First AND Last in The Nation

New Hampshire can be hard to pin down, and that's one of the things I like about living here. We've got only nine (?--I am trying to verify) cities (the rest are towns or unincorporated places) but we are, on average wealthy & wired. We've got a reputation as a conservative state with a libertarian leaning, but there's definitely movement toward blue, and not just because former Massholes (like me) are moving across the border. We eschew taxes but love our larger than life state legislature.

Live Free or Die, man, that's what it's all about! No pigeonholes here, thank you.

And so, it is that time of year again, apparently, when lists of state virtues are published. Rankings of the 50 US States, to be specific. Here are a few of those lists and how the Granite State fared. And, true to form, it's seemingly contradictory:

• First Place: Most Livable State
• First Place: Safest State
• Second Place: Healthiest State
• Last Place: State Government Efficiency!

No middle ground for us. My way or the highway! You can't call us wishy-washy, that's for sure. I like that NH isn't buying into things like the Real ID program. I think it's kinda funny that we can pass civil unions into law but can't make seat belts mandatory, but it makes perfect sense to me.

What doesn't make sense to me, however, is how such a state can allow some people to ban clotheslines. Live Free and Dry!

PS (dated 4/03/08):
Uncharacteristically, here's something we are rated as smack dab in the middle: Pork! How odd, to be average.