Open Thread for Night Owls & Early Birds

post from Daily Kos on 17 May 2008 01:45:53 AM. © Daily Kos

I've been a big fan of Harper's Index since forever. Footnoted statistics, often grouped in pairs, triplets or foursomes, guaranteed to spark a chuckle or a discussion. Like, for instance, this item from back in January:

Percentage of NYU students who say they would "permanently forfeit" their vote for $1 million: 50

Or from March 1994:

Chances that a fatal accident involving a Corvette will involve no other vehicle: 4 in 5

Or from June 1986:

Amount the Reagan Administration has budgeted for military bands in 1987: $154,200,000

Amount it has budgeted for the National Endowment for the Arts:$144,900,000

The current (June) issue has this relevant grouping:

Portion of Barack Obama supporters who said in April they would not vote for Hillary Clinton if she became the nominee: 1 in 5

Portion of Clinton supporters who said this about Obama: 1/4

Percentage of John McCain supporters in March 2000 who said they would not vote for George W. Bush: 51

Percentage who still said this in October 2000: 39

The Overnight News Digest is posted and includes this item from Eric Schmitt and Tim Golden in Saturday's The New York Times: U.S. Planning Big New Prison in Afghanistan.