BY HARRY RING
Hunkering down - Members of the British Parliament voted to
spend 30 million on a bronze facade for their new office
building. Contracted to a company that usually makes armored
cars, they say the bronze sheeting will withstand a bomb blast.
We're all right Jack - Members of Parliament will also have their own bombproof subway to Westminster Place. Explains one MP: "Members will be able to dash to the Commons without having to worry about getting shot or bumping into tourists."
The march of civilization -The Pentagon is developing environmentally friendly weapons and bullets with a lower lead content. And it's also a money saver. The Pentagon folks assure that "none of these efforts to green our weapons systems will reduce their performance."
Kind of not in vogue - The publishers of Vogue canceled a slated party to celebrate the launch of the magazine's Russian edition. Given the ruble crisis, they felt the bash might be in bad taste.
Family values - When Sidney Altman of Beverly Hills checked out, he left the bulk of his $6-million estate to his dog, Samantha. His companion, Marie Dana, was named guardian to Samantha and will receive $60,000 a year until the dog (now the equivalent of 75) dies. The house will then be sold and Dana will be on her own. She's suing.
Privatization means better service, no? - Passenger complaints about privatized rail service in England have jumped 82 percent in a year.
Dang, always too early or too late - Our first New York dwelling was a microscopic "apartment" in an ancient Orchard St. tenement, replete with sink and tub in the kitchen. Now, one of the Orchard St. tenements, operated by a museum, offers a diner for 30 (in two adjacent apartments) that evokes the immigrant past. Up to $750. Presumably, no roaches.
In this society? - "We believe that physicians should always act in the best medical interest of the individual patient.... Patients are burdened enough by concerns and fears about themselves; they should not have to worry about the motivations of their physicians as well." -Statement by two Boston-area doctors on the increasing role of "cost effectiveness" in determining treatment.