Spectrum.

Statistical lore for everyday living.

Percentage increase in deaths on payday: 1-13

Percentage of people required to hold an idea for the general population to adopt it: 10

Number of checks issued by the U.S. government each month, in millions: 80

Michele Bachmann's hair and makeup bill in the weeks after she entered the presidential race June 13: $4,700

Number of academic papers Reddit founder Aaron Swartz is accused of improperly downloading from the Web, in millions: 4

Average number of additional hours Americans work over British counterparts: 122

Over German counterparts: 378

Percentage of U.S. workers required to take on additional work or roles in 2010: 53

Who received raises or bonuses for doing so: 7

Percentage of annual income poor Americans spend on public transit: 42

Number of New Yorkers who hop the turnstiles each day for a free subway ride: 50,684

Likelihood of being caught doing the above: 1 in 154

Percentage of women who wish their male partners were better endowed, in a survey by Cosmopolitan and AskMen.com: 18

Of men who wish they themselves were: 51

Obama's job-approval rating (NBC/WSJ): 47

God's job-approval rating, in a recent poll of Americans: 52

 

Click links for sources.

 

Comments

[Boff]

Some interesting numbers there. But the one that leaped out to me was 42 as the "Percentage of annual income poor Americans spend on public transit". Upon reading the linked article, it seems this figure is for "transportation" (i.e. including personal cars, motorcycles, Segways, etc.), not "public transportation". Just thought I'd point that out, although I am aware that transit passes can run into the hundreds per month and are thus far from a trivial expense.