Welcome to the club—“Coke investigates internal fraud investigations—Former worker accuses firm of inflating revenue.”—News headline.

The golden years—The number of workers 65 and over holding or seeking jobs has increased 50 percent since 1980, reports the Census Bureau. The change is attributed to workers living longer, and worrying more about stock savings going down the pit.

…meanwhile—manufacturing executives said they expected modest industrial growth by the end of the year. But high inventories would take time to clear, and more jobs could disappear as companies scrambled to cut costs.”—Reuters dispatch.

Gourmet from start to finish (our yearly pun ration)—With stainless steel kitchens getting popular among high-end buyers, niche products are springing up. Like the stainless steel cleanser spray that offers a choice of four fragrances and an olive-oil base. $12 a can.

Big bro will fix the ticket—Florida—Gov. Jeb Bush signed a bill that could extend the deadline for cleaning up the Everglades by 10 years despite objections from environmentalists and a judge’s warning that the new law may violate federal agreement.—News dispatch.

A McDonald atop the pyramid?—For this ignoramus, it was an eye-opener. Ed Vuliami, correspondent for the Observer, London, describes the ancient city of Ur in southern Iraq as “one of the greatest wonders of civilization.” He adds, “Long before the rise of the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman empires, it was here that the wheel was invented and the first mathematical system developed. Here the first poetry was written.”

Some aid workers and a single U.S. officer told Vuliami of the vandalizing of Ur by U.S. forces. The site is marked by an early pyramid. Immediately adjacent to it, the Pentagon is mapping a good-sized airfield and troop base.  
 
 
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