Crazy People

The American Community Survey is a vital tool by the Census folks to help us understand ourselves, how our demographics are changing, and even how we're doing economically.  But then again, you get crazy people like this who really do need to buy a clue.  I love his "supposedly randomly picked."  Paranoid, much?  Or just statistically challenged?

In this vent, are you truly required by law to respond?  Oh yeah, just like the Census.  As they note:

Yes. You are legally obligated to answer all the questions, as accurately as you can.

The relevant laws are Title 18 U.S.C Section 3571 and Section 3559, which amends Title 13 U.S.C. Section 221.

Your answers are important. As part of a sample, you represent many other people. Find out how each question helps your community, your state, and the federal government in questions in the form and why we ask.

I suppose you can argue that you only want to obey the laws you like.  Then again, how can you dislike us knowing as much about ourselves as is possible?  The data are all made public, for crying out loud.   It's not as if they're collecting secret data on you, though I suppose for some folks they also see black helicopters flying around their house at night.

Knowing . . . They're Out to Get You

Interesting British study on just how paranoid people can be. You can can versions of the story scattered across the Net. Here's one version, or another. Or another. Just in case any of the links die. One interesting number: 21 percent of Brits think at some time people were acting against them.

Here's a scary bit:

Surveys of several thousands of people in Britain, the United States and elsewhere have found that rates of paranoia are slowly rising, although researchers' estimates of how many of us have paranoid thoughts varies widely, from 5 percent to 50 percent.

You have to wonder if the Brit study is less likely to be replicated in the U.S., particularly given the amount of people using the tube in London. I wonder what those other people are thinking and doing too when I'm waiting or riding on the tube.

As one guy says, maybe it's not such a bad thing:

"In a world full of threat, it may be kind of beneficial for people to be on guard. It's good to be looking around and see who's following you and what's happening," Combs said. "Not everybody is trying to get you, but some people may be."

Essentially people are suspicious, and given the times who can blame them? If there is a rise in paranoia that's easily explained given 9/11, given the attack on the London tube and buses, given the times in general. So in this case, what people know is that they know, or think they know, someone is out there watching them.