America Can Do Better!***

I recently had dinner with some friends at the home of one of my Sunday School students. Thanks to a conversation about how big or small full-size dogs can be, the student retrieved his copy of the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records. As you might imagine, after laughing at some bizarre statistics, I flipped to the index to see what might await me under the topic of “ice cream.” And, America, I learned that Michael Phelps is not enough to make me proud of American competitive achievements. We are not performing in a way befitting of our country in some of the world’s most important competitions.

Highest average ice cream consumption per person in a year:
Australia - 35 pints/person (or 4.4 gallons)
To be honest, this does not sound like very much to me when one considers that most ice cream that isn’t superpremium comes in a half-gallon size. This means the record for ice cream consumption per person in a year is only nine half-gallon cartons over the course of the year. This statistic should bring every country to shame, not just ours. (I’m looking at you, Luxembourg!)

Highest average chocolate consumption per person in a year: 
Switzerland – 25 lb. 6 oz. (equal to 230 bars weighing 1.75 oz per year)
This statistic is quite high. Impressive, yes, but unachievable? No. We should see this as a goal, not a threat.

Most ice cream flavors displayed at once:
UPA Gelatieri Padova (Italy) – displayed 521 flavors of ice cream together


***I like to joke on my blog, but in all seriousness, a very important election is coming up. Take a moment to ask yourself: "Is everyone I know in America registered to vote?" If you are at all unsure, please tell your friends, family, and neighbors to register. The registration deadlines are fast approaching!

If you decided you’re voting for Obama and want to work for the campaign, Travel for Change (an organization separate from Obama’s campaign) is offering to fly interested parties to swing states to help win the vote. If you can’t go, you can donate your frequent flyer miles.