Monday, May 21, 2018

The Gallup Poll: Public Opinion, 2000. Page 48 (slightly modified by Miss See-yan WONG)
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Gallup_Poll.html%3Fid%3DvsSlAzk2OoQC%26printsec%3Dfrontcover%26source%3Dkp_read_button&ved=2ahUKEwjeuen9javiAhXQfXAKHXvQBMEQzo4CKAAwAXoECAsQAg&usg=AOvVaw1mPyc0L4M6QLvpUyyS00tx&cshid=1558393577901
In a 11th February 2000 "Peanuts comic strip" Gallup Poll, "Pig-Pen" was found to be the fifth most popular Peanuts character.

Interview Dates: 4th to 6th February 2000

How often do you read the comic strips in a local newspaper - every day, several times a week, a few times a month, less often than that, or ever?
Everyday 16%
Several times a week 13%
Few times a month 20%
Less than that 23%
Never 28%
No opinion Less than 1 %

Are you a fan of the comic strip “Peanuts”?
Yes 63%
No 36%
No opinion 1%

Asked of fans of "Peanuts": Who is your favourite "Peanuts" character?
1st: Snoopy 31%, 19.53% of whole population
2nd: Charlie Brown 26%, 16.38% of whole population
3rd: Linus 13%, 8.29% of whole population
4th: Lucy 8%, 5.04% of whole population
5th: Pig Pen 3%, 1.89% of whole population
6th: Woodstock 2%, 1.26% of whole population
7th: Peppermint Patty 1%, 0.63% of whole population
8th: Schroeder 1%, 0.63% of whole population
9th: Franklin Less than 1%, Less than 0.63% of whole population
10th: Marcie Less than 1%, Less than 0.63% of whole population
11th: Sally Less than 1%, Less than 0.63% of whole population
12th: Rerun Less than 1%, Less than 0.63% of whole population
13th: Other (e.g. Little Red-haired Girl) 3%, 1.89% of whole population
None; no favourite; No opinion 12%, 7.56% of whole population

Analysis: Charles Schulz, creator of the comic strip “Peanuts”, officially announced his retirement on January 4 of this year. His final Sunday strip appears in newspapers this Sunday, February 13. “Peanuts” has appeared in over 2,300 newspapers worldwide, has appeared in over 1,400 published books, and has generated television specials, animated films, and the Broadway production, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. It is no wonder, then, that the American public will miss the familiar “Peanuts” characters. A recent Gallup Poll shows that 63% say they are fans of the widely syndicated comic strip. The appeal of “Peanuts” is widespread as both young people and old people say they are fans.

            In the February 4-6 poll, Gallup also asked fans of the comics strip to name their favourite “Peanuts” characters. The loveable beagle Snoopy tops the list, with 31%. Charlie Brown, the strip’s lead character, follows Snoopy with 26%. Linus, who is best known for toting a blue security blanket, is the favourite of 13% of fans, while another 8% name Lucy, followed by Pig Pen with 3%.

            The poll shows that older people are the mostly likely to be comic strip readers. 47% of Americans aged 65 years and older claim to read newspaper comic strips daily or several times a week. This number drops to just 23% of those between the ages of 18-29.

Reference: Gallup, Jr., George (June 2001). The Gallup Poll: Public Opinion, 2000. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 48. ISBN 0-8420-5000-0.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

我中一至中三,其中一科很怕上的,是家政堂。

我讀書的年代,男生只可以上DT, 女生只可以上HE. 1998年後,因為性別歧視條例,女生才可以上DT, 但那時我已經中學畢業了。

中一時已經在思考為什麼女生不能上DT, 但因為覺得中一班主任好惡,所以不敢提出。中二中三的我,真的大膽到走去問中二中三的班主任,當然因為她們話不到事,只能表示愛莫能助。

中一第一堂DT, 男生已經在學習angle inside an equilateral triangle is 60 degree (明明就是中二Maths syllabus, 他們竟然早我們一年學,難怪人們總是說男生數學比女生好)。然後第二堂還厲害到學sin cos tan,用來製作木工製品,弄得我這個愛數學的女生十分羨慕他們。當然,好勝的我又怎會認輸,自己跑去圖書館找資料,結果中一時我已經學會trigonometric ratios and 4 figure table了(我那個年代是中四開始才准用計算機),但回想起來,還是認為在DT堂學習會比較好。

反觀家政堂...... 噢,可能是我領悟力低吧,我只記得每次煮完餸,家政老師便叫我們畫那碟餸。家政科分數不是基於你煮得是否食香味,而是基於你畫得像真度有幾多。你們可想而知,我三年家政分原本都是不及格的,後來因為我洗碗乾淨(誤?!),老師才勉強給我25/50. 家政科對我來說,只是考驗我的美術能力,試問我又怎會愛上呢...... (中三時有同學拍照沖曬相片再貼上家政簿上代替畫圖,因為這樣家政科突然高分了,但我人生第一部相機是我中六時才能買,所以自此之後我就更加討厭家政科,覺得是有錢學生的玩意。) 中三考完Final後,我立即丟掉所有家政的學習材料了。

不過長大之後,因為Snoopy, 還是重拾了對手作仔的興趣。