Economics Facts

If Americans reduced their meat intake by 10 percent, the savings in grains and soybeans would feed 60 million people, which is the number of people who starve worldwide each year.

As president, George Bush made $548 a day, which is 3/10 of 1 percent of what Michael Jackson makes in a day ($164,384).

The regulations for what qualifies as frozen yogurt in New York are different from those in California.

Per capita consumption of peanut butter in the U.S. and Canada is about 5 pounds annually. In the Netherlands, believed to be Europe's most developed market, per capita consumption is probably less than 0.5 pounds.

Americans spent more than $18 billion on lottery tickets in fiscal year 1990.

$627 billion is spent on food annually at shopping malls.

The new IRS employee manual includes provisions for collecting taxes in the aftermath of a nuclear war.

The first supermarket in the world was in France. The people who started it were related to the people who started the Big Bear supermarket chain in Texas.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Rowing Association, 15 percent of amateur rowers earn more than $100,000 a year.

Eight percent of company presidents use profanity selectively and consciously.

According to author Tom Heymann, on an average day 1,924 businesses are incorporated, 168 businesses fail, 6,082 complaints are received by the Better Business Bureau, nine corporate mergers occur, and five companies change their names.

In the days of manly filterless cigarettes, Marlboros were orginally marketed as a woman's cigarette.

A half gallon milk jug holds about $50 in pennies.

Twenty five percent of all businesses in the United States are franchises.

According to Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, supermarket scanners make mistakes. A recent survey in New York City showed that they overcharged on one out of every 10 items, and a recent survey in Arizona showed 140 errors out of 249 shopping trips.

According to the TV game show "Jeopardy," bananas are the #1 fruit in the U.S. According to U.S. News and World Report, they're #2.

When you send a mail out of the country, part of the postage money goes to the U.S. Postal Service and the remainder to the local postal authorities.

According to a recent Nielsen study, people who watch the big three networks are less likely to flip channels during commercial breaks than people who watch independent stations.

Homicide in the workplace is now the fastest growing form of murder. The increase in mass murders in offices in the last 10 years is about 200300 percent. People to fear the most: middle aged, white males who are loners, angry, paranoid, and guarded.

It costs 49 francs to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

The current market value of a pap smear from Marilyn Monroe is $200,000.

Fifty percent of all marshmellows consumed in the U.S. have been toasted.

A recent Roper survey revealed that wine drinkers are more successful than those who don't drink. Frequent wine drinkers earn about $67,000 a year, while occassional drinkers earn about $40,000. Those who don't partake earn a little more than $30,000.

According to The Wall Street Journal, more blonde hair dye is sold in Dallas than in any other U.S. city.

According to CondJ Nast Traveler, the average American vacation lasted 4.1 nights in 1990, compared with 6.2 nights in 1983.

Hotel reservations can be cheaper if you don't call tollfree numbers.

According to the National Association of Suggestion Systems, a company typically saves $7,663 for each employee suggestion that is enacted. The figure is based on data gathered from 900 companies that have suggestion boxes.

Female mannequins generally stand 5 foot 10 and wear a size 6 or 8, while male mannequins wear a size 38 or 40.

The Londonbased Council of the Corporation of Foreign Bondholders is still trying to collect on loans made to the state of Mississippi in 1830 to finance cotton exports.

According to one retail expert, men are more likely to apply for a department store credit card if they are waited on by a female cashier.

If you got to work an hour earlier each day, you'd end up with a month of overtime by the end of the year. Five hours per week adds to 250 hours per year divided by eight (for an eight hour work day) gives you 31 days.

Look on the back of a $5 bill. If you look carefully you can read the names of the states along the top of the Lincoln Memorial. Now look on the front. According to William Brian Key, the word "sex" is visible as white letters on black, a little to the left of Lincoln's chin in his beard.

In the game of Monopoly, if no one ever buys anything, players could eventually break the bank.


Mr. Smarty Pants gets his information from books, magazines, newspapers,
the internet, radio, and television. He also includes facts he has overheard at parties.

All contents--Copyright 2008 Smarty Pants Productions