We might as well learn some geography

[Ahaugen]

Most Americans don't seem to know where my state is. Or that it's a state. And not an island off the coast of New York.

God, most people are stupid.

Manhattan is a state?

maybe she's talking about Long Island

[Dr Legostar]

it's the Robo-Fonz!!

the bronz fonz. I just hope they don't do one of penny marshall.

if they do make one of her, I'd hope it would be out of copper.

[Nanda]

It's tucked up under Massachusetts with Connecticut where the whole state is a suburb of Providence and you have a colossal statue standing on the coastline using a catapult in it's shoulder to hurl boulders at passing ships, right?

You forgot to mention that we're the ruler by which all natural disasters are measured. Oh, and Family Guy.

[Ekolter]

A Nanda sighting! Yeah! *does a cartwheel and ends up injuring herself*

[Nanda]

A Nanda sighting! Yeah! *does a cartwheel and ends up injuring herself*

Beth! We haven't made out in forever.

[BrownEyedCat]

Aw, MM, why did you have to cover Washington so thoroughly? I want to prattle on about it!

But yes, Washington is a state. Apparently, it was originally going to be named Columbia, but the state-namers feared that it would be confused with the District of Columbia (that's the D.C. in Washington D.C.). You can see how well the attempt at disambiguation worked out.

Washington is divided by the Cascade Mountain range, which reach down from Canada. Western Washington is the beautiful half, covered in evergreen trees and rolling hills down the the Pacific ocean. It's also the rainy half. It's all the mountains' fault, they don't let all of the moist air off the ocean get past 'em. Eastern Washington is the desert-y side - covered in scrub brush and plateaus. To be fair, it's also very beautiful. But Eastern Washington has black widow spiders, so screw that.

We're so far North compared to other states, it's sometimes asked if it gets really cold up here in the winters. But really, it doesn't, we get a lot of warm air off of the Gulf Stream. Unless you actually live on a mountain, our winters are rainy rather than snowy.

The rain thing is a bit misleading, too - we get a lot of it, but what we get is usually a light rain more than a downpour. The Midwest seems to get rain exclusively in thunderstorm form, which baffles me. Mostly we get a lot of gray days

Washington is home to Seattle (as mentioned), and we're the 2nd largest producer of raspberries in the world. We also have that rainforest that MM mentioned - the only temperate rainforest in the hemisphere (though I can't remember which hemisphere). Think moss. Lots of moss. Also, herds of rare elk! The rainforest is part of Olympic National Park, a huge nature preserve that covers a lot of the Olympic Peninsula. There are major hiking trails that cover the whole thing, if you're of the mind to take a 2-week trek through mountain and forest. The Olympic Peninsula is also home to Forks, the town where Twilight takes place! (Pfft, you know you're excited.)

Mt St Helens is our infamous volcano, because of the way it blew its top- geologists had been anticipating the eruption for some time, but the tip of the mountain was so solid that the blast came out sideways, sending mud, ash and lava in unexpected directions - including the camps of volcanists who had set up observation points in what they believed would be safe locations. But St Helens is only one of our volcanos - we're part of the Ring of Fire, the huge string of volcanoes created by Pacific techtonic plate. The mountain I live near was once predicted to be the next volcano to blow... then Helens went up.

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned much in the way of culture. This is because, well... I'm kind of oblivious. Washington generally is pretty liberal. We're on the Canadian border, and as a result of that, drug-smuggling hijinks occur. Uuuuhhhhh... we have a small town that had a no-dancing ordinance well into the 1970s.

...That's about all I can think of at the moment. Come visit us! We have salmon!

[MixedMyth]

Salmon! The candy of the fish world!

[Bustertheclown]

I live in eastern Washington, which is completely different from western Washington, and all of the descriptions so far about Washington have pretty much been western-WA centric, and pretty untrue of the eastern part. I'll type up a summary soon, but I'm late for a D&D appointment at the moment.

[McDuffies]

[writes]They... play... Dnd... in... east... Washington...[/writes] Got it!

Most Americans don't seem to know where my state is. Or that it's a state. And not an island off the coast of New York.

God, most people are stupid.

I think "Witches of Eastwick" takes place in Rhode Island. The novel, I wouldn't know about the movie. Near the beginning of the novel, Updike takes a lengthy digression about history of the state and some things it's known for. That's where I learned everything I know about it.

But yes, Washington is a state. Apparently, it was originally going to be named Columbia, but the state-namers feared that it would be confused with the District of Columbia (that's the D.C. in Washington D.C.). You can see how well the attempt at disambiguation worked out.

That's just silly.

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned much in the way of culture. This is because, well... I'm kind of oblivious.

You had grunge!

[Phact0rri]

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned much in the way of culture. This is because, well... I'm kind of oblivious. Washington generally is pretty liberal. We're on the Canadian border, and as a result of that, drug-smuggling hijinks occur. Uuuuhhhhh... we have a small town that had a no-dancing ordinance well into the 1970s.

I remember reading somewhere that Seattle's massive homeless population has to do with illegal drugs being pretty well priced. Course this was ages ago.

[Nanda]

I think "Witches of Eastwick" takes place in Rhode Island. The novel, I wouldn't know about the movie. Near the beginning of the novel, Updike takes a lengthy digression about history of the state and some things it's known for. That's where I learned everything I know about it.

Yes. It doesn't really exist, though.

[Ekolter]

If it matters, I saw a license plate from Washington, DC on the drive home yesterday. I thought it was very cool.

[McDuffies]

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned much in the way of culture. This is because, well... I'm kind of oblivious. Washington generally is pretty liberal. We're on the Canadian border, and as a result of that, drug-smuggling hijinks occur. Uuuuhhhhh... we have a small town that had a no-dancing ordinance well into the 1970s.

I remember reading somewhere that Seattle's massive homeless population has to do with illegal drugs being pretty well priced. Course this was ages ago.

Isn't it also like the most expensive town to live in?

[Phact0rri]

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned much in the way of culture. This is because, well... I'm kind of oblivious. Washington generally is pretty liberal. We're on the Canadian border, and as a result of that, drug-smuggling hijinks occur. Uuuuhhhhh... we have a small town that had a no-dancing ordinance well into the 1970s.

I remember reading somewhere that Seattle's massive homeless population has to do with illegal drugs being pretty well priced. Course this was ages ago.

Isn't it also like the most expensive town to live in?

Its up there, but I believe New York City is still the most expensive city in the US. LA's like the fifth or something. Seattle I'm sure is near the 10th or so.

[MixedMyth]

Yeah...ordinary people do not live in New York City anymore. You either have to be extremely rich to live there or you're extremely poor and live in the ghettos. Even the burbs are freakin' expensive.

Its sad, really.

[McDuffies]

That's kinda sad to hear, New York is supposed to be a sort of bridge between Europe and USA.
As for Seattle, I heard that salaries in IT industry are huge but that you can barely make a decent living of it in the city itself, so a lot of people lives on minimum and sends all money to families elsewhere?

[Dr Legostar]

That's kinda sad to hear, New York is supposed to be a sort of bridge between Europe and USA.
As for Seattle, I heard that salaries in IT industry are huge but that you can barely make a decent living of it in the city itself, so a lot of people lives on minimum and sends all money to families elsewhere?

this is one of the great things about middle america. Cost of living is great.

[McDuffies]

Like, Mexico?

[Dr Legostar]

Like, Mexico?

si

[Ekolter]

Like, Mexico?

si

Dude, I loved shopping in Mexico...granted last time I did it was back in the mid-90s. I wish I brought more luggage so I could have brought more stuff back with me. Now you go south of the border and your ass gets shot.