We're number two!

NPR had an interesting story last night about the makeup of the various states versus the averages for the country as a whole. According to this analysis of 2006 census data, Oregon is the 2nd most average state in the country. Looking around, I wouldn't have guessed that. Illinois is apparently the most average. It's interesting to be at the top of the list by being average. Washington and Pennsylvania are up there too. My readers in Colorado and Virginia might be interested to know that they are in the middle of the list, which I guess makes them of only average averageness. I would have guessed that Washington, DC would have been the least average, being just a city and heavier on the minorities than other places I've been, but interestingly, there are apparently 8 states that are even further off the norm. West Virginia is number 51 on the list, which according to the interview with some WV government hack last night, doesn't surprise them. West Virginia is older, poorer, whiter, less educated, and less mobile than average for the country. They seem to think that if they can just get more industry to move to the state, then these other things will sort themselves out. Good luck with that.

This interactive map linked in the story is an interesting look at the data in various categories.

Hey, wait! I resemble that remark...

The local NPR station out here in Pocatello is doing its fund drive right now. Normally I can't stand listening to these fund drives, but it was on when I turned on the van. Anyway, they were interviewing a couple of kids who are forced to listen to NPR with their parents in the car. Although the younger kid could name some of the station's personalities, the only other thing he could say he knew about it was that he didn't like it. His older sister was a little more nuanced. She admitted that she sometimes liked it, but sometimes not. A lot of times it was a little boring. When asked whether she understood much of what she heard, she said that no, she didn't, and that's probably why it was boring. When asked why she thought her parents liked it, she answered, "because they're kind of boring too."