A FEW MORE INTERESTING FACTS

1.  500 million birds are killed by cats in the USA every year.  Tweety was right.  There are 10-20 billion birds (200-400 billion on Planet Earth), so the kill rate is around 3%, which is not insignificant.   Wind turbines are only responsible for less than half a million birds.

2.  The White House and U.S. Congress are doing absolutely nothing to help, but the U.S. budget deficit is dropping:

  2009    $1.4 trillion
  2010    $1.3 trillion
  2011    $1.3 trillion
  2012    $1.1 trillion

and as predicted:

  2013    $0.85 trillion
  .
  .
  .
  2017    $0.54 trillion

So it's best for them to continue to do nothing!

3.  The Islamic Hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia draws perhaps 3 million per year, with thousands known to have been killed by stampedes, fire, violence and  just plain health problems.  Pickpockets are especially active.  However, the Indian Hindu Kumbh Mela, which occurred today, to the banks of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers this year drew 80 million, with many losing their lives, usually by being run over by other people.  I guess drownings must also be concern too, for bathing in these waters is a must:

This has been happening for nearly two millennia, as Hiuen-Tsang of China gave reference to his participation in the seventh century.  Good thing this occurs only every 12 years, but the size of every one exceeds that of the previous pilgrimage, the largest gathering of humanity on Planet Earth.  Christians are a third of the population, but they have a long way to go to match this kind of agglomeration.  The Philippines tries, but their events still bring together fewer than 10 million.  Eighty five percent of Filipinos are Christian, of which 81% are Catholic.

4.  The USA could by 2020 surpass Saudi Arabia as the biggest oil producer,  but we are by far the largest consumer of petroleum:

5.  How long can you keep an egg in your refrigerator?  This is kind of a trick question because it has little to do with what date was placed on your carton, which apparently has very little relation to when  the egg was laid.  The following, though, works when in doubt:

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