Percentage of professionals who believe their employers are rising to the occasion in the economic downturn, according to a survey by Robert Half International: 69%

Percentage of respondents who said their companies are doing only some things or nothing right: 30%

Percentage who feel their employers will emerge from the recession stronger than before: 55%

HANKY AND PANKY

Percentage of Americans who say that married men and women having an affair is morally wrong, according to a survey by Gallup: 92%

Percentage who say sex between an unmarried man and woman is morally wrong: 40%

Percentage who say that having a baby outside of marriage is wrong: 45%

CUT AND RUN

Estimated percentage of mortgage loan defaults that are strategic decisions, especially when home values have fallen more than 15 percent, according to a study by the Kellogg School of Management: 25%

Percentage of households that would default, even if they can afford to pay their mortgage, when the equity shortfall reaches 50 percent of the home's value: 17%

BEING FLIGHTY

Percentage of fliers who consider cabin cleanliness first when making a reservation, according to TripAdvisor: 90%

Percentage who consider a full meal the most important onboard comfort: 40%

Ranks of Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Continental on the list of airlines that serve the best food: 1, 2, 3

I DO, STRANGER

Percentage of American men who would say yes to a sham marriage so a foreigner could remain in the country, according to a survey by http://www.Date.com, http://www.Matchmaker.com and http://www.Amor.com: 58.8% (many of these also said they would be willing to marry strangers for cash)

Percentage of women who said the same: 60.9%

AT THE BIJOU

Although "The Jazz Singer," with Al Jolson, had a partial soundtrack, the year the first movie with a full-length soundtrack, "The Lights of New York," about the murder of a crime boss, opened in New York, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1928

In 1928, number of times weekly the average American went to the movies: 2

Number of times a year the average American goes to a movie today: 5

IDLE THOUGHT

"He who sees a need and waits to be asked for help is as unkind as if he had refused it."

— Dante Alighieri, poet

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