Year golf was banned in Scotland because King James II worried that people were too distracted by the game to develop the archery skills needed to protect the country from the English: 1457

Years golf was included in the Olympics, then removed for 112 years until its slated return at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games: 1900 and 1904

Like croquet, number of times golf has been in the Olympics -- three less times than tug-of-war: 2

Source: ProCon.org.

Ranks of the construction and restaurant industries on the list of the nation's largest creators of summer jobs, according to National Restaurant Association projections: 1, 2

Ranks of New York, California, Massachusetts, Texas and New Jersey on the list of states projected to add the most eating and drinking place jobs during the 2012 summer season: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: National Restaurant Association.

In July 1776, estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation of the United States, according to the Census Bureau: 2.5 million

The nation's estimated population on this past July Fourth: 313.9 million

Source: Census Bureau.

Percentage of ice cream companies that indicated vanilla is the most popular flavor among their consumers, according to the findings from a survey of International Ice Cream Association: 92

Rank of chocolate chip mint and cookies-and-cream ice cream on the list of the most popular: 2

Percentage of the participating companies that named pecans the most popular nuts to be added to their frozen products: 60

Percentage that named strawberries the most popular fruit: 75

Source: International Dairy Foods Association.

Among 18-to-29-year-old Mexicans, percentage who would like to move north, according to the Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends: 54

Percentage of 30-to-49-year-olds who say the same, according to the Pew Global Attitudes Project: 37

Among the substantial minority who would move, percentage who say they would emigrate without authorization: 19

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

Percentage of employed adults who receive more than 10 days of vacation or paid time off each year, including four in 10 (38 percent) who get more than three weeks off, according to an Ipsos survey conducted on behalf of RetailMeNot.com: 57

Percentage who receive less than two weeks off, including over a third of working adults under 35 (38 percent) and those with a household income of less than $50,000 (35 percent): 24

Percentage of working adults who report that they do not receive any vacation or paid time off from work: 14

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs RS.

Percentage of men who denied ever faking an orgasm, according to a survey by AdamEve.com: 77

Percentage of women who admitted they faked it on occasion: 47

Source: Adam & Eve.

Percentage of global gross domestic product that is represented by the following 12 economies: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union, according to the first-ever International Energy Efficiency Scorecard published by the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: 78

Percentage of global energy consumption represented: 63

Percentage of the global carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions represented: 62

Source: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Rank of Bella and Max on the list of the most popular pet names in 2012, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance Co.: 1

Source: Veterinary Pet Insurance.

Percentage of commercial real estate executives who said they expect a significant amount of multi-family development to commence in 2013, by far the top sector, up from 34 percent in KPMG's 2011 survey, according to the 2012 KPMG Commercial Real Estate Outlook Survey: 51

Source: KPMG LLP.

Idle thought:

"Some stories are true that never happened." -- Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate

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

Although hoodies and T-shirts may be wardrobe staples in some IT departments, percentage of chief information officers who say that the way someone dresses at least somewhat influences his or her ability to move up within the organization's IT department, according a Robert Half Technology survey: 76

Refuting the myth that IT departments are overly casual, percentage of CIOs who described the dress code among tech professionals in their department as "somewhat formal," meaning most people wear dress slacks or a skirt and a button-down shirt: 66

Percentage of CIOs who described the work culture in their IT department as the same as it is in the rest of the organization: 85

Source: Robert Half Finance and Accounting.

Percentage of employees who indicate they have close friendships with colleagues, according to findings from Randstad's Global Workmonitor, surveying employees in 32 countries around the world: 66

Percentage who report that having pleasant colleagues is more important to them than having a good salary: 54

Source: Randstad.

Ranks of U.S. Open tennis, Justin Bieber, the New York Yankees, the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs on the list of the most sought-after live event tickets in sports, concerts and theater nationwide, according to TicketsNow Entertainment Index: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

In June, percentage of the markets where sports ticket demand was high, edging out some of the summer's hottest musical performers, including Jason Aldean and American Idols LIVE!: 95

Source: TicketsNow.

Percentage of people who say they would use location tracking to monitor their spouse's whereabouts, according to a survey conducted by Opinion Matters on behalf of GFI: 12

Percentage who say they would use it to track where their teen goes on a Friday night: 31

Percentage who also say they would use such a service to make sure their children were safe or in the location they are supposed to be: 59

Source: GFI Software.

Percentage of employers who said that they'd think less of an employee who repeatedly uses curse words, according to a CareerBuilder Survey: 64

Percentage who said they'd be less likely to promote someone who swears in the office: 57

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of management roles that chief financial officers said were filled in their departments by internal candidates, according to a survey developed by Robert Half Management Resources: 38

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Estimated number of people around the world who viewed the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in London, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 4 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

When it comes to the veteran workforce, percentage of respondents who say that "older workers bring important experience and insight to the workforce" and are more loyal and reliable than younger workers, according to a poll conducted by Ipsos Reid: 93

Percentage who disagree that "older workers are a burden to employers because they generally cost more and get more vacation time and benefits": 76

Source: Ipsos Reid Public Affairs.

Percentage of Americans who visit a social network at least once a day who say they would rather text than call, according to the results from by 2012 Life on Demand Study by Performics: 49

Percentage who would rather connect with close friends via social sites than traditional methods: 30

Source: Performics.

Percentage of small business owners who see their health insurance premiums rising within the next 12 months, according to a Newtek Business Services survey: 49

Percentage of small business owners who do not plan on re-bidding out their health insurance: 69

Source: Newtek Business Services.

Idle Thought

"Insanity is relative. It depends on who has who locked in what cage." -- Ray Bradbury, writer

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

Estimated world population, according to research by Euro RSCG Worldwide: 7 billion

Estimated percentage of the world's population that is age 65 or older -- around 483 million people -- or more than the populations of the U.S., Mexico and Canada combined: 6.9

Average life expectancy globally: 67

A century ago, most people around the globe didn't make it to age 40. Today, age at which respondents to the survey believe middle age begins: 48

Source: Euro RSCG.

Percentage of adults who say they don't believe Americans are experiencing enough play in their lives, according to the 2012 Beneficial State of Play survey: 82

Percentage of respondents who say that having more energy and more free time would encourage them to play more: 49

Percentage who say that play triggers many positive emotional and physical benefits, and leaves them feeling happy: 66

Source: Cone.

Year that the first 18-hole golf course in the United States, the Chicago Golf Club, was laid out by Charles MacDonald, who was greatly influenced by courses in Scotland, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1893

Today, estimated number of golf courses and country clubs in the U.S.: 12,000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of residents in 24 countries who plan to watch at least some part of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, according to a survey by global research company Ipsos, on behalf of Reuters News: 72

Ranks of track and field (20 percent), soccer (20 percent), swimming (16 percent), gymnastics (14 percent), volleyball (5 percent) and tennis (5 percent) on the list of sports that global citizens appear especially interested in following: 1 (tie), 3, 4, 5 (tie)

Source: Ipsos Global Public Affairs.

Percentage of U.S. adults who spend more money on their friends than their friends spend on them in a given year, according to a survey from CouponCabin.com: 31

Percentage of U.S. adults who have said "no" to being in a bridal party because they couldn't afford it: 22

Percentage of respondents who have felt pressured to keep up with friends in terms of how much they spend on dining out, fashion, homes and more: 21

Source: CouponCabin.

Percentage of workers who said they typically drive to work, according to a study from CareerBuilder: 83

Of those, percentage who reported they took a job with a longer commute during the recession or post-recession: 12

Percentage who said they sometimes experience road rage while traveling to and from the office, similar to findings in 2006, when the study was last conducted: 58

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Rank of the TV coverage of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the list of CBS' Top 20 memorable television moments, according to a study by Sony Electronics and Nielsen that ranked TV moments based on their impact -- viewers' recollection of the TV moment, their memory of where they were when they watched it and if they talked to others about it: 1

Rank of 2005's Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,836 people -- Katrina was named one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the U.S. as well as the costliest natural disaster, with total property damage estimated at $81 billion: 2

Rank of the coverage of the O.J. Simpson "not guilty" verdict: 3

Source: Nielsen Analytics.

While the majority of American homeowners have insurance, percentage of renters who buy renters insurance, according to an Insurance Information Institute survey: 31

Ranks of New York City (69 percent), Los Angeles (61.8 percent) and Chicago (55.1 percent) on the list of U.S. cities where renters significantly outnumber homeowners, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1, 2, 3

Source: Insurance Information Institute.

Percentage of U.S. travelers who say healthy eating and exercise play an integral role while they are on vacation, according to a survey by TripAdvisor: 69

Among those who exercise on vacation, percentage who say their primary motivation is to maintain their fitness regimen: 31

Percentage who do so in order to avoid gaining weight: 28

Source: TripAdvisor.

Percentage of corporate directors who reported having shareholders approach the company within the last three years about increasing race and/or gender diversity on the board, according to a survey of corporate directors by Corporate Board Member magazine and Spencer Stuart: 11

Percentage who agreed that diversity efforts are better served through voluntary actions, but conceded that mandates may eventually be necessary to effect real change in the United States: 32

Source: Spencer Stuart.

Idle Thought

"If you write to impress it will always be bad, but if you write to express it will be good." -- Thornton Wilder, writer

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