A little stupidity goes a long way.

[Taltarzac725]

Statement of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic on the Boston terrorist attack | Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, D.C. (http://www.mzv.cz/washington/en/czech_u_s_relations/news/statement_of_the_ambassador_of_the_czech.html)

[Chuckw]

Statement of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic on the Boston terrorist attack | Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, D.C. (http://www.mzv.cz/washington/en/czech_u_s_relations/news/statement_of_the_ambassador_of_the_czech.html)

I'm not quite sure what the point of the OP is... Did you feel that the clarification was unnecessary? Yes, there is much ignorance in the world.
Just curious.

[2BNTV]

I think they wanted to make sure sure there was no misunderstanding and denoted the difference between the two.

[BarryRX]

It is a sad commentary that the Czech Republic has to explain that they are different from Chechnya.

[NotGolfer]

It is a sad commentary that the Czech Republic has to explain that they are different from Chechnya.

YUP, it is sad!!! BUT that being said, the Jay Leno bit of questions "on the street" bear some attention. There are A LOT of people who aren't taught world geography etc. anymore. A sad commentary on what's going on in the world.

[OnTrack]

I'm not quite sure what the point of the OP is... Did you feel that the clarification was unnecessary? Yes, there is much ignorance in the world.
Just curious.

I too am confused.


.

[Taltarzac725]

YUP, it is sad!!! BUT that being said, the Jay Leno bit of questions "on the street" bear some attention. There are A LOT of people who aren't taught world geography etc. anymore. A sad commentary on what's going on in the world.

Good you got my point. I do too have trouble identifying just where some countries are in the World-- mainly the Central African countries-- but confusing Czechoslovakia with Chechnya is pretty bad.

[2BNTV]

YUP, it is sad!!! BUT that being said, the Jay Leno bit of questions "on the street" bear some attention. There are A LOT of people who aren't taught world geography etc. anymore. A sad commentary on what's going on in the world.

I too am confused.


.

I remember some questions being asked of young people who had no idea of world places, names and events. It is truly amazing.

[Villages PL]

How about a link to a map, just in case. ;)

[Lbmb24101]

Geography is not a strong point in schools.
I taught 30 yrs ( 15 in high school and 15 in middle school) and even the smartest students lacked a lot of basic geography knowledge....however the kids coming from foreign countries knew their geography.
I dated a pre med student from Johns Hopkins ( smart kd)MANY yrs ago who asked me:
SO, how many driving miles are there from Cuba to Puerto Rico, Maria TEresa ?

[chuckinca]

Good you got my point. I do too have trouble identifying just where some countries are in the World-- mainly the Central African countries-- but confusing Czechoslovakia with Chechnya is pretty bad.


Czechoslovakia was split into two nations in 1993 (Slovakia and The Czech Republic).


You're right, confusing Czechoslovakia with Chechnya is pretty bad.
.

[George1938]

Geography is not a strong point in schools.
I taught 30 yrs ( 15 in high school and 15 in middle school) and even the smartest students lacked a lot of basic geography knowledge....however the kids coming from foreign countries knew their geography.
I dated a pre med student from Johns Hopkins ( smart kd)MANY yrs ago who asked me:
SO, how many driving miles are there from Cuba to Puerto Rico, Maria TEresa ?

I hope you explained to her that the last 90 miles will be the most difficult since you need to hold your breath :spoken:

[rubicon]

Apparently America's reputation for dumbing down our education has reached the Czech Repubic Embassy. I'll make a wager that at minimum 30% of american couldn't find the Czech Republic on the map

[Taltarzac725]

Czechoslovakia was split into two nations in 1993 (Slovakia and The Czech Republic).


You're right, confusing Czechoslovakia with Chechnya is pretty bad.
.

Thanks for the correction. :laugh:

[kimball]

I remember some questions being asked of young people who had no idea of world places, names and events. It is truly amazing.

Try asking some Villagers. You might be surprised how astute the kids are.

[Taltarzac725]

How about a link to a map, just in case. ;)

Czech Republic Ambassador: Don’t Confuse Us With Chechnya - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/04/czech-republic-ambassador-dont-confuse-us-with-chechnya/)

[justjim]

The kids today certainly know how to "google" or "bing" Chechnya or Czech Republic and find out all about them if they were going there. Otherwise they could care less---But don't sell our kids short. Some of the material my grandson studies (H.S. Soph.) blows me away. However, more geography should probably be taught in our schools. The people you see on jaywalking ---you suspect just maybe some of it is "staged"??

[senior citizen]

Geography is not a strong point in schools.
I taught 30 yrs ( 15 in high school and 15 in middle school) and even the smartest students lacked a lot of basic geography knowledge....however the kids coming from foreign countries knew their geography.
I dated a pre med student from Johns Hopkins ( smart kd)MANY yrs ago who asked me:
SO, how many driving miles are there from Cuba to Puerto Rico, Maria TEresa ?

That was funny but sad at the same time........(the last sentence).

My husband just shared with me this morning something he had read re the lack of teaching "cursive" in the schools today......instead, printing or keyboarding is preferred by students.

Our kids did learn cursive handwriting and penmanship as we did, but obviously it is now GONE.

All of our "younger" relatives, pre teens and teens, block print thankyou letters to us for gifts received. Any thankyou is preferable to none, but come to think of it, I haven't seen a child or teen write in cursive in a casual fashion (meaning out of school) since the 1970's....maybe early 80's?????

Anyway, a grandfather had written to his grandaughter telling her of how proud he was and knew she would achieve much (I'm shortening it).
He wrote it out in his own handwriting, in cursive.........he then told her to read it aloud to her parents...........she could NOT read it to her parents as she had never been taught to even write in cursive, never mind read it.

Times have changed.

Doing genealogy, I know where the Czech Republic is and where Chechnya is..........but do the kids of today?

Granted, many countries' borders have changed, as well as name changes of major cities in India and elsewhere.......but that was a remarkable letter from the Czech Republic , which was originally posted at the beginning of this thread............a sad commentary on modern times and how some young folks using social media probably do not open a book or look at a map. NOT ALL.......just some.

p.s. If a kid today went to the Library of Congress or the Smithsonian.......they wouldn't be able to read some of the historic papers by our founding fathers.........

[senior citizen]

Chechnya large color map (http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/lgcolor/chechnya.htm)


map of chechnya and surrounding countries - Bing Images (http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=map+of+chechnya+and+surrounding+countries&id=30EBF21C239B021262048838B303549E53265C83&FORM=IQFRBA)
Map of Chechnya and surrounding countries


map of czechoslovakia today - Bing Images (http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=map+of+czechoslovakia+today&qpvt=map+of+czechoslovakia+today&FORM=IGRE)
Czechoslovakia

[ijusluvit]

Geography is not a strong point in schools.
I taught 30 yrs ( 15 in high school and 15 in middle school) and even the smartest students lacked a lot of basic geography knowledge....however the kids coming from foreign countries knew their geography.
I dated a pre med student from Johns Hopkins ( smart kd)MANY yrs ago who asked me:
SO, how many driving miles are there from Cuba to Puerto Rico, Maria TEresa ?

Why do teachers on dates always get tested?!?

[JourneyOfLife]

I can understand why the Czechs would be concerned about some people in other countries misinterpreting the nationality of the perpetrators.

Maybe the Czechs have begun receiving hate emails from certain fools.

One practical problem is that the people that are prone to that sort of overreaction are unlikely to read special press releases or much else for that matter!

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Although I probably couldn't point them out on a blank map,I do know that they are two different countries.

[OnTrack]

Why do teachers on dates always get tested?!?

Because their students want to get even? :shocked:



:1rotfl:


.

[CaptJohn]

Geography is not a strong point in schools.
I taught 30 yrs ( 15 in high school and 15 in middle school) and even the smartest students lacked a lot of basic geography knowledge....however the kids coming from foreign countries knew their geography.
I dated a pre med student from Johns Hopkins ( smart kd)MANY yrs ago who asked me:
SO, how many driving miles are there from Cuba to Puerto Rico, Maria TEresa ?

Not sure about to PR but it's about 60 miles to Cuba, depending on which hamlet/village/town/city, if one is driving a boat from Miami, Florida. Of course, they would be nautical miles.
I had great teachers in Pensacola and one taught me to be specific. Now that I watch Big Bang Theory on television, the character Sheldon Cooper becomes more real and I'm thankful for my good education and thanks Mom for my genes!

[Patty55]

Apparently America's reputation for dumbing down our education has reached the Czech Repubic Embassy. I'll make a wager that at minimum 30% of american couldn't find the Czech Republic on the map

Honestly, I couldn't. Hell prior to living here I couldn't tell you where Missouri and Ohio are on the map.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Not sure about to PR but it's about 60 miles to Cuba, depending on which hamlet/village/town/city, if one is driving a boat from Miami, Florida. Of course, they would be nautical miles.
I had great teachers in Pensacola and one taught me to be specific. Now that I watch Big Bang Theory on television, the character Sheldon Cooper becomes more real and I'm thankful for my good education and thanks Mom for my genes!

Actually it's about 90 miles from the most southern point of the Keys to the closest point in Cuba. It's about 1,000 mile to Puerto Rico.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Honestly, I couldn't. Hell prior to living here I couldn't tell you where Missouri and Ohio are on the map.

It's funny, but an awful lot of people who grew up on either coast have a lot of trouble pinpointing the states in the middle of the country.

[The Flash]

That was funny but sad at the same time........(the last sentence).

My husband just shared with me this morning something he had read re the lack of teaching "cursive" in the schools today......instead, printing or keyboarding is preferred by students.

Our kids did learn cursive handwriting and penmanship as we did, but obviously it is now GONE.

All of our "younger" relatives, pre teens and teens, block print thankyou letters to us for gifts received. Any thankyou is preferable to none, but come to think of it, I haven't seen a child or teen write in cursive in a casual fashion (meaning out of school) since the 1970's....maybe NOT ALL.......just some.
.......

Don't know what your husband is reading or where you get these facts, but in Florida, cursive writing is one of our State Standards. Students are introduced to cursive in second grade and instructed in cursive beginning in the third grade. However, with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards, more emphasis is being placed on keyboarding.

[CaptJohn]

Actually it's about 90 miles from the most southern point of the Keys to the closest point in Cuba. It's about 1,000 mile to Puerto Rico.

That sounds about right for speedboats. How far by rowboat? :laugh:

[OnTrack]

That sounds about right for speedboats. How far by rowboat? :laugh:

It depends on if you're hauling a ton of bowling balls....or a ton of pillows. :D

.

[CaptJohn]

It depends on if you're hauling a ton of bowling balls....or a ton of pillows. :D

.

O, eye sea. :loco:

[The Flash]

It's funny, but an awful lot of people who grew up on either coast have a lot of trouble pinpointing the states in the middle of the country.

There are states in the middle of the country? Do people live there?

[senior citizen]

It's funny, but an awful lot of people who grew up on either coast have a lot of trouble pinpointing the states in the middle of the country.


Not really. Anyone who has taken a "road trip" from the east coast to the west coast.....and gone west "under the Great Lakes" would remember those states.........and then returned via the lower route........say out of Colorado Springs.....back to the east.......would remember those states.

Obviously, this should be a leisurely trip where one has time to discover all the great things about our country............not a race to get their quickly.

We were so impressed the first time we saw THE GREAT PLAINS and could just imagine how the covered wagons traveled across.

Ditto for the Badlands in South Dakota, etc.........

I think a lot more folks than one would suspect, can fill in a map of the United States...........especially all of those in our generation.

Plus, the trend is for all of our adult children "not" to marry the girl next door as in the "olden days" but to meet someone from across the country totally.......and they all relocate for their careers anyway.........so grandparents have to do a lot of traveling nowadays.........

[senior citizen]

Don't know what your husband is reading or where you get these facts, but in Florida, cursive writing is one of our State Standards. Students are introduced to cursive in second grade and instructed in cursive beginning in the third grade. However, with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards, more emphasis is being placed on keyboarding.

That's good to know and Florida should be commended.
So, nowadays, present time........Florida is teaching cursive?
We always had penmanship and learned to write in cursive.
However, the kids up here do not .........
He heard it on the news........I'll find out....and post tomorrow, or sooner.

http://www.wtvy.com/home/headlines/46_States_No_Longer_Need_to_Teach_Cursive_16212936 5.html

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2011/June/Writing-in-Cursive-Skill-Lost-on-Americas-Youth-/

http://abcnews.go.com/US/end-cursive/story?id=12749517

http://tribstar.com/news/x1435410216/Archaic-Method-Cursive-writing-no-longer-has-to-be-taught

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/01/hawaii-no-longer-requires_n_915402.html

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2011/10/in-the-digital-age-is-teaching-cursive-relevant279.html

He heard the discussion re the grandfather giving the girl a personal letter written in cursive........and she could NOT read it to her parents as she had never been taught to WRITE IN CURSIVE. A TEENAGER.
He heard it on his satellite radio in the car...............also, there are dozens of hyperlinks from various states all over the country.............but you get the idea............cursive is not taught in many schools......
They all PRINT in little block letters..........even in high school .


http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2013/jan/31/letter-seeing-in-real-terms-what-it-means-when/
Above link is interesting as we were saying "How can the children read the Declaration of Independence" or any of the old manuscripts in Washington, D.C................or myself, doing genealogy, with many of the U.S. records all written in CURSIVE........not printed. If one is not taught cursive, how can one read the OLD RECORDS???????????? From all the links above, I've gathered that modern educators think cursive is archaic; keyboarding is "in".

[Quixote]

Try asking some Villagers. You might be surprised how astute the kids are.

I had to laugh while reading a different thread (about a concealed weapons course recommendation) when someone quoted a pretty absurd statement and another poster asked if she had been able to keep a straight face when hearing it. Try this one; I’m usually pretty quick on my feet in situations like this, but this one just got away from me in terms of how to answer the final question.

I was chatting with someone I’d casually met at one of the squares (a mutual friend had introduced us) who was complaining about the difficulty of getting cousins together for the Thanksgiving holiday, as they were all scattered: one in Massachusetts, one in Ohio, one in Maryland, one somewhere in New York State, and her (let’s just say somewhere in the middle, so no one can point a finger at any particular state).

I listened thoughtfully, then explained that in one branch of my father’s family (my grandfather had married twice), we were seven first cousins, and after my brother had died many years ago and way too young, we were left six first cousins--and we live in six countries! Try a family reunion under those circumstances (yet we all did know each other)!

She looked at me blankly. What was I talking about? Didn’t I mean six states? So I explained, in age order, with a little family history and world geography:

Cousin David, who returned to Germany, the country of his birth, at the end of World War II and is now a retired journalist living in Berlin—the capital of Germany.

Then cousin Maya, who was a major in the Red Army during World War II (remember, the Soviets were our allies…) and is now a retired physicist living in Moscow—the capital of Russia.

Next comes cousin Gideon, who with his family spent seven years in Kenya setting up public health programs after that country got its independence and who now lives in Haifa, which is one of the major ports in Israel (not the capital city but the home of the world center of the Baha’i religion).

And then there was cousin Lili (now deceased), who was a librarian who adapted to become an information specialist, who lived in a suburb of Stockholm—the capital of Sweden.

Then comes cousin Jon, the actor, who at one time had taken a one-man “Groucho” show to various parts of the world, who is still an actor and who lives in London—the capital of England.

And finally there’s me, the youngest, now retired and living in The Villages.

Her response? Another blank, confused look, and then a question:

“Why did they all move so far away?”

It took all I had to keep a straight face….

[Quixote]

When I was a kid (a VERY, VERY long time ago) in Montreal, Americans would show up in July with their roof racks filled with skis, asking "Where's the snow?..."

And freely available tee-shirts in Salzburg and Vienna that say "There are no kangaroos in Austria."

Need I say more?...

[Schaumburger]

Last summer, I rented in The Villages in June for 10 days -- pretty warm. Last August, I visited Montreal for several days -- it was almost as warm and humid as The Villages in June -- I was really surprised. And the old churches in Montreal are not air conditioned LOL! But Montreal is a great city to visit.

[senior citizen]

Last summer, I rented in The Villages in June for 10 days -- pretty warm. Last August, I visited Montreal for several days -- it was almost as warm and humid as The Villages in June -- I was really surprised. And the old churches in Montreal are not air conditioned LOL! But Montreal is a great city to visit.

Montreal and it's cathedrals, historic building are indeed beautiful.

We were up at Niagra Falls once, on the Canadian side, and the temps were in the high 90's. The locals were dying of the extreme heat and the tourists were all complaining as well.........not even seeing the great falls could cool anyone off.

Ottawa is also a beautiful city. Vermonters have connections to both Montreal and Ottawa..........