The top 10 stats of 2017
by Robert J. Samuelson, Wash Post, Dec 27, 2017

Let us now praise Ben Beach, a Washington writer and longtime friend.
Like me, Ben is a confirmed statistics buff. Unlike me, he’s
disciplined. All through the year, he collects interesting stats with
the intent of naming the 10 best at year’s end. So I happily outsource
my last column of 2017 to Ben’s list, which is in no particular order.
It’s fantastic.

1. Motorists spend an average of 17 hours a year searching for parking
spots. Highest: 107 in New York.

2. The Agriculture Department’s Census of Agriculture reported that,
for only the second time in the past century, the number of farmers
under age 35 is increasing. Sixty-nine percent of them had college
degrees — a much higher rate than the general population.

3. The number of girls playing on boys’ high school football teams
nearly doubled in the past decade to more than 2,000, and leagues for
females are expanding.

4. The World Economic Forum says all the plastic trash floating in the
ocean will outweigh all the fish by 2050.

5. According to Pew Research Center, 58 percent of Republicans and
conservative independents believe colleges are having a negative
impact on the country.

6. Since peaking more than a decade ago at 716,268, sales of new
motorcycles have plummeted to 371,403.

7. Americans make up 4.4 percent of the world’s population — and own
42 percent of the guns.

8. Ninety-one percent of Trump’s nominees to federal courts are white,
and 81 percent are male, according to an Associated Press analysis.

9. The planet will produce only 247 million hectoliters of wine this
year. That’s the lowest production level in more than 50 years, and
down 8 percent from last year. Extreme weather in the three nations
that produce the most wine is to blame.

10. In 1975, there were three metro areas with at least 10 million
people: Tokyo, New York and Mexico City. Now there are 31.

Thanks, Ben, for all the hard work. And to everyone else: Best for
2018.

On 11/01/2018 02:29, wrote:
The top 10 stats of 2017
by Robert J. Samuelson, Wash Post, Dec 27, 2017

Let us now praise Ben Beach, a Washington writer and longtime friend.
Like me, Ben is a confirmed statistics buff. Unlike me, hes
disciplined. All through the year, he collects interesting stats with
the intent of naming the 10 best at years end. So I happily outsource
my last column of 2017 to Bens list, which is in no particular order.
Its fantastic.

1. Motorists spend an average of 17 hours a year searching for parking
spots. Highest: 107 in New York.

2. The Agriculture Departments Census of Agriculture reported that,
for only the second time in the past century, the number of farmers
under age 35 is increasing. Sixty-nine percent of them had college
degrees €” a much higher rate than the general population.

3. The number of girls playing on boys high school football teams
nearly doubled in the past decade to more than 2,000, and leagues for
females are expanding.

4. The World Economic Forum says all the plastic trash floating in the
ocean will outweigh all the fish by 2050.

5. According to Pew Research Center, 58 percent of Republicans and
conservative independents believe colleges are having a negative
impact on the country.

6. Since peaking more than a decade ago at 716,268, sales of new
motorcycles have plummeted to 371,403.

7. Americans make up 4.4 percent of the worlds population €” and own
42 percent of the guns.

8. Ninety-one percent of Trumps nominees to federal courts are white,
and 81 percent are male, according to an Associated Press analysis.

9. The planet will produce only 247 million hectoliters of wine this
year. Thats the lowest production level in more than 50 years, and
down 8 percent from last year. Extreme weather in the three nations
that produce the most wine is to blame.

10. In 1975, there were three metro areas with at least 10 million
people: Tokyo, New York and Mexico City. Now there are 31.

Thanks, Ben, for all the hard work. And to everyone else: Best for
2018.

Yawn