Percentage of Americans who feel vacation-deprived, yet they fail to take all of their available paid time off, according to a survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Purchasing Power: 59

Percentage of full-time employees who receive any paid time off who didn't take a vacation getaway last year in which they truly went away: 28

Percentage of those employees who said it was because they couldn't afford to do so: 52

Source: Purchasing Power LLC.

Percentage of employees who said they have worked for a micromanager (one who peers over employees' shoulders, stifling their independence and meddling in the minutiae of their everyday work), according to a survey developed by Accountemps: 59

Of those who felt they'd been micromanaged, percentage who said it decreased their morale: 68

Percentage who said it hurt their productivity: 55

Source: Accountemps.

Ranks of mustard, onions, chili, slaw and ketchup on the list of the most favored toppings for hot dogs, according to a study by JJ's Red Hots: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: JJ's Red Hots.

For week-long trips, average amount travelers can save per airline ticket if they travel on Tuesdays instead of Sundays, according to a survey by CheapAir: $77

Average amount travelers can save by traveling in August vs. July: $100

Source: CheapAir.

Ranks of Bill Gates (net worth $80.2 billion), Warren Buffet ($64.2 billion), Larry Ellison ($48.2 billion), Michael Bloomberg ($33.7 billion) and Sheldon Adelson ($32.8 billion) on the list of the top five richest self-made Americans: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Wealth-X.

Ranks of Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama on the list of presidents who Americans would most like to have help with the barbecuing, according to a Harris poll: 1, 2, 3

Ranks of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama (selected from the last six presidents) as those most likely to end up falling in the swimming pool with their clothes on: 1, 2, 3

Source: Harris Interactive.

Amount the average working-age U.S. household has saved for retirement, according to the most recent survey of consumer finances sponsored by the Federal Reserve: $3,000

Average amount that households aged 55 to 64 have saved (figures include both those that do and do not have retirement accounts): $12,000.

Average amount in households aged 55 to 64 who do have retirement accounts: $100,000.

Source: Jackson, Grant Investment Advisers Inc.

In 1979, number of paid work hours per year for the typical woman, according to research by the Center for Economic and Policy Research: 925

By 2012, number of hours of paid work per year done by the typical woman: 1,664

Percentage of unpaid child-care (and elder-care) work that is done by women: 66

Source: CEPR.

Percentage of Americans who say they're "confident" that they'll take a vacation in 2014 -- defined as leisure travel of at least a week at least 100 miles from home, according to an Ipsos Public Affairs poll conducted on behalf of Allianz Global Assistance: 52

Percentage who believe it is important that they take an annual vacation: 56

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of teens who use the Internet, according to The Pew Internet & American Life Project: 93

Percentage of online teens ages 12 to 17 who have participated in one or more among a wide range of content-creating activities on the Internet: 64

Percentage who share their own artistic creations online, such as artwork, photos, stories or videos: 39

Source: PEW Internet and American Life Project.

Idle Thought

"You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was." -- Irish Proverb

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

Percentage of senior managers who said taking too little time off was the biggest mistake they made with their last vacation, according to a survey by OfficeTeam: 34

Percentage who said not being able to get their mind off work: 25

Percentage who cited checking in with the office too much: 22

Source: OfficeTeam.

Percentage of respondents to a National Safety Council public opinion poll who say there should be more enforcement of texting laws while driving: 73

Estimated percentage of all crashes that involve cellphone use: 26

When asked what type of penalties they'd like to see, percentage of respondents who chose penalties including a point system that could lead to the loss of a driver's license or increased insurance costs: 52

Source: National Safety Council.

Estimated current net worth of Hillary and Bill Clinton, a far cry from the $4 million plus they had in the bank in 2001 at the end of Bill's tenure as U.S. president, according to a Wealth-X estimate: $120 million

Source: Wealth-X.

Percentage of senior managers who believe it is OK to ask about compensation and benefits in the first job interview, according to the results of a Robert Half survey, up from 30 percent when the question was asked in 2009: 31

Percentage who suggest waiting for the second interview, up from 26 percent: 38

Source: Robert Half.

Percentage of lost pets who went missing after being scared by the sound of fireworks or other loud outside noises, according to a study by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: 19

Percentage of those who lost pets who said they had never anticipated losing a pet the way they did: 64

Source: ASPIC.

If worldwide growth continues at the current rate, projected population by 2050, adding twice the current population of China, according to the Institute of Food Technologists: 9 billion

Source: Institute of Food Technologists.

Percentage of Americans who say they believe getting behind the wheel after one or two drinks is dangerous, according to results of The Harris Poll: 68

Percentage who say they've driven at a time when they'd likely had too much to drink: 37

Percentage who say they're more likely to drive after a few drinks when only going a short distance: 30

Source: Harris Interactive.

Percentage of U.S. employees who suspect they have hearing loss, but have not sought treatment, according to a research survey by EPIC Hearing Healthcare: 30

Of those, percentage who say it impacts them on the job: 95

Percentage of employees who believe their untreated hearing loss makes it necessary to ask people to repeat what they said: 61

Source: EPIC Hearing Healthcare.

When asked why they cook on the grill, percentage of consumers who said the No. 1 reason is that they prefer the taste of grilled food, according to Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association data: 61

Ranks of personal satisfaction, ease/convenience, entertainment and inexpensive on the list of reasons consumers like to barbecue: 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association.

Percentage of Americans who support euthanasia -- when asked whether they believe physicians should be able to legally "end (a) patient's life by some painless means," according to a Gallup poll: 69

When Gallup began asking this question about euthanasia in 1947, percentage of Americans who were likely to support euthanasia: 37

Source: Gallup.

"Idle Thought"

"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from that of their social environment." -- Albert Einstein

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

Percentage of working adults who feel compelled to check in with work even while on vacation, according to a poll of full-time working adults conducted on behalf of Randstad: 42

Despite this sense of guilt, percentage who report feeling more productive after they return from vacation: 67

Source: Randstad USA.

Average rate per night to stay in the most affordable double room at The Ranch at Rock Creek, close to the historic mining town of Philipsburg, Montana, according to survey from Luxury-Hotels.com: $2,385

Ranks of The Ranch at Rock Creek, The Point (Lake Placid, New York -- $2,138) and The Resort at Paws Up (Greenough, Montana -- $1,847) on the list of the 10 most expensive luxury hotels in the United States: 1, 2, 3

Source: Luxury-Hotels.com.

Percentage of employers (including 76 percent of men) who believe women are better-suited for business success in terms of their communication and interpersonal skills, according to a study by KRC Research: 82

Percentage of respondents (including 76 percent of men) who rate women higher in terms of their organizational skills: 86

Percentage of respondents, including a majority of women, who say men are better-suited to business success in terms of their leadership abilities: 64

Source: KRC Research.

While dating sites and dating apps remain a popular topic of conversation among Americans, percentage of American adults who claim to have used one, according to a survey by YouGov: 21

Of those who have used dating sites and apps, percentage of adults aged 35 to 54 who have gone on dates with someone they met online, compared to younger users aged 18 to 34 (47 percent): 76

Source: YouGov.

Year that the long-playing record (LP), developed by Peter Goldmark of CBS Labs, was first shown to the public, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1948

Decade that CDs began to replace LPs: 1980s

Decade that digital downloads of music began to drive down CD sales: 1990s

Total music purchases in 2012, down from an estimated $12 billion in 2003: $7 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of Americans who have no emergency savings, according to a Bankrate.com report: 26

Even among the highest-income households -- those with annual income of $75,000 or above -- percentage who currently have a six-month savings cushion: 46

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of Americans who would use an extra hour in their day to do more, according to a poll released by Heart+Mind Strategies: 50

Ranks of relax, spend time with family, exercise and pursue a hobby (read, knit, garden, golf, etc.) on the list of answers detailing how that hour would be spent: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Heart+Mind Strategies.

Percentage of Americans who are opposed to the proposed $45.2 billion merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable, according to a public opinion poll by the Consumer Reports National Research Center: 56

Percentage of Americans who agree that the merger will result in higher Internet and cable prices for everyone: 74

Percentage of respondents who believe consumers will have fewer choices when it comes to cable and Internet providers because smaller companies will not be able to compete with Comcast: 74

Source: Consumers Union.

Percentage of global respondents who said that host country Brazil would be victorious in the final game of the FIFA World Cup, according to a pre-Cup poll by Ipsos: 69

Percentage of Brazilians who agreed: 36

Source: Ipsos Global Public Affairs.

Percentage of plus-size women who said they were "confident" or "very confident" in themselves, according to a survey conducted by plus-size apparel brand JMS/Just My Size: 64

Percentage of respondents who said that they were more confident today than five years ago: 75

Source: Just My Size.

Idle Thought

"Every man has his secret sorrows, which the world knows not; and oftentimes we call a man cold when he is only sad." -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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