Postcard Challenge is a game where you send me a postcard with a challenge of any sort (For example: "The Road Not Taken" or "Bison" or "Hope") I respond to the challenge pictorially or poetically or howsoever with a postcard and send you a challenge of my own. I've been playing this with BLOB_CASTLE and others for several months now.
In one postcard challenge game, I was asked what my province's official symbols were. In responding to this challenge, I discovered that my province only has an official flower, bird, tartan (tartan?), and mineral. We are so symbol deprived! Other provinces have all those and more, including:
- official provincial animal (we don't even have an animal)
- ofishal fish (four provinces)
- provincial soil
- official provincial grass (three provinces)
- official insect or maybe provincial fishing tackle (New Brunswick Salmon Fly),
- provincial dog
- provincial berry
- provincial gemstone
- official fossil
- provincial songHere's our official tartan:
You almost outdo Texas with your symbols. You also have an official fossil - megalodon teeth. Shagging is your official "popular dance." Clogging is your official "folk dance." I guess everyone learns shagging and clogging in school - just to keep it official.
I was going to submit this story but here seems as good a place to put it as any. State lawmakers are meanies: http://wmur.com/politics/nh-lawmaker-bring-abortion-into-debate-over-4thgraders-bill/31900670
Christ, what an asshole.Groen defended his comments and chastised critics for being outraged by his comments but not by abortion.
MICHIGAN Michigan state bird: American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Michigan state coat-of-arms: Coat-of-Arms of the State of Michigan
Michigan state fish: Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
Michigan state flag: Flag of the State of Michigan
Michigan state flower: Apple blossom (Malus domestica)
Michigan state fossil: Mastodon (Mammut americanum)
Michigan state game animal: White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Michigan state gem: Isle Royale greenstone or Chlorastrolite
Michigan state mammal: [White-tailed deer] (Odocoileus virginianus)
Michigan state motto: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspect (Latin for If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you) [1]
Michigan state nicknames: Great Lakes State, Wolverine State, Mitten State, Water-Winter Wonderland
Michigan state reptile: Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
Michigan state seal: Great Seal of the State of Michigan
Michigan state soil: Kalkaska Sand
Michigan state song: My Michigan website
Michigan state stone: Petoskey stone
Michigan state tree: Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)
Michigan state wildflower: Dwarf Lake Iris (Iris lacustris)
What surprises me is that you will always be a Michigan boy, no matter where you live.
-That will never go away. To say that I'm not a Michigander is to say that I'm not a Clausnitzer. I may at times get fed up with my home state, as I do my family, but it is what it is. There are really wonderful things about both. You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the.....
An Ode To Michigan [Roughly composed and really, two poems that I should flesh out separately.] through whipping, blinding snow. 'The winter's really not so bad' muttered at 12 below. ___________________
Clear water, green trees and a gentle lake breeze to this day bring me to my knees. And when the winter ends it's squeeze, I'll love the life spring guarantees. 'It's gorgeous here!' the locals cry
NJ STATE FISH IS THE BROOK TROUT REPPPPPPP FISH SWAG
Of course! Most species endangered by the filthy waters of New Jersey are safely contained in the spacious, flourishing ecosystem of Chris Christie's belly.
Oregon
Bird: Western Meadowlark
Tree: Douglass fir Fossil: Metasequoia Animal: American Beaver Beverage: Milk Crustacean: Dungeness crab Dance: Square dance Fish: Chinook Salmon Flower: Oregon Grape Fruit: pear Gem: Oregon sunstone Insect: Oregon Swallowtail Motto: “She Flies With Her Own Wings” Mushroom: Pacific golden chanterelle Nut: hazelnut Rock: Thunder-egg (geode) Seashell: Fusitriton oregonensis Soil: Jory soil Song: “Oregon, My Oregon”
I gave up learning these as a kid, before I knew what "arbitrary" or "bullshit" even meant.
The fact that there is a state animal, on top of bird, fish, insect, crustacean, and insect. Why form a separate category for "animal?" That and it's odd that there's a state beverage, and that it's milk.
Because an OSU grad had to try to get a beaver on the list? That is my guess anyway.Why form a separate category for "animal?"
Gonna rep California (even though I don't really live there any more) because DC doesn't get a seat at the table :( (ninja edit: we have 3 (bird: wood thrush, flower: American Beauty rose, tree: scarlet oak) Amphibian: California red-legged frog Animal: California grizzly bear extinct :( Bird: California vallet quail Colors: Blue and gold Dance: West Coast Swing Fish: California golden trout Flower: Golden poppy Folk Dance: Square dance Fossil: Sabre toothed cat Gemstone: Benitoite
surprisingly ugly Insect: California dogface butterfly
where is the dog idk Marine mammal: California gray whale Marine reptile: Pacific leatherback sea turtle Mineral: Gold (natch) Reptile: California desert tortoise Soil: San Joaquin soil Tree: California redwood
we also have a state gold rush ghost town (Bodie) and a state silver rush ghost town (Calico)
Not really! Everything felt pretty familiar. I spent a lot of time hiking when growing up so I was pretty in touch with California's natural landscape; a lot of these choices just make sense.
What book did I send you? Maybe it's on my desk. I know I promised you a record album. That's what the letter is about. I think. The letter is definitely on its way to you. Also the postcard. Both the postcard and the letter are on their way to you. They might arrive at the same time. By the way, the phrase "it's on its way to you" is one that I tell my students to use when there are missing assignments. I'm pretty grateful if they get their "it's" right.
The book must have fallen into a dark place itself. As for the students, I tell them that deadlines are guidelines. It's probably not a great idea pedagogically. Now the postcard and letter are definitely on their way to you... and apparently I owe you a book. I hope you are in a lighter place now.
I made a post on reddit the other day in the SRS private subreddit where I touched on it lightly. Hubski did a lot to help me out, because I was obsessive at the time over the idea of 'creating a better world' and living with technology as we do so deeply ingrained in every part of our lives, that people should be better and we should be progressing towards something better overall, especially with connecting with people and having a better understanding. I was depressed and didn't see much good happening and any way and was disappointed in society as a whole for failing to do that when we have the ability so there. And then Hubski comes along and does do a lot of what I would hope to see in an internet community. We have the personal connections and the driving force of understanding that it did provide a lot of support while things in my life got better overall for me. So yes, most certainly a lighter place. Much more proverbial guidelines and less strict deadlines.
I was gonna sadly reply that we're not a state because the country hates us, but I live in Maryland now! And we have everything amazing. Our state bird is the Baltimore Oriole Our state insect and state butterfly are the Baltimore checkerspot Our state crustacean is the Blue Crab Our state fish is the rock fish or striped bass Our state flower is the Black-eyed Susan One of our state mammals is the CALICO CAT!!! Our state reptile is the Diamondback Terrapin Our state tree is the White Oak NOW THE REALLY FUN PART State beverage? MILK. State dance? SQUARE DANCE. State food? SMITH ISLAND CAKE (and blue crab) State fossil, Ecphora gardnerae State mineral, agate State gemstone, Patuxent River stone State song and poem: "Maryland, My Maryland", by James Ryder Randall Maryland's fuckin' great, man.
I'm glad people are showing this inquiry some love. I find it fascinating. I'm happy to report this: A state firearm has only been designated by six of the fifty States in the United States. Surprisingly, none of those states are Texas flagamuffin.
We have somewhat of a paucity of symbols in my State - the Kiwi and the Silver Fern; I believe that's the lot.
ButterflyEffect I have just been told that your postcard arrived elsewhere and is waiting for me. In response, I found my radio-themed postcards .... many of them.... so the first is on its way to you.