uExpress.com: Figuratively Speaking by John MacIntyre -- (02/19/2012)

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02/19/2012

Age to which most Americans expect to live, according to a study by Marist Institute for Home Instead Senior Care: 83

Average life expectancy in the U.S.: 78.4 years

Source: Home Instead Senior Care.

Percentage of people who agree that laughing increases their libido, according to a study conducted by TV Land: 55

Percentage of respondents who believe that laughter keeps them young: 89

Percentage who believe that laughter is energizing: 88

Percentage of people who agree that laughter brings people together: 90

Percentage of heavy laughers who socialize with their friends several times a week, vs. 28 percent of occasional laughers: 40

Source: TV Land.

Percentage of travelers who stated their favorite modern in-room amenity was the use of iPads for guest services, local information and personal use (ranking above air purifiers/humidifiers, high-end coffee makers, iPod dock, massage chairs and video game systems): 23

Percentage of travelers who reported that their favorite amenities with regard to food and drink are happy hours, wine tastings or any other time with free food and drinks: 45

Source: Hotels.com.

Percentage of companies offering perquisites to CEOs in 2011, down from 89.8 in 2009, according to Executive Compensation 2011/2012 survey results: 61.5

In 2009, percentage of companies that reported offering company cars to their CEOs: 28.3

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Percentage offering this perk in 2011: 23.5

Percentage offering voluntary deferred compensation programs in 2011, down from 24.4 percent in 2009: 21.2

Source: Compdata Surveys.

Percentage of households in the United States that are considered affluent families, according to the Ipsos Mendelsohn Affluent Survey: 8

Percentage of the total income that these families receive: 21

Mean total annual expenditures of affluent families with children under 18: $67,608

Source: Ipsos Mendelsohn.

Percentage of the U.S. population today that is comprised of singles, according to a study of singles by Match.com: 33

Percentage of men who would be willing to make a commitment to someone who has everything they are looking for in a partner, but with whom they are not in love: 31

Percentage of women who would be willing to do the same: 23

Source: Match.com.

When Americans were asked which NFL playoff quarterback they would choose for president of the United States, percentage who selected Tim Tebow, according to a Reuters-Ipsos poll: 26

Ranks of contenders Eli Manning (18 percent) and Tom Brady (17 percent) on the list: 2, 3

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs RS.

Percentage of Americans who own a smartphone, vs. the 53 percent who own a traditional mobile phone, according to research conducted by Perception Research Services International (PRS): 36

Percentage of adults aged 18 or older responsible for at least half of household shopping who use their smartphones while shopping: 83

Percentage who use their phones for big-ticket items such as appliances: 39

Percentage who use them for electronics: 59

Source: Perception Research Services International.

Percentage of workers who said they have dated a co-worker at least once over the course of their career, according to CareerBuilder's annual office nationwide romance survey: 38

Percentage who reported dating co-workers at least twice: 17

Percentage who said their office romance led them to the altar: 31

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of the nation's top divorce attorneys who say that they have seen an increase in the number of cases using evidence taken from iPhones, Androids and other smartphones during the past three years, according to a survey of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML): 92

Percentage of the respondents who cited an overall rise in the use of text messages as evidence during the same time period: 94

Ranks of text messages (62 percent), e-mails (23 percent), phone numbers and call histories (13 percent), GPS (1 percent) and Internet search histories (1 percent) on the list of the most common forms of evidence taken from smart phones: 1, 2, 3, 4 (tie)

Source: American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Idle Thought

"In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: they must be fit for it; they must not do too much of it; and they must have a sense of success in it." -- John Ruskin, author, art critic and social reformer (1819-1900)

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