yeah, but I didn't want to give too much away.

Why does this sadden you? You know a specific piece of information that someone else doesn't and that is wonderful. But step into the other position for a just a moment. Can you tell me the significance of Currahee without googling it?

It is one of those little factoids rattling around in my brain because it has a relationship to something I find fascinating therefore I've learned a bit about it. New Zealand has never grabbed my interest so I haven't spent any time learning about it. I don't find anything in that situation to be sad about.

Lookout, I'm not trying to single you out or even say this is applicable to you, but your response echoes other, similar responses I've gotten from people around me that I ask.

It saddens me because it seems that people become so narrow in their lives. They don't look beyond what they "need" to know in order to function in day-to-day life. No one can know everything, of course, but this world, the people in it, and the processes we contend with, its history, its science-- are so vast and amazing, and I think knowledge about it enriches one's life.

People say to me, why should I care?; How should I know that?; I was asleep in fourth grade; don't care, don't need it, don't care.

It's just sad.

I don't feel singled out or insulted I just find it amazing that you feel so strongly about this little bit of information that has exactly zero importance in the lives of 90% of the population. My point is that every single one of us has some knowledge that very few others we meet would know anything about. That's a good thing. If everyone in the cellar all had the same knowledge to fall back on then there wouldn't be much learning going on here. I don't find it sad in any way. I think it is pretty cool.

I don't think it is evidence of a narrowing of our lives but rather a widening. We know so many more bits and pieces about so many more things than previous generations did it is insane. I'd be willing to bet that the average dwellar has a much wider base of knowledge than previous generations. Previous generations did have access to info like we do and they didn't have as much down time to learn as we do. I don't know as much about carpentry as my grandfather did, but I know quite a bit more about a lot of things that he never even thought about.

I was saddened recently when nobody in my office remembered the cheesy single "More More More" by Andrea True Connection.

I think you make some good points. I shall have to ponder them . . .

I knew about the Maori (although more likely from the Discovery channel than school), but have no idea about Curahee.
Here's mine; what's the inscription on the Liberty Bell? Where is it from and what does it refer to? Partial credit awarded...

that's from National Treasure isn't it . . .

:p

No, it's from England, but its in Philadelphia. I didn't see Nation Treasure... looked like a DaVinci code ripoff.

You mean the Taco Liberty Bell?

The word looks familiar. . .

After reading the previous posts, I hope you will enlighten us as to why it's such a shame they aren't in the forefront of our minds.

it isn't. It's a shame they aren't lurking around there somewhere though . . .

it's like . . . never having heard of Hawaii or something, I don't know.

Ignorance is bliss, or so they say.

I guess I will remain ignorant of the Maori.

well, you can look at the links I posted. If you want.

uh . . . I have more, too!

Now I want to visit New Zealand, dammit!

I first learned of them when I read this book sometime as a teen, but they've come up other times as well.