Welcome once again to Thursday Numbers! If you are a new visitor to The Western Word, Thursday Numbers is where I take a look at the numbers in the news and provide commentary (often with a touch of sarcasm).
PLEASE NOTE: The Western Word is not responsible for the knowledge you will gain by reading this column! You will probably be able to use this knowledge to impress your family, friends and co-workers! At least it might be something to use as trivia! This information might even be life-changing. Consider yourself warned…
This week I write about the national debt, unemployment, a tip, firings, Conrad and Pondera, hitting the mark, opening day, fewer tricks, veterans, polls, a veto, and much more!
15,621,767,000,000
That was our National Debt as of this morning. Every citizen owes about $50,000.
Great googly moogly….
357,000
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “In the week ending March 31, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 357,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 363,000.”
In other words, 357,000 new claims for unemployment were filed last week.
12,000
According to this story, “A western Minnesota waitress says $12,000 that police call drug money is actually a tip left for her by a diner.”
I give good tips. Here’s one: always wear your seatbelts…
1,700
It’s always interesting to read stories from reporters who don’t normally write about Montana. In a recent USA Today article about the race between Senator Jon Tester and Congressman Denny Rehberg, which came in at about 1,700 words, it was easy to see that reporter Susan Davis had never been to Conrad, Montana, instead calling it “Pondera” a few times. The city of Conrad is in Pondera County.
The story was published in the Great Falls (Montana) Tribune with the errors, too…
147,306
The Missoulian reports that the recent firings of athletic director Jim O’Day and head football coach Robin Pflugrad will cost for the University of Montana “at least $147,306.”
I imagine it will cost taxpayers and the University of Montana a lot more – both on the field and in the court room.
100,000
Senator Jon Tester sent me an e-mail this week with the subject, “We hit the mark.” In it he wrote, “We hit our fundraising mark for the first quarter, beating our $100,000 goal thanks to a wave of support from people like you.”
It was nothing Senator, nothing…
162
The 2012 Major League Baseball season starts this week with each team playing 162 games.
Just so you know when someone asks – the 2012 All-Star game is being played in Kansas City!
“Well, beat the drum and hold the phone – the sun came out today! We’re born again, there’s new grass on the field.”
113
According to ESPN, “Mohammad El Akkari joined the exclusive 100-point-game club when he scored 113 in a Lebanese league game Tuesday.”
Guess I missed that game on my local Lebanese Basketball League channel…
95
According to the Associated Press a clown named, Floyd “Creeky” Creekmore is, at 95 years old, the oldest performing clown in the world. He says he “has fewer magic tricks up his oversized sleeves than he once did.”
Don’t worry – I have fewer tricks up my sleeves, too, Creeky…
75
Former secretary of state Colin Powell turns 75 years old today. Happy birthday!
Salute…
40
The Lady Bears of Baylor “became the seventh women’s team to run through a season unbeaten and the first in NCAA history to win 40 games.”
Most of the starters will be back next season…
30
According to this story, Former San Diego Chargers QB “Ryan Leaf will stay in the Cascade County regional jail for a maximum of 30 days while probation officials in Great Falls and Randall County, Texas, continue trying to revoke a suspended sentence in the southern state.”
It’s pretty much rock bottom (again) for Leaf – my prayers go out for Ryan Leaf and his family.
20
According to USA Today, “As thousands of additional veterans seek mental health care every month, the Department of Veterans Affairs is short of psychiatrists, with 20% vacancy rates in much of the country served by VA hospitals, according to department data.”
The VA should allow veterans to use psychiatrists who are closest to their home…
12
A new poll from Gallup tells us “Barack Obama has a 48% to 39% advantage over Mitt Romney among independent voters in 12 key swing states.” Those states are Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
This race might not even be close…
6
According to Rehberg for Senate campaign manager Erik Iverson, “In case you missed it, a new poll released yesterday shows Denny leading Senator Tester 47% to 44% in Montana’s U.S. Senate race. Despite a rash of false and misleading attack ads run by Senator Tester’s special-interest allies, this is the sixth voter survey in a row to show Denny in the lead.”
I heard a rumor that in the same poll, Elvis received 10%…
1
On this date in 1792, “George Washington cast the first presidential veto, rejecting a congressional measure for apportioning representatives among the states.”
Apparently the Executive and Legislative branches have not changed much since then…
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