Hey – it’s the first Thursday in October – and it’s chilly out here in Big Sky Country!
Thanks for stopping by The Western Word to read “Thursday Numbers.” This is my weekly column where I take a look at the numbers in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary sometimes laced with just a little sarcasm.
DISCLAIMER: If you read this column you will probably gain knowledge not found on other websites! You may be able to use this information to impress your family, friends, and co-workers. The information might even be life changing – so consider yourself warned…
This week I write about Facebook users, tweets during the Presidential debate, Big Bird, unemployment numbers, KRTV “Likes,” anti-flopping, Leave it to Beaver, Electoral College, Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, Alicia Silverstone, Miguel Cabrera, Marine Corps’ Infantry Officer Course, and much more!
1,000,000,000
According to this story, “Facebook has hit a new milestone: the site now has 1 billion users.”
It has been a great political tool this election season…
10,300,000
According to Twitter.com, “First of the (Presidential) #debates generated 10.3 million Tweets in 90 minutes — a political-event record.”
17,000
During the Presidential debate according to Twitter.com there were “17,000 Tweets per minute for “Big Bird” and 10,000 Tweets per minute for “PBS”.
Hey Mitt Romney – leave Big Bird alone! Check out the new @FiredBigBird Twitter account…
367,000
That’s how many people filed new claims for unemployment last week according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Labor, which was “an increase of 4,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 363,000.”
Not good – the big release comes Friday with the monthly jobless numbers for September…
9010
As of this morning, that’s how many “Likes” Great Falls Television station KRTV has on Facebook.
Congratulations!
5000
The NBA will fine players $5000 for the second violation of the new anti-flopping rule. The first violation will result in a warning.
And the Oscar goes to…
1957
On this date in 1957, “Leave it to Beaver” premiered on CBS.
Gee Wally…
538
The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. The magic number is 270 to become President. According to the U.S. Electoral College website, “Your state’s entitled allotment of electors equals the number of members in its Congressional delegation: one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two for your Senators.”
By the way, the rumor that I was recruited to play football for the Electoral College is false…
107
The Houston Astros lost 107 games this Major League Baseball (MLB) season – the most losses in MLB this season.
Don’t worry Astros – you are not close to a record – the 1899 Cleveland Spiders lost 134 games in a 154 game season…
98
The Washington Nationals won 98 games this Major League Baseball season – the most wins in MLB this season.
The teams with the most wins in a season are the 2001 Seattle Mariners that won 116 games in a 162 game season (.716) and the 1906 Chicago Cubs that won 116 games in a 152 game season (.763).
36
Happy 36th birthday to Alicia Silverstone!
For your viewing/listening pleasure, here’s Alicia in the 1993 Aerosmith music video called, “Cryin.”
3
According to the Associated Press, Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera “finished the regular-season hitting .330 with 44 homers and 139 RBIs, leading the American League in all three statistical categories, making him just the 15th player to achieve the Triple Crown and the first since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.”
The Tigers were in Kansas City for the last game of the season, so it was nice that Kansas City had a little excitement this late in the baseball season…
2
According to the Marine Corps Times, for the first time, two women were part of the Marine Corps’ Infantry Officer Course.
Ooh-rah…
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