PoliSci Factoiditis (Acute Statisticus)

Since 1974, 85 authoritarian regimes ended. These transformed into 30 stable democracies, nine short-term democracies, eight troubled democracies, four warlord states and 34 new authoritarian regimes. Four states broke up, another three reunified.

Triviaditis

Without going quite into the morbid details of how I stumbled upon it, here's an aspect of European pulp culture that might amuse Americans. Behold,

G-Man Jerry Cotton

The Goethe Institute has a pretty good writeup on the history of this American agent that was Europe's favorite superhero for decades. He adventured in short stories that were put out in little booklets on a regular basis, written by several authors, and sold at news stands. The parents of my friends hand these laying around, and they were the kind of things that you ended up reading at the summer house during rainy days when you have nothing to do.

That, and there's at least one Finnish rock song about him.