Naming all 50 states, and their captials [Archive]

Blackjack

Mar 25th, 2003, 06:35 AM

You wouldn't believe how close I got, considering it was after six hours of a lazy afternoon's drinking session in the pub.

I reckon I got 48 states, and about half their capitals. I could probably name something famous from each state too.

I really know too much about America :(

But how many Americans could tell me where Shropshire is?

Anonymous

Mar 25th, 2003, 08:18 AM

Central England... west of Birmingham

sspadowsky

Mar 25th, 2003, 09:15 AM

He meant without having looked at Mapquest. >:
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James

Mar 25th, 2003, 10:59 AM

You forgot about Chim-Cham, didn't you?

Esuohlim

Mar 25th, 2003, 11:14 AM

I could name all the captials when I was six.

What a waste of life. :(

Anonymous

Mar 25th, 2003, 11:59 AM

I didn't have to look at any maps spadowsky. I have dual-citizenship

Protoclown

Mar 25th, 2003, 12:22 PM

The average American's geographical education is fucking PATHETIC. Most of us don't even know much at all about our own country, let alone others.

I can easily identify all 50 states (and EVERY US citizen should be able to do that, though my sister can barely find Virginia on a map), and I'm sure I could get most of the capitals, but those aren't as easy for me as they used to be.

I can identify most countries on a world map, but as far as knowing much about the interior of any of them...well, I don't know shit.

sspadowsky

Mar 25th, 2003, 12:22 PM

Are you a native of England?
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Protoclown

Mar 25th, 2003, 12:24 PM

But how many Americans could tell me where Shropshire is?

Northwest of Gondor :(

Anonymous

Mar 25th, 2003, 12:34 PM

No, but I lived in Brighton for four years on a contract a while back.

kellychaos

Mar 25th, 2003, 04:52 PM

The capital of Michigan is "M". :)

All right all you geography buffs ... what was the name of the mountain range where Bilbo retrieved the ring ... AND what was the dragon's name ... huh? ... huh? ... yeah, I thought so. >:

Mar 25th, 2003, 05:11 PM

I probably know more about the topography of Middle-Earth than I do of America :(

The dragon was Smaug, and the mountain he lived in the Last Lonely Mountain... but that was not the same mountain range where Bilbo found the ring. I don't think that one was named. :(

Before I started White Plastic Pig's Big Adventure, I didn't even know Florida and California were on opposite ends of the country :(

kellychaos

Mar 25th, 2003, 05:15 PM

The dragon was Smaug, and the mountain he lived in the Last Lonely Mountain... but that was not the same mountain range where Bilbo found the ring. I don't think that one was named. :(

Didn't Gollum (sp ?) , the frog-like character with the raspy, "prescious" voice have the ring in that same mountain where the dragon lived? Hmmm ... I could be wrong. It's been a while since I read "The Hobbit". :/

Here's a pretty good map of "middle earth" (Click To Enlarge):

http://www.jrrtolkien.org.uk/Images%204/middleearth2_c.jpg

Here's a pretty good Tolkien page:

http://fin.go.wifl.at.org/tables/html/sitemap.htm

Protoclown

Mar 25th, 2003, 05:33 PM

It was the Misty Mountains :(

Mar 25th, 2003, 05:34 PM

Nah, Bilbo's encounter with Gollum is actually quite early on in the story.

kellychaos

Mar 25th, 2003, 05:51 PM

It was the Misty Mountains :(

I guess that and the Led Zepplin song of the same name where they reference Gollum and the Misty Mountains got me stuck in that timeframe of the story. Gollum DID have some kind of ring, though, didn't he?

Mar 25th, 2003, 06:27 PM

I just looked into my copy of the Hobbit and was surprised how early the encounter with Gollum actually is. It's chapter 5 out of 19.

Gollum did have a ring, that allowed the bearer to turn invisible, which Bilbo found by accident - and used to escape. Tolkien seems to have expanded on that idea afterwards, turning this ring into the Ring of Power for the Lord of the Rings books.

Anonymous

Mar 26th, 2003, 06:42 AM

That is incredible insight. Drawing the connection between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings is simply brilliant. Have you tried The Silmarillion, sir?

Captain Robo

Mar 26th, 2003, 10:35 AM

HEY DOL MERRY DOL RING A DONG DILLO >:

Mar 26th, 2003, 02:50 PM

That is incredible insight. Drawing the connection between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings is simply brilliant. Have you tried The Silmarillion, sir?

Suck my nuts, limey. I was getting the impression that kellychaos hadn't read the Lord of the Rings and wasn't aware of the importance of Gollum's ring, so I explained it.

kellychaos

Mar 26th, 2003, 04:13 PM

Suck my nuts, limey. I was getting the impression that kellychaos hadn't read the Lord of the Rings and wasn't aware of the importance of Gollum's ring, so I explained it.

Actually, you're right. I didn't make my way through the whole series. The LOR movie gave me the impression that the "invisibility ring" was THE ring and I was pretty much going from there. I don't know why but I kind of dropped off on the series. I know this isn't the book forum but as long as we're on the topic of fantasy, what are some of everyone's other favorite series? Mine are:

Incarnations of Immortality Piers Anthony
Shannarah Series Terry Brooks
Chronicles of Narnia CS Lewis

James

Mar 26th, 2003, 04:54 PM

I'm very mad that nobody acknowledge my reference. >:

Blackjack

Mar 26th, 2003, 07:38 PM

Like the sad individual that I am, I checked and found I'd missed off Delaware and Wyoming. It's not that I'd never heard of them, they just slipped my mind.

Why did I start this thread anyway?

ItalianStereotype

Mar 26th, 2003, 08:28 PM

because its an easy way to make a good point. the average american is a fucking moron. ask any large group of people if they can find iraq on a map or even identify their leader, i am willing to bet at least 1/3 dont know.

James

Mar 26th, 2003, 08:31 PM

The only time we need to know where something is, is if we're going to bomb the shit out of it (thus wiping it off the map anyway).

USA! USA! USA!

I don't really give a shit what the average rainfall of Uzbekestan is. >: Damn foreign people think they're so smart because they can alphabetize the names of all the official dances in the 10 regions of Mexico or whateverthefuck. WELL WHO CARES? NOT ME! NOT-FUCKING-ME! >: >: >: >: >: >:

Les Waste

Mar 26th, 2003, 08:48 PM

I think at least right now, given the current circumstances, more than a third of all Americans would know who the current leader of Iraq is :/

But you're still right. Everyone in this country is dumb as fuck. But that should be obvious to everyone by now. We suck. :/

ItalianStereotype

Mar 26th, 2003, 08:53 PM

I think at least right now, given the current circumstances, more than a third of all Americans would know who the current leader of Iraq is :/

you would be surprised. there was a kid in my world history class who honestly couldnt name him. once he heard the name "saddam hussein" he acted like it was completely obvious, but he didnt know. this kid is in college and he doesnt know who we are at war with... :/

Les Waste

Mar 26th, 2003, 08:57 PM

I guess I would be surprised, especially considering there are "Breaking News!" segments interrupting every single channel on television to let everybody know that there is still a war going on. It would be different if the media didn't care, but idiots still watch lot's of TV.

:(