Running Numbers

by Nick Norlen

6 Number of full-time employees of Philly's Pig Iron Theater Company, according to a Sept. 6 article in The New York Times profiling the company and its latest production, Love Unpunished , which runs through Sept. 17.

50 Minimum number of Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies that participated in a nationwide "crackdown to find, arrest and ultimately deter drunk drivers" during Labor Day weekend. The campaign, supported by the Philadelphia Police and Mothers Against Drunk Driving Pennsylvania, ran Aug. 18 to Sept. 4. I was going to form my own organization — "Nick Norlen Really Against Drunk Driving (NNRADD)" — but I figured people would just get it confused with my already-extant "Rampant ADD" think-tank. Haha tanks are neat.

75 Number of years of existence to be celebrated by the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks Sept. 14 at the Powel House. The evening will include a benefit concert by PHILOMEL Instrument Ensemble and a specially designed meal by Jeffery A. Miller. Dinner is limited to 50 guests. Call 215-925-2251 for tickets. Half those guests better be designated drivers, people. Just because the sobriety checkpoints aren't out in full force anymore doesn't mean you can drive your Benz home with 15 glasses of Pinot in you.

3,500 Number of volunteers United Way of Southeastern Pa. is hoping to have register for its 15th annual Days of Caring Sept. 14 and 16, a two-day event that brings together "thousands of volunteers from both the community and area companies with local community agencies to complete hundreds of projects that benefit our region." Register at www.uwsepa.org.

$10,700,000 Grant amount awarded to Fox Chase Cancer Center's V. Craig Jordan, OBE, Ph.D., D.Sc., by the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program for a Breast Cancer Center of Excellence devoted to "developing a new treatment model for breast cancer to reverse the eventual development of resistance to anti-estrogen therapy." In case you were wondering why the DoD is funding breast cancer research, it has a division called Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs that states its vision is to "find and fund the best research to eradicate diseases and support the warfighter for the benefit of the American public." Not that I'm not grateful, but, Mr. Rumsfeld, if you're reading this, I could think of a few more direct ways to help the warfighter. And, also, not to press my luck here, but yeah, um ... warfighter isn't a word.