THE MOOSE RETURNS
The ever sharp-eyed Professor Postrel spots an unexpected passage in the Science Times profile of Randall L. Tobias, the former Eli Lilly executive nominated to head the U.S. initiative to combat AIDS in Africa:
Because he faces Senate hearings, Mr. Tobias declined to be interviewed about the post, which would carry the rank of ambassador. He did discuss other matters in a telephone interview, including the failure of Prozac, Lilly's wonder drug, to save his first wife from depression.
Because one must point out the moose whenever it raises its head, it must be noted that he has just published a memoir and business advice book, "Put the Moose on the Table." "The moose" is a business buzzword for a sound-management principle, that if there is a problem that everyone in the room knows about--the moose at the table--it must be discussed, not ignored.
Some prominent executives, have been known to plop down a stuffed moose at meetings to encourage lively debate.
How many editorial conspirators did it take to get that little inside reference into the Times?