Appreciating all that makes America special

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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?


Holiday: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Posted by on Dec 14, 2009 in Holiday, TV Show | Comments Off on Holiday: A Charlie Brown Christmas

It’s almost nostalgic to remember back to the time when our primary concern was about the commercialization of Christmas. At least...

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Holiday: Christmas Light Displays

Posted by on Dec 11, 2009 in Holiday | 1 comment

Today, we’re tipping the hat to America’s Best and Top 10, which has a ranking of America’s best Christmas light...

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Americana: National Christmas Tree

Posted by on Dec 9, 2009 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: National Christmas Tree

Okay, first let’s get this formality out of the way. It’s not a holiday tree. There are no trees associated with Hanukkah or...

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Song: "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"

Posted by on Dec 5, 2009 in Holiday, Songs | 1 comment

The most-performed Christmas song isn’t “White Christmas” or “Silent Night”, but “The Christmas...

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Holiday: How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

Posted by on Nov 30, 2009 in Holiday, TV Show | Comments Off on Holiday: How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

Most movies made from TV shows reflect nothing so much as Hollywood’s lack of imagination. So it was with the movie version of the...

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Food: Thanksgiving Turkey

Posted by on Nov 26, 2009 in Food, Holiday | 1 comment

On Thanksgiving Day, everyone looks forward to a feast unlike any other day of the year. And while the supporting cast is important, the...

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Americana: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Posted by on Nov 25, 2009 in Americana, Holiday | Comments Off on Americana: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Marching bands and gaudy floats are mandatory. And it just wouldn’t be Macy’s without Santa Claus riding into Herald Square....

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Americana: "Happy Birthday To You"

Posted by on Nov 20, 2009 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: "Happy Birthday To You"

It probably won’t surprise you to know that this is the most recognized song in the English language. (The runners up, according to...

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Americana: Covered Bridges

Posted by on Nov 9, 2009 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: Covered Bridges

You don’t have to go to Madison County, Iowa to see them. Most are on small, out-of-the-way byways, since they’d have been...

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Americana: The SS United States

Posted by on Nov 3, 2009 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: The SS United States

It had no rock climbing wall. No Olympic-size pools. You couldn’t play miniature golf, or go bowling, or ice skate. What you could...

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