The L.A. Times newsroom has been struck by a plague that could be considered an unintended consequence of all the belt trimming down on Spring Street. This email to Assistant Managing Editor John Arthur is being passed around today:

From: LaVally, Jim
Sent: Monday, December 06, 2004 4:18 PM
To: Arthur, John

Subject: Cafeteria

Hi John,

You may be already aware of this, but at this point we are aware of at least five people in the newsroom who have contracted food poisoning in the past several days after partaking from the salad bar in the cafeteria--two on the Metro Copy Desk and three in Sports.

We've been informally warning folks to avoid the food downstairs for a while.

Thanks,
Jim LaVally

The most common response to the food poisoning I've heard: "not surprised."

* Update: They say it's the flu, not food poisoning.

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