June 20, 2001

10:53 AM

Popluation Reference BureauWhat an amazing site! You can find the populations of almost any country in the world here. It does not stop there, there is a mountain of information on the country's politics and policies. Take two seconds and I am sure you will be amazed at this site. It is nice to see that some groups are using the net to help inform people!
posted by aj100 (17 comments total)

Nice. And funded by Bill & Melinda. I may grumble about Bill's business practices, but his foundation is smart about where to put their money, imho.
posted by girlhacker at 10:57 AM on June 20, 2001

Sorry for being dumb, but could you tell me how Bill and Melinda are?
posted by aj100 at 10:58 AM on June 20, 2001

They're just fine, and how are you?
posted by lawtalkinguy at 11:03 AM on June 20, 2001

They're super. Thanks for asking.
posted by bondcliff at 11:03 AM on June 20, 2001

Damn you, lawtalkingguy! I didn't think anyone was quicker than me when it came to making obvious jokes.
posted by bondcliff at 11:04 AM on June 20, 2001

aj - Gates.
posted by gleuschk at 11:05 AM on June 20, 2001

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is linked to in a blue box on the PRB home page. I didn't mean to be obtuse.
posted by girlhacker at 11:09 AM on June 20, 2001

I am a dumb.
posted by aj100 at 11:09 AM on June 20, 2001

Well, bondcliff, you were wrong. When there's an idiotic joke to be made, I come faster than 16 year old virgin on prom night.

See?
posted by lawtalkinguy at 11:10 AM on June 20, 2001

Note to self: Don't rent tux to lawtalkingguy.
posted by bondcliff at 11:12 AM on June 20, 2001

"Come faster than a 16 year old virgin on prom night"

Really. All girls who lost their virginity on prom night and actually had an orgasm, raise your hands.

That's what I thought.

Now that that is out of the way: thanks for the link aj, lots of cool goodies in there.
posted by witchstone at 12:33 PM on June 20, 2001

good point witchstone. I should have said "faster than a 16 year old male virgin who is engaging in sexual intercourse with another person on prom night" to avoid any ambiguity.
posted by lawtalkinguy at 12:57 PM on June 20, 2001

Oh, with another person? So that's what went wrong! *makes note*
posted by allaboutgeorge at 1:01 PM on June 20, 2001

That's funny, I automatically associated "girl" with "virgin." See what reading Bible stories as a child does to you? I'll stop now before I get accused of hijacking the thread.
posted by witchstone at 1:12 PM on June 20, 2001

as a reformed, neo-malthusian, I find this site to make my bookmark, right next to TAX COLLECTION:shaved denarii by diogenes.
posted by clavdivs at 2:02 PM on June 20, 2001

(Ahem) Back on topic,

"Currently, of the 83 million people added to global population each year by the difference between births and deaths, only 1 million are in the industrialized countries," said PRB demographers Carl Haub and Diana Cornelius ...."

This is a mind boggling stat. The number of folks added to the *world* in the industrialized countrieswould be 1/8 the population of my city.

(Bill and Melinda better start donating laptops to the countries without extensive power grids.)
posted by caraig at 2:53 PM on June 20, 2001

Yawn. More number-crunching, juxtaposition of fertility rates with per capita incomes followed by bold claims that the former causes the latter. No mention of the fact that in the developing world, wealth flows from child to parent, not vice versa, and that children are justifiably considered to be among the soundest investments parents can make. Asia's diminished rate of population growth is enthusiastically trumpeted alongside stats outlining growth, with no mention of the fact that Hong Kong, now a densely populated country with pretty much no natural resources, experienced the highest cumulative growth rate for half this decade and grew ever wealthier in the process. Incidentally, Japan's high population and population density are mentioned, but its economic prosperity is just brushed aside as declining birthrates are celebrated further. Haven't we all seen this before?
posted by isomorphisms at 6:09 PM on June 20, 2001