Athletic Prowess
Mattel Inc. Chairwoman and CEO Jill Barad was scheduled to preside over last week’s official unveiling of the company’s World Cup Barbie, a soccer-playing version of the world’s best-selling doll.
The new doll demonstrates Mattel’s “commitment to improving the visibility of young women in sports and little girls’ exposure to the opportunities sports offer them,” according to a Mattel release.
But Barad was a no-show at last week’s Beverly Hills event, with Mattel President Bruce Stein appearing in her stead.
She threw her back out, said Mattel spokeswoman Rosemary Krupp, who described Barad’s condition as a long-standing injury that flares up every once in awhile. Krupp did not know whether that injury was sustained playing soccer or basketball.
Sister Act
More than 1,000 women turned out for the annual Big Sisters of Los Angeles corporate leadership dinner at the Century Plaza Hotel last week. A major theme of the event was the importance of young women having strong female role models and mentors.
Paradoxically, many of the items offered at the silent auction were, well, rather Big Brotherish.
They included an autographed basketball signed by Magic Johnson, with a starting bid of $800; a football autographed by Denver Bronco quarterback John Elway, which opened at $200; and a football helmet autographed by four NFL quarterbacks, including former Miami Dophins star Dan Marino, which started at $1,500.
No signed skis from Olympic gold medalist Picabo Street or golf balls signed by Nancy Lopez were on the block.
Attention Travelers
Last week, visitors to LAX began hearing a new message over the airport’s public address system. Rather than warning about red zones and white zones and the like, the message instead informs travelers that they do not have to donate money to solicitors.
The move comes in response to a growing number of complaints about fraudulent solicitors at LAX. The message, “Attention travelers: You are not required to give money to solicitors,” also will be posted on bright red signs throughout the terminals and will be translated into Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish and French.
Sounds of Xena
Musicians who came away empty-handed from the Oscars and Grammys had another shot last week when The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers announced the winners of its 13th Annual ASCAP Film and TV Awards.
Some winners were less than surprising, such as James Horner for his theme for “Titanic.”
Others were more unexpected (or perplexing, depending on your musical tastes), such as Joseph LoDuca for the themes to “Xena: Warrior Princess” and “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.”
Heavenly Power
There is a new residential electricity service provider in town: the Christian Energy Electrical Co.
Lynwood-based Christian Energy is one of 22 service providers registered with the California Public Utilities Commission to sell power to residential customers. (Other newcomers include Florida-based Friendly Power Co. and Northern California-based Cleen ‘n Green.)
Charles Linder Floyd, CEO of Christian Energy, who calls himself a “born-again believer” in Christianity, says he has more than 500 customers signed up, waiting for Southern California Edison to switch them over to what might be called power from a higher source.
