Eruption: Annotated

The following references to cultural and/or historical events or people in Supervolcano: Eruption occur during the novel.

Story Order

 * Page 1
 * Motel 6 - Motel 6 is a major chain of budget motels with more than 1,000 locations in the United States and Canada.


 * Page 2
 * ... flailing away against Randy Johnson in his prime. - Randall David "Randy" Johnson is a retired American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, Johnson played in Major League Baseball for 22 seasons. Johnson is a member of the 300 win club.


 * Page 5
 * ... liked turning it up to eleven. - "Up to eleven" or "these go to eleven" is an idiom from popular culture, coined in the movie This Is Spinal Tap, which has come to refer to anything being exploited to its utmost abilities, or apparently exceeding them, such as a sound volume control.


 * Page 11
 * ... if the Jolly Green Giant dropped a tray from his freezer. - The Jolly Green Giant was introduced as the mascot of the then Minnesota Valley Canning Company (Green Giant Company since 1950) in 1928.


 * Page 17
 * Not the Black Hole of Calcutta ... - The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small dungeon in the old Fort William in Calcutta, India, where troops of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, held British prisoners of war after the capture of the fort on 20 June 1756.


 * Page 17
 * ... but not the Ritz-Carlton, either. - The Ritz-Carlton Hotels is a chain of luxury hotels and operates 84 luxury hotels and resorts in major cities and resorts in 26 countries worldwide.


 * Page 25
 * National Geographic documentary. - The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, DC in the United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world.


 * Page 25
 * Ken Burns - Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs.


 * Page 30
 * ... employees going postal. - Going postal, in American English slang, means becoming extremely and uncontrollably angry, often to the point of violence, and usually in a workplace environment.


 * Page 30
 * Jenny Craig frozen dinner - Jenny Craig, Inc., often known simply as Jenny Craig, is a weight loss, weight management, and nutrition company founded in 1983 by Jenny Craig and her husband, Sidney Craig.


 * Page 30
 * Harvey Wallbanger - The Harvey Wallbanger is a mixed drink made with vodka, Galliano, and orange juice.


 * Page 33
 * They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982. The group is best known for an unconventional and experimental style of alternative music.


 * Page 35
 * Archie McPhee - Archie McPhee is a Seattle-based novelty dealer owned by Mark Pahlow. Begun in the 1970s in Los Angeles as the mail-order business Accoutrements, in 1983 it opened a retail outlet dubbed "Archie McPhee" after Pahlow's wife's great-uncle.


 * Page 41
 * the Hermitage - The State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture in St. Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums in the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been open to the public since 1852.


 * Page 49
 * "Addicted to Love" - "Addicted to Love" is a song by English rock singer Robert Palmer released in 1986.


 * Page 53
 * Clairol - Clairol is a personal-care-product division of Procter & Gamble begun in 1931. The company was widely recognized in its home country, the United States, for its "Miss Clairol" home hair-coloring kit introduced in 1956.


 * Page 55
 * Theocritus - Theocritus, the creator of Ancient Greek bucolic poetry, flourished in the 3rd century BC.


 * Page 57
 * ... when the Big One'll hit. - "The Big One" is a term often used in casual conversation by residents of California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia to describe the megathrust earthquake anticipated as inevitably striking the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

Contemporary Figures and Things

 * Archie McPhee - Archie McPhee is a Seattle-based novelty dealer owned by Mark Pahlow. Begun in the 1970s in Los Angeles as the mail-order business Accoutrements, in 1983 it opened a retail outlet dubbed "Archie McPhee" after Pahlow's wife's great-uncle.


 * Ken Burns - Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs.


 * Clairol - Clairol is a personal-care-product division of Procter & Gamble begun in 1931. The company was widely recognized in its home country, the United States, for its "Miss Clairol" home hair-coloring kit introduced in 1956.


 * Harvey Wallbanger - The Harvey Wallbanger is a mixed drink made with vodka, Galliano, and orange juice.


 * Jenny Craig frozen dinner - Jenny Craig, Inc., often known simply as Jenny Craig, is a weight loss, weight management, and nutrition company founded in 1983 by Jenny Craig and her husband, Sidney Craig.


 * ... flailing away against Randy Johnson in his prime. - Randall David "Randy" Johnson is a retired American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, Johnson played in Major League Baseball for 22 seasons. Johnson is a member of the 300 win club.


 * ... if the Jolly Green Giant dropped a tray from his freezer. - The Jolly Green Giant was introduced as the mascot of the then Minnesota Valley Canning Company (Green Giant Company since 1950) in 1928.


 * Motel 6 - Motel 6 is a major chain of budget motels with more than 1,000 locations in the United States and Canada.


 * National Geographic documentary. - The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, DC in the United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world.


 * ... but not the Ritz-Carlton, either. - The Ritz-Carlton Hotels is a chain of luxury hotels and operates 84 luxury hotels and resorts in major cities and resorts in 26 countries worldwide.


 * They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982. The group is best known for an unconventional and experimental style of alternative music.

Fictional Works

 * "Addicted to Love" - "Addicted to Love" is a song by English rock singer Robert Palmer released in 1986.

Historical Figures and Things

 * Not the Black Hole of Calcutta ... - The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small dungeon in the old Fort William in Calcutta, India, where troops of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, held British prisoners of war after the capture of the fort on 20 June 1756.


 * the Hermitage - The State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture in St. Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums in the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been open to the public since 1852.


 * Theocritus - Theocritus, the creator of Ancient Greek bucolic poetry, flourished in the 3rd century BC.

Quotes

 * ... employees going postal. - Going postal, in American English slang, means becoming extremely and uncontrollably angry, often to the point of violence, and usually in a workplace environment.


 * ... liked turning it up to eleven. - "Up to eleven" or "these go to eleven" is an idiom from popular culture, coined in the movie This Is Spinal Tap, which has come to refer to anything being exploited to its utmost abilities, or apparently exceeding them, such as a sound volume control.