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: EMS and Rescue
When you need them, they arrive quickly with sirens blaring and lights flashing. In my case, they came because of an auto accident. But...
Read MoreKid Stuff: Captain Kangaroo
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...
Read MoreHoliday: Conversation Hearts
The primary manufacturer of conversation hearts in America, the NECCO candy company, makes more than 8 billion of them each year....
Read MoreAmericana: Boy Scouts of America
I was a Cub Scout back in my hometown of Newport News, Va., and Mrs. Ranny Leake was my den mother. My memories of scouting are sketchy; we...
Read MoreAmericana: Mayo Clinic
Today, “Mayo Clinic” is synonymous with medical excellence. U.S. News and World Report ranks it the number two hospital in the...
Read MoreKid Stuff: Pac-Man
Back when video games ranged from the ultra-primitive (Pong) to the still simple (Space Invaders), the introduction of Pac-Man was more...
Read MoreAmericana: The American Farmer
You think you work hard? No doubt you do, but no one works harder than those who live on a farm. Up before sunrise, often laboring until...
Read MoreAmericana: Chuck Taylor All-Stars
Used to be, any sport shoes that didn’t have cleats were called “tennis shoes.” And if you needed a new pair of sneakers,...
Read MoreAmericana: Cafeterias
My first experience with a cafeteria came as a kid, when my family went to the cafeteria at the Natural Bridge Hotel. I can still hear my...
Read MoreAmericana: Hubble Space Telescope
Remember all the hoopla back in April, 1990 when the Hubble Space Telescope was launched from the space shuttle? Yeah, I don’t...
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