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the annual quarterly report
May. 7th, 2009 07:38 pmPatience rewarded me at last, and I received the final state quarter - the 50th, Hawaii - in my change at a little tacqueria in San Francisco where I had dinner before my latest concert. Asking for a specific one, or going to a bank or coin shop to seek it out, would have been cheating. They have to be found in the wild. But apart from Pennsylvania, which refused to show up for a year or more after it was released in 1999, none has been so reluctant to be flushed out of the brush as Hawaii.
Most of the previous six years' worth of quarters were states admitted in the 19th century. These are the five states of the 20th. Oklahoma had been a tract of supposedly useless land set aside as "Indian Territory" until oil was discovered in it and suddenly it was of interest again. New Mexico and Arizona, the last and driest corners of the Mexican cession, were children of the Progressive age. President Taft said he'd refuse to sign the bill admitting Arizona unless they removed the state constitutional provision for the recall of judges, a favorite Progressive nostrum. So Arizona kindly removed it, was admitted as a state - and then put the provision right back in again. Alaska and Hawaii drifted along in territorial status for ages because of doubts over the admission of such remote, non-contiguous territories and because of the color of some of the people, especially in Hawaii. In those days Alaska was the Democratic territory and Hawaii the Republican one, and the objectors were mostly conservative Southern Democrats. Eventually they got admitted as a package deal - each party got one state - and both promptly switched parties.
And now, the reviews:
Oklahoma - uh-oh, another giant bird. That makes eight of them. At least it's not another buffalo. Rating: 3rd of 5.
New Mexico - this one I rather like. Simple, straightforward, boring state shape but a distinctive and attractive emblem they use on everything. Rating: 1st of 5.
Arizona - landscape with flowering plants in front. Looks like two fungi. Rating: 5th of 5.
Alaska - bear dining on sushi. This design was actually selected by Sarah Palin, no less, and she's going right up in her helicopter to shoot that bear. Rating: 4th of 5.
Hawaii - King Kamahameha casts his protective arm over a map of the state and the only motto that's not in either English or Latin. Fairly classy. Rating: 2nd of 5.
Soon, comments on the total set.
Previous Annual Quarterly Reports:
2007
2006
2005
2004
Most of the previous six years' worth of quarters were states admitted in the 19th century. These are the five states of the 20th. Oklahoma had been a tract of supposedly useless land set aside as "Indian Territory" until oil was discovered in it and suddenly it was of interest again. New Mexico and Arizona, the last and driest corners of the Mexican cession, were children of the Progressive age. President Taft said he'd refuse to sign the bill admitting Arizona unless they removed the state constitutional provision for the recall of judges, a favorite Progressive nostrum. So Arizona kindly removed it, was admitted as a state - and then put the provision right back in again. Alaska and Hawaii drifted along in territorial status for ages because of doubts over the admission of such remote, non-contiguous territories and because of the color of some of the people, especially in Hawaii. In those days Alaska was the Democratic territory and Hawaii the Republican one, and the objectors were mostly conservative Southern Democrats. Eventually they got admitted as a package deal - each party got one state - and both promptly switched parties.
And now, the reviews:
Oklahoma - uh-oh, another giant bird. That makes eight of them. At least it's not another buffalo. Rating: 3rd of 5.
New Mexico - this one I rather like. Simple, straightforward, boring state shape but a distinctive and attractive emblem they use on everything. Rating: 1st of 5.
Arizona - landscape with flowering plants in front. Looks like two fungi. Rating: 5th of 5.
Alaska - bear dining on sushi. This design was actually selected by Sarah Palin, no less, and she's going right up in her helicopter to shoot that bear. Rating: 4th of 5.
Hawaii - King Kamahameha casts his protective arm over a map of the state and the only motto that's not in either English or Latin. Fairly classy. Rating: 2nd of 5.
Soon, comments on the total set.
Previous Annual Quarterly Reports:
2007
2006
2005
2004
