Figuratively Speaking

Ranks of Apple, Google, IBM, McDonald's, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Marlboro, China Mobile and GE on the list of the world's most valuable brands, according to the sixth-annual BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Combined value of all the brands in the top 100: $2.4 trillion

In terms of geography, number of the Top 100 brands that now originate in "BRICs" (Brazil, Russia, India, China) markets, compared to only two in 2006: 19

Source: Millward Brown.

Average number of apps that smartphone app downloaders have on their phones, according to the State of the Media Fact Sheet compiled by the Nielsen company: 27

Percentage of mobile phone owners who have smartphones: 30.9

Source: Nielsen Media Research.

Percentage of Americans who bought their first home in the past 12 months who expected to meet their mortgage repayment obligations in the coming year, according to the Genworth International Mortgage Trends Report: 87

Due to affordability issues -- high home prices, higher costs of living or fear of rising interest rates --average age at which a person in the U.S. is able to purchase a first home: 31.6

Average age of a first-home purchaser in the 1970s: 27.3

Source: Genworth Financial.

Percentage of American workers who think they will continue working full- or part-time after they reach retirement age, according to a Gallup Poll: 80

Percentage of these workers who say they will do so because they "want to": 44

Percentage who say they will do so because they "have to": 36

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of men with children under 18 years of age in the household who can be classified as "The Partner Dad," which means he works with his partner doing the shopping, the cooking and the dishes before relaxing in front of the TV, according to a study by The Martin Agency: 25

Percentage of dads who can be classified as "The Renaissance Dad," which means he strengthens the family through togetherness and learning, makes it a point to be home for dinner every night, and who reads or jogs in his spare time: 19

Percentage who can be classified as "The Hip-Hop Dad" and, while he's not a pushover, he does like spoiling his kids every once in a while: 14

Source: Martin Agency.

Percentage of Americans who have a pet, according to the results of a Harris Poll: 62

Among pet owners, percentage who have a dog: 69

Percentage who have a cat: 51

Percentage who have a fish: 11

Percentage of pet owners who have a bird: 7

Source: Harris Interactive.

Of employers hiring in 2011, ranks of sales, IT, customer service and engineering on the list of the top functional areas for recruitment: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of Internet users age 16 and older who are worried about companies checking their actions on the Internet, according to the Center for the Digital Future: 48

Percentage of Internet users age 16 and older who are concerned about the government checking what they do online: 38

Among these Internet users, percentage who said that it is safe to voice their views about politics while online: 33

Source: Center for a Digital Future.

Number of calories in one medium-size (5.3 ounce) skin-on potato, according to the US Department of Agriculture: 110

Percentage of the daily value of vitamin C provided by that one potato: 45

Amount of fat, sodium or cholesterol contained in the potato: 0

Rank of potatoes on the list of fruits and vegetables that provide the largest and most affordable source of potassium and fiber, according to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: 1

Source: United States Potato Board.

Percentage of men who find it easier to care for their cars than for their personal health, according to findings from a new survey of men ages 45 to 65 commissioned by Men's Health Network and Abbott (NYSE: ABT): 70

Percentage of men who do not visit the doctor regularly: 28

Percentage of their significant others who reported they are worried about their spouse's or partner's health: 40

Source: Abbott.

Idle Thought

"Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: All of them make me laugh." -- W.H. Auden

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

Percentage of full-time employees who consider themselves to be overqualified for their job, according to an Ipsos Public Affairs-Randstad survey: 33

When it comes to how well workers' education prepared them for their current position, percentage of respondents who said that while their education helped, they learned most of their skills on the job: 50

Percentage who reported that their education completely prepared them for their current job: 21

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

In the past year, percentage of Americans who have made an economically driven change that could impact the cost of their car insurance, according to a survey released by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners: 53

Percentage of respondents who are driving less overall and/or taking public transportation more frequently: 40

Percentage of car owners who traded in a vehicle for a lower-priced model or got rid of a second vehicle entirely: 20

Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Percentage of drivers who do not know where to find the correct inflation pressure for their vehicle's tires, according to a survey by the Rubber Manufacturers Association: 62

Percentage of drivers who do not know that tires should be checked "cold" -- before driving: 43

Percentage who do not know how to tell if their tires are bald: 52

Source: Rubber Manufacturers Association.

Percentage of Americans who said they'd like to have Vince Lombardi or Oprah coach them through their trials and tribulations -- someone who would provide encouragement, give incentives and push them hard, according to an Anthem Blue Cross survey: 25

Source: Blue Cross.

During the past 12 months, percentage of American adults on a diet who were successful in losing weight, according to a national survey by the Calorie Control Council: 45

Percentage of these dieters who were unable to keep the weight off past six months: 66

Over a 12-month period, percentage of all dieters who attempted two or more weight-loss efforts: 50

Source: Calorie Control Council.

Ranks of vitamins, protein, minerals, fiber, omega 3 and antioxidants on the list of benefits consumers value most from their foods, according to a global study conducted by Ipsos Marketing, Consumer Goods: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Source: Ipsos Marketing, Global Consumer Goods Sector.

Percentage of Americans who say taking a vacation away from where they live this year is important, although most anticipate they will have to spend more on transportation costs than they did last summer, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll: 60

Percentage who said they will "travel less" this summer: 29

Percentage of Americans who mentioned gas prices as the most important problem facing the country today: 8

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of Americans who believe the U.S. has made real progress on economic opportunity, saying the country is doing a better job now at creating equal opportunity across ethnic and racial lines than when they were younger, according to the Allstate-National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll: 55

Source: Allstate Insurance Co.

Percentage of parents of 2- to 12-year-old children in the U.S. who agree that spending more time at a community playground increases a family's sense of well-being, according to a study conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Foresters: 77

Percentage of parents who agree that the more time a family spends together being active, the better their sense of family well-being: 95

Source: Foresters.

Ranks of Brazil, Uruguay and Chile on the list of top-ranked developing countries for global retail expansion, according to the Global Retail Development Index released by A.T. Kearney: 1, 2, 3

Rank of Peru on the list: 8

Average 2010 percentage GDP growth in South American countries: 6

Source: A.T. Kearney.

Idle Thought

"A man who trims himself to suit everybody will soon whittle himself away." -- Charles M. Schwab

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

Year that the idea of Father's Day was conceived by Sonora Dodd, who wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1909

Year that the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day: 1966

Estimated number of fathers in America: 66.3 million

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of Americans who agree that buying a home is the best long-term investment a person can make, according to a nationwide Pew Research Center survey: 80

Percentage of renters who said they would prefer to one day buy a home: 81

Source: Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends.

Even in the face of rising gas prices, percentage of Americans who drive to work alone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 75

Percentage who use public transportation: 5

Percentage of people who use bikes and other means to get to their jobs: 2

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of grooms who do the proposing, according to research by the Travel Industry Association of America: 99

Average length of an American engagement: 14 months

Average cost of the diamond engagement ring: $6,348

During the engagement period, estimated collective amount of money spent on furniture: $4 billion

Source: U.S. Travel Association.

Percentage of CFOs who said lacking attention to detail and presenting sloppy work are the co-worker behaviors that annoy them most, according to a survey developed by Accountemps: 41

Percentage of respondents who said gossiping or engaging in office politics are pet peeves: 23

Source: Accountemps.

Percentage of consumers who said they like to get as much information as possible about an electronic device before they buy, according to the results of PriceGrabber's mobile shopping survey: 66

Percentage who stated they always shop for the best deal in electronics: 48

Source: Experian Consumer Direct.

Percentage of American households that are planning at least one water-related recreational activity this summer such as swimming, boating and fishing, according to a national survey by the American Red Cross: 78

Percentage of Americans who described their swimming skills as fair, poor or nonexistent, including 3 percent who said they were unable to swim at all: 21

Percentage of adults who are unsure what to do if they are caught in a strong current: 18

Source: American Red Cross.

Percentage of emergency physicians responding to a poll who report that the biggest challenge to cutting costs in emergency medicine is the fear of lawsuits, according to a survey by the American College of Emergency Physicians: 44

Range of estimates on the annual costs of defensive medicine, which includes the ordering of tests out of a fear of being sued: $60 billion to $151 billion

Source: American College of Emergency Physicians.

Percentage of tablet computer owners who said they use their devices while watching television, according to Nielsen's survey of connected device owners: 70

Percentage of smart phone owners who said the same: 68

Percentage of e-book reader owners who said the same: 35

Source: Nielsen Analytics.

Percentage of respondents who plan to buy a Father's Day gift this year, according to the ultimate "Gift Guy'd," based on a poll from Sears, Roebuck and Co.: 99

Percentage of respondents who said "organizing the tool shed" was the top choice of activity for an ideal Father's Day: 43

Percentage who selected "new tools" as the top choice for the perfect Father's Day gift: 50

Source: Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Idle Thought

"Every man possesses three characters: that which he exhibits, that which he really has and that which he believes he has." -- Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, novelist and journalist

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