Of Human Interest: News-lite

HELLO, BOYS!

Playboy magazine recently announced a pictorial featuring the women of Enron.

Now comes word that Playgirl magazine is offering the men of the fallen energy giant an equal opportunity at fame. It's looking for the sexiest male employees or former employees for an upcoming issue of the publication.

All current or former male Enron employees are eligible. They're invited to send in current photos, and Playgirl editors will then decide who is the sexiest of them all.

"Playgirl prides itself on being the only magazine to openly celebrate the beauty of the male body,'' Editor-In-Chief Michele Zipp said in a news release. "Our magazine is dedicated to equality of the sexes. Therefore, we must extend the opportunity to the guys of Enron to be a feature in our publication."

(Submissions should be mailed to Michele Zipp, Editor-In-Chief, Playgirl Magazine, 801 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017)

PUT ON YOUR EASTER BONNET

It was an "eggs-traordinary" Monday morning for hundreds of children as President Bush and first lady Laura Bush opened the White House to the public for the first time since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The South Lawn at the White House was transformed into a Easter wonderland, of sorts, for the annual Easter egg roll. Youngsters dressed in their Sunday best cavorted with their favorite cartoon characters -- including Barney the Dinosaur -- and rolled some 10,000 eggs across the grassy knoll.

There was also a portrait of President Bush made of red, white and blue JellyBelly jelly beans.

White House assistant chief John Moeller and his staff spent the weekend boiling about 10,800 eggs -- of which 7,800 were dyed for the egg roll. The remaining 3,000 were given to the children to decorate. The children also received one of 20,000 commemorative wooden eggs designed this year by artist Claire Stoner of New Freedom, Pa.

Laura Bush was joined by members of the Cabinet and senior advisors who read stories to children.

The Easter egg roll tradition dates back to 1878 when President Rutherford B. Hayes officially opened the White House grounds to local children for egg rolling. Hayes decided to have the Easter egg roll after members of Congress decided they would no longer host the event on congressional grounds. Since then successive presidents have continued the tradition.

REASONS TO CELEBRATE TODAY:

TUESDAY: This is Equal Pay Day, representing the point in a new week that a woman must work to earn the wages paid a man for the previous week.

Today is International Children's Book Day.

It's Pascua Florida Day, a state holiday in Florida celebrating the discovery of what's now Florida by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon in 1513.

And this is Reconciliation Day, recommended by advice columnist Ann Landers as a day all grudges be set aside and broken relationships be mended.

(Thanks to Chase's 2002 Calendar of Events)

BY THE WAY...

What's the formal title of the Statue of Liberty?

The statue is actually titled Liberty Enlightening the World." It was created by sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, who was born on this date in 1834.