2nd Place! The 2010 State Geography Bee

G with his 2nd-place trophy.

We're thrilled that G finally achieved one of his goals with geography and the Geography Bee - reaching the final 10 at the state level - although he would have loved to have won and gone on to compete at Nationals.

We've been asked lots and lots of questions regarding the Geography Bee, hosted by National Geographic, and what it takes to compete. If you'd like to learn more about the Bee, please take a look at G's website GeoBeeUniverse. He plans on spending a lot of time on the site this summer, updating it and compiling more info to help future competitors. For now, you can get at least an idea of what's involved in studying for the Bee. (Keep in mind, however, that we're learning too, and G's site is in no way affiliated with National Geographic.)

Here's how it works, in a nutshell:

(I've listed as examples some of the questions that G received at this year's State Bee, as best I can remember them. As the questions from the Bee are the property of National Geographic and thus copyrighted, if I have accidentally worded the questions here precisely as they have, it is purely coincidental. My memory isn't usually that good. Ha.)

SCHOOL LEVEL:

All interested kids compete. All homeschoolers in a city must compete in the same Bee. (Not sure exactly how schools decide their winner, but the contest for schools and homeschoolers follows the same rules.)

The winner of each school - Austin Area Homeschoolers is considered a school for the purposes of the Bee - takes a written test of 70 multiple-choice questions.

The students with the top 100 scores compete at the State level in Dallas.

G with Eric Yang, the 2009 National Geography Bee winner,

who is from Texas - we got to watch him win State last year.

Believe it or not, Eric is less than a year older than G;

he plays basketball. Can you tell?

STATE LEVEL (Nationals follows the same procedure as State):

Preliminary Round: This round is held to determine which 10 competitors will compete in the Final Round.

The 100 competitors (sometimes a few more, if there was a tie for the top scores) are broken into 5 groups. Each group is asked the same series of questions, consisting of 8 rounds. That is, each competitor must answer 8 questions, 1 in each round. Each round is in a different category, such as bodies of water, famous landmarks, or country borders. The questions might be U.S. questions or world questions within each round.

In past years in Texas, there have been more than 10 competitors with perfect scores in the Preliminary Round. In 2009, there were 17 perfect scores, and in 2008, there were 19. Those competitors answered as many tiebreakers as necessary to whittle the number down to 10.

However, this year only 6 received perfect scores in Preliminaries - one of which was G. That allowed him the luxury of resting during the tiebreaker round.

Final Round: This round is held to narrow the field to 2 competitors, who will compete in the Championship Round.

The Final Round is double elimination, meaning that competitors are allowed one miss and are eliminated after the second miss.

First Round: U.S. Geography

Example question: Natchez Trace Parkway, which runs through Mississippi and Alabama, ends in which state located to the north? (Tennessee)

Second Round: Google Imagery (Google is a sponsor of the Bee)

Example question: West Thumb Geyser Basin is located on the edge of Yellowstone Lake in which state? (Wyoming)

Third Round: All competitors answered this question on individual white boards

Example question: Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park, located in Alberta, forms an International Peace Park with a U.S. National Park located in what state to the south? (Montana)

Fourth Round: This was a bar graph on U.S. Foreign Assistance. The competitors had to look at the graph and answer questions. I don't have an example for this round, since you'd have to see the graph for it to make sense.

Fifth Round: Analogies

Example question: Green Bay is to Lake Michigan as Saginaw Bay is to what? (Lake Huron)

Sixth Round: Country Borders

Example question: What country borders Burkina Faso and Libya? (Niger)

Seventh Round: Again, all competitors answered this question on individual white boards

The Baikal-Amur Mainline, with close to 2,000 miles of track, takes its name from a lake and river in the eastern part of which country? (Russia)

Eighth+ Round: At this point, there are no more categories. The moderator simply goes down a list of questions and continues until a competitor has two misses, at which time he is eliminated. (BTW, there were no girls in this year's Final Round.)

There were still 7 competitors in the game at this point, but they dropped off one by one.

Example question: Efforts have been made to clean up the estuary of the Thames River, located in the southeastern part of what country? (United Kingdom)

Example question: In the 1940s, mining of bauxite shifted this island country's main export from bananas and sugar. Name this country. (Jamaica)

Example question: In the 1960s, Rwanda and Burundi gained independence from what European country? (Belgium) The audience audibly exhaled at G's correct answer, and the moderator shook his head, chuckled, and said, "Amazing."

Example question: Fogo, Sao Tiago, and Boa Vista are part of which Atlantic island group? (Cape Verde Islands)

Example question: What island east of St. Vincent gained its independence in 1966? (Barbados)

Third-place competitor goes out. G and one other competitor are the only two left - they had both missed one question at this point, G missing the last question asked in the Final Round, one about an ancient carved Buddha statue located in a country, with no geographic clues given.

Championship Round: When the field is down to two contestants, the slate is wiped clean and 3 championship questions are asked. The winner is the competitor who answers the most questions correctly. However, both competitors answered all three questions correctly.

Example question: Jedda, the port for the holy city of Mecca, is located on what body of water? (Red Sea)

Since all three questions were answered correctly, tiebreakers were asked in sudden death. Both of the first two tiebreakers were answered correctly.

Example question: What country includes the islands of Melville, Mornington, and Bathurst? (Australia) Note: Although our competitors answered this question correctly, there must have been some controversy surrounding it, because two of the islands are also found in Canada, and National Geographic doesn't ask "trick" questions. Apparently, Mornington was changed to Wellesley in the state bees in later time zones.

The question that decided the Bee - which was painful to G for the simple fact that he had studied this but couldn't pull up the answer in time - was this:

The island of Rapa Nui is more commonly known by what English name? (Easter Island)

All in all, an exciting and victorious day. G still has something to strive for next year, so not at all a bad thing.

Tax Free Shopping ... or Taxing Shopping?

I'm not a shopper. I'm too cheap, nothing ever fits, I'm too picky, malls give me headaches, shopping makes my feet hurt, I hate having our country's over-the-top consumerism repeatedly blasting me in the fact all day, and the prices are way over my budget (did I mention that I'm cheap?). I find tax-free shopping to be anything but ... it taxes my patience and my sanity mightily.

But once every year I drag myself out with the other eager shoppers to tackle the stores during tax-free weekend. This is the weekend that the state drops its excessively high sales tax (which we have in place of a state income tax, and I'm not complaining!) for back-to-school shoppers. (Don't tell, but those of us who aren't going back to school take advantage of it too!)

Granted, the sales tax alone isn't high enough to warrant fighting the crowds, since I'd only be saving less than 9%. But lots of stores have large sales to entice people into their lairs, so that's worth it to me once a year to brave the shopping hoards.

So I just now got back home, at almost midnight, because many of the stores have extended hours.

I saw lots of moms with their kids, mostly older kids since that's the areas of the stores that I'm shopping in now. I guess I live in my own little bubble, because I'm constantly amazed at how much parents dislike being around their kids, and vice-versa. The moms were eagerly shopping, looking forward with glee to getting the kids out of their houses all day long starting Monday, and the kids were barely disguising their disgust for having to actually appear in public with their parents, much less to go shopping, because in their parents' presence the kids can no longer pretend that they were hatched or dropped from an alien spacecraft.

S and I spent several hours together this morning, walking from store to store with virtually no success at crossing things off our list, but we joked and kidded around and generally had a great time. The great time had to do with being together in spite of our mission.

I feel so sorry for those kids don't enjoy spending time with their parents, and I feel sorry for those parents who don't enjoy - or even know - their kids. Both sides are really missing out.

Who knows? I may be eating my words in a couple of years when one of my kids goes through that stage, but I certainly hope not. I'm doing everything in my power to make what most people think is inevitable be evitable (yes, it's a word ... I looked it up). Only time will tell.

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If you liked this post, you might enjoy Beyond Babies.

Photo by lu_lu from here.

Texas Talk

An online friend is moving to Austin shortly, so I thought that big event merited a post devoted to Texas sayings. So this is for you, Era! (Check out her blog on Today's Thought.) If you need a reminder about living in our fair city, check out the "Rules for Living in Austin." There will be a test.

Here below, from Rice University's website, is a page called "Texas Talk." It outlines many of the sayings one might hear in the Lone Star state, but then again, maybe not. :) A lot of the sayings listed are ones that I haven't ever heard, even though I grew up in Redneck, Texas, and lived there my whole childhood (don't bother trying to find it on a map).

So, Era, we're mighty proud to call you one of our own. I'm so happy I'm just all swoled up like a stomped on toad frog. Shoot, I think you'll take to Austin pert near right away. When ya get here, just hunker down in the cool AC and wait it out 'til we git our next gully-washer. It was 108 yesterday, and today's lookin ta be hotter. Myself, I'm fixin' to make me a mess a iced tea. Welcome!

Texas Talk

aggravated

used to describe everything from mild annoyance to dangerous, murderous rage. Usually pronounced "agger-vated."

all swole up

an alternative to aggravated, but sometimes carries connotations of being obstinate, proud and self-abosorbed, in addition to being aggravated.

all choked up

upset, overcome with emotions (other than aggravation). A person is usually "all choked up" when they are deeply moved by sadness or by the thoughtfulness of others.

all worked up

in a state of aggravation, arousal of some type, in a state of deeply offended pride, offended sensibilities, in a state of anxiety, etc. Agitated.

Arbuckle

a synonym for coffee, when the Arbuckle brand was virtually the only one available.

ball

usually means football.

blinky

adjective used to describe milk that has begun to sour.

blue norther

storm that comes up as a giant, blue-black cloud of cold air comes over the warm gulf air and "just about freezes us to death!" Rain and wind may accompany the black cloud.

catty whompus

used to describe something that doesn't fit properly or is out of line.

clabber milk

butter milk

come hell or high water

shows determination to proceed, regardless of the problems, obstacles, etc.

conniptions

to have conniptions is to get upset and raise a ruckus.

crusty

tough and/or bad tempered man, woman or horse.

dad blame it, dad gum it, dag nab it

euphamisms coined to allow expressive speech without swearing.

dinner

depending on the Dillo, this can be the noontime meal or the evening meal.

eat up

eaten up, destroyed, oxidized.

fess up

admit.

fit to be tied

really upset.

fixins

food; the rest of the meal, excluding the main dish.

fixin' ta

getting ready to do something.

frog-strangler

an extraordinary amount of rain.

galoot

an old cowboy term meaning "old rascal." It's generally meant affably.

go ahead on

"You go ahead, I'll catch up later."

go to the house

go in for dinner/supper, depending on the Dillo.

gully-washer

an extraordinary amount of rain.

hissy fit

This term was never actually defined, but I get the impression it's a state of extreme agitation and not a pretty thing to see.

howdy

How do you do?

i'll swan

used instead of "I swear."

larrupin'

a few fingers tastier than finger-lickin' good.

lit out

took off, started out, or absconded across some terrain.

looker

a pretty girl.

maverick

a loner, an independent cuss, wild. First used to describe cattle owned by Sam Maverick of Galveston Island. His cattle were "wild-like" and he'd swim them across West Bay and join up with the herd going north. When cattle broke the herd, the wranglers said, "That's one of Maverick's."

norther

a storm; not as bad as a blue norther.

nu-uh

no.

ole cuss

and old rascal (or galoot) who is tough and/or bad-tempered.

over yonder

a directional phrase meaning "over there."

over in through there, also: you go up in through there.

Directional phrase; one I'm told foreigners (read: anybody except a Texan) have trouble understanding.

place

an individual's farm or ranch.

plug

common mutt horse.

plug-ugly

see above. This is definitely not a compliment, and should not be treated as such.

pole-axed

knocked down, smashed flat, with dramatic force.

post oak

wood that is hard and resistant to rot and can be used for fenceposts.

ridin' high

doin' aw'right; probably a reference to the quality of horse you are riding. If you're poor, you ride a burro (short) or a plug. If you're wealthy, you might ride a thoroughbred or Tennessee Walker; therefore, you're ridin' high.

shoot

an expletive (should be used with an exclamation point).

slaunchways

a piece of wood that is cut on an angle is cut slaunchways.

sorry

a particularly important Texas adjective meaning worthless, no-count, useless, bad. Enhanced inflection makes it more emphatic.

squaddies (or is that quaddies?)

cowboys. This was a very common term in the 19th century.

supper

Once again, depending on the Dillo, this can be either the noon or the evening meal.

sweet milk

milk that tastes good.

t*rd-floater

a very heavy downpour.

taken to

began, adapted, started liking. Use #l: He's taken to drinking." Use #2: She's taken to that new job of hers right off."

tank

pond

the friendly creature

19th century term for whiskey.

truck

food

tump

to spill or dump

walkin' in tall cotton

doin' aw'right (see ridin' high)

waller

as far as I can tell, this is an extremely useful, if somewhat vague verb of many uses. It's usually used as a past participle. "The wheel was wallered out." or "The Dillo List wallered down an gave that little nawthun lady a bunch of Texas Tawk."

whole nuther thing

soemthing else entirely

whomperjawed

when something is not fitting properly, e.g., "You'll never get that wine open, the corscrew is all whomperjawed!"

wore out

fatigued, exhausted; also sometimes used for "worn out" machinery, etc.

yankee/damnyankee

type of human who is at the bottom of many Texas methaphysical, moral and cultural paradigms. Damnyankee is thought to be objectively descriptive rather than profane, and it is comfortably accomodated in some social environments where "bad language" is otherwise controlled by inherent coercive prohibitions. (Note: Although it is often said that damnyankees do a pretty good job of compiling Texasisms.)

"Out of the Mouths of Texans."

A group of descriptive phrases, many of them similes. I've grouped them according to . . . well, you'll see.

You don't want to hear a Texan say you're:

• ugly as a mud fence
• ugly as homemade sin
• ugly as homemade soap
• plug-ugly
• all hat and no cattle
• dumber than dirt
• older than two trees
• tighter than bark on a tree
• like ugly on an ape
• dumb as a box of rocks
• crooked as a dog's hind leg
• crooked as a barrel of snakes
• dumb as a box of hammers
• as handy as hip pockets on a hog (If a Texan says this, it's a compliment (honest!)
• You're cute as a possum.
• You're happy as a gopher in soft dirt.
• You're tough as a boot.
• You're quick as a hiccup.
• You're wolverine mean.
• You'll do to run the river with. (This means you're reliable.)
• You're big enough to hunt bear (bar) with a switch. (You're very big.)
• You just don't know what he might do. (This, I'm told is the safest reputation to have around potentially violent fellow Texans.)

Emotional states in the state of Texas:

• Happy as a gopher in soft dirt.
• Like a one-legged man at a butt-kicking contest. (I assume this would mean you're extremely frustrated, or perhaps out of place, or dumb as box of hammers.)
• Like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. (Nervous. Very, very nervous.)
• Like a gnat in a hail storm. (Evokes quite a picture, doesn't it?)
• Having a fit (or a hissy fit) and stepping in it. (Sounds like a tantrum of major proportions.)
• Somebody who looks like he/she has been rode hard and put up wet. (A tired individual who looks somewhat the worse for wear.)

Other Lonestar similes:

• He beat him like a rented mule. (Ouch!)
• Hidden in the basement like a crazy aunt.
• Blacker than midnight under a skillet.
• Fine as frog's hair.
• Like the dogs was after him. (In a big hurry.)
• Cold as a well digger's lunch pail. (This one is subject to some dispute, some Dillos claiming the cold object in question is actually part of the well digger's personal anatomy.)
• Look at somebody/something like a calf looks at a new gate. (With either confusion or dismay, maybe?)

Texas Sayings

What's a Texas Saying? Why, it's something they say in Texas, a course! Some of these "sayings" might be considered adages, and some are just ... well, sayings, I guess. Judge for yourself:

"Never ask a man if he's from Texas. If he is, he'll tell you on his own. If he ain't, no need to embarrass him."

"The Lord never closes one door without opening another one."

"Evil thoughts are like chickens--they come home to roost."

"You can always tell a Texan, but you can't tell him much."

"I want you to jump when I say frog."

"Tend to your own knittin'/rat killin'." (Mind your own business!)

"_________________ (fill in the blank) is good enough to make a rabbit spit in a bulldog's face." (This better be something awfully durned good!)

"If you've done it, it ain't braggin'."

"That's tellin' him how the cow ate the cabbage."

"You done stopped preachin' and gone to meddlin'." (You're sticking your nose into my business, here, pal.)

Pronunciation

Now, if you're gonna say things Texans say, you've got to be sure to get the pronunciation right. Here are a few tips:

In Texas, the "g" in the suffix "ing" is silent. Thus, "fixing to" becomes "fixin' to."

chester drawers: that piece of furniture you put your socks in.

nuther thing: another thing

hairyew: a greeting used when one wants to discern the physical and emotional wellbeing of his/her companion.

ah'mo: I am going to. E.g.: "Ah'mo get back to work."

sure'nuff: (one word). Used as a superfluous question in place of "Really?" or "Is that right?" Also used as an adverb in sentences.

rench: the process of laving with water, possibly to remove soap or shampoo. You can also "rench out" socks, if you've a mind to.

warsh: the process one engages in before renching.

One other item of pronuncuation involves a popular expletive that damnyankees usually give just one measly syllable. I have it on good authority, however, that Texans have been known to stretch the "S" word into two, and in some extreme cases, three syllables. (It should be noted that the added syllables involve a long "e" sound, coupled with a short "u".) I leave the rest to the reader's imagination.

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If you liked this post, you might like "Rules for Living in Austin"

Picture of Texas flag by Brian L. Romig from here

Sunday's Gratitude Post

Appropriate to the holiday weekend, today I'm grateful for freedom - specifically the homeschooling freedom we have here in Texas. Our state is known for its independence. And while it doesn't have the best reputation for lots of things (you can probably come up with a long list here), it does do lots of things right: ZZ Top, Dr. Pepper, the world's largest urban colony of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the only migratory population of whooping cranes in the country, just to name a few. 

In Texas, homeschoolers have complete freedom. By law, our homeschools are private schools and fall under the same regulations as any other private school in the state (but our tuition is much more affordable). We don't have to register, take standardized tests, answer to any governmental organization, or follow a particular curriculum. We don't even have to conduct classes a specified number of days a year (in actuality, most of us "do school" far more days than traditional schools do).

In other parts of the world, life for homeschoolers is harder. Currently in Europe, homeschoolers rights are being threatened. (I'll post about that further in the future.)

So today, the day after Independence Day, it seems only fitting that I express my gratitude for our freedom to educate our children in the best possible manner we can imagine.

Thanks, Texas!

Photo of Texas bats by dizfunkshinal from here