I am shocked, absolutely shocked

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Miss Chicken, Jul 17, 2013.

  1. Alidar Jarok

    Alidar Jarok Everything in moderation but moderation Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2003
    Location:
    Norfolk, VA
    Well, Central America is a region of North America, not its own continent. The dividing line is a matter of opinion, not fact. As a practical matter, there's very little difference between Belize, Guatemala, and the very southern part of Mexico. So it's not wrong to say Mexico is part of Central America. Many Americans do tend to associate Central America with Latin America, which I tend to think is counterproductive. However, given that this conversation exists, I think the term "Central America" is probably counterproductive by itself.
     
  2. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    Well, just give it a few more years.... :D
     
  3. JarodRussell

    JarodRussell Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2009
  4. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2001
    Location:
    Howrah, Hobart, Tasmania
    Richard Branson posted a picture on his Facebook page saying "Sunset on Mars. Quite an amazing photo."

    One of the comments was

    "So pretty. I never knew Mars had a sun"
     
  5. TorontoTrekker

    TorontoTrekker Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2002
    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    I saw that on my newsfeed this evening, and immediately thought of this thread. *sigh*
     
  6. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    Oh, bloody hell. Sometimes I despair. :cardie:
     
  7. Rincewiend

    Rincewiend Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2001
    Location:
    The Netherlands
    Different people are curious about different things...
    I have relatives who know more about engines than me and i know a bit more about space than they do because those other things don't interest them or me...
     
  8. scotpens

    scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2009
    Location:
    City of the Fallen Angels
    Hey, South America stole our name! :p
     
  9. Data's Cat

    Data's Cat Lieutenant Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2013
    Location:
    Texas
    I am reminded of Jay Walking!

    For those of you who don't understand the reference, Jay Leno is a late night talk/variety show host (here in the USA), who does this thing called Jay Walking. He takes a cameraman and microphone out in the street and stops people to ask them the simplest of questions that should be common knowledge- things that 3rd and 4th grade children learn in school.

    The questions cover a variety of subjects, but examples are things something like this:

    At what temperature does water freeze?
    How many states are there?
    Is California a state or a country?
    What did Christopher Columbus discover?

    and so on.

    Sometimes he'll show people pictures of famous people or famous landmarks to see if they can identify them.

    It's incredible what idiotic answers he gets from people. And ironically, sometimes the person he stops will be a teacher, and they can't answer any more than the average joe.

    No doubt there are plenty of people who know the answers, but they aren't going to air those, because smart people aren't going to be entertaining.
     
  10. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2001
    Location:
    Howrah, Hobart, Tasmania
    We had an Australian poster here who stated that Tasmania was not a state of Australia. However i wasn't convinced she was for real, I think she might have been a sock puppet.
     
  11. TorontoTrekker

    TorontoTrekker Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2002
    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Which was ripped off from Rick Mercer's "Talking To Americans" spot on the show "This Hour Has 22 Minutes".
     
  12. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    I think he's the one who once had a commercial featuring a clip of some goon answering proudly, "I don't read books."

    There was somebody on TrekBBS who once tried to educate me on the fact that Alaska is not a state, but a "financial transaction."
     
  13. Sigokat

    Sigokat Commander Red Shirt

    I thought Alaska was a pie. :)
     
  14. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    Location:
    Great Britain

    I suppose they would classify some 15 other US states as a finacial transation as well, given that the US Purchased them from France during what is known as the Lousiaina Purchase. :p
     
  15. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2001
    Location:
    Howrah, Hobart, Tasmania
    Wasn't there decades between the purchase and Alaska becoming a state?
     
  16. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    Location:
    Great Britain
    i could google it, but that would defeat the purpose of a lazy sunday afternoon. I'm sure one of our American cousins will know the date Alaska received statehood.
     
  17. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2001
    Location:
    Howrah, Hobart, Tasmania
    I just Googled it. The purchase was in 1867 and Alaska became a state in 1959.
     
  18. Alidar Jarok

    Alidar Jarok Everything in moderation but moderation Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2003
    Location:
    Norfolk, VA
    Quite a few states were decades between purchase and statehood. There was a territory stage in between. Oklahoma was part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and got statehood in 1907, for example.
     
  19. rhubarbodendron

    rhubarbodendron Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 1, 2011
    Location:
    milky way, outer spiral arm, Sol 3
    which was a remarkably quick action by the bureaucracy! ;)
    The other day I came across a file labeled "for re-evaluation after our final victory" (it dated from 1939). Since we haven't won yet, I put it back into the archieve :D
     
  20. Data's Cat

    Data's Cat Lieutenant Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2013
    Location:
    Texas
    I've seen clips of that on Youtube. Funny stuff!