Harper’s Index

Number of [Terrorism|terrorism] convictions resulting

Number of them dismissed in [June|June] due to a “pattern of mistakes” by the prosecution

Revenue generated by [Corruption|Halliburton] under [CEO|CEO] [DickCheney|Dick Cheney] from [Business|business] deals with [Iraq|Iraq] under [SaddamHussein|Saddam Hussein]

Number of U.S. [Terrorism|terrorism] trials brought before a jury since [September11|September 11, 2001]

Total number of [UnitedStates|federal] executives in each of those years

Degrees of [Freedom|freedom] accorded each eyebrow of an “Emotion Expression” [Technology|robot] under development

Percentage of [Poverty|poor] Americans who lived in the [Suburbs|suburbs] in [1950s|1959] and last year, respectively

Ratio of the number of [Poverty|poor] Americans living in cities to the number who live in [Suburbs|suburbs]

Number of the 20 fastest-growing U.S. counties that are [Disaster|coastal]

Number of body bags a [NewOrleans|New Orleans] [Suburbs|suburb] secured for this year’s [Disaster|hurricane] season

Estimated number of [Britain|Britons] sent government warnings last [Fall|fall] of their increased chance of having [MadCowDisease|mad cow disease]

Minimum number of countries with a greater capacity to produce [Nuclear|nuclear weapons] than [Iraq|Iraq] at the time of the U.S. invasion

Ratio of U.S. spending on [Iraq|Iraq] each week to total U.S. aid to [Sudan|Sudan] since [February|February] 2003

Minimum number of tribes and ethnic groups in [Sudan|Sudan’s] [Darfur|Darfur] region

Chances that an adult [Men|male] citizen of Pitcairn Island has been arrested for a [SexualAssault|sex-related crime] this year

Minimum number of those [SexualAssault|arrested] who are direct descendants of [Piracy|mutineer Fletcher Christian]

Estimated average price of a [Child|female newborn] in a [Bulgaria|Bulgarian] infant-selling ring busted this [Summer|summer]

[Bulgaria|] Estimated average price of a [Child|male newborn]

Average black-market price in [Iraq|Baghdad] of a DVD showing the beheading of a foreigner or Iraqi “collaborator”

Price of the bottle of [Champagne|champagne] a [NewYorkCity|New York] club requires patrons to buy in order to use a [Folly|diamond-encrusted table]

[Minutes|Minutes] of weightlessness that Virgin Galactic passengers will experience on suborbital [Space|space] [AirTravel|flights] in 2007

Ratio of the [Mendacity|original estimate] of these programs’ total cost to the estimate today

Estimated revenue generated by [Business|Halliburton] last year through subsidiaries in [Iran|Iran]

Value of the [Corruption|Halliburton] shares owned by [NewYorkCity|New York City’s] [Fire|Fire] Department [SeniorCitizen|Pension] Fund

Number of times since 2002 the city has filed a shareholders’ resolution questioning the risk of doing [Business|business] in [Iran|Iran]

Number of companies in which Tom Ridge holds stock that have a [Corruption|contract] with the [HomelandSecurity|Department of Homeland Security]

Number of overseas [Firearms|bullet] suppliers the [Army|U.S. Army] contracted with last year and this year, respectively

Minimum number of bullets the [USMilitary|U.S. military] purchased for [War|use] this year

Average number of bullets per [Iraq|Iraqi] this represents

Number of major [War|weapons systems] the [Pentagon|Pentagon] has under development

Number of levels of executive positions in the [UnitedStates|federal government] in [1960s|1960] and this year, respectively

Ratio of U.S. [WMD|arms dealers’] campaign [Corruption|contributions] made since [January|January] 2001 to [DemocraticParty|Democrats] to those made to [RepublicanParty|Republicans]

Number of U.S. states with a [LibertarianParty|Libertarian Party] [Democracy|presidential] candidate on the ballot last month

Number with a Reform, Green, and/or Socialist Workers Party candidate on the [Democracy|ballot], respectively

Weeks the [GreenParty|Green Party’s] vice-[Democracy|presidential] candidate spent staying in [Homelessness|homeless] shelters as part of her campaign tour

Average number of [Fashion|clothing] items an adult American acquired in 2002

Estimated average amount of textiles thrown out by each U.S. household in 2001, in pounds

Percentage salary cut that [Business|Delta’s] [CEO|CEO] announced this [Fall|fall] that he would take through the end of the year

Percentage of 30-year-old [AmericanMen|American men] who were [Marriage|married], self-supporting [Parenting|fathers] in [1960s|1960] and 2000, respectively