NationStates Jolt Archive

We all know that many people don't know geography very well, so does anyone have any examples of people displaying this horrible lack of education?

We all know that many people don't know geography very well, so does anyone have any examples of people displaying this horrible lack of education?
Would some joke involving Bush bombing the wrong country count as trolling, or just not funny?

Not funny. I want real examples perferably.

Hokay, how's about this. In my World History class, back in HS, we were assigned to label the countries on a map of Europe.

This girl in front of me turns around to me, and with all seriousness asks me this question - 'So which one of these is Spain?'

That's when I lost faith in America's future.

Not funny. I want real examples perferably.
Oh, okay:

"But, lack of geographic knowledge is not restricted to children; in 1992, 23 graduating Harvard University students were asked what causes seasons on the earth. Only two were able to say that the tilt of the earth with respect to the sun accounts for the seasons."

(Source: http://ncge.net/geography/power/family/page1.cfm)

I remember some Bush joke where he thought 'clandestine' was next to Palestine

I remember some Bush joke where he thought 'clandestine' was next to Palestine

LMAO!!

Well, a lot of students in the US can't find Japan on a globe. May I go on about the grievous errors of history books?

A few years ago, we were learning a bout the EU, and I asked my teacher why Switzerland wasn't in the EU. The answer, well apparently because it's an American state, and thus not in europe...

that's state education in Britain for you...

i was looking at a political map of europe for that "where does europe end" thread and was shocked to find a little bit of russia stuck inbetween poland and lithuania. does that count?

Here are the results of a mass participation online Geography test:

http://www.geographyzone.com/new/index.php?t=1&b=2

132nd in the world: United States 65.619% 327981

i was looking at a political map of europe for that "where does europe end" thread and was shocked to find a little bit of russia stuck inbetween poland and lithuania. does that count?
No, because that is Russia.

i was looking at a political map of europe for that "where does europe end" thread and was shocked to find a little bit of russia stuck inbetween poland and lithuania. does that count?
As it's correct, why should it count?

Here are the results of a mass participation online Geography test:

http://www.geographyzone.com/new/index.php?t=1&b=2

132nd in the world: United States 65.619% 327981
I forgot to mention: the quiz is ongoing, so you can join and take part.

Here are the results of a mass participation online Geography test:

http://www.geographyzone.com/new/index.php?t=1&b=2

132nd in the world: United States 65.619% 327981
Why is Norway the worst? Don't they have a really good education system?

Does a girl who was in my tutor group thinking that east anglia was another country count? and thinking that brazil was in Africa? Oh well at least some of us have some brains

Here are the results of a mass participation online Geography test:

http://www.geographyzone.com/new/index.php?t=1&b=2

132nd in the world: United States 65.619% 327981

Wonder if any terrorists pretended to be America and did badly on purpose?
only to then realise they did better than the Americans

Why is Norway the worst? Don't they have a really good education system?
That suprised me too.

I scored 90% - I couldn't remember which specific Pacific island was Kiribati.

Well, a lot of students in the US can't find Japan on a globe. May I go on about the grievous errors of history books?
Feel free.

An example is a girl in my class asked our teacher if Iowa was a country. thats pretty bad geography...

That suprised me too.

I scored 90% - I couldn't remember which specific Pacific island was Kiribati.
I scored 80 %
I got all the pacific Island states, which are hard so I couldn't find the solomans and confused Tonga with Togo.:p

Here are the results of a mass participation online Geography test:

http://www.geographyzone.com/new/index.php?t=1&b=2

132nd in the world: United States 65.619% 327981

Strangely enough:
Rank Country Score Participents
47 Vatican City 75.933 1839

Vaticans population? c. 900.

Someone's been playing silly buggers.

>.>
<.<

Here are the results of a mass participation online Geography test:

http://www.geographyzone.com/new/index.php?t=1&b=2

132nd in the world: United States 65.619% 327981

Eh, that's hardly scientific; it's entirely possible that some people signed up as the US and did poorly on purpose. A bunch of 0s tend to drag one's average down.

I got 100%, although I was lucky with Turkmenistan. Stupid former Soviet republics, all crowded together with similar names...

A day in European History last year:

Teacher: (discussing France in the time of Louis XIV) ...Look at a map of France at the time. If you're in France, and you look to the north, what do you see that you like?

Class: Um... Belgium in easy reach?

Teacher: No...

Class: Er... a channel keeping Britain away?

Teacher: No!

Class: Um... We dunno? :confused:

Teacher: *frustrated* A disunified Germany! :headbang:

Me: ...Germany is to the east of France.

Teacher: *blink* ...Oh, yeah. Nevermind.

To be fair, the Rhineland is to the north of Alsace-Lorraine, so part of Germany is to the north. Still...

Well just go to any American school and administer a geography test. I happen to be good at it and got into my state's National Geographic Competition once. I lost though. Also, interestingly, Asians have not really made it into this field. They appear to prefer the maths and sciences.

LOL.
How many nuns do you think take geography quizes online in their spare time?

i thought dushanbe was the capital of kyrgystan when it was really the capital of tajikistan... well, you could imagine my embarrassment when i found out......

Budapest? Where the hell is that?

Monaco? Where the hell is that?

Riyadh? Where the hell is that?

As it's correct, why should it count?
it might be correct because i had NO idea that such a piece of russia exsited.

First day of my Honors World History class (10th grade) earlier this year in September. The teacher was assesing how smart/stupid her class was and asked us a few simple questions. My favorite one being "What country did we mostly fight in WW1?"

Answer being from a majority of the class, "Japan?"

First day of my Honors World History class (10th grade) earlier this year in September. The teacher was assesing how smart/stupid her class was and asked us a few simple questions. My favorite one being "What country did we mostly fight in WW1?"

Answer being from a majority of the class, "Japan?"

opinion's never wrong:D ;) ......

That suprised me too.

I scored 90% - I couldn't remember which specific Pacific island was Kiribati.

I got 60-I was mixed up by the islands in the Pacific, nations right next to each other, and nations with similar names.

On US history text books: Books range from giving Washington a few lines and Marilyn Monroe pages to calling Waterloo Napolean's greatest victory.

it might be correct because i had NO idea that such a piece of russia exsited.

Aye, Kaliningrad. It was formerly Konigsburg, part of East Prussia; the USSR siezed it from Germany after WWII. It chose to remain part of Russia when the USSR collapsed, and thrives as a port city along the trade routes of the Baltic.

it might be correct because i had NO idea that such a piece of russia exsited.

I felt something similar. I never realised that Belarus was so large.


Budapest? Where the hell is that?

Europe.

Monaco? Where the hell is that?

Europe

Riyadh? Where the hell is that?

Not in Europe

The capitals of:
Hungary
Monaco
Saudi Arabia

Excellent job AC.;)

We all know that many people don't know geography very well, so does anyone have any examples of people displaying this horrible lack of education?The most embarassing examples are those of people, who you would expect to know that kind of stuff, like the senate leader or a presidential candidate.
In 1996 senator Ron Wyden was handed a globe during a TV interview and asked to show Bosnia on it after he had praised Clintons war policy in Bosnia. He couldnt find it even as the interviewer tried to help him by pointing at the surrounding countries.
Two years ago, in December 2003, Dr. Howard Dean, Chairman of the DNC, was interviewed on "Hardball" about what should be done about Irans nuclear ambitions and his answer was:

The key, I believe, to Iran, is pressure through the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is supplying much of the equipment that Iran I believe mostly likely is using to set itself along the path of developing nuclear weapons. We need to use that leverage with the Soviet Union, and it may require us buying the equipment the Soviet Union was ultimately going to sell to Iran, to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

The key, I believe, to Iran, is pressure through the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is supplying much of the equipment that Iran I believe mostly likely is using to set itself along the path of developing nuclear weapons. We need to use that leverage with the Soviet Union, and it may require us buying the equipment the Soviet Union was ultimately going to sell to Iran, to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Oh dear god!:eek:

Budapest? Where the hell is that?

Monaco? Where the hell is that?

Riyadh? Where the hell is that?Hungary, Cote D'Azur (sp?), and Saudi Arabia.

Geography geek represent!

Monaco is the capital of MONACO. Simple, really...;)

scored 100%. I am a geography god!

ex english teacher: so i have some new reports from that friend of mine who's doing some climbing in nepal..i brought them with me and will read some of it out to you...

random student: nepal?

teacher: an african country.
---------

me: *gets a map of europe out on the table to point out where exactly i come from*

some random student: *looks at the map* hey, you are the german girl, right?

me: *nods*

other kid: i see. *looks at map again* so, have you been to europe yet?

-------

something i dared my american history teacher to do (hah, he lost the bet!)

him: (in my AH class) so, during WWII, did we fight sid by side with germany or against them?

class: (by majority vote) side by side

-----

but just as proof that i'm not US-bashing:

playing "stadt, land, fluss", a game where you ahve to name a city, nation and river starting with a random letter to be provided

random friend of mine (after the letter "a" was called) : i have amsterdam, africa, and [the river i don't remember]


----

or (playing tabu, a game where you ahve to explain a certain word w/o naming other words listed)

player1: well..so..it's like..a big long moving water thing..

player2: a river?

player1: yes! okay, so it's this river..it's one of the biggest ones right there where Ghandi lived..

player3: the Mississipi!

In year 8, I believe, my friend mixed up France and Germany on a map of Europe. :D

In year 8, I believe, my friend mixed up France and Germany on a map of Europe. :Din year 8 AD?

I got into a capital naming contest with my Ancient Cultures teacher once. I got him with my first one. He didn't know the capital of Qatar.

Do any of you know the capital of Qatar, or, more importantly, where Qatar is?

In the same class, we had to do maps of the ancient world. Everybody had to use an atlas except for me (all you had to do was name countries and mountains :rolleyes: )

We all know that many people don't know geography very well, so does anyone have any examples of people displaying this horrible lack of education?
Unfortunately, yes.

There's the apocrophal story about the man who tried to get tickets to the last Olymics which was held in the US. When the person who answered the phone asked him what State he was from, he said, "New Mexico," whereupon she proceeded to inform him that this was the office which handled only people from the US who were trying to get tickets, and that he would have to contact the Mexican embassy.

He tried to explain that New Mexico is a State in the Union, but she was adamant that she couldn't issue tickets to a non-US citizen. Finally, in exasperation, he asked to speak to her supervisor. When that worthy came on the line, she proceded to tell him that she was sorry, but he would have to go through his own embassy.

Finally, he called some higher headquarters and got ahold of someone who wasn't so geographically challenged.

Sad, but apprently true. :(

ooh, had to learn this capital for my third lang. (arabic) class. Ummm...Doha?
I'm sure it's a small island state in the Persian Gulf.

Good job! Have a beer.

Do any of you know the capital of Qatar, or, more importantly, where Qatar is?

It's a small country on the Arabian penisula. No idea what the name of the capital is though :(

EDIT: too slow I see.. drat ;)

My friend has this U.S. geography test. He thought he did good but when he looks at it he sees he gets a C-. I take a look. The first thing i see is Name 3 landforms in the American West. Rocky Mountains.(okay) Pacific Ocean.(okay)Pacific Mountains...(dude..thats wrong) Really? yeah sorry

yeah! *dances*

I got into a capital naming contest with my Ancient Cultures teacher once. I got him with my first one. He didn't know the capital of Qatar.

Do any of you know the capital of Qatar, or, more importantly, where Qatar is?

In the same class, we had to do maps of the ancient world. Everybody had to use an atlas except for me (all you had to do was name countries and mountains :rolleyes: )
It's directly accross the Persian Gulf from Iran, and looks as though it should be a part of Saudi Arabia. The capital is Doha. :p

Good job! Have a beer.

:D oh, the irony

My friend has this U.S. geography test. He thought he did good but when he looks at it he sees he gets a C-. I take a look. The first thing i see is Name 3 landforms in the American West. Rocky Mountains.(okay) Pacific Ocean.(okay)Pacific Mountains...(dude..thats wrong) Really? yeah sorry
believe it or not: http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/province/pacifmt.html

in year 8 AD?
That's our grading system here in Britain. Year 8 = for 13 year olds.

Like the time I had a US History teacher that thought America had 52 states


or like the time I was tutoring a little girl (she was 12) and she was convinced that Alaska and Hawaii were next to eachother "because it's on all the maps that way"

It's directly accross the Persian Gulf from Iran, and looks as though it should be a part of Saudi Arabia. The capital is Doha. :pYou forgot that they are fighting over a tiny island with another tiny island called Bahrain.

Hungary, Cote D'Azur (sp?), and Saudi Arabia.

Geography geek represent!



You mean Cote d'Ivoire.

No I don't. I meant the thing beneath the French Riveria. Monaco is right next to Nice and Cannes, I just can't spell anything in French.

he said, "New Mexico,"

http://img311.imageshack.us/img311/6637/homerap9av.jpg

There's a New Mexico?

http://img311.imageshack.us/img311/6637/homerap9av.jpg

There's a New Mexico?

Fool, Burns says that! (right?)

Bad Geography , hmm how about some people thinking Ireland is still part of Britain ture one province is still part of it, but the most of the country is not

You forgot that they are fighting over a tiny island with another tiny island called Bahrain.
No, that wasn't part of the question. :p :p

You mean Cote d'Ivoire.
Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is in Africa. Cote D'Azur is correct.

Anyway, Qatar isn't an island. That's Bahrain.

Monaco
Capital:Monaco
It's Monaco, not Cote D'Azur

Cote D'Azur= another name for the rivera

Cote D'Azure. Close. Without the fancy accents and hats and stuff 'cos I can't be bothered with them.

http://img311.imageshack.us/img311/6637/homerap9av.jpg

There's a New Mexico?
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/us_2001/new_mexico_ref_2001.jpg :p

Fool, Burns says that! (right?)

No, it's Homer when he's looking at a map of the US. Listen for yourself: "Hey, there's a New Mexico!" (http://www.eventsounds.com/wav/newmex.wav)

Hey I just remembered one, there was this episode of friends where they were trying to list all 50 states, and none of them could.

So, my husband and I decided to sit down and try, my mom decided to join in (as did the rest of my family, it was Christmas or something)

10 min later- my husband had all 50, I had 49

15 min later- I remembered Wyoming I had 50


4 hours later- everyone has given up, except My husband and I decide to do state capitols, my mom gives up with a list of 20, and nobody else in my family broke 10, I have never lost respect for so many people at once in my life.

Like the time I had a US History teacher that thought America had 52 statesdid you by chance go to this school:

Federal and state officials in California have shut down an unaccredited private high school whose error-filled curriculum led the state's attorney general to file a lawsuit saying the school defrauded students by issuing "worthless" diplomas...

The school's 10-week, 30-hour course teaches students — most of whom are Hispanic immigrants — that "the United States has 53 states and that the flag has not been updated to reflect the additional three states," according to the attorney general's filings in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The school's 54-page workbook says "that the U.S. government has four branches — executive, legislative, judicial and administrative," Mr. Lockyer said in his filings.
A teacher told students "that the Treasury falls under the administrative branch, but she told students that the administrative branch is not 'that important and one doesn't hear much about it because it works behind the scenes,' " stated an affidavit by Edith Garcia, a Los Angeles County undercover consumer protection investigator.
The teacher told students "that Congress is composed of the Senate and the House, one for the Republicans and the other for the Democrats, respectively," the affidavit states.
The school's workbook contains misspellings and factual errors, including that World War II began in 1938 and ended in 1942.
Students also are instructed to "read the book 'Death of a Traveling Salesman' and write a commentary."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040811-121645-9438r.htm

did you by chance go to this school:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040811-121645-9438r.htm

What the fuck?

http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/6185/mapb5rl.png (http://imageshack.us)
heh heh heh

did you by chance go to this school:
nope. I was bored in US history, and the teacher said

"what are you doing that is so important that you can't listen about the civil war?"

"I am counting the stars on your flag"

"oh, how many are there?"

" you are short 2 stars.....I can't believe the school is so cheap that it can't get a new flag?"

"all the flags here have 50 stars, it would cost too much to replace them"

"uh.......they are supposed to have 50 this one only has 48, I assume it is pre-Alaska and Hawaii"

"and Puerto Rico, and Cancun"

I laughed, I really thought he was kidding, or maybe making some idiotic political statement. He wasn't, he was just stupid. I got sent to the principals office for uncontrolable laughter and mocking of the teacher, where the principal tried to explain that Puerto Rico wasn't a state but a territory and that Cancun belonged to Mexico, when he said "No, Texas belongs to Mexico"

anyway, I didn't see him around after that.........I think he might have gotten fired or something.

anyway, I didn't see him around after that.........I think he might have gotten fired or something.so you destroyed his life, are you proud of yourself now?
merry christmas

so you destroyed his life, are you proud of yourself now?
merry christmas
sure, he was a jerk to begin with, he used to dump my purse in the scan line to "look for drugs" and then he would take stuff that wasn't even against the rules (like my tampons, or my compass for geometry) I hated him, the fact that he was so stupid that he got himself fired never did bother me.;)

well, i guess the union will have gotten him a big settlement anyway.

I hate people who always ask stupid questinos in a mnotone half sarcastic half bored voice, god he was an idiot...

Anyways, I got 90% I selected the country south of Rwanda instead of Rwanda, I had to look up Bahrain on the CIA world factbook tohugh.

I got 90% the second time and had to look up 2 pacific islands.
It mentioned Myanmar but I had no idea what it is, and it isn't on the CIA site either, but on the CIA thing it has it lsited as Burma... so I jsut selected Algeria instead...

Do any of you know the capital of Qatar, or, more importantly, where Qatar is?
Several times every day during the Iraq war the BBC would say 'We now go over the Allied Command in Doha, the capital of Qatar'.

Did you know, Qatar is actually pronounced more like 'ghutter'? And Kabul like 'kobble'?

Anyways, I got 90% I selected the country south of Rwanda instead of Rwanda,
Burundi.

I got one:

Teacher: How many stars are on the US Flag?
Kid:Blank stare
Teacher:Its the same as the number of states in the Union
Kid:Still doesn't say anything.
Me:It's 50 you idiot!

Did you know, Qatar is actually pronounced more like 'ghutter'?
Not in the arabic I'm learning. Qutar starts with a heavy K ("Kuh")
http://www.qatarairways.com/images/qatarlogo2.jpg

I don't have a pic, but a couple of years ago CNN published a map of France with Upper/Lower Normandy to the East (when it's to the West) and Paris in the South (when it's in the North), and Centre where Paris is.

I don't have a pic, but a couple of years ago CNN published a map of France with Upper/Lower Normandy to the East (when it's to the West) and Paris in the South (when it's in the North), and Centre where Paris is.
Apparently, CNN really has a problem:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/GermanNightmare/CNNdieSchweiz.jpg

and you know where CNN thinks Iraq is:
http://www.movie-list.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=57162

damnit, nightmare, are you going to beat me to everything i want to post tonight?!

I don't have a pic, but a couple of years ago CNN published a map of France with Upper/Lower Normandy to the East (when it's to the West) and Paris in the South (when it's in the North), and Centre where Paris is.you meant this?
http://ns6042.ovh.net/~abrutisv/photos/fbyrtlz8.jpg

CNNs "experts" are priceless
http://www.askbjoernhansen.com/archives/2003/03/cnnbinladen.jpg

and you know where CNN thinks Iraq is:
(...)
OMG! Am I glad that at least the US military knows that that is not Iraq!!!

damnit, nightmare, are you going to beat me to everything i want to post tonight?!
Apparently so. And this one took fairly long 'cause I had to find it on my computer and upload it first... Tomorrow might be your big day, though - don't know when I'll be around ;)

you meant this?
(...)
While that is more recent than the one mentioned above, it still is unbelievable.

CNNs "experts" are priceless
(...)

Okay, and now I'm definitely convinced that CNN either has the lowest standards or a firm will to fulfill their quota of employing idiots!

I have a great one for you. I've heard this from an American, and it's 100% true.

USAID was working with mayors in Macedonia (ahem, a landlocked Balkan nation, north of Greece). They had this programme the mayors had to stick to, and some did such a good job at it that they were awarded a short stay at a new workshop in the US.
As a fun activity, they were taken to a baseball game, where they and their hosts were occuping a whole bench, except for this one seat were an American lady sat.
The mayors didn't really get the game, and they asked for explenations. Some of them asked in Macedonian (well, Bulgarian for those who might object), as they did not speak much English. But the one seated next to the lady could speak the language better, so the lady felt compelled to ask them where they were from. The guy answered, and she said something like "Oh, Malaysia!". The guy felt a bit insulted, so he started explaining that it was, in fact, Macedonia they were from, and where it was in relation to America. The lady seemed to follow the explanation, but, after he finished, she asked "So, do you have a Moon over there?".

http://www.geographyzone.com/new/index.php?t=1&b=1

I need a lower score to get a job at CNN apparently.

Only got 80% in the Geography Quiz. I’m a bit weak on some tiny island states of the Eastern Caribbean and the Pacific. In West Africa I also missed by one spot one of the nations they were looking for. I like the site though.

The Bruce

Several times every day during the Iraq war the BBC would say 'We now go over the Allied Command in Doha, the capital of Qatar'.

Did you know, Qatar is actually pronounced more like 'ghutter'? And Kabul like 'kobble'?Well, it was for the Americans who don't get BBC.

To an earlier poster that I'm too lazy to go back and quote:
The person asked where the cities were, and I gave them the area or country. Saying Monaco is in Monaco isn't going to help too much.

http://www.movie-list.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=57162

is this from a movie or something , ? cause really no one in there right mind would think that map was right , its funnyest thing i have ever seen

Unfortunately, yes.

There's the apocrophal story about the man who tried to get tickets to the last Olymics which was held in the US. When the person who answered the phone asked him what State he was from, he said, "New Mexico," whereupon she proceeded to inform him that this was the office which handled only people from the US who were trying to get tickets, and that he would have to contact the Mexican embassy.

He tried to explain that New Mexico is a State in the Union, but she was adamant that she couldn't issue tickets to a non-US citizen. Finally, in exasperation, he asked to speak to her supervisor. When that worthy came on the line, she proceded to tell him that she was sorry, but he would have to go through his own embassy.

Finally, he called some higher headquarters and got ahold of someone who wasn't so geographically challenged.

Sad, but apprently true. :(


My parents live in NM, and occassionaly send various local magazines, one of which has a monthly column devoted to such stories. (>.<)

My parents live in NM, and occassionaly send various local magazines, one of which has a monthly column devoted to such stories. (>.<)
Those damn New Mexicans, cummin over and takin American Jobs from Americans, and spreading their disea....What, New Mexico is a State!

Ummmmm...

*does random thing with sausage*

Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is in Africa. Cote D'Azur is correct.

Anyway, Qatar isn't an island. That's Bahrain.


I know where Cote d'Ivoire is, I'd just never heard Monaco or the Riviera called Cote d'Azure. (not surprising, as I don't speak french)

I seem to remember while in HS back in the early-mid 1980's, much ado being made about how high the Japanese scored on various test comapred with the US. That bubble was burst soon after I arrived here.

I teach conversational English, and many of my students want to travel, with Europe, especially France, being a popular destination. I sometimes used to give a little quiz to students asking where ten famous cities are. The results were shockingly bad.
I gave up when a student told me Paris was in London.

One of my first guide books to Japan was written by a German couple. It included a conversation between the writers and some Japanese who asked where they were from in the US. When they said Germany, they were asked "Oh, what state is that in?"

I started teaching the year after the First Gulf War, and not one student could point out Kuwait on a map.

That was also the year that Japan sent it's first group of peacekeepers overseas, to serve in Cambodia. It was all over the news, appearing daily on the TV news and in newspapers. But again, not a single student could locate it on a map (even when asked in Japanese).

But the grand piece of cake is the Japanese tourist whose poor pronunciation combined with a lack of geographic knowledge, put her on a train to Torquay instead of Turkey.
http://www.marlodge.supanet.com/wordlist/torquay.html

Here are the results of a mass participation online Geography test:

http://www.geographyzone.com/new/index.php?t=1&b=2

132nd in the world: United States 65.619% 327981

That is one of the worst online quizzes I have ever taken. It doesn't even give an example of what format the question will be given. Much less take into account how close to the correct country you got. I mean I selected Singapore instead of Malaysia by just a tiny roll of the mouse. Besides, the US has 6 times as many test takers as the 2nd and 3rd most concentrated. They were Norway and Canada, followed by Denmark I believe....

http://www.geographyzone.com/new/index.php?t=1&b=2 (Go New Zealand.. 19th haha) -- Go New Zealand haha.

However, me and a girl I know were having a discussion about Asians.. She said: "But Asia is in China!?"..
Ahh dear.

nope. I was bored in US history, and the teacher said

"what are you doing that is so important that you can't listen about the civil war?"

"I am counting the stars on your flag"

"oh, how many are there?"

" you are short 2 stars.....I can't believe the school is so cheap that it can't get a new flag?"

"all the flags here have 50 stars, it would cost too much to replace them"

"uh.......they are supposed to have 50 this one only has 48, I assume it is pre-Alaska and Hawaii"

"and Puerto Rico, and Cancun"

I laughed, I really thought he was kidding, or maybe making some idiotic political statement. He wasn't, he was just stupid. I got sent to the principals office for uncontrolable laughter and mocking of the teacher, where the principal tried to explain that Puerto Rico wasn't a state but a territory and that Cancun belonged to Mexico, when he said "No, Texas belongs to Mexico"

anyway, I didn't see him around after that.........I think he might have gotten fired or something.

Dear God, girl! I thought I went to the worst High School in the country. I stand corrected. Mine was second worst; yours was worst. My hat's off to you for surviving that with your gray matter intact.

And here's a sort of related story about general stupidity and ignorance.

I was home for a month for my brother's wedding back in 1998. For the wedding, the crew from Texas (groom, groom's men, and family) drove from my old hometown, just south of Houston, Texas, to North Carolina. Having lived over seas for many years, my old state driver's license had expired several years before. (Actually it was a learner's permit, and was never really used except for ID purposes - trust me nobody wants me behind the wheel of an automobile! :eek: :( )

Anyhow, after a long drive over the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, we stopped at a local convenience store for a break. This was a major chain (7-11, IIRC) and not some little local mom and pop shop. I saw a local color t-shirt that would make a good souvenier. As I was buying it, I thought it would be a good opprotunity to cash another traveller's check (having done so several times before). The clerk asked for my ID, and I presented my passport, as usual.

She looked at it. And thge following ensued:

Clerk: Sorry we can't accept that. Do you have a driver's license?
Me: Excuse me?
C: We can't accept that as an ID. We need a driver's licese.
Me: Uhmm. I don't have a driver's license. I'm visiting from home from abroad, and this is the only US ID I have.
C: Well, I'm sorry we can't accept it.
Me: I don't understand. It's accepted internationally.
C: It needs to have a number on it and a photo.
Me (pointing to the passport number and photo): Right here.
C: Oh.

She then called over the manager, and discussed it for several minutes. They finally cashed it, but I still cringe at the idea of a passport being refused as legit ID.

This is a quote from the Simpsons, when Marge is a substitute teacher:

Marge: It took the 3rd graders 45 minutes to locate Canada on the map.

Homer: Well, how can you blame them? Its all tucked away down there.

LOL gotta love Homer. I scored a 90% on the geography test, and I'm a Californian freshmen. I missed Palau. Sorry if I make you feel stupid. ;-)

And one last story before I go offline.

I had a geography class at university in which the prof. gave the easiest exams I ever sat.

A typical question would be to match 5 letter coded map features to five names of features. For example, the map would have a city marked "A" and you had to match it to the correct city name. But the prof made it dead easy. The map of the USSR (pre-collapse) had five features marked: A) a city, B) a mountain range, C) a river, D) a sea, and E) an ocean. The matching answers were: 1) the Ural Mountains, 2) the Arctic Ocean, 3) the Volga River, 4) the Black Sea, and 5) Moscow.

The sad thing is that people failed it.

That course was almost as bad as the World History course in which I wrote each paper increasingly worse in order to see how badly I could write a paper and still recieve an A. The final paper was a work of art.

I ended up with As in both courses.

Dear God, girl! I thought I went to the worst High School in the country. I stand corrected. Mine was second worst; yours was worst. My hat's off to you for surviving that with your gray matter intact.
yeah, I only showed up really like freshman and sophomore year, I figured out after that my time was better spent working and basically "homeschooling" myself. I had a geometry teacher that didn't understand what theorem meant either.

We had a worksheet that asked if points A and D were collinear, and I said yeah.

he marked it wrong because on the picture below the question there wasn't a line between A and D.

It took me 3 days and 2 other geometery teachers (one from my best friend's school) to explain that ANY 2 POINTS ARE COLLINEAR whether there is a line or not.

But the grand piece of cake is the Japanese tourist whose poor pronunciation combined with a lack of geographic knowledge, put her on a train to Torquay instead of Turkey.
http://www.marlodge.supanet.com/wordlist/torquay.html
Torquay's far better. We have... er... lots of old people on holiday. And Fawlty Towers was set here, of course.