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THERE'S JUST ONE TINY MISTAKE

When a political candidate spends $75,000 or so on outdoor ads for his gubernatorial bid, you'd think the agency he hired to produce them would at least get his name right. After all, the company in question isn't inexperienced in these matters, having also handled the successful 1999 campaign of maverick independent Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. But longtime Wisconsin state Sen. Gary George (D) didn't exactly get off to the same kind of start. Oh, the picture on the billboards is of him, all right. But the first several of 13 that were to go up along state highways ask passersby to consider voting for ... George Gary. The billboards will be corrected, the agency promises.

As American businesses anxiously watch for signs of a recovery from the recession, retailers Best Buy, American Eagle, and Kohl's, as well as two biotechnology firms, appear to be in the best positions to weather what may be left of the current difficult economic times. That's according to Forbes magazine's latest list of 400 "best big companies." The selections were based on long- and short-term growth and return on capital, among other criteria. Forbes's top 10:

1. Best Buy Co. Eden Prairie, Minn. (retail electronics)

2. American Eagle Outfitters, Warrendale, Pa. (retail apparel)

3. NVR Inc., McLean, Va. (home building, mortgage services)

4. D&K Healthcare Resources Inc., St. Louis (biotechnology, drugs)

5. Forest Laboratories, New York (biotechnology, drugs)

6. Calpine Corp., San Jose, Calif. (electric utility)

7. Dell Computer Corp., Round Rock, Texas

8. Plexus Corp., Neenah, Wis. (contract manufacturing)

9. Kohl's Corp., Menomonee Falls, Wis., (retail, discount)

10. Siebel Systems, San Mateo, Calif. (software and programming)