Things you're shocked people don't know

[Deckerd]

Btw. I wonder how many people know why the Union Jack looks the way it looks . . .

I know it's the combined crosses of St. George and St. Andrew, although I'm clueless as to what the two crosses originally represented, and when and why they were combined.

It also includes the cross of Saint Patrick (diagonal red saltire on a field of white).

I'm shocked people don't know the union jack is actually the Union Flag.

 

[Rii]

The idea of Christmas happening in the summer is so bizarre to me.

To you, maybe, but not to the Aussies and Kiwis.

I think it is bizarre as well. "Merry Christmas, now excuse me as I pass out from heat exhaustion."

Terrible scheduling all 'round. Significant calender events should fall in civilised months. Like June.

 

[RoJoHen]

The idea of Christmas happening in the summer is so bizarre to me.

To you, maybe, but not to the Aussies and Kiwis.

I think it is bizarre as well. "Merry Christmas, now excuse me as I pass out from heat exhaustion."

Terrible scheduling all 'round. Significant calender events should fall in civilised months.

I'm not even talking about the weather, necessarily. I fully accept that lots of places have warm weather for Christmas. I guess I just figured that things like "summer" and "winter" happened worldwide at the same time, regardless of climate.

 

[Rosalind]

Btw. I wonder how many people know why the Union Jack looks the way it looks . . .

I know it's the combined crosses of St. George and St. Andrew, although I'm clueless as to what the two crosses originally represented, and when and why they were combined.

It also includes the cross of Saint Patrick (diagonal red saltire on a field of white).

That's why the Welsh are so crossed about the flag, they need to have the dragon on it, or a representation of St Davies, then it'll truthly be the "Union" Flag. (although, technically, Wales was annexed by England, so when England and Scotland formed the union, Wales was part of England.)

of course, the crosses were combined/added when England and Scotland first became a union after Liz I, and then the St Patrick cross was added when Ireland became part of the union (1800).

And Sci, I know it is accepted to call it either Union Jack or Union Flag, that's why I specifically mentioned the Royal Navy.

 

[Rii]

To you, maybe, but not to the Aussies and Kiwis.

I think it is bizarre as well. "Merry Christmas, now excuse me as I pass out from heat exhaustion."

Terrible scheduling all 'round. Significant calender events should fall in civilised months.

I'm not even talking about the weather, necessarily. I fully accept that lots of places have warm weather for Christmas. I guess I just figured that things like "summer" and "winter" happened worldwide at the same time, regardless of climate.

Whereas I still don't understand why you replaced 'autumn' - one of the most beautiful words in the language - with the ugly 'fall' [with a thud].

 

[RoJoHen]

I think it was to help us remember what to do with our clocks around Daylight Saving Time.

"Spring ahead. Fall back."

We're special.

 

[Rosalind]

I think it is bizarre as well. "Merry Christmas, now excuse me as I pass out from heat exhaustion."

Terrible scheduling all 'round. Significant calender events should fall in civilised months. Like June.

I think it's better this way, perfect timing to go on holiday instead of work. People in Europe take time off in summer to go on holiday, us? we're on holiday anyway.

Whereas I still don't understand why you replaced 'autumn' - one of the most beautiful words in the language - with the ugly 'fall' [with a thud].

this, I agreed.

it sort of makes sense, it's the season when the leaves fall off the tree. Except, in Oz, we only have a hand full of deciduous trees, our natives just don't like loosing their leaves all at once. Hence, it's "autumn".

 

[RoJoHen]

I think it is bizarre as well. "Merry Christmas, now excuse me as I pass out from heat exhaustion."

Terrible scheduling all 'round. Significant calender events should fall in civilised months. Like June.

I think it's better this way, perfect timing to go on holiday instead of work. People in Europe take time off in summer to go on holiday, us? we're on holiday anyway.

And if you're in America, you're just lucky if you get a 3-day weekend.

 

[Shazam!]

Basic grammar (your/you're, they're/there/their, fewer/less etc)

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

People who think that the Aurora Borealis (and presumably, Australis) can be turned on or off using a "big switch."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8510377.stm

 

[RoJoHen]

People who think that the Aurora Borealis (and presumably, Australis) can be turned on or off using a "big switch."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8510377.stm

It's not a fucking laser show!

 

[Jetfire]

^
Does Pink Floyd do Alaska's state song???

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I know it's the combined crosses of St. George and St. Andrew, although I'm clueless as to what the two crosses originally represented, and when and why they were combined.

It also includes the cross of Saint Patrick (diagonal red saltire on a field of white).

That's why the Welsh are so crossed about the flag, they need to have the dragon on it, or a representation of St Davies, then it'll truthly be the "Union" Flag. (although, technically, Wales was annexed by England, so when England and Scotland formed the union, Wales was part of England.)

of course, the crosses were combined/added when England and Scotland first became a union after Liz I, and then the St Patrick cross was added when Ireland became part of the union (1800).

And Sci, I know it is accepted to call it either Union Jack or Union Flag, that's why I specifically mentioned the Royal Navy.

The flag of St David (not St Davies, look you) is a gold cross on a black field (or sometimes the reverse). Its integration would make the Union Flag look might peculiar.
Maybe they could stick the red dragon flag in the centre as a motif.

What annoys me more is when people fly the Union Flag upside down.

 

[DimesDan]

Wow, some of these things are rather astonishing as to what people think that other people should know and also what people don't know.

As for the Union Flag being interchangeable with Union Jack for it's name on dry land, use a different link than wikipedia Sci and I might accept it, but as far as I've been told, the flag of the United Kingdom which contains the St George, Andrew and Patrick's cross is known as the Union Flag when on Dry land and the Union Jack out at sea.

A few things that sometimes amazes me is the fact that in this country, when we go to the polls for a General Election, we aren't actually voting for the leader of the party, but the party itself, some people forget this. I also find it amazing that many people don't actually get all the changes in welfare that New Labour has introduced over the years - many of these people who think this are unemployed and when "bitching" about how little they get, I just remind them that thirteen years ago, many of the schemes that are in place did not exist and that they would be in a worse position.

Some of you were discussing American Football earlier, now I'm British and our national sport is allegedly football, but I have no idea what the off side rule is, nor do I frankly care.

Wikipedia - yes wikipedia is good, it contains some interesting information and I've used it from time to time to find a factoid or two, but one thing I've leant is that you should always find a second source of information as wikipedia can be edited by any Tom, Dick or Harry and thus is open to abuse and is not the holy gospel that some seems to think it is.

 

[Deckerd]

We only fly the Red Ensign at sea.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

A few things that sometimes amazes me is the fact that in this country, when we go to the polls for a General Election, we aren't actually voting for the leader of the party, but the party itself, some people forget this.

No, we actually vote to elect an MP to represent our local consituency. It's the party with the most MPs who get to try and form a government -- in coalition with other parties if they have no outright majority, or by calling another election if they want to try to improve their majority.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Wow, some of these things are rather astonishing as to what people think that other people should know and also what people don't know.

On a related note, I'm also shocked that people think they know what other people should be thinking (but clearly they don't). If they could just resolve that little oversight, by understanding their fellow man, the world would be a much better place, I think.

 

[RoJoHen]

Wow, some of these things are rather astonishing as to what people think that other people should know and also what people don't know.

On a related note, I'm also shocked that people think they know what other people should be thinking, but don't; and those same people often don't realise that they DON'T know what other people are thinking. If they could just resolve that little oversight, the world would be a much better place, I think.

Yeah...I'll let you work on that one.

 

[Rosalind]

The flag of St David (not St Davies, look you)

oops, sorry, I did know it was David, but I've been talking and reading about Davies far too often lately.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Wow, some of these things are rather astonishing as to what people think that other people should know and also what people don't know.

On a related note, I'm also shocked that people think they know what other people should be thinking, but don't; and those same people often don't realise that they DON'T know what other people are thinking. If they could just resolve that little oversight, the world would be a much better place, I think.

Yeah...I'll let you work on that one.

Please explain.