Sunny has a good piece on Commentisfree on the knife panic - worth a read. Apparently the original version linked to this post here, but the Guardian subs took it out - bad Guardian subs. Unfortunately, the comments indicate why we're never going to get anywhere with the criminal justice system, other than locking up … Continue reading On why society is basically doomed
Category: Statistrickery
My personal inflation rate (RPI) is 3.5% to May 2008. What's yours?
I've been living in rented accommodation for the last two years despite being able to afford a house/flat, because it was incredibly obvious that house prices were going to peak, interest rates rise, and the economy slow down. The fact that you did buy a house means that either you felt financially secure enough that … Continue reading An open letter to people who bought houses in the last two years
Here is a table showing projected growth in real GDP per capita [*] for 2007-08, according to IMF data released this month: 2007-082008-092009-10 Canada0.0%0.6%2.0% France0.8%0.7%2.0% Germany1.5%1.1%1.9% Italy-0.1%-0.1%0.4% Japan1.4%1.6%1.8% United Kingdom1.3%1.4%2.1% United States-0.5%-0.4%1.9% In other words, credible independent people who understand economic forecasting (note: not people who couldn't tell GDP from a CDR but who think … Continue reading Sky in ‘not falling’ shock
This is awesome statistical-demographic stuff. Combined with Rick Astley and depraved Japanese pornography, it's precisely what the Internet was invented for... [via Matt]
Apparently, 40% of 14-year-old boys perform below the level expected for their age group in national tests, and this is a Terrible Thing. In other equally shocking news, which also comes as a devastating indictment of the government's failed education policies [etc etc ad nauseam], nearly 50% of people are of below-average intelligence.