Monday, February 10, 2003
Hey! I just got spammed! Logged onto Hotmail to check my email and had about 25 emails that had bounced back to me. They were of the typical nasty spam sort about making something or other bigger and more attractive to women. Slight problem. I didn't send them, but they bounced back to me anyway. Some lousy spammer forged my email in the return address of their mass mailing. I took a screen shot of my Hotmail inbox at work. I'll see if I can't it posted on my webpage later after I get off. I guess there is an odd chance that I could lose the Hotmail account, but that's why I have 4 or 5 backup email accounts :)
Thursday, January 09, 2003
An email I just got says the following....
How Taxes Work
The author of the following article is: Thomas L. Davies, LL.M., M.P.A.,
C.P.A., Professor and Chairman of the University of South Dakota School of
Business, Accounting and Business Law Division.
(In South Dakota, it is obviously too cold to play outside. You don't see
stuff like this coming from any warm-weather area educator.)
You might like this....
This is a VERY simple way to understand the tax laws. Read on - it does
make you think!!
Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that every
day, ten men go out for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100. If they
paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men -- the poorest -- would pay nothing; the fifth would pay
$1, the sixth would pay $3, the seventh $7, the eighth $12, the ninth $18
and the tenth man -- the richest -- would pay $59.
That's what they decided to do. The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant
every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement -- until one day,
the owner threw them a curve (in tax language, a tax cut).
"Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the
cost of your daily meal by $20." So now dinner for the ten only cost $80.00.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the
first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what
about the other six -- the paying customers? How could they divvy up the
$20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?"
The six men realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they
subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth
man would end up being PAID to eat their meal. So the restaurant owner
suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the
same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so the fifth man paid nothing, the sixth pitched in $2, the seventh paid
$5, the eighth paid $9, the ninth paid $12, leaving the tenth man with a
bill of $52 instead of his earlier $59. Each of the six was better off than
before. And the first four continued to eat for free.
But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man, "but he,"
pointing to the tenth, "got $7!" "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth
man, "I only saved a dollar, too...it's unfair that he got seven times
more than me!"
"That's true!" shouted the seventh man, "why should he get $7 back when I
got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!" "Wait a minute," yelled the
first four men in unison, "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night he didn't
show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it
came time to pay the bill, they discovered, a little late, what was very
important. They were FIFTY-TWO DOLLARS short of paying the bill!
Imagine that!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college instructors, is how the
tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most
benefit from a tax reduction.
Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy,
and they just may not show up at the table anymore.
Where would that leave the rest? Unfortunately, most taxing authorities
cannot seem to grasp this rather straight-forward logic!
T. Davies
Professor of Accounting & Chair,
Division of Accounting and Business Law
The University of South Dakota
School of Business
414 E. Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
Subject: Taxes
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered
that ball-point pens would not work in 0 gravity. To combat this problem,
NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 million developing a pen that writes
in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including
glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300 C.
The Russians used a pencil.
Enjoy paying your taxes.
*
How Taxes Work
The author of the following article is: Thomas L. Davies, LL.M., M.P.A.,
C.P.A., Professor and Chairman of the University of South Dakota School of
Business, Accounting and Business Law Division.
(In South Dakota, it is obviously too cold to play outside. You don't see
stuff like this coming from any warm-weather area educator.)
You might like this....
This is a VERY simple way to understand the tax laws. Read on - it does
make you think!!
Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that every
day, ten men go out for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100. If they
paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men -- the poorest -- would pay nothing; the fifth would pay
$1, the sixth would pay $3, the seventh $7, the eighth $12, the ninth $18
and the tenth man -- the richest -- would pay $59.
That's what they decided to do. The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant
every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement -- until one day,
the owner threw them a curve (in tax language, a tax cut).
"Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the
cost of your daily meal by $20." So now dinner for the ten only cost $80.00.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the
first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what
about the other six -- the paying customers? How could they divvy up the
$20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?"
The six men realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they
subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth
man would end up being PAID to eat their meal. So the restaurant owner
suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the
same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so the fifth man paid nothing, the sixth pitched in $2, the seventh paid
$5, the eighth paid $9, the ninth paid $12, leaving the tenth man with a
bill of $52 instead of his earlier $59. Each of the six was better off than
before. And the first four continued to eat for free.
But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man, "but he,"
pointing to the tenth, "got $7!" "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth
man, "I only saved a dollar, too...it's unfair that he got seven times
more than me!"
"That's true!" shouted the seventh man, "why should he get $7 back when I
got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!" "Wait a minute," yelled the
first four men in unison, "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night he didn't
show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it
came time to pay the bill, they discovered, a little late, what was very
important. They were FIFTY-TWO DOLLARS short of paying the bill!
Imagine that!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college instructors, is how the
tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most
benefit from a tax reduction.
Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy,
and they just may not show up at the table anymore.
Where would that leave the rest? Unfortunately, most taxing authorities
cannot seem to grasp this rather straight-forward logic!
T. Davies
Professor of Accounting & Chair,
Division of Accounting and Business Law
The University of South Dakota
School of Business
414 E. Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
Subject: Taxes
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered
that ball-point pens would not work in 0 gravity. To combat this problem,
NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 million developing a pen that writes
in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including
glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300 C.
The Russians used a pencil.
Enjoy paying your taxes.
*
Strangest state tax laws
You'll pay taxes on illegal drugs in 'Bama and on Pepsi in Chicago. But wait, there's more.
January 7, 2003: 1:26 PM EST
By Annelena Lobb, CNN/Money Staff Writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) � Like it or not, taxes are a fact of life. From paycheck deductions to the added cost of eating out, it's the price we pay for social programs, highway maintenance and public schools.
Not all taxes, however, are rooted in common sense. Some, in fact, are downright bizarre.
In certain parts of the country, you'll pay the government special taxes for takeout food, for buying a deck of cards, or even for possessing illegal drugs. And with state budgets becoming increasingly pinched, experts say miscellaneous taxes are on the rise -- from a new "jock tax" in Cincinnati to a 200 percent increase in sales tax on liquor in Alaska.
"Many of these taxes are desperate measures states [undertook] to raise funds," said John Barry, chief economist at the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.
Here are some of the most peculiar taxes around.
Illegal drug tax
So you pay a tax and get prosecuted? Well, yes. Seventeen states, including Alabama and North Carolina, tax people involved in illegal drug transactions, from use to possession to distribution and sales. The rate varies according to the substance you (well, not you, of course) have, said David Hoffman, a Tax Foundation economist who studies miscellaneous taxes.
In Alabama, marijuana gets taxed at $3.50 a gram. (Other tax values are determined from the marijuana tax values -- if a gram of cocaine, for example, costs 10 times what a gram of marijuana costs, then cocaine would be taxed at 10 times the tax for marijuana, or $35 a gram. Confusing, but true.)
In North Carolina, the rules are stranger still. Within 48 hours of obtaining a fixed quantity of illegal drugs or alcohol, buyers must purchase stamps from the state and affix them to the controlled substance. If the person gets busted without stamps, they still must pay the tax.
Those who purchase the stamps need not provide personal identification information to the Department of Revenue. Still, there aren't lines outside the door.
Since the law was enacted in 1990, just 63 people have purchased drug stamps -- many of whom are believed to be collectors. Meanwhile, the state has assessed some 60,000 fines for failure to display the stamps, collecting nearly $68 million in revenue to date.
Oh, by the way, according to the Unauthorized Substances Tax Web site, purchasing stamps doesn't give you legal possession of the drugs. It only fulfills your "civil unauthorized substance tax obligation." Stamps or no stamps, you're still breaking the law.
Jock tax
Cities and states also levy taxes on the income earned by athletes, entertainers (OK, not just jocks) and their various entourages. Any money earned while playing in that particular city or state gets taxed. California levied the first jock tax in 1991, on athletes from Chicago, right after the Chicago Bulls beat the L.A. Lakers. (Chicago quickly responded in kind.)
Cincinnati just passed a jock tax two weeks ago of 2.1 percent, intended to help close a $35 million city deficit, Hoffman said.
"If the Dallas Cowboys play the Bengals in Cinci, and they're in town Friday through Saturday, then each player, as well as everyone else traveling with their team, will be taxed on three days salary � and the Cowboys are from a state with no income tax," Hoffman said.
Today, every state with a professional sports team and an income tax has a jock tax.
Playing card tax
If you want a deck of cards in the state of Alabama, be prepared to shell out an extra dime. The state government has levied a 10-cent tax on the purchase of a playing deck that contains "no more than 54 cards". If you object to this, get your playing cards in a different state, or buy a deck with an extra joker.
Wagering tax
Speaking of cards � and chips � and dollar signs, most people know they'll have to report gambling winnings and pay the piper on April 15. But you might also pay a tax just for entering a casino, even if you don't gamble. Consider it a cover charge.
The "wagering tax" typically is levied on the state level, in states like Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Illinois, which all have legalized gambling. It's initially levied on casino or track owners, Hoffman said. But they pass it along to consumers in admissions prices. Sometimes consumers pay the tax directly: in Illinois, for example, the gross receipts of riverboat casinos are taxed, and so are individual admissions.
Takeout tax
Would you like fries with that? The City of Chicago has levied a 0.5 percent charge on all carryout food, technically called the "anti-litter" tax. This applies to everything from your Happy Meal to a vendor-sold hot dog. Washington, D.C., has the takeout tax as well.
Fountain soda drink tax
This one also hails from Chicago. If you buy a "fountain soda drink" � your basic Coke or Pepsi, as long as it's not from a can or bottle � you'll pay a flat rate of 9 percent on it to the city of Chicago.
Amusement tax
Ever wondered about the extra tax you pay on stadium seats? That's the amusement tax, often levied at both city and state levels. Most states, including Massachusetts, Virginia and Maryland, and cities like New Orleans, have amusement taxes on tickets sold at any venue with more than 750 to 1,000 seats.
Amusing, isn't it?
--*Disclaimer
You'll pay taxes on illegal drugs in 'Bama and on Pepsi in Chicago. But wait, there's more.
January 7, 2003: 1:26 PM EST
By Annelena Lobb, CNN/Money Staff Writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) � Like it or not, taxes are a fact of life. From paycheck deductions to the added cost of eating out, it's the price we pay for social programs, highway maintenance and public schools.
Not all taxes, however, are rooted in common sense. Some, in fact, are downright bizarre.
In certain parts of the country, you'll pay the government special taxes for takeout food, for buying a deck of cards, or even for possessing illegal drugs. And with state budgets becoming increasingly pinched, experts say miscellaneous taxes are on the rise -- from a new "jock tax" in Cincinnati to a 200 percent increase in sales tax on liquor in Alaska.
"Many of these taxes are desperate measures states [undertook] to raise funds," said John Barry, chief economist at the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.
Here are some of the most peculiar taxes around.
Illegal drug tax
So you pay a tax and get prosecuted? Well, yes. Seventeen states, including Alabama and North Carolina, tax people involved in illegal drug transactions, from use to possession to distribution and sales. The rate varies according to the substance you (well, not you, of course) have, said David Hoffman, a Tax Foundation economist who studies miscellaneous taxes.
In Alabama, marijuana gets taxed at $3.50 a gram. (Other tax values are determined from the marijuana tax values -- if a gram of cocaine, for example, costs 10 times what a gram of marijuana costs, then cocaine would be taxed at 10 times the tax for marijuana, or $35 a gram. Confusing, but true.)
In North Carolina, the rules are stranger still. Within 48 hours of obtaining a fixed quantity of illegal drugs or alcohol, buyers must purchase stamps from the state and affix them to the controlled substance. If the person gets busted without stamps, they still must pay the tax.
Those who purchase the stamps need not provide personal identification information to the Department of Revenue. Still, there aren't lines outside the door.
Since the law was enacted in 1990, just 63 people have purchased drug stamps -- many of whom are believed to be collectors. Meanwhile, the state has assessed some 60,000 fines for failure to display the stamps, collecting nearly $68 million in revenue to date.
Oh, by the way, according to the Unauthorized Substances Tax Web site, purchasing stamps doesn't give you legal possession of the drugs. It only fulfills your "civil unauthorized substance tax obligation." Stamps or no stamps, you're still breaking the law.
Jock tax
Cities and states also levy taxes on the income earned by athletes, entertainers (OK, not just jocks) and their various entourages. Any money earned while playing in that particular city or state gets taxed. California levied the first jock tax in 1991, on athletes from Chicago, right after the Chicago Bulls beat the L.A. Lakers. (Chicago quickly responded in kind.)
Cincinnati just passed a jock tax two weeks ago of 2.1 percent, intended to help close a $35 million city deficit, Hoffman said.
"If the Dallas Cowboys play the Bengals in Cinci, and they're in town Friday through Saturday, then each player, as well as everyone else traveling with their team, will be taxed on three days salary � and the Cowboys are from a state with no income tax," Hoffman said.
Today, every state with a professional sports team and an income tax has a jock tax.
Playing card tax
If you want a deck of cards in the state of Alabama, be prepared to shell out an extra dime. The state government has levied a 10-cent tax on the purchase of a playing deck that contains "no more than 54 cards". If you object to this, get your playing cards in a different state, or buy a deck with an extra joker.
Wagering tax
Speaking of cards � and chips � and dollar signs, most people know they'll have to report gambling winnings and pay the piper on April 15. But you might also pay a tax just for entering a casino, even if you don't gamble. Consider it a cover charge.
The "wagering tax" typically is levied on the state level, in states like Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Illinois, which all have legalized gambling. It's initially levied on casino or track owners, Hoffman said. But they pass it along to consumers in admissions prices. Sometimes consumers pay the tax directly: in Illinois, for example, the gross receipts of riverboat casinos are taxed, and so are individual admissions.
Takeout tax
Would you like fries with that? The City of Chicago has levied a 0.5 percent charge on all carryout food, technically called the "anti-litter" tax. This applies to everything from your Happy Meal to a vendor-sold hot dog. Washington, D.C., has the takeout tax as well.
Fountain soda drink tax
This one also hails from Chicago. If you buy a "fountain soda drink" � your basic Coke or Pepsi, as long as it's not from a can or bottle � you'll pay a flat rate of 9 percent on it to the city of Chicago.
Amusement tax
Ever wondered about the extra tax you pay on stadium seats? That's the amusement tax, often levied at both city and state levels. Most states, including Massachusetts, Virginia and Maryland, and cities like New Orleans, have amusement taxes on tickets sold at any venue with more than 750 to 1,000 seats.
Amusing, isn't it?
--*Disclaimer
Saturday, November 23, 2002
Here's an example of the public school you are paying for with your tax dollars:
GRADE SCHOOL SICK: Kindergartener allegedly performs sex act on classmate...
Report of sex in kindergarten investigated
Saturday, November 23, 2002
BY PETE SHELLEM
Of The Patriot-News
Harrisburg School District and county authorities are investigating allegations that a 5-year-old kindergarten girl performed oral sex on a male classmate in school last week.
City spokesman Randy King said the incident took place Nov. 15 in a classroom at Melrose Elementary School.
It wasn't clear yesterday where the teacher was at the time. She left a memo for the principal detailing the incident before she went on leave earlier this week and has yet to be interviewed. King said the teacher has a terminally ill relative and is out of town.
District officials learned of the incident after a classmate told her mother last weekend. The mother notified school district officials Monday, and they immediately launched an investigation.
Harrisburg police have turned the matter over to county social service agencies because of the age of the children.
There will be no criminal charges, King said, because of the children's age and because the act was not forced.
"However, Children and Youth Services will be investigating the matter," King said. "Children of this age who engage in such conduct don't necessarily get this from television."
The boy's mother contacted the news media yesterday, saying the school district was being unresponsive to her inquiries about the incident.
The mother, whose name is being withheld by The Patriot-News to protect the identity of the child, said that when the girl who performed the act was questioned, she admitted she had done it.
The mother said she wasn't immediately notified, and after she was, district officials told her the matter had been turned over to Dauphin County Children and Youth, told her to get her son counseling and refused to discuss it further.
She said she is concerned for her son as well as the girl, because she feels a child exhibiting such behavior may be being abused.
"This isn't kids fighting or cutting up in school," the mother said. "This is a serious matter."
District solicitor Nate Waters said that while the incident has been turned over to social service agencies, it is still not clear exactly what happened.
"Nobody that I have talked to has assured me that these things have happened," Waters said. "We don't want to keep on moving on with hearsay from 5-year-olds. We're currently attempting to contact the teacher and get some answers."
Waters said he doesn't doubt the incident took place.
"We're trying not to sensationalize 5-year-olds having sex," Waters said. "We don't want to alarm people who have 5-year-olds in classes all over the city.
"This has never happened before to my knowledge and very likely is never going to happen again," he said. PETE SHELLEM: 255-8156 or pshellem@patriot-news.com
GRADE SCHOOL SICK: Kindergartener allegedly performs sex act on classmate...
Report of sex in kindergarten investigated
Saturday, November 23, 2002
BY PETE SHELLEM
Of The Patriot-News
Harrisburg School District and county authorities are investigating allegations that a 5-year-old kindergarten girl performed oral sex on a male classmate in school last week.
City spokesman Randy King said the incident took place Nov. 15 in a classroom at Melrose Elementary School.
It wasn't clear yesterday where the teacher was at the time. She left a memo for the principal detailing the incident before she went on leave earlier this week and has yet to be interviewed. King said the teacher has a terminally ill relative and is out of town.
District officials learned of the incident after a classmate told her mother last weekend. The mother notified school district officials Monday, and they immediately launched an investigation.
Harrisburg police have turned the matter over to county social service agencies because of the age of the children.
There will be no criminal charges, King said, because of the children's age and because the act was not forced.
"However, Children and Youth Services will be investigating the matter," King said. "Children of this age who engage in such conduct don't necessarily get this from television."
The boy's mother contacted the news media yesterday, saying the school district was being unresponsive to her inquiries about the incident.
The mother, whose name is being withheld by The Patriot-News to protect the identity of the child, said that when the girl who performed the act was questioned, she admitted she had done it.
The mother said she wasn't immediately notified, and after she was, district officials told her the matter had been turned over to Dauphin County Children and Youth, told her to get her son counseling and refused to discuss it further.
She said she is concerned for her son as well as the girl, because she feels a child exhibiting such behavior may be being abused.
"This isn't kids fighting or cutting up in school," the mother said. "This is a serious matter."
District solicitor Nate Waters said that while the incident has been turned over to social service agencies, it is still not clear exactly what happened.
"Nobody that I have talked to has assured me that these things have happened," Waters said. "We don't want to keep on moving on with hearsay from 5-year-olds. We're currently attempting to contact the teacher and get some answers."
Waters said he doesn't doubt the incident took place.
"We're trying not to sensationalize 5-year-olds having sex," Waters said. "We don't want to alarm people who have 5-year-olds in classes all over the city.
"This has never happened before to my knowledge and very likely is never going to happen again," he said. PETE SHELLEM: 255-8156 or pshellem@patriot-news.com
Wednesday, November 20, 2002
You know... I hate paying school taxes. I mean what's the point? I'm not attending a public school. I don't have any kids, and those kids that I don't have aren't attending a public school. Yahoo! has a news story which tells me that the public school system isn't up to snuff. GRRR!!
Young Americans flunk geography, according to National Geographic quiz survey
Wed Nov 20, 9:43 AM ET
By PAUL RECER, AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON - Ask young people to pick out Iraq on a map of the Middle East, and only 13 percent can locate it � despite a barrage of headlines and broadcast reports about a possible war against President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).
Same goes for Israel or Iran, according to a National Geographic (news - web sites) study that finds there has been little to no improvement in students' knowledge of geography since 1988.
The society survey released Wednesday found that only about one in seven of Americans between the age of 18 and 24, the prime age for military warriors, could find Iraq. The score was the same for Iran, an Iraqi neighbor.
Although the majority, 58 percent, of the young Americans surveyed knew that the Taliban and al-Qaida were based in Afghanistan (news - web sites), only 17 percent could find that country on a world map. A U.S.-led force attacked the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan in October 2001, and President Bush (news - web sites) has said he is prepared to use force to rid Iraq of any chemical, nuclear or biological weapons programs.
The survey asked 56 geographic and current events questions of young people in nine countries and scored the results with traditional grades. The surveyed Americans got a "D," with an average of 23 correct answers. Mexico ranked last with an average score of 21, just three points from a failing grade.
Topping the scoring was Sweden, with an average of 40, followed by Germany and Italy, each with 38. None of the countries got an "A," which required average scores of 42 correct answers or better on the 56 questions.
"If our young people can't find places on a map and lack awareness of current events, how can they understand the world's cultural, economic and natural resource issues that confront us?" John Fahey, president of the National Geographic Society, said in a statement.
National Geographic is convening an international panel of policy makers and business and media leaders to find ways to improve geographic education and to encourage interest in world affairs, the society said.
Other findings from the survey:
_Thirty-four percent of the young Americans knew that the island used on last season's "Survivor" television show was located in the South Pacific, but only 30 percent could locate the state of New Jersey on a map. The "Survivor" show's location was the Marquesas Islands in the eastern South Pacific.
_When asked to find 10 specific states on a map of the United States, only California and Texas could be located by a large majority of those surveyed. Both states were correctly located by 89 percent of the participants. Only 51 percent could find New York, the nation's third most populous state.
_On a world map, Americans could find on average only seven of 16 countries in the quiz. Only 89 percent of the Americans surveyed could find their own country on the map.
_In the world map test, Swedes could find an average of 13 of the 16 countries. Germans and Italians were next, with an average of 12 each.
_Only 71 percent of the surveyed Americans could locate on the map the Pacific Ocean, the world's largest body of water. Worldwide, three in 10 of those surveyed could not correctly locate the Pacific Ocean.
_Although 81 percent of the surveyed Americans knew that the Middle East is the Earth's largest oil exporter, only 24 percent could find Saudi Arabia on the map.
The international survey was conducted for the National Geographic by RoperASW. The results are based on face-to-face interviews with at least 300 men and women aged 18 to 24 in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Britain and the United States.
The questionnaires were in the local language, but the content was universally the same.
Young Americans flunk geography, according to National Geographic quiz survey
Wed Nov 20, 9:43 AM ET
By PAUL RECER, AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON - Ask young people to pick out Iraq on a map of the Middle East, and only 13 percent can locate it � despite a barrage of headlines and broadcast reports about a possible war against President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).
Same goes for Israel or Iran, according to a National Geographic (news - web sites) study that finds there has been little to no improvement in students' knowledge of geography since 1988.
The society survey released Wednesday found that only about one in seven of Americans between the age of 18 and 24, the prime age for military warriors, could find Iraq. The score was the same for Iran, an Iraqi neighbor.
Although the majority, 58 percent, of the young Americans surveyed knew that the Taliban and al-Qaida were based in Afghanistan (news - web sites), only 17 percent could find that country on a world map. A U.S.-led force attacked the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan in October 2001, and President Bush (news - web sites) has said he is prepared to use force to rid Iraq of any chemical, nuclear or biological weapons programs.
The survey asked 56 geographic and current events questions of young people in nine countries and scored the results with traditional grades. The surveyed Americans got a "D," with an average of 23 correct answers. Mexico ranked last with an average score of 21, just three points from a failing grade.
Topping the scoring was Sweden, with an average of 40, followed by Germany and Italy, each with 38. None of the countries got an "A," which required average scores of 42 correct answers or better on the 56 questions.
"If our young people can't find places on a map and lack awareness of current events, how can they understand the world's cultural, economic and natural resource issues that confront us?" John Fahey, president of the National Geographic Society, said in a statement.
National Geographic is convening an international panel of policy makers and business and media leaders to find ways to improve geographic education and to encourage interest in world affairs, the society said.
Other findings from the survey:
_Thirty-four percent of the young Americans knew that the island used on last season's "Survivor" television show was located in the South Pacific, but only 30 percent could locate the state of New Jersey on a map. The "Survivor" show's location was the Marquesas Islands in the eastern South Pacific.
_When asked to find 10 specific states on a map of the United States, only California and Texas could be located by a large majority of those surveyed. Both states were correctly located by 89 percent of the participants. Only 51 percent could find New York, the nation's third most populous state.
_On a world map, Americans could find on average only seven of 16 countries in the quiz. Only 89 percent of the Americans surveyed could find their own country on the map.
_In the world map test, Swedes could find an average of 13 of the 16 countries. Germans and Italians were next, with an average of 12 each.
_Only 71 percent of the surveyed Americans could locate on the map the Pacific Ocean, the world's largest body of water. Worldwide, three in 10 of those surveyed could not correctly locate the Pacific Ocean.
_Although 81 percent of the surveyed Americans knew that the Middle East is the Earth's largest oil exporter, only 24 percent could find Saudi Arabia on the map.
The international survey was conducted for the National Geographic by RoperASW. The results are based on face-to-face interviews with at least 300 men and women aged 18 to 24 in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Britain and the United States.
The questionnaires were in the local language, but the content was universally the same.
Wednesday, November 13, 2002
Corona Coming Attractions is reporting the running time for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. All I have to say is YES! a real movie! Not one of those silly hour and a half waste of time. If TTT is anything like The Lord of the Rings, it's going to be worth my $8.00! (more than one once probably :) )
November 12, 2002... According to a scooper at TheOneRing.net, the running time for The Two Towers (credits included) is a whopping 2 hours, 59 minutes, 9 seconds! [Source: TheOneRing.net.]
November 12, 2002... According to a scooper at TheOneRing.net, the running time for The Two Towers (credits included) is a whopping 2 hours, 59 minutes, 9 seconds! [Source: TheOneRing.net.]
Someone named mstate2002 posted their NFL power rankings... http://www.sportsline.com/messages/message/5882946/1037162955-mstate2002 I don't know... it made me laugh.
Posted by mstate2002
Nov 12, 10:49 pm
1. packers
2. bucs
3. raiders
4. eagles
5. chargers
6. broncos
7. patriots
8. falcons
9. dolphins
10. steelers
11. rams
12, 49ers
13. saints
14. cheifs
15.ills
16.lioms
17.titams
18,giats
19.colts
20.ravems
21.jags
22.redskis
23.cards
24.pathers
25.jets
26.ears
27.seahawks
28.clev.
29.cowoys
30.vikes
31.hous.
32.gals
Posted by mstate2002
Nov 12, 10:49 pm
1. packers
2. bucs
3. raiders
4. eagles
5. chargers
6. broncos
7. patriots
8. falcons
9. dolphins
10. steelers
11. rams
12, 49ers
13. saints
14. cheifs
15.ills
16.lioms
17.titams
18,giats
19.colts
20.ravems
21.jags
22.redskis
23.cards
24.pathers
25.jets
26.ears
27.seahawks
28.clev.
29.cowoys
30.vikes
31.hous.
32.gals
Sunday, November 03, 2002
Saturday, October 12, 2002
Interesting, very interesting! click here for the original
Next Trek Series: Star Trek Mariner?
Entered by Vinnie Goodson 10/6/2002 8:09:13 PM
Vinnie landed a big one here, folks. I had heard similar rumors a few weeks ago, but nothing as detailed, or as definitive. Expect confirmation from the other rumor outlets on at least parts of this. WARNING: This blog has some minor Star Trek: Nemesis spoilers in it.--- FACER
Take this with a heaping bag of salt, but my Hollywood contacts have some very important things to say about Star Trek: Nemesis.
As you'll recall, the script leaked on the Internet did not have an appearance by the 'Titan,' Riker's new command. My scooper, let's call him Jeffrey, says that it was originally a Galaxy-class starship seen departing from the same spacedock the Enterprise-E is being dragged into. Why would that change?
Scooper 2, 'Beatrice', says that the design team behind the Prometheus and Equinox were brought in for an emergency ship design two months ago. An inhouse FX crew at Paramount was also 'set aside' to 'touch-up' Digital Domain's final CGI shot (the 'gaping hole' in the bridge with Blue Skies playing in the background).
Now you're probably saying, 'Who cares? Paramount just wants a new ship to sell models with.' Normally I'd say you're right, but a new scooper who wants to call himself 'the Bendmeister' says that Paramount wants to bleed Trek dry a little faster.
That's right, Series 6 ... while Enterprise is still filming. Since Picard and Co. are too expensive, they'll be reserved for feature films, while Riker, Troi, and the Titan (expect the name to change; Bendmeister says 'Mariner' is a top candidate) will start on Series 6.
What's more, Paramount execs, reportedly 'very disappointed' with the first season of Enterprise, want to continue the 'fresh blood' idea that brought Stuart Baird and John Logan into Nemesis and shift B&B to Series 6, if Dumb & Dumber don't clean up their act by the fourth season. If they don't, they're shifted to Series 6, along with executive producer Jonathan Frakes.
But who'll take over Enterprise? REALLY fresh blood. Paramount wants someone not involved with Trek at all in control, with a few veterans in charge of continuity and stuff. Who would the veterans be? Stewart and Spiner, who no more then a few years ago were rumored to be behind a 'takeover' of the Trek franchise, would be 'punished' with babysitter duties. B&B want them out entirely (not just their characters) and S&S want both series under control. Apparently, Paramount's idea of a 'compromise' is everyone's unhappy.
What's more, Enterprise will parallel the formation of the Federation with Series 6's fall of the Federation, in which "the UFP will lose over half its territories to a new, completely alien foe that Future Guy works for." The Titan/Mariner, an untested ship, will be in charge of making sure established threats (like the Remans, Borg, and Dominion) don't cause any trouble. If all goes as planned, Series 7 will chronicle the restoration of the UFP to its former glory, with "a fan favorite enemy from TOS joining the Federation."
That's about as far as anyone's established the franchise, but the real questions are: Will B&B be able to prove themselves and Enterprise to Paramount? And Who will land in control of Series 7? A franchise can't compete against itself and if the two Treks a week don't work (and from DS9 and Voyager, we know they probably won't), then the winning successful production team will take over Series 7.
Of course, this is all hearsay, unverified rumors, but it has a slight ring of truth. Paramount bringing in new-comers suggests an unhappiness with B&B and Spiner's recent 'assimilation' of the story in Nemesis shows that the usurpers still have a desire to dethrone the reigning writers. Is this the real future of Trek? Only time can tell.
Next Trek Series: Star Trek Mariner?
Entered by Vinnie Goodson 10/6/2002 8:09:13 PM
Vinnie landed a big one here, folks. I had heard similar rumors a few weeks ago, but nothing as detailed, or as definitive. Expect confirmation from the other rumor outlets on at least parts of this. WARNING: This blog has some minor Star Trek: Nemesis spoilers in it.--- FACER
Take this with a heaping bag of salt, but my Hollywood contacts have some very important things to say about Star Trek: Nemesis.
As you'll recall, the script leaked on the Internet did not have an appearance by the 'Titan,' Riker's new command. My scooper, let's call him Jeffrey, says that it was originally a Galaxy-class starship seen departing from the same spacedock the Enterprise-E is being dragged into. Why would that change?
Scooper 2, 'Beatrice', says that the design team behind the Prometheus and Equinox were brought in for an emergency ship design two months ago. An inhouse FX crew at Paramount was also 'set aside' to 'touch-up' Digital Domain's final CGI shot (the 'gaping hole' in the bridge with Blue Skies playing in the background).
Now you're probably saying, 'Who cares? Paramount just wants a new ship to sell models with.' Normally I'd say you're right, but a new scooper who wants to call himself 'the Bendmeister' says that Paramount wants to bleed Trek dry a little faster.
That's right, Series 6 ... while Enterprise is still filming. Since Picard and Co. are too expensive, they'll be reserved for feature films, while Riker, Troi, and the Titan (expect the name to change; Bendmeister says 'Mariner' is a top candidate) will start on Series 6.
What's more, Paramount execs, reportedly 'very disappointed' with the first season of Enterprise, want to continue the 'fresh blood' idea that brought Stuart Baird and John Logan into Nemesis and shift B&B to Series 6, if Dumb & Dumber don't clean up their act by the fourth season. If they don't, they're shifted to Series 6, along with executive producer Jonathan Frakes.
But who'll take over Enterprise? REALLY fresh blood. Paramount wants someone not involved with Trek at all in control, with a few veterans in charge of continuity and stuff. Who would the veterans be? Stewart and Spiner, who no more then a few years ago were rumored to be behind a 'takeover' of the Trek franchise, would be 'punished' with babysitter duties. B&B want them out entirely (not just their characters) and S&S want both series under control. Apparently, Paramount's idea of a 'compromise' is everyone's unhappy.
What's more, Enterprise will parallel the formation of the Federation with Series 6's fall of the Federation, in which "the UFP will lose over half its territories to a new, completely alien foe that Future Guy works for." The Titan/Mariner, an untested ship, will be in charge of making sure established threats (like the Remans, Borg, and Dominion) don't cause any trouble. If all goes as planned, Series 7 will chronicle the restoration of the UFP to its former glory, with "a fan favorite enemy from TOS joining the Federation."
That's about as far as anyone's established the franchise, but the real questions are: Will B&B be able to prove themselves and Enterprise to Paramount? And Who will land in control of Series 7? A franchise can't compete against itself and if the two Treks a week don't work (and from DS9 and Voyager, we know they probably won't), then the winning successful production team will take over Series 7.
Of course, this is all hearsay, unverified rumors, but it has a slight ring of truth. Paramount bringing in new-comers suggests an unhappiness with B&B and Spiner's recent 'assimilation' of the story in Nemesis shows that the usurpers still have a desire to dethrone the reigning writers. Is this the real future of Trek? Only time can tell.
Tuesday, October 08, 2002
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