Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of Americans who say lack of funds stopped them from traveling for vacation, according to a survey by Country Financial: 40

Percentage who say they are too busy at work: 12

Percentage who have a hard time coordinating family schedules: 12

Percentage who say obligations get in the way: 10

Source: Country Financial.

Since last June, range of the drop in average price of one-eighth ounce of recreational cannabis in Colorado, according to research by Convergex (from $50-$70 to $30-$45): $20-$25

Current cost of an ounce, on average, compared to $300-$400 last year: $250-$300

Percentage rise in sales year-over-year to $43.9 million in April, based on the latest available tax data from the Colorado Department of Revenue: 98

Source: Convergex.

Rank of "unintentional injuries" on the list of the leading causes of death in the United States, according to the annual National Safety Council statistical report Injury Facts: 4

Percentage of distracted walking incidents involving cellphones that happen at home -- not adjacent to roadways, as many may believe: 52

Percentage of those injured who are women: 68

Percentage who are people ages 40 or younger: 54

Estimated number of injuries that are accounted for by distracted walking involving cellphones: 11,101

Source: National Safety Council.

Number of megabytes of data Americans used in 2014, a 26 percent increase over 2013, according to a Wireless Association survey: 4.1 trillion

Percentage accounted for by smartphones and tablets, which now number more than 208 million and 35.4 million, respectively: 68

Source: CTIA -- The Wireless Association.

Percentage of dads around the world who have already or plan to introduce their kids to the cartoons they grew up watching, according to research from Netflix: 85

Percentage of respondents who say it lets them feel like a kid again: 75

Percentage who say it helps them teach life lessons: 76

Source: Netflix Inc.

Percentage of Americans who feel an overnight vacation is appropriate within the first three months of a relationship, according to the results of a study by Expedia and Tinder: 44

Percentage who would wait more than a year: 16

When taking that first vacation, ranks of good restaurants, sightseeing/tourist attractions, a room with a view, and a fireplace that Americans considered the most important destination feature: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Expedia.

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they use e-smoking devices (e-cigarettes or personal vaporizers), according to an Ipsos poll: 10

Percentage who say they smoke traditional cigarettes: 19

Percentage of e-smokers who also smoke traditional cigarettes: 50

Source: Ipsos.

Percentage of American men who find pornography morally acceptable, versus 25 percent of women, according to a Gallup Poll: 43

Percentage of men who say polygamy or having an affair is morally acceptable, versus 13 percent of women: 20

Percentage of American men who say divorce is morally acceptable, versus 75 percent of women: 67

Source: Gallup Organization.

Percentage of U.S. smartwatch buyers who chose their device because of the brand, according to research from Parks Associates: 49

Percentage who ranked the watch's features, such as fitness tracking and the ability to receive notifications, as a top consideration in their purchase decision: 58

Percentage who said product appearance is important: 30

Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of Americans who use an airline, hotel or travel card rewards program, according to the Harris Poll: 48

Percentage who are members of airline rewards programs: 31

Percentage who are members of hotel rewards programs: 31

Percentage who have a credit or payment card with travel rewards: 26

Source: The Harris Poll.

Idle Thought

"A teacher who is attempting to teach, without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn, is hammering on a cold iron." -- Horace Mann, educational reformer

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

Estimated number of vacation days that go unused by Americans every year, according to the U.S. Travel Association: 429 million

Percentage of travel agent customers who said they use a travel adviser because it just makes things easier, according to a study commissioned by the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA): 72

Percentage of the respondents using a travel agent who expect to use one again: 92

Source: American Society of Travel Agents.

Percentage of Americans who describe themselves as careful drivers, according to a survey by Experian: 97

Percentage who have admitted to speeding: 61

Percentage who say they have followed too closely: 29

Percentage who have yelled a profanity: 26

Source: Experian Automotive.

Percentage of employees who have recently experienced an employer change, such as a leadership turnover, extensive layoffs, merger/acquisition, financial slowdown, etc., according to a survey by Weber Shandwick: 84

Percentage of employees who can describe what their employer does: 42

Percentage who can describe what its goals are: 37

Source: Weber Shandwick.

Nationally, amount cheaper a gallon of gas is today than it was this time last year, according to research by the National Association of Convenience Stores: $1

Estimated amount lower gas prices will save the average American family in fuel costs over 2015, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration: $675

Percentage of Americans who say they are spending this extra money, according to the NACS poll: 44

Source: National Association of Convenience Stores.

Percentage of employees in U.S. organizations who believe that feedback is important to career development, according to a survey conducted by Eagle Hill Consulting: 87

Percentage who indicate that they feel valued when someone takes the time to provide feedback on their work: 85

Percentage of respondents who reported that their work environment supports a culture of feedback: 60

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

Percentage of employees who say cellphones/text is the biggest distraction at work, according to a survey by CareerBuilder: 52

Percentage who said the Internet: 42

Percentage who say it compromised the quality of work: 45

Percentage who said it lowered morale because other workers had to pick up the slack: 30

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Rank of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, with a personal fortune totaling nearly $86 billion, on Wealth-X's list of the world's top 25 richest self-made billionaires: 1

Number of spots claimed by Americans on the Wealth-X list: 14

Combined wealth of the 14 Americans on that list -- greater than the GDP of Norway: $14.2 billion

Source: Wealth-X.

Estimated percentage of the U.S. population with a bachelor's degree or higher, in contrast to U.S. politicians, almost all of whom have a bachelor's degree or higher, according to an Ipsos poll: 33

Percentage of the general U.S. population with a bachelor's degree from an Ivy League school vs. 11 percent of U.S. office holders: 1

Source: Ipsos CJ.

Date the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation: July 4, 1776

In July 1776, estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation: 2.5 million

The nation's estimated population on this July Fourth: 318.4 million

Source: Census Bureau.

Percentage of parents who give their kids some say in where they want to go on vacation, according to a survey by HomeAway: 85

Percentage of parents who say spending quality time together is the most important part of vacation: 41

Percentage who said creating lasting memories: 27

Percentage who said exploring new cultures and places: 15

Source: Home Away.

Idle Thought

"The belief in the possibility of a short, decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions." -- Robert Lynd, writer

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

Percentage of people who are visual learners, according to market research firm Lab 42: 65

Amount of visual data the average person takes in per second: 1.25 GB

Average percentage of that data that a person is able to process: .7

Source: Lab 42.

Average percentage of the work around the house that is done by fathers, according to Insure.com: 33

Percentage of fathers with spouses in the workforce who are a regular source of care for their kids (up from 26 percent in 2002): 32

Estimated percentage of dads with kids under the age of 5 who are now the primary caregivers in the family: 20

Percentage of fathers who say they're more involved with their kids than their fathers were: 75

Source: Insure.com.

Number of months that the average vacationer typically saves for before a vacation, according to retailmenot.com: 5

Number of months in advance that they typically book their trips: 3

Percentage of people who are more inclined to travel by car when gas prices are cheaper: 65

Percentage of employed respondents who report getting no paid vacation days in a typical year: 32

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

Percentage of employees who say their employers expect them to be available outside regular office hours, according to a Randstad survey: 57

Percentage who say they are expected to be available during holidays: 47

Percentage of workers who say they don't mind handling work matters when on vacation because they like to stay involved: 39

Source: Randstad.

Percentage of new car buyers who financed a car in 2015 who did so with a zero-interest loan, according to Edmunds.com: 9.5

Percentage of new cars and trucks sold so far in 2015 that were leased: 28

Source: Edmunds.com.

Percentage of North Americans who admit to having "reinvented" themselves in an effort to embrace change and look for new opportunities, improvements and differentiation, according to a recent study conducted by Ipsos: 55

Percentage who plan to reinvent themselves in the future: 21

Rank of millennials and females on the list of those who tend to be more open to the idea of reinvention, when compared to older generations and males: 1, 2

Source: Ipsos Marketing Open Thinking Exchange.

Rank of the U.S. in terms of having the highest number of billionaires in the world, according to Wealth-X: 1

Number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals ($30 million to $49 million) living in New York City, the most of any city in the world: 8,655

Source: Wealth-X.

Percentage increase in the population of those age 65 and older in the U.S. by 2050, according to Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends: 100

Percentage of the entire population that will be 65 and older by 2050: 21

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

Number of couples in the U.S. who get married annually, accounting for nearly 6,200 weddings a day, according to Sound Vision magazine: 2.3 million

Source: Sound Vision. Contact public affairs info@soundvision.com.

Among 16 world leaders, percentage of Americans (18 and older) who have a good opinion of Pope Francis, according to the results of a Harris Poll: 73

Percentage who have a good opinion of the Dalai Lama: 62

Ranks of British Prime Minister David Cameron, U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany on the list of world leaders who have won the good opinion of Americans: 3, 4, 5

Source: Harris Interactive.

Idle Thought

"What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof." -- Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist

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