BY HARRY RING
Plain-talk dep't - "Canberra, Australia (AP) - Australia's High Court ruled that laws unfavorable to Aborigines - or any other race - are still constitutional. The decision is expected to strengthen government plans to restrict Aboriginal rights."

Flunked loyalty test - Michael Cameron was suspended for a day at Greenbrier High in Evans, Georgia. Evans is east of Atlanta, headquarters of Coca Cola. The principal said Cameron had been rude and insulting during Coke Day. When students formed the word Coke for a picture, Cameron ruined it by taking off his jacket, revealing a shirt-pocket logo, "Pepsi."

Well managed care - The top dogs at leading HMOs enjoyed an average take of $6 million plus in 1996.

Spring house cleaning - "Tokyo (AP) -Japan's 19 biggest banks will clean up their balance sheets by writing off a record 10.2 trillion yen ($76.7 billion) in bad loans, a leading financial daily reported. The amount is almost 2.5 trillion higher than previously expected."

Nice, huh?- The California Medical Assistance Commission meets twice a month for two to three hours, approving state health care contracts. As political appointees, the members draw wages identical to state legislators. Their annual pay will now swell from $78,000 to $99,000, matching the increase just granted the lawmakers.

...meanwhile - California state workers got a 3percent increase in 1995. Since then, nothing.

Breathe heavy - A Family Circle article describes widespread company spying on employees -checking phone calls, e-mail, voice mail, etc. Federal law supposedly bars tapping employee's personal calls. But there's also a court ruling that employers can listen in for up to 10 minutes to determine if it's really a personal call.

Capitalist realism - For May Day, Barney's, the upscale clothier, is considering a window display featuring a $13 hardcover edition of the Communist Manifesto, along with a red lipstick, preferably with a Russian-sounding name, as "conceptual art." If the concept doesn't grab you, check out the Pathfinder Press pamphlet. No lipstick, but a valuable introduction by Leon Trotsky. $3.95.

Workers' champions - It will cost $1 million to redo the official residence of Lord Irvine, the British Labour government's new speaker of the House of Lords. (Twin oak beds, 19th century style; $25,000. Hand- woven wallpaper, etc.) But His Lordship won't be splurging on art. Instead, 87 works will be "borrowed" from Scottish museums.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home