They're lucky customers didn't sue--"Books on how to get rich quick in the stock market, so popular this time last year, are piling up at bookstores and publishers are taking a hard hit"--News item.

A boss is a boss is a--England's post office was scored for delivering some 1.9 million first-class letters late each day.

According to the Times of London, a spokesperson blamed the delays on "railway disruptions and unofficial strikes at depots." If such strikes and "disruptions" occurred on a daily basis it would be quite a testimonial to working conditions.

Shifting perspective--For the first time since Vietnam, members of the Marine Corps are getting freshly designed camouflage outfits. They will feature new computer-designed color schemes, etc. The principal addition will be knee and elbow padding. The brass hats believe coming wars are more likely be fought on urban pavements.

Almost as decayed as capitalism--The U.S. infrastructure is crumbling, says the American Society of Civil Engineers. A third of the major roads are in poor condition or a notch above poor. Seventy percent are jammed during peak periods.

The aviation system is headed towards gridlock. In the past decade, airport capacity increased 1 percent. In the same period, traffic swelled 37 percent. Three-quarters of school buildings are substandard and the school system is unable to meet the needs of pupils.

Avoiding disruption--"Massive pay raises for MPs [members of Parliament] and [cabinet] ministers are to be postponed by [Labour prime minister] Tony Blair until after the general elections to avoid a backlash from the unions and the public."--The Times, London

Telling it like it is--Now back in Paris to face trial on fraud charges, ex-con Phillipe Hababou had a heady five-year fling as a member of the inner circle of U.S. Sen. Robert ("strangle Cuba") Torricelli, plus a photo op with then-prez Clinton. Says Hababou: "I didn't realize how easy it was to buy or get close to an American politician. When money is involved, they don't check anything."

A senator's gotta have wheels--"Washington--A major political donor has told authorities that he put money down to help Sen. Robert Torricelli buy a luxury car during his 1996 Senate campaign, but that the New Jersey Democrat scuttled the deal, according to law enforcement officials and lawyers."--Associated Press

The 'new' economy--In the last 16 months some 65,000 dot.commers have lost their jobs. This past February, 50 of the 250 employees at Infospace.com were fired on 15 minutes notice and had to make appointments to clean out their desks.

At USatWork.com, 70 of 120 employees were booted out. Those spared, were herded to the basement in a freight elevator, the rest were told to pack up and get out. (The company is now also gone).  
 
 
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