Things that I don't know but I should know

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. What the Vietnam was was about.
2. What a "settlement" really is. (as in the settlements in Israel)
3. How many Jewish people died in the Holocaust.
4. How many planets there are
5. The basic premise of Islam
6. The basic premise of Hinduism
7. How Bangladesh became its own country
8. What a co-op preschool is
9. What exactly a "stock" is. (as in the stock market)
10. What art period are we in now?

I think this is a troll joke because no one can be this ignorant.

Oh shut up. I don't know how the stock market works. I don't know WTF a black hole is. How the hell do radar waves work? Nobody knows everything. The folks who recognize the fact that they have much to learn will go forward. The jerks who think they know everything and no one can tell them anything will die alone and unloved. At least I know that much.

YAY! A question I know the answer to! A black hole is something that happens in space when stars go supernova and explode. Light can't be emitted from a black hole. It's pretty much an absence of anything in that particular spot in space.

Some of the other questions are too hard for me, lol! I have no clue about the stock question or the Bangledesh question. I'm not too sure of the art period one either. The basic presmise to Hinduism is the belief in reincarnation and karma and dharma. I'd have to look up the Islam question because I'm not 100% on that one. There are 8 planets currently, but who knows how many other planets could be out there. Not sure what a co-op preschool is either. Six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. I'm not sure if that number includes all of the other groups that were attacked as well. The Vietnam question is tough because it's a matter of perspective. There is the view that the war was fought in an attempt to help the Vietnamese people who were being treated inhumanel, but there is also the school of thought that believes that the war was fought out of a fear of impending Communism. It's all a matter of perspective, I guess.

I love that this thread came up because it's an interesting change of pace. I hope that there are more thread like this one.

I'm positive most of the PPs do not know what a supernova is and if you want to understand the Vietnam War, read David Halberstam's.
The Best and the Brightest." Very long but worth the effort.

I haven't read all of this thread because I am truly appalled at the lack of basic knowledge. I, too, went to a private school and the school's curriculum included American, European, Ancient history, higher mathmatics, geography, knowledge of a foreign language (this was high school, not college), world geography, civics, Literature (world), physical and social science, English grammar, music and art appreciation and some others. Obviously, public education in the US is almost useless. Is it any wonder the US is lagging so far behind other countries? I cannot believe the level of ignorance of basic knowledge. God help this country.

I went to public school and know about all the things on OP's list. Some of us are naturally smart and don't have to buy our intelligence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. What the Vietnam was was about.
2. What a "settlement" really is. (as in the settlements in Israel)
3. How many Jewish people died in the Holocaust.
4. How many planets there are
5. The basic premise of Islam
6. The basic premise of Hinduism
7. How Bangladesh became its own country
8. What a co-op preschool is
9. What exactly a "stock" is. (as in the stock market)
10. What art period are we in now?

I think this is a troll joke because no one can be this ignorant.

Oh shut up. I don't know how the stock market works. I don't know WTF a black hole is. How the hell do radar waves work? Nobody knows everything. The folks who recognize the fact that they have much to learn will go forward. The jerks who think they know everything and no one can tell them anything will die alone and unloved. At least I know that much.

YAY! A question I know the answer to! A black hole is something that happens in space when stars go supernova and explode. Light can't be emitted from a black hole. It's pretty much an absence of anything in that particular spot in space.

Some of the other questions are too hard for me, lol! I have no clue about the stock question or the Bangledesh question. I'm not too sure of the art period one either. The basic presmise to Hinduism is the belief in reincarnation and karma and dharma. I'd have to look up the Islam question because I'm not 100% on that one. There are 8 planets currently, but who knows how many other planets could be out there. Not sure what a co-op preschool is either. Six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. I'm not sure if that number includes all of the other groups that were attacked as well. The Vietnam question is tough because it's a matter of perspective. There is the view that the war was fought in an attempt to help the Vietnamese people who were being treated inhumanel, but there is also the school of thought that believes that the war was fought out of a fear of impending Communism. It's all a matter of perspective, I guess.

I love that this thread came up because it's an interesting change of pace. I hope that there are more thread like this one.

I'm positive most of the PPs do not know what a supernova is and if you want to understand the Vietnam War, read David Halberstam's.
The Best and the Brightest." Very long but worth the effort.

I haven't read all of this thread because I am truly appalled at the lack of basic knowledge. I, too, went to a private school and the school's curriculum included American, European, Ancient history, higher mathmatics, geography, knowledge of a foreign language (this was high school, not college), world geography, civics, Literature (world), physical and social science, English grammar, music and art appreciation and some others. Obviously, public education in the US is almost useless. Is it any wonder the US is lagging so far behind other countries? I cannot believe the level of ignorance of basic knowledge. God help this country.

I went to public school and know about all the things on OP's list. Some of us are naturally smart and don't have to buy our intelligence.

Are you infering that by attending a private boarding school my intelligence was bought. I had to study hard as did all of the students at my school. Can you buy intelligence? I don't think so.

[Anonymous]

I find this list and all the comments interesting at 230 in the morning.

I went to public school. I am under 30. While I know most of what is on the Op's list the rest I don't because I could care less.

I think you learn things you want to know.

I learned what a Maven is this summer. It is someone who knows a little about a lot of things. I was told I was one of those.

I know things because I watch, listen and read. I watch and listen far more than I read.

As for public or private I think that is a personal choice. I went to good public schools.

Also the comments made by people who immigrated here are really useless. I personally beleive if you think Americans are stupid then pack your bags and go back to your country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reason for U.S. involvement in Vietnam: After WWII, the U.S. foreign policy establishment believed that if a country like Vietnam became communist, other countries would likely become communist. Known as the domino theory. So, it wasn't so much about Vietnam, per se, but stopping the spread of communism even further.

Great quick answer! I was embarassed by my complete lack of clue about the Vietnam war about five years ago or so. So I read David Halberstam's book, "The Best and the Brightest." Amazing book! He was a journalist, and the book is a surprisingly smooth read. Not at all like a dense history book. I highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Brightest-David-Halberstam/dp/0449908704

Here's the quickest of snapshots: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Best_and_the_Brightest

As an aside, I also really liked his book "War in a Time of Peace," which was about foriegn policy during the Bush 1 and Clinton presidencies. I was in high school/college at the time and was a bit too self-absorbed to truly understand what was going on in Haiti, Somalia, Serbia/Croatia at the time. The book filled in the gaps and is VERY relevant to understanding foreign policy issues for the Bush 2 and Obama presidencies.

http://www.amazon.com/War-Time-Peace-Clinton-Generals/dp/0743223233/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283161900&sr=1-2

[Anonymous]

I would love to hear someone's recommendation on how to get up to speed somewhat quickly on the Israeli/Palestinian situation, including settlements etc.

I know it's a loooooong and complicated issue going back to the begining of time, literally. What's a good place to start that wouldn't be either too overwhelming or too narrow?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, Pluto is no longer a planet.

Also, brontosaurus (remember brontosaurus burgers from the Flintstones?) no longer is a name of a dinosaur. It is now apatosaurus. There are also rumblings these days about triceratops and whether it is actually a different type of dino (taurosaurus).

What is Pluto then?

Pluto is a naked dog. Goofy is a clothed dog. I learned everything I need to know in kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

To the PP who attended the private boarding school and was accused of buying her intelligence: Get a tuition refund. Someone else "implies" and you "infer." The poster who scolded you was "implying" not "infering" (sic) as you mistakenly whined.

[Anonymous]

Conjunction Junction, what's your function?

[Anonymous]

"Also the comments made by people who immigrated here are really useless. I personally beleive if you think Americans are stupid then pack your bags and go back to your country. "

LOL!

[Anonymous]

I don't understand skyscrapers or parkng garages. How do they do that???? How do they stand up, hold all that weight, and not fall over?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. What the Vietnam was was about.
2. What a "settlement" really is. (as in the settlements in Israel)
3. How many Jewish people died in the Holocaust.
4. How many planets there are
5. The basic premise of Islam
6. The basic premise of Hinduism
7. How Bangladesh became its own country
8. What a co-op preschool is
9. What exactly a "stock" is. (as in the stock market)
10. What art period are we in now?

I think this is a troll joke because no one can be this ignorant.

Oh shut up. I don't know how the stock market works. I don't know WTF a black hole is. How the hell do radar waves work? Nobody knows everything. The folks who recognize the fact that they have much to learn will go forward. The jerks who think they know everything and no one can tell them anything will die alone and unloved. At least I know that much.

YAY! A question I know the answer to! A black hole is something that happens in space when stars go supernova and explode. Light can't be emitted from a black hole. It's pretty much an absence of anything in that particular spot in space.

Some of the other questions are too hard for me, lol! I have no clue about the stock question or the Bangledesh question. I'm not too sure of the art period one either. The basic presmise to Hinduism is the belief in reincarnation and karma and dharma. I'd have to look up the Islam question because I'm not 100% on that one. There are 8 planets currently, but who knows how many other planets could be out there. Not sure what a co-op preschool is either. Six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. I'm not sure if that number includes all of the other groups that were attacked as well. The Vietnam question is tough because it's a matter of perspective. There is the view that the war was fought in an attempt to help the Vietnamese people who were being treated inhumanel, but there is also the school of thought that believes that the war was fought out of a fear of impending Communism. It's all a matter of perspective, I guess.

I love that this thread came up because it's an interesting change of pace. I hope that there are more thread like this one.

I'm positive most of the PPs do not know what a supernova is and if you want to understand the Vietnam War, read David Halberstam's.
The Best and the Brightest." Very long but worth the effort.

I haven't read all of this thread because I am truly appalled at the lack of basic knowledge. I, too, went to a private school and the school's curriculum included American, European, Ancient history, higher mathmatics, geography, knowledge of a foreign language (this was high school, not college), world geography, civics, Literature (world), physical and social science, English grammar, music and art appreciation and some others. Obviously, public education in the US is almost useless. Is it any wonder the US is lagging so far behind other countries? I cannot believe the level of ignorance of basic knowledge. God help this country.

I went to public school and know about all the things on OP's list. Some of us are naturally smart and don't have to buy our intelligence.

Are you infering that by attending a private boarding school my intelligence was bought. I had to study hard as did all of the students at my school. Can you buy intelligence? I don't think so.

Some of us also study hard without our parents having to write a colossal check.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I went to public school and know about all the things on OP's list. Some of us are naturally smart and don't have to buy our intelligence.

Snap.

(Me too.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the PP who attended the private boarding school and was accused of buying her intelligence: Get a tuition refund. Someone else "implies" and you "infer." The poster who scolded you was "implying" not "infering" (sic) as you mistakenly whined.

Thank you PP, I noticed the same error. I just hope the private school PP keeps posting, because with each post s/he demonstrates his or her inferior intelligence. Even that fancy education didn't seem to help!

[Anonymous]

There is a fun book called A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson that covers a lot of the scientific questions posed here. It also comes in a well-illustated version for kids. Bryson wrote it, he says, bc he realized how ignorant he was about a lot of things and set out to remedy that. Don't know if he is a product of public or private school!

[Anonymous]

love bill bryson books! I need to check out the pp mentioned.