BY HARRY RING
That's why the fees go up - On average, doctors listen to
patient's concerns for about 23 seconds before interrupting
them with question, according to a report in the Journal of
American Medicine. That's about five seconds better than
earlier studies.
March of civilization - "Troublemakers" at England's new jail for youth 12 to 15 will be dealt with by a "tornado team" armed with clubs. To "defend" themselves, the squad is authorized to pin youth to the floor, hold them in arm locks and use clubs on them. The jail has a capacity of 40 and currently house 30 apparently ferocious youngsters.
The global village - Patrick Bell of the American Ass'n for the Advancement of Science, estimates that a third to a half the world's population have never spoken on a telephone.
Risky profession - "Last year 19 newspaper reporters were killed in the line of duty. In its annual report, the reporters' organization, Journalists Without Borders found that the most deadly assignment was not, however, covering wars and crises, but rather reporting on `corruption or connections between government authorities and criminal organizations.'" - Sudeutsche Zeitung, Germany.
Fixing Medicare - "A plan to revamp health care for senior citizens, raising the age of eligibility for Medicare and increasing costs for many, began moving through a bipartisan Congressional committee Tuesday." - News item.
It just occurred to them? - The chemical industry is financing a six-year "independent" study on how chemicals affect health and safety. It will also check out the toxicity of 3,000 widely used chemicals.
Generous - Ferrari, the sports car with a sticker price of about $240,000, is doing a recall because of a faulty pipe fitting that can cause a fire. The company assures the repairs will be made free.
Take that, sir [cur?]! - In London a cop in a crime prevention program for the elderly, was convicted of stealing L700 from the life savings of a disabled woman in her 80s. A two-fisted judge meted out a sentence of nine months.