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?
Mr. Potato Head
It’s hard to believe today, but Mr. Potato Head was originally sold…without a head. Somehow, “Mr. Potato Parts”...
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Christmas Cookies
The lines are drawn, the preference often a family tradition, passed down from mother to daughter. There’s no middle ground. Either...
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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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