Proud of Kamala (and Tim)

I first want to mention my gratitude for veterans this Veterans Days and always. This election was quite a roller coaster, the likes of which I never experienced before. I believed Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, had a decent chance of winning — but I knew the election results would be almost 50/50 and that the winner would not win by much. Unfortunately, the result turned out to be disappointing for me (I was confident they could win) but yet not all that surprising since Donald Trump has a strange stranglehold over much of the American people. I know Trump might have did some good things for the economy, but I and many fellow Americans wanted to give Kamala a chance; she might have given us an even better economy for all we know!

While Harris-Walz did not win the so-called “swing states,” Trump-Vance did not win those states by a landslide. All of the swing states in this election — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — gave Harris-Walz almost or at least 48% of the vote. To summarize, Harris-Walz and other Democrats put forth a valiant and optimistic effort that helped to bring out the best in us, in contrast to the hatred, fearmongering, and falsehoods coming from the “other side.” Harris and Walz (and other Democrats) should be very proud of their campaign. It is worthwhile to note how Harris-Walz had relatively little time to prepare (since late July 2024) compared to Trump's team. They also conceded the election with grace, class, and wisdom, whereas Trump and his people disputed the 2020 election even in 2024. I immensely believe future generations will look back at this moment in history and will appreciate the historic candidacy of Kamala Harris — and how she inspired us to be better.

GeoFact of the Day Enthusiastically Endorses Democrats

Of course, GeoFact of the Day tends to focus on topics relating to geography. However, this upcoming election in the United States has real-world implications and is important enough to write about. I respect your vote no matter who you vote for and respectfully wish to share my perspective. I cheerfully support Kamala Harris for multiple reasons including her dedication and compassion in multiple public service roles — not to mention that she likes freedom, justice, and democracy. She is forward-thinking in wanting to make sure future generations can have a comfortably inhabitable Earth. Also importantly, she can stop Trump from possibly taking the U.S. to a dark, depressing, and cruel place. Trump may distance himself from Project 2025 as much as he wants to, but he is known for being a liar and therefore we should assume that he will approve and institute the nefarious agenda. Thankfully, you can read what Project 2025 is and find out how it might impact you and your family.

You may be correct in mentioning some positive things that happened because of the Trump administration, but I cannot forget some of their truly awful decisions and occurrences. For example, Trump’s administration separated children from their parents at the southern border, and his intended mass deportation plan would only encourage more of that. Trump’s Muslim nation ban unfairly discriminated against whole countries that have many wonderful people who would have brought their skills, talent, expertise, and generosity if they were allowed to. These Muslim majority nations have scientists, researchers, doctors, etc. who might have made amazing discoveries for the world and helpful contributions to the U.S. They would have helped us address critical gaps in health care and other career sectors in desperate need of more help.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matters protests — at a time when the U.S. needed uniting and compassionate leadership like never before — Trump held political rallies all across the country and spread misinformation (and the virus) while way too many Americans were dying. Other countries were able to unite their people to mask up and take social precautions seriously which halted the virus sooner; the U.S. under Trump was not able to. If you care about the future, you likely acknowledge the impact of climate change and how it might burden future generations with more difficulties. Trump likely does not care about people in the future — only himself and maybe his family. He even tried to roll back lifesaving environmental regulations; he didn’t mind us having more lead, mercury, and other toxins in our air and water, for example. Trump also supported "socialism" in the form of a trillion dollar tax cut that mostly benefited wealthy billionaires and large corporations, some of which used the benefits for buybacks and dividends and while not investing in their employees. Trump was a sore loser and could not accept the fact that he lost the 2020 election. I could go on and on, but I think you understand the gist of my concerns.

Trump supported the construction of potentially leaky oil pipelines over large Great Plains aquifers which provide clean water for many states. Several years ago, he proposed the idea of transferring Great Lakes water to drought-stricken California which would not have provided immediate relief, would have been an outrageously expensive endeavor, and would have negatively impacted recreational and economic opportunities (and the ecosystem) in the Midwest and beyond. This did not seem to make it on the news very often (especially Fox News), but President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris made tremendously needed investments in the Great Lakes states and every other state — including the politically red ones. An influx of federal funds is now funding all sorts of projects from sea to shining sea. Some states such as Michigan are making amazing progress and are using their federal funds wisely such as for lead pipe removal, improved roads, more amenities, and home renovations.

There are so many topics that can be talked about in light of the upcoming election, which explains the length of this post! Another important topic is democracy: who will encourage democracies around the world to remain steadfast, courageous, and vibrant in the face of adversity? Who will help keep democracies and allies united — like how President Biden and Vice President Harris cordially strengthened our alliances with most of Europe and the Americas and strived to accomplish the same for Asia, Africa, etc.? Trump sowed and is STILL sowing the seeds of discord, cruelty, false propaganda, and chaos. I somehow came across a 2010-dated article on Howard Stern’s website about Trump (↗) and found an insightful and prescient quote that might describe Donald Trump to a T. He quipped, “If you get good ratings, you can be the worst human being on Earth.” Now I would like to think this is just part of his sarcasm and dark humor, but I think it could be a foreshadowing of what will happen if voters give him another term. We deserve better: a leader who will bring out the best in us, not the worst. I confidently believe that leader is Kamala Harris! Please consider voting in this truly important election before or on Tuesday, November 5th. Early voting and voting by mail are wonderful options and provide more convenience for you; I hope your state allows you plenty of days to vote early or to mail in your ballot.

P.S. I can’t believe the election is coming this soon!

October 2024 Geography Bee Quiz

Learn more about our planet with the help of a GeoFact of the Day Geography Bee Quiz (↗) like this one! The answers to this quiz are listed below — enjoy and good luck!

1)      Situated in the extreme northwest corner of British Columbia, Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park is wedged in a triangular area between Alaska to the south and west and which territory of CANADA to the north?
A — Northwest Territories
B — Nunavut
C — Yukon

2)      True or false: The state of Georgia in the UNITED STATES has two towns named Mountain Park.

3)      Tanbaly (Tamgaly) is an archaeological UNESCO world heritage site situated in the historic Zhetysu region of southeastern KAZAKHSTAN. Tanbaly is featured on an interestingly shaped 500 Tenge coin (↗) from the year 2012. The landscape is particularly notable for having about 5,000 ____________.
A — hieroglyphs
B — petroglyphs
C — buildings
D — vases

































































ANSWERS

Question 1:
C . . . . . Yukon

Question 2:
True . . . . . a small Mountain Park town is in Fulton County, and a Census-designated place with the same name is in Gwinnett County.

Question 3:
B . . . . . petroglyphs

September 2024 Geography Bee Quiz

Learn more about the Earth with the help of a GeoFact of the Day Geography Bee Quiz (↗) like this one! Think of this resource as free food for your mind. Whether you are preparing for a geography bee — or maybe a geography-themed trivia contest — or just want to cherish the positive aspects of planet Earth, I hope you enjoy these morsels of knowledge. The answers to this quiz are listed below — enjoy and good luck!

1)      Which answer choice is not a traditional name and meaning of Mount Everest?
A — Pittiputhisetrimadayinokki (“towering pillar of the cosmos”)
B — Sagarmatha (“head of the Earth touching heaven”)
C — Chomolungma (“goddess mother of the world”)

2)      True or false: Minted in the year 1999, a gold commemorative coin issued by TÜRKIYE displays a denomination of 60,000,000 Lira.

3)      Which gemstone is oftentimes the top export of the CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC?
A — topaz
B — diamond
C — emerald
D — sapphire





















ANSWERS

Question 1:
A . . . . . Pittiputhisetrimadayinokki (“towering pillar of the cosmos”)
Sidenote: The technically correct pronunciation of Mount Everest should be “eve-rest” instead of “ever-est,” based on how George Everest’s surname was pronounced. Therefore, the first syllable would rhyme with “sleeve” rather than “never.”

Question 2:
True

Question 3:
B . . . . . diamond

Paris 2024 Olympic Firsts Quiz

The Summer 2024 Olympics in Paris ended a little while ago on Sunday, August 11th. Congratulations to all athletes who came to these Olympics and competed fairly and to the best of their ability! This GeoFact of the Day quiz highlights medal winners representing countries — and an athlete valiantly competing for the Refugee Team — that have not won a medal previously or have not won a gold medal until Paris 2024. Three Caribbean island countries, three African countries, one European country, one Central American country, and the Refugee Olympic Team are all represented in this post. Quiz answers are listed below — enjoy and good luck!

1)      GRENADA earned bronze medals in men’s javelin throw and men’s decathlon. 2024 is the first Olympic year in which Grenada won more than one medal. Which name is not one of the athletes who won these medals?
A — Lindon Victor
B — Anderson Peters
C — Timothy Conch

2)      BOTSWANA celebrates its first ever gold medal, which was won by Letsile Tebogo. Letsile also earned a silver medal as a teammate on the men’s ___________ team.
A — badminton
B — 4 x 400 meter relay
C — football

3)      ____________ is the home country of Cindy Ngamba, the women’s 75 kg boxer who earned the first ever medal (bronze) on the Refugee Olympic Team.
A — CAMEROON
B — SOMALIA
C — YEMEN

4)      True or false: EL SALVADOR is the Central American country winning its first ever gold medal.

5)      Track athlete Julien Alfred won a gold medal in the women’s 100 meter dash and a silver medal in the women’s 200 meter dash at the Paris 2024 Olympics. She won these first ever medals on behalf of which Caribbean island country?
A — SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
B — SAINT LUCIA
C — TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
D — BARBADOS

6)      Two freestyle wrestlers — Chermen Valiev and Islam Dudaev — won the first ever medals (both bronze) for their country in Southeastern Europe. Which country?
A — ALBANIA
B — GREECE
C — NORTH MACEDONIA
D — MONTENEGRO

7)      David de Pina (Daniel Varela de Pina) won a bronze medal in men’s 51 kg boxing and therefore earned the first ever medal for which island country in Africa? Hint: this country is an archipelago located west of mainland West Africa, and the country’s name translates to green cape in Portuguese.
A — MAURITIUS
B — SEYCHELLES
C — SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE
D — COMOROS
E — CABO VERDE
F — MADAGASCAR

8)      True or false: Thea LaFond competed in women’s triple jump and earned the first ever medal — and a gold one at that — for DOMINICA.























ANSWERS

Question 1:
C . . . . . Timothy Conch

Question 2:
B . . . . . 4 x 400 meter relay

Question 3:
A . . . . . Cameroon

Question 4:
False . . . . . Guatemala

Question 5:
B . . . . . Saint Lucia

Question 6:
A . . . . . Albania

Question 7:
E . . . . . Cabo Verde

Question 8:
True

Celebratory Olympics Quiz Coming Soon

In the next week or so, I will post a 2024 Summer Olympics quiz that I hope you will find engaging and informative. In the meantime, congratulations to all the amazing athletes from around the world who honorably competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics!

What in the World? Tokyo (2021) Olympic Medals

The Paris 2024 Olympics have commenced! 🏅 Taking a look back at the previous Summer Olympics, which country did not win medals at Tokyo in 2021? The answer is listed further below!

A — CHILE
B — VENEZUELA
C — UZBEKISTAN
































































Answer:
A — Chile

July 2024 Geography Bee Quiz

Learn more about the wonderful world with the help of a GeoFact of the Day Geography Bee Quiz (↗) like this one! I hope you enjoy these tasty morsels of knowledge. The answers to this quiz are listed below — enjoy and good luck!

1)      The Congo Pedicle is a foot-like panhandle region in the southeastern corner of the DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO and situated near ZAMBIA. The pedicle area features a national park known as Demalisques de Leshwe, possibly named after the genus (damaliscus) of which animal?
A — sloth
B — aardvark
C — antelope
D — penguin

2)      True or false: There is an island named Komodo in INDONESIA.

3)      The third highest mountain the world is Kangchenjunga, a Himalayan peak standing over 8,500 meters and 28,000 feet tall. Kangchenjunga is situated on the border between INDIA and what mountainous country flying a double pennant shaped flag?
A — ARGENTINA
B — BANGLADESH
C — SWITZERLAND
D — NEPAL























ANSWERS

Question 1:
C . . . . . antelope

Question 2:
True . . . . . it is home to the world-renown Komodo dragon!

Question 3:
D . . . . . Nepal

What in the World? Countries A to A

Based on English-language spelling, there are nine countries having names beginning and ending with the letter A, including ALBANIA, ALGERIA, ANGOLA, ANTIGUA and BARBUDA, ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, and AUSTRIA. Which of the following pairs should be added to the above list? (The other answer choices are not legitimate names of countries.)

A — AQUAVESTA and ARIANASTAN
B — ADORIA and ALVIANABOURG
C — ANDORRA and ARMENIA
































































Answer:
C — Andorra and Armenia

Happy Father's Day!

What in the World? Mystery County #2

There is a county in Missouri named for a river and a particular group of people in FRANCE who were stereotypically known for being boastful and boisterous. This county’s name is a lowercased word in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Which county is it? Choose an option and find the answer further below!

A — Audrain County
B — Gasconade County
C — Chariton County
D — Buchanan County





















Answer:
B — Gasconade County

Happy Mother's Day on Sunday!

Capital of Grenada?

What is the national capital of GRENADA? The correct answer is listed further below!
A — Roseau
B — Saint John's
C — Saint George's
D — Havana























ANSWER
C . . . . . Saint George's

Capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?

What is the national capital of SAINT VINCENT and the GRENADINES? The correct answer is listed further below!
A — Kingstown
B — Byera
C — Biabou
D — Port Elizabeth























ANSWER
A . . . . . Kingstown

April 2024 Geography Bee Quiz

Learn more about the wonderful world with the help of a GeoFact of the Day Geography Bee Quiz (↗) like this one! I hope you enjoy these tasty morsels of knowledge. The answers to this quiz are listed below — enjoy and good luck!

1)      To aid in the dispersal of dandelion seeds by wind (or when people blow on the dandelion), a feature known as the _______ acts like a “parachute” to keep the seeds afloat.
A — pappus
B — petal
C — stamen
D — husk

2)      True or false: EQUATORIAL GUINEA is situated directly on the Equator Line.

3)      Once known as Belgian Congo and later as Zaire, this vast country lies east of the smaller REPUBLIC of the CONGO.
A — ANGOLA
B — BENIN
C — DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC of the CONGO (D.R. Congo)
D — DJIBOUTI





















ANSWERS

Question 1:
A . . . . . pappus

Question 2:
False . . . . . slightly north of the Equator by about 1 to 2 degrees

Question 3:
C . . . . . Democratic Republic of the Congo

Happy Earth Day! 🌎 🌍 🌏

2024 Solar Eclipse Trivia Quiz

In commemoration of the upcoming total solar eclipse in the upper Western Hemisphere, the Amazing Astronomy Blog features a celestial trivia quiz involving this solar spectacle! Click the image above to access the quiz, and good luck!