Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of Americans who agreed that personal style has more to do with being comfortable in your own skin, not about dressing to impress, according to a survey by Old Spice: 66

Source: Old Spice.

Ranks of strategic thinking, leadership, communication, developing direct reports and motivating people on the list of skills that middle managers need to improve, according to ClearRock, an outplacement and executive coaching firm: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: ClearRock.

Age at which Americans ages 18 to 29 believe that the average person becomes "old," according to a Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends survey on aging: 60

Age at which middle-aged respondents put this threshold: 70

Age at which respondents ages 65 and above put this threshold: 74

Source: Pew Internet and American Life.

When asked about their interest in visiting specific regions across the country during the next two years, percentage of leisure travelers who said they'd like to visit the western region of the United States, according to a survey by Ypartnership: 72

Percentage who cited the South: 62

Percentage who said the Northeast: 33

Percentage who said the Midwest: 21

Source: Ypartnership Public Relations.

Ranks of first child (32 percent), meeting partner (13 percent), wedding day (12 percent), buying first house (6 percent) and passing your driving test (5 percent) on the list of happiest events for women, according to research by smile the internet bank from The Co-operative Bank: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of first child (20 percent), meeting partner (13 percent), wedding day (12 percent), passing driving test (8 percent) and sports team victory (7 percent) on the list of the happiest events for men: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Co-operative Bank.

Ranks of Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks as the most bankable male stars, according to the Ulmer Scale: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Ulmer Scale.

Percentage of Americans who say there is more loneliness in today's society than there used to be, according to research by Kodak: 67

Percentage who feel it is easier to connect with friends and family today than it was five years ago (a result of increased use of e-mail, text and social networks to keep in contact): 80

In spite of this technology, percentage who feel they have fewer meaningful relationships than they did five years ago: 60

Source: Kodak's Worldwide Brand Marketing and Communications.

Percentage of Americans who are closely monitoring their daily family expenditures, saying they are cutting back on their spending, according to a Gallup Poll: 71

Percentage who say they are watching their spending very closely: 88

Percentage of Americans who say they have enough money to satisfy their basic needs: 78

Source: Gallup.

Current teen unemployment rate, according to a study by Employment Policies Institute: 24

Percentage increase from earlier this summer: 12 (and 2.5 times the national unemployment rate)

For every 10 percent increase in the minimum wage, the associated percentage decline in teenage employment in small businesses, according to research from the University of Georgia: 4.6 to 9

Source: Employment Policies Institute.

Year that designer Louis Reard had his models display a skimpy, two-piece bathing suit named for a Pacific atoll where atomic bombs were tested -- the bikini, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau: 1946

Number of women's clothing stores, with sales of more than $31 billion a year, that now carry the bikini, once viewed as scandalous and seen as a short-lived fad: 47,000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Idle Thought

"We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice -- that is, until we have stopped saying, 'It got lost,' and say, 'I lost it.'" -- Sydney J. Harris, journalist

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Year the first commercial electronic computer -- UNIVAC I, designed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly and built for the U.S. Census Bureau to tabulate the 1950 census -- was used, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1951

Year that the general public first became aware of the computer when it was used on television on election night in 1952 to predict that Dwight Eisenhower would win the presidential race: 1952

Percentage of children who now use computers in their school classrooms: 86

Percentage of students who have access to a computer at home: 69

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Average number of hours that U.S. adults who use online resources to research and plan a vacation spend doing so, an increase of 48 minutes over the previous year, according to findings from a hotels.com survey: 8

Average number of reviews they read prior to booking a hotel: 8

When asked what red flags would prevent them from booking a property, percentage who said a dirty room: 96

Source: Hotels.com.

Percentage of American women who say they are willing to give up 10 percent of their savings in order to look a decade younger for the rest of their lives, according to a study conducted by Sustainable Youth in conjunction with Kelton Research: 33

Percentage of women with a household income of $40,000 or more who would give up 10 percent of their savings if it meant they'd look 10 years younger: 44

Source: Kelton Research.

Ranks of Kelly Ripa (26 percent), the Obamas (19 percent), the Pitt-Jolie family (16 percent), Oprah Winfrey (16 percent), Jon Stewart (13 percent) and Stephen Colbert (10 percent) on the list of celebrities Americans would most want to share a vacation rental home with if they were invited along for the trip, according to research released by HomeAway: 1, 2, 3 (tie), 5, 6

Source: HomeAway.

Percentage of consumers who said that the current economy and struggles of the American car manufacturers will have no impact on whether or not their next car purchase will be an American car, according to a recent Cars.com survey: 59

Percentage of respondents who said the threat of bankruptcy by U.S. carmakers would likely preclude them from considering an American car with their next purchase: 20

Source: Cars.com.

Percentage of Americans who believe there is no requirement for couples to earn similar amounts of money in order to be happy, according to research by smile.co.uk ("the Internet bank") from The Co-operative Bank: 54

Percentage who think it is unnecessary for couples to pursue similar careers to be happy together: 62

Source: The Co-operative Bank.

Percentage of Americans who recognize the direct link between sun exposure and skin cancer, and who agree that sun exposure can be deadly, according to a survey by Neutrogena: 80

Though skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, percentage of American adults who report that they rarely or never put on sunscreen: 60

Source: Neutrogena.

Percentage increase in 2008 in outlays by foreign direct investors to acquire or establish U.S. businesses, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: 3

Amount of money this represents: $260.4 billion ($242.8 billion to acquire existing businesses compared with $17.6 billion to establish new U.S. businesses)

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Number of times more likely people are to say that they have cut back or cancelled a cell phone plan or cable TV service rather than Internet service, according to research from the Pew Internet and American Life Project: 2

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Percentage of Americans who correctly answered that a hamburger is ready to eat when the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees Fahrenheit (41 percent of men, 26 percent of women), according to a survey by the American Meat Institute: 34

Percentage who said that checking the middle of the hamburger to ensure that it is brown is the best approach -- a practice experts say is not an accurate indicator that a burger is thoroughly cooked: 21

Percentage who wrongly said that checking to see if juices run clear ensures food safety: 18

Source: American Meat Institute.

Idle Thought

"A fixed idea is like the iron rod which sculptors put in their statues. It impales and sustains." -- Hippolyte Taine, historian

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of working dads who said they would leave their jobs if their spouse or significant other's income could comfortably support the entire family, down from 37 percent in 2008 and 49 percent in 2005, according to CareerBuilder's "Working Dads 2009" survey: 31

Despite a tough economy, percentage of working dads who said they are willing to take a pay cut to spend more time with their children, down from 37 percent in 2008: 30

Percentage who would consider a cut of 10 percent or more: 40

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Ranks of surgeon, senior corporate executive, physician (general practice), psychiatrist and attorney on the list of the most demanding white-collar jobs -- taking into account stress level, work hours and physical demands -- according to research by CareerCast.com: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of firefighter, police officer, roustabout, sailor and construction foreman on the list of the most demanding blue-collar jobs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: CareerCast.com.

Percentage of executives in America's biggest companies who believe that the reputation of CEOs today is largely negative, according to a survey conducted by leading global public relations firm Weber Shandwick with KRC Research: 66

Despite CEOs' low approval ratings, percentage of executives who report being interested in becoming CEO one day: 49

Percentage of executives who overwhelmingly believe that the road to CEO redemption requires publicly taking responsibility when their firms are in crisis: 90

Source: Weber Shandwick.

Year that the first modern roller coaster opened at Coney Island, N.Y., according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1884

Cost of the ride, built by Lamarcus Thompson and called "the gravity pleasure switchback railway": 5 cents

With a top speed of 6 mph, length of the ride in minutes: 1

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Among the roughly 14 percent of Americans who say they or their spouse/significant other has been laid off since December 2007, the percentage who said that getting the ax has been a blessing in disguise, according to a survey by SnagAJob.com: 39

Of those who were let go from their jobs since the start of the recession, percentage who said they have since found a better job: 27

Percentage who said they used the time off to reconnect with family and friends: 49

Source: SnagAJob.com.

Percentage of consumers who said they are more likely to shop with a retailer that gives them the flexibility to interact easily via online, mobile and kiosk self-service channels versus a retailer that does not, according to a survey commissioned by NCR Corp.: 72

Percentage of consumers who believe that it is important that store employees are available to help locate products: 73

Source: NCR Corp.

When New York City nighthawks, or those people partaking in the Big Apple's night life, were asked what effect the weakened economy has had on their night habits, percentage who reported going to less expensive places, according to a survey by Zagat: 38

Percentage who said they'd become more price sensitive: 34

Percentage who reported that they were ordering fewer drinks: 27

Source: Zagat.

Percentage of shoppers who say they will keep buying store-brand products after the recession ends, according to a poll conducted by GfK Custom Research North America for the Private Label Manufacturers Association: 91

Percentage of shoppers who agree that the store-brand products they buy are just as good as or better than national brand products: 90

Source: Private Label Manufacturers Association.

In 2008, estimated number of people insured against travel-related loss, according to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association's "Travel Insurance Market Survey for 2006-2008": 120 million

Percentage of total sales that were accounted for by policies with trip cancellation/interruption: 90

Percentage of travel insurance sales accounted for by travel medical and medical evacuation-only policies: 5.5

Source: Kundell Communications.

After viewing a news clip featuring a story on the popularity of direct selling in a down economy, percentage of respondents who indicated that they would consider direct selling to earn an extra income, according to a study was conducted by HCD Research: 36

Percentage of respondents who reported that they had sold personal items (on Ebay, at flea markets, etc.) to earn extra money: 31

Source: HCD Research Inc.

Idle Thought

"They are happy men whose natures sort with their vocations." -- Francis Bacon, essayist, philosopher

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)