Current Events

Coolest roadside attractions

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  • Post category:Big Things

Courtesy of guyism.com, Coolest roadside attractions | Cadillac Ranch | Largest ball of twine:

10. Martini Drinking Elephant – Fortville, Indiana
9. Bigfoot Discovery Museum – Felton, California
8. Jimmy Carter Peanut – Plains, Georgia
7. 7 POPS Diner – Arcadia, Oklahoma
6. Burt Reynolds and Friends Museum – Jupiter, Florida
5. W’eel Turtle Sculpture- Dunseith, North Dakota
4. UCM Museum – Abita Springs, Louisiana
3. World’s Largest Ball of Twine – Darwin, Minnesota
2. Gatorland – Orlando, Florida
1. Cadillac Ranch – Texas

I’m chuffed that #10 is the martini-drinking elephant from Fortville, Indiana, but that really makes me think this list is pretty off, especially since I’d consider Dinosaurland in Virginia, or The Big Blue Whale in Catoosa, Oklahoma or even The House on the Rock in Spring Green Wisconsin, to be much bigger and cooler roadside attractions than many they have on this list.

And there are a host of cool sites that I haven’t seen yet, like the Corn Palace in South Dakota, or South of the Border, in South Carolina that should probably make a list of “Coolest” roadside attractions.

Cute article, and some things to add to our travel list, but not definitive by any means.

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Tear down wall of denial so we can fix broken IPS

former IPS School Board President Kelly Bentley has some thoughts about how to fix IPS in this Indy Star editorial: Tear down wall of denial so we can fix broken IPS | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com.

Even recent good news about IPS is tempered by the reality that the numbers often aren’t as positive as they appear. The community rallied around a report last month that the district’s graduation rate, which a few years ago was well below 50 percent, climbed again last school year. Yet, a significant portion of that increase was achieved by a heightened reliance on academic waivers, which means many students really didn’t meet all the requirements for graduation but received diplomas anyway. Certainly, waivers are justified in some cases. But when more than 40 percent of graduates at Arlington High School receive waivers, as occurred last year, alarms should go off in the district headquarters and in the community.

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Post-Super Bowl

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  • Post category:Indianapolis

As a Naptown native, it was quite fun to see how the city transformed for the event – sad that it takes a sporting event for the city to suddenly infuse the local arts scene and local businesses with cash so we can put cool murals and public sculptures in place and promote local restaurants and tourist spots. That should happen regardless of major tourist events.

But boy, does the city look really nice, and watching locals go from being cynical about the city (the “Indianoplace” slam gets used by residents far more than visitors) to supporting local artists and businesses and being proud of them when they see the outcome of the investment is pretty damned cathartic.

And the event was kind of nice “in your face” to the suburbs – we have a lot of suburban snobs who say crap like “I never go downtown” which is code for “I don’t want to rub shoulders with people of color” – who suddenly “discovered” the center of the city for the first time. I had some friends telling *me* about the downtown foodie scene. Dudes, I live downtown; of course I’ve eaten there. I’m not your fraking sherpa, Robert Peary.

I also love that the number one compliment from visitors who compared our Super Bowl to other cities where they attended the event was this: “So wonderful that everything was close together and within easy walking distance; parties, hotels, restaurants and the event were walkable or within close shuttle distance; the convenience made the difference.”

That would be another slam right in the face of suburban commuters – if you lived here, you’d be home now. You could work downtown and walk home instead of driving 45 minutes to get there, dummies. That’s 90 minutes a day you could spend with your kids, or relaxing at home.

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10 Anthems for a Feminist Revolution

According to spinner magazine, these are the tops: (linked to mp3 download or album on Amazon.com)

10. Salt-n-Pepa, ‘None Of Your Business’
(from the album Very Necessary)

9. Carole King, ‘<(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman' (from the album 30 Greatest Hits)

7. Bratmobile, ‘Cool Schmool’
(from the album Pottymouth)

6. The Raincoats, ‘Lola’
(from the album The Raincoats)

5. Bikini Kill, ‘Rebel Girl’
(from the album Pussy Whipped)

4. Destiny’s Child, ‘Independent Women Part I
(from the album Survivor

3. Patti Smith, ‘Piss Factory
(from the album Land (1975-2002))

2. Nina Simone, ‘Four Women’
(from the album The Best Of Nina Simone)

1. Team Dresch, ‘She’s Amazing’
(from the album Personal Best)

Their analysis of what each song brings to the table is solid; check it out.

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