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Most corrupt countries

Bill Sullivan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:40:00 +0000

Watchdog group Transparency International is out with a list of the most and least corrupt countries in the world. The “Corruption Perceptions Index” was published Nov. 17.

Here’s the list of the world’s most corrupt countries:

1. Somalia
2. Afghanistan
3. Myanmar
4. Sudan
5. Iraq
6. Chad
7. Uzbekistan
8. Turkmenistan
9. Iran
10. Haiti

To read more about these rankings, visit Transparency International.

BCS standings 11/15

Bill Sullivan — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:49:21 +0000

The fifth Bowl Championship Series standings were released on Nov. 15, and Florida and Alabama continued to occupy the top two spots.

Who else remains in the running? Texas retains its No. 3 position and remains on pace to play the Florida-Alabama winner in the Rose Bowl, with the national championships at stake. TCU, coming off an impress win over Utah, continues to hope for a train wreck at the top.

BCS rankings combine the USA Today Coaches Poll, the Harris Interactive poll, and the average of six computer rankings.

Here’s how it works, courtesy of USA Today:

“To derive a team’s poll percentages in the Harris Interactive and USA TODAY polls, each team’s point total is divided by a maximum 2850 possible points in the Harris Interactive Poll and 1575 possible points in the USA TODAY Poll.

“Teams are assigned an inverse point total (25 for #1, 24 for #2, etc.) for each of their respective computer poll rankings to determine the overall computer component. The highest and lowest ranking for each team is dropped, and the sum total of the remaining four rankings is divided by 100 (the maximum possible points). This figure produces a Computer Rankings Percentage. The six computer ranking providers are Anderson & Hester, Richard Billingsley, Colley Matrix, Kenneth Massey, Jeff Sagarin and Peter Wolfe. Each computer ranking accounts for schedule strength within its formula.

“The BCS Average is calculated by averaging the percent totals of the Harris Interactive and USA TODAY Polls, and Computer rankings. The highest BCS Average receives the #1 ranking, the second highest receives #2, and so forth.”

Here are the Top 10 after Week 4:

1. Florida — .983
2. Alabama — .952
3. Texas — .926
4. TCU — .869
5. Cincinnati — .854
6. Boise State– .795
7. Georgia Tech– .772
8. LSU– .665
9. Pittsburgh– .657
10. Ohio State– .650

To read more about the individual breakdowns, visit USA Today.

10 poorest states

Bill Sullivan — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:55:41 +0000

While Wall Street may be trumpeting a big economic recovery, Main Street is still feeling the pinch, according to a new report issued by the Pew Center on The States.

The organization has come out with a list of states suffering the most under current economic pressures. Several factors were considered, including lost revenue, budget gaps, unemployment and foreclosure rates, poor money management practices, and state laws governing the passage of budgets.

According to Pew, the 10 most troubled states are:

Arizona
California
Florida
Illinois
Michigan
Nevada
New Jersey
Oregon
Rhode Island
Wisconsin

Source: CNN Money

States with most grocery stores

Bill Sullivan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:22:28 +0000

Need to pick up a few items for dinner? That’s easier done in some places than others.

AARP Bulletin recently published a list of the number of supermarkets in each state and the District of Columbia as of 2008. Here are the Top 10:

California — 3,753
New York — 2,202
Texas — 2,145
Florida — 2,133
Illinois — 1,444
Pennsylvania — 1,428
Ohio — 1,350
North Carolina – 1,349
Michigan — 1,217
Georgia — 1,151

Source: The Nielsen Company

Dow Jones Industrial Average by month

Bill Sullivan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:26:48 +0000

While the stock market has shown signs of a healthy rebound lately, potential investors still sweat out daily volatility as the recession plays itself out.

Here’s a list of the Dow Jones Industrial Average on the first trading day of each month, beginning with August, 2008:

August 1, 2008: 11,326.3203
Sept. 2, 2008: 11,516.9199
Oct. 1, 2008: 10,831.0703
Nov. 3, 2008: 9,319.8301
Dec. 1, 2008: 8,149.0898
Jan. 2, 2009: 9,034.6904
Feb. 2, 2009: 7,936.8301
March 2, 2009: 6,763.29
April 1, 2009: 7,761.6001
May 1, 2009: 8,212.4102
June 1, 2009:8,721.4404
July 1, 2009: 8,504.0596
Aug. 3, 2009: 9,171.6104
Sept. 1, 2009: 9,310.5996
Oct. 1, 2009: 9,509.2803
Nov. 2, 2009: 9,789.4404

Source: finance.yahoo.com

Top movie gimmicks

Bill Sullivan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:16:48 +0000

Hollywood types will do just about anything to herd folks into the theater.

Big star pairings? Check. Lots of stuff blowing up? You bet. Endless sequels to films that made it big? Count on it. Funky glasses to make it look as though the action is right in your face? Coming right up.

Time put together its list of the Top 10 Movie Gimmicks. Some worked well, others had their moments, and a few were complete bombs. See how many you can remember.

Here’s a peek:

To learn more about these stunts, and to see a slideshow, check out Time.

Most World Series Championships

Bill Sullivan — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:13 +0000

Among sports records not likely to be challenged, the New York Yankees’ 27 World Series titles has to rate high on anyone’s list. After all, no other franchise can claim more than 10 Series victories, and Yankees fans wrapped up a year-long celebration of their new stadium by winning the championship for the first time since 2000.

Led by those Yankees, the American League has won the World Series 61 times, while the National League has prevailed on 41 occasions. In all, 27 different franchises have finished the season on a happy note.

Here’s a list of the most World Series winners ever, with league and championship years:

27 — New York Yankees, AL: (1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009)
10 — St. Louis Cardinals, NL (1926, 1931, 1934 ‘42, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006)
7 — Boston Red Sox, AL (1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007)
5 — New York Giants, NL (1905, 1921, 1922, 1933, 1954)
5 — Philadelphia Athletics, AL (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930)
5 — Pittsburgh Pirates, NL (1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979)
5 — Los Angeles Dodgers, NL (1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988)
5 — Cincinnati Reds, NL (1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990)
4 — Detroit Tigers, AL (1935, 1945, 1968, 1984)
4 — Oakland Athletics, AL (1972, 1973, 1974, 1989)
3 — Baltimore Orioles, AL (1966, 1970, 1983)
3 — Chicago White Sox, AL (1906, 1917, 2005)
2 — Chicago Cubs, NL (1907, 1908)
2 — Cleveland Indians, AL (1920, 1948)
2 — Florida Marlins, NL (1997, 2003)
2 — Minnesota Twins, AL (1987, 1991)
2 — New York Mets, NL (1969, 1986)
2 — Philadelphia Phillies (1980, 2008)
2 — Toronto Blue Jays, AL (1992, 1993)
1 — Anaheim Angels, AL (2002)
1 — Arizona Diamondbacks, NL (2001)
1 — Atlanta Braves, NL (1995)
1 — Boston Braves, NL (1914)
1 — Brooklyn Dodgers, NL (1955)
1 — Milwaukee Braves, NL (1957)
1 — Kansas City Royals, AL (1985)
1 — Washington Senators, AL (1924)

Source: MLB.com

Related lists:

Hot Yankees gear

BCS bowl schedule 2010

Bill Sullivan — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:15:17 +0000

With college football’s high sheriffs still resisting the idea of a playoff, fans hope there will be no repeat of the 2008 drama, when Texas and Oklahoma supporters sniped over OU’s trip to the Bowl Championship Series title game despite a regular season loss to the Longhorns.

That wasn’t much fun on either side of the Red River, and who’s to say it can’t happen again? For the moment, despite its flaws, the BCS is the in-place solution for deciding a national champion. The 2009 winner will be determined on Jan. 7 in Pasadena, Calif. The complaining and second-guessing will precede and follow the game.

Here’s the entire BCS schedule. (All times listed are Eastern):

Jan. 7: BCS Championship Game, Pasadena, Calif., 8 p.m. (BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2)
Jan. 5: Orange Bowl, Miami, 8 p.m.
Jan. 4: Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Ariz., 8 p.m.
Jan. 1: Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, La., 8:30 p.m.
Jan. 1: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif., ABC 5 p.m.

Top Michael Moore movies

Bill Sullivan — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:20:43 +0000

Populist filmmaker Michael Moore is back, and this time, he’s turning his guns on the folks who brought you the great financial meltdown of 2008-09. His new documentary — Capitalism: A Love Story — features Moore casting a dubious eye on Wall Street and the way the system (in his view, at least) robs from the poor and gives to the rich.

Of course, Moore is no stranger to this sort of stuff. He has a 20-year history of such things, drawn largely from his experiences in watching his hometown of Flint, Michigan, fall on economic hard times.

Here’s a list of Moore’s most notable works to date:

Roger and Me (1989): Chronicles Moore’s pursuit of General Motors Chairman Roger Smith in the wake of downsizing that devasted Flint.

Bowling for Columbine (2002): Moore takes a look at America’s fascination with guns.

Fahrenheit 911 (2004): A brutal examination of the 2000 election and the presidency of George W. Bush.

Sicko (2007): Moore’s unflattering look at the U.S. health care system.

Most valuable NFL teams 2009

Bill Sullivan — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:45:55 +0000

Forbes is out with its latest rankings of the most valuable National Football League franchises, and the Dallas Cowboys occupy the top spot for the third consecutive year.

While the NFL continues to rank as the most bankable product in professional sports, not all is well in the pro football kingdom. Eight teams — Indianapolis, Miami, St. Louis, Detroit, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Oakland and Seattle — lost value from their 2008 ratings.

Here are the Top 10, in billions:

Dallas Cowboys: $1,650
Washington Redskins: $1,550
New England Patriots: $1,361
New York Giants: $1,183
New York Jets: $1,170
Houston Texans: $1,150
Philadelphia Eagles: $1,123
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $1,085
Chicago Bears: $1,082
Denver Broncos: $1,081

To see the rest of the list, visit Forbes.