Last year, in all state-funded schools and colleges in the London borough of Lambeth, 1,100 people took GCSEs, but only 45 took one or more A-level. In the one private school, Streatham Hill and Clapham High, 48 people were taking one or more A-level. [Government school performance tables]
Each year, Americans spend as much on lawn care as on books, about $30 billion. [International Herald Tribune, 30th March 1999]
One in five conversations lasting ten minutes or more will involve a lie; if one of the parties goes to college or university it will be one in three. [Civilization, February/March 1999]
In 1991, 15 per cent of Americans said that a second television was a necessity, compared to 3 per cent in 1975. [Adbusters, Spring 1999]
In 1997, kleptocracy in Albania was so bad that the 35th highest taxpaying company in the country was an Albanian-American pizza parlour. [The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Thomas Friedman]
On average, women cry three times a month compared to once for men. Turkish women are the biggest criers. Among men, Italians cry the most. [Colours, April/May 1999]
In Poland, there are 258 km of motorway compared to 2,800 km in Britain and 11,000 km in Germany. [Wrpost]
During the war in Bosnia, Germany took in 350,000 refugees of whom 200,000 have returned to Bosnia. [German government]
On average, women take 91 seconds to use the lavatory; men take 35 seconds. [The Sunday Times, 28th March 1999]
In 1955, 80 per cent of all multinational corporations were American. Today, only 30 per cent are.[The Corporate Citizenship Company, David Logan]
In Britain, 20 per cent of households have dishwashers, compared to 35 per cent in continental Europe and 55 per cent in the US.[Procter & Gamble News]
