Poll Results

All Previous Polls: 651-700

Total votes: 1033

Stress 1st syllable (I normally stress the 2nd): 417 (40.4%)
Stress 3rd syllable (I normally stress the 2nd): 308 (29.8%)
Stress 2nd syllable (I normally stress the 1st): 135 (13.1%)
Stress 3rd syllable (I normally stress the 1st): 95 (9.2%)
Stress 2nd syllable (I normally stress the 3rd): 66 (6.4%)
Stress 1st syllable (I normally stress the 3rd): 12 (1.2%)

Total votes: 779

The bad news: 583 (74.8%)
The good news: 196 (25.2%)

A couple of other answers were hacked in: "The bad news, but in a good way", and "A stiff drink".

Total votes: 916

Not sure yet: 281 (30.7%)
Probably: 228 (24.9%)
Probably not: 227 (24.8%)
No: 78 (8.5%)
Yes!: 75 (8.2%)
Yes! More than one copy! Take my money!: 27 (2.9%)

That is actually pretty encouraging! Given my estimate of the fraction of readers who answer the polls, this allows me to make some estimates of potential sales, and it's certainly in the right ballpark for what I was thinking. So, full steam ahead! More news will come as I go through further planning stages.

Total votes: 1023

Domestic appliances: 229 (22.4%)
Other human-made sounds: 181 (17.7%)
Music: 156 (15.2%)
People talking: 134 (13.1%)
Television: 95 (9.3%)
Traffic: 78 (7.6%)
Nothing: 48 (4.7%)
Keyboards clicking: 40 (3.9%)
Weather (rain, wind, etc): 31 (3.0%)
Nature (birds, insects, running water, etc): 22 (2.2%)
Construction work: 9 (0.9%)

Total votes: 1084

Episode I: The Phantom Menace: 522 (48.2%)
Episode II: Attack of the Clones: 322 (29.7%)
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: 120 (11.1%)
Episode IV: A New Hope: 14 (1.3%)
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: 9 (0.8%)
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi: 20 (1.8%)
Soon it'll be Episode VII: The Force Awakens: 77 (7.1%)

A significant number of J.J. Abrams dislikers, I take it.

Total votes: 1061

What voltage are the sheep?: 211 (19.9%)
Do electric sheep dream of androids?: 199 (18.8%)
Why wouldn't they dream of normal sheep?: 168 (15.8%)
Do androids even dream?: 165 (15.6%)
They might COUNT electric sheep to fall asleep, but not necessarily dream about them: 134 (12.6%)
What is an electric sheep anyway?: 99 (9.3%)
Actually, I've dreamt about electric sheep...: 85 (8.0%)

Total votes: 1334

Yes, until they can breathe, or I can't hold it any more: 127 (9.5%)
Yes, until I notice what I'm doing and consciously relax: 147 (11.0%)
Yes, but only briefly as they first submerge: 54 (4.0%)
Sometimes - it depends: 279 (20.9%)
No, but I've noticed other people doing it: 91 (6.8%)
Uh... no... *odd look*: 636 (47.7%)

Total votes: 1697

A house: 433 (25.5%)
A computer: 423 (24.9%)
A car: 351 (20.7%)
Something else: 160 (9.4%)
An apartment: 97 (5.7%)
Other electronic gear: 91 (5.4%)
An item of clothing / shoes: 76 (4.5%)
Tickets to an event: 20 (1.2%)
A piece of jewellery / fashion accessory: 12 (0.7%)
A piece of furniture: 11 (0.6%)
An artwork: 10 (0.6%)
Something more expensive than a house: 6 (0.4%)
A motorcycle: 5 (0.3%)
A boat: 2 (0.1%)

Total votes: 1510

The Allosaurus: 1299 (86.0%)
John Kasich: 83 (5.5%)
Ted Cruz: 73 (4.8%)
Donald Trump: 55 (3.6%)

RAAARRRHHH!!!

Total votes: 1410

Tea: 243 (17.2%)
Water: 214 (15.2%)
Coffee: 130 (9.2%)
A milkshake: 130 (9.2%)
Juice: 107 (7.6%)
Beer: 105 (7.4%)
Coca Cola: 101 (7.2%)
Some other fizzy drink: 87 (6.2%)
A mixed drink/cocktail: 85 (6.0%)
A sugar-free fizzy drink: 67 (4.8%)
No thanks: 41 (2.9%)
A smoothie: 40 (2.8%)
Wine: 34 (2.4%)
A spirit: 26 (1.8%)

Someone requested plain milk... which I alas overlooked.

Total votes: 1678

Always go front in, and have to reverse out: 511 (30.5%)
Usually go front in: 492 (29.3%)
I don't drive: 366 (21.8%)
Usually reverse in: 142 (8.5%)
Always reverse in, so I can drive straight out: 89 (5.3%)
Either way, about half each: 66 (3.9%)
I don't park in spaces like this: 12 (0.7%)

I also go front in. I'm a bit surprised that so many people say they park front in, because I'm always amazed at how many people - more than half - seem to be parked rear end in whenever I am in a car park.

Total votes: 1232

Yes, if I feel like toast I'll toast fresh bread, but I also eat it untoasted: 1000 (81.2%)
No, I never toast bread, I eat it untoasted even after a few days: 113 (9.2%)
No, I eat it fresh and only toast it after a day or two: 53 (4.3%)
Yes, I always toast bread, fresh or not; I don't eat it untoasted: 30 (2.4%)
No, I don't eat bread: 26 (2.1%)
No, I eat it fresh and throw it out after a day or two: 10 (0.8%)

Total votes: 1478

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971): 626 (42.4%)
I've only seen the 1971 version: 309 (20.9%)
I've seen neither: 230 (15.6%)
I've only seen the 2005 version: 176 (11.9%)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005): 138 (9.3%)

It was a sad coincidence that Gene Wilder passed away while this poll was running. At least the result of the poll turned out correctly!!

Total votes: 1148

18 and 77 are both exactly equally incorrect: 512 (44.6%)
77 is more incorrect (a worse answer) than 18: 474 (41.3%)
18 is more incorrect (a worse answer) than 77: 162 (14.1%)

This question generated some interesting discussion on the forums, as well as a few interesting write-in responses via the poll form:

"Their incorrectness is incommensurable, being of two different kinds. 77 is probably a better wrong answer for most practical purposes, though."

"Well that's an interesting question. From a purely logical perspective, correctness is a binary value, and both answers are exactly equally incorrect. In terms of proximity to the correct anwer, 77 is more correct. In terms of reasonable mistakes, 18 is the correct answer. From a reasonable perspective, this was a massive waste of time explaining the obvious purpose of this poll."

"Yar, they're both jus' as bilge-suckin', me matey. Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day."

Total votes: 1185

0 for both: 767 (64.7%)
Equator: 2 or 4; Date Line: 0: 76 (6.4%)
Equator: 0; Date Line: 2 or 4: 67 (5.7%)
Equator: 2 or 4; Date Line: 2 or 4: 58 (4.9%)
Equator: 1 or 3; Date Line: 0: 39 (3.3%)
Equator: 6 or higher even number; Date Line: 0: 26 (2.2%)
Equator: 0; Date Line: 6 or higher even number: 22 (1.9%)
Equator: 0; Date Line: 1 or 3: 17 (1.4%)
Equator: 2 or 4; Date Line: 1 or 3: 17 (1.4%)
Equator: 2 or 4; Date Line: 6 or higher even number: 13 (1.1%)
Equator: 6 or higher even number; Date Line: 2 or 4: 10 (0.8%)
Equator: 6 or higher even number; Date Line: 6 or higher even number: 10 (0.8%)
Equator: 0; Date Line: 5 or higher odd number: 9 (0.8%)
Equator: 5 or higher odd number; Date Line: 0: 9 (0.8%)
Equator: 5 or higher odd number; Date Line: 5 or higher odd number: 9 (0.8%)
Equator: 1 or 3; Date Line: 2 or 4: 7 (0.6%)
Equator: 5 or higher odd number; Date Line: 2 or 4: 7 (0.6%)
Equator: 1 or 3; Date Line: 1 or 3: 6 (0.5%)
Equator: 6 or higher even number; Date Line: 1 or 3: 6 (0.5%)
Equator: 5 or higher odd number; Date Line: 1 or 3: 4 (0.3%)
Equator: 2 or 4; Date Line: 5 or higher odd number: 2 (0.2%)
Equator: 6 or higher even number; Date Line: 5 or higher odd number: 2 (0.2%)
Equator: 1 or 3; Date Line: 6 or higher even number: 2 (0.2%)
Equator: 5 or higher odd number; Date Line: 6 or higher even number: 1 (0.1%)
Equator: 1 or 3; Date Line: 5 or higher odd number: 1 (0.1%)

Total votes: 1445

The Allosaurus: 1118 (77.4%)
Hillary Clinton: 279 (19.3%)
Donald Trump: 48 (3.3%)

Not only has the Allosaurus successfully been re-elected for a fourth term, he's increased his support over 2004, 2008, and 2012!

RAAARRRHHH!!!

Total votes: 1295

Reading a book on a rainy day: 442 (34.1%)
Kittens: 235 (18.1%)
A crackling fireplace: 152 (11.7%)
A winding road through an autumn forest: 148 (11.4%)
Waves washing gently on a tropical beach: 122 (9.4%)
Sunset over a lake and distant mountains: 107 (8.3%)
A tropical aquarium: 46 (3.6%)
Fluffy bunnies: 43 (3.3%)

Total votes: 1042

Cream on the scone, jam on top of the cream: 255 (24.5%)
I don't want this at all: 230 (22.1%)
Jam on the scone, cream on top of the jam: 222 (21.3%)
I really don't care what order, whatever: 152 (14.6%)
Jam only, no cream thanks: 117 (11.2%)
Cream only, no jam thanks: 66 (6.3%)

Okay, pretty closely fought between the One True Ordering (jam first, then cream on top) and the heathen wannabe upside-down version. But the ones I really don't understand are people not wanting scones with jam and cream....

Total votes: 1368

Rhymes with "cone": 965 (70.5%)
Rhymes with "con": 184 (13.5%)
Rhymes with "gone": 92 (6.7%)
Rhymes with "pwn": 92 (6.7%)
Rhymes with "dawn": 13 (1.0%)
Rhymes with "done": 13 (1.0%)
Rhymes with the vowel sound of "foot", but ending in "n": 4 (0.3%)
Rhymes with "corn": 2 (0.1%)
Rhymes with "soon": 2 (0.1%)
Rhymes with "coin": 1 (0.1%)
Rhymes with [Incomprehensible Rune]: 1 (0.1%)

I included a few vowel sounds which rhyme with each other in different English-speaking accents, because in other dialects the same words don't necessarily rhyme. For the record, I pronounce "scone" as rhyming with "con", and out of the list of provided words I pronounce "gone", "dawn", and "corn" as a rhyming triplet. (I also pronounce "pwn" as rhyming with "soon", based on long-standing agreement within my circle of friends that the "w" represents the Welsh vowel sound as in "cwm" and "crwth".)

Total votes: 1089

No, I stay strictly over the sink: 329 (30.2%)
Sometimes I'll take a few steps around the bathroom: 279 (25.6%)
Sometimes I'll walk around the house a bit: 266 (24.4%)
Usually I walk around the house while brushing: 102 (9.4%)
I usually walk around the bathroom: 82 (7.5%)
I don't brush my teeth (have dentures, etc.): 15 (1.4%)
Sometimes I even go outside the house: 7 (0.6%)
I usually walk down the street while brushing: 5 (0.5%)
Sometimes I'll actually walk down the street: 4 (0.4%)
I usually wander outside while brushing: 1 (0.1%)

Total votes: 1261

Regular commuting plus occasional trips: 126 (10.0%)
Regular commuting only: 54 (4.3%)
A few times a week: 60 (4.8%)
Maybe once or twice a week: 53 (4.2%)
A few times a month: 88 (7.0%)
Once a month or so: 95 (7.5%)
Rarely: 357 (28.3%)
Never, these days: 403 (32.0%)
Never in my life: 25 (2.0%)

Total votes: 1027

Not fully sorted, but I've picked particular nuts out: 487 (47.4%)
No, why would anyone want to do that?: 293 (28.5%)
No, I never get mixed nuts: 75 (7.3%)
No, I don't eat nuts: 68 (6.6%)
Yes, just for fun: 60 (5.8%)
Yes, because I don't like some of them: 37 (3.6%)
Yes, for cooking: 7 (0.7%)

Total votes: 825

Neither true nor false: 308 (37.3%)
A goat behind the other door: 141 (17.1%)
The pirate is his mother: 115 (13.9%)
True only if the prisoner doesn't expect it the day before: 79 (9.6%)
True and False: 51 (6.2%)
False: 41 (5.0%)
True or false, but not both: 35 (4.2%)
True if the lightswitch has been flipped, false otherwise: 26 (3.2%)
True: 23 (2.8%)
True on the 31st night: 6 (0.7%)

Total votes: 972

Grumpy Cat: 186 (19.1%)
Nyan Cat: 178 (18.3%)
Ceiling Cat: 163 (16.8%)
Science/Chemistry Cat: 141 (14.5%)
Business Cat: 89 (9.2%)
Monorail Cat: 78 (8.0%)
Longcat: 75 (7.7%)
Happy Cat: 26 (2.7%)
OMG Cat: 26 (2.7%)
Serious Cat: 10 (1.0%)

There was one hack-in for Doge. I'm somewhat disappointed that Serious Cat finished last. Serious Cat is one of my favourites.

Total votes: 701

Vanilla, even if it's fancy "Tahitian vanilla bean" or whatever: 168 (24.0%)
Chocolate, even if it's "single origin Madagascan cacao with chilli": 166 (23.7%)
Something with a fancy liqueur: 113 (16.1%)
Something with smoked sea salt and nuts: 87 (12.4%)
Green tea and whatever: 58 (8.3%)
Something with bacon: 42 (6.0%)
Whatever seems the most "out there" and crazy: 41 (5.8%)
Something with a vegetable you'd never normally eat: 19 (2.7%)
Sweet corn, sour cream, and liquorice: 7 (1.0%)

Total votes: 1085

Today: 4 (0.4%)
In the past week: 6 (0.6%)
In the past month: 5 (0.5%)
Earlier this year: 16 (1.5%)
Last year: 14 (1.3%)
2-3 years ago: 39 (3.6%)
4-5 years ago: 49 (4.5%)
6-9 years ago: 95 (8.8%)
10-14 years ago: 252 (23.2%)
15-20 years ago: 244 (22.5%)
More than 20 years ago: 112 (10.3%)
I've never used a payphone: 232 (21.4%)
Uh... what's a "payphone"??: 17 (1.6%)

Total votes: 1069

The Ghostbusters: 378 (35.4%)
Scooby Doo and the Mystery Machine gang: 196 (18.3%)
Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully: 128 (12.0%)
Dr. Abraham van Helsing: 125 (11.7%)
John Constantine: 111 (10.4%)
Dean and Sam Winchester: 65 (6.1%)
The Hardy Boys: 33 (3.1%)
Kolchak, the Night Stalker: 33 (3.1%)

And the Allosaurus got 20 write-in votes.

Total votes: 1093

Stupid and incapable of long-term planning: 428 (39.2%)
Reliant on parents for so long after birth: 191 (17.5%)
Physically soft and vulnerable: 163 (14.9%)
Weak digestive systems, most organic matter makes them sick: 126 (11.5%)
Poor senses: sight, hearing, smell: 69 (6.3%)
Have emotions and care about one another: 68 (6.2%)
Physically weak for their size: 48 (4.4%)

Total votes: 878

A river winding through a valley: 182 (20.7%)
A clifftop view of the ocean: 109 (12.4%)
Snowcapped mountains: 107 (12.2%)
Dense forest: 85 (9.7%)
A historical neighbourhood with architectural charm: 75 (8.5%)
A quiet suburban street: 72 (8.2%)
Rolling hills: 59 (6.7%)
A long beach: 55 (6.3%)
An inner city park: 51 (5.8%)
A big city skyline from a moderate distance: 35 (4.0%)
Modern inner city bustle on all sides: 30 (3.4%)
Plains and farmland: 18 (2.1%)

Total votes: 871

Sometimes when driving, never when walking: 229 (26.3%)
Never when driving, never when walking: 182 (20.9%)
Sometimes when driving, sometimes when walking: 172 (19.7%)
Often when driving, sometimes when walking: 158 (18.1%)
Never when driving, sometimes when walking: 57 (6.5%)
Often when driving, never when walking: 49 (5.6%)
Often when driving; often when walking: 14 (1.6%)
Sometimes when driving; often when walking: 6 (0.7%)
Never when driving; often when walking: 4 (0.5%)

Total votes: 1303

DC Comics: 497 (38.1%)
Direct current: 372 (28.5%)
Washington D.C.: 156 (12.0%)
District of Columbia: 149 (11.4%)
Difficulty Class: 72 (5.5%)
(something else): 44 (3.4%)
Da capo: 13 (1.0%)

Soon after this poll question went up, I received several comments from people asking why I put both "Washington D.C." and "District of Columbia" on the list, when they were the same thing. Firstly, I had thought that they were two distinct and different things, Washington being a city, and the District being an administrative region larger than the city, and (as far as I knew) containing other things like rural land and possibly other towns and cities. However, as Wikipedia confirms, Washington D.C. and the District of Columbia are precisely the same thing. I was misled by my own experience with Australia's capital city, Canberra, and the Australian Capital Territory, which is an administrative region larger than the city, and indeed contains other things like rural land and other towns.

Secondly though, the words "Washington D.C." and "District of Columbia" are still different, even if the entity they refer to is the same.

Total votes: 1072

Maybe. I might have died of some childhood disease: 324 (30.2%)
I like to think so, but who knows?: 300 (28.0%)
No, I would have died in infancy: 141 (13.2%)
No, I would have died in childhood: 98 (9.1%)
No, I would have died later than that, but before now: 69 (6.4%)
No, I would have died as a teenager: 52 (4.9%)
No, I would have died as a young adult: 49 (4.6%)
No, I wouldn't even have been conceived: 39 (3.6%)

Total votes: 1136

Right front pants pocket: 280 (24.6%)
Left front pants pocket: 227 (20.0%)
Right back pants pocket: 168 (14.8%)
Jacket/coat pocket: 136 (12.0%)
Left back pants pocket: 93 (8.2%)
In a handbag: 93 (8.2%)
I don't normally carry one: 76 (6.7%)
In a backpack: 54 (4.8%)
I use a money belt: 5 (0.4%)
Shirt breast pocket: 4 (0.4%)

I'm somewhat surprised. I thought most people carried wallets in their back pockets, not front ones. At least, that's what I notice around where I live. Although I suppose it might be a selection bias because it's easier to see the bulge in people's back pockets than their front ones. For the record, I use my front left pocket.

Total votes: 784

Queuing and security: 257 (32.8%)
Uncomfortable seating for hours: 232 (29.6%)
Waiting until boarding time: 84 (10.7%)
Getting to the airport: 33 (4.2%)
Queuing and immigration: 33 (4.2%)
Take off and/or landing: 26 (3.3%)
Waiting for luggage: 23 (2.9%)
Queuing and checking in: 21 (2.7%)
Waiting to get off: 21 (2.7%)
Queuing and boarding: 18 (2.3%)
Airline food: 17 (2.2%)
Being up in the air like people were not meant to be: 14 (1.8%)
Travelling to final destination: 5 (0.6%)

It looks like somebody tried to feed an SQL injection attack into the poll counting CGI script. Which is hilarious, because the script doesn't even use SQL at all.

Total votes: 1032

Lieutentant Columbo: 245 (23.7%)
Hercule Poirot: 233 (22.6%)
Adrian Monk: 106 (10.3%)
Temperance "Bones" Brennan: 68 (6.6%)
Miss Marple: 63 (6.1%)
Gil Grissom: 49 (4.7%)
Veronica Mars: 48 (4.7%)
Inspector Endeavour Morse: 48 (4.7%)
Miss Phryne Fisher: 45 (4.4%)
Jessica Fletcher: 31 (3.0%)
Thomas Magnum: 31 (3.0%)
Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby: 26 (2.5%)
Jim Rockford: 26 (2.5%)
Lennie Briscoe: 13 (1.3%)

Close, but Columbo comes out on top. And I have to say I'm pretty pleased with that, as he's definitely a favourite of mine. Yes, there were heaps of fictional detectives who weren't included in the poll, but I had to make some hard choices to avoid there being way too many options.

But still, I did neglect The Allosaurus, who won three write-in votes.

Total votes: 1012

French bakery: 335 (33.1%)
German bakery: 194 (19.2%)
British bakery: 123 (12.2%)
Italian bakery: 88 (8.7%)
Eastern European bakery: 71 (7.0%)
Japanese bakery: 54 (5.3%)
Kosher bakery: 43 (4.2%)
Chinese bakery: 30 (3.0%)
Middle-eastern bakery: 30 (3.0%)
Vietnamese bakery: 22 (2.2%)
Greek bakery: 14 (1.4%)
Spanish bakery: 8 (0.8%)

There was one write-in vote for each of: Scottish bakery, Swedish bakery, and The Allosaurus.

Total votes: 772

The Apples of Iðunn: they grant immortality: 225 (29.1%)
The Apple of Discord: Eris' prize in the Judgement of Paris: 156 (20.2%)
Barbossa's apple: *crunch* at the end of Dead Man's Chest: 80 (10.4%)
Apple Records: The Beatles' record company: 73 (9.5%)
The Apples of the Hesperides: stolen in the 11th Labour of Hercules: 55 (7.1%)
The Biblical apple: fruit of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: 44 (5.7%)
The apple William Tell shot from his son's head: 43 (5.6%)
Apple Computer: Think Different: 38 (4.9%)
The Big Apple: New York City: 27 (3.5%)
Indiana Jones's apple: eaten by Willie Scott in the Temple of Doom: 20 (2.6%)
The apple the Evil Queen gave to Snow White: 11 (1.4%)

There was one write-in vote for each of: "The apple that healed Digory's mother in The Magician's Nephew", and The Allosaurus.

Total votes: 932

Face the stage, with your back side in their face?: 328 (35.2%)
Face towards the people you pass?: 312 (33.5%)
The Allosaurus: 292 (31.3%)

Wow, close one! And even though he was an explicit option on the poll, The Allosaurus still also received a write-in vote.

Total votes: 781

The Allosaurus : 240 (30.7%)
Adam West: 205 (26.2%)
Kevin Conroy: 118 (15.1%)
Christian Bale: 81 (10.4%)
Michael Keaton: 65 (8.3%)
Will Arnett: 43 (5.5%)
George Clooney: 8 (1.0%)
Val Kilmer: 7 (0.9%)
Ben Affleck: 7 (0.9%)
Troy Baker: 3 (0.4%)
Lewis Wilson: 2 (0.3%)
Robert Lowery: 2 (0.3%)

Total votes: 1045

Smooth: 433 (41.4%)
None: nobody in my home likes it: 257 (24.6%)
Crunchy: 122 (11.7%)
Smooth and crunchy: 88 (8.4%)
None: I'm out! I need to buy some!: 60 (5.7%)
Extra crunchy: 29 (2.8%)
Smooth and extra crunchy: 26 (2.5%)
None: my home has a peanut allergy sufferer: 25 (2.4%)
Crunchy and extra crunchy: 4 (0.4%)
Smooth, crunchy, and extra crunchy: 2 (0.2%)

Total votes: 584

100 million years ago: 55 (9.4%)
1 million years ago: 5 (0.9%)
10,000 years ago: 22 (3.8%)
1000 years ago: 40 (6.8%)
100 years ago: 45 (7.7%)
10 years ago: 78 (13.4%)
10 years into the future: 86 (14.7%)
100 years into the future: 118 (20.2%)
1000 years into the future: 90 (15.4%)
10,000 years into the future: 11 (1.9%)
1 million years into the future: 12 (2.1%)
100 million years into the future: 22 (3.8%)

Total votes: 504

The Allosaurus: 132 (26.2%)
Adam and Jamie escaping Death in their submarine. Somehow.: 71 (14.1%)
Jane Goodall building a nuclear bomb to save Steve: 60 (11.9%)
The Fantasy gang burning down another tavern: 59 (11.7%)
Death of Insanely Overpowered Fireballs making a collection: 59 (11.7%)
Monty Jones finding Excalibur, or the Crook of Osiris, or whatever: 52 (10.3%)
Ishmael finding his cat that the Martians abducted: 30 (6.0%)
The Space crew dealing with cyberspace software upgrades: 27 (5.4%)
Shakespeare and co. making their new TV show: 14 (2.8%)

Total votes: 573

0 (I really don't pay attention): 57 (9.9%)
0 (I don't know the names of any of them): 34 (5.9%)
1: 24 (4.2%)
2: 37 (6.5%)
3: 42 (7.3%)
4-5: 111 (19.4%)
6-7: 72 (12.6%)
8-10: 73 (12.7%)
11-15: 62 (10.8%)
16-20: 38 (6.6%)
21-30: 11 (1.9%)
30+: 12 (2.1%)

I asked this question because I've become more interested in spotting and identifying birds in the past few years. I've taken up the hobby of trying to photograph birds, so it's made me a lot more aware of the species around me. I've photographed well over 200 different species at the moment, although most of them were taken while travelling, either on vacation or for business. So I tried counting up the birds that I see more or less in everyday life - by which I mean "not travelling or visiting the zoo".

Here are the birds I see more or less regularly just walking around my neighbourhood or on short drives (< 30 minutes) around the city. They are all native to where I live, unless otherwise noted as introduced.

• Australasian swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus)
• Australian brushturkey (Alectura lathami)
• Australian king parrot (Alisterus scapularis)
• Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)
• Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)
• Australian raven (Corvus coronoides)
• Australian white ibis (Threskiornis molucca)
• Australian wood duck (Chenonetta jubata)
• Black swan (Cygnus atratus)
• Channel-billed cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae)
• Common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) (introduced)
• Crested pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)
• Feral pigeon (Columba livia domestica) (introduced)
• Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla)
• Grey butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus)
• Indian myna (Acridotheres tristis) (introduced)
• Laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)
• Little black cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris)
• Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos)
• Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) (introduced)
• Masked lapwing (Vanellus miles)
• Noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala)
• Pacific black duck (Anas superciliosa)
• Pied currawong (Strepera graculina)
• Rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus)
• Silver gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae)
• Sooty oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus)
• Sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)
• Welcome swallow (Hirundo neoxena)
• White-faced heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)
• Willie wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)

There are several other species that I have seen occasionally in Sydney, but they are more difficult to spot or live in areas I don't visit much, including:

• Chestnut teal (Anas castanea)
• Grey teal (Anas gracilis)
• Little penguin (Eudyptula minor) - yes, there is a wild penguin colony not very far from where I live!
• Powerful owl (Ninox strenua) - only seen one of these a couple of times, but I got a great photo of one, just 2 minutes walk from home
• Satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)
• Superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)
• Tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)
• Wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax)

Total votes: 678

Death: 471 (69.5%)
Public speaking: 207 (30.5%)

Total votes: 933

Just let the runoff from the rest of my body take care of it: 326 (34.9%)
Balance on one leg in the shower, wash lifted foot: 285 (30.5%)
Stand on one leg, leaning on shower wall: 137 (14.7%)
Wash them while taking a bath: 68 (7.3%)
I have a seat in the shower, so they're easy to reach: 46 (4.9%)
Squat down in shower to reach feet: 32 (3.4%)
I don't have feet / other: 29 (3.1%)
Wash them in a foot tub separate from showering/bathing: 10 (1.1%)

What, really? I read in some article somewhere that many people don't actively wash their feet, they just let the soapy runoff from the rest of their body during a shower take care of it. I didn't believe it, hence this poll.

I do the balance on one leg thing. I just assumed that everybody washed their feet - if not balancing, then at least squatting down or some other method where it's easier to balance. Colour me surprised.

And now I know that wherever I go, roughly a third of the people around me never wash their feet properly...

Oh, and for the record, one of you apparently washes your feet with an Allosaurus.

Total votes: 548

50% sure or less: 136 (24.8%)
60% sure: 60 (10.9%)
70% sure: 60 (10.9%)
80% sure: 72 (13.1%)
90% sure: 57 (10.4%)
95% sure: 38 (6.9%)
99% sure: 20 (3.6%)
100% sure: 75 (13.7%)
Even if I was 100% sure I wouldn't give it back: 30 (5.5%)

This one generated a lot of responses that I didn't expect. Many people wrote by email and on the forums to say that this situation would never arise because they never or almost never possess or use $50/£50/50€ notes. That didn't occur to me, because here in Australia, the $50 note is the most used banknote. ATMs dispense $50s by default, unless you specify a withdrawal total that doesn't divide evenly by 50.

I was inspired by an actual event, just a day before I updated to this poll question. I was buying lunch at a fast food place, and handed over some cash. The server handed back to me $38.50 in change. I stood there staring at it for a few seconds, thinking, "Wait a second. I gave him a $20. Not a $50. Didn't I? Wait... did I even have a $50 in my wallet today? I don't think I did."

Anyway, I was mostly sure that I had given him a $20, not a $50, but not 100% sure. I'd say I was about 80% sure.

What did I do? I spoke, up, said he'd made an error, and gave the extra $30 back.

Total votes: 1289

0: 36 (2.8%)
1-10: 54 (4.2%)
11-100: 189 (14.7%)
101-1000: 380 (29.5%)
1001-10000: 352 (27.3%)
10,001-100,000: 217 (16.8%)
100,001-1,000,000: 40 (3.1%)
1,000,000-9,000,000: 6 (0.5%)
over 9,000,000!: 15 (1.2%)

I suppose I should give my answer. For the past several years I've been trying to keep up with doing about 30-40 push-ups in a regular stretch/exercise session. I haven't always managed to do the session every day, but I do it a few times a week. So I'm probably around 100 a week, or 5000 a year, for 10 years or so. So around 50,000.

Total votes: 526

Don't Stop Me Now: 107 (20.3%)
We Will Rock You: 87 (16.5%)
Another One Bites the Dust: 63 (12.0%)
We Are the Champions: 59 (11.2%)
The Show Must Go On: 43 (8.2%)
Killer Queen: 42 (8.0%)
Radio Ga Ga: 24 (4.6%)
Crazy Little Thing Called Love: 21 (4.0%)
I Want It All: 21 (4.0%)
I Want to Break Free: 15 (2.9%)
A Kind of Magic: 14 (2.7%)
You're My Best Friend: 13 (2.5%)
Hammer to Fall: 10 (1.9%)
One Vision: 7 (1.3%)

Well, naturally there were plenty of responses from people who wanted a song not in the list I offered. There were write-in votes for:

• '39 - 2 votes
• The Allosaurus - 2 votes
• Barcelona (not technically a Queen song) - 1 vote
• Bicycle Race - 2 votes
• Flash - 2 votes
• Love of My Life - 1 vote
• Princes of the Universe - 1 vote
• The Prophet's Song - 2 votes
• Sail Away Sweet Sister - 1 vote
• Seaside Rendezvous - 1 vote
• Seven Seas of Rhye - 1 vote
• Somebody to Love - 3 votes
• Under Pressure - 4 votes
• Who Wants to Live Forever - 3 votes

Poll 699: What do you call this?

Total votes: 1512

Frying pan: 1068 (70.6%)
Usually a term in another language: 205 (13.6%)
Skillet: 186 (12.3%)
Some other English term: 33 (2.2%)
Fry pan: 14 (0.9%)
Frypan: 6 (0.4%)

Total votes: 684

Save human artefacts that were lost or destroyed: 111 (16.2%)
Don't go at all, it's way too risky: 109 (15.9%)
Collect live specimens of extinct animals or plants: 85 (12.4%)
Visit a historical period to observe and try not to interact with anyone: 83 (12.1%)
Influence some critical historical turning point in as subtle a way as possible: 60 (8.8%)
Teach someone a skill or invention from the future: 52 (7.6%)
Show someone unappreciated that they will be loved by later generations: 43 (6.3%)
Rescue someone from a tragic early death: 38 (5.6%)
Visit a historical period and interact like a regular resident of that time: 35 (5.1%)
Kill a tyrant: 18 (2.6%)
Prevent an assassination: 17 (2.5%)
Bring someone from the past to see the future: 15 (2.2%)
Take a modern item to show someone in the past: 13 (1.9%)
Spread a plant or animal beyond its historical range: 5 (0.7%)