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?


Americana: The U.S. Army

Posted by on Nov 11, 2010 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: The U.S. Army

Clinton L. Chalkley joined the U.S. Army in 1942 and, following a miserable Atlantic crossing on a troop carrier, attained the rank of...

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Americana: USA TODAY

Posted by on Nov 10, 2010 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: USA TODAY

Want a lot of news? USA TODAY has it. Want easy-to-read news? Turn to USA TODAY. Want charts and graphs, lists and snippets? USA TODAY...

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Kid Stuff: Animal Crackers

Posted by on Nov 8, 2010 in Food, Kids Stuff | Comments Off on Kid Stuff: Animal Crackers

  The first cookies baked in the shape of animals came from the kitchens of Stauffer’s Biscuit Company in York, Pennsylvania...

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Album: "Thriller"

Posted by on Oct 31, 2010 in Holiday, Music, Songs | 1 comment

  Remember music videos? Okay, music videos are still being made, so let me put it another way: Remember when music videos mattered?...

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Kid Stuff: Where the Wild Things Are

Posted by on Oct 24, 2010 in Kids Stuff | 1 comment

  Where the Wild Things Are, written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak and published almost 50 years ago (1963), still is a favorite...

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Americana: South by Southwest

Posted by on Oct 21, 2010 in Americana, Music | Comments Off on Americana: South by Southwest

  First, there was a music industry trade show in Austin. (It’s grown from about 700 to near 12,000 registrants.) Then, a bunch...

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Kid Stuff: Duncan Yo-Yo

Posted by on Oct 12, 2010 in Kids Stuff | Comments Off on Kid Stuff: Duncan Yo-Yo

  It’s on a string. It goes down. It comes back up. What’s so great about that, to have it considered a Great American...

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Americana: Warehouse Club Stores

Posted by on Oct 11, 2010 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: Warehouse Club Stores

  Personally, I love the warehouse stores. Of course, you don’t go to the warehouse store for a pack of gum. You go for a...

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Americana: Amish Quilts

Posted by on Oct 4, 2010 in Americana, The Arts | Comments Off on Americana: Amish Quilts

Doesn’t it strike you as somewhat contradictory that Amish women, often called “plain people,” make such beautiful,...

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Kid Stuff: Chuck E. Cheese's

Posted by on Oct 3, 2010 in Kids Stuff | 1 comment

A friend of mine calls this place “Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Hell.” I get that. But the company’s slogan is...

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