their goal as the "legitimatizing of the idea of worker ownership, to show that it can be an efficient, realistic way of running a business." ICA has provided technical assistance to over fifty worker owned and controlJed businesses throughout the country in the past four years. They began by helping workers take over plants .that were closing down. They are also converting healthy finns to cooperative ownership and are starting new enterprises. The nine-member staff provides assistance in every area needed to start a business, which includes writing a business plan, targeting markets, drawing up Page 17 RAIN Dec. 821Jan. 83 by-laws and legal papers, and securing loans. One example of a finn they launched is the worker-owned Sewing Company, Inc., the 4O-member gannent manufacturing company made up primarily of women in Windsor, North Carolina, one of the poorest counties in the nation. TOUCH Edible Plants The planet is believed to contain 80,000 edible plants, yet only about 150 have ever been cultivated on a large scale, and less than 20 produce 90% of the world's food . That's Hard to Swallow Harvard law professor Roger Fisher has proposed stuffing into a tiny capsule the secret codes that the President must invoke to initiate a nuclear attack, and then implanting the capsule near the heart of a volunteer. In order to obtain the vital codes, the President himself would have to physically remove the capsule with <, knife, thus reminding him of the reality of the decision he was making. Burning the Candle at Both Ends A citizen of an advanced industrialized nation in six months consumes the energy and raw materials that have to last the citizen of a developing country his entire lifetime. (Maurice F. Stron~) Nonprofit Economics There are an estimated 7 million nonprofit organizations representing 5129 billion dollars of the annual US economy. 80% of all "dults contribute to them and over a quarter of the adult population gives volunteer time through them. Solar Talking Gravestone Stephen Zelzany and Michael O'Piela have invented a solar talking tombstone. Each gravestone is equipped with a small speaker and tape recorder powered by a solar panel. The cost is 510,000, and it has a 40 year warranty. Cost of Living Items Disclosed When governments quote "cost of living" increases, they base their figures on the price fluctuations of selected consumer items. For undisclosed reasons, the Canadian government has dropped girdles and cloth baby diapers from its list of key items. Perhaps this is Trudeau's way of encouraging citizens to hang loose in hard times? (New Age, August 82) Economics of Tofu and Tempeh O\'er 100 new tofu factories have been launched in the U.s. in the last four years. Today 154 plants produce 45.9 million pounds of tofu worth $50.3 million in retail sales. At least 988,000 pounds of tempeh, worth 51.7 million in sales, are produced by 32 American tempeh plants. Soy delis, which are a new breed of fast food, sov and natural foods based cafe/take outs, serve more than a million dollars in ready-to eat so~'foods at 13 locations. Swimming Through the Recession The National Spa and Pool Institute reports that while housing starts are dipping toward depreSSion levels, pool starts have been mO\'ing right along. Pool construction fell by 3% during the 1974 recession, but last year (1981) pools were off by only 2%; and orders for 1982 Me holding firm . Some top-of-the-line companies even report that demand is up. Toast of the Gretrude Stein Club According to Human Events, a conservative tabloid, Walter Mondale has become the "toast of the lesbians and gays, consensus choice of the Gretrude Stein Democratic Club." Exxon Education b \.l111 h,15 been 'Ktively distributing several films to show their ..;ide of the energy situation. And working quite well thank you. ,-'\ before and after test indicates that before " film on energy, (1111\ ' 19";, of the <;tudents thought oil companies were doing a good job solving the energy problem, while afterwards the figure Jumped to 46%. (In These rimes) Computerized Abuse For about 520 you can give an Atari or Apple nthe personality of vour worst enemv with some software created bv the Don't Ask Software Company. It asks you absurdly complicated questions like "How many workers are there in a Dole pineapple plantation picking crew, not including the swam per?" And if you can't "ns\\,er it you get random verbal abuse like "Why don't you go moon c1 flock of geese?" The War Lingers On Twentv five percent of all inmates in US prisons -l00,OOO-are Vietnam Vets, and the suicide rate among Vietnam vets is 33% h i~her than the national average.
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