Balance Sheet

Jeff Taylor from the July 2005 issue

(Page 2 of 2)

Anheuser-Busch frets that if genetically modified rice is grown in Missouri, consumers the world over will refuse to drink "contaminated" Bud. A-B's solution? Boycott Show-Me State rice.

Poppy Cocked

Don't look now, but an elite strike team of Special Forces�trained DEA agents is roaming Afghanistan in search of opium fields. The chances of this ending well are slim to none.

Clothing Optional

The Bush administration does not bother to wait for U.S. clothing and textile makers to petition for help; it just goes ahead and starts drawing up plans for quotas on imports from China. This comes despite evidence that American manufacturers who focus on quality do just fine against the Chinese.

Frequent Crier

Airlines try to police consumer swaps of frequent flier miles, suggesting that the miles are given with the expectation that many will be rendered unusable due to cut-off dates and other restrictions. Fliers fight back by swapping vouchers for sports tickets and other goodies.

Board Teens

Classic generational conflict hits Arizona as cities try to find ways to regulate motorized skateboards, scooters, and other kiddie transport. Maybe if kids hook golf carts to skate decks and wear white loafers, no one will care.

Crime Records

Investigators in New Jersey crack an ID theft ring that stole some 500,000 bank and personal records to sell to bill collectors and law firms. Bank employees and branch managers are alleged to be part of the
multimillion-dollar racket.