this week's color: YELLOW

From the collection at Geppi's Entertainment Museum (read on...)

Well, unlike Orange last week, I could not pin down some major life-changing era that involved the color yellow. My past is littered with a few yellow items, such as (my sister reminded me of this one) our elementary school bus. We lived a little too close to the school for free transport, so our parents paid a full dollar per week so we could ride what was affectionately known as the "pay crate". Yeah, it was an old bus, with an old driver, who even had an old bus driver type name: Mr. Meekins. The only notable "pay crate" experience I can recall is when we would round a corner some days, and we'd all crowd over on the "outside" side of the bus to see if we could tip it over. Never came close. They build those things pretty much kid-tip-proof.

More recently, we just got back from a vacation to my homeland (Baltimore) with a brief stop on the way in the Pennsylvania Laurel Highlands area. Their Ohiopyle State Park is a very nice blend of hills, woods, and waterfalls.

While in Baltimore, we met some friends at one of those outdoor "lifestyle centers" that have overtaken malls. In the center of all the stores and restaurants was this fountain that turned yellow at night.
Also in Baltimore, we checked out a thing called Geppy's Entertainment (Popular Culture) Museum. There were some yellow things there, so they will have to do as far as photographic representation goes. On the way in, we were met by this yellowish nature scene amongst the lantana.
Now, on into the museum. One of the first exhibits, from earlier history, was practically a whole room devoted to a character known as "The Yellow Kid". I guess he was part of his creator's contribution to what became the first regularly featured comic, Hogan's Alley. I am hoping that my son does not read this post (pretty good chance he won't) because this character quite creeped him out...and for good reason. I won't get into his whole history, but it involves some social commentary and the little booger seemed to lead young 'uns into a life of drink, smoke, and severe mis-spelling. He looked like this:
Let's move on. Remember "Jeep" from the Popeye cartoons? Well, here he is in all his glory:

Who wouldn't want a plush Ms. Pac Man of their own? And in this liberated age, what kind of a name is Ms. Pac Man, anyway? Should it not be Ms. Pac Woman?
And finally, I think this product right here pretty much summarizes all that is great about American popular culture. I am certain that we hit a cultural peak, an apex if you will, when the Quaker Oats folks signed the contract with Mr. T to roll these bad boys out.
Just for the heck of it, here are a couple more pictures from the trip, just because. Have a great week; for more yellow goodness, visit Jen's blog.