Everybody Votes Channel

Worldwide Poll: Do you read books often?

2008-03-07T05:57:00.000-08:00

Yes: 50.1%
Not so much: 49.9%
Men: 45.1% 54.9%
Women: 59.1% 40.9%
Prediction Accuracy: 47.9%

This is another one of those non-Yes/No polls where the wording on the "No" is important. I honestly think that was a very important part of making this poll have such close results.

Closest Call as of 3/7/08.

National Poll: I'd prefer to live in a house that has a... Swimming pool or Large backyard.

2008-03-07T05:52:00.000-08:00

Swimming pool: 54.3%
Large backyard: 45.7%
Men: 53.1% 46.9%
Women: 56.6% 43.4%
Prediction Accuracy: 73.8%

National Poll: Which leads you to more personal success? Who you know or What you know?

2008-03-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

Who you know: 42.1%
What you know: 57.9%
Men: 41.8% 58.2%
Women: 42.8% 57.2%
Prediction Accuracy: 51.8%

National Poll: Have you traveled further than 100 miles to attend a sporting event?

2008-03-07T05:40:00.000-08:00

Yes: 40.4%
Never: 59.6%
Men: 42.3% 57.7%
Women: 36.7% 63.3%
Prediction Accuracy: 49.1%

This is the first time I've ever seen a Yes/No question go Yes/Never. I wonder what that is trying to say for the person who wrote this. The statewide results for this are not surprising. The "Yes" states are pretty much all of the plain states where you have to travel pretty far to get to a big city. Can't think of too many major sports teams around those areas.

National Poll: If you could fast-forward time, would you?

2008-03-01T12:01:00.000-08:00

Yes: 46.2%
No: 53.8%
Men: 49.0% 51.0%
Women: 40.6% 59.4%
Prediction Accuracy: 38.5%

Interesting how 71.7% of people are OK with turning back time, but only 46.2% of people are OK with turning it forward. That must be because Back to the Future I & III were better movies than Back to the Future II.

PS-Happy 100th posting!

National Poll: When I come home I take off my shoes:

2008-03-01T11:58:00.000-08:00

Yes: 81.8%
No: 18.2%
Men: 80.5% 19.5%
Women: 84.4% 15.6%
Prediction Accuracy: 82.4%

National Poll: Do you sing along to the car radio?

2008-03-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

Yes: 69.6%
No: 30.4%
Men: 63.2% 36.8%
Women: 81.9% 18.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 77.3%

Worldwide Poll: If I received a gift of money, I would... Spend it or Save it?

2008-02-18T10:22:00.001-08:00

Spend it: 50.2%
Save it: 49.8%
Men: 51.4% 48.6%
Women: 47.9% 52.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 62.0%

This poll held the title for Closest Call from 2/18/08-3/7/08.

National Poll: When you want snack food, which do you select more often? Sweet or Salty?

2008-02-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

Sweet: 60.2%
Salty: 39.8%
Men: 58.4% 41.6%
Women: 63.8% 36.2%
Prediction Accuracy: 67.8%

National Poll: Do you recycle?

2008-02-18T10:09:00.001-08:00

Yes: 69.0%
No: 31.0%
Men: 68.3% 31.7%
Women: 70.4% 29.6%
Prediction Accuracy: 68.9%

These numbers were much better than I expected them to be. I'm curious about the recycling programs in the green states (if there are any, that is). In my state, it's pretty tough. My major complaint is that there is no glass recycling anywhere nearby. Lots of paper, a little bit of plastic, and no glass. Also, do you have to pay for your recycling bins like we do? I heard that in California it's mandatory to recycle, so my assumption would be that the state pays for all of it as well. I'm curious to hear what your recycling programs are like! Let me know!

National Poll: Do you wear white clothes after Labor Day?

2008-02-18T09:52:00.000-08:00

Yes: 48.7%
No: 51.3%
Men: 46.3% 53.7%
Women: 53.5% 46.5%
Prediction Accuracy: 49.8%

Is this seriously that big of a deal? No one really knows why they do this beyond possible fashion memes. The idea that this came from the south is also struck down pretty well by these results (or gamers in the South just don't care about fashion as much).

National Poll: If you accidentally spill salt, do you throw a pinch over your shoulder? Of course or Never?

2008-02-18T09:07:00.000-08:00

Of course: 24.5%
Never: 75.5%
Men: 23.3% 76.7%
Women: 27.0% 73.0%
Prediction Accuracy: 72.6%

National Poll: Do you still watch movies on VHS?

2008-02-18T09:04:00.000-08:00

Yes: 35.9%
No: 64.1%
Men: 33.7% 66.3%
Women: 40.4% 59.6%
Prediction Accuracy: 76.3%

National Poll: Which food do you order more often for home delivery? Pizza or Chinese?

2008-02-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

Pizza: 84.2%
Chinese: 15.8%
Men: 84.7% 15.3%
Women: 83.2% 16.8%
Prediction Accuracy: 88.7%

Worldwide Poll: Which would you prefer to watch, baseball or soccer?

2008-02-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

Baseball: 45.7%
Soccer: 54.3%
Men: 45.9% 54.1%
Women: 45.3% 54.7%
Prediction Accuracy: 64.5%

Didn't think that many US people liked Soccer.

National Poll: Which do you own more of? MP3s or CDs?

2008-02-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

MP3s: 49.4%
CDs: 50.6%
Men: 52.3% 47.7%
Women: 43.6% 56.4%
Prediction Accuracy: 33.0%

I must admit that this particular poll is interesting to me for two reasons: 1) The evenness of the results (sure CDs won it, but we're talking within 1% here) and 2) The fact that most people thought that MP3s would have won the poll, myself included. The difference between genders I honestly attribute to pirating. I'm inclined to think that men will steal music more than women would (especially amongst a college crowd) and I don't think that this particular statistical breakdown shows the digital music spending habits of Wii console owners as much as it confirms how we tend to describe the average P2P users.

Revisiting point #1, while MP3s haven't completely overtaken CDs in this poll, this definitely confirms the fears that the RIAA hold that they're losing CD sales and explains why they're desperately trying to stop people from ripping CDs that they own.

On an personal note, I still prefer to purchase CDs over MP3s. I prefer to have a physical copy that I can re-rip without problems if for some reason my computer crashes (it's happened once to two different computers I own over the course of the last 3-4 years). Having a physical backup that doesn't count towards a time I can burn it (like with a lot of DRM'd MP3s) is reassuring. Additionally, I like to buy my CDs used from Amazon or Half.com. I can usually pick up really good albums from popular artists for $5-7 that are in near mint condition if I am patient enough to wait a year or so to get them. I don't mind doing this and it accomplishes varied different goals for me (the remainder of which I won't go through now).

The idea that music will, in the future, be all digital is kind of scary to me at the moment. The current situation of digital music isn't quite where I want it to be. On the bright side, DRM seems to be disappearing. Music labels seem to be giving up on that point. On the downside, it gets really complex (and sometimes downright impossible) to get replacement MP3s if for some reason I don't have a backup somewhere when I need it. I've read the iTunes horror stories and am glad that I've only ever downloaded their free music downloads instead of investing in albums with them. AmazonMP3 only allows one download ever, so they're not that much better of a prospect. Until this changes (which, knowing the RIAA, probably won't), I'm still going to look into CD purchases.

Any comments on this particular poll (or the state of digital music in general)?

National Poll: Do you sleep on your side or your back?

2008-02-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

Side: 74.9%
Back: 25.1%
Men: 72.6% 27.4%
Women: 79.7% 20.3%
Prediction Accuracy: 71.3%

National Poll: If you could turn back time, would you?

2008-02-06T16:21:00.000-08:00

Yes: 71.7%
No: 28.3%
Men: 74.0% 26.0%
Women: 66.9% 33.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 84.2%

You know, despite everything I've learned from Doc Brown, I probably wouldn't be able to help myself. It wouldn't be to change things I regret, but rather just to see if it actually worked. Imagine someone tells you, "Hey, you're able to turn back time!" Pretty hard to believe without a testrun. The downside is there's no guarantee that you can go forward again after you've turned back. That would probably be enough to keep me from abusing it too much.

Worldwide Poll: Do you want to live in a foreign country?

2008-02-06T16:10:00.000-08:00

Yes: 40.7%
No: 59.3%
Men: 40.8% 59.2%
Women: 40.5% 59.5%
Prediction Accuracy: 51.7%

National Poll: Can you do a cartwheel?

2008-02-06T16:06:00.000-08:00

Yes: 45.7%
No: 54.3%
Men: 41.6% 58.4%
Women: 53.8% 46.2%
Prediction Accuracy: 44.8%

National Poll: A cheesecake is... A pie or A cake?

2008-02-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

A pie: 42.2%
A cake: 57.8%
Men: 40.4% 59.6%
Women: 45.9% 54.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 66.4%

This particular poll's results were shocking to me. Cheesecake must then be the only cake in the world with a graham cracker crust. I can think of a few cakes with similar consistency, but not quite so that they leave the "cake" category for me like cheesecake does. Does the word "cake" in the name really determine what it is? Is it that word that separates Pumpkin Pie from Chessecake (which for me are practically the same texturally)? Any thoughts on the matter?

National Poll: When you have good and bad news, which do you say first?

2008-02-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

Good news: 41.2%
Bad news: 58.8%
Men: 41.1% 58.9%
Women: 41.6% 58.4%
Prediction Accuracy: 53.1%

National Poll: Which do you do more of? Dieting or Exercise?

2008-02-06T15:54:00.000-08:00

Dieting: 25.2%
Exercise: 74.8%
Men: 20.3% 79.7%
Women: 35.5% 64.5%
Prediction Accuracy: 54.3%

National Poll: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

2008-02-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

Yes: 18.8%
No: 81.2%
Men: 18.5% 81.5%
Women: 19.5% 80.5%
Prediction Accuracy: 84.8%

National Poll: Do you prefer to set your clock forward or back one hour?

2008-01-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

Forward: 33.4%
Back: 66.6%
Men: 34.2% 65.8%
Women: 31.9% 68.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 69.4%

National Poll: Do you sneeze with your eyes opened or closed?

2008-01-16T16:34:00.000-08:00

Eyes Open: 9.9%
Eyes Closed: 90.1%
Men: 10.9% 89.1%
Women: 7.9% 92.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 92.9%

This poll holds the "Most One-Sided" title as of 1/16/08.

National Poll: Do you check the nutrition labels on food? Occasionally or Frequently?

2008-01-16T16:26:00.000-08:00

Occasionally: 68.1%
Frequently: 31.9%
Men: 71.6% 28.4%
Women: 60.9% 39.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 76.6%

National Poll: How much do you sleep? Less than eight hours or More than eight hours?

2008-01-16T16:22:00.000-08:00

Less than eight hours: 55.3%
More than eight hours: 44.7%
Men: 57.1% 42.9%
Women: 51.7% 48.3%
Prediction Accuracy: 65.2%

Both my wife and I swear we had this question before, but I obviously don't have the results for it. If it did happen, it must have been before I started collecting results. Does anyone else remember answering this one? Maybe it was a worldwide poll...

New Labels for Interesting Polls

2008-01-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

In light of recent polls, I've decided to add four specialty labels for polls of interest, those being the Best Predicted, the Worst Predicted, the Closest Call, and the Most One-Sided polls. These labels will change as new results may call for it. You can find all the labels on the right side as you scroll down from the top and link by subject.

Worldwide Poll: Do you have a cell/mobile phone?

2008-01-06T13:38:00.000-08:00

Yes: 77.7%
No: 22.3%
Men: 77.1% 22.9%
Women: 78.7% 21.3%
Prediction Accuracy: 91.1%

This is probably the best prediction accuracy I've seen on a poll to date. While the numbers aren't that surprising, the country rankings were. The most cell phone use goes to Finland. The Least goes to Canada, followed by Japan, followed by the USA. I've been really bad about posting these country breakdowns (even though I have all of them), but this one I might post later today since it interests me.

EDIT: I stand corrected, see post above.

National Poll: Can you recite the alphabet backwards?

2008-01-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

Yes: 33.5%
No: 66.5%
Men: 33.5% 66.5%
Women: 33.5% 66.5%
Prediction Accuracy: 73.0%

I think this marks the first time every that there were equal percentages for both the men and the women. I guess gender has nothing to do with it.

National Poll: Which do you prefer more? Hiking or Camping?

2008-01-06T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hiking: 34.2%
Camping: 65.8%
Men: 33.3% 66.6%
Women: 15.9% 64.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 71.7%

National Poll: After you've finished chewing gum, do you ... Spit it out or Swallow it?

2008-01-06T13:23:00.001-08:00

Spit it out: 82.6%
Swallow it: 13.8%
Men: 85.2% 14.8%
Women: 88.3% 11.7%
Prediction Accuracy: 89.6%

Is this actually dangerous? When I was a kid, I was always told that swallowed gum would stay in my stomach for years, but now I've come to understand otherwise. Still, even though there's no risk to it, I find that I would much rather spit it out than swallow it.

National Poll: How many keys do you have on your key ring? Less than three or Three or more?

2007-12-30T16:42:00.001-08:00

Less than three: 41.0%
Three or more: 59.0%
Men: 41.8% 58.2%
Women: 39.1% 60.9%
Prediction Accuracy: 79.9%

National Poll: Do you take daily vitamin supplements?

2007-12-30T16:40:00.001-08:00

Yes: 33.1%
No: 66.9%
Men: 31.6% 68.4%
Women: 36.4% 63.6%
Prediction Accuracy: 68.8%

National Poll: How often do you get your hair cut? Every 2 months or less Or Longer than 2 months?

2007-12-30T16:09:00.000-08:00

Every 2 months or less: 42.0%
Longer than 2 months: 58.0%
Men: 49.6% 50.4%
Women: 24.7% 75.3%
Prediction Accuracy: 43.0%

National Poll: Can you name all of your father's uncles?

2007-12-30T15:52:00.001-08:00

Yes: 18.8%
No: 81.2%
Men: 18.5% 81.5%
Women: 19.7% 80.3%
Prediction Accuracy: 82.6%

The only way I can think of someone honestly answering "yes" to this poll is if they're really into genealogy or if their father had no uncles. But then, that's probably why the percentage is so small.

National Poll: Do you blow bubbles with your gum?

2007-12-30T15:48:00.001-08:00

Yes: 65.8%
No: 34.2%
Men: 62.2% 37.8%
Women: 74.0% 26.0%
Prediction Accuracy: 76.9%

National Poll: How do you get your news? Online or Television?

2007-12-30T15:45:00.001-08:00

Online: 47.3%
Television: 52.7%
Men: 48.9% 51.1%
Women: 43.9% 56.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 53.6%

Worldwide Poll: Do you believe ghosts exist?

2007-12-30T15:41:00.000-08:00

I hope your Christmas was as great as mine! Now, back to business.

Yes: 52.5%
No: 47.5%
Men: 48.9% 51.1%
Women: 59.8% 40.2%
Prediction Accuracy: 55.1%

How is your prediction accuracy?

2007-12-15T10:43:00.001-08:00

Well, I've been meaning to ask this question for a while now. Mine has definitely dropped since I started this blog but I appear to be much more in tune than I was before. How are you doing? Post up pictures or percentages in the comments. I want to see how good some of you are!

Here are mine and my wife's in case you're curious.

Adventures in the Check Mii Out Channel

2007-12-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

So, if you actually have been using your Wii lately, you're probably familiar with the new Check Mii Out channel. If not, you should be! Otherwise, how would you have such an interesting experience as my wife and I did today? So, we were judging the contest for "The Biggest Bully Ever." After we had picked three pretty good candidates, we decided to keep looking just in case we saw something better than what we had. Well, we came across these three guys in a row:
Look familiar? How about a closer look:

George W.?

Hitler?

Chuck Norris?

This struck me as rather hilarious and I had to share. The fact that they were all in a row was what shocked me the most.

National Poll: Would you rather be . . . 20 IQ points smarter or 20 lbs. lighter?

2007-12-15T10:25:00.000-08:00

20 IQ points smarter: 66.0%
20 lbs. lighter: 34.0%
Men: 70.7% 29.3%
Women: 55.2% 44.8%
Prediction Accuracy: 46.8%

Worldwide Poll: Do you have a pet?

2007-12-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

Yes: 64.8%
No: 35.2%
Men: 64.2% 35.8%
Women: 65.9% 34.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 79.8%

National Poll: Do you floss every day?

2007-12-15T10:13:00.000-08:00

Yes: 15.4%
No: 84.6%
Men: 14.0% 86.0%
Women: 18.8% 81.2%
Prediction Accuracy: 82.6%

I've never seen the country map so green. I'm still trying to figure out if this says something about the American public or our views about the dental system/personal hygiene.

National Poll: If you forgot a loved one's birthday, would you: Make up a lie or Tell the truth?

2007-12-15T10:06:00.000-08:00

Make up a lie: 28.4%
Tell the truth: 71.6%
Men: 29.9% 70.1%
Women: 24.8% 75.2%
Prediction Accuracy: 52.9%

Interesting. So, apparently most of us tell the truth, but we think everyone else lies. I guess that's not too surprising. Do we cynically think that everyone is out to get us or lie to us? Is that why there's such a large difference between the actual liars (28%) and the one's we think are liars (53%)?

National Poll: Which could you do without if you had to? Running water or Electricity?

2007-12-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

Running water: 42.1%
Electricity: 57.9%
Men: 45.0% 55.0%
Women: 35.3% 64.7%
Prediction Accuracy: 52.7%

Of course, if I didn't have electricity, I couldn't update this blog for you...

National Poll: Which would you rather be? Taller or Thinner?

2007-12-15T09:57:00.000-08:00

Taller: 47.9%
Thinner: 52.1%
Men: 54.2% 45.8%
Women: 33.6% 66.4%
Prediction Accuracy: 71.9%

National Poll: What do you think of sushi? Delicious or Uncooked fish?

2007-12-15T09:54:00.001-08:00

Delicious: 45.3%
Uncooked Fish: 54.7%
Men: 46.0% 54.0%
Women: 43.9% 56.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 52.9%

National Poll: How do you see professional wrestling? It's real or It's fake?

2007-12-15T09:49:00.000-08:00

It's real: 17.3%
It's fake: 82.7%
Men: 18.0% 82.0%
Women: 15.5% 84.5%
Prediction Accuracy: 79.9%

National Poll: Which dog are you most like? Poodle or Bulldog?

2007-12-15T09:27:00.000-08:00

Poodle: 34.7%
Bulldog: 65.3%
Men: 24.2% 75.8%
Women: 57.4% 42.6%
Prediction Accuracy: 69.7%

If I had my choice, I would have picked Golden Retriever or some other dog that isn't associated with killing people or being stuck up. I felt of the two I had to go Poodle, though. And now I'm filled with shame.

Data Mine Shaft and Delays

2007-12-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

Bad news first. I'm coming upon finals week in my courses. Updates are going to be sparse (yes, more so than they usually are already). If I'm lucky, I might get the last 4 or 5 results up this weekend, but no promises. Rest assured, though, that I'll still be tracking the info, so you can come back in a little bit and see the results then.

Until then, there's some good news, too! Commenter Dave Y. who runs the Data Mine Shaft has taken a lot of the EVC archived results here and elsewhere to form some really neat information regarding voters and voting trends on the channel. It's a two parter, one this week and one next. Reading through it should entertain you until I get a chance to put up more results, so I highly encourage you to go and check it out!

National Poll: Which is luckier? Four-leaf clover or Horseshoe?

2007-11-28T16:59:00.001-08:00

Four-leaf clover: 86.4%
Horseshoe: 13.6%
Men: 87.0% 13.0%
Women: 85.2% 14.8%
Prediction Accuracy: 87.6%

Held the "Most One-Sided" title from 1/6/08-1/16/08. This is the first poll to win that title.

National Poll: You're thirsty for milk, but there's not enough for a full glass. What do you do? Drink something else or Drink what's left?

2007-11-28T16:55:00.001-08:00

Drink something else: 25.9%
Drink what's left: 74.1%
Men: 25.3% 74.7%
Women: 27.4% 72.6%
Prediction Accuracy: 73.9%

National Poll: Which do you consider the first day of the week? Sunday or Monday?

2007-11-28T16:49:00.001-08:00

Sunday: 42.5%
Monday: 57.5%
Men: 42.4% 57.6%
Women: 42.7% 57.3%
Prediction Accuracy: 59.3%

National Poll: What do you think of suntans? Healthy glow or Bad for skin?

2007-11-21T09:37:00.000-08:00

Healthy Glow: 42.0%
Bad for skin: 58.0%
Men: 42.7% 57.3%
Women: 40.4% 59.6%
Prediction Accuracy: 44.5%

National Poll: Where do you wear your watch? Left wrist or Right wrist?

2007-11-21T09:33:00.000-08:00

Left wrist: 64.8%
Right wrist: 35.2%
Men: 65.1% 34.9%
Women: 64.1% 35.9%
Prediction Accuracy: 69.8%

National Poll: Which would you rather do? Invent something new or Discover something rare?

2007-11-21T09:28:00.000-08:00

Invent something new: 60.5%
Discover something rare: 39.5%
Men: 64.7% 35.3%
Women: 50.3% 49.7%
Prediction Accuracy: 67.3%

Worldwide Poll: Have you ever flown on an airplane before?

2007-11-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

Yes: 81.3%
No: 18.7%
Men: 81.0% 19.0%
Women: 81.9% 18.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 81.9%

More results found.

2007-11-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

Occasionally during my random web-browsing moments, I come across another website with some posted results for Everybody Votes questions. This time, I found them at a relatively unknown blog on Nintendo Wii news called Wiifit.net. The name of the blog itself seems to have nothing to do with its content, but in the end I'm OK with that. He has a few questions that I don't have archived. You can rest assured that I have them backed up, but rather than stealing his work and posting it up here, I'd just as soon have you go to his site. Questions include:

How do you feel about your name?
Do you read the newspaper every day?
Do aliens exist?
And others...

Click on the "Archive" label if you're interested in a few other questions that I found on someone else's site.

National Poll: How do you react to thunder and lightning? Fascinates me or Scares me?

2007-11-15T05:52:00.000-08:00

Fascinates me: 75.6%
Scares me: 24.4%
Men: 81.6% 18.4%
Women: 61.3% 38.7%
Prediction Accuracy: 53.7%

National Poll: Which kind of water tastes better? Tap water or Bottled water?

2007-11-15T05:41:00.000-08:00

Tap water: 22.9%
Bottled water: 77.1%
Men: 24.3% 75.7%
Women: 19.4% 80.6%
Prediction Accuracy: 88.8%

I guess we're just unrefined. Or maybe our tap water doesn't come out brown, so we'd prefer free over $1 a bottle. Sometimes I just don't like bottled water because it tastes like plastic water. How would you have voted?

National Poll: Which would you rather dive into? A swimming pool full of Spaghetti or Vanilla pudding?

2007-11-15T05:28:00.000-08:00

Spaghetti: 28.1%
Vanilla Pudding: 71.9%
Men: 27.8% 72.2%
Women: 28.6% 71.4%
Prediction Accuracy: 78.1%

Some times I really wonder why Nintendo picks some of these stupid questions...

Worldwide Poll: How many people do you live with? Four or more or Three or less?

2007-11-06T06:28:00.001-08:00

Four or more: 50.3%
Three or less: 49.7%
Men: 49.7% 50.3%
Women: 51.7% 48.3%
Prediction Accuracy: 61.9%

This poll held the "Closest Call" title from 1/16/08-2/18/08.

National Poll: Which is colder? South Poll or North Poll?

2007-11-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

South Poll: 62.3%
North Poll: 37.7%
Men: 63.7% 36.3%
Women: 58.7% 41.3%
Prediction Accuracy: 50.1%

Almost an upset. Interesting...

Excerpt from Jennifer Armstrong's Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World:

Just Imagine yourself in the most hostile place on earth. It's not the Sahara or the Gobi Desert. It's not the Arctic. The most hostile place on earth is the Antarctic, the location of the South Pole. North Pole, South Pole--what's the difference? The Arctic is mostly water--with ice on top, of course--and that ice is never more than a few feet thick. But under the South Pole lies a continent that supports glaciers up to two miles in depth. [...] And of all the weather [the world] creates, the weather the Antarctic creates for itself is by far the worst. In the winter, the temperature can sink to 100 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Cold air masses sliding down the sides of the glaciers speed up until they become winds of close to 200 miles per hour.

And I could go on and on quoting the first chapter of the book, but I think you get the picture. It pays to read (or Google it, I guess).

On a side note, Shipwreck is a fascinating read about a crew trying to be the first to reach the South Pole. Along the way they're shipwrecked (bad news after that little snippet above). Not to spoil anything for you (considering it's on the first page of the book, it could hardly be that), but they all survive! It's especially neat, because they had a photographer along with them the whole time, so there's some pretty neat pictures as well. Take a look!

National Poll: Do you wear a costume on Halloween?

2007-11-06T06:10:00.001-08:00

Yes: 57.9%
No: 42.1%
Men: 56.5% 43.5%
Women: 61.1% 38.9%
Prediction Accuracy: 83.2%

My wife is mad at me because I accidentally voted on the wrong side. She's been wearing a Halloween costume religiously since she was a little girl. I haven't been doing too badly these last few years either. That's what I get for hitting submit without checking my answers. I fail.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and South Dakota's a bunch of rebels!

National Poll: Which kind of Halloween costume do you prefer? Scary costumes or Funny costumes?

2007-11-06T06:04:00.000-08:00

Scary costumes: 43.0%
Funny costumes: 57.0%
Men: 46.3% 53.7%
Women: 34.9% 65.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 40.1%

National Poll: Are you first or last to wake-up in your home?

2007-10-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

First to wake: 49.0%
Last to wake: 51.0%
Men: 48.5% 51.5%
Women: 50.1% 49.9%
Prediction Accuracy: 70.4%

AWOL

2007-10-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

Rest assured that even though it takes me a week or so to get stuff posted, I'm still recording it. College life has a tendency to make you really busy when midterms start. Anyway, enjoy the results from the last few polls.

National Poll: During dinner, is your TV usually On or Off?

2007-10-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

On: 67.8%
Off: 32.2%
Men: 67.7% 32.3%
Women: 68.2% 31.8%
Prediction Accuracy: 76.0%

National Poll: Which is more unlucky? Friday the 13th or a Broken Mirror?

2007-10-25T13:43:00.001-07:00

Friday the 13th: 45.4%
Broken Mirror: 54.6%
Men: 47.0% 53.0%
Women: 41.4% 58.6%
Prediction Accuracy: 39.5%

National Poll: Where do you like to sit on a bus? Near the front or Near the back?

2007-10-25T13:34:00.001-07:00

Near the front: 39.0%
Near the back: 71.0%
Men: 35.4% 64.6%
Women: 47.9% 52.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 71.0%

National Poll: When lost, which are you more likely to do? Ask for directions or Find it without help?

2007-10-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Ask for directions: 59.8%
Find it without help: 40.2%
Men: 54.3% 45.7%
Women: 73.9% 26.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 62.4%

Worldwide Poll: If you had a time machine where would you go? To the futuer or To the past?

2007-10-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

To the future: 57.9%
To the past: 42.1%
Men: 59.3% 40.7%
Women: 54.5% 45.5%
Prediction Accuracy: 72.0%

Liars!

2007-10-16T14:05:00.001-07:00

The last poll brings me to an interesting idea and question. Do you lie when you vote? Don't take the question too personally, otherwise you'll miss the point that I'm trying to make. Do you think that 70% people actually "smile and say hello" when they approach someone or just wish that they would? I have no problems saying that I generally avoid eye contact with most people as I'm walking to and from my classes--most of the time because I have my face stuffed in some book--but really, I just don't generally smile and talk to people I don't know as I'm walking about. I don't consider myself an introvert, either. It just isn't the best time in the world to start having a conversation. Don't get any wrong ideas about this. I don't shun people I don't know and I do, on occasion, smile and greet people as I'm walking around. Just not most of the time.

So, the main point is do people vote the actual truth or the idealized truth? I tend to think the latter at times. What do you think?

National Poll: When approaching someone, which are you more likely to do? Avoid eye contact or Smile and say hello?

2007-10-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

Avoid eye contact: 30.4%
Smile and say hello: 69.6%
Men: 31.9% 68.1%
Women: 26.3% 73.7%
Prediction Accuracy: 66.5%

I call shenanigans. I spend much of my time on a college campus and this does not prove accurate (for my life at least). In fact, I would say that the percentage normally runs quite the opposite. The world would be a much nicer place if 70% of people smile and say hello as you walk by.

Does anyone else disagree with the results or do you believe that they are true? Why or why not? Discuss! I would be interested in what you have to say about it.

National Poll: Someone has knocked over a store display. Do I... Stop and pick it up or Continue to walk past?

2007-10-16T13:41:00.001-07:00

Stop and pick it up: 56.6%
Continue to walk past: 43.4%
Men: 54.9% 45.1%
Women: 61.2% 38.8%
Prediction Accuracy: 45.4%

National Poll: Which will happen first? Time travel or Finding life on Mars?

2007-10-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

Time travel: 23.9%
Finding life on Mars: 76.1%
Men: 23.7% 76.3%
Women: 24.6% 75.4%
Prediction Accuracy: 77.0%

I always find it funny when one state is noticeably different from the rest. So, what does this say about Wyoming?

National Poll: You have plans when it starts raining. What do you do? Keep my plans or Change my plans?

2007-10-11T21:25:00.001-07:00

Keep my plans: 67.1%
Change my plans: 32.9%
Men: 67.2% 32.8%
Women: 66.9% 33.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 49.5%

Was this question poorly framed? I kind of think so, but maybe that's the bitterness of loosing the prediction still talking. When I read this, I was thinking outdoor plans because they're the only type of plans affected by rain, aren't they? Apparently not, since I was not in the majority. Or was I? According to the Prediction Accuracy, this was an upset. Most people think that plans would change, even though they wouldn't be the ones to change them. So, poorly framed question or poorly predicted answer?

National Poll: Which do you spend more time doing? Surfing the internet or Watching TV?

2007-10-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Surfing the Internet: 53.8%
Watching TV: 46.2%
Men: 56.5% 43.5%
Women: 47.3% 52.7%
Prediction Accuracy: 50.3%

What does this say about how TV is marketed to the general public? Who knows?

National Poll: Is there such a thing as a stupid question?

2007-10-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

Yes: 80.5%
No: 19.5%
Men: 81.2% 18.8%
Women: 78.9% 21.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 80.0%

I can understand where the adage came from. Sometimes, people are embarrassed or ashamed to share their thoughts with others, so they need to almost excuse themselves by saying "This might be a stupid question, but..." Those questions aren't the stupid ones. So what constitutes a "stupid question" then? That's a tough question to answer. I suppose saying something like, "I know one when I hear one" isn't enough for the argument at hand. If I had to place it somewhere, I would say it's one part irrelevance and another part inexcusability. But then, I don't know if I fully understand what that even means. Any thoughts?

National Poll: Which sound irritates you more? Chewing or Snoring?

2007-10-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

Chewing: 42.9%
Snoring: 57.1%
Men: 42.0% 58.0%
Women: 45.1% 54.9%
Prediction Accuracy: 68.2%

New Label and Such

2007-10-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

I'm still getting used to the fact that Blogger takes what I know to be "tags" and calls them "labels". Anyway, I've made a new label for a phenomena I've found among the EV results. I call them "Upsets" because that's what they are. When the majority of the people (read: >50.0%) predicting get the answer wrong, I will label it as an Upset. This is just another way for you to better search all of the results that have been posted here.

Speaking of things like this, if there is anything that you think might be helpful for searching through this stuff or enhancing the experience (if you will), let me know! Drop me a line! Again, I just find this stuff fascinating and I hope that perhaps at some future point we can start discussing these polls a little in the comments.

Worldwide Poll: Do you believe in fortune-telling?

2007-10-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

Yes: 30.1%
No: 69.9%
Men: 24.6% 75.4%
Women: 41.9% 58.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 60.6%

As with the other worldwide poll, I have to edit the individual country results all together. I haven't gotten around to it, but I will. I promise.

National Poll: How do you see a zebra? Black with White Stripes or White with Black Stripes?

2007-10-01T19:51:00.001-07:00

Black with White Stripes: 21.8%
White with Black Stripes: 78.2%
Men: 21.6% 78.4%
Women: 22.2% 77.8%
Prediction Accuracy: 80.1%

Just in case you're having difficulty deciding on what you would say, here's a reference picture for you:

I'm a Zebra. Click me.

National Poll: Which couldn't you live without? TV Remote or Dishwasher?

2007-09-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

TV Remote: 62.6%
Dishwasher: 37.4%
Male: 65.0% 35.0%
Female: 56.5% 43.5%
Prediction Accuracy: 73.1%

Boy did I get this one wrong...

A small breakthrough.

2007-09-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

In browsing the internet, hoping to find some of the results that I had lost from not starting this earlier, I came across this website:

http://shanem.net/misc/everyoneVotes.html

They have an interesting setup to the site (read: no pictures) and it looks like it hasn't been added to in a long time. I won't bother posting them up here, only because I would rather have you visit the link to their site since they put up the effort. However, I might at least archive those results, just in case the site goes down (after which I would probably post what they have here). I might take the idea of posting actual text results in addition to the pictures I have been posting. It will make searching the page a little better.

Clarification of my processes.

2007-09-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Now that I've got all of the archived polls, let me do some explaining. First, I'm not rich, so this isn't high tech. My TV is a Tube TV with no component inputs. The colors are a little jacked (trust me I've tried to fix it) and the refresh rate is obvious in some of the pictures I take. My computer doesn't have any way to receive RCA inputs, so you get photos of my TV screen. I know about all of the ways to make something like this look and feel more professional, but I lack the resources (read: money) to do so. I hope this doesn't disappoint you. If it does, then I guess our time together will be short (though, admittedly, I didn't expect it to be very long anyway).

Next, my posting procedures should look uniform by now. What I'm really hoping to get out of you, the reader, is that you'll take an active part in this and become you, the poster. By posting, I really mean commenting. It isn't fun to get statistics without a little discussion to go on. Isn't that what the internet is for nowadays, social networks and whatnot? I'll freely admit that Nintendo picks some really weird topics, but some of them are actually worth discussing. I hope you take the opportunity to do so.

Additionally, I hope to keep a better tab on when these results come through and post them shortly thereafter. I will admit that since no one is really visiting this blog as of yet, my motivation is a little lacking. But if things do pick up, I'll get the results up as quickly as I can. Also, use the "Labels"/Tags that Blogger gives to help sorting topics of interest to you. New polls are usually up about every 2-3 days, so check back often for new results!

Worldwide Poll: Are you right-handed or left-handed?

2007-09-25T21:20:00.001-07:00

Right-handed: 85.8%
Left-handed: 14.2%
Men: 84.7% 15.3%
Women: 88.0% 12.0%
Prediction Accuracy: 93.9%

The breakdown for the countries will come as soon as I get some time to do a little Photoshop magic. It's a little tougher than the normal breakdown by region screen since it has a lot of countries involved.

This poll holds the "Best Predicted" title as of 1/16/08.

National Poll: Which would you rather have more of? Intelligence or Confidence?

2007-09-25T21:17:00.001-07:00

Intelligence: 57.0%
Confidence: 43.0%
Men: 57.1% 42.9%
Women: 56.9% 43.1%
Prediction Accuracy: 58.1%

National Poll: Where do you prefer to watch movies? Theatre or Home?

2007-09-25T21:14:00.001-07:00

Theatre: 54.7%
Home: 45.3%
Men: 57.3% 42.7%
Women: 48.4% 51.6%
Prediction Accuracy: 68.6%

National Poll: Which plays a greater part in your decisions at a grocery store? Organic Label or Good Price?

2007-09-25T21:11:00.001-07:00

Organic label: 17.9%
Good price: 82.1%
Men: 16.9% 83.1%
Women: 20.1% 79.9%
Prediction Accuracy: 86.6%

National Poll: Which bothers you more? Ignorance or Indifference?

2007-09-25T21:01:00.001-07:00

Ignorance: 73.7%
Indifference: 26.3%
Men: 75.3% 24.7%
Women: 69.7% 30.3%
Prediction Accuracy: 75.1%

From Dictionary.com:
ig·no·rance [ig-ner-uhns]
–noun
the state or fact of being ignorant; lack of knowledge, learning, information, etc.

in·dif·fer·ence [in-dif-er-uhns, -dif-ruhns]
–noun

1.	lack of interest or concern: We were shocked by their indifference toward poverty.

2.	unimportance; little or no concern: Whether or not to attend the party is a matter of indifference to him.

3.	the quality or condition of being indifferent.

4.	mediocre quality; mediocrity.

I would be lying if I didn't say that I was really surprised at this poll. Don't people realize that ignorance cannot be helped, but indifference is caused by, oh I don't know, a "lack of interest or concern"? We are so quick to say that it isn't our fault if we didn't know, yet never willing to forgive that in others. However, when we have the knowledge and do nothing about it, we say that that is less bothersome. 73% of people really do surprise me.

National Poll: Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

2007-09-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

Introvert: 64.2%
Extrovert: 35.8%
Men: 55.3% 44.7%
Women: 51.6% 48.4%
Prediction Accuracy: 43.3%

National Poll: How do you prefer to travel while on vacation? By Airplane or By Car?

2007-09-25T20:55:00.001-07:00

By airplane: 61.0%
By car: 39.0%
Men: 61.1% 38.9%
Women: 60.7% 39.3%
Prediction Accuracy: 72.6%

National Poll: Would you erase part of your past if you could?

2007-09-25T20:53:00.001-07:00

Yes: 60.9%
No: 39.1%
Men: 62.1% 37.9%
Women: 57.7% 42.3%
Prediction Accuracy: 75.2%

National Poll: Which is the luckier number? 7 or 21?

2007-09-25T20:48:00.001-07:00

7 (Seven): 75.3%
21 (Twenty-One): 24.7%
Men: 75.8% 24.2%
Women: 74.1% 25.9%
Prediction Accuracy: 82.4%

National Poll: Do you sometimes talk aloud to yourself?

2007-09-25T20:43:00.001-07:00

Yes: 79.6%
No: 20.4%
Men: 78.2% 21.8%
Women: 83.3% 16.7%
Prediction Accuracy: 76.6%

National Poll: You're given an opportunity to live on another planet but can't return to Earth. Do you go?

2007-09-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

Yes: 29.0%
No: 71.0%
Men: 32.0% 68.0%
Women: 21.1% 78.9%
Prediction Accuracy: 71.5%

National Poll: Are you afraid of speaking in front of groups?

2007-09-25T20:33:00.001-07:00

Yes: 48.0%
No: 52.0%
Men: 45.6% 54.4%
Women: 54.1% 45.9%
Prediction Accuracy: 23.8%

This poll holds the "Most One-Sided" title as of 1/16/08.