The new Muppet Movie, called The Muppets, opens in November and the tie-in publicity is gearing up. Out on August 23rd “Muppets: The Green Album” contains 12 covers of popular Muppet songs by a variety of artists. Amy Lee (of Evanescence) sings a nice version of Robin the Frog’s sweet gem “Halfway Down the Stairs” (Robin’s version on YouTube) based on the A.A. Milne poem. NPR has the entire album available to stream online right now. Not exactly related to the upcoming movie, the San Francisco Chronicle ran a piece on Henson Alternative, the adult-oriented arm (ha!) of the Jim Henson Company. They’ve been doing puppet improv, partnering with a Groundlings improv troupe instructor to bring an ad-libbed live show to adult audiences. Their group, called the Miskreant Puppets, is performing “Stuffed and Unstrung” in San Francisco this month. I guess they didn’t want “Avenue Q” to have all the mature fun. But to really feel our age, let’s go back to 1979 for the original Muppet Movie theatrical trailer.

It hasn’t been the same since reality TV took over, but we can remember the time when MTV felt like this 30 years ago.

Copyright Berkeley Breathed, used without any permission whatsoever

They can’t bring back Mister Rogers but they are carrying on his Neighborhood of Make Believe in a new series. PBS has announced the animated series “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” which features the same characters from the original show all grown up with their own preschool-aged kids. Title character Daniel is actually the four-year-old son of the first Daniel the Tiger. He’ll talk directly to the TV audience, just like Fred Rogers did, though nowadays kids are used to that technique used in many other shows. The main puppet characters had all been voiced by Fred Rogers himself. I’m curious to see who else will make an appearance in the new series. Will cranky Lady Elaine Fairchilde or her offspring fill the antagonist role again? Will Henrietta Pussycat’s kid have a larger vocabulary than her mostly meows? And is the Neighborhood of Make Believe still a monarchy? The show starts in Fall of 2012 so we’ll have to wait a year to find out.

On Monterey Peninsula and in Big Sur, California, two historic lighthouses stand 25 miles apart. Both are open to visitors. The more accessible of the two, Point Pinos Lighthouse near Monterey, first shone in 1855 and claims the title “Oldest Continuously-Operating Lighthouse on the West Coast.” Its original whale oil lantern has been upgraded over the years and now a 1000 watt lightbulb is fronted by the prisms of a third order Fresnel lens.  Volunteers serve as lighthouse keepers and give tours. Point Sur Lighthouse sits on a large volcanic rock where it has guided ships since 1889. A spot on the 3 hour tour is required to gain access. As with many lighthouses operating nowadays, an aero-beacon (similar to the automatic lights used to warn aircraft away from towers) has taken the place of its first-order Fresnel lens (which is in the collection of the Museum of Monterey).

photo: Seek New Travel

After Harvard Square’s Wordsworth bookstore closed in 2004, owners Hillel Stavis and Donna Friedman decided to focus on their other venture, a children’s bookstore named after Curious George. They opened the store in 1995 with the consent of Cambridge resident Margret Rey who created George with her husband Hans. In addition to books they sold games and crafts. Well, you probably know where this is going. The owners announced earlier this month that the bookstore would close. Lease negotiations, healthcare costs, and the oft-cited bad economy contributed to their decision. They attempted to save Curious George and Friends by turning it into a non-profit and asking the Cambridge City Council and the Rey’s Curious George Foundation for help, proposing a small museum. But no one has stepped forward to save the store. Joining it in the disappearance of independent bookstores from the historic square is the Globe Corner Bookstore which closes this week.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (I could’ve just said MTA, right?) of New York sells a surprising collection of cast offs from public transportation. Right now they have subway car doors, line signs (with an optional cable so you can light ’em up), horns from the bottom of the subway car, and, don’t get too excited here: actual stanchion poles from inside the cars for $25 each  (yes, the poles you hang onto, consider the possibilities but, like I said, don’t get too excited).  Maybe you’d prefer a bus seat or a subway seat or those popular “Y cut” vintage subway tokens. It seems like everything that was nailed down can now be yours for a price.

NECCO Water Tower (by Jill Robidoux)

It’s been years since the sweet smell of the NECCO factory wafted across Cambridge, but I still missed that sugary air on my recent trip back. The Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) took over the 1927 factory building after a $120 million transformation completed in 2004. The old candy factory that was sometimes referred to as Willy Wonka’s (I never saw anyone go in or out) now features two pairs of glass elevators like Charlie’s. The inside is completely transformed and the outside has been updated but had to conform to Cambridge’s strict hold over architectural improvements. In 1996, NECCO’s water tower was cleverly painted to resemble a stack of NECCO wafers. Novartis knew the iconic tower had to remain, but with a new identity. They sponsored a competition to solicit ideas from local artists and students. Joseph DePasquale won with a DNA double helix representing the company’s mission. A PowerPoint deck from Sponge Jet chronicles their careful restoration of the rusty tank with consideration for containment of the dust. The redone building may not emit a sweet smell (and considering the research going on inside we probably don’t want it to emit anything), but it retains some essence of the magical concoctions that it used to house.

Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research

Edible Geography takes a look at the history of the pattern on Oreo cookies and, actually, all embossed biscuits. The Oreo started out in 1912 with a wreath design, added turtledoves in 1924, and settled on today’s four-leaf clover and serrated-edge pattern in 1952. Of course as with any good old-fashioned American icon, there are conspiracy theories about its connection to the Freemasons.

East Hampton, Connecticut was known as “Bell Town, USA” years ago when the town produced 90% of the world’s sleigh bells. The bell companies benefited from a law mandating that all sleighs, which run silent in the snow, use bells to warn pedestrians. With manufacturing shifted overseas, what’s left in East Hampton out of what used to be over 30 bell foundries is the proud sixth generation of the Bevin Brothers who’ve been making bells in Connecticut since 1832. If you’ve heard a Salvation Army bell ringer, you’ve heard a Bevin Brothers hand bell. The product line includes cow bells, mechanical door bells, prize fighter bells, and of course the classic sleigh bells. They say they’re the only company in the U.S. manufacturing just bells and they’ve stayed inventive by looking out for new business opportunities like supplying the bells for Poochie Pets (dog doorbells), another Connecticut company. I own a tiny Bevin Bill, pictured here (sorry for the fuzzy snapshot) which advertises Guida’s Milk, a New England dairy. It became our family “sick bell” for the bedside table and my mom handed it over to me when I was recovering from my c-section. Now that I’ve seen its model on the Bevin Brother’s website our little bell carries even more sentimental value. I think I better shine it up!

Not too long ago (I’m saying that so I don’t feel old) computers and their peripherals came in one choice of color and 99% of the time that was beige. Over the years, the beige ABS plastic turned yellow and even darker thanks to flame-retardant chemicals.  A discovery from Commodore Amiga enthusiasts in Germany soon spread through the vintage computer community, reaching LifeHacker in 2009. Before and after photos of plastics treated with the hydrogen peroxide solution show startling results. Dubbed Retr0Bright, the formulas and background information are collected on a wiki. I stumbled upon this not in the context of whitening old computers, but looking into how to restore vintage Lego. My husband’s sister sent us her substantial collection of Lego (so large that most of it is still hidden in the garage awaiting good behavior reinforcement opportunities). Some of the white and clear pieces have yellowed over time, and while they are perfectly usable (except for the one I warped in the dishwasher), perhaps we’ll try restoring them to pristine condition one day.