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:

https://twitter.com/CityofDoverNH/status/1722367223539409168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1722367223539409168%7Ctwgr%5Ee97ed83f0fa07cf4cfba06096f83e0e1f9756fb8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Few.com%2Fbooks%2Fteenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-commemorative-manhole-sewer-dover%2F

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:

Best Buy has announced that starting in 2024, following this holiday season, they will discontinue the sale of DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K Ultra HD discs, both in their physical stores and online. They have said the reason for this decision is due to the increasing popularity of streaming services.  This move aligns with the prevailing trend, as more people turn to streaming for their entertainment needs.

Physical media does come with certain inconveniences, such as taking up space and limited mobile accessibility. But there are still people who appreciate the more traditional way of enjoying movies and music. There are some advantages of owning Blu-rays and DVDs. These include owning what you buy and having bonus content you can't get anywhere else.

In the '90s, owning a pager was considered a status symbol and a fashion statement. Today, it's even possible to purchase a fully functional vintage Motorola pager from online marketplaces like eBay.

With the widespread use of mobile phones and free calling applications that offer unlimited calls via Wi-Fi, traditional landlines may eventually become obsolete. However, the complete phasing out of this technology may take some time. This is because certain regions or countries still contend with unreliable internet or cellular coverage. As of August 2023, Community Phone reports that approximately 40.35 million households in the United States still maintain landline phones, and 38.1 million households have both a landline and a cell phone.

For some people, "new" technology doesn’t always mean "better." On Reddit, a user started a discussion thread asking, “What outdated or obsolete tech are you still using and are perfectly happy with?” The thread received more than 16,000 responses from people who shared the outdated everyday items they still happily use. Check some of them out below.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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."