In Case You Were Wondering (excerpts from this month's Harper's Index)

If you think I'm lazy, ya goddamned right. I have schoolwork to hastily catch up on.


Ratio of U.S. external debt to that of all developing countries combined : 1:1

Ratio of the amount the U.S. pays to service this debt to the total amount developing countries pay : 1:15



Projected cost per mile of the security fence Israel is building around the West Bank : $2,563,600

Number of Jewish immigrants Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in June that he wants to attract to Israel : 1,000,000


Number of the September 11 hijackers whose entry visas came through a special U.S.-Saudi "Visa Express" program : 3


Number of weapons seized in a 1962 desegregation riot at a fraternity then headed by future senator Trent Lott : 24


Number of lawsuits filed since 1999 against a firm then run by the man leading Bush's new Corporate Fraud Taskforce : 3

Amount that the company paid to settle the cases : $478,000,000


Number of appearances made by corporate representatives on U.S. network nightly newscasts last year : 955

Number of appearances made by labor representatives : 31


Number of square feet of retail space per American : 27


Number of U.S. supermarkets where shoppers can pay using fingerprint readers : 4

Total number of fingerprints on file with supermarkets so far : 6,000


Number of monkeys that the federal government has infected with smallpox since May 2001 : 24