Searching for Most Americans.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Wow... and I thought that "The World According To America" map was just a joke. O_o All the time I was thinking that, and it was actually factual.

[Mr. Anubite]

As for asking Jews if they believe in Jesus, there is a movement within the Jewish faith called: Jews for Jesus. Literally, they are Jews who believe that Jesus was the Messiah. My favorite author/singer/songwriter/politician Kinky Friedman is a member. The website is fascinating to read.

There's a surprisingly large number of Jews for Jesus. I'm sure many of you know at least one. In fact, there's a special term for them:

Christians

In all seriousness, I think many, if not most Jews for Jesus consider themselves Jewish, but I don't know what the other branches consider them. I'm (kinda sorta non-practicing) Reform, but I always considered them as a sort of Christian group.

And to the poster who mentioned that Jesus was a Jew, even though it's true, if I told people that where I live, I'd get punched in the face. Many south-Georgians don't appreciate that sort of statement. Enough people here already think I killed him .

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Geography was always one of my banes. I just don't remember anything unless I'm using it, no matter how well I drilled it into my brain at the time.

A lot of my grade school teachers were militant about geography and I can remember a time when I could name all 50 states without breaking a sweat, locate them, and a fair number of foreign countries as well. I just don't have any call, ever to point to any of these on a map, or list them for no reason, and so it all leeches away as thoroughly as all that spanish .

I'm frankly more horrified by the people who can spew out endless fact sheets but can't for the love of god figure out anything on their own, but that seems to be just me. IMO it's a little hypocritical when my TV/Multimedia teacher is aghast at my inability to rattle off all the basic functions of Premiere but five damn minutes later I'm the one figuring out how to make video play backwards 'cuz it's not on the list and they don't know where to look. That's the one skill no teacher or class ever endeavored to teach: figuring shit out.

[Plaidman]

That's the one skill no teacher or class ever endeavored to teach: figuring shit out.

Mine did. Especally after growing up and asking how to spell a word or learn what a word means, and i'd give the nice response of "Look in the dictonary, I'm helping this student what 5+5 is". (In like second grade).

Sorry... if I knew how to spell the fucking word, I wouldn't have to look up, and since I don't know how to spell the word, I'll be looking in the dictonary for a very fucking long time.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Mine did. Especally after growing up and asking how to spell a word or learn what a word means, and i'd give the nice response of "Look in the dictonary, I'm helping this student what 5+5 is". (In like second grade).

Sorry... if I knew how to spell the fucking word, I wouldn't have to look up, and since I don't know how to spell the word, I'll be looking in the dictonary for a very fucking long time.

It's not that teachers didn't tell students to look something up or anything of that nature, which has more of a 'taking initiative' thing. What I'm talking about is the basic ability to look at a problem the answer to which we don't know and figure the answer out ourselves instead of constantly asking someone to give us the answer. Outside of math it's almost all rote memorization, with just a bit of 'what did this book mean to you?' type stuff in literature classes.

I'm talking about problem solving. Too many people, when presented with even the simplest problem like "why aren't my speakers working?" will either give up or call on someone else to fix it for them, without sparing a thought towards figuring it out on their own. Not only does it make day-to-day living much easier when you figure out small problems on your own, but sooner or later you're going to face problems where outside assistance is either useless or unavailable.

[Plaidman]

I was giving an example Wingates. Up until high school, my teachers gave a few others and I the basic outline. It was up to us to figure it out. If we can't, well you get an F yay you.

Naturally the cool kids got aaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the help they needed becasue they were just that cool and special.


Assholes all of them.

[Gravekeeper]

Dragger - that comedian was George Carlin.

Actually, that "Two 2's in KATT" bit was Brian Regan. -.-

Blue Eyed White Jesus always baffled me. Look where he was born. Do you think there were white people there? And that they spoke English? I think not.

I'm not sure I could name all 50 states, being Canadian, but I'm confident I could get into the 40s. Our history books also referred to it as Great Britain or the UK. I'm also distinctly aware of the difference between Aussies and Kiwis. I attract Aussies inexplicably and have had them sleep on my couch before. I know there is a difference. Kiwis, for example, are real bastards in Counter-Strike. Also, Kiwis wear pants. Australians do not wear pants.

The whole vegemite thing is true though. >.>

And yes, the problem with America is your.....exports. I would estimate your "Most Americans" is only around 30% or so.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

And to the poster who mentioned that Jesus was a Jew, even though it's true, if I told people that where I live, I'd get punched in the face. Many south-Georgians don't appreciate that sort of statement. Enough people here already think I killed him .

That was me and I'm aware that if people said that they'd get a ration of shit for telling the truth.

It's because that in spite of Jesus being born in the Middle East, he's tall, white and blue-eyed. Heck give him Blonde Hair (which some depictions of Baby Jesus show) and he'd be a poster child for Hitler's Aryan Race.

But I know that I can't say that. Not only am I telling the truth, being Pagan they would REALLY drag out the torches and pitchforks.

That's the one skill no teacher or class ever endeavored to teach: figuring shit out.

And to me, that's more important than the rote memorization of states and capitals. I would find it more of value if we accepted that we all aren't going to be able to pick out all the little fiddly states and give us the tools we would need to find out the information.

I've been with a friend of mine who thought he was hot shit because he got 110% (extra credit) on the whole "Fill in the blank map of the world" exercises. He thought that since he got such a high score that he somehow had the "god given" talent of navigation and could somehow be guided to our destination.

One wrong turn and three hours into the trip I was pulling out my laptop and installing the Delorme GPS and software that I bought at the Staples we stopped next to for lunch while he was still trying to psychic-link himself to the roads. Two hours and the wrong gorram state later I told him to shut the fuck up, hand me the keys and let me drive.

And while he did have a Map in the car, he was useless in reading it. The only reason I didn't use the map was that if I was navigating he would not listen to me when I read the map and if I was driving he couldn't use it himself to save his life.

Which was almost the case since I was this close to killing him when we were supposed to be in New Hampshire and were instead in Upstate New York.

[draggar]

Wow... and I thought that "The World According To America" map was just a joke. O_o All the time I was thinking that, and it was actually factual.

Which one?







But, don't forget the rest of the world's map of the USA:

[Rebel]

I'm also distinctly aware of the difference between Aussies and Kiwis. I attract Aussies inexplicably and have had them sleep on my couch before. I know there is a difference. Kiwis, for example, are real bastards in Counter-Strike. Also, Kiwis wear pants. Australians do not wear pants.

The whole vegemite thing is true though. >.>

Hey now, hey!
That's not cool. How dare you accuse all Australians of such horrible things!
It's just such a stereotypical view of us as perpetuated by popular media, and I for one have had enough.
It ends now.

I eat Promite, not Vegemite.

And pants are always optional.

Though I do love that in all the maps, Australia is always just Kangaroos. Vicious buggers that they are.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Hey now, hey!
That's not cool. How dare you accuse all Australians of such horrible things!
It's just such a stereotypical view of us as perpetuated by popular media, and I for one have had enough.
It ends now.

I eat Promite, not Vegemite.

And pants are always optional.

Though I do love that in all the maps, Australia is always just Kangaroos. Vicious buggers that they are.

And TimTams...do not forget the TimTams. Only the Australians could turn a cookie into legal crack.

[Nyoibo]

Mm, Tim Tam Slam.

[protege]

The whole vegemite thing is true though. >.>

Yep, it is. How do I know this? Well, a good Aussie friend of mine did a tour of the US...and brought Vegemite and Tim-Tams

Seriously though, the main reason that Americans don't know their geography...is simply because it's not taught well in schools. That is (at least in my case), so much emphasis was placed on Europe, that there wasn't enough time to cover the rest of the world. OK, *maybe* we'd get around to doing the Middle East, but that was pretty much it. Even if Africa was covered, there was very little to go over, other than the various land forms. Otherwise, it, along with most of Asia, was usually glossed over.

[KabeRinnaul]

http://www.jetpunk.com/quizzes/how-m...n-you-name.php

Here, test either your rote memorization of high school Geography, or your recollection of a certain Animaniacs song.

[daleduke17]

Yep, it is. How do I know this? Well, a good Aussie friend of mine did a tour of the US...and brought Vegemite and Tim-Tams

Seriously though, the main reason that Americans don't know their geography...is simply because it's not taught well in schools. That is (at least in my case), so much emphasis was placed on Europe, that there wasn't enough time to cover the rest of the world. OK, *maybe* we'd get around to doing the Middle East, but that was pretty much it. Even if Africa was covered, there was very little to go over, other than the various land forms. Otherwise, it, along with most of Asia, was usually glossed over.

Africa is too confusing to learn country names. I'd have to relearn them about every other year (stupid civil wars). Are they calling it Chad this year?