Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of elementary school students who will start school with a new laptop, according to a PriceGrabber report: 15

Percentage who will have computer accessories: 13

Percentage who will receive a new cell phone or smartphone: 10

Source: PriceGrabber.com.

Globally, the percentage of consumers who go online to visit a social network or blog (an increase of 24 percent over last year), according to Nielsen Research: 75

Estimated number of minutes the world now spends on social networks and blog sites per month -- 22 percent of their time online: 110 billion

Source: Nielsen Media Research.

Percentage of Americans who are familiar with Twitter and know that it is an online information-sharing service, according to The Pew Research Center's latest News IQ Quiz: 85

Percentage of Americans who know that the government's bailout of banks and financial institutions was enacted under the Bush administration: 34

Percentage who are able to identify John Roberts as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court: 28

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

Percentage of adults surveyed in 23 countries who don't agree with the statement that "a woman's place is in the home," according to a Reuters News poll: 74

Ranks of Argentina, France, Mexico and Sweden on the list of countries with citizens most likely to disagree that "a woman's place is in the home": 1, 2, 3, 4

Ranks of India, Turkey, Japan and China on the list of countries where inhabitants are most likely to agree that "a woman's place is in the home": 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Reuters.

Percentage of managers who indicated that support staff play a role in helping their firms to reduce spending, according to a study developed for the International Association of Administrative Professionals: 50

Percentage of supervisors who said they have turned to administrative personnel for help with technology: 32

Percentage of support professionals who said their employers do not provide leadership training to administrative staff: 51

Percentage who said they would find these courses valuable if available: 96

Source: OfficeTeam.

Median income level of the elderly population (the midpoint -- 50 percent above and 50 percent below) in 1974, according to a study by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI): $13,264 (all figures quoted are in constant 2009 dollars)

Average income of the elderly in 1974: $18,750

Median income of the elderly in 2008: $18,001

Source: EBRI.

Ranks of Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning on the list of America's favorite sports stars, according to a Harris poll: 1 (tie), 3, 4, 5

Ranks of Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Danica Patrick and Mia Hamm on the list of America's favorite female sports stars: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Harris Interactive.

When asked how much of the $800 billion economic stimulus package was used to create jobs by rebuilding and improving highways, roads and bridges, percentage of voters who incorrectly guessed 25 percent, according to a poll for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers: 20

Percentage of voters who think worse of the stimulus package when they learn that only 3 percent of its funding was dedicated to rebuilding highways, roads and bridges: 53

Source: Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

Percentage of homeowners who say they don't regret buying their home, according to a poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International: 90

Among homeowners who regret having bought their homes, percentage who said they feel woeful because they are unable to sell and move on: 31

Percentage of respondents who said it was because they couldn't afford the monthly mortgage payments: 22

Source: Bankrate Inc.

Percentage of Americans who plan to vacation 100 miles or more away from home during 2010, according to the results of a consumer survey commissioned by the U.S. Tour Operators Association: 60

Of those, percentage who said they would travel in the offseason or "shoulder" -- period between the peak season and offseason -- to save money: 45

Source: United States Tour Operators Association.

Idle Thought

"Like cars in amusement parks, our direction is often determined through collisions." -- Yahia Lababidi

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

When wealthy Americans were given a list of 25 brands from various consumer product categories and asked which made them happiest, number of technology-based brands that headed the list, according to the results from the Affluence Collaborative research from AgencySacks: 4

Number of fashion brands among the top 15 responses: 0

When asked which brands respondents were most bored with, number that were from the fashion category -- true for both men and women: 4

Source: AgencySacks.

Percentage of Americans who report that the economic recession has significantly changed their outlook on life, according to a survey by StrategyOne: 77

Percentage of Americans who have re-evaluated their approach to life since the recession began: 58

Source: StrategyOne.

Percentage of respondents who said that out-of-control children are far and away the top summer travel irritation, according to the results of TripAdvisor's annual summer travel survey: 48

Ranks of erratic driving and line cutting at attractions on the list of summer travel irritations: 2 (tie)

Source: TripAdvisor.

Number of U.S. viewers who watched the World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands, making it the most watched soccer game in U.S. television history, according to the Nielsen Co.: 24.3 million

Number who watched the U.S.-Ghana match earlier in this World Cup: 19.4 million

Source: Nielsen Media Research.

Percentage of Americans who associate passion with love, according to a survey fielded by the makers of Sensis Condoms: 70

Percentage who associate the word with romance: 67

Percentage who associate it with sex: 55

Source: Kelton Research.

Temperature reading on July 10, 1913, at Greenland Ranch, Calif. -- highest thermometer reading ever recorded in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 134 degrees Fahrenheit

The next highest, 16 years ago at Lake Havasu City, Ariz.: 128 degrees

Among larger cities, record temperature held by Phoenix, Ariz.: 122 degrees

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Amount of money that the proposed 1 percent Social Security cost of living adjustment cut could cost seniors throughout a 25-year retirement, according to a new analysis released by the Senior Citizens League (TSCL): $54,954

Percentage of their purchasing power that seniors have lost since 2000, according to an analysis by TSCL: 24

Number of Americans aged 65 and over who receive a Social Security check: 37 million

Percentage who rely on it for 90 percent or more of their total income: 33

Source: Senior Citizens League.

Nearly 30 years into the AIDS epidemic, percentage of Americans who believe the United States has effectively dealt with the AIDS issue, according to a new Zogby International interactive poll: 59

Percentage of adults who are optimistic that the spread of HIV can be stopped by 2015: 28

Source: Zogby International.

Percentage of small-business owners who say they enjoy the flexibility that comes with "being your own boss," according to a survey released by Brother International: 50

Percentage who enjoy pursuing their passion: 35

Source: Brother International.

Percentage of adults who say they have been passengers in a car when the driver was sending or reading text messages on a cell phone, according to a survey by The Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project: 49

Percentage of adults who say they have been passengers of drivers who used a cell phone in a way that put themselves or others in danger: 44

Source: Pew Internet and American Life.

Idle Thought

"Each morning puts a man on trial, and each evening passes judgment." -- Roy L. Smit

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

In 2009, amount consumers spent on hot dogs and sausages in U.S. supermarkets, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council: $1.6 billion

Rank of Los Angeles on the list of cities that consume the most hot dogs, beating out New York and San Antonio/Corpus Christi, Texas: 1

Number of times more hot dogs that are eaten at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (725,000) than Los Angeles International Airport and LaGuardia Airport combined: 6

Source: National Hot Dog and Sausage Council.

Percentage of young office workers who admit they're typically more confident in social than professional situations, according to a survey, conducted by Dentyne Pure: 66

Number of times daily the average young office worker's confidence is compromised: 6

Source: Kelton Research.

Percentage of moms who say it was their idea to get their child a mobile phone, according to findings from Ipsos OTX MediaCT: 40

Estimated percentage of parents of 6- to 12-year-olds who allow their kids to see PG-13 movies: 50

Source: Ipsos Marketing, Global Consumer Goods Sector.

Percentage of singles (of which 80 percent of participants were men) who said they spend less time looking for dates because they prefer to watch the World Cup, according to the results of a poll by www.areyouinterested.com: 58

Percentage of participants who would cancel a date to watch the World Cup Championship game: 40

Percentage who would go on a date to watch the World Cup at a social venue: 78

Source: AreYouInterested.com.

Profit made by U.S. airlines in the first quarter of this year in baggage fees, according to an announcement by the Department of Transportation and reported by Smarter Travel: $769 million

Profit made from reservation change fees in the same time period: $554 million

Source: Airfarewatchdog.com.

Percentage of Americans who rate rain as the best weather condition for sex, according to research from the makers of Trojan brand condoms: 83

Ideal indoor temperature for sex: 68 degrees Fahrenheit

Percentage of Americans who say they're always up for sex regardless of the forecast: 66

Source: Edelman.

Percentage of Americans who say they are "extremely patriotic," up from 26 percent in 2005 and 19 percent in 1999, according to a Gallup poll: 32

Source: Gallup Organization.

Percentage of all adults in the labor force who say that since the recession began 30 months ago, they have suffered a spell of unemployment, a cut in pay, a reduction in hours or have become involuntary part-time workers, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center's social and demographic trends project: 55

Percentage of adults in the labor force who have been unemployed for a period of time during the recession: 32

Source: Pewsocialtrends.org.

Rank of a professional sports event, the zoo, live theater and a high school sports event on the list of the top events attended during the past year by adults, according to Scarborough research: 1, 2, 3, 4

Rank of gardening, swimming, volunteer work and photography on the list of top personal activities enjoyed by American adults during the past year: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Scarborough Research.

Among those who use a smartphone with applications ("apps"), percentage who refer to apps at least "sometimes" when making decisions while shopping, according to the findings from Knowledge Networks: 40

Percentage who say they are more likely to purchase from app advertisers: 32

Source: Knowledge Networks.

Idle Thought

"Men have slow reflexes. In general it takes several generations later for them to understand." -- Stanislaw J. Lec, poet

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