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: Duct Tape

Posted by on Jun 28, 2011 in Americana | 1 comment

What holds America together? Is it our shared history? Our common sense of purpose, of what it means to be Americans? Is it the founding...

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Film Studio: Pixar

Posted by on Jun 21, 2011 in Americana, Film | 1 comment

Hard to imagine how many films 20th Century Fox has made. Or MGM. Or Universal, Columbia, Paramount. But we know how many Pixar has made....

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Kid Stuff: Weekly Reader

Posted by on Jun 5, 2011 in Kids Stuff | 2 comments

Since 1928, kids have looked forward to the day each week when they’d get their copy of Weekly Reader. It was created by York, Pa....

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Americana: Academy Awards

Posted by on May 25, 2011 in Americana | 1 comment

It was the boss of MGM, Louis B. Mayer, who came up with the idea. Like Andy Hardy – “Let’s put on a show!” He got...

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Americana: Life Magazine

Posted by on May 19, 2011 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: Life Magazine

While there was an earlier (and a later) incarnation of Life magazine, this honor goes to the Henry Luce version (as in Time-Life)...

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Americana: Hollywood Walk of Fame

Posted by on May 6, 2011 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: Hollywood Walk of Fame

It stretches for 15 blocks along Hollywood Boulevard, and three blocks of Vine Street. That’s 1.7 miles total, featuring more than...

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Americana: Navy SEALs

Posted by on May 2, 2011 in Americana | 2 comments

There’s an old saying, “Don’t send a boy to do a man’s job.” Since their creation in 1961, the Navy SEALs...

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Americana: Soda Fountains

Posted by on Apr 27, 2011 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: Soda Fountains

Okay, those of you under 30 bear with me for a few moments. Long, long ago, before a Walgreens or CVS occupied every corner, communities...

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Americana: The Plaza Hotel

Posted by on Apr 26, 2011 in Americana, Travel | Comments Off on Americana: The Plaza Hotel

When I made my first visit to New York City as an adult, I had a list of the sights I wanted to see as a first-timer. Like most people, I...

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Americana: Stuckey's

Posted by on Apr 13, 2011 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: Stuckey's

  What you see now, if you pass a Stuckey’s along the highway, is just one among many convenience/snack/confections stores along...

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