I thought I would take this Sunday afternoon to educate anyone interested about Oklahoma. We don't get much press lately which really surprises me when you consider what an interesting state this is. For example, the first Yield sign was invented in Oklahoma as was the shopping cart and the parking meter. Three extremely valuable inventions in our society.

Will Rogers was born here, our state song became a broadway musical or the other way around but none the less, was written by Rogers (not Will) and Hammerstein. We have 39 tribal governments and more Native Americans than any other state. We are also home to more tornados than any other state in the Union and the movie "Twister" was filmed in our state. We also hosted the Dust Bowl for nine years. Oklahoma won that one. During that time we were the subject of John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. You'd think all Okies would get a royalty off of that one.

Our state bird used to be the Bob White Quail but around Thanksgiving people shot and ate them so we had to change it to the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. We just didn't feel right about eating our state bird. About the same time we changed our state flower. It used to be the Mistletoe, but that plant is a parasite that grows in trees. We didn't feel right about that either so now it is the Oklahoma Rose (how boring).

Boise City was the only city in the continental US to be bombed during WW II. On July 5, 1943 at about midnight, some Airforce guys from Dalhart Army Air Base, TX dropped six practice bombs on the sleeping town. We hold the record for the largest pecan pie, pecan cookie, pecan browning and the largest ever played Twister Game.

We were the first with the Boy Scouts (Pawhuska, OK} and the last to legalize tattooing (2007). In Bartlesville, OK it is illegal for more than 5 dogs to gather in a yard without a permit from the mayor or to own more than two adult cats. The electric guitar was invented in Beggs, OK in 1935. We also have four mountain ranges. And you guys thought we were just that flat spot in the middle of the atlas where the staple is.

As a final note, Oklahoma has more miles of original Route 66, "The Mother Road" than any other state in the union. Come give us a visit.

Thanks for indulging me. DrJim