The mean answer provided when Americans were asked how many cents of every tax dollar that goes to the federal government in Washington, D.C., is wasted, according to a Gallup Poll: 49.7 cents

The mean answer provided when Americans were asked how many cents of every tax dollar that goes to their state government is wasted: 41.9 cents

The mean answer provided when Americans were asked how many cents of every tax dollar that goes to their local government is wasted: 36.6 cents

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of men who would prefer to be in a relationship with a corporate ladder climber who could significantly contribute financially to the family, according to a survey by date.com: 88.9

Percentage of men who say they would be proud to be married to a woman who is more successful than them: 85.7

Percentage who say they wouldn't want to be in a relationship with a woman who is professionally more successful than they are: 10.3

Source: date.com.

Percentage drop in the average price of a hotel room in the U.S. in the first six months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008, according to hotels.com's Hotel Price Index: 17

Average cost of a hotel room in the U.S. (down from $139 in 2008): $115

Ranks of New York, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Wyoming, (whose ski tourism helped boost hotel prices in the state) on the list of the most expensive U.S. destinations: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: hotels.com.

Percentage of Americans who say their favorite lad from Liverpool is Paul, according to a Zogby poll: 27

Percentage who picked John: 16

Percentage who said George: 10

Percentage who said Ringo: 9

Source: Zogby International.

Percentage of workers age 65 and older who say the main reason they work is that they want to, according to a nationwide survey by the Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends: 54

Percentage who say the main reason is that they need the paycheck: 17

Percentage of adults who are working past the median retirement age of 62 who say they have delayed their retirement because of the recession: 40

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Percentage of online shoppers who invest time to find the lowest price for commodity products, according to the e-tailing group/WinBuyer research study "Comparison Shopping Is a Way of Life": 94

Percentage of consumers who currently visit at least two Web sites before finalizing a purchase: 95

Source: WinBuyer.

Of Americans who are married, percentage who say they would be able to get by on just their spouse's income if they lost their job, according to a survey by Country Financial: 47

Percentage of men who would feel secure in relying on their spouse's income: 39

Percentage of women who would feel secure in relying on their spouse's income: 57

Source: Country Financial.

Year the first death sentence by electrocution was carried out in the United States (William Kemmler of Buffalo was the first person to be electrocuted), according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1890

Since 1930, total number of prisoners who have been executed under civil authority: 4,958

Number of those who were women: 43

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of consumers who think it is more important to find ways to save money today than it was last year, up 5 percent from the same period in 2008, according to the results of Red Plum's coupon and savings survey: 93

Percentage who cited saving as "the intelligent thing to do": 84

Source: RedPlum.

In 2009, percentage of business organizations that offer a performance bonus to recruit and retain top talent, down from 80 percent in 2008, according to research conducted by ExecuNet: 71

Percentage that offer a performance review within the first six months, down from 56 percent in 2008: 42

Source: ExecuNet.

Idle Thought

"In my youth I thought of writing a satire on mankind; but now in my age I think I should write an apology for them." -- Horace Walpole

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

Percentage of workers who were laid off in the last 12 months who said they have changed their appearance to make themselves more attractive to potential employers, according to a survey by CareerBuilder: 28

Percentage who have changed their hair color or hairstyle: 8

Percentage who are dressing to appear younger: 5

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of Americans who owe more on their mortgage than their homes are worth, according to the Bankrate Financial Literacy series on Families and Finance: 25

Percentage of Americans who aren't sure how they'll save enough for retirement: 70

Percentage who fret about their ability to afford college for a family member: 50

Source: Bankrate Inc.

Average tuition, room and board (for in-state students) at the nation's four-year public colleges and universities for an entire academic year (2007-08), according to the U.S. Census Bureau: $14,915

Average tuition, room and board at the nation's four-year private colleges and universities for one academic year (2007-08) -- more than double the 1990 figure: $40,640

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of U.S. workers who are simply happy to have a job, according to survey by SnagAJob.com: 24

Percentage of U.S. workers who are happy because they gain personal satisfaction at work: 41

Source: SnagAJob.com.

When American adults were asked their opinion on what was the best way to improve kindergarten through 12th grade education in the U.S. today, percentage who said quality teachers/better educated/more involvement/caring, according to a Gallup Poll: 17

Percentage who said we should go back to the basic curriculum (reading, writing, arithmetic): 10

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of U.S. adults who have given away more than 10 percent of their belongings because these were no longer needed, according to a Zogby Interactive poll: 22

Percentage who said they purposefully gave things away in the past year because they have too much: 17

Percentage who said they have a normal amount of belongings, and when they become useless, they give those things away: 60

Source: Zogby International.

Percentage of respondents who admit to having used a cell phone to text or e-mail while driving in the last 12 months, according to the results of a CarGurus survey of automotive consumers worldwide: 52

Number of states that already have laws barring texting while driving: 14

Source: CarGurus LLC.

Percentage of American workers who are currently unsatisfied with their compensation as a result of pay cuts, lack of bonuses or stagnant salaries, according to the Adecco USA Workplace Insights survey: 66

Percentage of American workers who are not satisfied with their company's overall retention efforts: 87

Source: Adecco.

When asked what thoughts crossed their minds when making decisions to purchase food or household and personal products on their most recent grocery shopping trip, percentage of global consumers who indicated value for the money, according to findings from a study conducted by Ipsos Marketing, Consumer Goods: 64

Source: Ipsos Marketing, Global Consumer Goods Sector.

Percentage of a senior-level accountant's time that chief financial officers (CFOs) predict will be spent five years from now on issues outside of traditional accounting functions, according to a Robert Half Management Resources survey: 40

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Idle Thought

"No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be." -- Isaac Asimov

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

Of the top 20 financial industry recipients of bailout aid, number that have revealed the details of stock options pocketed in early 2009, according to a report from the Institute for Policy Studies: 10

Based on rising stock prices, combined increase in the estimated value of the stock options enjoyed by the top five executives at each of these banks, according to America's Bailout Barons, the 16th in a series of annual Executive Excess reports: $90 million

Since Jan. 1, 2008, estimated number of employees laid off by the top 20 financial industry recipients of bailout aid: 160,000

Source: Institute for Policy Studies.

Estimated number of times more than the value of the car that its parts can be stripped at a chop shop and sold for on the used car market, according to Hot Wheels 2009, the National Insurance Crime Bureau's companion study to its popular Hot Spots auto theft report: 2

Ranks of the 1994 Honda Accord, 1995 Honda Civic, 1989 Toyota Camry and the 1997 Ford F-150 pickup on the list of the most stolen vehicles in 2008: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Percentage of U.S. adults who said the economy is changing faster than they are able to change their habits, according to a Zogby poll: 44

Percentage who report that their quality of life has declined since the start of the recession: 42

Source: Zogby International. Contact Stephanie DeVries at (315) 624-0200,ext. 273, or e-mail steph@zogby.com.

Percentage of leaders who said they would "jettison a relationship to get something done," even though they understand that good relationships are needed for positive business results, according to a survey by David Peck, president of Leadership Unleashed: 33

Percentage of leaders who think a key part of their job is to motivate their people, though, according to Peck, "Being a cheerleader/employee motivator is not the leader's job." ("They are better off hiring/retaining only self-motivated people, and trying not to de-motivate them."): 82

Source: Leadership Unleashed.

Percentage of U.S. women who believe that wearing makeup gives them an advantage at work and makes them feel more in control, according to the Beauty Barometer survey by L'Oreal: 50

Percentage of women surveyed who believe that wearing makeup makes them feel more self-confident: 82

Percentage who believe it improves their self-image: 86

Source: L'Oreal.

Year that the U.S. petroleum industry got its start when Uncle Billy Smith saw a dark film floating on the water of a shaft he was digging near Titusville, Pa., according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1859

Today, number of oil wells in the U.S.: 500,000

Estimated number of barrels of crude oil produced each year in the U.S.: 2 billion

To meet our daily needs, number of barrels of foreign oil imported annually (2 in 3 gallons of crude oil that we use comes from overseas): 4 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of dentists who revealed that patients send and receive text messages on their cell phones while receiving dental care, according to a survey by the Chicago Dental Society: 80

Percentage of dentists who indicated they have a cell phone/mobile device policy posted in a visible location in their office: 32

Source: Chicago Dental Society.

Average amount that parents will spend per child on electronic equipment this year, a leap from the $43.36 average observed in 2005, according to IBISWorld research: $91.69

For each child enrolled in school this year, average cost to the parents for sporting the latest trends in clothes and accessories: $136.60

Source: IBISWorld.

Percentage growth in the number of jobs available to university graduates in the sciences by 2020 as forecast by government leaders, according to Shafeen Charania, author of the blog "synthesis": 80

Source: synthesis.

Percentage of female and male riders who agree that learning to ride a motorcycle changed their lives, according to a survey by Impulse Research Corp. on behalf of Harley-Davidson Motor Co.: 80

Percentage of female riders who said they love seeing the surprised looks on men's faces when they realize she's a woman rider: 50

Percentage of all new motorcycle sales that are accounted for by women: 12

Source: Impulse Research Corp.

Idle Thought

"I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way." -- Edgar Guest, poet

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