Really Getting Defensive
Legal behavior in the defense industry is apparently no simple matter of obeying the law.
“Avoiding Criminal Liability in Government Procurement” is the title of a two-day conference scheduled to open today at the Sheraton Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and sponsored by an outfit called the Stanford Bar Institute.
Some 13 experts are to explain how defense contractors can stay out of criminal court and their employees out of prison. According to a program, the conference will address “key areas of government contractor vulnerability in today’s expanding investigative environment.”
Among the special sessions: “What to Do When the Defective Pricing Audit Becomes a Criminal Investigation,” and “Responding to the Grand Jury Subpoena.”
Gutter Toys and Other Fun
They come from the sewer, and they are out to get G.I. Joe, Masters of the Universe and Ghostbusters. Fresh from a daytime television miniseries, meet the Teen-age Mutant Ninja Turtles.
These 4 1/2-inch high characters armed with Ninja battle paraphernalia--along with their rat mutant Ninja master called Splinter--are action toys for children being introduced this spring by Playmates Toys Inc. of La Mirada.
Adapted from a comic book and to be promoted with a television show, of course, the turtles will cost about $4. The accessories, naturally, will command more--upward of $20 for items like the Turtle Party Van, Turtle Blimp and Turtle Trooper.
Playmates says it has its eye on the $1 billion spent last year for male action figures and accessories last year. According to marketing vice president Richard Sallis, “The average boy in the 5 to 9 age group collects about $300 worth of these figures.”
Disney Mum on Mouse Study
Mickey Mouse got burned.
In December, the name of Walt Disney Co.’s beloved character turned up as part of a lobby group’s list of the most dangerous toys in America. That’s because two products licensed by the Burbank company--a Mickey Mouse play tent and a sleeping bag--are not flame-retardant and the group considered them “potentially dangerous.”
Although there is no legal requirement that the toys be flame-retardant, Disney officials said they would re-evaluate the toys and take action if necessary. At the time, company officials spoke of the importance of maintaining Mickey’s squeaky-clean image. The report “required us to do a review whether it was warranted or not,” said Steve McBeth, vice president for Disney Consumer Products.
And what is the study showing? Said McBeth, “‘It’s completely premature to say anything.”
Le Price Is High
Most expensive restaurant in Los Angeles? Rex Il Ristorante, according to the 1988 Zagat Los Angeles Restaurant Survey. The guide says that the price of a single meal there, plus one drink and tip, is $53. For $1 less, there is L’Orangerie ($52), followed by L’Ermitage ($51) and for $46: Le Restaurant.
