heh.

So the fine people over at Official Anholt Nation Brands, have rated each state by its "brand" strength.  It is an interesting read.  It talks about the super powers of California and Florida and New York and then all the rest.  http://www.nationbrandindex.com/

One very interesting thing is that Washington State slides into the number 5 slot...annnnndddd its a mistake.  They say as much in the article which I must quote here for its humor.

Washington is given as the fourth most frequently visited state by respondents outside North America, and this can only be because many, if not most of these, have actually visited Washington, D.C. and believe that they have been to Washington State. One wonders what the implications of this almost universal confusion are for Washington, D.C. and for Washington State, and if the confusion is to be cleared up, whose responsibility it is to do so. Certainly, a massive, long-term global education campaign would be required to correct the error, and some might argue that it simply isn’t worth the trouble.

We need a new government department: the State of Confusion Department.  And let's get that cleared up right NOW.  I usually blame a lot on my friend Murray, this seems an opportune time to do so.  Murray Dangit!  Fix this problem.