--MY HANDS ARE HOLDING YOU


…I was good at math up until the third grade. In fact, I was so good at it that me and another girl and I got separated from the rest of the class. We had our own book and no teacher. We were told we didn't need one, that we could learn the material on our own.
That didn't work out so well. Not for me anyway.
I fell behind.
Then I was moved back in with the rest of the class but fell behind there too and never did catch up.
Since then I've convinced myself I'm not good at math and, guess what? Myself is correct; I'm not good at math.

But I do love statistics and facts, lists. I like little nuggets which have a superficial truth with a deeper truth beneath it.

Here would be some (very random but interesting, I hope) examples:

In a surprise (to me anyway), album sales actually rose in 2011.
77,000 albums were released.
90% of the sales came from the top-selling 1500
Adele sold 6.75 million albums
Justin Beiber was second with 3.39

20 years ago the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman
Today the average fashion model weighs 23% less than the average woman

Top five most stolen vehicles:
1. Honda Accord
2. Honda Civic
3. Toyota Camry
4. Acura Integra
5. Cadillac Escalade

Will next year be financially better for you:
(Percentage who said Yes)
2007 -- 42%
2011 -- 30%

Number of firearms discovered at TSA airport checks:
2005 -- 851
2011 -- 1,238, or 4 per day

Percentage of married adults in the US:
1960: 72%
1980: 62%
2010: 51%

Despite high gas prices, SUV's/trucks/vans combined for 55% of all vehicle sales

Registered organ donors in the US:
1990: 2,123
2000: 5,945
2010: 6563
2011: 4,487

46% -- Percentage who say they never wonder whether they will go to heaven
44% -- Percentage who don't spend time seeking "eternal wisdom"
18% -- Percentage who don't think God has a purpose or plan for everyone
"We might as well be cars. That makes more sense to me than believing in what you can't see." --Ben Helton

Sex:
31% -- percentage of Swedish women say they are attracted to both genders
20.4 -- number of lifetime partners for New Zealand women, highest in the world
10 -- number of minutes that sex lasts for Thai women, the shortest time in the world
41% -- average of French women who have participated in orgies
10% -- average number of Greek people who say they have sex 5 times a week, the world's highest
German women rate their male lovers the worst in the world

There are more than 15 million Americans presently on food stamps

Scariest jobs:
24% -- Bomb-squad technician
15% -- High-rise window washer
14% -- Armed forces
8% -- Miner
7% -- Police Officer

Cosmetic Procedures in 2010 by age group:
13-19: 219,000
20-29: 750,000
30-39: 2.4 million
40-54: 6 million
55 and older: 3.3 million

Women who color their hair color it:
55% -- Brown
23% -- Blonde
12% -- Red
10% -- Black