WOO-HOO! It's STATS Time, Baby!!!!!!

That's right, Stats-Fans, it time for your all time favorite part of the challenge.  Yes, its stats-time!!!  You better get prepared 'cause I'm going lay some stats-math down on you like a baseball bat* to the head.

* for those commonwealth types who are of a particularly sensitive nature please replace the brutish American term "baseball bat" with the much more erudite and calming term "cricket bat".  Look at me be all caring-like.

Challenge VIII is off to a fast start and of the 80 stalwart Challenge-a-nista's who have embarked upon this pigment adventure, a stunning 52 have made a submission within the first 2 weeks.  That's a record breaking two week participation rate of 65%.  Even more astounding is that the "Fast 52", as this group has been dubbed by the Fake Media, have collectively made 118 submissions over that first 2 week period smashing yet another record.

I'll pause here while all of you get over the "vapors" this shocking news must have inflicted upon you.  Take your time, there's no shame in fainting.

OK, ready to move ahead.  No?, I don't care - we're Oscar Mike.

Lets take a look at the KPI chart of doom and compare the first 2 weeks of VIII vs VII:

KPI's:	VIII	VII	+/- Var
Weeks Completed	2	2
Weeks Remaining	11	11
Participants w/ a Submission	52	47	10.64%
Total Submissions	118	89	32.58%
Total Points	7,184	7,711	-6.83%
Participation Rate	65%	47%
Average per Submitter	138	164	-15.79%
Avg per Submission	61	87	-29.73%
Submitter % of Target Completed	15%	16%	-1%
Projected Points
Submitters	46,696	50,122	-3,426
Remaining Bouns Rounds	7,500	9,261	-1,761
Non Submitters @ 50%	6,769	13,358	-6,589
Projected Total Points	60,965	72,741	-11,775
Figures Painted
28MM
Inf	882	1,100	-19.82%
Cav / Art	47	69	-31.88%
Vehicles	20	20	0.00%
15MM
Inf	110	179	-38.55%
Cav / Art	16	28	-42.86%
Vehicles	16	16	0.00%
6MM
Inf	834	479	74.11%
Cav / Art	22	11	100.00%
Vehicles	70	35	100.00%
Score Distribution
28MM	72%	84%
15MM	5%	7%
6MM	8%	4%
Bonus Round "Bonus Points"	0%	0%
Other Scales	15%	4%
Total	100%	100%

I'm sure all of you have be drawn to the Projected Points from my secret Point-O-Projectorama machine.  It does require the sacrifice of several small mammals to keep the gears running but that's something we have to do for the sake of science.  Anyway, once the wailing subsided I was able to divine a points projection for VIII - and have determined that this august group of Pigment Warriors will generate close to 61K in total points.  That's a bit off the pace of last year but there are only 80 participants for VIII vs the 100 for VII.

In truth, these initial estimates tend to be biased conservatively.  For example last year's the Point-O-Projectorama prognosticated 73K and we came in at 83K.  Similar error terms occurred in Challenges VI and V.  So if we take the derivate of - HEY YOU IN THE BACK, WAKE UP, THIS IS REALLY EXCITING STUFF THAT IS ROCKING YOUR WORLD AS WE SPEAK.  Sorry, Stats make me a bit crazy.  Anyway, my gut tells me we'll probably chime in in the 67K range when the dust settles.  Since my gut is rather ample, it's rarely wrong.

There other trend I've noticed is a resurgence of 6MM scale submissions - I doubt they will dethrone 28mm as the champ but there is a lot of activity there.

While I hate to end the exciting topic of stats on a somber note, we do have to consider the status of the "Late 28" - those lost souls without a submission for this challenge.  Let us all hope that they soon see the error of their ways and join us on the path of painting enlightenment.  Perhaps soothing words of encouragement in the comments section below will help them throw off their indolence and take up their brushes once more.  Let us all pray that, one day, they will also be assimulated.