Etc...

It was an honest mistake

How closely do you look at the cover on your telephone book? Probably not very; it's what's inside that's most important, right? But just in case anyone in southern Lake County, Fla., might be influenced adversely, Sprint Corp. has withdrawn the art used on the cover of their new directories and is printing replacements. As we pick up the story, an enterprising journalist has noticed that the covers of the Sprint books include a picture of the type of poppy from which opium and heroin are made and wishes the company to comment. Said a spokeswoman, the photo was chosen because it's colorful, and no one realized it had any other potential implications.

For the seventh straight year, Australia is the top choice in the latest survey of countries that Americans would most like to visit, cost considerations aside. Meanwhile, Japan made the top 10 (after dropping out in 2002) for only the second time in six years. Pollster Harris Interactive quizzed more than 2,200 adults last month on their ideal foreign destinations. The top 10 (with their 2002 rankings, if applicable, in parentheses):

1. Australia (1)
2. Italy (3)
3. Britain (2)
4. France (6)
5. Ireland (5)
6. Germany (7)
7. New Zealand (13)
8. Japan
9. Spain (11)
10. Greece (14)
- PR Newswire