Is This Americans "up Close And Personal"?

Ninety-six percent of American retail companies were victimized by shoplifters in the first half of 2012

. In 2011 it was 94.5%. According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, the most frequently taken items are those that can be sold at near-retail price - electronic toothbrushes, high-end vacuums and infant formula. KitchenAid mixers, educational toys and games, GPS units and laundry detergent are new to the 2012 list; but jeans continue to be one of the most stolen items every year. So, if you think the price of something is so good it's "a steal", it might be.

Americans are spending less on groceries than they did 30 years ago. In 2012 we are spending more on processed food and less on meat. For example, the price of pork has gone down 37.9%. In the following breakdown of money spent on groceries provided by NPR's "Planet Money", the 1982 percentage is first - meat: 31.3%/21.5%, fruits and vegetables: 14.5%/14.6%, grains and baked goods: 13.2%/14.4%, dairy products: 13.2%/10.6%, processed foods: 11.6%/22.9%, beverages: 11%/11.1%, other foods: 5.3%/5.1%. The price of peppers has increased the most - 34%. Obviously, "If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" today, it would cost a lot more.

Americans aren't saving enough energy. A 2012 poll of 1,008 adults nationwide by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found 75% of those surveyed said driving a more fuel-efficient car wouldn't be easy to do. They also said carpooling and installing better insulation were impractical. In fact, 60% of the participants thought their actions insignificantly affected the energy problem. Instead, 66% expected the energy industry to lead the way and 60% thought the government should play and active role. Considering overall energy use in America is 4 times the world average, even the Energizer Bunny needs to wind down.

More than 500,000 American men have vasectomies each year. However, 10% of them later want reversals. That's according to the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction. Because the success rate of "unsnipping" is better than with in vitro fertilization and avoids the multiple births of IVF and their medical complications, more health insurance providers are paying for the operation; and thus more men are requesting to be "unsnipped". Some couples want more children, some couples have children who have died and some men have remarried. The operation has a 90% success rate - how's that for a "snippet" of information?

by: Knight Pierce Hirst

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