If you text, you’re not alone and other trivia

The number of text messages sent on cell phones has more than doubled from 48 billion in 2007 to 110 billion in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010.

The Statistical Abstract, aka “Uncle Sam’s Almanac,” contains more than 1,400 tables of social, political and economic facts that  collectively describe the state of our nation and the world.  So says a press release that I found last week and toy with below.

Included are 53 (!) new tables, covering topics such as worldwide space launch events this decade, the use of complementary and alternative medicine, the type of work flexibility provided to employees, employment status of veterans and road fatalities by country.

If you value your life, don’t even think of driving in Russia.  If you or someone you know attends school, remember that forewarned is forearmed.  And if you’re a U.S. citizen seeking to live abroad, I wouldn’t suggest Zimbabwe for any number of reasons.

But wait! There’s more:

Securities industry revenue dropped 36% in 2008

It will come as no surprise to learn that revenues for securities, commodity contracts and other financial investment activities decreased 36.1 percent in 2008, from $464 billion in 2007 to $297 billion in 2008, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.  (I know the chart is hard to read, but it looks cool and you’ll find the specifics below.)