GOOD DAY FOR: Busted monopolies, as the original “breastaurant” Hooters is getting competition. In Texas alone, cleavage-themed restaurants like Twin Peaks and Bone Daddy’s are popping up, drawn by Hooters’ gravity-defying growth amid a broader restaurant industry slowdown. “In this society, we’re a little bit repressed,” says Cornell University restaurant management lecturer Rupert Spies. “Fantasy goes a long way. Sex sells.” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
BAD DAY FOR: A good start to the week, after companies announced at least 50,000 job cuts Monday, pushing the January total above 170,000 layoffs. Leading the pink-slipping were Caterpillar, with 5,000 new layoffs; Sprint, with 8,000 jobs; Pfizer, also with 8,000 cuts; Home Depot, with about 7,000 jobs; and GM, with 2,000 layoffs. And economist Peter Morici thinks we’re only halfway through this recession’s job cuts. “We are going to see the fury of the Old Testament for what we have done to the economy,” he said. (BusinessWeek.com)
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Film reviews: ‘Send Help’ and ‘Private Life’Feature An office doormat is stranded alone with her awful boss and a frazzled therapist turns amateur murder investigator
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Movies to watch in Februarythe week recommends Time travelers, multiverse hoppers and an Iraqi parable highlight this month’s offerings during the depths of winter
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ICE’s facial scanning is the tip of the surveillance icebergIN THE SPOTLIGHT Federal troops are increasingly turning to high-tech tracking tools that push the boundaries of personal privacy
