Iowa, admitted today to the Union in 1846, lies in the Great Plains. The Iowans are renowned for pluck, determination, and hard work.
Iowa produces more soybeans and corn than any other state, and supplies the nation with ten percent of its food supply. Rhinos take our hats off to that. For certain.
Congratulations, you Hawkeyes, you!
For today’s image, We referred to Mr. Grant Wood, 1891-1942, an Iowa boy, whose paintings of rolling farmland tickle our Rhino Fancy.
Jacob Marley seems to be Charles Dickens’ poster boy for Regret, discovering, as Marley does, that We can’t just be Naughty all the time without a comeuppance.
Rhinos try to keep our Naughty Activities in moderation, not that it always works out that way.
“He knows when you’ve been Bad or Good, so be Good for goodness’ sake.”
December 22 is the birthday of Sr. Giacomo Puccini, born 1858. He is one of the most famous opera composers ever. So far…
Shown is Turandot, a fiery Chinese princess, subject of Puccini’s last work, incomplete at his death. We like to think she is not singing ‘In Questa Reggia‘, her big aria, but “Happy Birthday to You”.
New Jersey was admitted to the USA, the 3rd State, in 1789. Frankly, there are amazing facts about New Jersey, many of them pleasant.
For Readers who forgot; New Jersey is a peninsula, being more surrounded by water than not. Much of that water is ocean, but rivers complete the isolation. New Jersey only attaches to New York, northward.
Rhinos are Natural Geographers; We are Adventurous. But We are thwarted by bodies of water now and again. Be Advised: Peninsularity can lurk anywhere.
Our States of the Union Project has enjoyed Modest Acclamation. So far, We have offered stimulating observations on 37 of the states. Plus informative images.
This effort should be complete by February of next year, with Luck (without which nothing much could ever get done.)
Excelsior!
Alabama became the 22nd State of the United States in 1819. It is a relatively low state, with steamy weather in the summer. Very Rhino.
For those who are interested, there is the annual Peanut Festival in Dothan, Alabama. Almost half the peanuts grown in the USA come from the vicinity.
We Rhinos would be remiss if We did not salute the Southern Hospitality for which Alabama is justly famous.
On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state of the USA. And a fine state it is!
We thought We would focus today on Punxsutawney Phil, a weather critter of sorts. He is annually asked about the winter weather. Phil is a groundhog. He does what he can, but the folks get overexcited, and seldom hear the information he provides.
Rhino Experience confirms this common practice: the Question is hollered so loud that nobody listens for the Answer. Even in Pennsylvania.
Indiana became a state on December 11, 1816, and has been one ever since.
The Indianapolis 500 is run in late May, and has run ever since 1911. It involves automobiles. Rhinos have never driven in this race, mostly due to our bulk. We would slow the vehicle down, which is not the point of the tournament.
Also, We are not good at paying attention, at least for more than 2 minutes.
The state of Mississippi joined the Union on December 10, 1817. Prior to that, it was the western part of the Mississippi Territory.
The western boundary of the state is the Mississippi River, which has a habit of shifting all over the place as it wiggles south. If Rhinos cared much about where We are, this could get confusing.
A Rhino Tip: always keep an eye on rivers; they are seldom exactly where you left them.
Mr. Elzie Crisler Segar, b. 1894 in Illinois, was a Cartoonist Extraordinaire. He was hired by the Hearst Company, where he started a successful strip called Thimble Theatre in 1919. In 1929 he introduced Popeye the Sailor, which was a big hit.
Though Mr. Segar died in 1938, Popeye went on in the hands of various writers and artists, eventually branching into film.
Rhinos like the funny papers, full of irrational behavior, and over-the-top characters. Also, We too like spinach.
Your Inner Rhino 