Percentage of train operators who admit that sleepiness has affected their job performance at least once a week, according to the National Sleep Foundation's 2012 Sleep in America poll: 26

Percentage of pilots who say the same: 23

Percentage of pilots who admit that they have made a serious error due to sleepiness: 20

Percentage of train operators who say the same: 18

Source: National Sleep Foundation.

Percentage of independent business owners who do not completely understand the tax returns they sign off on, according to findings of Newtek Business Services: 55

Percentage who would prefer to pay the same tax amount and would be willing to receive the same or less government services, instead of paying a greater tax and receiving more government services: 57

Source: Newtek Business Services.

Ranks of pens, paper clips and binder clips, rubber bands, tape, and a pair of scissors on the list of items most often missing from a worker's desk, according to a survey conducted by Paper Mate about office theft: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

When items go missing from work, percentage of American office workers who assume a co-worker took them: 60

Source: Paper Mate.

Percentage of American moms who say that they avoid hugging and kissing altogether when a spouse is sick, according to a survey underwritten by the makers of Vicks-branded Humidifiers: 43

Percentage who report that they sleep on the couch when a spouse is sick: 10

Ranks of tea, orange juice, chicken soup, lots of water and humidifiers on the list of the top five natural remedies moms use: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Lindberg International.

Estimated number of American jobs that would be created if the U.S. were to double its exports by the end of 2014, according to U.S. Export-Import Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg and Siemens Energy Inc.: 2 million

Today, estimated number of jobs that are supported by exports: 10 million

Estimated percentage of all U.S. economic growth since the middle of 2009 that is attributable to exports: 50

Source: Siemens Transportation Systems.

Inspired by the watercolors and paintings of Thomas Moran, year that one of the nation's most beautiful natural areas was protected for future generations to enjoy, as Congress made Yellowstone the country's first national park: 1872

Area covered by the park, primarily in Wyoming but with some parts in Montana and Idaho: 2 million acres

Area covered by the national park system: 84 million acres

Number of people who visit these parks each year: 281 million

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Ranks of Las Vegas, Miami and Orlando on the list of Getaroom.com's top spring break destinations in 2012: 1, 2, 3

Source: Getaroom.com.

In 2010, percentage of all patents granted that went to women, a 35 percent jump over the previous year, according to a study commissioned by the National Women's Business Council: 18 (22,984 total)

Percentage of all trademarks granted to individuals and sole proprietorships that went to women: 33

Ranks of chemistry, bio-affecting drugs, semiconductor device manufacturing and furnishings on the list of the top categories for women-owned patents: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: National Women's Business Council.

Percentage of employees who say weight loss is their top health concern this year, a 10 percent increase over 2011, according to a poll released by ComPsych Corp.: 43

Percentage of employees who said exercise was the health issue they are most trying to stay ahead of this year: 20

Percentage who said "stress": 18

Source: ComPsych Corp.

Rank of the 2012 Ford Focus Electric on the list of America's most fuel-efficient five-passenger vehicles with a 110 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) city rating, according to certification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: 1

Combined rating achieved by Focus Electric: 105 MPGe

Source: Ford.

Idle Thought

"It is more often from pride than from ignorance that we are so obstinately opposed to current opinions; we find the first places taken, and we do not want to be the last." -- Francois De La Rochefoucauld

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

Percentage of Americans satisfied with the size and power of the federal government, a record-low, according to a poll by Gallup: 29

Percentage satisfied with the size and power of major corporations: 29

Source: Gallup. Contact Tracy Sugar at 609924-9600 or email tracey_sugar@gallup.com.

Percentage of Americans who have no financial reserves, according to a Country Financial survey: 33

When it comes to savings, percentage of respondents who were able to set aside enough money to go five or more months without a paycheck and still pay their bills: 24

Percentage who say they could not go any amount of time without a paycheck before resorting to skipping bill payments: 33

Source: Country Financial.

Year that the New York City Council passed an ordinance (the result of a campaign by the National Anti-Cigarette League, the first to use the term "coffin nails" for cigarettes) making it illegal for women to smoke in public, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1908

Year that all laws of this kind were revoked (at the time, a number of cities had banned smoking, along with the states of Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho and Tennessee) since they were not only difficult to enforce but added to the allure of smoking: 1917

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record, number that have occurred since the year 2000, according to scientists at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies: 9

The only year from the 20th century in the top 10 warmest years on record: 1998

Source: NASA.

Percentage of employees connected online to their workplace who report they telecommute on a frequent basis, according to a poll conducted by global research company Ipsos for Reuters News: 17

Percentage who say they work every day from home: 7

Ranks of India (56 percent), Indonesia (34 percent) and Mexico (30 percent) on the list of countries where employees are most likely to be pursuing this form of employment: 1, 2, 3

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Ranks of the margarita, the martini and the rum and Coke on the list of the most popular mixed drinks nationwide, according to data from The Beverage Information Group: 1, 2, 3

Source: Beverage Information Group. Contact Adam Rogers at (630) 762-8709 or email arogers@m2media360.com.

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they currently watch NFL football (73 percent of men; 55 percent of women), according to findings of an Adweek/Harris Poll survey by Harris Interactive: 64

Percentage who say they spend six or more hours per week watching professional football: 40

Source: Harris Interactive.

Rank of Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers on the list of the top individual telecasts of 2011 with 111 million viewers (37.7 percent of U.S. viewers aged 2 and older), making it the most-watched telecast of all time, according to Nielsen's Top 10s: 1

Ranks of the FOX Network's Super Bowl XLV Kickoff, FOX's Super Bowl Post Game, the AFC Championship on CBS, and the NFC Championship on FOX on the list: 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Nielsen Analytics.

Of the past 20 Super Bowls, number of games that have been won by the team whose city has the lower unemployment rate -- a remarkable 85 percent success rate, according to an analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment data by outplacement firm RiseSmart: 17

Through November, the 2011 unemployment rate for the Boston metropolitan area: 6.8 percent

Through November, the 2011 unemployment rate for the New York metropolitan area: 8.5 percent

Source: RiseSmart.

Estimated number of Americans who will order takeout or delivery food from a restaurant while watching the NFL championship game on Super Bowl Sunday, according to a National Restaurant Association survey: 48 million

Estimated number who are expected to visit a restaurant or bar to watch the big game: 12 million

Ranks of salsa, dips or spreads, chicken wings, and pizza on the list of must-have foods for watching the big game: 1, 2, 3

Source: National Restaurant Association.

Idle Thought

"There are two kinds of light -- the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures." -- James Thurber

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

When asked what they drink at happy hours or company parties, percentage of CEOs who said they don't drink alcoholic beverages at company events, according to a CareerBuilder survey titled "Emulating the Big Cheese": 32

Percentage who drink wine: 26

Percentage who drink beer: 22

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of Americans who rate the honesty and ethical standards of members of Congress as "low" or "very low," tying the record "low"/"very low" rating measured for any profession historically, according to a Gallup poll: 64

Ranks of nurses, pharmacists, doctors, high school teachers and police officers on the list of those professions rated the highest in honesty and ethical standards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of members of Congress, lobbyists, car salespeople and telemarketers on the list of those professions rated the lowest: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Gallup. Contact Tracy Sugar at 609924-9600 or email tracey_sugar@gallup.com.

Age at which baby boomers (who once said, "Don't trust anyone over 30") now think old age starts, according to a study by Marist Institute for Home Instead Senior Care: 77

Age at which millennials said they considered someone to be old: 62

Age at which Generation Xers said they considered someone to be old: 71

Source: Home Instead Senior Care.

Estimated percentage of Americans who have made New Year's resolutions in 2012, according to the Nestle Raisinets New Year Health Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive: 32

Percentage of those who already know they will break them at some point in the New Year: 60

Source: Nestle.

Rank of Brad Pitt on the list of the top moneymaking stars of 2011 for bringing more traffic to theaters than any other Hollywood star based on his performances in "Moneyball," "The Tree of Life" and "Happy Feet Two" (voice), according to the Quigley Publishing Co.'s "80th Annual Poll of Motion Picture Exhibitors": 1

Number of appearances made by Pitt in the poll, though this marks his first win: 6

Source: Quigley Publishing Co.

Rank of a sense of humor on the list of qualities that people find attractive in a person over other traits like physical appearance and intelligence, according to a study conducted by TV Land: 1

Percentage of people who agree that laughter, as a personality trait, can open doors and create opportunities in the workplace: 70

Percentage of people who agree that everyone needs laughter in their life: 92

Source: TV Land.

Percentage of employed Americans who reported financial stress stemming from spending during the holiday season, according to a poll by Workplace Options: 64

Percentage who said they felt guilty about abandoning work responsibilities to take personal time off over the holidays: 31

Percentage of respondents who felt guilty about personal health after holiday meals: 47

Source: Workplace Options.

Estimated number of interstate household moves handled by United Van Lines among the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., in 2011, according to the results of United Van Lines' 35th annual "migration" study: 146,000

Ranks of the District of Columbia, Oregon, Nevada, North Carolina and Florida on the list of destinations with the highest percentage of inbound migration: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Michigan and West Virginia on the high-outbound traffic list: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: United Van Lines.

Percentage of IT operations and development professionals who have more than 10 mission-critical applications under their watch, with many being customer-facing and a surprising percentage processing more than 10,000 transactions a day, according to AppDynamics: 40

Percentage of respondents who reported that they have experienced at least one Severity 1 problem in regard to mission-critical apps in the past 12 months: 80

Percentage who experienced five or more such problems: 50

Source: AppDynamics.

Year of the Boston Tea Party when protesters boarded ships in Boston Harbor and dumped many crates of valuable tea into the harbor to protest British tax policies, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1773

Though tea is no longer the expensive and dominant drink of choice, average amount of the beverage Americans drink per person each year: 9 gallons

Average amount of coffee Americans drink each year: 23 gallons

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Idle Thought

"Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar." -- Bradley Miller, activist

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