Name something that is peculiar to your state.

[Boogie]

For example, in Louisiana they don't have counties, they have parishes. I'm not from Louisiana, that was the best example I could come up with. I guess in Virginia it might be that two counties are detached and separated by water from the rest of the state. But it doesn't have to be geographical.

[bicentennial_baby]

1. based on my earlier thread...

apparently it's the fact that we have non-mandatory full serve gas stations, and they're very common. :D

[Boogie]

4. It was your thread that got me thinking about this.

:-) I didn't even click on it but I thought about states where you can't pump your own gas. I'll go read yours now.

[bicentennial_baby]

14. how funny!

:)

[Phillycat]

2. Birthplace of Democracy. :)

Also cheesesteaks and soft pretzels. PA is a Commonwealth which has its own weird ways of doing things, but there are a couple of them, so it's not unique to us.

[Bunny]

11. We are weird in that we have the State Store system for liquor purchases.

I think the only other state like us in this regard is Utah.

[Phillycat]

13. Oh yeah, I forgot about that!

I didn't even know it was strange until I moved out of state the first time and saw beer sold in 7-11. I was like, WHAA????

[bicentennial_baby]

57. there's a 7-11 in Pgh that sells beer...

It has a bar in it too :o

[JVS]

163. Are you talking about the one on/near Friendship Ave?

IIRC the father of one of a friend was looking into buying that place. It turned out that the bar section and the 7-11 are technically separate businesses for licensing purposes. I remember that I once was buying beer there and went towards the 7-11 register and was told that I had to use the other register across the room

[bicentennial_baby]

166. Yes! It's on the corner of South Pacific Avenue!

I used to live on SP Ave :)

[bicentennial_baby]

56. NH too

[zanne]

136. Yup. In NH, you buy your booze on the highway.

Drink n' Drive. It's popular; like automated tolls, it saves time.:sarcasm:

[Rhythm]

58. NC and VA have state-owned liquor stores...

When i still lived in NC, i'd run across the border (15 minute drive) to SC to buy my bar supplies...

better selection... better prices.

[GenDem]

95. I remember them being called 'package stores'

[usaftmo]

106. From what I've seen

most States control the liquor stores. Either it's repeatedly/publicly announced or it's discreet/low profile.

What burns me up is when the States close liquor stores on Sunday. Do they really think that will prevent people from drinking on Sunday?!?! No, people will just go get their booze on Saturday!

This issue reminds me of a video clip I've seen on you tube. Part of the lyrics are "keep your Jesus off my p*nis, keep your Bibles off my b*lls"

[hippywife]

79. So does Ohio

or it did when I moved away 10 years ago. Don't know if it might have changed.

[geiger]

125. no more

[geiger]

126. 80 percent of the country's population lives within 600 miles of Ohio

Visit Ohio! We have coastline, forest, and numerous cultural attractions.

[GoneOffShore]

103. Virginia has ABC stores almost the same as we do.

[PVnRT]

129. Jesus, we have drive-through liquor stores

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer

[trof]

152. Same in Alabama.

There are privately owned liquor stores in some areas, but their prices are higher.
And some counties are still 'dry'.

[ms liberty]

187. NC does too...

ABC (for Alcoholic Beverage Commission) stores. I was born here in NC, but grew up in Florida; when I moved here to NC at age 26, I knew ABC Stores as a retail booze chain store that often also had a bar attached! Freaked me out!

[JackBeck]

35. Delete.

Sorry, wrong place.

[TommyO]

48. Don't forgete Punxatawny Phil!

[PVnRT]

3. Does a scumbag corporate piece-of-shit governor count?

n/t

[bridgit]

101. hey! we got one of those too...

x(

[Arugula Latte]

5. We can't pump our own gas. (I think that's the case in New Jersey, too?)

I personally love that law. I don't have to feel guilty for sitting in my car as the attendants rush over to fill 'er up and wipe my windshield. I feel as if I've gone back in time every time that happens ...

[Arugula Latte]

6. Another thing: Our state has been vote-by-mail only for years.

It's great. The rest of ya'll should try it.

[grace0418]

7. It really weirded me out when we visited Portland. But once I got used to it

it was quite nice.

[Arugula Latte]

12. Yes. Especially when it's raining (which it does here occasionally)

;)

I remember when we first drove over the border on our way to living in Portland. We stopped for gas and jumped out to pump. The attendant came running over to tell us he would do it and that we were not allowed to do it. Who knew?

[grace0418]

16. I absolutely fell in love with Portland. I would move there in a heartbeat if

my husband and I could find good jobs.

[Arugula Latte]

75. Good to hear it.

We're lucky because we both do writing/editing work which allows us to live where we please. Hope you make it here some day! :hi:

[mcscajun]

15. NJ doesn't have self-serve, either.

Fine by me. :)

[Reverend_Smitty]

33. Why anyone prefers to pump their own gas is beyond me...

especially in the cold and snowy winter months

[TommyO]

49. I tend to get through self-serve pumps much faster

than when you have one attendant handling eight or more pumps.

[grace0418]

8. I don't know. Illinois is pretty blah. Home to the country's third largest city sounds

pretty lame but I can't think of anything else.

[XNASA]

26. You're not trying very hard.

Tallest building on the North American continent.

More units of government than any other state (i.e., city, county, township, etc.). Over 6000. Now there's a surprise. :eyes:

World's largest cookie and cracker factory. Nabisco made 16 billion Oreo cookies in 1995.

The Chicago River runs backwards. Not many rivers do that.

Gee, the list goes on and on. I haven't even scratched the surface. :)

[grace0418]

30. Can you tell I'm tired of living in Illinois?

Good answers though.

[Cobalt-60]

100. well theres the museum of Science and Industry

the only coal mine still operating in the heart of a major city.
We have the ruins of the mound builders' City of the Sun aka "Cahokia Mounds".

[Cadfael]

137. And I think you can still use pennies in the toll booths

[City Lights]

127. We've got a pyramid!

I had no idea it was being built and saw it for the first time from a small airplane. I thought :wtf: is that. Then I learned that a local builder was having it built as his home. It was open for tours right after completion.

[PVnRT]

130. I don't think it was meant as a home

It's a masonry place on the road that runs parallel to 94 in Lake County just on the east side of ti (I can't remember the name anymore). Basically, if you get off of 94 on the main exit to Six Flags (Rte. 134) And then hang a left at the very first stoplight, you'll eventually pass the place.

[City Lights]

134. It is a home. I've been inside it. Jim Onan built it, and as far as I know,

still lives there.

Added link on edit.

[borlis]

185. Actually, you exit at Route 132 which is Grand Ave. n/t

[PVnRT]

196. That's what I meant

It's been two years since I lived up there...

[borlis]

167. One other thing about Illinois is that in the southern part

of the state the people talk with a southern accent. I think that because Chicago is so far north, it seems like Chicago is worlds apart from the southern part of the state. It almost seems like it could be 2 states.

[borlis]

186. Ooooohhhhh, who could forget the world's largest cross!

In Effingham.

[Hosnon]

9. Georgia has the most counties.

And is the geographically largest state east of the Mississippi river.

Edit: Added "geographically".

[ceile]

19. 2nd to TX, you mean.

254 in my state....boggles the mind a little.
GA has 159.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_counties_in_Georgia

[Hosnon]

28. Well I'll be damned.

Learn somethin' new every day.

[azmouse]

10. Peculiar as in odd or strange, then that would be

McCain. :puke:

[ptvet]

203. Oh well that would be

Randy Shaw...of Spokane newscast "fame" :thumbsup:

[mcscajun]

17. New Jerseyans don't "go to the beach", they "go down the Shore"

Don't ask me why, I grew up in The Bronx (NY). :shrug:

[Boogie]

24. Now that's a good one.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

40. And once you're there, you're not "at the shore," you're "down the shore."

[KitchenWitch]

18. Legendary traffic jams

[Porcupine]

195. California- Lowest point in the nation is here

That's why all the loose change ends up here y'know.

San Francisco has the nations most unreasonable parking. There are actually more registered vehicles in the city than legal parking spots on the street. It's a city where parked cars have been known to roll.....over sideways.

Crap the whole state's peculiar and I've lived here all my life.

[Aristus]

20. Geoducks. Pronounced "gooey ducks."

Weird looking bivalves that some Washingtonians like to eat. Not me. :puke:

[bicentennial_baby]

22. I learned this song in elementary school:

In Massachusetts, no less. :crazy:

Dig a duck, dig a duck
Dig a geoduck
Dig a duck, Dig a geoduck
Dig a duck a day!

[Dervill Crow]

78. Wow, I'd love to know the tune for that!

My husband and his buddies go camping in Washington and go geoduck digging. Ick.

[trof]

154. It's the Lone Ranger theme, I think.

William Tell Overture?
and played rather uniquely here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3115213134814599261

[pokerfan]

183. Our state fish is the steelhead

Our State Folk Song is "Roll On, Columbia, Roll On" by Woody Guthrie.

[ceile]

21. TX has a state dog-

the blue lacey.
http://www.breederinfocenter.com/index.php?a_id=20050104202705

[GoddessOfGuinness]

156. Pretty dogs! Here's Maryland's state dog...

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever:




I've seen them jump into the Bay when it's full of jellyfish. I guess their coat protects them. They're great dogs!

[ms liberty]

188. Hi Goddess! Here in NC our state dog...

is the Plott Hound. The original breeding stock was brought to western NC by James/George/Jonathon (depending on which bio you read!) Plott in the 1700's from Germany. They were bred primarily to track and hunt bear and boar. Here's a pic of one that looks much my Plott Indie, who came to us as an adoption puppy. Her litter was found dumped in a ditch on the side of the road. She's about 6 now. <>

[GoddessOfGuinness]

202. I can't fathom how anyone could do that to a litter of pups!

What a beautiful animal! I love the brindle coat!

[ForrestGump]

23. Legalized prostitution

But not in Clark County (Las Vegas...Reno, too, I think). They need to legalize it here, too, the slimeballs.

[Boogie]

25. Thank you.

:patriot:

[lukasahero]

27. If by "peculiar", you really mean unique, then legalized gay marriage.

And I'm so damn proud of my state for that. :)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

29. This:

[Breeze54]

31. Name something peculiar?

Republics!! :rofl:

[jobycom]

32. All of our presidents start wars.

LBJ, Bush, Bush Jr....

[derby378]

34. Texas is the only state to have a Space Shuttle detonate over it

Did any of the debris from Columbia land in Louisiana or Arkansas? I wouldn't be surprised, but there's probably still some undiscovered bits of the shuttle just waiting to be found in the Piney Woods somewhere.

[Esra Star]

88. It started to disintegrate over the Pacific Ocean. So bits will be in many

states.

[CottonBear]

36. GA: There are no alcohol sales on Sundays except in certain restaraunts.

The restaurant rule only became law within the past decade. The restaurant must make 50% of its income from food in order to qualify. SO, no bars or clubs are open on Sundays. You've gotta buy your Sunday beer, wine and liquor on Friday before 11PM. Also, lots of counties are dry (no clubs or bars allowed, no alcohol served in restaurants and only beer and wine sales in grocery stores and quick marts.)

[itsmesgd]

59. I hate the freaking blue laws

I can get just as drunk on Sunday with the beer that I bought on Saturday. Who is protected by stopping the beer and liquor sale on Sunday? I go grocery shopping on Sunday and it sux that I have to make a seperate trip to get beer. I really hate going to a restaurant on Sunday only to find out that I cant have a beer with my dinner. I have gotten up and walked out before. I like a beer with my seafood or mexican. I'm sorry Diet Coke doesnt cut it all the time. Plus, I'm a big boy. I can drink a beer on Saturday and I can handle it on Sunday as well.

[CottonBear]

67. Here in Athens, we can order drinks in restaurants on Sundays.

Are you in South Georgia? I remember when there was no Sunday service at all. One does have to plan ahead for the weekend!

The nearby town of Watkinsville just allowed beer and wine sales in restaurants but hte serving ends at 10 PM and it is only allowed in restaurants. No bars or cluubs allowed. Keep in mind that this town is located in very white, Christian and conservative Oconee County. The town, however, is much more blue than the surrounding red county.

:hi: Hi from NE GA!

[ms liberty]

189. Hi CottonBear...just wanted to say...

My father's family was from Winder, although I think he was born in Oconee County...I'll have to check my genealogy stuff to be sure.

[JackBeck]

37. We have the Jersey Devil and

The Jersey Shore.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JackBeck]

47. Have you ever hiked the Pineys?

I did as a Cub Scout and it was tres creepy.

Ummm...what are the Jackson Whites? You know I'm Southern-biased.

(My dad would always vote for the South to secede from the North)

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

50. No, I do my hiking out at the Delaware Water Gap usually.

The Jackson Whites are a tribe in Ringwood, NJ.

And I do think that North Jersey should secede from the South.

[JackBeck]

51. Neither do I.

My dad was a rabid Reagan Reupblican. And it cost him dearly in the late 80's, early 90's. He was in real estate.

[LostinVA]

124. I love this picture of the Jersey Devil

It looks JUST LIKE Haruka's second grade photo. Hmmm.....

[JackBeck]

138. That's a great picture.

Looks like CBOY.

:evilgrin:

[LostinVA]

139. OMG! I never saw the resemblance until now!

[patricia92243]

38. NC has the most hog lots :(

[Boogie]

41. "hog lot"?

[Critters2]

173. Confined Animal Feeding Operation

Factory farms.

[Critters2]

172. No, Iowa has overtaken you. You're just not trying hard enough. nt

[Initech]

39. Three words: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

'Nuff said!

[Boogie]

42. It's like some bizarro script from a bad movie.

[idgiehkt]

43. apparently, as I recently learned in the lounge

along with Maryland, that "no doesn't mean 'no' once you're in" law.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

44. The only state that touches just one other!

Also the only state with REAL, wicked good lobstah (though I hate the vile sea bug :puke:) and the only state that makes words that end in "r" sound like "ah," and vice-versa.

:P

[bicentennial_baby]

52. Um...

"the only state that makes words that end in "r" sound like "ah," and vice-versa."

um, ever been to Massachusetts? :wtf:

[Breeze54]

121. That would be

Hav ya eva bin to Massachusetts? It's wicked pissa!!! :P

:rofl: :rofl:

[BreweryYardRat]

120. The only state where you can get lobster at McDonalds.

Ugh, I was up in Maine in 2004, and I swear they used the bits no one with any sense eats in the "lobster roll."

[mainegreen]

128. We also got all the Acadians that were to lazy to make it to Louisiana.

Which was actually over half of the Acadians who originally fled Acadia.

They all just sorta said 'Fuck it' when they reached Maine.

[dysfunctional press]

45. other states- we don't trust'em around here....

nt

[wildhorses]

53. blowing rock and bat cave--

granfather mountain, table rock, chimney rock...

[MedleyMisty]

54. Hmm

My husband hadn't heard of this, so it might be more a county than a statewide thing.

But in school, when someone missed the bus, they'd say "I got bus left."

Also - anyone else ever heard "Touch you with a rubber cookie."?

[sakabatou]

55. We have town named Zzyzx

[KitchenWitch]

174. Drove by Zzyzx when we moved to SoCal.

Right off the 15.

[Rhythm]

60. WV has a river that runs north!

We share the Monongahela River with PA, but she starts here, runs through the city where i live, and meets the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River.

[sarge43]

65. Michigan has one of those - the Saginaw River n/t

[KamaAina]

158. The Red River of the North flows north

it separates MN from ND.

[Bzzzz]

61. Hoosiers with mullets...

breaded tenderloins.

[last_texas_dem]

62. I believe that under the original annexation agreement

Texas would be permitted to split into five different states if they so chose. It's doubtful that would ever happen, 'cause then we wouldn't have our bragging rights about how big and "like a whole other country" we are. Also, I wouldn't want it to happen 'cause it would probably make for at least three deep-"red" states as opposed to the one pretty deep-"red" state we currently are.

I also think there's something about Texas (and I believe, Vermont) being able to fly our flags at the same level as the U. S. flag, because we were once republics. That claim may not be right, though. I'm just thinking of some things I can remember hearing when growing up. I think Texas may be worse than many states when it comes to trying to pump the children full of "state pride"...

[Chan790]

63. CT is the most populous state to...

not have a single town or city with a population of more than 200,000.

[sarge43]

64. Booger Sanbourne, the definitive Swamp Yankee

Oh yeah, me and the spousal unit.

[SKKY]

66. In Kentucky, it's rumored that more than 2/3 of the state troopers...

...are actually practicing members of the KKK.

[liberal hypnotist]

68. Katherine Harris

What could be more peculiar?

[leftofthedial]

69. its location

[1gobluedem]

70. We have Yoopers and Trolls...

People who live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (UP) are called Yoopers and people in the Lower Peninsula are called Trolls because we live "under the (Mackinac) bridge."

Also, in Detroit and surrounding areas kids yell "help the poor" instead of "trick or treat" on Halloween.

[Xipe Totec]

71. Public squares are never square in Massachusetts

they are triangular or pentagonal, but never square.

I think right angles were outlawed in Massatwooshits :shrug:

[Breeze54]

72. But they're called 'Town Commons'; not squares!

Just sayin'! lol

Public Space : Common Institutions

http://www.memorialhall.mass.edu/turns/view.jsp?itemid=12874&subthemeid=9

New England towns usually set aside land for the use of the church. These meetinghouse lots were
typically located in or near the center of the town. The general court of Massachusetts had, since
1631, required each township to set aside land for a training field for a weekly militia drill. The
open area in the center of the town often met this purpose. As time passed, this open area outlived
its original uses. It became a place to graze sheep and cattle, to walk, and to picnic. It was also
the space upon or around which the town located public buildings such as the meetinghouse and the
center district school. Although the town militia still trained here, the parcel acquired a new name
more in keeping with the many peaceable activities it now supported: the "town common." Its new name
defined its ownership. It was indeed a piece of land owned "in common" by the proprietors of the
town. Remnants of such commons survive in many New England towns to this day.

The common, in my town, is square. lol

[Xipe Totec]

81. Davis Square - Somerville:

Kendall Square Cambridge (MIT)



Just saying too :rofl:

[Breeze54]

89. Gilman Square, Somerville, MA

Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy metro area.

:rofl:

I said Town Common. lol
Perhaps the square you posted used to be a common but was swallowed up by urbanization?
Somerville used to be very rural when it was annexed from Charlestown.

Cambridge Common & you forgot Harvard Square!! :rofl:

Cambridge Common

blogs.law.harvard.edu

[Xipe Totec]

96. Here ya go...

Harvard Square - a triangle



Porter Square - a triangle


and Five Corners Braintree - a pentagon

http://wikimapia.org/12816
(Can't embed image, sorry)

So far, not a single square is square :rofl:

but the Boston Commons, which is not square, is next to the public gardens, which is...

Almost square

[Breeze54]

99. LMAO! Ok, ok.... there's a difference in terms

A town square is an open area commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings.

Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets, music concerts, political rallies, and other events that require firm ground. Being centrally located, town squares are usually surrounded by small shops such as bakeries, meat markets, cheese stores, and clothing stores. At their center is often a fountain, well, monument, or statue. Many of those with fountains are actually named Fountain Square.

In the United States a town square typically consists of a park or plaza in front of the original county courthouse or town hall.

In urban planning, a city square is a planned open area in a city, usually or originally rectangular in shape. Some city squares are large enough that they act as a sort of "national square."

* Red Square in Moscow was originally used as an outdoor marketplace and later became the stage for Soviet military parades and May Day demonstrations.
* Palace Square in St Petersburg was designed to be the central square of Imperial Russia and ironically became the setting of revolutionary protests that led to the overthrow of monarchy during the February Revolution of 1917.
* Similarly, Beijing's Tiananmen Square was the scene of both communist parades and anti-government protests.
* John-F.-Kennedy-Platz (formerly Rudolph-Wilde-Platz) was the site of the West Berlin town hall and John F. Kennedy's famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech.
* New York City's Times Square and Washington, D.C.'s National Mall often fill this role for the United States.
* Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus (a circular city "square") in London do the same for Great Britain.

In some cities, especially in New England in the U.S., the term "square" (as its Spanish equivalent, Plaza) is applied to a commercial area (e.g., Central Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts), usually formed around the intersection of three or more streets, and which originally consisted of some open area (many of which have been filled in with traffic islands and other traffic calming features). In the Boston area, it is used by municipalities to designate an intersection in honor of a local resident (usually a member of the military or police officer killed in the line of duty), see memorial square.

So, if they originally consisted of some open area (many of which have been
filled in with traffic islands), then they probably started out as commons! ;)

We all win!! :rofl:

[MassLiberal]

90. we called it a "green"

in the Massachusetts town I grew up in (Longmeadow).

[sce56]

73. The Highest and lowest points in the continuous 48 states

[Left Is Write]

74. Represented entirely in U.S. Congress by Republicans and has a Republican governor.

[smoogatz]

76. We invented the cheesehead.

And you got your Packers, don't you know. And your House on the Rock, if you've ever been there at all.

[Dervill Crow]

77. Birkenstocks with white socks and shorts.

Quite often the ensemble will be topped off with a long-sleeve Columbia sportswear sweatshirt. Women might wear the Birkenstocks with a long skirt and black, blue, or red organic cotton socks.

:hippie:

[hippywife]

80. Peculiar, indeed!

I give you two republicans and two democrats. All of them very peculiar:

[elvisbear]

82. Nebraska - 1st Reublican woman governor of a state.

In 1987 Kay Orr, a Republican from Nebraska, was the first Republican woman elected governor of a state, as well as the first woman to defeat another woman in a gubernatorial race.

[haf216]

83. We have parishes instead of counties,

and own system of law.

[Deja Q]

84. We've got a piece of art that looks like a giant spoon with cherry on it...

:D

[LaraMN]

150. I've heard people have tried to do it on that thing.

[Burma Jones]

85. Maryland has no naturally occurring lakes

And we have the Goat Man

[Chan790]

86. Not even in the western part of the state near Frostburg?

n/m

[Burma Jones]

122. Nope, here's a link from the MD Geological Survey

http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/fs/fs15.html

[Chan790]

161. Wow...

that's kind of cool...I never knew that all the time I lived in MD while going to college in DC.

[smtpgirl]

94. Goatman & Crybaby Bridge

We used to go to crybaby bridge all of the time.

I also remember that old hospital in Glenndale. When I was a teenager, a group of friends & myself went to visit the old hospital around Halloween a couple times.



I am going to the GoatMan Hollow this coming Halloween, hope it is SCARY.




http://www.goatmanhollow.com/home.html

Wiki entry:
The Goatman of Maryland is often associated with Governor’s Bridge Road, Lottsford Road and Fletchertown Road, in Prince George's County, and with the nearby Glendale Hospital; the former site of a state asylum. It has reported to have attacked a number of witnesses and to have damaged property. It has also been reported to have killed family pets.


Since the 1970s, the Goatman has become the subject of a number of popular Urban myths in Maryland and beyond. Myths vary, but the Goatman preying on courting couples in a similar fashion to the Hook legend, or attacking cars parked at the side of the road, are both common themes. It has also become part of the Urban Legend of “Crybaby Bridge” (Governor’s Bridge Road, Prince George's County).

Urban Myths often put secret genetics programs forward as a possible source of the Goatman. Experiments by the Federal Government and the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Maryland have both been suggested as possible Goatman origins. There is no evidence to support either.

[doc03]

87. I believe we have the largest Amish community

in Ohio.

[Lyric]

91. The Flat-Spired Three-toothed Snail

It's only found in West Virginia.

Oh--and pepperoni rolls. Other states might have them, but we invented them. xD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepperoni_Roll

[jilln]

92. jalapeño jelly

At least I HOPE we haven't inflicted that on other states!

[jus_the_facts]

179. My Nanny made pepper jelly m'whole life....in northern Louisiana....

....Nanny was my grandmother...she made it religiously every year from peppers she grew...to eat on the butter beans and blackeyed peas and turnip greens she grew in her back yard...since your profile isn't enabled...where are you from?

[uppityperson]

93. Me in WA

[GenDem]

97. I feel lame -- the only thing I can think of

The invention of the chicken wing as a food in and of itself.

[ironflange]

98. Alberta has more oil than Saudi Arabia

Granted, it's a little harder to get at. Please don't tell Commander Cuckoobananas, though, I don't want to have to watch an armored division rumbling down my peaceful street.

[Arugula Latte]

107. ALL YOUR OIL ARE BELONG TO US!11!!!1!

Im SERIES!1!11!!1

[ironflange]

108. Oh yeah, I'm scared of Oregon invading!

:eyes:

Just a bunch of hippies and slackers with a few cowboys thrown in. Wait a minute, that sounds like Alberta too, only without so many hippies.

Kidding, I actually love Oregon, I've been there three times and loved every minute of it.

[Arugula Latte]

109. Come back and see us again.

And bring your oil. :rofl:

:hi:

[ironflange]

110. I will

I want to be there for the upcoming eclipses, May 20, 2012 and Aug 21,2017. Oil? You guys like to pump it for me, I've noticed.

[PVnRT]

131. What are you going to do about it, eh? Throw donuts at us?

:sarcasm:

[GoneOffShore]

102. Rick Santorum and John Street

Oops - I thought the idea was to name something peculiar IN your state.

[MoseyWalker]

104. spell it backwards

no other state can be this one

[Art_from_Ark]

105. America's only diamond field

and it's open to the public-- Crater of Diamonds State Park.

Also, America's only bauxite mine.

[lazer47]

113. William Jefferson Clinton

Birthplace and home of Bill Clinton

[Art_from_Ark]

114. Hope's just a stone's throw from the diamond field

and is also home to America's biggest watermelons.

[graywarrior]

111. Liberals.

I'm in Florida.

[ornotna]

112. My state

is shaped like a flaccid penis. And it's full of dick heads.

[ms liberty]

191. The Cuban Sandwich was created in Tampa, IIRC...

One of the best sandwiches ever invented. My mouth is watering just to think about it! And although I can finally get Vigo yellow rice up here, I still can't make black beans and yellow rice as good as La Teracita's or Latam's.

I grew up in Tampa. I miss it like crazy, especially in the winter!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

115. MD has the best flag...

[deepthought42]

141. Damn right we do!

And downtown Annapolis is quite lovely. And historic. Plus we have the best crab cakes. :D Mmmm.... *drools*

[GoddessOfGuinness]

146. Ever go across the Bay Bridge to Kent Narrows?

There's a fantastic seafood restaurant there...Fisherman's Inn. Their prices are very reasonable and the quality is always high. :hi:

[deepthought42]

157. Hmmm, I went to this restaurant years ago on the Eastern Shore...

unfortunately I don't know the name of it. They had good snow crab legs. Sadly, even though I live just a couple miles from the Bay Bridge, I never have time to go over there! I really need to one of these days.... :hi:

[Burma Jones]

155. Even our counties have good flags....

Montgomery County Flag....

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

116. The headwaters of the Mississippi, former governor Jesse Ventura,

a giant statue of Paul Bunyan, hotdish, more Norwegians than Norway.

[unpossibles]

117. this is more peculiar to our city

but people say "please?" when they don't hear/understand what you said.

um... we're hi in the middle and round on both ends? hell, I don't know. We're home to more Conservobot election fraud?

[Nicole]

118. Oklahoma is the only U.S. state to be bombed during WWII.

Boise City, Oklahoma was the only city in the United States to be bombed during World War II. On Monday night, July 5, 1943, at approximately 12:30 a.m., a B-17 Bomber based at Dalhart Army Air Base (50 miles to the south of Boise City) dropped six practice bombs on the sleeping town.

[Nicole]

119. Oklahoma has a working oil well on the lawn of the State Capitol. n/t

[rockymountaindem]

170. Not true

Most western states were hit by Japanese bombs dropped from high-altitude balloons launched in the jet stream. Three west coast towns (IIRC) were also bombarded by Japanese subs.

[Nicole]

175. Thanks

I got the info I posted from:

http://www.50states.com/facts/okla.htm

:blush:

[rockymountaindem]

177. It's okay

The balloon bomb thing isn't a well known part of the war. Alternatively, however, one could also argue that Alaska and Hawaii were also bombed, although they were not states at the time. Attu and Kiska islands in the Aleutians were occupied by the Japanese for months.

[Nicole]

178. When I found that,

a couple of years ago, I did check it out on Google. Several other sites said the same thing. Maybe they should change it to "Only US State bombed by the US." I thought about Alaska & Hawaii but dismissed them because of the statehood thing.

I never heard of the balloon bombs, until you posted that. I Googled it & found that there with fatalities from the balloon bombs. I will definitely do more reading about that. Thanks for the information about them. :thumbsup:

[BreweryYardRat]

123. A concentration of crazies higher than any other state in the U.S.

Yeah, I'm in Florida. How'd you guess?

But seriously, we've got the only population of American Crocodiles in the U.S., along with the last remaining Florida Panthers.

We've also got the southernmost point in the U.S. From that spot in Key West, you're closer to Havana than Miami.

And let's not forget, we've got the most alligators of any state. One in every body of water, practically.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

132. Wisconsin: Home of Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Gein

Ed Gein and his career were the inspiration for Norman Bates in "Psycho"

Plus we got cheese...

[PVnRT]

133. Dunes - big ones, 200 feet high

- All of the military's VX was made here
- Birthplace of the Coca-Cola bottle
- Two citizens of the state were involved in landmark Supreme Court cases (Debs and Milligan)

[salin]

181. -home of floride in toothpaste (crest)

-both beloved by the bible belters (a northern belt loop in the bible belt) and hate us because of Kinsey's studies.

-gazillion (or is it brazillion) explanations for our name for residents "hoosier" (some are quite interesting -my fav is that after a bar brawl a barkeep found an ear on the floor and kept calling out: "Whose Ear? Whose ear?..."

-currently (reportedly) with Nevada as a targeted test site for 'divine strake'.

Just a few things that came to mind. Oh one more...

-The only place outside of the home of texas tech where there are as many fans as detractors of Bobby Knight.

[PVnRT]

197. Actually, about "Hoosier"

If you pick a book called "Hoosier Folk Tales," there is a very believeable version: The term "Hoosier" was used by genteel southerners in the late 18th and early 19th century to describe the more rustic folks moving out west to the Northwest Territories, and the name stuck with Indiana, the nearest one.

And fuck Bobby Knight. I celebrated the day he finally got shitcanned.

[salin]

199. per Knight

many (myself included) were glad to see him go - but there is still a large fan base. Go figure.

[PVnRT]

201. I'm well aware of it

I have to deal with it every day. The Cult of Bobby Knight. Ugh.

[blockhead]

135. no voter registration,

and parking meters are outlawed on public streets.

[SmileyBoy]

160. Don't forget the only bank owned by a state government in the US...

I get my student loan checks from BND.

[raccoon]

140. Lindsey Graham. Unfortunately. :silly: nt

[Deep13]

142. That smell--Ohio

[johnnie]

143. Ohio

It is the only one that has a pennant instead of a flag.

[flvegan]

144. Homer Simpson refers to us as "America's Wang"

In an old Bugs Bunny cartoon, he used a saw to cut us off and set us adrift to South America.

[Strawman]

145. The "Michigan left" turn seems unique

Involves going past the intersection and making a left through a traffic island, then making a right on the street you wanted to turn left on from the opposite direction you started from.

People from other places always mention this.

[ContraBass Black]

147. It's a "Commonwealth."

[KamaAina]

148. Southernmost point in the U.S.

sorry, Key West, but Ka Lae (South Point) on the island of Hawai'i (Big Island) is farther south.

Ka 'olelo Hawai'i (the Hawaiian language) has been official alongside English since 1978.

The Hansen's disease settlement at Kalaupapa on Moloka'i constitutes a separate county; Kalawao County is down to about 75 residents and does not actually have any organized county government.

The City and County of Honolulu technically includes the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, stretching all the way out to Midway, 2,400 miles away. Thus, Honolulu is the world's most spread-out city, if you count gooney birds and monk seals as residents.

[youthere]

149. We eat the most Jell-O per capita, AND have the most subscriptions to Play-Boy.

[GenDem]

162. Jell-O was invented in my town.

Really...it's true. It was invented in my town by Pearl Waite, who peddled it door to door in his horse drawn Jell-O buggy. He sold the patent to the Genesee Pure Foods company for $450.00 in 1899. It went into production right here and employed half the town, until General Foods bought it and outsourced it to Dover, Delaware.

Just thought you might like to know where it came from.
:hi:

[trof]

151. In Birmingham, we have VULCAN!

Vulcan Park is home to the world's largest cast iron statue and features spectacular panoramic views of Birmingham. We tell the story of Birmingham's past, present and promise for the future. Take a virtual tour of Vulcan Park.

The history of Vulcan is deeply tied to Birmingham's roots and its growth. Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge, was originally built in 1904 and has stood as a symbol of Birmingham for over 100 years. After a four-year renovation, Vulcan Park reopened to the public in 2004 and welcomed over 100,000 visitors its first year!
http://www.vulcanpark.org/index.html

[Critters2]

153. Illinois: Bi-partisan political corruption nt

[SmileyBoy]

159. A man and a woman living together who are not married is illegal.

Although that law is never enforced.

[Seabiscuit]

194. In what way "illegal"? A crime? They can be arrested? WTF?

[SPKrazy]

164. Me....

what of it?

:shrug:

Well I am peculiar and in my state

:rofl:

[Seabiscuit]

192. Dayam - you beat me to it!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

165. Minnesota was the only state ever to have a Socialist governor

Floyd B. Olson in the 1930s. His party was officially the Farmer-Labor party, which eventually merged with the Democrats, but it was a Socialist party.

He died regrettably young of cancer.

A few other claims to fame:

The Twin Cities have the worst mosquito problem of any large city in the country (the downside of all those lakes)

Minnesota has the headwaters of the Mississippi River. You can wade across it as it comes out of Lake Itasca.

The University of Minnesota-Minneapolis is the largest single state university campus in the country

Lutherans are the largest Protestant denomination

Until the 1960s, it was illegal to buy colored margarine in Minnesota.

[trackfan]

168. We have a real "Bridge to Nowhere"

in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California.

[rockymountaindem]

169. Mike the Headless Chicken

Google him. 'Nuff said.

[fizzgig]

182. i didn't think we had anything peculiar here

that's a tad creepy

[deepthought42]

171. Maryland's state sport is Jousting.

And if anyone is in MD from late August through mid-October, they should go to the MD RennFest. Huzzah! :toast: http://www.rennfest.com

[u4ic]

176. ironflange

Oh, wait...I thought you said peculiar IN your state. :P

[usaftmo]

180. VA is the only state where

radar detectors are illegal. Actually VA is a Commonwealth, but the word State slides off the tongue a lot easier.

[Wapsie B]

184. Most golf-courses per capita than any other state,

We make JELLO here, as well as Winnebago Motor Homes. The Music Man Musical was based on this area, with the composer a native of here.
American Pie's song, "The Day the Music Died" is based on Buddy Holly's last concert, which was at the now legendary Surf Ballroom.

[ms liberty]

190. NC: Only emerald mines open to public in North America and also...

the largest emerald, and the second largest emerald ever found in North America were found here - specifically in Hiddenite - we're a small community in Alexander County, NC. Hiddenite is also the only place on earth to find the precious gemstone known by the same name; it's a yellowish-green color.

[Blue_In_AK]

193. My whole state's peculiar. :-)

[ScreamingMeemie]

198. The Michigan Left...

To make a left turn on many streets that have medians, you must first go through the intersection, go around a turnaround and back to the intersection to complete the left by turning right. :hi:

It sounds confusing...and it is...for a poor Wisconsin girl who was used to turning left when she wanted to go left. :hi:

[leftyclimber]

200. In my home state (Oregon)

it is against the law to shoot Bigfoot.

[ptvet]

204. Oh well that would be

Randy Shaw...of Spokane newscast "fame" :thumbsup:

*oops..re-post...edit etc.