Americana

On the drive to work this morning, I heard one of my favorite bands, Huey Lewis and the News (I realize I date myself by professing my love of 80's music) singing 'The Heart of Rock n' Roll' on the radio. It made me think-

"Damn, that is quintessential Americana"

Americana-refers to artifacts of the culture of the United States, the history and folklore resultant from its westward expansion. The contemporary meaning encompasses all things that are culturally American such as, well, Huey Lewis (who is incidentally from San Francisco and scored a perfect 800 on the SAT math section- long live wikipedia), baseball, apple pie, and, er, country music.

Now, I realize that loving America is not a popular, global pastime. However, I do love America (as we discussed in the American Dream post) for all the opportunities it's provided to immigrants like me over the years. So let's put aside the political hatred, foreign policy issues, war-mongering, and enjoy the good found in Americana (in no particular order):

1. Superman- it's a bird, it's a plane, it's...Smallville* :)
2. Movies- ET, Goonies, and Gattaca showing at a theater near you
   
3. Jazz- listen to 'Kind of Blue' by Miles Davis
4. Inventions-tv, phone, internet, ipod, airplanes- perhaps you've heard of these?
   
5. Baseball- ever try to hit a 97 mph fastball with a wooden stick?
6. Cheeseburgers- nothing hits the spot like a good ol' cheeseburger
7. Rock n' Roll- Elvis is the King
8. Road trips- the modern highway was invented post-World War II
9. Marilyn Monroe- the goddess
10. Joe DiMaggio- my idol, struck out only 369 times in his career, also married #9
11. Diner-your local greasy spoon should serve a strong cup of coffee and a solid #6

Well that's what was top of mind. If I neglected to mention other items of note, which I'm sure I did, feel free to comment or email. Oh and remind me to tell you about the greatest cheeseburger I ever had.

*For some, who shall remain unnamed, Smallville is the source of immense happiness :)