Gah, this is some awful abuse of statistics: "There are three times as many dentists named Dennis as any other names. Number of Florences living in Florida is

Gah, this is some awful abuse of statistics: "There are three times as many dentists named Dennis as any other names. Number of Florences living in Florida is disproportionately high, same goes for Louises living in Louisiana." This is interesting, but it proves nothing. Of all the possible names and vocations, of course you're going to find at least one combo with a disproportionate number. Perhaps the "Dennis/Denist" combo has more to do with the popularity of that name coinciding with a growth in the numbers of professional dentists. Similarly, with names and states, you're going to find some overlap. Know any young people named "Florence"? Know where retirees move to? And perhaps people living in Louisiana are more likely to name their kids something similar to the state name than the other way around. I'm toying with the idea of starting a blog that highlights abuses of statistics and misunderstandings of probability in the press. They drive me nuts!