Harper’s Index

Estimated number of new private-sector [Jobs|jobs] created by government spending during that time

Last date on which the [Media|newspaper] [Business|sold] as many copies

Percentage by which [Britain|Britain’s] The Independent outsold its daily average on [May|May] 16, the day [RockMusic|U2]’s Bono was guest editor

Percentage of [Ireland|Irish] [CatholicFaith|Catholics] who think that priests should not have to be celibate

Number today

Rank of [Islam|Muslims] and [AfricanAmerican|African Americans], respectively

Rank of [Superstition|atheists] among minorities whom Americans are least willing to allow their [Child|children] to marry

Percentage who viewed “[HillaryClinton|Hillary Rodham Clinton]‚” favorably

Percentage of [RepublicanParty|Republicans] who viewed “[HillaryClinton|Hillary Clinton]‚” favorably in an [April|April] poll

Minimum number of close-up photographs of [GeorgeWBush|President Bush’s] hands owned by his new chief of staff, [BushAdministration|Josh Bolten]

Total number of times for all other presidents since [GeorgeWashington|Washington]

Number of times that [GeorgeWBush|President Bush’s] “signing statements‚” have exempted his administration from provisions of new laws

Number of U.S. residents the [FBI|FBI] investigated last year using Patriot Act powers that waive the need for a warrant

Percentage of [Peru|Peruvians] who say their nation needs leaders who “impose order‚” and “authority‚”

Amount the [Brazil|Brazilian] teams have earned from these sales

Number of players that [Brazil|Brazilian] [Soccer|soccer] teams have [Business|sold] to teams overseas since [1990s|1993]

Percentage of this total attributed to [Insect|insects’] value as a [Food|food] source for larger [Animal|animals]

Estimated change since 2001 in the total number of U.S. [Business|private-sector] [Economics|jobs]

Percentage of U.S. [Business|workers] who say they are confident that they will be able to live comfortably after retirement

Percentage who have saved less than $25,000 toward retirement

Percentage of Americans who believe that most Americans are too [Obesity|fat]

Percentage who believe that they themselves are [Obesity|too fat]

Average number of extra [Obesity|calories] [Child|children] consume for every hour of [Television|television] they watch

Size, in inches, of Panasonic’s new top-of-the-line [Television|plasma TV]

Factor by which [Transportation|Hummer] sales in [April|April] exceeded those a year earlier

Percentage change in average U.S. [Gasoline|gas] prices over that year

Volume of new reserves added by major [Oil|oil] companies in 2005, expressed as a percentage of oil pumped that year

Ratio of the amount of energy used in producing [Corn|corn ethanol] to the amount yielded when it is burned in [Gasoline|gasoline]

Ratio of the amount of energy used in producing [Gasoline|gasoline] itself to the amount yielded when it is burned

Amount it costs the U.S. [Economics|Treasury] to [Labor|manufacture] and distribute a [Folly|penny]

Ratio of the average U.S. import of [Mexico|Mexican] lettuce each year to the average Mexican [Food|import] of U.S. lettuce

Number of [Literature|books] that [ArtGarfunkel|Art Garfunkel] has read since [June|June] [1960s|1968], according to a comprehensive list on his [Internet|website]

Length, in [Hours|hours], of a [Literature|book] appearance that author Lawrence Lessig made in [January|January] inside an [Telecommunications|online fantasy world]

Minimum number of different characters who showed up

Number of MySpace.com users featured by [Pornography|Playboy] in its [June|June] “Girls of MySpace‚” photo spread

Minimum number who sent pictures to try out

Estimated number of [HotDog|hot dogs] that will be eaten in the United States over the Fourth of [July|July] weekend

Tons of [Food|mud] a Mongolian [Girl|girl] has eaten since [1990s|1994], because she finds it “delicious‚”