Percentage of executives who consider their assistant's opinion important on potential new hires, according to a survey developed by OfficeTeam: 61%

Percentage who said it is very important: 21%

BEWARE UNCLE SAM

Percentage of Americans who view big government as the most serious threat to the country in the future, according to a Gallup Poll: 55%

Percentage who see big business as the greatest threat: 32%

BUDGET SAVVY KIDS

Percentage of parents who have made budgeting a topic for the entire family, according to a study by http://www.CoolSavings.com: 33%

Percentage who feel budgeting is not a conversation for kids: 8%

CHEFS' DOUGH

Average salary of an executive chef in 2008, according to http://www.StarChefs.com: $77,611

Average salary in 2009: $74,869

Percentage more that male executive chefs make than female executive chefs: 18%

A BIT ORGANIC

Percentage of all food products in the U.S. that are organic, according to an Organic Trade Association's 2009 survey: 3.5%

MASSIVE MALWARE

Estimated number of infected computers (including corporate, government and consumer computers around the world) in a malware network discovered by Finjan's Malicious Code Research Center: 1.9 million

Number of government-owned domains (.gov) in the U.S., United Kingdom and some other countries where computers were found to be compromised: 77

Number of people in the cybergang that controls the Ukraine-based server — in use just since February — responsible for the malware: 6

IDLE THOUGHT

"The difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind."

— Charles Darwin

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