Ranks of Iran, North Korea, China and Afghanistan on the list of countries Americans are most likely to mention as being the United States' greatest enemy: 1, 2 (tie), 4

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of first-time managers who were actually groomed for the job, according to a study from Development Dimensions International: 10

Percentage of new managers who don't understand what it takes to succeed: 42

Percentage who took the role for an increase in compensation: 50

Percentage who actually wanted to lead others: 23

Source: Development Dimensions International.

When Americans were asked whether trends such as more births to single parents, more unmarried couples living together, more gay or lesbian couples raising children and more interracial marriages were acceptable changes, percentage who generally accept the changes, according to a report from the Pew Research Center: 31

Percentage who reject virtually every trend that the "accepters" tolerate or endorse: 32

Percentage who, while generally sharing most of the tolerant views of the "accepters," also express concern about the impact of these trends on society: 37

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

Percentage of baby boomer clients who have postponed retirement due to the economic downturn, according to CPA financial planners surveyed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: 50

Average number of years longer that they expect to work than they originally planned: 4

Source: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Percentage of human resources managers who said technology etiquette breaches can affect a person's career prospects, according to a poll by Robert Half International: 76

Source: Robert Half International.

When asked if they love, hate or are indifferent toward their job, percentage of U.S. employees who reported that they love their job, according to an Ipsos Public Affairs-Randstad survey: 55

Percentage who say they hate it: 8

Percentage who are indifferent: 37

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Amount of IBM Jeopardy! Challenge prize money to be donated to World Community Grid to fund global research that benefits humanity, according to IBM: $500,000

Number of personal computers from 535,000 volunteers in more than 80 countries by which the World Community Grid works by pooling the unused power: 1.7 million

Source: IBM Watson.

Year that a dairy cow named "Elm Farm Olli" became the first bovine passenger to fly in an airplane as part of the St. Louis International Air Exposition, where she was milked during the flight and the milk was parachuted to the ground in paper containers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1930

Today, number of milk cows in the U.S. -- most of them permanently grounded: 9.2 million

Estimated number of pounds of milk they produce annually: 190 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of Americans who agree that to jump-start investment and maintain U.S. competitiveness, the federal government should provide guarantees backing loans for building solar, wind, advanced-design nuclear power plants or other energy technology that reduces greenhouse gases, according to a survey conducted by Bisconti Research Inc./GfK Roper for the Nuclear Energy Institute: 79

Number of states where nuclear power plants operate: 31

Percentage of all U.S. electricity that is provided by these plants: 20

Source: Nuclear Energy Institute.

Percentage of small businesses that reported they are in a better financial position than one year ago, but that overall they remain cautious in recruitment plans, according to a nationwide survey from CareerBuilder: 51

Percentage of small businesses that plan to add full-time, permanent headcount in 2011: 21

Percentage of small businesses that expect to decrease full-time, permanent headcount: 6

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Idle Thought

"It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them." -- Cesare Beccaria, philosopher and politician (1738-1794)

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

Percentage of Americans who are more likely to name China than the United States as the leading economic power in the world today, according to a Gallup Poll: 52

Percentage who named America as the leading economic power: 32

Percentage who named Japan: 7

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of people who say they prefer to make a date via e-mail, text message or social networking instead of the old-fashioned phone call, according to Zagat's 2011 Dating & Dumping survey: 34

In contrast, in 2009, percentage of respondents who preferred to initiate a date in person: 53

Today, percentage of respondents who confessed to "Googling" a prospective date: 52

Source: Zagat.

Estimated percentage of restaurants that are now owned by women, according to research from the National Restaurant Association: 50

Percentage increase in Hispanic ownership of restaurants in the past five years: 42

Source: National Restaurant Association.

Ranks of reducing debt (28 percent) and boosting savings (21 percent) on the list of Americans' financial priorities, according to a Country Financial survey: 1, 2

Percentage of Americans who currently do not utilize a household budget: 49

Percentage who say they rely on credit to pay their monthly bills: 13

Source: Country Financial.

Percentage of advertising and marketing executives who said hugging colleagues is at least somewhat common in the United States, according to a national survey developed by The Creative Group: 30

Percentage of executives who said embracing co-workers in a business setting is inappropriate: 70

Source: The Creative Group.

Percentage of high school students who think it's their responsibility to help fund their college education, according to a survey of 16- and 17-year-olds headed for higher education, according to a study by the College Savings Foundation: 72

Percentage who are planning to use their own funds to pay for college: 65

Percentage who will cover more than one-quarter of their college costs, compared to 52 percent last year: 58

Source: College Savings Foundation.

Estimated percentage of today's college students who hold jobs, according to a survey released by Cengage Learning: 50

Percentage of students who report being distracted by external responsibilities, such as raising families or by financial issues, including paying for school or debt: 30

Source: Cengage Learning.

Percentage of consumers who are looking for products that are healthy, according to the BrandSpark and Better Homes and Gardens American Shopper Study: 80

Percentage of consumers who are trying to reduce their consumption of processed foods: 70

Percentage who are looking for food products that can reduce the risk of major health issues: 60

Source: Better Homes and Gardens.

Percentage of American taxpayers who plan to spend their anticipated federal and state tax refunds on vacations -- up dramatically from 16 percent when a similar poll was first taken in 2006 -- according to a survey commissioned by Taxsoftware.com: 30

Percentage of Americans who expect to receive tax refunds: 59

Source: Taxsoftware.com.

When comparing large cities with red-light cameras to those without, percentage reduction in the fatal red-light-running crash rate, according to a 2011 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: 24

Percentage reduction in the rate of all types of fatal crashes at signalized intersections attributed to these devices: 17.6

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Idle Thought

"Nothing is so firmly believed as what is least known." -- Michel de Montaigne, essayist

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

Percentage of adults with annual household incomes between $100,000 and $149,999 who say they could live comfortably on something less than their current income, according to a Gallup Poll: 40

Percentage of those with incomes between $50,000 and $99,999, who say the same: 11

Percentage of those with incomes between $30,000 and $49,999 who say they could live comfortably on something less than their current income: 5

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of couples considering divorce or separation who have now put off those plans due to the recession, according to research from the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia: 38

Percentage of all couples studied who said that the recession has deepened their commitment to their marriage: 29

Source: National Marriage Week USA.

Ranks of staying up late, watching TV in bed, sleeping late and eating dessert before dinner on the list of special privileges kids enjoy while on vacation, according to a survey of kids between 6 and 17 years of age conducted by Ypartnership: 1, 2, 3, 4

Ranks of sharing the car with brother/sister, sitting too long, not having control of the stereo, dad threatening to turn around and dad not asking for directions on the list of problems kids have while driving to a vacation: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Ypartnership Public Relations.

Year that Richard Drew of the 3M Co. noted that workmen painting two-tone cars were having trouble keeping the colors separated along a straight line, developed an easy-to-peel, glue-backed masking tape to ease the job, and ended up inventing one of the world's most practical items, Scotch Tape: 1925

Estimated number of office supply and stationery stores across the nation: 15,000

Estimated value of merchandise sold annually by these stores: $21 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of workers who say they have dated someone they worked with over their career, according to CareerBuilder's annual office romance survey: 37

Percentage who report they went on to marry a person they dated in the office: 30

Percentage of workers who currently work with someone whom they would like to date: 8

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of world fish stocks that are estimated to be overexploited, depleted or recovering, and that urgently need to be rebuilt, according to the "State of the World's Fisheries and Aquaculture" report produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: 32

Overall, number of people (8 percent of the world population) who depend on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods: 540 million

Rank of fish products on the list of the most-traded food commodities, worth a record $102 billion in 2008, up 9 percent from 2007: 1

Source: FAO Lowrey.

Percentage of workers who have witnessed, or know someone who has been a victim of workplace bullying, according to a survey by Workplace Options: 47

Percentage of respondents who say they have personally been a victim of bullying in the office: 31

Percentage who say harassment from superiors is the most debilitating form of bullying in the workplace: 23

Source: Workplace Options.

Ranks of "The King's Speech," "True Grit" and "Toy Story 3" on the list of people's movie choices for a best-picture Oscar, according to a Zogby poll: 1, 2, 3

Ranks of Colin Firth in "The King's Speech," Jeff Bridges in "True Grit" and James Franco in "127 Hours" on the list of those most likely to win the best actor Oscar: 1, 2, 3

Ranks of Natalie Portman in "Black Swan," Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right" and Nicole Kidman in "Rabbit Hole" on the list of those most likely to win for best actress: 1, 2, 3

Source: Zogby International.

Percentage of seniors who are receiving lower Social Security checks this year compared to 2010, according to an annual survey of elderly Americans by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL): 44

Percentage of seniors who estimate their expenses have increased by at least $80 per month compared to last year: 61

Source: Senior Citizens League.

Percentage of respondents between the ages of 18 and 35 who said interviewing is the one skill they need to improve most to help land a job, according to a poll of young adults conducted by Everest: 40

Percentage who said "polishing a resume" is important: 29

Percentage who said that following up with the employer is the skill they need to improve: 15

Source: Everest, L.C. Williams and Associates.

Idle Thought

"What we think, or what we know, or what we believe, is in the end of little consequence. The only thing of consequence is what we do." -- John Ruskin

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