Chatter

November 21, 2000

Thanks a lot: In honor of Thanksgiving, the Los Angeles Regional Technology Alliance gives the top five advantages over Silicon Valley for which the Southern California tech industry can be thankful: 5. When flying, smog is more predictable than fog. 4. Southern California CEOs hang degrees on their walls, not pictures of Britney Spears or *NSYNC. 3. "Dude, that place is soooo pre-April." 2. Venice can smack down Haight-Ashbury any day. 1. Ancient Indian proverb says, "Putting apartment over garage does not an incubator make."

Way to go: Only 31 percent of federal government managers surveyed by the General Accounting Office say that federal employees receive positive recognition to a great or very great extent for helping their agencies reach goals. Hmmm. Guess that means they don't get a free turkey this week, either.

Switching gears: About 80 percent of 1,800 students surveyed at New Horizons Computer Learning Centers say they have full-time jobs, reports the Santa Ana-based company. But not all students are taking classes simply to become more valuable in their current positions. About 49 percent say they're training to get new jobs.