Leading economic indicators

. Some dermatologists have created significant divides between their "medical" patients (acne, cancer) and their beauty-treatment patients (plastic surgery, Botox), with the latter offered luxurious waiting rooms, frequent telephone contacts and more personalized treatment. One doctor told The New York Times, "you have to class it up for those patients" — who pay their own way and with minimal paperwork. Besides, said another, "If you do an extreme makeover on someone, you are a hero."

. In a Newsweek review of "faithbased" mutual funds (whose managers invest only in companies whose work does not offend their particular spiritual values), big short-term losers included one Mennonite fund emphasizing pacifism (eschewing high-performing military and energy stocks), but big winners lately were Islamic funds. Not only do they screen out the "sin" companies (tobacco, alcohol) and sellers of pork products, but they avoid financialservices stock (based on the Quran's prohibition against borrowing or lending if interest is charged) and thus were unscathed by the initial mortgage-market meltdown.