select substr(name,1,1) as alpha, count(id)/30
  from rubygems
 group by substr(name,1,1);

 alpha | ?column?
-------+----------
 _     |        0
 -     |        0
 .     |        0
 0     |        0
 1     |        0
 2     |        0
 3     |        0
 4     |        0
 5     |        0
 6     |        0
 7     |        0
 8     |        0
 9     |        0
 a     |      329
 A     |        4
 b     |      214
 B     |        3
 c     |      383
 C     |        6
 d     |      230
 D     |        4
 e     |      174
 E     |        2
 f     |      231
 F     |        3
 g     |      217
 G     |        3
 h     |      174
 H     |        2
 i     |      116
 I     |        1
 j     |      141
 J     |        2
 k     |       88
 K     |        1
 l     |      174
 L     |        2
 m     |      335
 M     |        4
 n     |      118
 N     |        2
 o     |      135
 O     |        1
 p     |      264
 P     |        4
 q     |       30
 Q     |        0
 r     |      496
 R     |        6
 s     |      530
 S     |        8
 t     |      260
 T     |        4
 u     |       61
 U     |        1
 v     |      103
 V     |        0
 w     |      110
 W     |        1
 x     |       25
 X     |        0
 y     |       40
 Y     |        0
 z     |       28
 Z     |        0