It seems like a day for hubris and comeuppance in the corporate world. Dethroned New York governor Eliot Spitzer may be starting a "vulture fund," to make investment in distressed real estate projects. Meanwhile, Kenneth Lay's widow settled some fuss over her distressed real estate, a dispute over condo dues as the Enron debacle continues to have impact on Texas communities. And Donald Trump is also in the news, defending a golf course he wants to build in Scotland.

News nuggets you need to know today:

• Staples Buys Corporate Express for 2.65 Billion
• Gap May Shrink Stores to Save Money
• Why Did Food Sellers Treat Tomatoes Like Hot Potatoes?
• Abu Dhabi to Buy NY's Chrysler Building
• Beef Protesters Take Aim at McDonald's
• Raid on Kosher Meat Plant May Spike Prices
• Gay Marriage May Boost Ailing California Economy

Elsewhere on the Web:

• Supply of Hybrids Runs Out of Gas as Demand Soars
• Geyser Peak, Six other Wineries Sold
• Organic Alcohol Sparks New Cocktail Trend
• 13 Dumb Job-Interview Moves
• Do You Know What's in Your Spouse's Wallet?
• St. John's Word Fails to Help Kids with ADHD
• Grow Your Own Tomatoes
• Six of the Coolest, Most Futuristic Car Gadgets fr your Car
• Rising Gas Prices are Hurting Non-Profits
• Four Alternatives to Summer Jobs for Teens
• Beloved Characters Reimagined for the 21st Century
  

I want to do something that isn't often done and pay homage to a government agency for a moment.

I'll say right off the bat, that I really have no deep understanding of the inner workings of this agency. For all I know, we'll read a few hours from now some scandal emitting from this department. But almost every day, for the last six years or so, I've been getting their emails, giving me an appreciation for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Some time ago -- and I'm not sure if it was for journalistic reasons or that I was about to become a parent and was suddenly worried about recalls of cribs, baby toys and the like-- but I signed up to get daily emails from the CPSC. If there's a recall on any product in the United States, I know about it. Well, unless I forget to look at the email. When you get approximately, I dunno, 250 a year, it happens.

I don't know what it says about the state of global commerce, but almost every day, there's a recall from some manufacturer in some part of the world, far more than the children's toys with lead that made headlines last year. Tuesday, for instance, it was dune buggies. If you own a Twister Hammerhead Dune Buggy, you'll probably be interested to know that TJ. Power Sports, of Irving, Texas, has recalled them. Seems that the seat belt adjustment for the shoulder buckle can break if there's an impact or stress. That's important because when you drive a dune buggy, that's supposed to happen. It's a DUNE BUGGY. Anyway, should that adjustment break, you might be ejected. Just so you know.

As the proud owner of a 1999 Ford Taurus, which has served me and my family well all these years (I made my husband promise we would trade it in the first time it breaks down, but it never has), I always check the Ford recall news items. It seems like there is one every other month.

Today brings news of 225,000 cars recalled -- for the second time -- all because of a faulty cruise control mechanism. My car isn't on the list. In fact, all the recallees are from years 1992 to 1995. Models include the Bronco, F-Series, and Taurus SHO among others.

In my one experience with a recall, we brought the car back to have some kind of new part put in the wheel and when we drove off, it turned out the mechanic broke the stabilizer bar fixing the defective part. We were about to start on a family vacation and our car sounded like a brick in a clothes dryer.

Actually, that was the closest our car came to breaking down. We had to return to the dealer and leave on our vacation a day later. My husband was able to convince me that didn't count as a break down since the car actually could have run for miles with the broken part. That was about three years ago now.

In two separate product lines by two different manufacturers, Pottery Barn and Wicks & Petals have issued recalls of decorative candle products.

In the first recall issued Friday, January 17, 2008, The Pottery Barn has recalled approximately 185,000 round and egg shaped decorative candles. The products are described as egg shaped as well as multiple round sizes. The candles can be found in green, gold, and white. They also sport adornments in gold and glitter.