U.S. Geography

[Bubba136]

Here's a fun little puzzle to test your knowledge of where things are in the USA.

Have fun:http://www.madblast.com/funflash/swf/map_test.swf

[PJ]

Thanks Bubba136 for that interesting test. I found all the states before time ran out.

Here are a few more:

http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/

http://www.egt.geog.uu.nl/

[Spikey Dan]

Ahhh, Geography. One of my favorite subjects of all time. I was able to find all the states before time ran out as well. Very hard to put the names into the smaller states.

[azraelle]

for lack of a better place, I thought I'd throw this in here (it's not geography, but demographics, sort of. From NY Times today:

Losing Our Edge?

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Published: April 22, 2004

I was just out in Silicon Valley, checking in with high-tech entrepreneurs about the state of their business. I wouldn't say they were universally gloomy, but I did detect something I hadn't detected before: a real undertow of concern that America is losing its competitive edge vis-à-vis China, India, Japan and other Asian tigers, and that the Bush team is deaf, dumb and blind to this situation.

Several executives explained to me that they were opening new plants in Asia — not because of cheaper labor. Labor is a small component now in an automated high-tech manufacturing plant. It is because governments in these countries are so eager for employment and the transfer of technology to their young populations that they are offering huge tax holidays for U.S. manufacturers who will set up shop. Because most of these countries also offer some form of national health insurance, U.S. companies shed that huge open liability as well.

Other executives complained bitterly that the Department of Homeland Security is making it so hard for legitimate foreigners to get visas to study or work in America that many have given up the age-old dream of coming here. Instead, they are studying in England and other Western European nations, and even China. This is leading to a twofold disaster.

First, one of America's greatest assets — its ability to skim the cream off the first-round intellectual draft choices from around the world and bring them to our shores to innovate — will be diminished, and that in turn will shrink our talent pool. And second, we could lose a whole generation of foreigners who would normally come here to study, and then would take American ideas and American relationships back home. In a decade we will feel that loss in America's standing around the world.

Still others pointed out that the percentage of Americans graduating with bachelor's degrees in science and engineering is less than half of the comparable percentage in China and Japan, and that U.S. government investments are flagging in basic research in physics, chemistry and engineering. Anyone who thinks that all the Indian and Chinese techies are doing is answering call-center phones or solving tech problems for Dell customers is sadly mistaken. U.S. firms are moving serious research and development to India and China.

The bottom line: we are actually in the middle of two struggles right now. One is against the Islamist terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere, and the other is a competitiveness-and-innovation struggle against India, China, Japan and their neighbors. And while we are all fixated on the former (I've been no exception), we are completely ignoring the latter. We have got to get our focus back in balance, not to mention our budget. We can't wage war on income taxes and terrorism and a war for innovation at the same time.

Craig Barrett, the C.E.O. of Intel, noted that Intel sponsors an international science competition every year. This year it attracted some 50,000 American high school kids. "I was in China 10 days ago," Mr. Barrett said, "and I asked them how many kids in China participated in the local science fairs that feed into the national fair [and ultimately the Intel finals]. They told me six million kids."

For now, the U.S. still excels at teaching science and engineering at the graduate level, and also in university research. But as the Chinese get more feeder stock coming up through their high schools and colleges, "they will get to the same level as us after a decade," Mr. Barrett said. "We are not graduating the volume, we do not have a lock on the infrastructure, we do not have a lock on the new ideas, and we are either flat-lining, or in real dollars cutting back, our investments in physical science."

And what is the Bush strategy? Let's go to Mars. Hello? Right now we should have a Manhattan Project to develop a hydrogen-based energy economy — it's within reach and would serve our economy, our environment and our foreign policy by diminishing our dependence on foreign oil. Instead, the Bush team says let's go to Mars. Where is Congress? Out to lunch — or, worse, obsessed with trying to keep Susie Smith's job at the local pillow factory that is moving to the Caribbean — without thinking about a national competitiveness strategy. And where is Wall Street? So many of the plutocrats there know that the Bush fiscal policy is a long-term disaster. They know it — but they won't say a word because they are too greedy or too gutless.

The only crisis the U.S. thinks it's in today is the war on terrorism, Mr. Barrett said. "It's not."

[Firefox]

History has taught us one thing. All Empires will fall. The USA is not an empire in the traditional sense, but nevertheless its "empire" is based on the spread of its commercialism and business interests, backed up by a little agression here and there eg Iraq. The USA may be all powerful now, but its failure to respond to a changing world eg Kyoto eg the UN eg the Far East, will eventually lead to its downfall. Most success is based on some man at the bottom of the pile shovelling some shit around. Someday, if you don't respond fairly, that man and his country may suprise you.

[j-turbo2002]

Hey!

This is a nice topic about U.S. Geography!

You should start a new topic in the General Discussion Thread if you want to talk about how the USA is going to fall. I will be MORE THAN HAPPY to debate this issue there.

One more thing, if you are going to base the fall of the US on Fairy Tales (Kyoto, the UN, the Far East - garbage like that), I would not bother. You are going to save yourself from looking like a fool.

From reading his columns in the New York Times for years, I can only think of one word for Mr. THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN - Inconsistencies

Now, lets talk about some US Geography, shall we?

Here is an easy question: In what state is the city of Houston located?

[Firefox]

What is where is Trivia. Why it's there is Geography. And, the definition of US Geography can extend to it's tacit empire, why it's there and how long its going to last

[j-turbo2002]

My friend, you take things way too seriously. The following was meant to be a joke:

Now, lets talk about some US Geography, shall we?

Here is an easy question: In what state is the city of Houston located?

Note the smiley face at the end. That should have given you a hint.

I am well aware that Geography is the study of the earth's surface. This includes people's responses to the topography, climate, soil, and vegetation.

It does not have anything to do with the location of Houston.

Oh, you thought that I was serious............right, whatever.

And, the definition of US Geography can extend to it's tacit empire, why it's there and how long its going to last

When are you going to wake up out of your dream and smell the coffee?

[Firefox]

The smiley face at the end of my post should have given you a hint as to how I took it

[Dr. Shoe]

Even the average UK schoolboy knows that Houston is in Texas. OK, In which US state are Pima and Maricopa counties?

[jagman]

Variation on a theme What's the odd one out Washington, Halifax, Portsmouth, Slough, Manchester and Birmingham

[PJ]

...OK, In which US state are Pima and Maricopa counties?

In the state of Arizona, USA, you will find Pima county and Maricopa county.

But are you also aware that there are cities named Pima and Maricopa located in Arizona?

[Dr. Shoe]

Quite correct. I lived in Arizona for over a year at the end of the 70s.

[Priscilla]

I'm probably going to get hatemail for this, but I love the recent comment I heard War is God's way of teaching the Americans geography

[Bubba136]

Given the state of our public education system, I can't say that statement is wrong. -- about teaching geography -- not about fighting a war for that expressed purpose.

[j-turbo2002]

I'm probably going to get hatemail for this, but I love the recent comment I heard

War is God's way of teaching the Americans geography

Well, from reading this, it is clear to me that whoever came up this silly, illogical little phrase does not know anything about America. It is clear to me that this kind of trash is made up to appease those masses of mindless morons who despise America and its President, George W. Bush.

Given the state of our public education system, I can say that this statement is wrong. When you think about it logically, America’s education system is the best in the world. We here in America are constantly being bombarded with the lies that other countries education systems are better than ours, etc. Look at the facts, America is the most powerful, economical, and technological advanced country in the world – or in the history of the world. Now a bunch of idiots could not have accomplished this. When you compare America to any other country (and I do not care which country it is), America will stand out like a shining star. I am sorry for saying this but other countries in this world look like crap when compared to America.

[Bubba136]

Hey, Turbo -- chill out!!!! There isn't a person on this earth that is more conservative than myself. Saying that our public school system is the greatest on earth is a mouth full. I guess it depends on where on this earth you are standing. Here in my county it's a F_____KING disaster. The "inmates" run the school. The members of the School Board recently passed a resolution that begining in 2009, students had to be able to read before they could graduate. How about them apples? Besides, I took Priscilla's remarks in the spirit that I believe they were intended -- to be humorous, as a joke. So, while we usually heap a whole ration of greif upon those that would dare critize the USA, in this instance, I believe firing the both barrells of "ration of grief" isn't warranted. :rofl:

[j-turbo2002]

Hey, Turbo -- chill out!!!!

Hey! I am always cool.

I damn well know that Priscilla's remarks were intended to be humorus. Being me, in my typical fashion, I just like to light the match and start the fire. That is all and there will be nothing more.

I am not going to get into a long debate about the American education system however I am going to say that our education system is NO different than that in other country. Well..........there is one main difference but I will leave that for another day. Also, I am also going to say that our education system is fine and not to believe all of this propaganda from the media in this counrty about how bad the education system is. Yes, there are a few bad apples here-and-there but the whole system as a whole is fine.

[Dr. Shoe]

Variation on a theme

What's the odd one out Washington, Halifax, Portsmouth, Slough, Manchester and Birmingham

Washington is also a state and it is named after a person (despite the fact that there is a Washington in the UK).

[Dr. Shoe]

Actually, I agree for once. Having experienced three different education systems (UK, Israel and US) I can say that the net results are very similar. OK perhaps one system may be superior in some aspects to the others and that the same system will be inferior in other aspects but the net result will be the same. We get it all the time here about how the system is "dumbing down" and that a huge number of kids are doing "easy" university courses. However, the truth is there are still just as many clever youngsters doing pure mathematics or science based subjects and that the kids doing media studies or applied philosophy would not otherwise have had access to higher education. All that has happened is that the pass rate is lower to reflect the fact that we no longer have a two tier examination system (GCE and CSE) so kids who might have passed CSEs but not GCEs now get a GCSE which is kind of a combination of the two.

[azraelle]

If our education system were the best in the world, The US wouldn't consistently place 14th in Math scores among the 15 most industrialized nations of the world. We would be having school for 220+ days a year instead of the present 170- days a year. "America is the most powerful, economical, and technological advanced country in the world" because America is a nation of innovative immigrants and innovative immigrants' descendents, not because of the education system. Actually your statement is debatable--I would categorize Japan as being more technologically advanced, for example, and their educational system is vastly superior to ours--it's just that they tend to be a nation of "copycats" not innovators, at least as far as coming up with NEW IDEAS to make money are concerned--probably has something to do with purity of the race/lack of hybrid vigor, to use a probably very applicable bit of genetic jargon.