Once again, I bring you the numbers:
• When it comes to incarcerating its population, the United States is the world’s uncontested leader. The U.S. is home to five percent of the world’s population but 25 percent of the world’s incarcerated population. China comes in second place at 1.5 million and Russia comes third at 870,000, but the U.S. at 2.2 million is number one. Right now — at this very moment — there are men and women wearing stripes marching around and chanting in rhythm, “We’re number one! We’re number one.”
•According to research done by the Center For Retirement Research at Boston College, two-thirds of all baby boomer households will receive some inheritance, which usually leads to the inheritee to say “Hey! Thanks, dad! I think I’ll take a trip around the world!” And that’s the problem. Most of that inheritance will be squandered and, in a very short time, it will be back to square one.
• Three out of every four American workers say they intend to work past the unofficial retirement age of 65. According to a Gallop poll, 40 percent of those employed will stay in the workforce voluntarily. Thirty-five percent say they are forced to do so because of financial necessity. In other words, one-third are staying on because they cannot afford to retire. What about you? Did you plan ahead wisely?
• There are now five million “zero-TV households” in the United States. “Zero-TV household” is the term used by the communication experts to describe a home that doesn’t have cable or a television antenna. Does that mean that the residents of the five-million homes don’t watch television? Of course not. Many of them watch their programs on the internet.
• From Pew Research — 41 percent of American adults reported having a gun in their households. What it didn’t say is that there are many homes with more than one weapon. There are many in the United States that are ready if and when a crime will be committed against them.
• The Gallop people tell us that less than a quarter of the population has confidence in newspapers. I could probably find several reasons including the fact that most newspapers do not report the actual news. The facts are slanted politically.
• The Oral Cancer Foundation tells us that approximately 42,000 Americans will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer this year. While scientists inform us of the several causes, there are two that are mostly responsible: tobacco and alcohol. Visit any smoker-friendly bar anywhere and you will observe many individuals with a drink in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. Good luck to them.
• And finally, after reading so much about men such as Eliot Spitzer and Mark Sanford who cheat on their wives, Bloomberg.com informs us that since about 1995, the number of American wives having extramarital affairs has nearly doubled. Right now 14.7 million married women admit to — Stop! Stop! Stop! I am StanGershbein@Bellsouth.net shouting I don’t want statistics. I want names!
