Welcome to Thursday Numbers! Are you ready for the weekend?

If this is your first time reading “Thursday Numbers,” this is where I take a look at the numbers that are in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary (sometimes spiked with a little sarcasm).

This week I write about the Powerball jackpot, the jobs grant, the Economic Development Summit in Butte, the overzealous hug, Montana State University, Super Bowl tickets, the Unabomber’s Manifesto, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, most corrupt members of Congress, fastest pitch, Ken Norton, government shutdown, state of Hawaii’s computer system, health care spending, Servicemember’s Electronic Health Records Act of 2013, unemployment, and a lot more so read on!

400,000,000

A ticket sold in South Carolina matched all the numbers for last night’s Powerball jackpot. The winning numbers are 7, 10, 22, 32, 35, and Powerball 19.

Somebody’s life is about to change...

25,000,000

Montana’s two-year colleges will be receiving a $25 million “grant to improve and expand training for energy and manufacturing jobs.”

I hope they use it to actually train students…

309,000

That’s the new claims this week for unemployment compensation. According the Reuters, “Claims data have been thrown into disarray since an update in government computer systems in California and Nevada created a backlog in the processing of new claims two weeks ago.”

250,000

“More than $250,000 was raised to pay for the two-day Economic Development Summit in Butte” according to a story by the Associated Press.

I felt a little nauseated after reading and watching those in the media report on the greatness of Max Baucus during the summit. Some of the reporters need of a shower…

50,000

Kelli Belpedio is seeking $50,000 in damages because she claims her “breast implant was ruptured by an overzealous hug from a restaurant doorman.”

Let’s be careful out there people!

15,389

That’s how many students are enrolled at Montana State University. On the other hand, the University of Montana “saw its enrollment peak in 2011 at 15,669 students, and has steadily decreased by an estimated 1,100 students over the past two years.”

2,600

If you attend the next Super Bowl, “club level” tickets will cost you $2,600.

It will also be held at MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Yes, that is an outdoors stadium.

1995

On this date in 1995, the Unabomber’s Manifesto was published in the Washington Post and the New York Times.

250

For $250 you can hear from Congresswoman & DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who will be in Bozeman on September 24.

I have always been impressed with Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

101.9

That’s the speed (101.9 MPH) of a pitch thrown by Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura in a game Tuesday night. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, that “was fastest pitch thrown by any starter in last 5 seasons.”

Don’t get hit…

70

Former heavyweight boxing champ Ken Norton died Wednesday. He was 70.

He fought Muhammad Ali three times, losing two out of three. In the fight Norton won, he broke Ali’s jaw.

51

A new poll from Rasmussen Reports found that “51% of voters favor having a partial government shutdown until Democrats and Republicans agree on what spending for the health care law to cut.”

The 51% must be the ones who have healthcare…

35

The state of Hawaii’s computer system only allows full names up to 35 characters. Janice “Lokelani” Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele’s name “has 35 letters plus a mark used in the Hawaiian alphabet, called an okina.”

I wonder how long it took her to write her name on her elementary school papers…

17

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) named the 17 most corrupt members of Congress for 2013. You can see it HERE.

6.1

The Associated Press is reporting, “The nation’s health care spending will jump by 6.1 percent next year as the big coverage expansion in President Barack Obama’s overhaul kicks in, government experts predicted Wednesday.”

It costs money to take care of our own…

6

U.S. Senator Jon Tester has co-sponsored “Servicemember’s Electronic Health Records Act of 2013” (S. 1296) which if passed “requires the Defense Dept. and VA to use standardized forms for health data within six months of his measure being signed into law. It also requires the two departments to be able to exchange real-time data within one year and to provide service members with an electronic copy of their health records by June 2015.”

I applaud Tester for co-sponsoring the bill. Senator Max Baucus should co-sponsor the bill as well. Representative Steve Daines should support the House version of the bill (H.R. 2590).

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