Issue 10 2009: October
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Al Fischer, a 75-year-old printing shop operator in Long Island, N.Y. passed a milestone recently when he donated his 320th pint of blood, bringing his lifetime total to 40 gallons. Only one other person, a retired railroad inspector from St. Louis, is believed to have donated more blood. Fischer's first donation was in 1951; since then he has continued to donate about six times a year. Fischer's car sports a vanity license plate reading "O BLOOD", a reference to his universal donor type. "Some people give money," he said, "I give blood." ..... The Week
PUMPKINS
It's the great pumpkin shortage, Charlie Brown. A cool, damp summer in the Midwest and New England has decimated the U.S. pumpkin crop, leading to higher prices and shortages across the U.S. as Halloween approaches. ..... USAToday
LUCKY GOLFER
Most amateur golfers are lucky if they shoot a single hole-in-one over the course of many years. But 64-year-old Ruth Day shot two holes-in-one in a single outing at the Whitley Bay Golf Club in North Tyneside, England. She shot her first ace on the 149-yard third hole, a par 3, then another on the 161-yard 13th, also a par 3. "A hole-in-one itself is pretty amazing," she said. "But I couldn't believe it when I did the same thing 10 holes further on." ..... The Week
IRANIANS VS IRAN
Contrary to the position of their government, 60% of Iranians favor resumption of full diplomatic relations with the U.S. ..... WorldPublicOpinion.org
DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY
To satisfy the exploding worldwide electricity demand caused by flat-screen TVs, game consoles, personal computers, and other gadgets, nations will have to build the equivalent of 560 coal-fired power plants, or 230 nuclear plants over the next two decades. The average American now owns 25 electronic products. ..... The New York Times
FISH
By the end of this year, half of the fish consumed in the world will have been farm-raised rather than caught in the wild. ..... The Washington Post
BRAIN DONATIONS
Forty-three current and former National Football League players have agreed to donate their brains to Boston University for research on the long-term impact of playing the violent game. ..... The Wall Street Journal
WHO IS BUYING U.S. TREASURY BONDS
Investors outside the U.S. have bought 43 percent of the $1.4 trillion in bonds issued by the Treasury so far this year; at this point last year, foreigners had purchased just 27 percent of U.S. bonds. ..... Bloomberg.com
MILT'S MORSEL OF THE MONTH
"The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him." ..... Politician Henry Stinson, quoted in the Montreal Gazette
JIM'S STETHASCOOP
"A subtle joke about a man's character can ruin a reputation faster than an obvious lie". ....Texas Bix Bender, in his book Don't Squat With Your Spurs On
