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The skinny

By Times Wires
Published January 11, 2008

Fortunate foul-up

Manager happy concrete was Badly mixed

Milan Krajnic, 27, a Croatian builder who is a manager on the site of a multistory project in Krapinske Toplice, was on the third floor of the building-in-progress when he fell. This could have had a tragic ending, especially since he hit concrete when he landed. Luckily, though, the concrete had not set yet, so he landed unharmed. "The only reason the concrete was still liquid was because it hadn't been mixed right by one of the workers," Krajnic told a Croatian newspaper. "Normally, I'd be furious. But in this case I'll let him off."

Nonsmokers need not apply here

The German computer company Buesum has 10 employees. Well, update that: It has seven employees. The Hamburger Morgenpost reports that three of the employees were fired this week because they don't smoke. "Nonsmokers interfere with corporate peace. I can't be bothered with troublemakers," the paper quoted the company's manager, Thomas Jensen, as saying. "Everyone picks on smokers these days. It's time for revenge. I'm only going to hire smokers from now on." The company said the fired employees were disruptive in their requests for a smoke-free environment. The ex-employees are suing.

Be careful

Lawmakers reckon number of the bill

If it wasn't a big deal that Britain's House of Commons was holding discussion on the disestablishment of the Church of England, plenty of eyebrows, and possibly the hair on the back of some necks, were raised when the motion was officially numbered 666. "It looks as though God or the devil have been moving in mysterious ways," said Bob Russell, a Liberal Democrat. The church is the official faith of England, established when King Henry VIII had a snit with Rome. Motions such as this one rarely result in action. In the Book of Revelation, "the beast" is represented by the number 666.

Political map

$269 globe comes with propaganda

A Japanese company is recalling 10,000 talking globes called the "Smart Globe" because they're not so smart. At issue is the fact that the globe, above, which retails for $269, refers to Taiwan as a part of China. "Selling these globes was a serious error on our part," said company spokesman Satoru Aihara. Taiwan split from communist China in 1949 and is self-governed, but China continues to see the island as part of its territory. It bears mentioning that the globes were, like everything, made in China. "Unfortunately, we let cost considerations override sound judgment," Aihara said.

Compiled from Times wire services and other sources by staff writer Jim Webster, who can be reached at jwebster@sptimes.com.

[Last modified January 11, 2008, 01:32:01]