[The Poet]

Today American culture was affected by death and resurrection. In 1829 English scientist James Smithson died in Genoa, leaving is entire estate to his only nephew, but with the odd proviso that, were his nephew to die heirless, his bequest should go to the United States for the establishment of an institution for the increase and diffusion of knowledge. As his nephew did indeed die without an heir some 6 years later, this fortune founded the Smithsonian. In 1939 a relationship died and a classic was born when the "Frankly my dear" scene was filmed to wrap up production of Gone With The Wind. The line, shocking at the time, did pass the censors, though producer David O. Selznick was fined $5000 . . . as if he gave a damn. And in 1968 Elvis Presley, who had been pretty much musically irrelevant since he'd entered the Army a decade earlier, began filming his Comeback Special. Thank you very much.

Finally, in 1985, the famed Route 66, once THE link between Chicago and LA, and a part of American culture, was decertified, with its iconic signs removed. The Mighty I-40 slowly killed it, much to the despair of Tod and Buz.