As of Dec. 31, 2013, number of convenience stores in the United States, according to figures released by the National Association of Convenience Stores: 151,282

Of all retail outlets in the U.S., percentage that is accounted for by convenience stores: 34.3

Source: National Association of Convenience Stores.

Percentage of American adults who claim to have used an online dating site, according to a survey by YouGov: 21

Of those, percentage of adults aged 35 to 54 who have gone on dates with someone they met online: 76

Percentage of the younger users, aged 18 to 34, who have gone on dates with someone they met online: 47

Source: YouGov.

Number of Americans who die every day from opioid prescription painkillers -- more deaths than heroin and cocaine overdoses combined -- according to the National Safety Council: 45

Percentage of the world's population living in the U.S.: 4.6

Percentage of the world's opioids that are consumed here: 80

Source: National Safety Council.

Percentage of Americans who think baseball players are paid more than they are worth, according to a survey by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute: 67

Source: Saint Leo University Polling Institute.

Percentage of children age 6 to 17 who have at least one electronic device on in their bedroom while they are sleeping, according to findings from the National Sleep Foundation's Sleep in America 2014 poll: 72

On average, number of hours of sleep per night that teens who leave devices on are estimated to get on school nights: 7.2 hours

On average, number of hours of sleep per night that teens who never leave devices on are estimated to get: 7.7 hours

Source: National Sleep Foundation.

Percentage of shoppers who said they would lend money to a friend, according to a CreditDonkey.com survey: 66

Percentage who said they would lend money to a family member: 81

Source: CreditDonkey.com.

Percentage of people who worry that they will not be able to retire at the time and in the style they hoped for: 78

Percentage who would consider developing a budget: 64

Percentage who would be open to setting a specific financial goal for the future: 52

Percentage who would be likely to hire a financial adviser: 16

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

Despite increased fees and stricter size restrictions, percentage of travelers who said they still prefer to check their luggage, according to findings from surveys conducted by The GO Group LLC: 32

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, amount of money that passenger airlines collected in baggage fees in 2013, 1.6 percent of total operating revenue: $797 million

Source: GO Airport Express.

Percentage of American adults online who use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or LinkedIn, according to Pew Research: 66

Percentage who say that connecting with old friends they've lost touch with is a major reason behind their use of these technologies: 50

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

Percentage of workers age 50 and over who change jobs or retire who elect to leave the money from their defined contribution account, such as a 401(k), in the prior employer's plan, according to EBRI's analysis of data from the Health and Retirement Study: 27.4

Percentage who are receiving the benefits now: 26.1

Percentage who roll it over into an IRA: 24.9

Source: EBRI.

Idle Thought

"It's best to give while your hand is still warm." -- Philip Roth, novelist

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

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.)