By the team at XA.net’s count, from Facebook’s own figures, about 495,362,600 users. Still a lot, perhaps the other 4.6mm or so are from other countries than the 186 listed, or people who live on the moon or whatever. Here’s the data in an excel sheet, along with country populations from Wikipedia for all to use as they wish (but please keep attribution intact).

Here’s the top 25 - Southeast Asia has made a big push:

Here is the full data file in Excel. Enjoy!

I just received a letter from a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management (part of Bank of America Corporation). In it, it says that “Mortgage rates are at some of their lowest historic levels” and that “For over 25 years, we have been offering innovate refinancing solutions and one of the broadest product spectrums in the industry. We have [my emphasis added] distinct options such as interest-only payments and 100% financing, as well as great rates on traditional fixed-rate mortgages.”

Yes, please promote the kinds of teaser programs that caused the huge subprime mortgage mess which in turn pretty much destroyed your company and lost you (and the American taxpayer unfortunately) over $50 billion in 2008. Cognitive dissonance is alive and well, and living in financial America.

“Smart solutions that make the most of your total financial situation - that’s the Merrill Lynch Advantage.”

As I was listening to a member of Congress saying something on the radio this morning, it occurred to me that the more online sources (wikileaks.com for example) or news stories, or previous statements in newspapers aggregated by online services, or twitter postings or for some people, foursquare.com checkins… The more this info is out there, the harder it becomes to LIE, to say misleading and untruthful things.

Perversely, however, this means that those (sociopaths?) who are able to lie convincingly, with impunity, and/or can use these sources for misdirection, will become much more powerful. The more powerful the perceived environment for lying becomes, the more powerful the gifted few who can do it well. One of the most important gifts for these people may be that of justification/convincing themselves that what they are doing is ultimately for the good… And unfortunately, though it would be nice to believe they will get found out or nipped in the long-run, we know that’s not necessarily true.

Reversion to the mean helps us understand that long streaks of good fortune, on average will not persist. But just as a run of 6 heads in a row doesn’t by itself constitute an unfair coin, so luck and self-delusion can sustain liars for far longer than we can always predict.