Thursday, December 17, 2009

A Number of Things. . .

Numbers are magical things. They can tell us much. . . or little. Let’s look at a few numbers that told us much this week.

44. . . As in 44%, which is the new low that Obama’s approval rating hit this week according to Rasmussen. Even more interesting, however, is the number 42, as in the 42% of Americans who strongly disapprove of Obama. Think about that. Obama’s total approval ratings, both those who strongly approve of him and those who kind of, sort of, guess they like him is only 2% above the number of people who strongly disapprove of him. Not good. For the record, his total disapproval is 55%. Oh, and among independents, only 36% offer their approval.

9. . . As in how many times higher the murder rate is in Brazil than in the worst US city. And that’s not the worst of it. In Brazil, 1 in 23 people “arrested” is killed by the police in the process. In the evil, old US of A, that number is 1 in 37,000. Yet the left complains about "abusive" American police.

1. . . The loneliest number that you’ll ever know. 2, not so much.

135. . . The number of developing countries at the 192-nation Copenhagen summit who staged a brief boycott because they are very upset that they will be expected to pay for their own efforts to fight global warming. They want rich countries to pay for their efforts.

40,584. . . The number of tons of carbon emitted by the delegates to Copenhagen in making their journey. This is the same amount Morocco emitted in 2006.

18. . . A proposal in England would make it a legal right to see your doctor within 18 weeks. Still prefer the English system to the American system?

19. . . The percentage of federal employees who make more than $100,000 a year.

71,000. . . The average salary at Club Fed. This compares to $40,331 in the private sector.

3,042,200,000. . . The number of dollars 276,300 Federal employees owe in back taxes.

1,900,000,000,000. . . The amount the Democrats want to add to the nation’s debt to pay for their insane spending, and a 2% raise for Federal employees.

4. . . The number of letters in the word “jobs”. Somebody tell Joe.

14,000. . . The pay raise Sen. Max Baucus gave one of his staffers after they started dating, and before he recommended her for the position of US Attorney in Montana.


36 comments:

  1. 2 can be as bad as one, it's the lonliest number since the number one . . .

    32 is the number of degrees at which the lips of the associated press stick to Obama's butt. To wit, an A.P. story about an AP/GFK poll that show Americans approve of his handling of the war, just not his Afghan policies. Sounds like a push poll to me.

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  2. 42 - The answer to life, the universe, and everything.

    47 - Seems to pop up all the time in the various Star Trek spinoffs. http://www.schlock.net/the47s.html

    30 - Right now, I'm in bedrest... day 30 of 30... I get up tomorrow! And two weeks from today, I fly back home, study completed.

    Re: "abusive American police" - I know whenever we get a speeding ticket, we all like to say things like, "Man, those guys have nothing better to do" but, after working at the Orange County Courthouse filing subpoenas and reading reports in the criminal division, lemme tell ya, cops have their work cut out for them. And I try not to complain, even when I do get a speeding ticket. :-)

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  3. Jed, That does sound like a push poll doesn't it? Sadly for the AP, I don't think anyone is buying it.

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  4. Scott, 42, good number! I still complain about speeding tickets -- especially since they never stop the bad drivers, just the speeders.

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  5. Andrew, that had a Louis the lip Farrakhan vibe to it, at the Million Man March (really 200,000 man march).

    “If 6 was 9, I don’t mind,” Jimi says! I don’t know why I typed that?

    “25 or 6 to 4.” Okay I’ll stop it.

    “Figures don’t lie but liars figure.” Sorry! What you’ve swerved into is the fact that the stimulus was a government savings plan, and more on the way. In Barry’s feeble mind government is the reason this is a great country, he’s soon going to get a lesson 2010. I don’t know who else read Sarah Palin’s book. When she became governor of Alaska. Her first order of business was to break up the old boy system, and she was successful and put that state in real surplus. Just a thought.

    “Move on back 2 squares.” Sorry!

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  6. Stan, You know Louis is a fan of numerology! I still remember his speech when he starting talking about how tall the statute of Lincoln was and how tall the statute of Jefferson was "and you know what that means."

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  7. StanH: It's scary that I instantly recognized each one of those numbers you cited.

    11 - The number of months left before we end one-party government in DC.

    3 - The number of years left before The One is shipped back to Chicago (at about 25 or 6 to 4, Stan?).

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  8. 50 - Number of state in the US of A. (Someone remind Obama)

    0 - Number of televised "fireside" chats by Franklin Roosevelt during the 1929 stock market crash and early Depression. (Someone remind Joe, oh and remind him that Hoover was President in 1929)

    1129 days, 23 hours, 41 minutes ( and counting) - time left on Obama administration

    3.14159265 - pi

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  9. Bev, Nice! You must be some sort of historian knowing about that 50 number -- something few Americans know. ;-)

    I love pi. . . especially cherry pi.

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  10. Tam, LOL! There is something about those numbers, but I can't seem to put my finger on it. . . something about a an island. . . hmmm.

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  11. Lawhawk, I think you broke Stan's code?

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  12. "The numbers are bad...The numbers are bad..." (Hurley)

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  13. LOL @ everyone! :)

    I heard the other day that something like 7 of the top 10 jobs that new college grads want are with the Feds - different agencies and whatnot. I guess I can see why, if they're paying better than the private sector and you don't need to pay your own taxes, either. :x

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  14. Yes Lawhawk, that’s it! I was typing like and idiot savant after I read Andrew’s post, …weird! It’s almost as if his post triggered some subliminal message. After all he is, a now not so secret member of the Fed, (Patti said) and therefore a dedicated part of the conspiracy. Thanks Lawhawk, I can get out of the closet now! : )

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  15. All I can say is SUPERLATIVE POST Andrew. It captures in a nutshell what these outta-be mental patients in Washington are doing to the country.

    All Hale November 2, 2010

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  16. More fun with numbers -

    $10,000 - Price per hour to fly Nancy P. and her Congressional cohorts to Copenhagen for the U.N. Climate Summit ($160,000* round trip)

    5 - Number of jets booked by Nancy P. and her Congressional cohorts to fly to Copenhagen roundtrip

    $800,000* - Price of flying Nancy P. and her Congressional cohorts to Copenhagen

    *does not including fee for keeping crew on the ground and/or housing for Nancy P. and her Congressional cohorts
    [source - NY Post 12/17/09 pg. 20]

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  17. Bev, What do we care about cost when the goal is so important. . . to get Nancy a nice vacation and a photo-op! You cynical taxpayer, you!


    CrispyRice, I heard that, and it makes sense. The government pays well, asks little, and you can't be fired. Of course, it sucks out your soul to work in that kind of environment, but it must sound pretty attractive to people looking for a little job security.

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  18. Stan, Ixnay on the EdFay -- that's top secret! By the way, not that I have any particular reason for asking, but could you post the serial numbers of every bill in your wallet right now. . . ;-)

    (P.S. Nice number sequence!)

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  19. Libertarian Advocate, Thanks! November 2010 can't come soon enough!

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  20. Actually Andrew, if all of our Congresspersons leave the country that means they are not in Washington trying to figure out how to spend more of our tax dollars. So, in the short run it's probably cheaper to pay for them to leave. Do you think there is a way to lock all the doors and turn off all the lights so when they fly back it will look like we moved? Maybe they'll just go to some other country for a while?

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  21. Bev, I like the way you think! LOL!

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  22. "3,042,200,000. . . The number of dollars 276,300 Federal employees owe in back taxes."

    They should be held accountable

    "1 is the lonlist number that you will ever know"
    hahaha

    "42"

    Scott you beat me to it!

    MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

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  23. Thanks Andrew - You know there's not gonna be anyone in D.C. this weekend! They're all in Copenhagen. Anyone interestd in a little coup d'etat? I could be on a train in an hour! Okay, if I am arrested for posting this and sent to an Obama re-education camp, I will tr.......

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  24. Bev, LOL! What a great idea! I can't wait to see you on the news tonight declaring a new government. I suspect you'll get a lot of support!

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  25. ACG, I see that we have a lot of Douglas Adams fans in the audience! Great!

    Merry Christmas to you too!

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  26. Free Bev, free Bev, free Bev!!!

    Bev we’ll start a new enterprise, you raise cane, and we’ll do the rest. There’ll be tee-shirts, mugs, we’re gonna get rich!

    Free Bev, free Bev, free Bev!!!

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  27. Cool, StanH - I always wanted to be a movement! "Free Bev"* t-shirts just in time for Christmas!
    Now where did I put my pitchfork?


    *copyright pending - All rights reserved 2009

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  28. Y'all make me laugh!

    Tam:
    2-2-10!

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  29. That’s cool Bev, don’t forget your torch. We need to commandeer the C-Span cameras and every thirty minutes remind people their “Free Bev” gear is available at 1-800-freebev for only $19.95. And if you order today we’ll include a box of safety matches, to keep those torches lit, and to fire up the tar cauldron, for a little one on one with your representatives. Please allow $4.50 for shipping and handling and allow 2 weeks for delivery. Order Now! LOL!

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  30. I like that! "Free Bev, Free Bev!" We should hold a rally in front of a CSPAN camera.

    With the White House gate crasher-scandal, the media would probably take this seriously enough to report it!

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  31. 5 - the number of fingers in my fist. they are just daring me to use it.

    2 - the date of my birthday in november which just happens to be election day 2010. instead of singing happy birthday to me, we can all sing, "na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye..." to the dems.

    6860325436 - drinks it's gonna take to help sooth the collective welps from this administration.

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  32. Patti, I hope you have a fantastic birthday next November. . . and may the birthday fairy bring you a whole new House and Senate!

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  33. Zero - the value of Pi at the sngularity of a black hole (as not able to be seen from our perspective).

    Speaking of singularities. Say Andrew do you know if there is a collapsing point to the national debt. This would be the point at which the debt becomes so massive it collapses in on itself sucking up everything around it into an oblivion from which nothing even light can escape.

    I think we are getting close. I feel tremors in the financial space time continuum on Wall Street.

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  34. Individualist, I don't know exactly where that point is, but we're getting close. I'd say the minute our credit rating drops, all hell will break loose.

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