America: by the numbers

Eolas Pellor · #1 (**permalink**) 1st August 2007, 05:04 PM

Found this today. Some of it is fascinating:

Quote:

80: Percent of American men who say they would marry the same woman if they had to do it over again.

50: Percent of American women who say they would marry the same man if they had to do it over again.

13: Average number of Americans killed each year from vending machines falling on them.

1 in 4: Chances of a White Christmas in New York City.

61,000: Average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour.

7 pitches: Average life span of a major league baseball.

60: Percent of American atheists and agnostics who say they own at least one Bible.

50: Number of states that claim test scores in their elementary schools are above average.

1 in 7: Chances that a burglary in the U.S. will be solved.

25: Percent of men who are 6 feet or taller.

4: Percent of men who were 6 feet or taller in 1900.

6 hours, 47 minutes: Time in a day that a TV is turned on in an average American home.

66: Percentage of Americans who regularly watch TV during dinner.

49: Percent of Americans who say they watch too much TV.
4,000: Approximate number of studies that have been made on TV's impact on children.

8,000: Estimated number of murders a child sees on TV by the time he or she finishes elementary school.

2 million: Approximate number of TV commercials having been seen by an American who reaches the age of 65.

17: Percent of Americans who can name at least three justices of the Supreme Court.

59: Percent of Americans who can name the Three Stooges.

3,000: Approximate number of men who have written marriage proposals to Vanna White of "Wheel of Fortune."

10: Percent of car thieves who are left-handed.

More than 2.2 million: Number of Americans who play the ... shudder ... accordion.

72: Percent of Americans who do not know the people next door.

8 feet: Length of the Statue of Liberty's index finger.

22 feet: Length of the Oval Office.

48: Percent of Newsweek readers who, when polled, thought UFOs are real.

83: Percent of National Enquirer readers who, when polled, thought UFOs are real.

$14,000: Average cost of the upkeep of a dog over its lifetime.

Two months: Average age of a child taking its first trip to a shopping mall.

1,700: Approximate number of poems written by Emily Dickinson

7: Number of Dickinson poems published during her lifetime.

25: Approximate percentage of Americans who think Sherlock Holmes was a real person.

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_6503990

**Rev. Kelly** · #2 (**permalink**) 1st August 2007, 10:10 PM

This is interesting. Thanks for sharing it. But are we supposed to argue it?

Circle · #3 (**permalink**) 1st August 2007, 10:51 PM

Quote:

60: Percent of American atheists and agnostics who say they own at least one Bible.

I own four (one of which is over a century old), plus a copy of the NT with psalms and proverbs, a Koran, and the Book of Mormon. I think it would be a sign of ignorance for an atheist not to own a Bible-- I feel bad enough that I haven't read the whole thing.

Quote:

25: Percent of men who are 6 feet or taller.
4: Percent of men who were 6 feet or taller in 1900.

Interesting, because the average height has dropped over the last century.

Quote:

More than 2.2 million: Number of Americans who play the ... shudder ... accordion.

I love the accordion. It would be amazing to get those 2,200,000 people together to play at once.

Eolas Pellor · #4 (**permalink**) 1st August 2007, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Circle

I love the accordion. It would be amazing to get those 2,200,000 people together to play at once.

..... getting all the pipers together at once to play the bagpipes!!

Eolas Pellor · #5 (**permalink**) 2nd August 2007, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rev. Kelly

But are we supposed to argue it?

I just found it interesting, but comments are, of course, welcome.

comet · #6 (**permalink**) 2nd August 2007, 12:33 AM

very interesting thanks for sharing!

**Rev. Kelly** · #7 (**permalink**) 2nd August 2007, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eolas Pellor

I just found it interesting, but comments are, of course, welcome.

Ok. I just wondered because it is in a debate forum and not a discussion forum.

Eolas Pellor · #8 (**permalink**) 2nd August 2007, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rev. Kelly

Ok. I just wondered because it is in a debate forum and not a discussion forum.

True. But numbers are always debatable... are any of these things true? I'm not sure, and doubt a few of them. People assume that numbers are truth, a dim hold over from pythagorism. But it's not true, of course.

**Rev. Kelly** · #9 (**permalink**) 2nd August 2007, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eolas Pellor

True. But numbers are always debatable... are any of these things true? I'm not sure, and doubt a few of them. People assume that numebrs are truth, a dim hold over from pythagorism. But it's not true, of course.

In order to debate numbers, a lot of research would need to be done. I just don't have the time to do that, so I will just say that they are interesting.

Honestly, a few hours from now, I won't remember the numbers. LOL

aged hippy · #10 (**permalink**) 2nd August 2007, 11:56 PM

I find this one really scary (if it's true):

Quote:

72: Percent of Americans who do not know the people next door.

Without wishing to appear critical, it seems to imply an insulated and insular society.

I truly can't imagine what that must be like, other than

Peace, Love, & Light

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