Figuratively Speaking

Number of months the average vacationer typically saves for before they take their vacation, according to a survey by RetailMeNot.com: 5

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

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

Percentage of companies that report their employees are less loyal today than they were five years ago, according to a survey by the American Management Association: 52

Percentage of companies that are committed to developing and retaining employees: 32

Source: American Management Association.

Percentage of global employees who believe that a person's employability is their own responsibility, according to a 34-country survey by Randstad: 75

Percentage who believe in lifelong learning, regardless of age: 92

Percentage who believe improving competencies and refreshing skills will enhance employability: 82

Source: Randstad.

Percentage of content we retain when presented with it orally and visually, according to a Lab42 study: 50

Amount we retain when it is just presented orally: 10

Source: Lab42.

Percentage of Americans who believe in UFOs, according to a survey by Ipsos: 56

Percentage who believe that life on other planets is plausible: 78

Percentage of Americans who believe that "life on Earth" came about through natural processes following observable rules of biology and physics -- i.e., "evolution": 65

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Year that sliced bread, wrapped for sale in wax paper, first appeared on store shelves in Chillicothe, Missouri, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1928

Decade it became obvious that the convenience of sliced bread was spreading nationally: 1930s

Number of commercial bakeries across the U.S., employing over 118,000 workers: 2,600

Estimated amount of "dough" these establishments make annually: $30 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Ranks of airing one's emotional drama, too many selfies and being asked to unfriend your ex as the three biggest social media turnoffs, according to a survey by Match.com: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of single men who have posted a selfie in the last year: 44

Percentage of single women: 53

Source: Match.com.

Percentage of American adults who participated in some form of athletic activity throughout their schooling years, according to results of a Harris Poll: 73

Among those who participated in an athletic program, percentage who say it was influential in their current level of personal fulfillment: 77

Percentage of respondents who feel their participation in athletic activities was important in providing them with skills to work toward common goals: 69

Percentage who say it helped them to have a disciplined approach to problem-solving: 65

Percentage who say athletics was important in helping them with flexibility in work situations and creative problem-solving: 60

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of parents who say they frequently feel tired, according to a survey by Care.com: 45

Percentage who say they feel stressed: 40

Percentage who say they never feel rested: 10

Source: Care.com.

Percentage of men who have access to paternity leave with some pay from their employers, according to Insure.com: 14

Percentage of American adults who believe businesses should be required to give paid family leave: 77

Source: Insure.com.

Idle Thought

"How simple life becomes when things like mirrors are forgotten." -- Daphne du Maurier, novelist

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

Percentage of Americans who agree they need an extra hour in the day, according to a survey by Safeco Insurance: 80

Percentage who say they would use that extra time to do something for themselves: 70

Ranks of personal hobbies, having alone or personal time, and trying something new on the list of activities they would indulge in with the extra time: 1, 2, 3

Source: Safeco Insurance.

When asked which aspect of a worker's physical appearance would make them less likely to promote that person, percentage of employers who said provocative attire, according to a survey by Careerbuilder: 44

Percentage who said a shabby appearance: 43

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of parents who think about vocational and career schools in the same way they think about public or private colleges, according to a College Savings Foundation survey: 42

Percentage of high school students who think that way: 21

Percentage of students who have considered not going to college: 21

Source: College Savings Foundation.

Year that Marlon Brando turned down an Academy Award for "The Godfather," according to research by Convergex: 1973

Year that Ving Rhames handed his Golden Globe for Best Actor to Jack Lemmon and refused to take it back: 1998

Year that Jean-Paul Sartre turned down a Nobel Prize, stating, "A writer must refuse to allow himself to be transformed into an institution, even if it takes place in the most honorable forum.": 1964

Year that Julie Andrews rejected a Tony nomination because her show, "Victor/Victoria," did not receive any other nominations: 1996

Source: Convergex.

Ranks of snakes, alligators, sharks and wild cats on the list of animals Americans say they are most scared of, according to an Ipsos poll: 1, 2, 3, 4

Of the 48 percent of Americans who say they are scared of sharks, percentage who say they have seen the movie "Jaws": 75

Source: Ipsos North America.

Percentage of Americans who admit technology plays an important role in their productivity, according to data released by Crucial.com: 87

Source: Crucial.com.

Year that Christopher Sholes of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, received a patent for the first practical typewriter, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1868

In the middle of the last century, percentage of all high school students who were enrolled in typing classes: 25

Today, even though typewriter manufacturing has dwindled to near vanishing and moved offshore, percentage of American households that have some form of keyboard in them, likely on a desktop or laptop computer: 79

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of U.S. adults who anticipate taking at least one road trip this summer, according to the results of The Harris Poll: 71

Average number of miles that Americans who plan to hit the road will be traveling: 1,300

Percentage of those who have kids in the house who say they will head out on the road at least once this summer: 82

Percentage of those who don't have kids in the house who say the same: 66

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of U.S. broadband households that own a connected health device, according to Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates: 29

Percentage of broadband households that own multiple connected health devices: 12

Source: Parks Associates.

Number of ultra-high net worth individuals (defined as those with $30 million or more in net assets) globally, who collectively own nearly $3 trillion in real estate (equal to 10 percent of their net worth), according to Wealth-X data: 211,275

Rank of London on the list of the top real estate hubs for the Europe-Middle East-Africa region: 1

Average price of real estate per square foot in London (nearly four times that of Dubai, United Arab Emirates; six times that of Madrid; and nine times more than Cape Town, South Africa): $3,103

Source: Wealth-X.

Idle Thought

"When you sell a man a book you don't sell him just 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue -- you sell him a whole new life." -- Christopher Morley, writer

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

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.)