Article excerpt:

People accustomed to hearing their president explain complicated
policy choices by snapping "I'm the decider" may find it almost
impossible to imagine the pains that Franklin D. Roosevelt took, in
the grim months after Pearl Harbor, to explain why U.S. armed forces
were suffering one defeat after another in the Pacific. In February
1942, Roosevelt urged Americans to spread out a map during his radio
"fireside chat" so that they might better understand the geography of
battle. In stores throughout the country, maps sold out; about 80
percent of American adults tuned in to hear the president. FDR had
told his speechwriters that he was certain that if Americans
understood the immensity of the distances over which supplies had to
travel to the armed forces, "they can take any kind of bad news right
on the chin."

The entire article here.
http://tinyurl.com/ypdvwl

On 2008-02-17 19:19:26 -0800, "edspyhill01@yahoo.com"
<edspyhill01@yahoo.com> said:

> Article excerpt:
>
> People accustomed to hearing their president explain complicated
> policy choices by snapping "I'm the decider" may find it almost
> impossible to imagine the pains that Franklin D. Roosevelt took, in
> the grim months after Pearl Harbor, to explain why U.S. armed forces
> were suffering one defeat after another in the Pacific. In February
> 1942, Roosevelt urged Americans to spread out a map during his radio
> "fireside chat" so that they might better understand the geography of
> battle. In stores throughout the country, maps sold out; about 80
> percent of American adults tuned in to hear the president. FDR had
> told his speechwriters that he was certain that if Americans
> understood the immensity of the distances over which supplies had to
> travel to the armed forces, "they can take any kind of bad news right
> on the chin."
>
> The entire article here.
> http://tinyurl.com/ypdvwl

Have you ever seen or heard results of high school students surveyed
about geography?

I'm not going to try to remember specific percentages, but it really
was an eye-opener as to just how many couldn't find the U.S. on a globe
or map. For other countries, it was worse.

On Feb 17, 10:30*pm, witfal <nos...@all4.me> wrote:
> On 2008-02-17 19:19:26 -0800, "edspyhil...@yahoo.com"
> <edspyhil...@yahoo.com> said:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Article excerpt:
>
> > People accustomed to hearing their president explain complicated
> > policy choices by snapping "I'm the decider" may find it almost
> > impossible to imagine the pains that Franklin D. Roosevelt took, in
> > the grim months after Pearl Harbor, to explain why U.S. armed forces
> > were suffering one defeat after another in the Pacific. In February
> > 1942, Roosevelt urged Americans to spread out a map during his radio
> > "fireside chat" so that they might better understand the geography of
> > battle. In stores throughout the country, maps sold out; about 80
> > percent of American adults tuned in to hear the president. FDR had
> > told his speechwriters that he was certain that if Americans
> > understood the immensity of the distances over which supplies had to
> > travel to the armed forces, "they can take any kind of bad news right
> > on the chin."
>
> > The entire article here.
> >http://tinyurl.com/ypdvwl
>
> Have you ever seen or heard results of high school students surveyed
> about geography?
>
> I'm not going to try to remember specific percentages, but it really
> was an eye-opener as to just how many couldn't find the U.S. on a globe
> or map. *For other countries, it was worse.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I count myself with those who can't identify the states on a map of
just outlines. Same with Europe, Asia, Africa. I think we should all
join the people who sport the bumpersticker, "Shoot you TV".

Ed S.

"witfal" <nospam@all4.me> wrote in message
news:fpau3u$oid$1@news.albasani.net...
> On 2008-02-17 19:19:26 -0800, "edspyhill01@yahoo.com"
> <edspyhill01@yahoo.com> said:
>
>> Article excerpt:
>>
>> People accustomed to hearing their president explain complicated
>> policy choices by snapping "I'm the decider" may find it almost
>> impossible to imagine the pains that Franklin D. Roosevelt took, in
>> the grim months after Pearl Harbor, to explain why U.S. armed forces
>> were suffering one defeat after another in the Pacific. In February
>> 1942, Roosevelt urged Americans to spread out a map during his radio
>> "fireside chat" so that they might better understand the geography of
>> battle. In stores throughout the country, maps sold out; about 80
>> percent of American adults tuned in to hear the president. FDR had
>> told his speechwriters that he was certain that if Americans
>> understood the immensity of the distances over which supplies had to
>> travel to the armed forces, "they can take any kind of bad news right
>> on the chin."
>>
>> The entire article here.
>> http://tinyurl.com/ypdvwl
>
> Have you ever seen or heard results of high school students surveyed about
> geography?
>
> I'm not going to try to remember specific percentages, but it really was
> an eye-opener as to just how many couldn't find the U.S. on a globe or
> map. For other countries, it was worse.
>

http://video.fosfor.se/next-country-to-invade/

On 2008-02-18 02:58:30 -0800, "edspyhill01@yahoo.com"
<edspyhill01@yahoo.com> said:

>> Have you ever seen or heard results of high school students surveyed
>> about geography?
>>
>> I'm not going to try to remember specific percentages, but it really
>> was an eye-opener as to just how many couldn't find the U.S. on a globe
>> or map. *For other countries, it was worse.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> I count myself with those who can't identify the states on a map of
> just outlines. Same with Europe, Asia, Africa. I think we should all
> join the people who sport the bumpersticker, "Shoot you TV".

Possibly. I think the trouble goes to apathy.

On 2008-02-18 05:39:32 -0800, "JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis@yahoo.com> said:

>> Have you ever seen or heard results of high school students surveyed about
>> geography?
>>
>> I'm not going to try to remember specific percentages, but it really was
>> an eye-opener as to just how many couldn't find the U.S. on a globe or
>> map. For other countries, it was worse.
>>
>
> http://video.fosfor.se/next-country-to-invade/

I've seen that.

Incredible.

"witfal" <nospam@all4.me> wrote in message
news:fpau3u$oid$1@news.albasani.net...
> On 2008-02-17 19:19:26 -0800, "edspyhill01@yahoo.com"
> <edspyhill01@yahoo.com> said:
>
>> Article excerpt:
>>
>> People accustomed to hearing their president explain complicated
>> policy choices by snapping "I'm the decider" may find it almost
>> impossible to imagine the pains that Franklin D. Roosevelt took, in
>> the grim months after Pearl Harbor, to explain why U.S. armed forces
>> were suffering one defeat after another in the Pacific. In February
>> 1942, Roosevelt urged Americans to spread out a map during his radio
>> "fireside chat" so that they might better understand the geography of
>> battle. In stores throughout the country, maps sold out; about 80
>> percent of American adults tuned in to hear the president. FDR had
>> told his speechwriters that he was certain that if Americans
>> understood the immensity of the distances over which supplies had to
>> travel to the armed forces, "they can take any kind of bad news right
>> on the chin."
>>
>> The entire article here.
>> http://tinyurl.com/ypdvwl
>
> Have you ever seen or heard results of high school students surveyed about
> geography?
>
> I'm not going to try to remember specific percentages, but it really was
> an eye-opener as to just how many couldn't find the U.S. on a globe or
> map. For other countries, it was worse.
>


About ten years ago, a professor from R.I.T. somehow convinced the thruway
authority to let him post students at two toll booth locations for entry to
the NYS Thruway, which runs east and west in this part of the state. Must've
been off-peak timing, or drivers wouldn't have put up with this. Drivers
were asked one quick question: If you needed to go to (name of city) from
here, would you go east or west?

Over one third of drivers answered incorrectly. This was reported on the
nightly news in the segment normally reserved for silly things, like "dog
climbs tree and throws raw eggs on passersby".

On 2008-02-18 06:00:37 -0800, "JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis@yahoo.com> said:

> About ten years ago, a professor from R.I.T. somehow convinced the thruway
> authority to let him post students at two toll booth locations for entry to
> the NYS Thruway, which runs east and west in this part of the state. Must've
> been off-peak timing, or drivers wouldn't have put up with this. Drivers
> were asked one quick question: If you needed to go to (name of city) from
> here, would you go east or west?
>
> Over one third of drivers answered incorrectly. This was reported on the
> nightly news in the segment normally reserved for silly things, like "dog
> climbs tree and throws raw eggs on passersby".

Hmmm. West/east. Left/right. Liberal/conservative. One-third are
ignorant in the prof's survey.

Suppose this is why the Florida Fathead can't correctly discern between
latter pair?

"witfal" <nospam@all4.me> wrote in message
news:fpc39q$l78$1@news.albasani.net...
> On 2008-02-18 06:00:37 -0800, "JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis@yahoo.com>
> said:
>
>> About ten years ago, a professor from R.I.T. somehow convinced the
>> thruway
>> authority to let him post students at two toll booth locations for entry
>> to
>> the NYS Thruway, which runs east and west in this part of the state.
>> Must've
>> been off-peak timing, or drivers wouldn't have put up with this. Drivers
>> were asked one quick question: If you needed to go to (name of city)
>> from
>> here, would you go east or west?
>>
>> Over one third of drivers answered incorrectly. This was reported on the
>> nightly news in the segment normally reserved for silly things, like "dog
>> climbs tree and throws raw eggs on passersby".
>
> Hmmm. West/east. Left/right. Liberal/conservative. One-third are
> ignorant in the prof's survey.
>
> Suppose this is why the Florida Fathead can't correctly discern between
> latter pair?
>


My son made better guesses, and he was 8 at the time. "St.
Louis...Missouri...tornadoes...that's west, right?" Use one piece of
information to obtain another.

On 2008-02-18 06:10:15 -0800, "JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis@yahoo.com> said:

> My son made better guesses, and he was 8 at the time. "St.
> Louis...Missouri...tornadoes...that's west, right?" Use one piece of
> information to obtain another.

Deductive reasoning.

In middle school, my son was having a somewhat heated discussion about
guns with his history teacher. The teacher, as is so often the case
here, was on the side of gun control, saying in effect that the
Founding Fathers didn't consider automatic weapons when they wrote the
Second Amendment.

My son countered with, "They didn't consider radio and television when
they wrote the First Amendment."

Pin-drop time.