--THAT FELT LIKE A MISTAKE


…It’s very early Thursday, around 3:30 am.
In a few hours I’ll be on a plane headed to my favorite city in the world, New York.
If you’re near there on Sunday at 7 pm, come to Jimmy’s 43 at 43 East 7th Street and hear me read. Also reading will be Julie Innis, Myfanwy Collins, Jurgen Fauth, Sheldon Compton, and Robb Todd.
I’m very excited. I’m not really nervous.
Not yet anyway.

…Here are some things we should ponder at least for a moment:

…Global warming, or coincidence?
For the quarter--Jan through March-- the US temperate was 42 degrees Fahrenheit, or a whopping six degrees higher than the long term average.
During that time, 15,800 different warm temperature records were recorded.
At least nine of the snowiest U.S. cities had less than 60% of their average snowfall this year.

The C.E.O. of Viacom made $43,077,942 last year
The C.E.O. of Honeywell made on $35 Million
And the CEO of Disney made a mere $31 Million

72 police officers were killed in 2011, a 25% increase from the year before, and a 75% increase from 2008

US Population
In 1940: 132.2 Million
In 2010: 308.7 Million
Percentage with bachelor degree
1940: 5%
2010: 28%
What women earn for every dollar a man earns:
1940: 62 cents per dollar
2010: 74 centers per dollar
Median home value (adjusted for inflation)
1940: $38,700
2010: $179,000
Women and Men who've never married:
1940: 43.9% Men, 28.9 Women
2010: 65.6% Men, 55.6% Women
Homes heated with coal/wood:
1940: 78%
2010: 2%

Which city has the best pizza?
41% -- NY
39% -- Chicago
9% -- New Haven
5% -- San Francisco

70% -- Percentage of prisoners granted parole if they had morning hearings.
10% -- Percentage granted parole if they had afternoon hearing.

When you consider some of the decisions you've made in the past that might come to light, do you think you could run for public office?
No --62% All
No --58% Men
No --66% Women

2/3rd's of a shark's brain is programmed to process smell