Emma wasn’t the only name to outperform Emily in 2008. Isabella ranked second place, knocking Emily down to a humble third place. Following Emily, from most to least popular, were Madison, Ava, Olivia, Sophia, Abigail, Elizabeth and Chloe.

The SSA has also started ranking names by their year-to-year changes in popularity. The rising star among girl’s names this year was Khloe, which rose from 665 in 2007 to 196 in 2008. Miley, in only its sophomore year on the list, rose from 279 to 127.

The Big Apple was a top choice on the lists of 83% of those surveyed. Washington, DC, which ranked second, was chosen by only 65% of the surveyed students. Los Angeles, Boston and San Francisco rounded out the top five cities listed by these first time job hunters.

The two sites also found that the United Kingdom is the most popular country for both American students and foreign-born students at US colleges when asked where they’d like to work after graduation. Like the foreign-born students, US students gave the United States third place—despite a drop in the number of US students looking to move abroad after graduation.

Whether you call it pop, soda, coke or soda pop, if you’re a US citizen it’s likely that you drink soda on a fairly regular basis. In 2007, it was estimated that, on average, Americans drink three quarts of soda per week. So what is it that we’re drinking so much? Well, just take another look at that list of generic names for carbonated soft drinks and it should be pretty obvious; Coke is America’s most popular soft drink.

Coca-Cola was created in 1885 by Georgian druggist John Pemberton and was originally known as Pemberton’s French Wine Coca. You’ve probably heard that the original formula used cocaine, but may not be aware that it was also alcoholic. Of course, that had to change when Atlanta outlawed booze the next year and the resulting drink, which also contained caffeine from Kola nuts, became known as Coca-Cola. It wasn’t until 1903 that the Coca-Cola Company stopped using cocaine in the popular soft drink.

According to “Beverage Digest,” 17.2% of soda consumed in 2007 was Coke Classic. Pepsi Cola held second place with 10.7% and Diet Coke came in third with 10%.

Far be it from me to turn the wheels of propaganda, but this wouldn’t be The Most Popular Journal if we ignored a story like this. After a poll of 10,000 people in twenty-two Ibero-American countries, President Barack Obama has been declared the most popular leader in the Americas.

The poll shows a 70% approval rating for President Obama—a bit more than the stateside 63% approval rating he garnered after his first quarter in office. As if that isn’t enough, Canadians really tipped the scales with a phenomenal 82% approval rating for the US President, although that was before he took office.

The Latin American poll was released on the same night of Obama’s nigh unprecedented visit to Mexico City where he received glowing praise from Mexican President Felipe Calderón. Second place on that poll went to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva who managed a 59% approval rating.

Of course, it’s still early in the popular President’s term—only time can tell if he’ll remain the Americas’ most popular leader in the years to come.

A recent poll has allowed ordinary Americans to vote on their own favorite actors and actresses. The poll was conducted jointly between Parade magazine and Entertainment Tonight. Participants were allowed to vote on previous Academy Awards winners in various Oscar-like categories.

Tom Hanks was voted Best Actor in the poll, proving that the two-time Oscar winner is America’s most popular actor. He has won awards for his performance in Philadelphia (1999) and Forrest Gump (1994) while competing with Russel Crowe and the late Paul Newman.

The most popular actress was Julia Roberts, who won an Oscar for Erin Brokovich in 2000. Her competitors that year were Reese Witherspoon and Jodie Foster.

America’s favorite supporting actors were Morgan Freeman, who took home an Oscar for Million Dollar Baby in 2004, and Angelina Jolie, who won her award for Girl, Interrupted (1999).

Participants were also allowed to vote on the Best Film, which turned out to be 1997’s Titanic.

Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” contest allowed aspiring filmmakers and amateur marketers to submit their own ads to, well, crash the Super Bowl. Two finalists—“Free Doritos” and “Power of the Crunch”—were chosen to be aired during the Super Bowl. “Free Doritos,” as it happens, became not only the best of nearly 2,000 “Crash the Super Bowl” submissions but also managed to be the most popular ad of Super Bowl XLIII.

“Free Doritos” features an office worker throwing his snow globe “crystal ball” at a break room vending machine in order to get free Doritos for the whole office. It was created by Joe and David Herbert of Batesville, Indiana.

While everyone seems to agree that this was the most popular ad during the Super Bowl, the number two spot is still contested.

According to YouTube’s AdBlitz program, second through fourth place are held by E*Trade’s “Singing Baby” ad, Careerbuilder.com’s list of reasons you need a new job and Pepsi Max’s “I’m Good” commercial.

USA Today, on the other hand, gives second and third place to Budweiser’s Clydesdale ads and fourth place to Bridgestone’s Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head ad.

Both lists agree that Doritos’ other user-generated add, “Power of the Crunch,” hit fifth place.

“Free Doritos” and “Power of the Crunch” aren’t the only Doritos winners that will see the light of day. In fact, the two popular ads merely kicked off Doritos’ latest campaign wherein the five best user-generated ads will all get some TV time.

One of the most important questions facing NBA fans today is “Whose jersey is the most popular?” Last year, the answer would have been Kevin Garnett’s No. 5 Boston Celtics jersey. This year the answer is the jersey worn by none other than the Los Angeles Lakers’ 11-time All-Star—Kobe Bryant.

Bryant’s No. 24 jersey dominated sales in the 2008-09 season, regaining the popularity they held before Garnett’s jerseys overtook them last year. One reason for their popularity may be Bryant’s switch, two seasons ago, from No. 8 to No. 24. Another possible factor is that people just like him.

Third and fourth place were held by LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets. Fifth place was held by Allen Iverson of the Detroit Pistons

NBA jerseys are made by Adidas AG.

Condoms are one of the oldest of prophylactics with usage (debatably) dating back to ancient civilizations. Prior to the fifteenth century, glans condoms, which covered only the head of the penis, were used in Asia. They were usually made of oiled silk or lamb intestines.

That’s right—lamb intestines. History is disgusting.

Of course, the oldest method of birth control isn’t the most popular. Today, the pill is the most popular form of birth control in the US.

There are two different kinds of birth control pills in widespread use. Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills (COCP) contain both progestin and estrogen while Progestin Only Pills (POP) only have… I forget which one. Ask me again later.

POP pills are less likely than their more robust cousins to cause weight gain and they’re not associated with DVT or heart disease. However, they do tend to cause regular “light spotting,” mastalgia and mood swings.

Okay, maybe history wasn’t so bad after all.

The most popular birth control is used by 28% of women, according to a recent study, with condoms only being used by 24%. All things considered, I feel that these statistics are better than those in a 2000 study that found that the most popular form of birth control was the surgical approach.

Halloween is just around the corner and costume shop owners couldn’t be happier as this year’s blockbusters drive costume sales. So what are this year’s most popular Halloween costumes?

“Sexy” Rainbow Brite

For men, the most popular costume is from the hit movie Dark Knight—but it isn’t Batman. Instead, the late Heath Ledger’s ghoulish portrayal of the Joker has inspired many of this year’s costumed partygoers. His henchmen from the movie’s opening sequence are also a popular choice.

The most popular costume for women is somewhat more retro (and surprising to this particular writer). It’s Rainbow Brite. Apparently, Playmates and United Media have decided to relaunch the popular girls’ cartoon and the costumiers were ready for it.

Of course, there are always the old standbys. Couples costumes will always be popular. Then, of course, there’s my personal favorite costume concept—anything that starts with “Sexy.”

In general, Americans aren’t a particularly worldly people. In fact, most estimates place the number of US citizens with passports somewhere around 20%. It should be no surprise, then, that according to a recent survey of our most popular international destinations we generally stick close to home.

TNS, a respected market research organization, recently conducted their American Traveler Study, asking 8,000 respondents where they had vacationed in the past year and which they liked best among those places they’d been in the last three years.

The results indicate that the most popular destination for Americans is Canada. Of course, the price of gas and other economic factors are a likely reason both for Canada’s popularity as a vacation spot and an overall decrease in international travel. Other popular destinations include the Caribbean and Bermuda, Mexico, the British Isles and France.

The TNS Traveler Satisfaction Index tells another tale. According to the survey, American travelers found Australia to be the best vacation spot. Australia was followed on the Index by London, Ireland, Scotland and British Columbia.

Don’t believe me? Check out the list of America’s most popular magazines.

Family Circle

Published by the Meredith Corporation, Family Circle has been called the most popular women’s magazine in America at times. It was originally published in 1932 by the New York Times and now reaches 20 million readers monthly. It’s considered one of the “seven sisters,” a group of women’s magazines also consisting of Ladies’ Home Journal, McCall’s, Good Housekeeping, Better Homes and Garden, Woman’s Day and Redbook.

Good Housekeeping

Another of the “sisters,” currently owned by the Hearst Corporation, Good Housekeeping was originally published in 1885 by Clark W. Bryan in Holyoke, Massachussetts. It was acquired by the Hearst Corporation, still run by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, in 1911. The popular women’s magazine is well known for the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.”

National Geographic

The National Geographic Society first convened in Washington, DC’s Cosmos Club in 1888. At the time, it consisted of thirty-three explorers and scientists. Now, the society is 8 million members strong. The magazine was first published nine months after that initial meeting and has been published monthly ever since. It is now delivered to 9 million readers every month and read by over 50 million. Its popularity most likely doesn’t stem from the occasional booby that graces its pages.

Better Homes and Gardens

The third, and most popular “sister” on the list, this monthly magazine needs no introduction—the name kind of says it all anyway. Better Homes and Garden has spawned numerous home economics books, including the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

Reader’s Digest

Co-founded in 1922 by Lila Bell and DeWitt Wallace, America’s most popular magazine is available monthly in thirty-five languages. Published in a pocket-sized format, Reader’s Digest bore the tag “America in your pocket” from 2005 to 2008. The magazine’s popularity is no doubt due to both its general-interest nature and the fifty-two editions that are available worldwide. The publication even goes through a rigorous “localization” process to make sure that international readers aren’t threatened by our dirty American memes. All told, the magazine is read by 100 million people globally, which also makes it the world’s most popular magazine.

Parker Brothers’ famous game of economics, Monopoly, has been called “the most played board game in the world.” It’s certainly a believable title when you consider that, according to Hasbro, the game has been played by over 750 million people since Parker Brothers originally published it in 1935.

Monopoly is actually based on a game patented by Elizabeth J. Magie in 1906. The Quaker woman hoped to use The Landlord’s Game to explain Henry George’s single tax theory. Despite Magie’s original and renewed patents of the world’s most popular game, several versions of the game were created in the years before it was published by Parker Brothers. The name “Monopoly” was first applied to the game in 1910 when a shortened version called “Auction Monopoly,” which had eliminated the Georgist elements of the game, became popular.

In 1933, Charles Darrow copyrighted his own version of the game, simply called “Monopoly,” and began shopping for publishers. Despite having rejected Magie’s original Landlord’s Game twice and Darrow’s Monopoly once, Parker Brothers eventually elected to publish the game in 1935. Officially, neither Parker Brothers nor Hasbro, their parent company, acknowledge the history of the game prior to Charles Darrow’s version. They have, however, acquired Magie’s original patent.

The board as most players know it features locations in and around Atlantic City, New Jersey. A multitude of alternate editions, however, replace these properties with others more appropriate to the theme. Monopoly Here and Now: The World Edition, for instance, replaces the two utilities in the game with solar and wind energy. Localized versions also exist for countries outside of the US.

Then, of course, there’s the game’s official mascot, Mr. Monopoly—known as Rich Uncle Pennybags until he was renamed by Hasbro in 1998. The character is loosely based on John Pierpont Morgan, billionaire and founder of J. P. Morgan & Co.

Before it was cool.

Of course, the full range of colors is available today. In fact, a couple of urban legends have been spawned by the idea that a car’s color is indicative of the owner’s personality. While there is no evidence that insurance companies use automobiles’ colors to determine insurance quotes, it’s still a common assumption along with the idea that red cars are more likely to get ticketed by police officers.

You may be wondering, what is the most popular car color? For seven years, silver was the most popular car color. It was seen as both a high-tech color and one that was safe for resell—not as many people would be turned off by a silver car as would be turned off by, say, a green car.

Buyers in 2007, however, broke the mold by buying more white cars than cars in any other color. Why? Well, it’s been said that a high-tech color like silver isn’t popular anymore. I disagree. I don’t think silver is a high-tech color anymore. Looking at the popularity of iPods, iPhones and other Apple products, I’d say white is going to be the color of technology for some time.

In 2007, nineteen percent of cars manufactured were white. Twenty-two percent of luxury cars were white. Eighteen percent of all cars were silver and sixteen percent were black.

Of course, given years of popularity, silver cars will still outnumber autos of other colors for awhile.

Source: DuPont 2007 Global Automotive Color Popularity Report

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The most recent Nielsen report places the national average television viewing time between three and just over five hours per day, depending on both gender and age. That means we spend roughly three percent of our lives glued to the TV. So what, exactly, are we watching? What is the most popular television show?

A new study tells us that the most watched television show on Earth is “CSI: Crime Scene Investigations.” The crime drama boasted more than 84 million viewers around the world in 2007, beating sibling show “CSI: Miami” and hospital drama “House.”

It wasn’t the most popular show in America, though. That honor belongs to “American Idol,” which may have netted the global top spot if different countries didn’t have their own versions of the show.

“CSI” debuted in 2000, spawning its Miami spin-off in 2002 and “CSI: NY” in 2004. It is currently scheduled for its ninth season. “American Idol” debuted in 2002 and will begin its 8th season in 2009.

For the school year beginning in the Fall of 2007, the University of California, Los Angeles received over 50,000 applications from high school seniors. UCLA is considered one of the best five universities in the nation, among such Ivy League schools as Princeton and Harvard. Part of that rank is due to the institution’s Athletics program; UCLA has won multiple NCAA championships. It’s also considered one of the best public research institutions in the nation; UCLA ranked 11th in the nation for research leading to a Nobel Prize.

Of course, the most popular university can’t accept all 50,000 of those applicants—that’s nearly twice the size of the school’s entire undergraduate class. Instead, they’ve instituted a new “holistic approach” to acceptance, starting in 2006, where each application is reviewed by two readers rather than three. In 2007, UCLA admitted just over a fifth of their applicants.

by Hunter Davis

A lot of thought is required when it comes to choosing the perfect name for your dog. You’ll want to choose a name that fits the dog’s personality and appearance. To help you with this decision, every year the Veterinary Pet Insurance Company combs through its list of policyholders’ pet names and publishes the most popular dog names (and other pets’ names) online. People that can afford pet insurance will probably name their dogs the same popular names as pet owner’s who do not have insurance.

While comparing the list from 2005 with lists from previous years, there hasn’t been a lot of change to the most popular dog name list. You won’t hear names like “Fido” or “Spot” anymore. Instead, names like “Max”, “Buddy”, “Molly” and “Lucy” are more likely to be shouted out at the dog park these days. Animal experts warn not to name your pet a name that sounds too closely to a command you will use. This could potentially lead to a lot of confusion. You might also want to save your favorite name for your baby so it won’t seem like you named your kid after your pet.

The 2005 list probably includes your dog’s name, or at least the dog of someone you know. For male dogs the top ten most popular names are as follows: Max, Buddy, Jake, Rocky, Bailey, Buster, Cody, Charlie, Bear, and Jack. The top ten most popular female dog names in 2005 are: Molly, Maggie, Daisy, Lucy, Sadie, Ginger, Chloe, Bailey, Sophie, and Zoe.

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Launched in limited numbers in America in 1982, the first Camry was compact cars available in hatchback and sedan body styles. A second generation model followed in 1987, upgrading available engine power and offering new safety features such as anti-lock breaks and all-wheel drive. The hatchback model would vanish, replaced by the wagon body style. First sold in America in 1992, the third generation of the Toyota Camry ditched its compact roots to become a mid-size family sedan. 1997 saw the debut of the restyled fourth generation Camry, followed by the introduction of the Camry Solara coupe in 1999. Available as both a hardtop and a convertible, the Solara was built with more graceful and youth-oriented styling than the Camry. In 2000, the Camry became the highest selling car in America for the first time in its history, with reported figures of 422,930 sold. The next timely iteration to the Camry occurred in 2001, when America’s most popular car became much taller and roomier. The wagon body style was dumped for the fifth generation Camry. The sixth generation, launching in 2006, marked a decided change in the Camry’s styling. The aggressive front fascia compliments the available 3.5L V6, giving the new Camry much more power than any of the previous versions. America’s most popular car is now also available as a hybrid, using Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology.

Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Toyota Camry classically performs well in crash safety tests, with all models since 1997 receiving a “Good” frontal crash rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Strangely, the fifth generation Camry receives a “Poor” rating in side impact tests from the IIHS when not equipped with side-impact airbags. The side airbag option, introduced in 2004, improves the side impact rating to “Good”.

Sales of the Camry in America peaked in 2006, with the nation’s most popular family sedan selling 448,445 units. The Camry’s future includes a foray into the increasingly popular NASCAR Nextel Cup, making it the first non-domestic car to compete in NASCAR in recent years. 2007 also expects to see the Camry produced in America for the first time, finally bringing America’s most popular car a little closer to home.

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Time and technology have allowed for cheaper and much more efficient production. Modern refrigiration techniques dropped the price of ice cream drastically, as you no longer needed large amounts of ice and salt to keep the cream chilled. The continuous process refigerator was successfully introduced by Clarence Vogt in the 1920s, and ice cream cones first gave people a chance to carry it around and spill it on their pants at the World’s Fair in St. Louis in 1904. It’s been giving us “Good Humor” since Harry Burt’s team of uniformed drivers started delivering it in 1920.

Today, ice cream is widely available in traditional flavors at any retail food merchant, and in niche-market packages from parlors such as Ben and Jerry’s and Baskin Robbin’s, or the more recent Coldstone Creamery. More healthy renditions have become available in frozen yogurt and other fat free varieties, as some of us have a waistline to watch. Make mine mint-chocolate chip any day.

Based on ice cream consumption figures, the top five individual flavors in terms of share of segment in the United States are:

1. vanilla (26%),
2. chocolate (12.9%)
3. neapolitan (4.8%)
4. strawberry (4.3%)
5. cookies n’ cream (4.0%)

Source: The NPD Group’s National Eating Trends Services

In 2003, about 86% of packaged ice cream retail sales happened in supermarkets. Convenience store sales were second at 11.4%, drug stores were third at nearly 2%, with 0.6% occurring at other locations. Source: Mintel

Based on supermarket statistics in 2001*, ice cream volume sales by quality segment were: superpremium (3.5%), premium (51.5%) and regular (45%). Source: IRI

Nearly 80% of supermarket ice cream sales are packaged in half-gallon containers. Source: IRI, 2001

Mexico is the single largest market for U.S. frozen dessert exports, with an estimated value of almost $17 million. Canada was the number two destination for U.S. frozen dessert exports, valued at $6.6 million. Japan ($3.6 million), United Kingdom ($3.4 million), and Hong Kong ($3.1 million) are third, fourth and fifth respectively. Source: USDA/International Ice Cream Association

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Modern plastic surgery has fostered a mentality that we are not good enough, and that high-cost surgeries are the best way to ensure our long-term happiness and physical self satisfaction. Originally developed as a way to help wound victims deal with scarring, cosmetic surgery has blossomed into an industry for the mega-rich to lift, shrink, enlarge, and tuck their bodies in ways they can not or have not through exercise or a balanced lifestyle alone. Rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, liposuction, eyelid surgery and face lifts were the most popular plastic surgery procedures of 2002.

Rhinoplasty, or nose surgery is a popular way to generally shrink or lift, smooth or reshape your nose into a new you. It is designed to remove large bumps, correct the general shape, and even improve airflow through the nose for those who have obstructed passages.

Breast augmentation, generally carried out through implants, is designed to give women (and sometimes men) a little more up front. Also quite common are breast reduction and breast lift surgeries. These popular plastic surgery procedures are most often carried out by people who have experienced dramatic weight gain or loss, pregnancy or back problems, and are not exclusively cosmetic.

Liposuction involves removing excess fat from the abdomen, and has become a common practice for those in need of immediate or permanent weight loss. Other techniques such as the tummy-tuck or stomach stapling involve forcibly limiting the amount of food our bodies can consume or hold. Still other techniques include regular exercise, altering of diet and even supplements that increase the metabolism.

Eyelid surgery is used to tighten up the areas around your eyes that have a tendency to sag or droop with age, or carry wrinkles that show more years then you might like. Portions of excess skin around your eyes can be cut away, and wrinkles on the skin itself can be smoothed with laser and chemical resurfacing techniques.

Facelifts involve pulling the skin across your face a bit tighter to eliminate some of the wrinkles that age can bring. Most effective for shoring up the lower portion of your face, when combined with other surgeries such as the lipectomy, it can help eliminate a double chin, or with a bit of collagen injection allow you to have tighter skin and large, puffy lips. Similar to eyelid surgical techniques, chemical or laser resurfacing is necessary to change the actual surface of your skin’s texture.

There are risks as well as benefits involved in most plastic surgery. While it may make you look younger, many surgical techniques do not age as well as even our own fragile bodies. Cosmetic surgery can leave scars or telltale signs that you didn’t arrive here with those enhancements in place. While it has great benefits and can improve skin conditions, posture, remove scars, and probably most often help those with self-image issues, one must be aware of the physical and psychological repercussions of going under the knife. Choose wisely.

Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” has long been considered the most recognizable painted image to emerge from the art world. Van Gogh, who lived mainly in France, Belgium and Holland, past in 1890 after a final period of great productivity. Van Gogh’s work is a great mixture of expressionism, naturalistic observation, and not surprisingly a draftsmanship he learned in studying the works of other artists such as Millet. His work is passionate and bold, and highly contrasting color patterns are often laid down to create a real sense of movement. “Starry Night” is also said to be the most often reproduced of any painting, and vendors such as OverStockArt claim it is their most popular print.

Van Gogh’s Starry Night

Claude Monet, oft regarded as the founder of the impressionists is also among the most popular artists. His work is much less direct even then Van Gogh’s at times, and is more about color harmony and the sensations of memory then observation. He created many legendary works throughout his career, including a series of painting of the Rouen Cathedral in the lightings of a variety of different times of day. He is said to have set up a dozen canvases and worked on each for 7 or 8 minutes each day, before switching to the next as the light changed. There is likely some embellishment to that fable, as the paintings were probably greatly reworked in the studio after the fact. His “Garden at Giverny” and “Poppy Field at Argenteuil” are probably his most recognizable, and the atmospheric quality that runs through the majority of his oils makes them easily identifiable.

While Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Gustav Klimt and Wassily Kandinsky are also among the most popular, we must look at a variety of factors that have led to this. Van Gogh in particular was not successful in his lifetime. His work, though frequently reproduced now did not sell, he was virtually unknown to the Europe as a whole, and considered a bit of an outcast to his peers and those around him. The other artists mentioned existed as painting reached a pinnacle at the turn of the 20th Century, and generally as technology and the advent of photography changed the needs and demands for painting. Today, paintings are easily and cheaply reproduced, and enjoyed in a way the artists likely never would have imagined. Modern artists are able to spread their work around with greater ease thanks to the internet and mainstream publishing, and it is conceivable that the public may learn of an artist in their lifetime. Such noted painters as Jack Vettriano, while scorned by the art establishment for his populist, almost commercial approach, are fast competing for the most recognizable images. More art is now likely purchased at Target or Costco then from artists themselves, or even commercial galleries. The images considered most popular or recognizable have been beaten into our subconsciousness via calendars, mugs t-shirts and other bizarre licensing, and it is a wonder they haven’t lost some of their edge.

Madden NFL 90

Based on internal company data, Electronic Arts’ EA Tiburon office in Maitland, California reported selling over 2 million copies of the most popular video game during its first week of retail sales and over 5 million copies of the game since its release. 2006 is the 17th year of production for the Madden NFL Football videogame, which also holds the title of the most popular video game franchise of all time. A recent Orlando Business Journal article reports that the game has had more than $2 billion in retail sales since its first release.

Madden NFL 07 brings back practically every feature that was in Madden 06, but over the years, the game has undergone obvious changes with advances in technology. Some of the changes from the 2006 edition include a new menu presentation, easier to learn moves and excellent new player models, stadiums, and the like that make the game more attractive overall.

Madden NFL 07

One particularly note-able feature of the most popular video game franchise is that you can play “franchise mode” yourself, and create and personalize your NFL team to your liking as you try to achieve the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl victory.

The majority of the most popular postage stamps are commemorative of Elvis’s anniversaries, and are highly colorful and attractive. Many are artist portraits depicting Elvis in the different stages of his life and on complete stamp sheets this is particularly effective. A timeline of sorts, we see Elvis as the youthful performer of the 1950’s, through his film career to his black leather-clad comeback in 1968 to the more mature concert artist in the 1970’s. Full stamp sheets usually contain up to four identical or totally different stamps, often on a decorative background. Miniature sheets, usually containing one or two stamps, tend to be more stylized with highly imaginative renderings of Elvis plus objects connected with his life.

The French father and son artists Jean-Louis and Paul Puvilland are the designers of the most interesting Elvis stamps and sheets for many different countries. Artist Isabelle Tanner has also produced several beautiful commemorative sheets themed with backgrounds and quotes. Other Elvis stamps use well-known photographs to make up sheets and single stamps, such as the 1996 sheet of nine stamps from Tanzania bearing the Official Elvis Presley Estate logo. Other Elvis stamps are included in tribute or commemorative sets for cinema, rock, jazz, boxing and even football. Details are given in the following pages.

With the universal appeal of Elvis, it is no surprise that his image is on the most popular stamp, and if collection statistics remain consistent, you may be spotting Elvis more than you think in the future.

Top 25 Most Popular Stamps and the estimated number collected:
1) Elvis 1993 124.1 million
2) Wonders of America 2006 87.5 million
3) Wildflowers 1992 76.1 million
4) Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues 1993 75.9 million
5) DC Comics Super Heroes 2006 73.0 million
6) Greetings From America 2002 71.4 million
7) Insects and Spiders 1999 61.0 million
Art of Disney: Romance 2006 57.2 million
9) Legends of Baseball 2000 53.9 million
10) Art of Disney: Celebration 2005 52.8 milion
11) Baseball Playing Fields 2001 49.0 million
12) Art of Disney: Friendship 2004 47.7 million
13) Civil War 1995 46.6 million
14) Legends of the West 1994 46.4 million
15) Marilyn Monroe 1995 46.4 million
16) Advances in Aviation 2005 45.8 million
17) Bugs Bunny 1997 44.1 million
18) Lunar New Year SS 2005 42.7 million
19) Comic Strip Classics 1995 40.8 million
20) Jim Henson: Muppets 2005 40.6 million
21) Cloudscapes 2004 40.1 million
22) Stars and Stripes 2000 40.0 million
23) Baseball Sluggers 2006 39.5 million
24) Summer Olympics 1992 39.5 million
25) Lucille Ball 2001 38.7 million

Business Administration and Management is the most popular college major. In a yearly study conducted by the “Princeton Review”, colleges are asked to give data regarding their academic offerings. Each college polled is asked which three majors have the highest undergraduate enrollment. With today’s fast-paced economy, it is no surprise that Business Administration is the number one choice and most popular major amongst hundreds of possible college majors.

Business majors usually find success in the field of their choice by working their way up the corporate ladder to become managers, executives, and vice-presidents of their companies. A business major receives focused training and education in accounting, marketing, finance, human resources, economics, and decision-making.

Since Business Administration and Management is the most popular major, chances are you know someone who is majoring in business. Growing up, they probably saved their weekly allowance instead of blowing it, or maybe they started their own lawn mowing business in grade school. Regardless, a business major is naturally good with money and finances and can always be counted on for advice regarding monetary issues.

“Princeton Review’s” top ten Majors of 2006:

1. Business Administration and Management
2. Psychology
3. Elementary Education
4. Biology
5. Nursing
6. Education
7. English
8. Communication
9. Computer Science
10. Political Science

* note that the popularity of these popular majors has nothing to do with the current job markets’ need for positions in their related fields.

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Currently in the lead is Cingular Wireless, with slightly over 57 million subscribers and a steadily decreasing ‘churn’, which is an industry term referring to the amount of customers canceling their service each month. Cingular Wireless was formed in 2001 as a merger between SBC Communications and BellSouth, and then another merger in 2004 when Cingular bought AT&T Wireless for $41 billion dollars, pushing them into the number one spot as most popular cell phone carrier in the US.

In 2006 Cingular aggressively advertised a claim that they had the fewest dropped calls of any carrier – however the market research company that they used as a source, Telephia, later denied that the claims Cingular were accurate. Slightly behind Cingular in subscriber numbers, with slightly under 57 million subscribers, is Verizon Wireless. Verizon Wireless was formed in 2000 by a $90 billion dollar merger between Vodafone AirTouch and Bell Atlantic Corp. Shortly thereafter the assets of GTE Wireless were added to Verizon Wireless’s business, making them at the time the most popular cell phone carrier. In 2004 Cingular lost their number one position in subscriber numbers when Cingular merged with AT&T Wireless.

Third place in the US cell phone provider market is Sprint Nextel Corporation. Sprint runs a CDMA cellular network, as does Verizon Wireless, in contrast to Cingular’s GSM network. They have approximately 52 million subscribers currently. Sprint Nextel was formed in 2005 by the No. 3 and No. 5 leading cell phone providers in the US, Sprint and NEXTEL. Sprint Nextel offers cell phone service under two brands, Sprint PCS and Nextel, as well as offers wholesale access to its PCS wireless network to companies including 9278 Mobile, Virgin Mobile, EarthLink Wireless, BeyondMobile, Working Assets, Telispire, Excel Wireless, STI Mobile, Liberty Wireless, Powernet Global, PlatinumTel, ConnexOne, Disney Mobile, Movida Wireless, Helio, Primus Wireless, Voce, Jitterbug Wireless, Humane Wireless and Qwest.

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According to Budweiser, it is brewed with two-row and six-row malt, rice, and hops, both American and European varieties. It uses a very different and distinct brewing process to produce a distinctively different, lower calorie beer with a crisp, clean taste.

Even though the micro-brewed beers are more flavorful and are gaining in popularity, the marketing people have help make Bud Light the best selling brand in the US!

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It may be easy to see why the gift card is the most popular christmas gift. A gift card is much more likely to be accepted by the recipient of the gift, and it relieves the stress from the gift purchaser who may not know exactly what the recipient would want. Gift cards also make post-holiday sales more valuable, as the same gift bought with a gift card will often be cheaper right after Christmas than if it was purchased at pre-Christmas retail prices.

In terms of specific items expected to be the most popular Christmas gifts in 2006, Elmo TMX and Sony’s PlayStation 3 top the list as the most sought after and hardest to find gifts. Elmo T.M.X. (Tickle Me eXtreme) is an animatronic successor to 1996’s hottest and most popular Christmas present, the Tickle Me Elmo. The toy requires six AA batteries, which are actually included with the toy. Elmo TMX hit store shelves September 19, 2006 and quickly sold out, with auctions selling them shortly thereafter for up to $1,000. The price of Tickle Me Elmo TMX was originally supposed to be a suggested retail price of $39.99, but is now selling for many times that at various retailers and auctions.

Sony’s Playstation 3 was released on November 17, 2006 in the USA leaving very little time for Christmas shoppers to get their hands on one. A 20GB model retails for $900 while a 60GB model retails for $1000. There was such an incredible demand for PlayStation 3 on its release date that a string of related violence occurred during the week following its release. The media reported on robbery after robbery, shootings, and stabbings across the country while prices on eBay skyrocketed to as high as $2,000. If you have yet to purchase the popular gift yourself, and you plan on doing so this season, you were wise to wait. There is no shortage of PS3’s on the market and you can buy them at the suggested retail price online or by auction for possibly even less.

A study by Omnibus Operations: Ipsos North America has found the most popular redhead. The redhead to beat every other redhead knows to be a redhead was non-other than Ariel from Disney’s Little Mermaid.

Now I’m not sure a Mermaid should be counted if you are comparing them to those us of that are less freakish like real life humans such as Sarah Ferguson the former Duchess of York or even human-characters such as Pippi Longstocking, but irregardless the little mermaid has been found to be the most popular redhead.

There are 2,772,200 Smiths living in the US as of the 2000 US Census, making it the most common last name. Everyone’s met a Smith. They’re everywhere. Some famous Smiths include Emmett Smith of Dallas Cowboys fame and Joseph Smith founder of the popular Mormon religion. John Smith was on one of the first ships to land and make settlement in Jamestown, VA, before falling in love with Native American princess Pocahontas. No Smith has been to the moon yet, but you can bet that they one day will.

Name Population
Smith 2,772,200
Johnson 2,232,100
Williams 1,926,200
Jones 1,711,200
Brown 1,711,200

Everyone has a last name, unless you are Madonna or Prince, in which case you are too good for last names. Smith is the most popular last name in the United States, and having a last name is much more popular than not having one.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park between North Carolina and Tennessee is the most popular national park by number of visits in the US. During 2005 the park had almost 9,200,000 visitors, more than any other US National Park in 2005. The second most popular national park was the Grand Canyon with over 4,000,000 visitors.

The old Southern Appalachian mountains of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have diverse animal and plant life in their temperate deciduous forests. Activities in this popular national park include more than 800 miles of trails for hiking and grounds for picnicking, fishing, and horseback riding.

The United Nations have designated America’s most popular national park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as an International Biosphere Reserve.

Las Vegas is the entertainment capitol of the world and also the most popular destination in the world. Every year, 36.7 million visitors come to Sin City looking for relaxation, entertainment, or that chance to strike it rich. The Las Vegas city limits and surrounding Clark County boast a permanent residency of only 2 million. Of all the tourists converging on Vegas annually, 25% come from the southern California area, and 12% came from outside the United States.

Las Vegas is a hub for airlines, railroads, trucking and highways. Major and regional airlines find Las Vegas to be one of their most popular destinations. McCarran International Airport is the 8th busiest airport in the US. Las Vegas was founded as a railroad city. Because of its central location, it is still a principal on-route destination for the railroads.

The average stay in Vegas is 3.7 nights, with rooms costing about $103 on average. Of all visitors, only 5% say they come to the desert mainly to gamble, although 87% end up gambling at some point during their stay. A typical Vegas tourist will spend 3.9 hours a day in the casinos, and that same typical tourist will loose $559 to the house before their vacation ends. The state of Nevada makes 9 billion dollars a year off it’s cut of legal gambling. It is no wonder that Nevada has encouraged turning Las Vegas into a popular vacation destination.

Current estimates suggest that 3% of the adult population will experience a serious problem with gambling that will result in significant debt, family disruption, job losses, criminal activity or suicide. Americans seem to be rediscovering a love for gambling of all types, giving Las Vegas a firm grasp on it’s title as the most popular vacation spot in the world.

According to a study released last year by NDC Pharmaceutical, generic Hydrocodone was the most popular drug by number of prescriptions dispensed in the US during the 2004 year.

The second most prescribed drug, Pfizer’s Lipitor, was the most popular branded drug according to the study. The drug is approved for use to help lower one’s cholesterol and thereby help prevent cardiovascular and heart disease.

According to reports, diazepam, marketed under the brand-name Valium, was the most prescribed drug is the US during the 1970s, until critics claimed it was in overuse and switched to different drugs to replace their need to treat patients with substances.

According to a new poll by Zogby International, nearly one-in-four (23%) American adults call fast food chain Wendy’s their favorite, with half as many preferring runners-up Taco Bell and McDonald’s (12% apiece). Burger King trailed McDonald’s and Taco Bell at 11%. Rounding out the field were KFC at 8%, and Jack in the Box and Long John Silver’s, at 3% each. Three-in-ten (29%) respondents say they either prefer no fast food restaurant or a chain not offered on the list.

Until 1999, McDonald’s was the most popular fast food restaurant by leaps and bounds. Recent trends in health and some famous “anti-McDonald’s” movies have apparently, fairly or unfairly, giving the golden arches a stigma in American eyes as “the most unhealty” fast food option. McDonald’s is currently spending Millions of dollars in advertising to change this public opinion.

Some fast food restaurants, like Jack in the Box in the western US or White Castle in the northern mid-Atlantic are the most popular fast food restaurants in their respective regions, possibly due to their somewhat “local” appeal.

With more and more fast food restaurants hitting the streets every day, it’s getting harder and harder for one chain to prove they are America’s favorite. Fast food it’s self, however, is in no danger of loosing popularity amongst a population that seems to be growing increasingly large.

Jacob is holding strong, having been the most popular boy’s name since 1999. The oldest publicly available social security records, which date back to 1880, rank Jacob as the 39th most popular name. The name dropped in popularity over the next eighty years, reaching a “career-low” of 369th most popular in 1962, before enjoying a steady rise to the top. The primarily African-American variant Jacoby ranked as the 819th popular boy’s name in 2004.

Jacob is a Hewbrew name, originally spelled Ya’aqob, which translates to “holder of the heel”. In the Old Testament, Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel. He was born holding the heel of his twin brother Esau. Biblical names are very popular helping make Jacob the most popular boy’s name in America.

The Golden Retriever and German Sheppard come in as the second and third most popular dog breeds. The most popular breeds are highly intelligent medium to large sized dogs.

The Labrador Retriever is believed to have come from Newfoundland where fishermen recognized the breed’s quick retrieving and swimming skills.

As much as we love this popular dog breed, if you are looking to pick up your own pet, think twice about a purebred and remember that between six and eight million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters every year, and three to four million of these animals are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them.

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