New Hampshire Town Pays Permanent Tribute to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Dover, New Hampshire is home to two new markers which pay tribute to none other than the pizza-swilling reptiles known as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But do you know why?? Instead of Jeopardy thinking music, I’ll provide you with a different thinking soundtrack:
Man that song still rules. Dover, New Hampshire is the original birthplace of Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Raphael. A historical marker was placed on Central Avenue in Dover which reads, “In November 1983, while living in Dover, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created a cast of ninja-weapon wielding turtles during a late-night drawing session. Amused by the absurdity of the idea, the duo developed the story of four teenage brothers — Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. The one-shot comic, published independently by Mirage Studios on Union Street, debuted in 1984. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles soon became a full comic series and ultimately an international multimedia franchise.”
In addition to the historical marker on Central Ave. there was also a new commemorative pothole cover unveiled at 28 Union Street – so fitting, huh? Check out a photo of it below:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fans were on Union Street for the unveiling of the TMNT sewer manhole cover, marking the birthplace of the comic 40 years ago this month. TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman spoke about how he and Peter Laird started their turtle odyssey at 28 Union St. pic.twitter.com/3ellCSTrjo
— City of Dover NH (@CityofDoverNH) November 8, 2023
Pretty cool, isn’t it? Krang disagrees. The manhole cover is located just outside the home which was the actual birthplace of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as they were sketched in a nearby house in 1983. Unfortunately since their creation that house has since been demolished but now the manhole cover will remind people that the famous turtles met Master Splinter in the sewers below (and more accurately in a house quite nearby).
Supposedly the best pizza in Dover can be found at La Festa Brick & Brew. If you’re like me you’ll be getting takeout and having a ninja photoshoot at the two new tributes. As a lifelong TMNT fan, thanks Dover!!
The Ninja Turtles still spark joy for me years later. Here’s some other stuff from the past that you may have forgotten about which might spark some momentary joy for you:
Vintage Gadgets: Outdated Tech That Still Sparks Joy
A Physical Calculator
You probably haven’t seen a calculator in ages, but a Reddit user chimed in to say that, for them, the old-school scientific calculator beats the one on your phone or any app. They simply put it like this, “Honestly, a standard scientific calculator is just easier to use than your phone’s built-in scientific calculator.” It could be the fun button-tapping sound or the nostalgic thrill of typing in cheeky words with numbers that makes this person prefer calculators.
Kanizphoto/ Getty Images
Watches That Only Tell The Time
Smartwatches may pack in loads of features, but there’s a catch – they need regular charging and maintenance, and their battery life is shorter. On the flip side, traditional watches are a low-maintenance choice with longer battery life. In fact, a Redditor mentioned they still rock a “a lovely, inexpensive, bombproof, analog, big face Casio.” They also pointed out that smartwatches aren’t allowed at their job, so their trusty Casio gets the job done.
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CD Player, MP3 Player, and Vinyl Albums
If you’ve put a ton of effort into collecting CDs and vinyl records, and creating some killer playlists, why ditch them, right? One person told their story about growing up in the ’90s, building a massive CD collection, and stashing them all in one of those Case Logic CD binders. They fondly shared, “I still keep it with me in my car and it’s a wonderful trip down memory lane every time I open it. I laughed and cried a little when my kids friend asked me what it was and I said, ‘CDs’ and they followed up with, ‘What’s that?'” But also: not everything is available on streaming services. That obscure soundtrack or tribute album from the ’80s? Licensing issues may have prevented it from hitting the streamers. Love Joni Mitchell? Well, Spotify doesn’t have her catalog. Sure, you can subscribe to another service, but if you kept your old vinyl and have a turntable, you can listen to it the old school way.
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"I Love Wires"
You have people who can’t stand a tangle of wires in their tech setup, and then there’s that Reddit user who’s all about the wired life. They firmly believe that wired networking is “not obsolete or outdated.” According to them, it’s superior in every aspect, except for the mobility it lacks compared to wireless. They put it simply, “Wired is the ideal, you only go wireless if running cable is unfeasible for the situation.
Diana Sand/ Getty Images
A Regular Doorbell
A regular doorbell does its job well. It lets you know someone’s at the door. On the other hand, a video doorbell does the same but with the perk of letting you see and hear the person at your door, even if you’re not home. Someone mentioned they’d be up for a smart doorbell if it kept the data local. They said, “I don’t want anything being sent online, so I might need to set up my own system… I’ll just stick with the traditional kind.”
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Physical Buttons
A Redditor shared their affection for good old physical buttons, arguing that not everything needs to go the touchscreen route. They stressed the importance of having car radios equipped with buttons rather than screens, believing it’s a safer choice. They explained, “It’s easier for me to push a button to change the music while keeping my eyes on the road/ I can’t do that if my car has a screen. It increases distracted driving incidents.”
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