Percentage of executives who said Tuesday is the most productive day of the week for employees, according to the findings of an Accountemps survey: 57

Percentage who said Wednesday: 11

Percentage who said Monday: 12

Percentage who said Friday: 3

Source: Robert Half International.

If current trends continue, projected population of the United States in 2050, according to new projections developed by the Pew Research Center: 438 million

Population in 2005: 296 million

Percentage of the increase that will be due to immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their U.S.-born descendants: 82

Source: Pew Hispanic Center.

Ranks of rap, hip-hop and country music as the best selling record sale categories, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1, 2, 3

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Of dangerous Web sites analyzed (that is sites that cause major damage both to personal finances and to computers), the percentage that contained adult content, according to findings by Web of Trust (WOT) and based on the analysis of 17 million Web sites: 28

Percentage that were sites offering free and/or licensed software downloads over the Internet: 27

Percentage that were entertainment sites (movies, games, music, screen savers, smileys): 16

Source: Against Intuition Inc.

Rank of the U.S. among top telecommunications countries, according to a survey conducted by the London Business School measuring telecommunications quality and how it is used by consumers, business and government in 16 countries: 1

Ranks of Sweden and Japan: 2, 3

Rank of the U.S. among 30 countries in percentage of homes that have broadband access, according to a survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development: 15

Source: London Business School. See also http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=4216582.

Average audience in the U.S. for Super Bowl XLII, according to the Nielson Co.: 97.5 million

Number of people who saw the Victoria Secret commercial, the most viewed commercial during the Super Bowl: 103.7 million

Source: Nielsen/NetRatings.

Gross revenue from goods and services sold at live auctions, according to the annual report compiled by Morpace Inc. on behalf of the National Auctioneers Association: $270.7 billion

Amount generated by the real estate auction market, one of the fastest growing auction sectors in 2007: $58.4 billion

Source: National Auctioneers Association.

Percentage of senior executives who ranked "improving energy efficiency across global operations" as a major priority addressed primarily or solely through real estate strategies, according to a survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and co-sponsored by global real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle: 33

Percentage who ranked it as the leading priority: 19

Percentage who expect minimal benefit to profitability, but believe sustainable practices can reduce costs (particularly energy expenditure), open up new markets and improve their company's reputation: 80

Source: Jones Lang LaSalle.

Percentage of U.S. workers who now consider work-life balance and flexibility to be the most important factor in considering job offers, according to a Hudson Survey: 29

Percentage who said compensation when asked to name the primary reason they accepted their current positions: 23

Source: Hudson.

Idle Thought

"Like cars in amusement parks, our direction is often determined through collisions." -- Yahia Lababidi, writer (b. 1973)

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

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Percentage of baby boomers who said they are doing financial planning and that their goals are set and on track, according to a survey by KeyBank and Zogby International: 51

Percentage who believe they will or could run out of money in their lifetime: 67

Source: Keycorp.

Percentage of Americans who believe U.S. foreign policy is driving dissatisfaction with America abroad, according to a poll by the non-profit organizations World Learning and the Aspen Institute: 75

Percentage of Americans who are very or somewhat worried that the U.S. is losing the trust and friendship of other countries: 73

Percentage who worry that Americans will be less welcome in other parts of the world: 63

Source: World Learning.

Rank of Asia among the regions with the highest salary increases forecast for 2008, according to a survey conducted by ECA International, the world's largest membership organization for international human resources: 1

Ranks of India, Argentina, Indonesia and Russia among the countries in the world with the highest predicted salary increases for 2008: 1, 2, 3, 4

Ranks of Switzerland, Japan, France and Austria, and Germany among the countries in the world with the lowest predicted salary increases for 2008: 1, 2, 3 (tie), 4

Source: ECA International.

Year Robert Royce of Woodstock, Vt., used several hundred feet of rope, the engine out of an old Model T Ford and some ingenuity to make the first ski tow in the U.S. at Gilbert's Hill, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1934

Estimated number of ski resorts across the U.S.: 500

Estimated number of times per year these resorts are visited by winter sports enthusiasts: 57 million

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Average salary for technology professionals in 2007, according to Dice Salary Survey: $74,570

Rank of Silicon Valley as the tech pros' highest paying metro area: 1

Average salary for tech pros in Silicon Valley: $93,876

Ranks of Boston ($83,465), Baltimore/Washington, D.C. ($81,750), Los Angeles ($81,039) and New York ($80,770) on the list of highest paying metro areas: 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Dice Holdings Inc.

Percentage of workers who say they have either accepted or left a job due to the condition of the building and/or the amenities offered, according to a national survey by Blumberg Capital Partners: 33

Percentage of workers who described their office buildings and office environments as either "bland," "dumpy" or "stodgy": 47

Ranks of covered parking, subsidized cafeteria or restaurant, fitness or workout center, and on-site day care on the list of the most important office building amenities: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Blumberg Capital.

Minimum statutory employee notice period in the U.S. and Mexico between resignation and departure (for white-collar employees with one year's service), according to data from Mercer's Global HR Factbook: None

Minimum statutory employee notice period in Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore and the U.K.: 1 week

Minimum statutory employee notice period in Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Russia, Ukraine, Bolivia and Spain: 2 weeks

Minimum statutory employee notice period in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland: 2 months

Source: Mercer.

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they are very or somewhat likely to reduce their overall debt level in 2008, according to an Experian/Gallup poll: 73

Percentage who say they plan to cut back on entertainment outlays: 49

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they are not likely to read a book or take a course on personal finance: 58

Percentage who say they are not likely to reduce the number of credit cards they have: 56

Source: Experian Consumer Direct.

Percentage of companies that have made policy changes to better accommodate working parents, according to a survey of senior executives developed by Office Team: 62

Source: OfficeTeam.

Ranks of the Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Aruba as the top island getaways for U.S. travelers, based on recent traffic for these destinations on tripadvisor.com: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: TripAdvisor.

Percentage of Boomers who said they are doing financial planning, and their goals are set and on track, according to a survey by KeyBank and Zogby International: 51�Percentage who believe they will or could run out of money in their lifetime: 67� ��Source: Keycorp-Consumer. Contact Cindy Spitz at 216-689-5640 or email cindy_l_spitz@keybank.com.�•••

Percentage of Americans who believe U.S. foreign policy is driving dissatisfaction with America abroad, according to a poll by the non-profit organizations World Learning and the Aspen Institute: 75�Percentage of Americans who are very or somewhat worried that the US is losing the trust and friendship of other countries: 73�Percentage who worry that Americans will be less welcome in other parts of the world: 63��Source: World Learning. Contact Sir/Madam at (802) 257-7751 or email info@worldlearning.org.�•••

Idle Thought

"I've made an odd discovery. Every time I talk to a savant I feel quite sure that happiness is no longer a possibility. Yet when I talk with my gardener, I'm convinced of the opposite." -- Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician

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

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Percentage of women who would rather have their homes dusted by their beloved than receive a box of candy, according to the SC Johnson "Love Affair with Cleaning" survey: 56

Percentage of women age 35 to 44 who said that a clean bathroom beats out a bouquet of flowers: 45

Percentage who chose a kitchen clean-up instead of a dinner out: 21

Source: Edelman.

Percentage of workers who said they would consider dating a co-worker, according to a Spherion office romance survey: 36

Percentage of workers who reported that their company does not have a policy on workplace romance: 57

Percentage of workers who reported that they have had a workplace romance: 39

Percentage of workplace romances that have resulted in marriage: 22

Source: Spherion.

Percentage of U.S. corporate executives who plan to pursue hobbies, travel or golf during their retirement years, according to a survey conducted by Gray Hair Management: 70.4

Percentage who are planning a post-retirement relocation: 50.7

Percentage who said climate was the biggest reason for their planned relocation: 38.5

Source: Gray Hair Management.

In general, percentage of employees who report feeling overworked, according to a Sirota survey: 22

Percentage who say they are bored: 14

Percentage of employees with "about the right amount of work" who feel they are an important part of their companies: 61

Percentage of those with "too little work" who agree: 34

Source: Buchanan Public Relations.

Year that Pope Gelasius set aside Feb. 14 to honor St. Valentine, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's "Facts for Features" series: 496

Decade in which Esther Howland, a native of Massachusetts, was given credit for sending the first valentine cards: 1840s

Number of locations in the U.S. producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2005: 1,198

Number of people these establishments employed: 38,718

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Estimated number of visits that Canadians made to the United States in 2006, according to the latest study by the Travel Industry Association of America: 40 million

Estimated amount of money they spent: $13.5 billion

Estimated cost to the American economy by just a 5 percent decline in Canadian visits: $700 million

Source: Travel Industry Association of America.

Amount earned by Madonna in a 12-month period, ending in June 2007, through concert ticket sales, merchandise revenue, album sales and earnings from ancillary products such as clothing, perfumes and endorsements, making her the top-earning female musical artist, according to a study conducted by Forbes.com: $72 million

Amounts earned by Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Shakira and Beyonce Knowles in 2007, respectively: $60 million, $45 million, $38 million, $27 million

Rank of Britney Spears ($8 million): 14

Source: Forbes.com.

Percentage of employees who say they are highly motivated to eat right, according to a study conducted by ComPsych Corp.: 42

Percentage who say they would likely use an employer-sponsored wellness program if it were offered: 67

Percentage who say they would be interested in such a program: 87

Percentage of employees who say that health and lifestyle have a significant impact on productivity: 74

Rank of lack of energy among the top hindrances to productivity cited by workers: 1

Source: ComPsych Corp.

Percentage of U.S. companies that report having a formal or informal environmental responsibility policy, according to a study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management: 50

Ranks of implementation cost (85 percent), maintenance cost (74 percent), lack of management support (43 percent), lack of employee support (25 percent) and concern for workplace efficiency (20 percent) among the top barriers to creating a workplace environmental plan cited by HR professionals: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Society for Human Resource Management.

Idle Thought

"It is not how old you are, but how you are old." -- Jules Renard, writer

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

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600