Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, newly issued figures reinforced that point mightily.
The World Health Organization issued figures yesterday that rank health care systems around the world for the first time.
On the same day that it announced the teen magazine's closure, Hachette Filipacchi issued figures showing Elleuk.com had gained its 200,000th Twitter follower.
Details of reduced government spending in the future began to take shape today as, one by one, Whitehall departments issued figures for efficiency savings.
Some of Europe's biggest banks have reported today: the likes of Barclays, Deutsche, Erste, Santander and UBS have issued figures, massaged disappointments and played up successes.
"Industrial output is at a standstill," said Globes, Israel's leading financial daily, on May 30 as the government issued figures showing a continuing decline since October in manufacturing, construction and consumer spending.
The Royal Ulster Constabulary issued figures showing that over 10 days there were 329 attacks on the police and army, leaving 81 officers and 6 soldiers injured, 305 firebomb incidents, 105 vehicles hijacked and 404 others burned, and 174 buildings damaged.
The mayor's budget office issued figures last year showing that people who earn at least $500,000 a year constitute only 1 percent of the city's taxpayers but account for nearly 50 percent of the income taxes that the municipal treasury collects.
