Entry level flipper career?-- "Five top Ford Motor Co. executives will leave the automaker in the third shuffle since July, as Chief Executive Jacques Nasser tries to turn around declining sales and profit."--News item.

Expert wishers?--Assessing the impact of September 11 on jurors, the Los Angeles Times opined that jury selection professionals now see it this way: "Experts say panelists might trust police witnesses more, be less sympathetic in personal injury cases, and go easier on corporate misdeeds."

Clear enough?--A New England reader dropped us a note that at a Bush press conference, a CNN newscaster made a carefully worded apology for letting the president get momentarily out of focus. Apparently the camera person got jostled.

The well society--More than 1 million children in California will suffer emotional or behavioral disorders this year, a state panel reported. More than 600,000 of them will not receive adequate treatment. Many will be jailed or warehoused in mental hospitals.

Things are tough all over--Freddy DeMann, former manager of Madonna, has finally unloaded his home in Bel Air, a somewhat spiffy Los Angeles bedroom community. The house features a 2,000-square-foot master suite, plus a projection room, a wine cellar, hair salon, gym, sauna, pool, spa and guest house. It was on the market for nearly two years, with an asking price of $23 million. Finally an heir to Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, bought the place, beating the price down to $20 million.

Not to spook you, but--"One in five samples of ground meat purchased in supermarkets was contaminated with salmonella bacteria a new study has found, and most of the bacteria isolated were resistant to at least one antibiotic. More than half the bacteria were resistant to at least three antibiotics, making them particularly dangerous if they cause an infection in humans.

The bacteria can be killed by thorough cooking, but many people do not cook foods long enough to prevent infection. An estimated 1.4 million cases of food poisoning caused by salmonella occur in the United States every year."--News item.

Can it really be that disgusting?--Avon Products has kicked off its drive to sell cosmetics, perfumes to teen adults and by teen adults. Believe it or not, the sales workers will be known as Little Avon Ladies.

Get mad and better than even--We know we've said it before, but it's such a wonderful book: From Pathfinder, Cosmetics, Fashions and the Exploitation of Women.  
 
 
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