This is a good example of how “hard” statistics can be skillfully worded to imply a message that simply isn’t true. I found this only a moment ago while searching for some numbers regarding cancer deaths per capita from different countries. (see last comment) You’d think that information would be pretty easy to find, but I’m still looking.
One of my google queries was “country cancer per capita” and I came up with this site: http://www.safecarguide.com/exp/statistics/statistics.htm
it’s all about traffic safety but morbid curiosity got the best of me and I read this, and let me tell you, the level of manipulation is very high in this “statistic”:
“United States – The death toll on our highways makes driving the number one cause of death and injury for young people ages 5 to 27. Highway crashes cause 94 percent of all transportation fatalities and 99 percent of all transportation injuries, yet traffic safety programs receive only one percent of the funding of the U.S. DOT budget. The staggering loss of life and the incidence of life-threatening injuries occurring each year is best described as a public health crisis. According to a WHO report, “The Injury Pyramid,” for every motor vehicle injury resulting in death in the US, 13 people sustain injuries severe enough to require hospitalization.”
When you think about how the number one cause of death in the USA is cardiovascular disease (heart disease world wide). This stat might appear confusing. But if you look a second time you will see where the deception is. “Highway crashes cause 94 percent of all transportation fatalities and 99 percent of all transportation injuries”. Now I want you to ask yourself; how else is one supposed to die while driving a car? I mean even if you have a heart attack on the road, you will probably wreck your car and die. So how are these numbers supposed to be frightening? In fact, I’m impressed by that 6% of people who died on the road who weren’t killed in an accident. What the hell were they doing?
You’re probably asking yourself “Where the hell is the ol’ Dick-Meister going with this?”
Well my point is pretty simple: many of these statistics are read like making a wish to a genie. They are meant to be misinterpreted. When you say to the genie you wish for all the money in the world, he’ll give it to you. But you’ll never be able to spend it because it will keep flying back to your pockets. You see? When a statistic says that car accidents are the leading cause of death for people aged 5 to 27, they mean leading cause of death for the age-GROUP. Not necessarily the individual ages in that group. They know that the leading cause of death from ages 5-19 are homicide and suicide, but if they want to sell you traffic safety they tack on the 20-27 years where the car accident deaths are enough to over shadow those SCANT homicide/suicide figures. It is the literal interpretation that you have to look for. The more superfluous language, the greater the odds that it’s a lie.
“But why would they try to fool us, Dick?” Simple my dimwitted friend, it’s ALWAYS beneficial to have your population afraid. When they are afraid, they need to be led, by leaders. They will agree to more police. They will agree to steeper fines. They will agree with higher insurance rates. Higher taxes, etc, etc, ad infinitum. Create a need and fill it! Even safety becomes an industry. Well anyway, the APPEARANCE of safety is an industry. Injury itself is another (and more lucrative) industry, but that is an entirely different discussion.
Statistics, not just traffic statistics, but ALL statistics should be subject to scrutiny for so long as SOMEONE has something to gain from them.

I believe that an agency operating inside the USA has been assassinating people by exposing them to substances that have a high probability of causing cancer. I also believe that due to the untraceable nature of such a killing, that this form of assassination is not restricted to only the very high profile targets, but even second string, third string and even otherwise ordinary people.

Hey you all. I’ve reached my max friends so I’m going to be weeding out my list. So if you see my name removed from your friends page, don’t worry; it doesn’t mean you suck. It only means I think you suck.

Because dogs that look embarrassed when they crap suck.

It’s true (SOB) I walk like a dirty pirate…
Your walk is:
Pirate-esque

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Now I don’t know why this is called “Go Satan go” but it is something I can’t stop coming back to watch again and again. It is so utterly bizarre its hard to summarize…
Theres an alien wearing a welder’s mask and a pyramid hat who’s spaceship is powered by raunchy burlesque dancers massaging themselves. Add allot of sweaty breast close ups, and a juanty tune and you have something you will never forget. Don’t worry WIMPS this isn’t as filthy as it sounds.
SUE
Watch The Original

Well DUH!

http://www.continuitystudios.net/pangea.html

This “4 to 1” weight ratio between the combined mass of the continents and the same geographic area’s worth of ocean mass would do little to offset the gravitational pull of the earth or it’s rotational axis. The entire surface of the earth, from the highest reaches of the stratosphere down to the lowest depths of the deepest ocean trench, doesn’t compose a tenth of a percent of the total mass of the planet.
Let me put this into idiot terms: If the earth really were a globe that you could pick up and look at, the size of a beach-ball. All of the mountains and geographic extremes that we find so incredible would be scarcely perceivable to our fingertips. Whatever activity is taking place on the surface is infinitely less significant than the fleas on the back of a dog. Less significant than the bacteria in that flea’s gut.

Now back to Mr. Neal Adams. Does anyone know who this guy is? Must be some brilliant geologist right? No. He’s a comic book artist. And does anyone know what he believes is the true nature of the earth? That it’s hollow… AND IT’S GROWING! Maybe thats where he was able to presume the continents all being piled on one side would screw up the rotation. The hollow earth. A concept that spits in the face of every law of physics. This guy isn’t a geologist. Just a dick that has no idea (or desire to understand) how things work and would rather make up crap like this.
Next!
UPDATE: IF you really want to know just how disturbingly dumb this guy is I invite you to see his explanation of how Mars is growing. http://www.continuitystudios.net/marsmov02.html
I warn you though, if you find this plausable it may be that you are not too strong in science and not due to actual plausability.

I had to look up both “hax” and “n00b”.
I am such a “n00b” ha ha ha ha *SNORT* ha ha ha…

Hell Raiser

http://www.girlalive.com/tshirts/all.html

Mediocrity was never so uninteresting.
Next!

SUE
Watch The Original
Gotta love that bloodthirsty pelican action.

You scored as Lust.

Lust88%Wrath75%Sloth50%Gluttony44%Pride44%Greed38%Envy25%
Seven deadly sins
created with QuizFarm.com
Well I would have said “sex addict” (as did the court’s final ruling) but I can live with “lusty”. I just hope that old-folks home can live with it.

Most Shudderingly Terrible New Avatar of February

Thank you Monkey Nipples and godspeed!
http://monkeynipples.stumbleupon.com/about/

I found this on a blog devoted to David Lee Roth era Van Halen. I don’t understand the correlation either. I lost the link… it’s cool though, because Van Halen is played out anyway. For really.

Great labels for these dark and backwards times.

Damn you cold logical VULCANS!

Not just anyone could turn a vicious life/death struggle and turn it into homophobic humor.