniseries ever...

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Kid Stuff: Captain Kangaroo

Posted by on Feb 16, 2010 in Kids Stuff, TV Show | 2 comments

Kids growing up from the mid-50s until the mid-80s all had one thing in common – they could watch Bob Keeshan bring his warmth and...

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Actress: Marilyn Monroe

Posted by on Feb 15, 2010 in Actor | Comments Off on Actress: Marilyn Monroe

I hope you realize that under no circumstances would Marilyn Monroe be considered one of America’s greatest actresses, although her...

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Film: Casablanca

Posted by on Feb 14, 2010 in Film | Comments Off on Film: Casablanca

“Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.” It’s the movie that made Humphrey...

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TV Show: Candid Camera

Posted by on Feb 4, 2010 in TV Show | 1 comment

Of course you know the premise of the show – catching ordinary people “in the act of being themselves.” Long before...

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Film: Groundhog Day

Posted by on Feb 2, 2010 in Film | Comments Off on Film: Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is a brilliant movie. Once you get past its quirky premise, that a man has to live one day – Groundhog Day – over...

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Actor: Henry Fonda

Posted by on Feb 1, 2010 in Actor | 1 comment

The one word that comes to mind when I think of Henry Fonda is “unflappable.” I can’t remember a scene in any of his...

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Film: Raising Arizona

Posted by on Jan 31, 2010 in Film | 1 comment

This movie would have been featured here before now, but I’ve already included a couple of Coen Brothers films (O Brother Where Art...

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