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?
Frosty the Snowman, TV Special
In 1949, Gene Autry recorded a song called “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Big hit. The next year he wanted another fun...
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Wiffle Ball
It’s the only game where Justin Verlander can try to strike out Babe Ruth, and Albert Pujols can take Sandy Koufax deep. Take a...
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The Incandescent Light Bulb
From the start of this blog, and for more than 840 posts, I’ve been adamant that Great American Things should not have political...
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Thanksgiving Day Football
In addition to the blessings for which we are grateful on Thanksgiving, here’s one more in 2011: Thank goodness the Detroit Lions are...
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Hoover Dam
I should have written this dam article a long time ago. It’s one of the best dam feats of engineering in American history, which you...
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Holiday: Candy Corn
The one absolutely distinctive seasonal candy for Halloween is candy corn. Not everyone likes it (though I do – come to think of it,...
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Kids Stuff: The Cat in the Hat
Which is the more popular book by Dr. Seuss: The Cat in the Hat or How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Certainly, the Grinch is the ultimate...
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Americana: Green Stamps
In an attempt to keep this site from becoming “Great Nostalgic Things,” I try to keep a good balance between great things of...
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Americana: Radio City Music Hall
Imagine every man, woman, and child in America inside the art deco palace called Radio City Music Hall. Wait! Not all at once! My latent...
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Americana: 1959 Cadillac
Ah, the fin. The fins on cars in the late fifties came in three sizes: Big, Bigger, ’59 Cadillac. The style mavens of the day minced...
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