tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50126268739767374112024-02-19T12:20:55.369-05:00Use My CameraMatt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.comBlogger356125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-45111238157028659372018-02-21T09:00:00.000-05:002018-02-21T09:00:46.998-05:00Clayton State University and Captain America: Civil War<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I needed to do my prep work for watching <i>The Black Panther</i> and so Laura and I recently rewatched his first appearance in <i>Captain America: Civil War</i>. I hadn't thought too much about that movie since watching it originally during the summer of 2016. In my mind the event of <i>Winter Soldier </i>and <i>Civil War</i> had combined and I had totally forgotten that one of the intense fight scenes from <i>Civil War</i> was filmed at Laura's previous college, Clayton State University.<br />
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Disney films a large part of their Marvel films in and around the Atlanta area. For example, the S.H.I.E.L.D./Avengers headquarters is actually a CGI-ed version of a Porsche factory that is located about 10 miles from where we used to live in Morrow. They are always looking for unique locations particularly modern, futuristic buildings that might fit into the super tech world of the Marvel superheroes.<br />
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One such building is the James M. Baker University Center on the Clayton State campus.<br />
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It is one of the newer buildings on campus and has floor-to-ceiling glass walls in several areas of the building.<br />
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In <i>Civil War</i>, Captain America, the Winter Soldier, and Black Panther have a chase battle across Bucharest and the three are arrested after the chase. The Winter Soldier eventually escapes custody and as he is escaping from the police station they have a fight in a hallway that was filmed in the Baker Center at Clayton State.<br />
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As Iron Man is about to blast the Winter Soldier, you can see the huge glass wall that dominates the front side of the Baker Center. If you go down those stairs leads to the college's cafeteria.<br />
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Here is the opposite view and you can see the other glass wall that is in the distance at the end of the hallway. </div>
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Black Panther and the Winter Soldier have a fight in front of the center's snack shop where I would frequently buy Diet Cokes from that cooler in the background. </div>
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Here's final shot as Black Panther is standing in front of the coffee shop. The tables and chairs featured in the film are the ones that are at the Baker Center but they were never placed along the wall on the left. Taking the stairs to the right will leads to classrooms.<br />
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-88194849220733239852017-09-02T22:09:00.000-04:002017-09-02T22:09:25.235-04:00Accidentally Visiting The Bridge From In The Heat of the Night<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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With my parents visiting us in Decatur, we headed to Southern Illinois and the city of Chester which would give us a view of the solar eclipse with 100% totality. Chester is located right on the Missouri state border (with the Mississippi River in between). We took a quick two minute drive across the river over the bridge featured in the above photo to say we got to briefly see the Show Me State and then returned to Chester. It was only later that day when my Dad was reading a travel guide about another southern Illinois city, Sparta, that we learned that we had inadvertently visited the setting of one of the most memorable scenes of one of my all-time favorite movies.<br />
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The movie In the Heat of the Night is set in the fictional town of Sparta, Mississippi. Because one of the film's co-stars, Sidney Poitier, refused to film in the segregated South, the majority of the scenes were filmed in Sparta, Illinois. In one scene, the police chase a murder suspect through the woods, down the banks of a shoreline, and across some railroad tracks. The suspect makes his way up the side of the bridge and he things he has escaped the police by crossing the river and making it into Arkansas but Rod Steiger's character has been waiting for him on the bridge the whole time.<br />
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Here's the film's scene and you can see that it is clearly the bridge in Chester. A future trip to Sparta, IL to track down some of the other locations from the film will certainly happen!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/232132907" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<a href="https://vimeo.com/232132907">The Bridge Scene From In the Heat of the Night [1967]</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user474887">Matt Flaten</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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In a future post we will also take a look at Chester, Illinois' favorite son E.C. Segar who was the creator of Popeye. The town does a great job memorializing his work with statues all around the town. Here's a preview:<br />
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-29645628018304759842017-08-19T23:28:00.001-04:002017-08-19T23:28:02.141-04:00The Year of Birds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ryan Acosta-Fox, a friend from our days in Lawrence, Kansas, took up an interesting project this year as he decided to improve his drawing skills by drawing a different bird each day. He has been publishing each drawing on his blog, <a href="https://ryandrawsbirds.tumblr.com/">Ryan Draws Birds</a>, and his creations have been a fun daily distraction from the otherwise depressing and sad (So sad!) news of the day.<br />
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One of my favorites comes from July 22nd of a Burrowing Owl (athene cunicularia). His sketch gives me the impression that the owl was a little shy and bashful on being selected to be included as one of Ryan's birds.<br />
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Ryan recently published a zine featuring some of this drawings with an essay on some lessons learned from challenging yourself to do something each day for a year.<br />
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I enjoy the simplicity of the design and the wide assortment of birds that have been featured so far. I have always intended of making some sort of physical product from my various blog writing through the years and seeing this has inspired me to create more in the "physical world."</div>
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Great work Ryan! </div>
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-81106549268132259162017-08-18T12:26:00.002-04:002017-08-18T12:26:22.196-04:00Improving A Wall<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This first photo was taken in December 2016 on Oakland Avenue near Millikin University here in Decatur. It is a case of "what could be" as the wall is on a main street around campus and was clearly something purple once long ago that was covered with smaller ads over time.<br />
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Decatur has recently been very pro mural, with several going up around town, most notably <a href="http://herald-review.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/marley-mural-spruces-up-eldorado/article_7967973b-f506-5f1f-9062-a1a9276e980d.html">a Bob Marley one completed last year</a>. It was announced earlier this year that a new mural was going up on Oakland Avenue and over the past few weeks it went up.<br />
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And here is the new mural which I guess is a commentary on watching too much TV. It's not exactly the most striking social commentary but then again this is central Illinois and we're not exactly pushing the boundaries. Plus, black socks and brown shoes? How uncouth! </div>
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Either way, it is certainly an improvement! </div>
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-78486124047909867122017-08-08T20:13:00.001-04:002017-08-08T20:13:18.607-04:00Use My Camera Classic : Visiting the Ukrainian Village in Chicago<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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**In this series of posts, I revisit interesting locations and sites that I never got around to posting about when I originally visited them.**</div>
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While I was up in Chicago taking part in the National Sports Collectors Convention a couple weeks ago, I had to stop by Ann's Bakery and Deli to pick up some <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelmeni">pelmeni</a> to bring back home to Decatur. The deli is located in the heart of the Ukrainian Village in Chicago and it reminded me I never got around to posting the photos from our initial visit several years ago. </div>
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The village is located on the westside of Chicago and it grew to prominence in the 1910's and 20's as many Ukrainian immigrants moved to the city. </div>
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The district saw many eastern European groups move there, most famously Ukrainian Catholics who built several churches in the area including three central ones, St. Nicholas, Saints Volodymyr and Olha, and St. Volodymyr. </div>
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Our first stop was at <a href="http://openhousechicago.org/sites/site/st-volodymyr-ukrainian-orthodox-cathedral/">St. Volodymyr</a>. Volodymyr or Vladimir, as the stone in front of the church reads, was Vladimir the Great, the leader of the Kievan Rus from 980 to 1015. He fully Christianized the Rus and became one of Ukraine's ultimate folk heros. He is considered a saint in both the Roman and Orthodox religions and <a href="http://www.usemycamera.net/2012/10/ukrainian-currency-hryvnia.html">you can find Vladimir on the one hryvnia bill</a>.<br />
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The cathedral is a beautiful tall red brick structure with oxidized copper trim. Originally a German Lutheran church, it features gothic architecture and an interior that was remodeled into the Orthodox style.<br />
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The next stop was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Nicholas_Cathedral_(Chicago)">St. Nicholas Cathedral</a> which was built from 1913 to 1916 in the Byzantine Revival style. It went through a renovation in 1976 and I really like the white brick.<br />
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The third church was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sts._Volodymyr_and_Olha_Ukrainian_Catholic_Church">Saints Volodymyr and Olha</a>. We have already been introduced to Saint Volodymyr but not Saint Olha or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olga_of_Kiev">Saint Olga</a>. She was the grandmother of Vladimir the Great and was the first Rus leader to introduce Christianity.<br />
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This cathedral is the newest of the three as it was constructed from 1971 to 1973. The intent was to create a structure with a look of Ukrainian churches from the 11th-13th century and the cathedral features a large gold dome at its center.<br />
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After spending the better part of a year in Ukraine, it was nice to re-enter the world a little bit. </div>
Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-73203210925572822642017-07-26T23:17:00.001-04:002017-07-26T23:17:43.123-04:00Use My Camera Classic: My Last Meal In The South<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">**In this series of posts, I revisit interesting locations and sites that I never got around to posting about when I originally visited them.**</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Here's a blast from the past from more than a year ago. It is my last meal while living in the deep South and it comes from our favorite local breakfast place, Ann & Bill's Restaurant in Morrow, Georgia. I went with a fried chicken meal with coleslaw (on the right) and their attempt at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SQGTufqOBQ">Waldorf salad</a> (on the left). I had been eyeing the Waldorf salad on the menu as an appetizer for a while but as I typically went with a breakfast item I didn't get a chance until the very end of our time there. Final rating: a bit odd with a thicker mayo sauce then I'm used to. </span></div>
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With each meal at Ann & Bill's, you can have a choice of grits or muffins. You should always give the grits a try once to say you've had true Southern grits but after that first time, it is muffins all the way! They are homemade and so tasty.<br />
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So that was it. Laura and I would shortly be headed to Washington D.C. and by the end of the summer we had made our way to central Illinois. </div>
Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-59768404541536894552017-07-23T21:52:00.001-04:002017-07-23T21:57:32.826-04:00An Examination of Sufjan Stevens' Song "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Back in 2005, indie rock all-star Sufjan Stevens released <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_(Sufjan_Stevens_album)">an entire album of songs</a> about the great state of Illinois. This was preceded by an album about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_(album)">Michigan</a> and at one time there was talk of a larger multi-album project that would cover all 50 states (can you imagine!). The album, entitled <i>Come on Feel the Illinoise</i>, features a song centered around Decatur with many subtle references for Decaturites to enjoy.<br />
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The title of the song is "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!" and I love the double title which are commonplace in Stevens' other work. As we take a look at the song, the lyrics will be in italics below<br />
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The song is great in that the Decatur references are wound into the song in a way that they can float right by you naturally and I'm sure there are meanings here that I'm still missing even after closely examining them.<br />
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We begin with banjo and accordion talking with each other and Sufjan softly sings about taking a trip, presumably with other siblings, to Decatur with their step-mom who they dislike greatly. <br />
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<i>One, two, three, four</i><br />
<i>Our step mom we did everything to hate her</i><br />
<i>She took us down to the edge of Decatur</i><br />
<i>We saw the lion and the kangaroo take her</i><br />
<i>Down to the river where they caught a wild alligator</i><br />
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Here's the first reference to Decatur mythology with the mention of a lion, kangaroo, and alligator as each has a story in the cities past. <a href="http://www.prairieghosts.com/gators.html">Nellie the Lion</a> was a lion that was shipped to a mansion (as one does) in Monticello, IL and then promptly escaped the grounds. The lioness wondered around central Illinois and made its way to Decatur and was actively hunted by armed citizens in 1917 before vanishing for good somewhere into the cornfields.<br />
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Decatur had a summer of the kangaroo in 1975 as one was spotted around town by many Decaturites. Lastly, alligators have been seen (and caught) around Lake Decatur, which sits to the south of the city, many times in the last century including recorded sightings in 1892, 1937, and 1966.<br />
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<i>Sangamon River it overflowed</i><br />
<i>It caused a mudslide on the banks of the operator</i><br />
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The Sangamon River is a major river in Central Illinois but not near Decatur. It runs between Peoria and Springfield which are far to the west of Decatur.<br />
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<i>Civil war skeletons in their graves</i><br />
<i>They came up clapping in the spirit of the aviator</i><br />
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Decatur's <a href="http://herald-review.com/lifestyles/greenwood-cemetery-walking-tour-remembers-decatur-s-civil-war-heroes/article_bdd37894-dd92-11e0-8237-001cc4c002e0.html">Greenwood Cemetery has a large section devoted to Civil War veterans</a> and is one of the the famous "haunted" places in town.<br />
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<i>The sound of the engines and the smell of the grain</i><br />
<i>We go riding on the abolition grain train</i><br />
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Anyone who has visited Decatur for more than a few days will likely come into contact with Decatur's "smell" which comes from the <a href="http://www.tateandlylegrain.com/">Tate and Lyle</a> grain factory that sits to the east of downtown. You will also probably have to sit in traffic and watch as a train passes through the middle of town on its way to the factory. The factory smell is not a constant annoyance and when we lived in the north part of town it was mainly a late night experience. After moving downtown near Millikin University, I now rarely smell it at all and it is a surprise when what I describe as "hot dog food" hits my nose.<br />
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<i>Steven A. Douglas was a great debater</i><br />
<i>But Abraham Lincoln was the great emancipator</i><br />
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Two legends of Illinois politics, Decatur was the location of Lincoln's first home in Illinois. <a href="http://www.usemycamera.net/2016/11/lincoln-in-decatur.html">I wrote about the Lincoln statue at Millikin University</a> back in November.<br />
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<i>Chicken mobile with your rooster tail</i><br />
<i>I had my fill and I know how bad it feels</i><br />
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I believe the most hidden reference to Decatur is in the couplet about the chicken mobile. <a href="http://c8.alamy.com/comp/ED3720/illinois-decatur-krekels-kustard-historic-diner-restaurant-ice-cream-ED3720.jpg">A "chicken car"</a> is the visual calling card of the famous Krekel's Custard shop on the east side of town and <a href="http://herald-review.com/news/local/photos-fire-at-krekel-s-custard/collection_133a6719-dbc8-50d1-86d2-0ad9c8e7ca3f.html">the restaurant was recently in the news as it had a fire in June</a> which temporarily closed the eatery.<br />
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<i>Stay awake and watch for the data</i><br />
<i>No small caterpillar, go congratulate her</i><br />
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I'm still looking for a meaning in the "data" line but the Caterpillar company (based out of Peoria, IL) as a long standing factory in Decatur where <a href="http://herald-review.com/business/local/cat-moving-jobs-to-decatur-closing-aurora-plant/article_d3778d07-6138-523f-9067-05832c91622d.html">they make large wheel loaders and compactors</a>.<br />
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<i>Denominator, go Decatur, go Decatur</i><br />
<i>It's the great I am</i><br />
<i>Abominate her, go Decatur, why did we hate her?</i><br />
<i>It's the great I am</i><br />
<i>Denominator, go Decatur, anticipate her</i><br />
<i>It's the great I am</i><br />
<i>Appreciates her, appreciate her</i><br />
<i>Stand up and thank her</i><br />
<i>Stand up and thank her</i><br />
<i>It's the great I am</i><br />
<i>Stand up and thank her</i><br />
<i>It's the great I am</i><br />
<i>Stand up and thank her</i><br />
<i>It's the great I am</i><br />
<i>Stand up and thank her</i><br />
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And so because the trip to Decatur wasn't so bad after all, Stevens and family appreciate their step-mother a little more. How nice! The phrase "It's the great I am" is a slight modification of the English language answer God gave to Moses when he asked what God's name was. It's still a mystery to me its meaning here.<br />
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I've always enjoyed the <i>Illinoise</i> album but since moving here I've come to love it even more. I mean, Stevens even wrote a lovely song about one of the state's favorite sons, Adlai Stevenson on a bonus of outtakes album call <i>The Avalanche</i>. I visited <a href="http://www.usemycamera.net/2017/04/visiting-adlai-stevensons-grave.html">Stevenson's grave in Bloomington, IL</a> back in April.<br />
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-18153188427953303512017-07-22T22:55:00.001-04:002017-07-22T22:55:18.123-04:00My Amazing Copy of Fantastic Four Annual #1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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While I have a pretty formidable comic collection (purely in terms of number of comics), I don't really have a lot of key early issues from the 1960's and 70's. I do have a couple early issues of Daredevil but they are in pretty rough condition but as a kid collector I was more interested in the current issues than older ones and I didn't really care about owning the important issues when I could read reprints or graphic novels with those issues included. </div>
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All this recently changed when I received a great looking copy of Fantastic Four Annual #1 from 1963 for my birthday this year from my sister. I was flabbergasted as she included it at the bottom of a stack of inexpensive G.I. Joe comics from the 1980's and then BAM! a Jack Kirby cover smacks me across the face!</div>
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Here's the cover with colors just as vibrant as the day they were printed. </div>
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The issue story line finds the Fantastic Four running into trouble from the Sub-Mariner, prince of Atlantis. Written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby, I believe this is my early 60's Kirby. Jeez, thanks Avril!<br />
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The issue also features the Thing battling a hammer head shark! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzwPn36wQuoVWxAmtcxvZH-JNbo_OYM-bpeXYP0VkYwas2qmxAqBHbmKXor7ld-Faot9SmUp8wsV4xVIiumRio0u-xlPnc_FmMAv-BQyL-1VPHbymCF2UsxyDQ6tD1MNKt-sf0STDYhLE/s1600/IMG_0003_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="939" data-original-width="1015" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzwPn36wQuoVWxAmtcxvZH-JNbo_OYM-bpeXYP0VkYwas2qmxAqBHbmKXor7ld-Faot9SmUp8wsV4xVIiumRio0u-xlPnc_FmMAv-BQyL-1VPHbymCF2UsxyDQ6tD1MNKt-sf0STDYhLE/s400/IMG_0003_Snapseed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Marvel annual issues were always filled to the brim with just about double the size of a normal issue and Fantastic Four Annual #1 filled its pages with full page art featuring the teams key villains from their first year in comics. First we have The Mole Man the first villain the team ever faced in issue #1.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVH2hgJPuqDCC-i0jBG8Sp3wgUQMZF9-VC-KjT-Yfdiis-n5oyFFhpgAZhbIFmm42yQxBs8HHbTjvv8bmlT6mM1Ic05LDmaDb0dwATIEWpYz88zVF87k_rVFqgHNIgugIHjFOpdle1RcD/s1600/IMG_0004_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1004" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVH2hgJPuqDCC-i0jBG8Sp3wgUQMZF9-VC-KjT-Yfdiis-n5oyFFhpgAZhbIFmm42yQxBs8HHbTjvv8bmlT6mM1Ic05LDmaDb0dwATIEWpYz88zVF87k_rVFqgHNIgugIHjFOpdle1RcD/s640/IMG_0004_Snapseed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Although Alicia Masters, the Puppet Master's step-daughter, dated the Thing for many years in the comics, he would become the father-in-law to the Human Torch when Alicia married Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four issue #300. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiH6MzKRZNdJBA_u9xUrw6uYlIYY8xxp9KnnM1htkcl7molINiQxpoOI3GpuTxHG0Ud-UlxEYI7Jsokq5oggAfcqq-2fn3NVJSpY06J6Khgx_LStoyQtmVyMxNT0K5ACtYebcGFTM14f-/s1600/IMG_0006_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiH6MzKRZNdJBA_u9xUrw6uYlIYY8xxp9KnnM1htkcl7molINiQxpoOI3GpuTxHG0Ud-UlxEYI7Jsokq5oggAfcqq-2fn3NVJSpY06J6Khgx_LStoyQtmVyMxNT0K5ACtYebcGFTM14f-/s640/IMG_0006_Snapseed.jpg" width="416" /></a></div>
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There was also an incredibly detailed map of the team's headquarters in the Baxter Building. Before the days of comic information being easily accessible it was these type of drawings that provided the amount of detail super fans needed to know every possible thing about the Fantastic Four. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibD-jHHTEC_99LDKab_hCoIjrLW41FHixBLDyMn5z338h5MDpPl1ZJ2BI4zY1YAdNVZD_ZEcecRxXpXhNNzop0_HfzMRSFpx6ryNFlwXKCVrYee_nkFRKkjYjd4qZGMk2v8rzLFsKpGbLo/s1600/IMG_0005_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1029" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibD-jHHTEC_99LDKab_hCoIjrLW41FHixBLDyMn5z338h5MDpPl1ZJ2BI4zY1YAdNVZD_ZEcecRxXpXhNNzop0_HfzMRSFpx6ryNFlwXKCVrYee_nkFRKkjYjd4qZGMk2v8rzLFsKpGbLo/s640/IMG_0005_Snapseed.jpg" width="410" /></a></div>
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Thanks again Avril for the totally unexpected surprise!<br />
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-4038855188968066192017-06-23T23:05:00.000-04:002017-06-23T23:05:01.687-04:00Solving A Vinyl Mystery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last winter while traveling through northern Illinois, I stopped at the Half Price Books outlet in Rockford. This is where the millions of unwanted copies of the Transformers movies and <i>The South Beach Diet</i> go to be sold for $3. They also have some clearance vinyl records and they have some of their better albums in frames on the wall. This particular one stood out to me as I love space-themed albums and I had no idea whose album it was. I snapped a photo of it to remind myself to search it out later when I had time later. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtUwVhA7O6BcP1NhKTIbAehNyXC7MYz0HHasZatzicf0inxSS4fkCDlfZYlVaOQWL7KojJ0f2Nzel9HvIvqC1lUAkYdkgcc8RYXwC1ZhAsMHRKUk9nHdWY50sXBGYtVFYWkQmZ7tBI7ef/s1600/20170201_131827_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtUwVhA7O6BcP1NhKTIbAehNyXC7MYz0HHasZatzicf0inxSS4fkCDlfZYlVaOQWL7KojJ0f2Nzel9HvIvqC1lUAkYdkgcc8RYXwC1ZhAsMHRKUk9nHdWY50sXBGYtVFYWkQmZ7tBI7ef/s400/20170201_131827_Snapseed.jpg" width="387" /></a></div>
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As you can imagine, "later" turned into several months as that photo got pushed back with Christmas photos and every once in awhile I would be reminded of that vinyl mystery. I finally did a a reverse image search and it turned out that that image was the back cover of the 2001: A Space Odyssey soundtrack. Here is the front cover: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7QMMjexL9egx4MS0vnvTgnU5zK0BkwqVOKudRZCL4WlA8L1gQmVCYBtKz44ABk7DBYJV1oKrscvshVN15sK05NkLyyusIEKv8ZF6wXOtNYo8BY_xbrhchjGz0HZ-u5qvlhAmFVLbZB7t/s1600/20170412_163640_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7QMMjexL9egx4MS0vnvTgnU5zK0BkwqVOKudRZCL4WlA8L1gQmVCYBtKz44ABk7DBYJV1oKrscvshVN15sK05NkLyyusIEKv8ZF6wXOtNYo8BY_xbrhchjGz0HZ-u5qvlhAmFVLbZB7t/s400/20170412_163640_Snapseed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The gate-fold has some great photos from the film and an essay on the classical compositions used on the soundtrack.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR15WybAm7CWDun_5-bdGKxJ0e12nz20YYzosh4gtL00-rQdq7xCj1dnOANOuxDR3g9POn6uUZVKa5Q0k29Ot65GfgPiPvsBCIk9-3rqPXU6cvgguieJpYIibOgVeLKeZFwo2enZs0zElr/s1600/20170412_163700_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR15WybAm7CWDun_5-bdGKxJ0e12nz20YYzosh4gtL00-rQdq7xCj1dnOANOuxDR3g9POn6uUZVKa5Q0k29Ot65GfgPiPvsBCIk9-3rqPXU6cvgguieJpYIibOgVeLKeZFwo2enZs0zElr/s640/20170412_163700_Snapseed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here again is the image in question. It was created by artist Robert McCall who designed the round space station and the space suits used in the movie. You can find his webpage <a href="http://www.mccallstudios.com/2001-a-space-odyssey/">HERE</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcAni9X631Bha3G5Ied-aYkKpKiDHt9BP-8WEhiDOSyA-PBCyO6I45H-nmlKlUKpN-TpcTDP2MAT2R8BKDWd2VltJnbOp9i8Zi9tW6RGjlWPGozuDBbEJaQYUBFEruTEevC45t3ynQxQm/s1600/20170412_163721_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcAni9X631Bha3G5Ied-aYkKpKiDHt9BP-8WEhiDOSyA-PBCyO6I45H-nmlKlUKpN-TpcTDP2MAT2R8BKDWd2VltJnbOp9i8Zi9tW6RGjlWPGozuDBbEJaQYUBFEruTEevC45t3ynQxQm/s640/20170412_163721_Snapseed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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While the cover had a some wear, the vinyl was just a little dusty with no obvious problems. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RhYGUKwVs8jWYiCcPn64NQjIx2r34NUickCcLcmVfPenrkEqJT1B3nE0oCPj2Yqh1YSnN01k355hoRefhqz5P_0BCjrq-IJXxmQp8j3UREII3CJWrPVmzQkEy_aDxx9n0d2eMjhd6HYS/s1600/20170412_163436_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RhYGUKwVs8jWYiCcPn64NQjIx2r34NUickCcLcmVfPenrkEqJT1B3nE0oCPj2Yqh1YSnN01k355hoRefhqz5P_0BCjrq-IJXxmQp8j3UREII3CJWrPVmzQkEy_aDxx9n0d2eMjhd6HYS/s400/20170412_163436_Snapseed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Scarlett approves of the purchase and she also loves the smell of musty cardboard and vinyl. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9X3Vi-cutB6dJxI_0TsWmhXwwSP_flX1-ELMIpJoafCVrq1Aro7dhwC2laF7YFfj7hyCbx1MjPCRCXp8-3NmI81VVFZgLu1Sp4X10IzREambArGpBC6CZj8EzuMvCvNjdgz6EoWHUNHR/s1600/20170412_163732_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9X3Vi-cutB6dJxI_0TsWmhXwwSP_flX1-ELMIpJoafCVrq1Aro7dhwC2laF7YFfj7hyCbx1MjPCRCXp8-3NmI81VVFZgLu1Sp4X10IzREambArGpBC6CZj8EzuMvCvNjdgz6EoWHUNHR/s640/20170412_163732_Snapseed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And so I framed the album up with some of my other covers including an album by The Association with a moon/space theme. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGyiEd4Xj0-LlECHkhFYAKkZApSrW6lhXrcWqRU-kfx-85RdwgoTJJCtG8EFref3woIgw_HDXbBp3SQoZvShaGs2h4r-zvcnLCRGqLmJvsOKixtdTCVxLBUGLfssJ04RzVjqCf5fPMIL4/s1600/20170412_195914_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGyiEd4Xj0-LlECHkhFYAKkZApSrW6lhXrcWqRU-kfx-85RdwgoTJJCtG8EFref3woIgw_HDXbBp3SQoZvShaGs2h4r-zvcnLCRGqLmJvsOKixtdTCVxLBUGLfssJ04RzVjqCf5fPMIL4/s640/20170412_195914_Snapseed.jpg" width="626" /></a></div>
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-9505152794304562292017-04-07T13:47:00.000-04:002017-04-07T16:33:09.400-04:00Visiting Adlai Stevenson's Grave<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My home in Decatur is located about 40 miles from three major central-Illinois cities, the capital Springfield to the west, the home of the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana to the east, and Bloomington-Normal to the north. Bloomington's favorite son is for Senator and presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson who grew up in the town and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-6990f724-4966-ffc2-deb2-345834637744"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stevenson twice was the Democratic Party nominee for president against Dwight Eisenhower and during President Kennedy's administration he served as the U.S. representative to the United Nations. He was there during the Cuban Missile Crisis and famously confronted the Soviet Union representative about missiles in Cuba at the United Nations and i</span></span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">n front of Stevenson's grave a United Nations flag flies. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqHiujNOm13Ag038LGCBGkwyqprkCLXs-5GWkhfaRdjJX0efmpNK4rp3th5x21yYCH1cqpCCc2lewqllhg_l4y_d3jwI44oCbX71-gUsU1LHpk2R5NKkK9nTvHW5N-D4DRlT3sJQDROAK/s1600/20170406_114110_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqHiujNOm13Ag038LGCBGkwyqprkCLXs-5GWkhfaRdjJX0efmpNK4rp3th5x21yYCH1cqpCCc2lewqllhg_l4y_d3jwI44oCbX71-gUsU1LHpk2R5NKkK9nTvHW5N-D4DRlT3sJQDROAK/s640/20170406_114110_Snapseed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Stevenson is really Adlai Stevenson II and he is named after his Grandfather, Adlai Stevenson, who was also as major politician and was actually the Vice President during Grover Cleveland's second term as President. They are buried next to each other in the cemetery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VkuJLaNqlhfGsF2dQf-PFmXrOtdcmQmnkC4z4aC6xmBj3p1q14ojNzFvXz-H9RMOuXAvVr7YLNGmu7LCiuIZBHwa0iM_7gdPAETMaCL-4gTQYm6RFcdQ3QdVUJdgJFQgL6eeXE3OID4X/s1600/20170406_114131_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VkuJLaNqlhfGsF2dQf-PFmXrOtdcmQmnkC4z4aC6xmBj3p1q14ojNzFvXz-H9RMOuXAvVr7YLNGmu7LCiuIZBHwa0iM_7gdPAETMaCL-4gTQYm6RFcdQ3QdVUJdgJFQgL6eeXE3OID4X/s400/20170406_114131_Snapseed.jpg" width="230" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtJeDXCjb8cY5lJJkgxVtPMQqjbtkzuogZl2d-21CDQ-Sv7NrWqZk3-6uvO-7YS41SDVUAzgRbKua7ytw1svPPTHU5sAXEIdpjWz0Wezd1GJUiclOb6XHXe302UHpGHfrWc6byrobJQRz/s1600/20170406_114137_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtJeDXCjb8cY5lJJkgxVtPMQqjbtkzuogZl2d-21CDQ-Sv7NrWqZk3-6uvO-7YS41SDVUAzgRbKua7ytw1svPPTHU5sAXEIdpjWz0Wezd1GJUiclOb6XHXe302UHpGHfrWc6byrobJQRz/s400/20170406_114137_Snapseed.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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Adlai Stevenson I's grave. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBTPqybcJYkL4WWu8qydSvtTIZMbBfjR25wY0yJ1_vi2EJ4m73ERFx7zrJAhAmMJPt_d9ltEjpwTTjT7nxM3eKM7Dtkhyphenhyphen_tARZA665trDdPUw6t4Xtr8aav-B8x3fSqcm2x1JephbOR1s/s1600/20170406_114254_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBTPqybcJYkL4WWu8qydSvtTIZMbBfjR25wY0yJ1_vi2EJ4m73ERFx7zrJAhAmMJPt_d9ltEjpwTTjT7nxM3eKM7Dtkhyphenhyphen_tARZA665trDdPUw6t4Xtr8aav-B8x3fSqcm2x1JephbOR1s/s640/20170406_114254_Snapseed.jpg" width="395" /></a></div>
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Probably the most famous moments of Stevenson's presidential campaigns was when he was photographed with a hole in the bottom of his shoe. Eisenhower capitalized on the moment as representing much more than a presidential candidate too busy to get his shoe repaired or buy a new pair. It is funny to think about the things that the American voter used to care about when choosing their president compared to our current way to doing things.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuZFbFFQ5Bkh19Yt3jOR5MSRwCY7XhCBzYCL4C-_UWnX6Px5jdxuKTMLFebX8HK5KIb7UjQdvwwVTjTxQGZNPF_-qj2iTJHek5jaxXo7uwWLbnD8riAoW-H_MpvLw6XGMLvRcLMvMgW5L/s1600/Adlai+Stevenson+Hole+Shoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuZFbFFQ5Bkh19Yt3jOR5MSRwCY7XhCBzYCL4C-_UWnX6Px5jdxuKTMLFebX8HK5KIb7UjQdvwwVTjTxQGZNPF_-qj2iTJHek5jaxXo7uwWLbnD8riAoW-H_MpvLw6XGMLvRcLMvMgW5L/s400/Adlai+Stevenson+Hole+Shoe.jpg" width="327" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIOZ8U5Z9hJyVUKCW8PNQUbJ-lqE8KBXN8ksxiekVZMdbFrHhtKkLvplnXedxLnkC9oxg8gRshcOaNkMLopWldLXNQw2VHdSutn_FiPIfyj0022-VDKYfFDQ2ezqNQTzkiJ9M_3RvPovT/s1600/Ike+Shoe+Pin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIOZ8U5Z9hJyVUKCW8PNQUbJ-lqE8KBXN8ksxiekVZMdbFrHhtKkLvplnXedxLnkC9oxg8gRshcOaNkMLopWldLXNQw2VHdSutn_FiPIfyj0022-VDKYfFDQ2ezqNQTzkiJ9M_3RvPovT/s200/Ike+Shoe+Pin.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
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This is Adlai Stevenson II's rather simple and modest grave. He died suddenly of a heart attack in 1965 while still the United Nations representative at a conference in Switzerland.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcfkQmOYZtJ_kkaMttjvnAJQnSTs2vCcG2ovk6-LNfBQsNmViW8Y7WdmwQ0YBC4rXl5-PD4SftXCclLhUyphAdgzX3AlCpyveWFS50V-m1hmGP1SElmoO47W05k2hyphenhyphenE9YUWuL9CZ5_WgN/s1600/20170406_114244_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcfkQmOYZtJ_kkaMttjvnAJQnSTs2vCcG2ovk6-LNfBQsNmViW8Y7WdmwQ0YBC4rXl5-PD4SftXCclLhUyphAdgzX3AlCpyveWFS50V-m1hmGP1SElmoO47W05k2hyphenhyphenE9YUWuL9CZ5_WgN/s640/20170406_114244_Snapseed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-52171888696991542192017-03-29T17:53:00.002-04:002017-03-29T17:53:35.602-04:00My Mystery Science Theater 3000 Membership Card<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My all-time favorite TV show, Mystery Science Theater 3000, is coming back in April for the Kickstarter backed Season 11. Back in November 2014, Joel Hodgson, the creator and first host of the show, began <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mst3k/bringbackmst3k/description">their fan-funded campaign</a> to bring back the series and I think it is fair to say that the excitement of the idea blew away everyone's expectations. In the end, the Season 11 campaign had over 48,000 backers and raised over $5.7 million dollars. It proved so popular that <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80128275">Netflix bought the project</a> and new episodes begin airing April 14th. </div>
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Here is the trailer to the new season which features all new characters from the original series...except for the bots.</div>
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Of course, I donated to the Kickstarter and as part of the perks we could request a MST3K membership card. Mine came in the mail earlier in the year and I'm proud member #42859. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfa4sZELdsSb3_cHVBUz0R1_2nnPbOYQB8xrnbr0Hy-na_AVzez9wOItxAm6Nj9-G1QBW4yr4tqwJqMzl9nnA7xfmOUnLIvMdslGq_cCY52KeBpUwSVry8uLAss36ikR3M95Ah9tpoKgS7/s1600/IMG_20170227_0002+%25282%2529_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfa4sZELdsSb3_cHVBUz0R1_2nnPbOYQB8xrnbr0Hy-na_AVzez9wOItxAm6Nj9-G1QBW4yr4tqwJqMzl9nnA7xfmOUnLIvMdslGq_cCY52KeBpUwSVry8uLAss36ikR3M95Ah9tpoKgS7/s400/IMG_20170227_0002+%25282%2529_Snapseed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you look at the front and scream "I'm not just a number, I'm a human being!" then you can add your name to the reverse side. I don't have the heart to write on it yet but maybe someday. </div>
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There is also a certificate I can print out and they were also sent a Gizmonic Institute sticker add to it. Gizmonic was the backdrop of the original experiments of the series and around the "G" you will notice the Latin phrase "istud scibunt populi veri." With a little research and twisting the meaning slightly it roughly states "the right people will get it" which I think is a perfect sentiment for the series as a whole. </div>
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-33584055848909744702017-01-14T21:53:00.000-05:002017-04-26T15:51:51.165-04:00Visiting Spottswood Poles Grave In Arlington National Cemetery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This past summer, my wife and I lived in Washington D.C. and during our months there I spent the good part of two days walking around in the midday sun in Arlington National Cemetery. If you ever make it to the nation's capital, I highly recommend it as you can easily visit the big names (JFK, RFK, William Howard Taft) or expand your visit to visit the graves of a whole host of lesser known celebrities and historical figures. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPlNPvhUm1MpM5BiNlNal_-gxcShse1bDyGbhIJdAIXrP1BjBAcn9nx6rkeRaoQjQqBroyu-wJWHNTT_RNK_jiWDgiLvO42NxGf5SijTe1V54J45kwtXGSJtKiRninGl7cS4bOAwl-rY/s1600/20160720_105328_HDR_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPlNPvhUm1MpM5BiNlNal_-gxcShse1bDyGbhIJdAIXrP1BjBAcn9nx6rkeRaoQjQqBroyu-wJWHNTT_RNK_jiWDgiLvO42NxGf5SijTe1V54J45kwtXGSJtKiRninGl7cS4bOAwl-rY/s640/20160720_105328_HDR_Snapseed.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
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While planning out my walking route around the cemetery, a name jumped out at me that was familiar, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spot_Poles" target="_blank">Spottswood Poles</a>. A great Negro League player, he also served in World War I, making him eligible to be buried at Arlington. With a little effort (there are about 400,000 graves in the cemetery), I was able to locate his grave.<br />
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Spottswood, shortened to simply Spot, was one of the best speed demons on the bases in the early days of the Negro Leagues. He debuted with the Philadelphia Giants in 1909 (pictured below) and bounced around with several teams through 1923. He is credited with having a .400+ batting average over his career and had great success in inter-league play against white teams. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeTOmXTfRFPty_WsVG3UwZd-L4I9bXPgTy5Gv0k1636G2Aa2HFAVkz7TLuwx964Gq6b6Awlqlap1tcCTvL242Cab7FNPgW6Xvh52Jau7yaDFoXYwuzZXhpov3jtfpHsmARi67qVb7XEo/s1600/Poles+Team+Photo_Snapseed-Edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeTOmXTfRFPty_WsVG3UwZd-L4I9bXPgTy5Gv0k1636G2Aa2HFAVkz7TLuwx964Gq6b6Awlqlap1tcCTvL242Cab7FNPgW6Xvh52Jau7yaDFoXYwuzZXhpov3jtfpHsmARi67qVb7XEo/s400/Poles+Team+Photo_Snapseed-Edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Poles' World War I service was in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/369th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)" target="_blank">369th Infantry Regiment</a> which earned the nickname of the "Harlem Hellfighters" as it was based out of New York. The regiment was the first African American regiment in the Army and was active all the way through the end of World War II. </div>
Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-42335555701546173412016-11-05T22:44:00.000-04:002016-11-05T22:44:11.890-04:00Lincoln In Decatur<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If you've ever been to the central region of Illinois, you know that there is no one bigger than Abraham Lincoln. He's certainly the biggest tourism pull in the area and just about every city tries to make some sort of connection to our 16th President.<br />
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Decatur has one of the stronger cases of actually being connected to Lincoln as he moved to the small town in 1830 with his family and it was the first home for him in Illinois. He was 21 at the time and it says so on the statue to Abraham on the campus of Millikin University, Decatur's main college. I can't help but think that someday my statue will say "At Thirty-Seven I Came To Illinois."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP46yiYlS6V12Gy8wT11dV7WmujIK51BRBY4gq1PMS9UxdttTo4Trg76dsC2klMHb2mCO47Wvnouhfh5twHd4GaRAfh2Wyv2PKf1K4PvAQOE0TMgQUogQS297AX6hAYvsf8Gf4Ml4sCGYf/s1600/20161001_104452_HDR_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP46yiYlS6V12Gy8wT11dV7WmujIK51BRBY4gq1PMS9UxdttTo4Trg76dsC2klMHb2mCO47Wvnouhfh5twHd4GaRAfh2Wyv2PKf1K4PvAQOE0TMgQUogQS297AX6hAYvsf8Gf4Ml4sCGYf/s640/20161001_104452_HDR_Snapseed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is the monument which has him at 21 with an axe and some fallen timber.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHa46zEaftlXMeAjNgH66mVMdTraJxX9DK3HUUITSAB5-Wbd3XZyzOPTcXHKgIRuZjQkDyS6qVEFT7wQ-2bZj5k0MKzo3aDUJeuI-R1OvZ0dKPy5DzPpEd8Cmqqb_wzjVnKBmj_MEY634/s1600/20161001_104425_HDR_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHa46zEaftlXMeAjNgH66mVMdTraJxX9DK3HUUITSAB5-Wbd3XZyzOPTcXHKgIRuZjQkDyS6qVEFT7wQ-2bZj5k0MKzo3aDUJeuI-R1OvZ0dKPy5DzPpEd8Cmqqb_wzjVnKBmj_MEY634/s640/20161001_104425_HDR_Snapseed.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Here's the plaque on the monument which gives some more detail on Lincoln's Decatur story. There is another Lincoln statue in the downtown Decatur that highlights where Lincoln gave his first political speech on the streets of the town and I will highlight that in another post.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwjJyNd1PKd1329eWiQPAtyVe3XGvA9utdXWowTA8s16TbEP6oPhsu8Gl_cWopJmm12hnaSmlzJ-_zFThL5cgJ4ft1WLuvAu5TQayNbvUjNZw27Ga1ITwBvU9o5VjrDKwfzQi3KutLl4x/s1600/20161001_104432_HDR_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwjJyNd1PKd1329eWiQPAtyVe3XGvA9utdXWowTA8s16TbEP6oPhsu8Gl_cWopJmm12hnaSmlzJ-_zFThL5cgJ4ft1WLuvAu5TQayNbvUjNZw27Ga1ITwBvU9o5VjrDKwfzQi3KutLl4x/s640/20161001_104432_HDR_Snapseed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-91285593868591490322016-09-11T00:13:00.000-04:002016-09-11T00:13:16.605-04:00Green Aisles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Moving to Illinois has been an interesting transition as my new town of Decatur reminds me a lot of Lawrence, Kansas but the cornfields around the town remind me of home in rural Wisconsin. Here's a view from the road leading to the kennel where we board our dog from time to time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMaa8WrEgCDxqFEq_-lNxCHO_EjnK0fOo4rt5T4U2rwt4Fxf_Jyfxofqq0RUBTr_A3Saw4SXhNAF3HW0q_uxvgMe4Oe-KvYIt1cmZ9BR3oI1JRs79Hr7yzwQ0rIovpCAzer7VUo3SahFC/s1600/20160906_092449_HDR_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMaa8WrEgCDxqFEq_-lNxCHO_EjnK0fOo4rt5T4U2rwt4Fxf_Jyfxofqq0RUBTr_A3Saw4SXhNAF3HW0q_uxvgMe4Oe-KvYIt1cmZ9BR3oI1JRs79Hr7yzwQ0rIovpCAzer7VUo3SahFC/s640/20160906_092449_HDR_Snapseed.jpg" width="640" /></a>Driving around these roads reminds me of one of my all-time favorite songs "Green Aisles" by Real Estate. If you aren't familiar with the band, they make a type of music described as "dream pop" with a real calm and mellow sound. I typically listen to music or a podcast while going to sleep and the album that "Green Aisles" is on, <i>Days</i>, is an album that has helped me reach dreamland many times. <br />
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<i>All those wasted miles</i></div>
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<i>All those aimless drives</i></div>
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<i>Through green aisles</i></div>
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<i>Our careless lifestyle</i></div>
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<i>It was not so unwise, no </i></div>
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That is the chorus that the "green aisles" lyrics can be found and it speaks to me as our non-traditional lifestyle these past few years has led us to Ukraine and back and across the United States has proven to be a wonderful and life-changing experience. I wouldn't go so far as to say our lifestyle was "careless" as the lyric goes but it has been unconventional and full of unexpected twists. I will admit though that a return to "green aisles" is a nice change of pace.</div>
Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-8633780233987764252016-08-17T18:27:00.003-04:002016-08-17T18:27:55.116-04:00What Have I Done? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I realized that as a Green Bay Packers fan I was treading on some dangerous ground moving to Decatur, Illinois. But I had no idea what exactly I was walking into until seeing the sign welcoming me to my new home. </div>
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Before the Chicago Bears were called the "Chicago Bears" they were founded as the Decatur Staleys in 1919. An odd name for a team, to be sure, they were named after the parent company that started the team, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._E._Staley">A.E. Staley</a>, which was a corn processor. The company still exists today as a part of the larger collection of companies known as Sysco.<br />
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The Decatur Staleys were run by George Halas and played one season in Decatur as a part of what was called the American Professional Football Association [APFA]. They would move to Chicago and become the Chicago Staleys in 1921 and became the Bears when the APFA became the National Football League in 1922.<br />
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So that's more Bears knowledge than I thought I would ever know or am comfortable with...other than that Jay Cutler is 2-11 lifetime against the Packers.
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-8188013167516873552016-08-15T23:45:00.001-04:002016-08-15T23:45:45.309-04:00What A Long Trip It's Been<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What started out as a "for the summer" relocation to Washington DC, turned out to be a summer filled with adventures all across the East Coast and our new home in Decatur, Illinois.<br />
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Many posts will follow about our adventures but a brief rundown of the highlights we saw along the way including:<br />
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The Appalachian Mountains in rural Pennsylvania<br />
State Capitols of Pennsylvania, Vermont, and New Hampshire<br />
The Baseball Hall of Fame<br />
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island<br />
Downtown Manhattan<br />
Laura's hometown in New Jersey<br />
My brother-in-law's wedding near Burlington, Vermont<br />
The Atlantic Ocean coast in Portland, Maine<br />
Lake Ontario and Toronto, Canada<br />
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And we finally arrived in Decatur, Illinois, which was the location of Abraham Lincoln's first home in Illinois after moving here with his family from southern Indiana when he was 21. It is said he gave his first political speech here which attracted the attention of Illinois political leaders. </div>
Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-11464632680425245552016-07-30T13:17:00.000-04:002016-07-30T13:17:05.656-04:00The View From My Window #23: Vermont<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Don't let the the cactus in the foreground fool you, those rolling hills in the background are located in the Green Mountain State of Vermont near Mount Mansfield. I'm here for a wedding and the wedding venue on top of a hill has amazing views as well.<br />
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-81407834941106152502016-07-13T18:57:00.000-04:002016-07-13T18:57:08.586-04:00Free Stamps From The Postal Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When Laura and I started making lists of what to see during our time in Washington, she laughed when she came upon "The Postal Museum." "That's one museum I think I will skip," I remember her saying. But my interest was peaked and last week I got a chance to visit it (along with Union Station which is located right across the street). </div>
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While it doesn't compare to the Smithsonian's other museums, it is a time capsule of how the Post Service has changed since our nation's founding. The museum location itself was Washington's main post office from 1914 until 1986. The building architecture is the Beaux-Arts style which was popular in the United States from 1880 until about 1920.<br />
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One of the neat things about the museum is that in one of the rooms where you can design your stamp, you can also dig through a big pile of stamps and take home six to jump start your stamp collection.<br />
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Here are my six stamps (including two foreign stamps.) We begin with two presidents, Woodrow Wilson (the only political scientists to ever be President) and Abraham Lincoln (who lost every public election he took part in before being elected president). The 4-cent Lincoln stamp was issued in 1954 and the Wilson $1 stamp produced in 1938 .</div>
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I also picked up two space-related stamps, one honoring Project Mercury and the other featuring Skylab. The Project Mercury stamp was issued in 1962 and has John Glenn's space capsule as it orbits the Earth for the first time. The Skylab 10-cent stamp is from 1974 and was produced in honor of the first anniversary of Skylab's launch.<br />
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My two foreign stamps include one from East Germany and one from Israel. As you might expect from a communist country, the stamp is in honor of a worker. The bright red Israeli stamp features <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahal_Barak">Nahal Baraq</a> Canyon located in the southern district of Israel.<br />
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-7055200457042085222016-07-12T19:45:00.000-04:002016-07-12T20:04:23.919-04:00Visiting the Watergate and the Deep Throat Parking Garage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last week I wrote about <a href="http://www.usemycamera.net/2016/07/doing-my-best-to-recreate-all.html">visiting the Library of Congress</a> to try to replicate a famous scene from <i>All the President's Men</i> and this week I'm on the road again to visit a few more spots made famous by the movie and the Watergate saga.</div>
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We start at the Watergate Hotel and business complex which recently <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2015/11/glamour-buzz-return-to-the-watergate-as-historic.html">celebrated its 50th birthday</a>. This view of the famously circular buildings is from the Kennedy Center which sits next next door. Back in June 1972, five men broke into the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate and a little more than two years later President Richard Nixon would resign over the coverup. </div>
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The building has been added to the National Register of Historic Places and so it will remain mostly the same because of its historical significance. The same isn't true for the next spot on my Watergate tour. </div>
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In the parking garage under this Rosslyn, Virginia office building, Bob Woodward met his government informant that helped him uncover the conspiracy around the Watergate burglary. Unfortunately, the building and the garage <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/16/deep-throat-washington-post-site-development/10569779/">will soon be demolished for new buildings</a>. The decision was made back in 2014 but the building couldn't be changed before 2017, so I was able to get a chance to take a look at the famous parking garage.<br />
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Woodward met <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Felt">Mark Felt</a> who was the Deputy Director of the FBI and served as deep background on what was happening inside the federal government as the scandal was building.<br />
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They met in the shadows of spot D32 which was occupied by a Ford truck when I visited. I have to imagine that at the time there was nowhere near the lighting level that there is today and I do know that Felt was able to exit out the side door that is now covered by a metal fence on the right .</div>
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Here are some shots from the <i>All the President's Men</i> film of Robert Redford meeting Deep Throat who was played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001358/?ref_=tt_cl_t5">Hal Holbrook</a>. It appears in the film that the parking garage they used isn't attached to a larger building as it is in reality. </div>
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The parking garage was much more deserted and darker but even with the fluorescent lights in the parking garage today, it was still a creepy place and I was glad to get out of there as quickly as possible. <br />
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And here is Deep Throat in the shadows, a scene that has inspired political thrillers for decades.<br />
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-68830121649062718512016-07-11T19:39:00.000-04:002016-07-11T19:46:32.009-04:00Use My Camera Classic: Uncle Remus and the Song of the South<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">**In this series of posts, I revisit interesting locations and sites that I never got around to posting about when I originally visited them.**</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><i>Eatonton, GA July 2015</i></span></div>
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One of Georgia's most famous native sons was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Chandler_Harris">Joel Chandler Harris</a>, author of the Uncle Remus anthologies of stories featuring the character of Brer Rabbit which were incredibly popular at the turn of the 20th century. </div>
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Harris was from Eatonton, GA which is about 50 miles south of Athens, Georgia and from driving around the small town, they clearly are proud to be the birthplace of Harris. <br />
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The collection of fables and stories attributed to Uncle Remus included philosophical stories which were a combination of original ideas by Harris and folklore and traditional stories attributed to African-American culture. His style of telling the story in Uncle Remus' voice would later be famously seen in Mark Twain's <u>Huckleberry Finn</u>.<br />
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Modern criticism of Harris' work is that he took many of the stories from slaves and newly freed African-Americans without attributing the sources. Interestingly, another author born in the very same town of Eatonton is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Walker">Alice Walker</a>, author of <u>The Color Purple</u>. It is hard to imagine two authors more different yet covering similar topics of race in the South. Walker wrote an essay on her thoughts on Chandler's work entitled "Uncle Remus, No Friend of Mine" and I think you can understand her opinion by the title alone.<br />
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Eatonton also boasts an <a href="http://www.uncleremusmuseum.org/">Uncle Remus Museum</a> a little ways from the downtown.<br />
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It features a period cabin reminiscent of something Uncle Remus would have occupied at the time of Chandler's work.<br />
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The Uncle Remus tales were brought to the silver screen in Disney's <i>Song of the South</i>. The film is a combination of animation and real actors interacting and it is famous for the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." Because of the subject matter, Disney has stopped releasing the film and it is not for sale currently. </div>
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Although the movie is out of print as far as Disney is concerned, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uufGhu1GGJ4">the complete film is currently up on YouTube</a><span id="goog_680378737"></span><span id="goog_680378738"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a> for your viewing pleasure. I'm sure it will be taken down as soon as Disney notices that it has been posted so see what all the hubbub is about while you can. </div>
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-82299068279680363812016-07-10T23:25:00.002-04:002016-07-11T16:58:30.105-04:00The Supreme Court With Eight Chairs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When the Supreme Court isn't in session (they wrapped up for this term a few weeks ago) you are able to take hourly tours of the chamber where the Supreme Court holds their hearings. You aren't able to take a photograph inside the room during the tour but you can take photos of the room from immediately outside of it.<br />
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With the death of Antonin Scalia and Senate's failure to move on <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/scotus">President's Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland</a>, the Court currently only has eight justices and so if you visit now you have the rare view of only eight chairs sitting behind the bench. </div>
Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-32797593780943792772016-07-09T11:42:00.000-04:002016-07-09T11:42:05.438-04:00Please, No Tour De France<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Please, no Tour De France! </div>
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A sign between the Capitol and Union Station. </div>
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-42641198145505673452016-07-06T14:46:00.000-04:002016-07-06T14:46:54.759-04:00The Scariest 10 Seconds In Washington<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="427" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/173655377" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<a href="https://vimeo.com/173655377">The Scariest 10 Seconds In Washington</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user474887">Matt Flaten</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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This is Trump's new hotel being built on Pennsylvania Avenue. <a href="http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Trumps-Pennsylvania-Ave-Sign-is-Legal-DC-Says-316291371.html">The size of sign has been controversial</a> around Washington as it seems like it is way too big based on city advertising laws. The city says they can't do anything about it because the sign sits on federal land as it sits on the Old Post Office Pavilion where the hotel is being built.<br />
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-8453000727712143362016-07-05T14:55:00.001-04:002016-07-05T14:55:55.121-04:00Doing My Best To Recreate All The President's Men<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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While the exterior of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Congress">Library of Congress</a> isn't one of Washington's most memorable building, the inside is certainly the most beautiful library you'll ever find in the United States. The library is the oldest federal institution, dating back to 1800, and currently the collection has more than 23,000,000 books.<br />
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As a tourist visiting without a reader card, you'll be hard pressed to see any of the Library's huge collection, but in one area you can ascend a set of stars to see one of the famous circular reading rooms.<br />
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The reading rooms gained pop culture fame with a notable scene in the Oscar-winning film <i>All The President's Men</i>. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman (as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein) go to the reading room to sort through receipts after being told to "follow the money" by their informant Deep Throat.<br />
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The camera pulls back to reveal the whole room from above and simultaneously shows the small nature of the two reporters researching the Watergate story and demonstrating the size and scope of the American government.<br />
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Here's the brief <i>All The President's Men</i> clip that features the Library.<br />
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The iconic scene was featured in the Simpsons in one of the series' best episodes, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideshow_Bob_Roberts">Sideshow Bob Roberts</a></i>. Lisa is researching the election results from the Springfield mayoral election and the camera pulls back in a similar fashion to reveal that Springfield Library's reading room rivals that of the Library of Congress. </div>
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Thinking about it, I believe I saw the Simpsons episode well before <i>All the President's Men</i> and so it was probably years before I really understood this joke. <br />
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Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5012626873976737411.post-10684573102248842342016-07-04T14:47:00.000-04:002016-07-04T14:47:01.884-04:00The Oldest Structure In Washington DC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Let's celebrate July 4th with a building that was standing long before we declared our independence from England. The oldest unchanged structure in Washington DC is this stone home located surprisingly in the middle of the Georgetown shopping district. It was built in 1765 and has been logically dubbed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Stone_House_(Washington,_D.C.)">Old Stone House</a>. It was originally a one-story home built by the Layton family who only lived in the house for three years before selling it to Cassandra Chew who expanded the home to a second floor and a separate kitchen area. </div>
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But how was it that this little house was spared the wrecking ball as every other building around it was replaced or updated? This was due to the stories surrounding the home that say that George Washington and Washington DC's original city planner <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Charles_L%27Enfant">Pierre L'Enfant</a> held meetings at the house when they were planning the layout of the capital's city streets. After the National Park Service purchased the home in the 1950's, they attempted to verify the historic claims but could find no evidence that showed that those meetings ever took place in the house after all.<br />
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The house is now a part of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Creek_Park">Rock Creek Park National Historic District</a> so bring your <a href="https://www.nps.gov/elca/planyourvisit/passport-program.htm">National Parks passport</a> to get it stamped! </div>
Matt Flatenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01157226107144209201noreply@blogger.com1