Some random pictures of America.

Post 484 - Here are some random facts about who we are and how we behave as Americans:

In 1970, 21% of 25-year-olds were unmarried; by 2005, the percentage had jumped to 60%.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 27% of people ages 18 to 34 were uninsured in 2008, the highest of any age group.

In a study done by the Economist, the United States ranks #17 in overall democracy among the biggest 29 democracies in the world. We are rated even lower than that in personal civil rights, coming in one step lower than the Czech Republic.

A survey of 120 blue-chip American companies found that a third of employees wrote poorly, a problem businesses are spending more than $3 billion a year to correct.

Apple's iPhone business, which didn't exist three years ago, now represents 40% of the company's revenue.

Recently Harvard researchers learned 25% of American adults have zero trusted friends. Zero.

The Lord’s Prayer is 66 words. The Gettysburg Address is 286 words. The Declaration of Independence has 1,322 words. But federal government regulations on the sale of cabbage totals 26,911 words.

It turns out over 20% of American flags sold in America are imported.

The return on assets for U.S. firms has steadily fallen to almost one quarter of 1965 levels…very few workers (20 percent) are passionate about their jobs…executive turnover is increasing…consumers are becoming less loyal to brands…the rate at which big companies lose their leadership positions is increasing. - The Deloitte Center for the Edge, 2009.

80% of working American adults believe in God.

15% exercise regularly.

65% are overweight.

50% of first-time marriages end in divorce.

65% of second marriages end in divorce.

Less than 3% of Americans have library cards.

Less than 3% have written goals.

36% of recent high school graduates won’t read another book in their lives.

70% didn’t read a book in the last year.

70% of fortune 500 CEOs said Atlas Shrugged was second only to the bible in having the most impact on their lives.

Less than 5% of working American adults have true financial independence.

2% get their primary income from trading other people’s time and money.

Between 1980 and 2005, virtually all net new jobs created in the U.S. were created by firms that were 5 years old or less. That's about 40 million jobs and means that the established firms created no new net jobs during that period.

A 2008 survey at Intel showed employees received 350 emails per week on average; at Morgan Stanley, employees got 625 new messages per week. Executives' incoming email volume was much higher. Some people spent 20 hours a week just dealing with email.

33% of American men don’t wash their hands in public washrooms.

Neither do 12% of women.