Percentage of Americans who say they are not living the American dream, according to a survey by Dr. Douglas E. Schoen: 61
Percentage of Americans who believe that 25 years ago you could have a solid middle-class life if you worked hard and played by the rules: 90
Percentage who believe that today: 49
Source: Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates.
Year in which the first personal computer, the Kenbak1, was advertised in Scientific American magazine: 1971
The cost of the Kenbak1 in 1970: $750
Number of computers sold by the time Kenbak Corp. closed its doors in 1973: 40
Number of bytes of memory wielded by the Kenbak1: 256
Source: Computer History Museum.
Percentage of recruiters who said being a cultural fit is the most important attribute in giving candidates an edge, according to a survey by Korn/Ferry Interna-
tional: 42
Percentage who said character or personality: 32
Percentage who said work experience: 17
Percentage who said education: 1
Source: Korn/Ferry International.
Percentage of communications professionals who say top management is an organization's conscience, according to a poll by the International Association of Business Communicators: 53
Percentage who say discussion of ethical/unethical conduct is encouraged in their organization: 46
Percentage who say unethical behavior that results in corporate gain is reprimanded in their organization: 51
Source: International Association of Business Communicators.
Percentage of IT staff in midsize companies who are able to avoid working evenings, weekends and holidays, according to a survey by KACE: 13
Percentage of IT staff at large companies who are able to avoid working evenings, weekends and holidays: 20
Percentage of IT staff at small companies who are able to avoid working evenings, weekends and holidays: 34
Source: KACE.
Rank of Miami, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles and Boston as the cities displaying the worst road rage in the country, according to a survey commissioned by AutoVantage: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Rank of Minneapolis, Nashville, St. Louis, Seattle and Atlanta as the cities displaying the least road rage in the country: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Percentage of commuters who say that they see people driving too fast every day: 57
Percentage of commuters who say that they see other drivers tailgating every day: 50
Source: AutoVantage.
Percentage of organizations that have experienced a security incident over the past 12 months, according to a new security survey of large North American organizations by CA: 84
Percentage increase in security breaches since 2003: 17
Percentage of organizations that reported lost work force productivity as a result of security breaches: 54
Source: CA Inc.
Percentage of U.S. adults who say they would use their money in their later years to continue to support their current lifestyle if they had only one choice for what to do with it, according to the results of an online survey conducted for The Wall Street Journal Online's Personal Journal Edition: 40
Percentage of adults who say they would use their money in their later years to travel, buy a vacation home or relocate to a warmer climate if they had only one choice for what to do with it: 25
Percentage of adults who are married or living with their partner and are not retired who are in agreement with their spouse/partner about how much they need to save for retirement: 30
Source: Harris Interactive.
Rank of filling seats during slower days or seasons, and the establishment's brand and reputation as the top two difficulties facing American restaurants, according to a survey by Constant Contact: 1, 2
Percentage of restaurateurs who say they maintain a Web site: 90
Percentage who say they use e-mail as part of their marketing strategy: 84
Source: Constant Contact.
John MacIntyre has been writing Figuratively Speaking since 1989. You can contact him by e-mail at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.