Yo Newt!-The Greek government has drafted a law to tighten its grip on the press. Among other things, it would permit shutting down unfriendly media for using the Greek language improperly.
Virtual reality? - Major companies are putting employees through a course featuring a series of "learning maps" which assertedly explain the company's business. "The maps are an excellent means of breaking down a good deal of the us-them barriers," says an instructor. It encourages workers to think more like corporate leaders, adds the chap who sells the program.
Wall St. bets billions that way-The last meeting of the American Management Assn. included a seminar on "Reducing Recruitment Surprises Through Corporate Psychics." Some 90 companies pay Advisor Associates to learn what kind of vibes they get when they contemplate the name, address, age and sex of job applicants. "We articulate what comes into our heads," the psychics explain.
Can't shrink spoon that feeds you - Hired by Major League baseball to help shorten the games, ex-umpire Steve Palermo said they could be shaved 30 minutes, mainly by changing the height and tilt of the pitchers mound so more strikes could be thrown. But, he said, nothing could be done about the main reason for longer games - the increased frequency and length of commercial breaks.
How did the original ones get theirs? - Some U.S. shoppers in London spent as much as $141,700 for aristocratic titles. For the new Lords and Ladies, this means invitations to royal functions and even the opportunity to ride in the Queen Mother's birthday procession. Sadly, the titles were forged. The guys who marketed them were given fines and community service.
Might help more than the pill - SmithKline, the big-time pill pusher, is threatening suit against the Philadelphia punk rock group, Thorazine, for using the brand name of its drug for relieving severe mental disorders. A company spokesperson, apparently a music critic, said Thorazine's songs are "old school punk rock that are harder than normal and have a lot of cursing in them."
Partial victory - A New Hampshire judge threw out an assault charge made by two cops against a former Denny's chef. They claimed he put in an extra belt of Tabasco in their eggs because they were cops and it (the Tabasco) made them ill. Meanwhile, Denny's fired the chef for an "unrelated" offense of letting a friend into the kitchen.
Note to new readers - Many of the items in this column are based on contributions from readers. If you read something that points up the kind of world we live in, send the clipping (with date and name of publication) to: Great Society c/o Pathfinder Bookstore, 2546 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90006. (Fax: 213-380-1268).