Building Red Rocks Amphitheater

Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver is an amazing place. It's huge, and fits naturally into the landscape. But if you're not acclimated to the elevation in Denver, climbing to the upper sections will wear you out. It was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and had its Grand Opening in 1941. The amphitheater was built solid to last, but even the wooden barracks for the workers are still there.  

The Contiguous 41 States

Randall Munroe posted this map at xkcd a few years ago, but this is the first time I've seen it. Alaska and Hawaii are missing, but there are seven other states missing, too! Can you identify them? I could, but it took a while. Once you give up, the answer key is here. (via kottke) 

Why Kentucky is the Opposite of Every U.S. State

Kentucky is not just a state, but a region carved out from the edges of other regions. There are four very different cultures, but even within those geographic cultures, there is rarely agreement. I am a product of the Appalachian coalfield area. "The state that refuses to choose" doesn't tell the whole story. Everyone chooses, but none of them agree completely with the next person. 

Right now, in the next county over, there is quite a fierce battle raging over local offices in the primary election. The primary matters more than the general election, because it is assumed that a Republican will win each office. Yes, there are plenty of Democrats, but never a majority, so it's hard to get anyone to run at all. The exception is the office of governor. Most of them have been from the Democratic party, and Democrats are more likely to be re-elected. Because we know what's good for us. But if any Democratic Kentucky governor would ever run for president (hint: Andy), the one state he would be guaranteed to lose is his own.    

Lisbon

I love this- a travelogue in comic form, from Ellen Woodbury at Pizza Cake. 

Levittown

William Levitt did more than anyone else to invent the nightmare we know as suburbia. There was a housing shortage after World war II, so he used the conveyor-belt method to build thousands of identical houses in planned communities in Long Island and an event bigger one in Pennsylvania. Levitt retained the commercial centers, and sold the houses at an affordable price to veterans who wanted their own home to raise their families in. There were HOA-type rules, and severe redlining. Levitt wouldn't sell to any family that wasn't white. The first black family, William and Daisy Myers, bought a house from a Levittown resident in 1957. Riots ensued, but the Myers stayed for several years.

The suburban ideal caught on and spread across America. The connection between work, family, and community was severed as fathers commuted miles to work in the city every day, while housewives stayed home, drank, scrubbed their perfect suburban houses, made Jell-O salads, and played bridge with each other. The soul-sucking conformity of living in such a community inspired The Stepford Wives, The Feminine Mystique, and Suburbicon. 

The above clip is a condensed version of the 1957 documentary Crisis in Levittown, PA. Here is the full version. It contains some disturbing language. It is only a half-hour long, then clips are repeated. 



Read more about Levittown at Messy Nessy Chic. 

The Differences Between the U.S. and New Zealand

Jordan Watson gave us two lessons on the difference between Australia and New Zealand, because he is from New Zealand and people thought he was from Australia. He must have gotten some feedback from Americans. Probably confused Americans. So now he brings us a lesson on the differences between the States and New Zealand, as if we needed that. But he is, as always, entertaining. I honestly saw "Howdy" coming a mile away, and then expected him to go from "chilly bin" to the "chili bun," which is a Southern US thing.  (via Tastefully Offensive)

Australia

(via She Who Seeks)

Lost at 60th in Queens

The Gregory Brothers and friends sing a little song about the Maspeth neighborhood of Queens, New York. They call it the "Bermuda Triangle" of the city, because there is a 60th Street, 60th Avenue, 60th Lane, 60th Road, 60th Place, 60th Court, and 60th Drive. No wonder you can't find anything, including a way out. It's a catchy song. 

But why is Queens like this? The wacky numbering system goes back to the turn of the 20th century, when New York City annexed Queens. The city wanted to lay a logical grid of numbered street names like they did in Manhattan, but the geography of Queens was not amenable to the logic of the system. Streets run along longitude lines, and avenues run along latitude lines. But Queens already had plenty of streets. There's a real explanation for the streets named 60th in Maspeth, and good luck understanding it. (via Laughing Squid) 

The 1940s Mermaid Show That's Still Pulling Crowds

The Weeki Wachee mermaids were magical creatures to me as a child, even though I was old enough to know they were real women. Women with awesome jobs, in my eyes. But I did not realize they were still putting on shows three times a day! Tom Scott takes us on a tour of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Florida, and gives us the history of the famous mermaid show.

The Shape of Paris

Pro skater Andy Anderson takes a tour of Paris. That description seems way too straightforward. Sure, he's impressive, and finds infinite opportunities for complex tricks in the city, but Paris has never looked so beautiful. Brett Novak's cinematography is off the charts and will make you want to book your tickets. There are aerial shots, looming architecture, and landscape vistas, but most of what you see is from ground level as if you are actually there. Even the rain cannot dampen the mood. The Shape of Paris not only appeals to skateboarding enthusiasts, but anyone who wants a beautiful and soothing look at Paris. (via Nag on the Lake) 

Africa

(Thanks, WTM!)

More Differences Between New Zealand and Australia

In a followup to his previous video on the differences between Australia and New Zealand, Jordan Watson (also known as the How-to Dad) draws more contrasts between the two. He lives in New Zealand, which he paints as a more peaceful and sensible place. This video delves deeper into the language differences of two English-speaking nations, although he does wander into the wildlife, sports, and geography a bit. (via Tastefully Offensive)

"Africa," But Really Africa

There are 54 countries in Africa (plus three disputed territories), more than any other continent. You can try memorizing them by studying a map and then picturing the map while you recite them, but that hasn't totally worked for me because I always miss a few. 

Dustin Ballard of There I Ruined It constructed a song to the tune of "Africa" by Toto with lyrics that name every country on that continent. Yes, they rhyme wherever they can. Far from ruining it, this song actually improves on the original by having something to do with Africa. 

The Haunted Comedy Store

The Comedy Store in Los Angeles opened in 1972 and soon became a mecca for those hoping to break into the big time in standup comedy. The nightclub became famous for incubating the careers of some of the biggest comedians of the last 50 years. Of course, there have been plenty of comedians who graced the stage at The Comedy Store or else waited tables and never made it big. And some of them swear that the place is haunted.


 

Dear America, We’d Like to Speak to the Manager

Danish comedian Huxi Bach explains Greenland to America. That is all. (via Metafilter) 

Why Cities Exist

When you have a lot of room, why don't people just spread out over the countryside? Owning, or at least being surrounded by land, would seem to make sense in a civilization that relies on agriculture. Yet cities keep growing, as they have for thousands of years. The explanation of this seemingly dry subject is made intriguing by the fact that it's from Wendover Productions, which is always fascinating.

The simple answer is that people like to live near other people when it's possible, because there are a lot of benefits to living in groups, like jobs, services, and culture. The story of cities is really the story of agriculture, which is the story of civilization. The video goes into quite a bit more detail. (via Digg)

Map Quirks of the US

Cities and states have climates and cultures attached to their names, and then it's easy to get a totally incorrect idea of where it is. The same happens when you take a piece of a round globe and straighten it out on a two-dimensional map. We think of Canada as north, Mexico as south, and South America as far south of the United States. But that doesn't tell the whole story. Laurence Brown pulled out a US map to determine where our National Parks are because he got a calendar of park posters for Christmas. That's when he found that what we think about the 48 contiguous United States doesn't have much to do with where they actually are. Besides what's in the video, commenters added more geographic facts that may blow your mind.

If you go south from Detroit, you enter Canada.
Over half of Canada's population lives south of the entire states of Washington and North Dakota.
The Atlantic Ocean enters the Panama Canal from the west and goes east to enter the Pacific.
Boston is roughly on the same latitude as Barcelona. 
The whole of the contiguous USA is further south than the whole of Britain.
New Orleans is about the same latitude as Cairo.
The International Date Line crosses Alaska, so it is both the westernmost and the easternmost state.
The state closest to Africa is Maine. 
Tijuana is closer to North Dakota than it is to Mexico City. 
Texarkana, Texas, is closer to Chicago than it is to El Paso
Berlin is farther north than Winnipeg.

See, we've all been fooled by the weather and our own mental maps! 

European Culture

Jen Sorensen nails the hypocrisy and racism of the "European culture" argument.

[image or embed]

— Ambassador Ken Fairfax (ret) (@portlandken.bsky.social) January 6, 2026 at 9:03 AM

That's Not Haiti

(via Bad Newspaper)

Space Mountain with the Lights On

Theme Park University got the opportunity to ride through Space Mountain at Walt Disney World without the special effects. All the lights are on! You get to see how closely the tracks are wound up. Try to coordinate in your memory where things happen. This makes clear how much the darkness and light effects add to the ride. One commenter said,

Im laughing at all the trash cans and ladders everywhere as if this is just some warehouse

If you've never been on the Space Mountain roller coaster, there's a comparison video showing what the ride normally looks like at Laughing Squid.