Bloomington-Normal

I opened my blog today to post something really interesting about Bloomington-Normal, only to see a freakish comment in my previous post by none other than victimofdesire , my good friend. Victim - to hell with you. Do you really think I am that inept? Well, the answer to my own question is - No. I am very talented and capable (when it comes to lighting cigarettes, that is). I don't know about the other things in life.
Alright, let me get back to my senses and do what I really want to do.

Did you know that....

• Bloomington-Normal was home to the first Steak 'n Shake in the world. It was located at Main and Virginia streets, south of Illinois State University and north of Illinois Wesleyan University. But because it lay in a flood plane, the company opted to close the restaurant at that location in 1999. A new restaurant to replace it was built near Main Street and Raab Road.
• You could say Bloomington-Normal is a Hollywouldbe. In TV and movies in recent years ISU and IWU have educated, among others, John Malkovich, Gary Cole ("The Brady Bunch movie"), Laurie Metcalf ("Roseanne"), Judith Ivey ("The Five Mrs. Buchanans,") comedian-director Robert Townsend and actress Alison LaPlaca (what say victim, eh? ;)).
• The Eureka Company of Bloomington made the first electric vacuum cleaner in 1901. They later did hush-hush work for the Pentagon during World War II, including making bomb sites.
• Abe Lincoln purchased his hard-to-find size 14 shoes at a cobbler's on the downtown Bloomington square.
• Stand on the top floor of ISU's Watterson Towers - it's that huge concrete thing on the south side of the campus - and you are at the highest point in Illinois between Chicago and St. Louis (wow!).
• If you would opt to walk all the sidewalks on the ISU campus, you would put in 19 1/2 miles (hmmm...interesting).
• The president of Major League Baseball's American League is Gene Budig, an ex-ISU president.
• ISU has a higher percentage of minority students that any other institution in Illinois. Wesleyan on the other hand, was the first college west of the Appalachians to admit black students.
• If you trace the origins of the VISA card, it would lead you back to Bloomington. McLean County Bank, now Magna Bank, originated the charge card whose letters stand for Vacation Insurance Savings Account. The concept was sold to BankAmericard ( I got VISA power...now you go get it!).
• The Twin Cities ranks third as a teachers' training center (I think it's kinda ironic...dumb students like me in a city known for teachers' training).
• Next time you listen to the old Creedence Clearwater Revival hit, "Lookin' Out My Back Door" and hear the opening line "...just got back from Illinois," John Fogerty was referring to Heyworth, just south of Bloomington.
• Hugh Hefner spent his childhood summers in Lexington, just north of Bloomington (aaaaeeeeccch!!!...ain't he your inspiration guys??!!).
• The farmland around Bloomington-Normal ranks among the top three areas in all the world for corn and soybean production. Ironically, the Twin Cities have seven streets named after fruits (Cherry, Apple, Bayberry, etc.) but none after vegetables .
• Bloomington's Kathryn Beich candies, a division of Nestles, owns the Guinness Book record for manufacturing the world's largest candy bar. The dream dimensions for chocoholics - 25 feet long, 6 1/2 feet wide, 7 5/8 inches thick and 7,200 glorious pounds.
• Rudyard Kipling's wife was born here.
• John Malkovich once feigned drowning at Lake Bloomington so convincingly, a rescue team was sent out to get him.
• The rock group, "Skid Row" once ordered 100 pizzas here.
• WWF wrestler Randy "Macho King" Savage once checked himself into Bromenn Regional Medical Center.

Source: Pantagraph