Columnist Muriel Stevens: Hot items from the Cold War

Wednesday, July 11, 2001 | 8:21 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' shopping and travel columns appear Wednesday. Her dining column appears Friday. Reach her at 259-4080 or muriel@lasvegassun.com.

The summer preview catalog from Sovietski Collection: Treasures From a Bygone Era, is filled with unusual gifts.

Having spent some anxious moments behind the Iron Curtain in the late '60s, when the Cold War was at its chilliest, I might buy one of the replica Checkpoint Charlie signs as a reminder of the scary day spent on the wrong side of the sign -- "You are leaving the American sector." I still remember the cheers from those of us on the bus when we made our way back through the gate and were saluted by smiling GI's, and the bright lights of West Berlin.

There are many military reminders, scopes and field glasses, pocket watches, even old fashioned wind-up gramophones (Victrolas) in the catalog. These are the real thing. I'm not wild about military gear, but there are many appealing collectibles, including Russian and Soviet civilian awards (medals) made of real silver.

Science and culture: There are still a few remaining chunks of the Berlin Wall left over from its fall on Nov. 9, 1989. One box of extra-large pieces (2-by-3 inches) is $17; a box of smaller pieces is $14. For me, the most engaging things are the lifestyle items: lovely hand-painted or brass samovars, tea glasses and holders, jewelry, shawls, Russian folk art and toys. Read the fine print. Some of the samovars do not have warmers.

An original Russian, battery-free flashlight that produces its own power is $12. It comes in a colorful collector box. I wonder if it can be used as a light for reading in bed. The only energy it uses is muscle power. Doll tea cozies dressed in costumes with insulated petticoats are charming ($49).

For a catalog call (800) 442-0002 or order online at sovietski.com.

Privacy online: Formerly the nation's numero uno auditor of corporate online private policies, Larry Ponemon shares some insiders findings in the June 25 U.S. News and World Report.

Among the worrisome info he uncovered through corporate online audits: a national hotel chain shares lists of movie titles (including pornos), rented by its customers. They share such data (with the customer's name) with their many affiliate hotels and restaurants. This is just one of the invasions of privacy recounted.

Ponemon was so disturbed by the hundreds of breaches he uncovered, and how often clients ignored the results that he recently left his position with Pricewaterhouse-Coopers to create a privacy and technology consulting firm.

While most of the clients did little to change their policies, one client, Expedia.com, a travel website, did change the way it did business after the problems were brought to light. It improved security and created a better way to make data more anonymous. It spent big bucks doing this because it was a sound way to gain customer trust and loyalty.

What does Ponemon do to insure his own privacy? He doesn't share medical data or do online financial planning. He assumes the worst, using a credit card "only if I think the privacy policy is reasonable," but he assumes the worst. For the complete story go to usnews.com.