Mark Twain is famous for having said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.”
Well, just to prove you can have a bit of fun with statistics have a look at this set of nonsense that came to me in an email a while ago.
They are a complete reversal of the usual figures which continually highlight the increasing world population and the problems that will cause in the future.
These numbers look at the world if it was scaled down to just one hundred people.
It might make you think or it might not.
But it is a new way of looking at population statistics, so I hope you enjoy them anyway.
While hardly anyone in the media was paying attention a study was recently released by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago – a large, long-standing and respected non-profit organization.
The results are based on surveys which began in 1993, back in the boom times, and “are the first and only surveys that put long-term attitudes toward environmental issues in general and global climate change in particular in an international perspective,” according to NORC’s Tom W Smith.
The seventeen years of continuous surveys covering countries around the world show that people not only do not care about climate change today – which is understandable in the current world economic and financial difficulties – but it also shows they did not care about climate change even back when times were good.
The NORC spokespersons add that decades of climate alarmism have had basically no effect on people’s attitude around the world!
The latest surveys were completed in 2010. Similar surveys have been conducted since 1993, and little change has been noted on people’s concern for climate change.
The economy ranked highest in concern in 15 countries, followed by health care in eight, education in six, poverty in two, and terrorism and crime in one country each.
Immigration and the environment did not make the top of the list in any country over the 17-year period; in the United States, the economy ranked as the highest concern, while concern for the environment ranked sixth.
In terms of national averages the surveys showed that the order of concern was the economy (25 percent); health care (22.2); education (15.6); poverty (11.6); crime (8.6); environment (4.7); immigration (4.1); and terrorism (2.6).
Essentially, the environment joins terrorism and immigration on the list of subjects nobody has ever been able to really give a toss about, though the compiling professors did note that in Turkey they do consider terrorism serious: the Turks rate it number one, in fact, though nobody else does.
“Terrorism’s low ranking was notable in light of the widespread attention the issue has received since 2001,” comment the NORC analysts, perhaps sounding a knell of doom for Al Gore and his accomplices who believe they can gain support for their agenda through incessant publicity.
If you aren’t scared yet the chances are you are not afflicted with anything on the following list of phobias or irrational fears that seem to grip some unfortunate people. For them 2013 will be as frightening as 2012. Imagine, for example, spending the whole year with proctophobia – what a bummer!
In today’s list are the ‘O’s and the ‘P’s.
Enjoy.
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Obesophobia……….fear of gaining weight. (Pocrescophobia)
Ochlophobia……….fear of crowds or mobs.
Ochophobia……….fear of vehicles.
Octophobia ……….fear of the figure 8.
Odontophobia……….fear of teeth or dental surgery.
Odynophobia or Odynephobia……….fear of pain. (Algophobia)
Oenophobia……….fear of wines.
Oikophobia……….fear of home surroundings, house. (Domatophobia, Eicophobia)
Olfactophobia……….fear of smells.
Ombrophobia……….fear of rain or of being rained on.
Ommetaphobia or Ommatophobia……….fear of eyes.
Omphalophobia……….fear of belly buttons.
Oneirophobia……….fear of dreams.
Oneirogmophobia……….fear of wet dreams.
Onomatophobia……….fear of hearing a certain word or of names.
Ophidiophobia……….fear of snakes. (Snakephobia)
Ophthalmophobia……….fear of being stared at.
Opiophobia……….fear medical doctors experience of prescribing needed pain medications for patients.
Optophobia……….fear of opening one’s eyes.
Ornithophobia……….fear of birds.
Orthophobia……….fear of property.
Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia……….fear of smells or odors.
Ostraconophobia……….fear of shellfish.
Ouranophobia or Uranophobia……….fear of heaven.
Pagophobia……….fear of ice or frost.
Panthophobia……….fear of suffering and disease.
Panophobia or Pantophobia……….fear of everything.
Papaphobia……….fear of the Pope.
Papyrophobia……….fear of paper.
Paralipophobia……….fear of neglecting duty or responsibility.
Paraphobia……….fear of sexual perversion.
Parasitophobia……….fear of parasites.
Paraskavedekatriaphobia……….fear of Friday the 13th.
Parthenophobia……….fear of virgins or young girls.
Pathophobia……….fear of disease.
Patroiophobia……….fear of heredity.
Parturiphobia……….fear of childbirth.
Peccatophobia……….fear of sinning or imaginary crimes.
Pediculophobia……….fear of lice.
Pediophobia……….fear of dolls.
Pedophobia……….fear of children.
Peladophobia……….fear of bald people.
Pellagrophobia……….fear of pellagra.
Peniaphobia……….fear of poverty.
Pentheraphobia……….fear of mother-in-law. (Novercaphobia)
Phagophobia……….fear of swallowing or of eating or of being eaten.
Phalacrophobia……….fear of becoming bald.
Phallophobia……….fear of a penis, especially erect.
Pharmacophobia……….fear of taking medicine.
Phasmophobia……….fear of ghosts.
Phengophobia……….fear of daylight or sunshine.
Philemaphobia or Philematophobia……….fear of kissing.
Philophobia……….fear of falling in love or being in love.
Philosophobia……….fear of philosophy.
Phobophobia……….fear of phobias.
Photoaugliaphobia……….fear of glaring lights.
Photophobia……….fear of light.
Phonophobia……….fear of noises or voices or one’s own voice; of telephones.
Phronemophobia……….fear of thinking.
Phthiriophobia……….fear of lice. (Pediculophobia)
Phthisiophobia……….fear of tuberculosis.
Placophobia……….fear of tombstones.
Plutophobia……….fear of wealth.
Pluviophobia……….fear of rain or of being rained on.
Pneumatiphobia……….fear of spirits.
Pnigophobia or Pnigerophobia……….fear of choking of being smothered.
Pocrescophobia……….fear of gaining weight. (Obesophobia)
Podophobia……….fear of feet.
Pogonophobia……….fear of beards.
Poliosophobia……….fear of contracting poliomyelitis.
Politicophobia……….fear or abnormal dislike of politicians.
Polyphobia……….fear of many things.
Poinephobia……….fear of punishment.
Ponophobia……….fear of overworking or of pain.
Porphyrophobia……….fear of the color purple.
Potamophobia……….fear of rivers or running water.
Potophobia……….fear of alcohol.
Pharmacophobia……….fear of drugs.
Proctophobia……….fear of rectums.
Prosophobia……….fear of progress.
P-P-P-P-P-Psellismophobia……….fear of stuttering.
Psychophobia……….fear of mind.
Psychrophobia……….fear of cold.
Pteridophobia……….morbid fear of fearns.
Pteromerhanophobia……….fear of flying.
Pteronophobia……….fear of being tickled by feathers.
Pupaphobia ……….fear of puppets.
Pyrexiophobia……….fear of fever.
Pyrophobia……….fear of fire.
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How are you after all that? Are you developing symptoms or are you feeling good?
Today was originally scheduled for the latest part in the short series about the curious and amusing phobias some people seem to have. But it’s a holiday week for most of us and I have put that post back until next week.
Instead I feel the urge to say something else. Two things actually.
First one is, have you heard of the herd? In particular the herd mentality, where people do something they have no need to do just because other people are doing it?
It happens a lot. Far too much in fact.
We witnessed it during the recent election campaign where people formed opinions not on the basis of their own analysis of the candidates and policies, but because of something someone else said or something they heard on tv.
We saw it again very recently after the dreadful murders in Connecticut where the unthinking herd ignored the real problem and jumped on gun control as a solution to senseless attacks such as this. They might as well call for a ban on knives, axes, chainsaws, bows and arrows and gasoline when they are at it as any of these could do the same job in the hands of a mental defective.
And on December 24 we witnessed another example in grocery stores throughout the country (throughout the world even) as hoards of the unthinking joined the herd and bought up bread and food supplies like the shops would not be open again for at least a month. They are open again today you dummies!
These three examples have been going on for years and people never seem to learn, they just keep on following the herd without a thought in their heads.
And this leads me on to point two which is how little thought most of us give to what we are doing and what we are buying the already well off and pampered.
I know for a fact that Santa had orders for laptops and ipads and iphones and all sorts of other expensive playthings. And I also know that he hadn’t the sense to say no, but just bought them anyway. Mea culpa as much as anyone.
Then I got to thinking that life was a lot different when I was a kid. Yes we liked to get presents at Christmas, but they were a lot less sophisticated and a lot less expensive – even in relative terms. When I was eight, for example, I didn’t need a smart phone, or any phone come to think of it, nor was my social life so complicated and hectic that I had to have a chauffeur for all my must-do activities for every day of the week.
When I was a kid we had our toys, but we also had a thing called an imagination and we could make our own fun out of very little.
So what is the problem today? Why are kids so incapable of making their own entertainment? Why are they constantly “bored” without clicking a button on a computer consol or without someone else to do their thinking for them?
Like a lot of other things, it all boils down to money at the end of the day. Now I’m not advocating poverty as a solution to the world’s ills. Far from it. I like to make money, the more the better, and the thought of being, perhaps not rich, but comfortably well off is a very nice one. But if we had to we could all make do with a lot less. And I don’t think we would be any less happier in the process.
People in other countries seem to manage quite well. And they still seem to have the mental capacity to enjoy what little they have and make their fun out of next to nothing. In other words they are happy. If things do ever deteriorate to the extent that some of the doomsday preachers are telling us, there are a lot better prepared people in the world than there are in rich countries like America, or Britain, or Germany, etc.
Think about giving your kid or nephew or niece an old oil drum from the local garbage dump next Christmas instead of an ipod touch or some other overly expensive apple. I wonder how much music and entertainment they could get out of that?
Well it’s Thursday again BUT it’s also Thanksgiving Day so perhaps some people will have a lot better things to do than read my blog today.
Whatever you are doing and wherever you are doing it, have a great and a lovely celebration whether you are with family, friends or just on your own.
For those who do care to take a few minutes to check out this blog, particularly for those in other countries who may not be celebrating on this particular day here is another selection of the bad jokes we like to call puns.
I just had to post this today because tomorrow I’ll probably be doing cold turkey.
In case you hadn’t noticed, we’ve started. Read on and enjoy!
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I used to be a banker but I lost interest
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How do you make antifreeze? Steal her blanket.
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Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
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He wears glasses during math because it improves division.
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A bacteria walked into a bar and the bartender said, ‘We don’t serve bacteria in this place.’
The bacteria said, ‘But I work here, I’m staph.’
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He has been a jogger for three years running.
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In a recession, the most secure job is garbage-man. Business is always picking up.
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Do optometrists live long because they dilate?
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I once heard a joke about amnesia, but I forgot how it goes.
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I just got of these new reversible jackets? I’m excited to see how it turns out.
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John Deere’s manure spreader is the only equipment the company won’t stand behind.
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Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was a soft drink.
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I’m not a big fan of archery. It has too many strings attached and lots of drawbacks.
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I was going to buy a book on phobias, but I was afraid it wouldn’t help me.
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Why did the capacitor kiss the diode? He just couldn’t resistor.
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A rule of grammar: double negatives are a no-no.
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Is the patron saint of poverty St. Nickeless.
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My new theory on inertia doesn’t seem to be gaining momentum.
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I relish the fact that you’ve mustard the strength to ketchup to me.
fasab 