Archive for October, 2008
Next Entries »VW Bug Welcome in Sparks, NV
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008One month ago the VW Beetle Bug, which has been a fixture in Reno, Nevada, for 29 years, was in danger of being squashed — metaphorically. The new owner of the building on which it stood did not want it, and there was fear that the sculpture might end up dissected and abandoned — like […]
Deep South Wants Share Of Nuke Fame
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008For decades, the Savannah River Site in South Carolina has been a backwater of America’s atom bomb heritage. Located nearest the town of Aiken — whose speedy lobsters perhaps owe their zip to their nuclear proximity — Savannah River’s reactors made plutonium for the U.S. hydrogen bomb arsenal. Oak Ridge, Tennesee, another historic bomb factory, […]
Beavers Butt Heads With California Burg
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008Stars of YouTube and grade school science reports, an eight-member beaver family has brought good news and good money to the town of Martinez, California. “Struggling downtown businesses are surviving on beaver fever,” reports TV station KGO. “When beavers weren’t here, it was like a ghost town.” The creatures arrived soon after Martinez reworked its […]
Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Capital USA
Saturday, October 4th, 2008Despite opening just across the street from Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, the new Chemical Heritage Museum is not designed for families wearing foam Liberty Bell hats. Museum CFO Miriam Schaeffer told us that every exhibit — from the Periodic Table video column to the one-of-a-kind replica Bakelizer — is designed for serious-minded adults. “We quote the […]
Miracle Mary Appears in Catholic Hospital Window
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008The Virgin Mary sure does get around. We’ve already noted her appearances on baking surfaces — panifestations. Now she’s taken up residence inside the glass panes of a window at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe posted a gallery of photos that show Mary has made frequent visits to the Boston area. A […]
Archie McPhee Is Moving, Not Dead
Wednesday, October 1st, 2008Panic swept the rubber chicken and surplus radiation suit markets last week when it was reported that Archie McPhee would be closing its store in Seattle. This marketplace of marvels is a prime destination for those needing travel survival gear such as dashboard Tikis and commuter lane passenger mummies. The idea that it could be […]
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