Percentage of parents of a child performing at an above-average level who say that they tend to use praise rather than tangible rewards to motivate their child to do their homework, according to an Ipsos-Reid survey conducted on behalf of Kumon Math and Reading Centers: 86

Percentage who report that they tend to use punishment, such as the removal of privileges, rather than rewards or praise to encourage their children to get their schoolwork done: 11

E-MAIL REGRET

Percentage of advertising and marketing executives who have experienced at least one cringe-inducing moment after they've hit "send" on an e-mail, according to a survey by The Creative Group: 78

AT THE BEACH

Percentage of travelers who agree that people should not be allowed to "save" beachside or poolside chairs by getting up early and leaving their stuff on the chairs for hours, according to a survey by TripAdvisor: 84

Ranks of blasting loud music, smoking and urinating in the water on the list of the most annoying beach and pool etiquette violations: 1, 2, 3

MONEY MATTERS

Percentage of consumers who have made changes in their lives to manage cash flow more effectively by opting to use cash over other payment options, according to NCR Corp.'s 2009 self-service consumer survey conducted by BuzzBack Market Research: 50

Percentage who are using ATMs more frequently for smaller withdrawals: 30

Percentage who are paying bills just before the due dates: 40

... AND COUNTING

In July 1776, estimated number of people living in the United States of America, a newly independent nation, according to statistics quoted by the U.S. Census Bureau: 2.5 million

Estimated population today: 307 million

LOYAL CARD

Percentage of those who belong to loyalty programs who want improvements made to their memberships, according to a survey from http://www.hotels.com: 93

Percentage who want fewer restrictions on how they can use their program benefits: 59

Percentage who don't think the value-added bonus is ever really as great as the program wants them to believe: 37

IDLE THOUGHT

"A man should live with his superiors as he does with his fire: not too near, lest he burn; nor too far off, lest he freeze."

— Diogenes, philosopher

Contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.