Comments on: Comments on 19021

Post number 19021

cell divide — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 15:22:50 -0800

What is the estimated US Population at this very moment? Find out at the official site of the US census. More fascinating information available by checking out the 2000 census homepage. As a post-script, what are your favorite sites for collecting interesting statistics?

By: damehex

damehex — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 15:47:53 -0800

The answer just now is 287,732,902. My favorite data at census.gov are the rankings of every first and last name in the country by frequency.

By: Ufez Jones

Ufez Jones — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 16:04:45 -0800

and almost thirty minutes later, it's 287,733,305. Funky.

By: Ufez Jones

Ufez Jones — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 16:05:19 -0800

check that, almost twenty. Forgot that my computer clock is fast. D'oh!

By: fore

fore — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 16:30:14 -0800

My favorite data at census.gov are the rankings of every first and last name in the country by frequency. not every last name. mine isn't listed.

By: Monk

Monk — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 16:35:30 -0800

Hmm. Not sure how complete that big list of names is. My last name doesn't show up and I know there's a small scattering of Calams in the US.

By: rightho

rightho — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 16:41:34 -0800

Watch the worlds population grow before your eyes!

By: damehex

damehex — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 16:47:44 -0800

Census data not perfectly complete? I won't hear of it! You're one of those rabble rousers or "rights advocacy" people, aren't you? I managed to break the page load in IE6 by searching before it was all loaded. Alas, of the 81123 ranked names there are no Calams. Should you perhaps visit the courthouse and change it to Clammer (#44247)?

By: pitchblende

pitchblende — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 17:18:05 -0800

So, to figure out how bland a name you have, add the ranking of your first name to the ranking of your last name. The lower the total, the more bland. If you can't find your name, just use the ranking of the least common name + 1. I get a 35. Anyone more bland? Do we have a James or Mary Smith?

By: substrate

substrate — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 18:26:34 -0800

My favourite sources of statistics? Well, until PETA stopped me it was the age old practice of haruspicy. If it weren't for those meddling kids... Now I'm forced to resort to The Magic Eight-Ball. In all seriousness, statistics are only good as the credibility and ethics of the person or agency who created them. For instance, what does nine out of ten dentists recommend Crest really mean? Is it a recommendation of this toothpaste against all others or is it a recommendation over not brushing ever?

By: PrinceValium

PrinceValium — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 18:46:33 -0800

My favorite stats are, of course, the baseball kind. (Even if you aren't interested in the subject, you might find it interesting that these two databases - which represent thousands of hours of work - are freeware. I personally think data is one of the great philanthropic gifts of the electronic era.)

By: kliuless

kliuless — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 19:17:55 -0800

here's kind of a related thread on fave statistical sites :) stats galore!

By: jonmc

jonmc — Thu, 08 Aug 2002 21:08:26 -0800

287,734,776 *shoots self* 287,734,775

By: dhartung

dhartung — Fri, 09 Aug 2002 02:13:44 -0800

See also: National Debt Clock (as well as the official, ~daily debt to the penny). When the National Debt Clock in Times Square began going backward, it got confusing -- and was unplugged two months before the election; last week it was restarted. * AIDS clock * Tobacco Clock * Doomsday Clock * Asteroid Impact Countdown Clock (for the 2028 pass of 1997XF, not currently considered an impact risk) * Space Shuttle Countdown; live page. * Bush administration countdown clock * Digital Doomsday Clock with several doomsdays, many past, listed -- including Christmas. Go figure. * CEO WealthMeter {sorry, no Enron -- this is for tech stocks} * Many more internet counter clocks of various types. * Javascript countdown code to make your own for any other purpose ... and of course your own personal Death Clock.

By: jammer

jammer — Fri, 09 Aug 2002 14:15:35 -0800

Anyone more bland? Do we have a James or Mary Smith? Yes. "Robert Jones". 7. I hate when people ask me if its an alias.

By: SuzySmith

SuzySmith — Fri, 09 Aug 2002 15:33:20 -0800

You've got me by a couple of points, there jammer. I'm a nine, Susan Smith. I hate being asked if it's an alias, as well.

By: triggerfinger

triggerfinger — Sat, 10 Aug 2002 00:41:02 -0800

the rankings of every first and last name in the country by frequency I would like to point out that according to this list, the name "Frank" is more common than the name "Crissy". For women. Frank.