(2 of 3)
2 "Thank God there's no lampshade here big enough to fit Ted Kennedy's head."
1 "He just finished Cake No. 1--wheel out the backup!"
Source: The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS, 8/20/96
DELEGATE DEMOGRAPHICS
Predictably, the Democrats will have greater diversity at their convention than the Republicans did.* How they stack up:
DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS
TOTAL DELEGATES 4,320 1,990 MALE 50% 66% FEMALE 50% 34% WHITE 67% 90% BLACK 20% 3% ASIAN 3% 1% HISPANIC 9% 2.5% UNION MEMBER 28% 3% YOUNGEST DELEGATE 17** 18 OLDEST DELEGATE 92 93 AVERAGE AGE 46 yrs. 1 mo. 46 yrs. 6 mos. TOP ISSUE Jobs/economy Balanced budget (40%) (37%)
*Democratic rules require delegates to reflect the race and gender mix in the overall population. Republicans have no such rules. **18 by Election Day. Source: AP
THE PRICE OF PEDALING
Bicycles can cost as much as secondhand cars. Perhaps that's why luxury-car manufacturers now make them.
PORSCHE CARS NORTH AMERICA INC. Porsche began turning out bikes in June. The FS has a lightweight frame and front- and rear-wheel suspension to guarantee comfort on different surfaces at all speeds. Hydraulic brakes maintain performance in all weather. Price: $4,500.
MERCEDES-BENZ OF NORTH AMERICA INC. The first all-terrain mountain bike by Mercedes in the U.S. weighs about 24 lbs. Its disk-brake system ensures a more reliable braking action in rain and mud. Adjustable springs and hydraulic shocks provide more comfort over rough terrain. Includes travel case. Price: $3,300.
TABLOID TOMBSTONES
The dead aren't litigious, which is just as well, because there has been a run of gossip about the famous departed. Here's the latest on the late:
GRANT, CARY GRANT The world's suavest man was a spy in Hollywood for the British government, according to a Cambridge University professor. His mission: to root out Nazi sympathizers.
THAT'S WALLIS AS IN WALLACE According to a new book on the Duchess of Windsor, Mrs. Simpson was a man. The author, Michael Bloch, was told this by a doctor whose colleague had examined her.
NOT SO FROSTY! Robert Frost had an affair with his married secretary, Kay Morrison, who was also sleeping with Frost's official biographer. The biography was unflattering.
FATHER OF OUR COUNTRY--AND MORE A new biography of Alexander Hamilton claims he was the illegitimate son of George Washington and Rachel Fawcett Lavine, the wife of James Hamilton.
TOKIN' FLO! Florence Nightingale attended seances and took drugs. In an 1887 letter found in the attic of an antiques dealer, Nightingale says she took bromide, which was given to soldiers to curb libido.
LOCAL HEROES
DAVID LEVITT, 14; SEMINOLE, FLORIDA; freshman in high school