OT-More creative statistics

[Shannon Nelson]

Just to reassure us that homeopathy is not the *only* one being
treated, by various aspects of "big money", to "creative statistics":
Just now I'm listening to a public radio station show about our (US)
energy supply. The subject of ethanol came up (gasoline additive made
from corn, to reduce gas usage), and the interviewer mentioned that in
her understanding (the latest popular wisdom, and I wouldn't know any
better either) it actually costs more to produce ethanol, than is saved
by burning it. (So the argument as it had been presented to me, was
that ethanol is just another "special interest" scam for the corn
growers.) The guest replied: "That's what the oil companies will tell
you..." and continued that, for the study which (seemed to) show that
result, the farmers fertilized the corn "at three times the rate that
farmers usually fertilize", and that part of the calculation of energy
input was (drumroll) the solar energy input! ROTFLmy guts out!!!
Heehee, dontcha love it? No, you don't? Oh, you mean this is "real
life", not some dumb "reality" show? Ah well...
Shannon
(still laughing...)