Doesn't Everyone Know...

I was recently having a discussion with a fellow originally from New Jersey and I asked him what the state bird and state flower are. I figured those are the two random facts everybody knows about their home state, right? Not so in this particular case! Now, I understand that sometimes my fascination with certain things (Geography is a prime example) leads me to have a skewed vision of what other people know. So, I wanted to know how many of my faithful readers do in fact know the state bird and flower of which ever state they grew up in.

On a side note, I can name California's state bird, flower, rock, butterfly, and tree with a great deal of confidence. If anyone else would like to share their knowledge here of California or any other state, please feel free!

Happy Flag Day!

Do you know what Flag Day celebrates? Well, the American Flag, duh. But of course, I wanted to know the details so please, allow me to share them with you!

Betsy Ross is said to have designed the first flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes.

Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the Stars and Stripes (also known as Old Glory) as the official Flag of the United States on June 14, 1777 by the Second Continental Congress. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed it a national day of commemoration in 1916, and it was adopted more officially in 1949 through an Act of Congress. Flag Day is not an official federal holiday but was made a state holiday by Michigan in 1937-- the only state to ever do so. In conclusion, Michigan is great and so is the American Flag. Happy Flag Day!

My Pastimes

Two of my favorite things to do are read good books and watch good movies. Lately I've been doing quite a bit of both. "Good" can mean very different things in this context. Sometimes it's just entertaining (like the movie Wedding Date), and sometimes it's actually quality (like the book To Kill A Mockingbird). This weekend I found a new favorite: Lars and the Real Girl. It's a sweet and funny story about a lonely guy who orders a fiance on the internet-- in the form of a sex doll. The movie is not in any way lewd though-- the small town comes together to show "Bianca," and in effect Lars, how loved and cared for they are. The music was lovely and whimsical, too. In fact, I liked the whole thing so much I watched it first on Friday and then twice today!


I'm currently reading Atonement by Ian McEwan, although I haven't seen the movie. I'll keep you posted on that one!