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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.

Least corrupt countries

Bill Sullivan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:35:57 +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 a look at the least corrupt countries:

1. New Zealand
2. Denmark
3. Singapore
4. Sweden
5. Switzerland
6. Finland
7. Netherlands
8. Australia
9. Canada
10. Iceland

To read more about the ratings, 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

Top high school football teams 2009

Bill Sullivan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:00:25 +0000

If you think ranking college football teams is risky business, imagine trying to evaluate high school teams from all over the country and figuring out who’s best.

Rivals.com has taken on the task, and here’s their list of the top squads after games of the weekend of Nov. 5-7:

1. St. Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (9-0)
2. Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, NJ (8-0)
3. Cedar Hill, Cedar Hill, TX (10-0)
4. St. Ignatius, Cleveland, OH (11-0)
5. Byrnes, Duncan, SC (10-1)
6. Skyline, Dallas, TX (10-0)
7. Edison, Huntington Beach, CA (9-0)
8. Oscar Smith, Chesapeake, MD. (10-0)
9. Centennial, Peoria, AZ (9-0)
10. Grayson, Loganville, GA (10-0)

To see more about these schools, and to check out the rest of the national top 100, visit Rivals.com

Most Super Bowl victories

Bill Sullivan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:52:35 +0000

Three years ago, they got the long-awaited “One for the Thumb.” In 2009, the Pittsburgh Steelers started on another hand with their latest Super Bowl victory.

Here’s the list of franchises which have won two or more:

6 – Pittsburgh: IX-X, XIII-XIV, XL, XLIII

5 – San Francisco: XVI, XIX, XXIII-XXIV, XXIX

5 – Dallas: VI, XII, XXVII-XXVIII, XXX

3 – Oakland/L.A. Raiders: XI, XV, XVIII

3 – Washington: XVII, XXII, XXVI

3 – Green Bay: I-II, XXXI

3 – New England: XXXVI, XXXVIII-XXXIX

3 – N.Y. Giants: XXI, XXV, XLII

2 – Denver: XXXII-XXXIII

2 – Miami: VII-VIII

Source: NFL.com

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Athletes who became actors

Bill Sullivan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:05:19 +0000

Athletes are performers and used to plying their trade before the public, so it should come as no great surprise that some have been able to make the move from the jock kingdom to the small or large screen. Not everyone has been doing Shakespeare, of course, but a few have been able to make their mark (not to mention a decent living) in the thespian world.

Here are just a few who have successfully transitioned:

Jim Brown: NFL running back/The Dirty Dozen

Chuck Connors: MLB/The Rifleman

Fred Dryer: NFL/Hunter

Rick Fox: NBA/Oz, Ugly Betty

Alex Karras: NFL/Blazing Saddles, Webster

Howie Long: NFL/Broken Arrow, 3000 Miles to Graceland, Malcolm in the Middle

Ed Marinaro: NFL/Hill Street Blues

Merlin Olsen: NFL/Father Murphy

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Body builder/Terminator series

O.J. Simpson: NFL/Naked Gun series

Bubba Smith: NFL/Police Academy

Bob Uecker: MLB/Major League series, Mr. Belvedere

Carl Weathers: NFL/Rocky series

Fred Williamson: NFL/blaxploitation films, Starsky and Hutch

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.