The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.60/No.35           October 7, 1996 
 
 
The Great Society  

BY HARRY RING

Tart as a lemon - In a test, Del Monte installed a device in a London bus stop shelter which, when someone enters, releases a bit of the fragrance of Citrus Twist, a new soft drink allegedly made from fresh lemons and limes. Sniffed Mabel Pierce, 69, "It smells just like my husband's armpits."

`Stability' defined - In the three years since Israel opened "peace" negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization, foreign investments in Israel have tripled - from $782 million in 1993 to almost $2.2 billion in 1995. Meanwhile, almost none of the aid promised the PLO for West Bank and Gaza self-rule has materialized.

The Great Hamster Society -In real dollars, millions of middle-aged U.S. workers are making less than they did in 1979, a federal commission found. Declared a spokesperson: "It's as if workers are running in place. The fact that American families are working more for less pay helps explain why they remain anxious about the future."

Growth industry - Temp agencies are doing well providing blue collar workers. The San Francisco Chronicle points to Labor Ready, a company that's been opening inner city hiring halls offering jobs that pay by the day. It says Labor Ready's stock has nearly tripled in value. No mention of what the workers get.

Are tumors contagious? - For decades, an Englishwoman was a conscientious housekeeper. When she got fed up and stopped doing it, her husband saw it as a personality change and insisted she see a doctor. Tests disclosed a benign brain tumor. It was removed, but she still said no to housework. A neurologist opined that the pressure of the tumor on her brain may have changed her personality for good.

Gutter sexism - The Times of London headlined the above story, "Lazy wife has her head examined."

The `great equalizer' - Using the Internet will become increasingly expensive and exclusive, says cyberspace expert Robert Silverman. He notes that "gated communities" are already being created that will exclude low-income surfers. "That the Net politically empowers the little guy is also a myth," he says.

A really great society - "Children in U.S. account for half of chronically poor" - News headline.

Meanwhile... - Neiman-Marcus is offering a pair of Prado's Mary Jane shoes for $515, plus a matching handbag for $630.

Just being efficient - In England, Severn Trent Water was fined 175,000 for dumping chemicals into the River Wye, killing 33,000 young salmon. It was the company's 34th conviction since it was privatized in 1990.  
 
 
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