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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Pride & Prejudice

This posting is for any conversations about Pride & Prejudice, including (but not limited to):
*Jane Austen's life and work
*Time period and related literature
*Movies, plays, and other adaptations (zombies & vampires included)
*Themes: love, courtship, marriage, family/generational relationships

If you have any questions, comments, or ideas as you read, post a comment and create a thread.

  1. Ok so I am honestly not enjoying this book at all. Because once you get pass the detailed writting style you find no more then gossip, back talking, want of wealth , whose most handsome, and whose most powerful. Yet lets not forget social standings. And to me I feel like im back at highschool again when I read this book. Which is definatley not my favorite place to be...So if any one has any opposing thoughts I would love to hear them !

    1. Well, Pride & Prejudice set in a time where electricity was limited (if at all it existed at this time). Society's idea of down time was gossiping because it was one of few forms of entertainment. I mean Lydia and Kitty went almost everyday to Meryton to flirt with soldiers!! I enjoy this novel because "gossip, back talking, want of wealth , whose most handsome, and whose most powerful" still remains today.

    2. Hey Ash :),
      I honestly have only ever looked at this book from a comical viewpoint. Not sure if that's good or bad, but that's how I've always interpreted it. I think that Ms. Austen was having a really hard time relating to the world around her. A world where people never married below their standings and the only easy form a entertainment WAS gossip. The amount of stupidity that Jane Austen had to put up with was enormous and she synced Lizzie's life to the stupidities of the time. Ergo Lizzie is kinda the "rock" of the story, she hardly ever gossips and she's not falling into the Mosh Pit of Love (at least, not until Colin Firth comes out of the pond.) Even Mr. Bennet sees this and loves her more for it.
      So, I suppose if you aren't looking at it from a comical perspective, ya the book is pretty badgering, but really Ms. Austen wrote a hilarious satire that makes me laugh every time I hear Mrs. Bennet complaining about her poor nerves or Mr. Colins blabbering on about Lady Catherine de Bourgh etc. Granted near the end it gets more intense, but try thinking to yourself, "ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY!" and make yourself the only sane one around. This will put you in Lizzie's shoes and you might feel a bit better.

  2. Your feeling of being back in high school suggests the same sort of claustrophobic entrapment that Austen's characters experience in their lives and relationships. I wonder if your reaction suggests that the book is a failure in entertainment or a success in conveying just how constricting it must have been to fall in love and not be able to express oneself in those times. Anyone else have an opinion on this?

  3. True, that is a point of view I have not thought of. Yet I find no real connection with anyone in this book except for Darcy. I find his attitude to be very humurous, and yet challenging. Which in turn makes me woder if the message that be is conveyed reached me in level of understanding (such as highschool to a claustrophobic entrapment presented in this book), or a level of annoyance because I do connect yet have no power to change the books outcomes in various chapters. And thus, the questions continue, I would love more insight of any who are willing to give their perspective on this subject.

  4. I felt the same way you did when I read the book Ashlie. However, it didn't annoy me it made me laugh. I thought it was so humorous that the "high class" of 1700s England could be as immature and prejudiced as we high schoolers are. Also, Darcy was my favorite character too! I feel he was misrepresented in the newer movie version of the book.

  5. Misrepersented. The perfect word to describe such a character


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Type: response

text:
Threat Level: green Handler on Duty: Brad Duncan

SANS ISC: InfoSec Handlers Diary Blog - * Veritas Backup Exec 0-day; POC code available for multiple updated MS vulns; P2P on the Vista InfoSec Handlers Diary Blog

Sign Up for Free!   Forgot Password?
Log In or Sign Up for Free!

* Veritas Backup Exec 0-day; POC code available for multiple updated MS vulns; P2P on the Vista

Published: 2005-08-11
Last Updated: 2005-08-12 18:58:13 UTC
by George Bakos (Version: 1)
0 comment(s)

ISCAlert has been activated (that blinking globe thing) to warn people about
MS05-039 related activity that may go critical over the weekend. Three
seperate exploits for the UPnP issue have been released over the last 24 hours.
Please patch your systems if you haven't already. Thank you.

FrSIRT has released an advisory containing what they call "Veritas Backup Exec Windows Agent Remote File Access Exploit (0day)"

The ISC has already seen an increase in scans for port 10000, and advise any users of Backup Exec deny access to that port from all untrusted networks. Frank Knobbe has made available a rough draft signature that may help identify attempts against B.E.:

alert tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HOME_NET 10000 (msg:"BLEEDING-EDGE Veritas \
Backup Exec Windows Agent Remote File Access Exploit"; \
flow:to_server,established; \
content:"|b4 b8 0f 26 20 5c 42 34 03 fc ae ee 8f 91 3d 6f|"; \
reference:url,; \
reference:url,; \
classtype:string-detect; sid:2002176; rev:1;)

Thanks, Frank!

POC code available for multiple updated MS vulns

The vulnerabilities addressed in MS005-038, MS005-039, MS05-040 and MS-043, all covered in this month's Fat Tuesday festivities, AKA
, have fallen victim already to publicly released exploits. Both bugtraq and Daily Dave have postings today announcing the availability of said code. Now, I haven't built or tested any of it, so I can't personally vouch for the effectiveness ot any of it, but if it isn't working as intended you can bet it will be shortly. Patch up, folks.

P2P on the Vista

We received some packets today from someone who was chomping at the bit to get his Windows Vista up and on the wire, and was in for an interesting surprise. After a short while, he was being barraged with a good number of UDP port 53186 packets from around the globe. A bit of digging gave me an education in Teredo - Microsoft's IPv6 over IPv4 encapsulation, discussed in: and RFC3904. Teredo's strength is it's ability to traverse NAT firewalls while maintaining the protections offered by IPv6, and it has been used to build tunnels for plenty of OSes and applications, including Windows P2P and especially the Peer Name Resolution Protocol, PRNP.

Gee, George, why do I care? Well, Tommy, there are wonderful things waiting just around the corner...let me show you.

From "Introduction to Windows Peer-to-Peer Networking":

"P2P PNRP uses multiple clouds, in which a cloud is a grouping of computers that use addresses of a specific scope. A scope is an area of the network over which the address is unique. PNRP clouds are based on the address scopes for IPv6 addresses."

Now, to test the scalability of some new PNRP features, Microsoft has decided to turn on prnpauto, or PNRP Auto Registration, by default in Vista beta. Boot up your shiny new Vista and a PNRP name gets generated & out goes the registration. Now come the name resolvers a-knockin'. Bingo! Instant anomaly IDS test!

If you aren't all too happy with this arrangement, feel free to kill it off using the Task Manager or "net stop pnrpauto". My advise is to do this before ever putting the box on the wire. Otherwise, it may take some time for the cloud to realize that you aren't playing anymore and the traffic will continue.

Many thanks to Noah Horton for helping the ISC get a handle on what was going on. He also made a blog entry discussing this a bit further at:

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Diary Archives

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text:
Appears in Collections:Aquaculture Journal Articles
Peer Review Status: Refereed
Title: Daily rhythms of blood glucose differ in diurnal and nocturnal European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) undergoing seasonal phase inversions
Authors: Del, Pozo Ana
Vera, LM
Montoya, Ander
Sanchez-Vazquez, F Javier
Contact Email: luisa.veraandujar@stir.ac.uk
Keywords: Dualism
Annual rhythm
Circadian rhythm
Issue Date: Jun-2013
Publisher: Springer
Citation: Del Pozo A, Vera L, Montoya A & Sanchez-Vazquez FJ (2013) Daily rhythms of blood glucose differ in diurnal and nocturnal European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) undergoing seasonal phase inversions, Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 39 (3), pp. 695-699.
Abstract: Sea bass change their feeding rhythms from diurnal to nocturnal in winter, returning to diurnal feeding in spring. Despite behavioral data, the physiological changes that take place during such changes remain unexplored. In this paper, blood glucose rhythms of European sea bass with diurnal/nocturnal self-feeding rhythms were investigated during phase inversions of their feeding behavior (in winter and spring) when both diurnal and nocturnal fish coexist. Blood glucose showed daily variations in both seasons (ANOVA, p < 0.03), fitting a cosine function (COSINOR, p < 0.05) in all cases, except in diurnal fish in spring. The average blood glucose levels of nocturnal fish in winter (2.67 ± 0.09 mmol/l, mean ± SEM) were significantly (t test, p < 0.01) higher than in spring (2.20 ± 0.08 mmol/l), while they were similar (~2.25 mmol/l) in diurnal fish in both seasons. These findings revealed for the first time insights into the seasonal physiological changes that accompany changes in behavioral rhythms in diurnal and nocturnal sea bass.
Type: Journal Article
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/19627
DOI Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10695-012-9732-z
Rights: The publisher does not allow this work to be made publicly available in this Repository. Please use the Request a Copy feature at the foot of the Repository record to request a copy directly from the author. You can only request a copy if you wish to use this work for your own research or private study.
Affiliation: University of Murcia
University of Murcia
University of Murcia

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post Sorry We Suck

May 17th, 2012, 8:52 am

Filed under: blog — Written by Mike

Sorry, looks like the podcast isn’t going to happen this week.  Doug has some terrible excuse, like caring for a brand new small person that constantly cries and demands attention, furthering the human race.  My own reason is much more noble- I ate a lot of bacon this morning and feel sleepy.  I’m going to try and get Doug to post something at his most sleep-deprived, which should be entertaining.  I’m hoping for a new episode early next week.

Suggestions for topics always welcome, either here in the comments, or through Twitter or email.

Be Sociable, Share!

    6 Comments to “Sorry We Suck”

    1. david y says:

      Dudes, as bad as it is being kicked out of the playoffs how depressing will it be if the kings win the cup !! Will success up the road trigger any further changes at the sharks ? It feels like this was the year that could have been and everybody should should be feeling way too sick to even get to the golf course. Will a kings victory trigger a blowing up the team ?

    2. hateseed says:

      Beating LA twice to end the regular season was our mistake honestly. Beast-mode ever since.

      One possible topic for the next cast: speedy wingers. who do we want, who might actually be available (for reasonable/lofty return as far as I’m concerned).

    3. MJ says:

      i’m not allowed to have bacon anymore. tell me, is it still wonderful?

    4. jbardet says:

      how can one explain the kings’ run? Obviously Quick has been amazing, but what he hell. it just seems random now who gets hot in the playoffs and who does not.

      who could have expected st louis getting swept and their goaltending go to shit? I kinda dont get it at all. I think the game today is all about a good team creating its own luck. And Dustin Brown, apparently.

    5. jbardet says:

      oh and congrats, doug, mayor of crazy town.

    6. Cyoor says:

      Something you could talk about in the next episode could be the world championship where for example Canada got beaten by Slovakia, Sweden getting beaten by the czechs, USA getting beaten by the Fins and so on. Sup with that?

      Btw.. You got caught on camera this morning:

    Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


text:
Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Some News for Tue Aug 25, 2009

Two of the USA's brightest young prospects are headed for Germany. Justin Rodriquez of ESPN Soccernet reports that both Charles Renken and Joseph Gyau of the USA U17 Residency Program have signed with Hoffenheim. The German club also has a connection to the Vancouver Whitecaps (this is breaking news to me as well) and the players will see some of their time spent in BC at the residency program there as well as with the senior team in Germany.

Jozy Altidore slammed home the game winner as Hull City advance in the Carling Cup 3-1 over Southend United. Fans on SkySports rated Jozy's performance a 9.4 out of 10, with his next highest teammate getting an 8.0!

This is pretty ugly stuff: A Dallas fan from day 1 has written a letter to the team telling them to stuff it. He is tired of their 2nd or 3rd rate organization doing nothing at all to make a better team, or take care of their customers. He is right on the money. (A commenter took it all one step better and proposed ways to make the team better, not just complain.)
-Thanks to Tom at Pitch Invasion for the heads up!

And in my opinion there are 2 more MLS team owners beyond the Hunts who are only paying lip service to their fans. Yeah, I am talking about you New England and Colorado. It's a joke.

Kenny Cooper nabs his 2nd goal for 1860! Great start to his German career for Frankencooper.

Twitter from Fulham Football Club (in Russia for Europa League game against Amkar Perm on Thursday): FFC has arrived in Perm to an interesting welcome party including fifteen grim reapers and a banner of coffins and AJ in a grave. Nice.

The official web site of the tournament for all the up to date standings and game schedules.

All 3 MLS teams play on Wednesday night this week:

Group Stage - Matchday 2
Some Matches & Scores:
-Wed Aug 26
DC United v Toluca - 7pm Central on FSC & Telefutura
Cruz Azul v Columbus Crew - 9pm Central on FSC & Telefutura
Arabe Unido v Houston Dynamo - broadcast delayed to Thursday at 7pm Central on FSC

Official League Web Site

Paul Oberjurge is one of Landon Donovan's most trusted journalistic contacts and asked LD about the rumors of him going to Paris St Germain to which LD says "No comment." That says a lot. Great stuff here, including a good look at exactly what kind of team PSG is these days.

Kheli Dube was named Player Of The Week. No surprise when you bag 3 goals.

My friend Pat sent me an email today reminding me of the sheer idiocy of Chicago Fire centerback Dasan Robinson - last weekend he scored the winning goal in stoppage time then ripped off his shirt in celebration, but the shirt removal gets you a free Yellow Card, and seeing as he already had one card he saw Red and will miss next weeks game. Was it worth it buddy?? I bet your coach and teammates don't think so! Dasan Robinson = Big Dummy. If you ran the team, how much would you fine the player for that move?

Nick Green of the Daily Breeze looks ahead to Saturday's big LA derby.

Boulogne looks to be the team that will buy Chicago Fire centerback Bakary Soumare. But the deal is not done, so don't hold your breathe.

The Washington Post blog Soccer Insider with the story on DC attacker Boyzzz Khumalo who had surgery on his wrist, and nearly found out too late that he got a nasty infection. What a story!

The Post also has an article on the illness of DC coach Tom Soehn, which was NOT swine flu. It was also NOT llama flu, bird flu or goatfucker flu either.

Steve Davis at MLSnet gives us a good look at the not so obvious things from the past weekends games. He focuses on the teams with strong defense.

Dylan Butler at MLSnet gives a great rundown of all the players that MLS teams have signed during the summer transfer window, and there have been a lot of them. Very cool to see. And the window is not shut in some places yet.

Michael C Lewis of the Salt Lake Tribune wonders if the end is near for Real Salt Lake this season.
-Lewis also reports that things between the team and forward Yura Movsisyan have gotten cloudy.

John Molinaro of the CBC feels its time for referee's to put a stop to the "clutching, grabbing" that goes on during the games.

Molinaro also writes about what Toronto FC needs to accomplish to make the playoffs this year, with quotes from coach Chris Cummins. The team currently sits on 30 points, and the first spot out of the playoffs.

Ives Galarcep of ESPN Soccernet looks at the disaster that we know as Red Bull New York.

Galarcep over at Soccer By Ives does a Q & A with Red Bulls honcho Erik Stover.

And Metrofanatic gives us the eloquent: A Requiem for Osorio.

Big Apple Soccer with words from New York's Kevin Goldthwaite who was excited about his team finally winning, but upset about getting a Red Card.

11 Conor Casey
10 Fredy Montero
10 Landon Donovan
10 Guillermo Barros Schelotto
9 Jeff Cunningham
9 Dwayne De Rosario
9 Juan Pablo Angel

Official Web Site

Jack Bell of the New York Times gives us some info on the sale of the USL, and any involvement from MLS.

Vancouver forward Charles Gbeke has been named the league's Player Of The Week.

USL First Division Team of the Week:
Hunter Gilstrap - Cleveland - Three saves in 1-0 win over Minnesota
Jeremy Tolleson - Carolina - Led team in 0-0 draw at Rochester
Cedric Joqueviel - Montreal - Led team in 2-0 win over Austin
Takashi Hirano - Vancouver - Led team in draw and win
Ian Fuller - Charleston - Goal in 1-1 draw against Vancouver
Nano Short - Rochester - Goal in 3-3 draw against Minnesota
Jason Hotchkin - Cleveland - Goal, assist in win and loss
Jeremiah Bass - Minnesota - Goal in 3-3 draw at Rochester
Peter Byers - Montreal - Two goals in pair of wins
Charles Gbeke - Vancouver - Three goals in win and draw
Mandjou Keita - Portland - Two goals, assist in 3-1 win over Miami

Ollie Irish of Premier League Tales writes about the end of the Steven Cohen era of soccer radio in America.

Justin Rodriquez of ESPN Soccernet tracks down the members of the 2003 USA U17 squad to see where they are now. (I enjoy these articles)

Yanks Abroad talks to Connor Tobin of Nybergsund in Norway's 2nd tier.

Game Action: (only those that played are listed)

ENGLAND - Premiership
Brad Friedel - Aston Villa - went the distance and got a big 1-3 win at Liverpool.

GERMANY - 2 Bundesliga
Kenny Cooper - 1860 Munich - started and played 74 minutes, scoring his teams only goal, but they lost at home 1-3 to Karlsruhe.

NETHERLANDS - Erste Divisie
Charles Kazlauskas - Helmond Sport - played the full match as they won 3-1 at home over Excelsior. After 4 games they are in 2nd place.

Coming Up:

ENGLAND - League Cup 2nd round
Jozy Altidore - Hull City - Tue Aug 25 v Southend United
Jay DeMerit - Watford - Tue Aug 25 at Leeds
Mike Grella - Leeds - Tue Aug 25 v Watford
Marcus Hahnemann - Wolverhampton - Tue Aug 25 v Swindon Town
Ian Joyce - Southend United - Tue Aug 25 at Hull City
Frank Simek - Sheffield Wednesday - Tue Aug 25 at Port Vale
Jonathan Spector - West Ham - Tue Aug 25 v Millwall

EUROPA LEAGUE - Playoff Round 2nd Leg
Clint Dempsey - Fulham - Thu Aug 27 at Amkar Perm (3-1)
Mikkel Diskerud - Stabaek - Thu Aug 27 at Valencia (0-3)
Brad Friedel - Aston Villa - Thu Aug 27 v Rapid Vienna (0-1)
Ryan Guy - St Patrick's Athletic - Thu Aug 27 v Steaua Bucuresti (0-3)
Brad Guzan - Aston Villa - Thu Aug 27 v Rapid Vienna (0-1)
Tim Howard - Everton - Thu Aug 27 at Sigma Olomouc (4-0)
Eddie Johnson - Fulham - Thu Aug 27 at Amkar Perm (3-1)

El Salvador has announced their initial 22 player roster for the game on Sep 5 in Salt Lake City against the USA. Only 18 will make the game day roster.
Miguel Montes - Aguila
Dagoberto Portillo - Alianza
Alex Escobar - Metapan
Ramon Flores - FAS
Marvin Gonzalez - FAS
Mardoqueo Henriquez - FAS
Luis Miguel Hernandez - Aguila
Alfredo Pacheco - New York
Manuel Salazar - Firpo
Victor Turcios - Firpo
Deris Ariel Umanzor - Aguila
Denis Alas - Firpo
Arturo Alvarez - San Jose
Salvador Coreas - Municipal Limeno
Juan Carlos Moscoso - FAS
Eliseo Quintanilla - Ermis Aradippou
Osael Romero - Vista Hermosa
Ramon Sanchez - San Jose
Rudis Corrales - Aguila
William Reyes - FAS
Rodolfo Zelaya - Leon

The first big Premiership derby of the season is this weekend as Manchester United host Arsenal on Sat Aug 29 at 11:15am Central on FSC.

The first big European derby of the season is this weekend as Milan host Inter on Sat Aug 29 at 1:30pm Central on FSC!

Official web site for all match and tourney info. Playoff Round 2nd leg matches on Tue & Wed this week.

UEFA has given Dinamo Bucharest a 0-3 home forfeiture defeat against Slovan Liberec stemming from a match last week in which fans rioted in the stands and tried to storm the field. They will also play their next 2 home European matches in an empty stadium. There is also a stipulation for further punishment if they have any more problems in the next two years.

Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian on "the diamond midfield."

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Old 23 March 2005, 01:58   #5
Zone Friend
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Norway
Age: 39
Posts: 983
Well, hasn't Martin Edmundo left Reflections now, after the Driv3r fiasco? Thought I read that somewhere. Martin Edmundo was one of the main programmers/producer/coder/something on SOTB, wasn't he?
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Thread: AmigaOne + OS4
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Old 24 March 2005, 23:52   #33
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: New Zealand
Age: 49
Posts: 695
Well, I've read all the replies up until now and I don't have much to say aside from conveying that I don't suffer the burden of practicality... thank christ and I think it is time that the pro element disappears and resurfaces elsewhere free of unneccessary misleading insight I'll press return just twice, right about now

@Murakami, cool bananas be there soon!
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16 January 2007

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - download the new album

A message from the band:

Some Loud Thunder, our second album, will be available today, January 16th, as a download sometime before 3PM EST through our web site, thanks to our friends at Insound. In a few hours we will post a news item on our site that will link you to the download, so keep checking the site today. We will also stream the entire record from our myspace page, where we currently have 4 songs.

If you order the album as a download, you will receive a real CD (made of real plastic) somewhere around January 30th when the album officially comes out. You will also be able to order a limited edition Some Loud Thunder t-shirt for an extra low price.

Here is our website, where you can download the album later today:
Previously the band made two new songs from the album available for your listening enjoyment.


text:
From the Web

Your EDM Premiere: POOLCLVB – Always

Australian producer POOLCLVB has been putting out some of the grooviest tunes on the planet for the better part of two years now. Now, with an EP right around the corner, I’ve been tasked with premiering to you You+Me’s lead single “Always”.

The tune is whimsical summer-house fun from start to finish which makes for an extremely feel-good listening experience that has me thinking back to the beautiful days of May and June. Chock-full of playful samples and rhythms, “Always” is definitely a tune to be enjoyed outside with a drink in hand and beach-wear in tow.”

Check out the single and keep an eye out for the forthcoming You + Me EP which is slated for a January 2017 release.

Source link

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text:
Friday, May 16, 2008

Butterflies from Fort Snelling State Park

I will be out birding today and hopefully getting a lot of good pics to share. I have to keep John entertained after all, LOL. Hopefully I will start getting some pics up in a couple of days but right now I am stuck using a hotel PC today and tomorrow so no uploading. But I usually am prepared and I have a few posts of pics waiting. While birding around Fort Snelling I stopped to take a few butterfly pics.
mourning cloak
Cabbage white.

This was the first time that I have seen cabbage white butterflies so I am hopeful that soon there will be more butterflies and dragonflies to photograph. Unfortunately a lot of the best places that I found last year are currently under water, we had more snow last winter and a rainy spring so there is a lot of extra water around.

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text:
Monday, March 29, 2010

Gardening 2010

I've been on a hiatus from blogging lately. Actually, I wrote this blog several months ago and never got around to posting it. With work, moving, and my presidential duties at the Hoosier Chapter SWCS it's been busy around here. Now with spring starting up (actually summer now), it's time to have that garden Steph and I have always wanted. We have a master plan, thanks to Steph's uncanny ability to use Microsoft Excel as a layout map. Each cell is equal to one square foot, so that the layout is to known scale. We're really ambitious for our first year with the plan to plant 16 different types of vegetables. If you're interested in checking it out, go to our Google Spreadsheet by clicking here. With our master plan we visited Cox's Plant Farm outside of Clayton to purchase all the seeds. The only seed they didn't have was Sweet Potatoes. We had planned to grow both Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes, but we'll just try regular Potatoes this year.

So with the master plan and all the vegetable seeds, it was time to prepare the ground. Being an advocate of no-till farming, it was hard 'tilling' up the garden. The best part about the location of our garden is it is located about 50 feet from the creek with a grass buffer in-between. You will notice in the picture below, the garden is located in at the back corner of our back yard. We purchase prefabricated fence panels and posts at Menard's (half-priced). It was required to have the garden fenced, since my dogs would love running around in all that loose soil.

Garden Layout

Compost Bin
(full of yummy veggie goodness)

First Plantings - Lettuce and Spinach

Lettuce and Spinach Coming Up

Seedling Plantings Setup

Growing Seedlings

Of course the summer is among us now and the garden is past full bloom. In the coming weeks I will continue the saga of the Wagner garden.


text:
Bryan Caplan

The Prideful Worker Effect

Farewell, Art Carden... Immigrants and their Motivatio...
Both economists and laymen often claim that unemployment statistics paint an overly rosy picture of the labor market.  Why?  Because they refuse to count discouraged workers as "unemployed."  To qualify as "unemployed," you have to look for a job.  But especially during recessions, many workers who genuinely want jobs abandon their search because their efforts seem hopeless.

The next step: As soon as the discouraged workers tell the government they've stopped looking, they're officially converted from "unemployed" to "out of the labor force."  This problem seems unusually important during the recent recovery - the unemployment rate is falling, but so is the labor force participation rate.

I have no doubt that the Discouraged Worker Effect is real and sizable.  But almost no one discusses a potentially important offsetting effect.  I call it the Prideful Worker Effect.  Key idea: Some officially unemployed workers have unreasonably high expectations.  They focus their job search on positions for which they are underqualified - and ignore lower-status but more realistic opportunities.  Officially, they're "unemployed."  In reality, though, we should probably consider them "out of the labor force."

Intuitively, I'm not an unemployed astronaut, because I'm not an astronaut at all.  If I held out for a job as an astronaut, the statistician who codes me as "unemployed" turns my delusion into a folie a deux.

The Prideful Worker Effect, like the Discouraged Worker Effect, is a matter of degree.  We could argue for hours about whether any particular individual belongs in either box.  So it's no wonder that official statistics prefer bright lines, even if the bright lines are misleading.  But vagueness has not prevented economists from trying to measure the prevalence of discouraged workers.  Why not come up with some plausible measures of prideful workers, and see what we find?

COMMENTS (12 to date)
Tom writes:

The "prideful" worker (who has unrealistic expectations of his earning potential) will eventually become the discouraged worker. But one plausible measure of the "prideful" worker are the long-term unemployed, those unemployed for greater than 26 weeks for instances.

Actually, there are alternative measures of unemployment. The U-3 is the official unemployment rate. The U-4 is a broader measure of unemployment that includes discouraged workers. Adding discouraged workers increases the unemployment rate by one half a percentage point.

Tom writes:

On reflection, I’m not sure why a "staunch anti-nationalist" would concern himself with the national unemployment rate or for that matter national GDP, productivity, employment, national tax rates, national investment and savings. Shouldn't you concern yourself with the world unemployment rate and the world labor force participation rate?

Tim writes:

The worldwide unemployment rate would only be something worth concerning yourself with if we had a worldwide market for labor.

Thanks to the nativist policies of most nations, we do not live in a world with such a market.

This might explain why some people stay adjunct professors instead of getting better jobs.

Johnson85 writes:

I think the prideful workers generally are the same people as the discouraged workers. For the most part, if you present yourself well, are willing to show up to work on time, and are literate enough to say, work a cash register, there are jobs out there for you. Obviously there are some workers that don't meet these requirements, legitimately can't find a job, and eventually move into the discouraged worker class. But I would guess that a lot of the discouraged workers are people that had low ranking 'professional' or office jobs before, can't find work they think is worthy, and move to the discouraged workers class without ever applying for a job at a walmart, mcdonalds, etc.

RPLong writes:

You could also consider the "dislocated worker effect." Some people who are currently unemployed in Michigan could quite likely find gainful employment in North Dakota, but they don't want to move.

Similarly, some people who are unemployed in Jakarta could probably find work in Houston, but laws are an onerous barrier to working those jobs.

Philippe writes:

Earl Thompson thought that recessions were caused by workers having overly optimistic expectations of the nominal wage they could get on the market. Very relevant to the current debate about the effects of unemployment benefits.

mike davis writes:

We shouldn’t worry much about whether “prideful workers” are distorting our interpretation of the unemployment rate as a measure of welfare. That’s because we should always remember that the unemployment rate is a spectacularly bad measure of welfare. This is not surprising since it was intended mostly as a way of describing the demand and supply and of labor.

With that said, prideful workers distort our understanding of labor markets in a very different way than do discouraged workers . A change in the number of discouraged worker has a clear impact on labor markets—at least if we define a discouraged workers as someone with the skills necessary to perform a job but for whatever reason chooses not to supply labor. I may be a lousy economist but I’d be a terrific Walmart greeter. If I get fired as an economist, I probably won’t apply at Walmart. I’ll be a discouraged worker, a fact that benefits the willing greeters.

A prideful worker claims to be willing to supply labor at the equilibrium wage but is unable to satisfy the real needs of an employer. As such, the prideful worker appears to be adding supply side pressure to the labor market, but in fact has no impact at all. I’d be glad to run JP Morgan for half of what Jamie Dimon gets paid. Jamie’s bonus is not threatened by my offer.

I have direct experience with this prideful worker syndrome. On two occasions I have received unemployment pay for the allowed duration (six months if I recall correctly).

On the first occasion, I had been retraining myself starting in 1999 to work as a software developer. I got my first job in my new profession in mid 2000, right near the end of the dot-com bubble. The company that hired me was over optimistic. They spent some venture-capitalist's money to hire developers in order to have staff on hand when the anticipated contracts came in. But the contracts did not come in. I was laid off after five months in one of the company's dying spasms.

In retrospect there was a bubble, too much hype. There never had been a productive place for that company in that economy. Perhaps, similarly, there never had been a productive place for me, as the developer I was trying to gussy myself up to be, in that economy.

Yet, when I applied for unemployment pay, I noticed an assumption in the structure of the government system. They took my word for it that I was an unemployed software developer. They would give me unemployment pay as long as I looked for work in the field which I claimed as my profession: as a software developer.

There was nothing in the government system, as I experienced it, that could recognize that a worker's claimed profession was unneeded in the economy.

Suppose an industry needs to die because it is unneeded. The laid off workers should start training immediately to change professions. But the government will pay them for six months to sit around and do nothing but seek work where no work exists.

MingoV writes:

Our official method of calculating unemployment is worse than described above. Not only does the method omit discouraged workers, it also omits:

High school dropouts and high school and college grads who have not found jobs. They never worked, they are not eligible for unemployment compensation, so they don't get counted as unemployed.

People who left the workplace years ago and want to return. (Typically women whose children are grown.) If they haven't worked in recent years, then they are not eligible for unemployment benefits and don't get counted as unemployed.

There are millions of people in those categories. If they were factored in, the unemployment percentage probably would rise by more than 2%.

@RP Long: In a two-worker family with one unemployed, if the one who currently is employed is the primary breadwinner, then moving away so the spouse can get a job usually isn't an option.

Tom writes:

First of all, one's eligibility for unemployment compensation has nothing to do with whether you are counted as unemployed. The number of people receiving unemployment compensation is probably about ONLY a third of the total number of unemployed. I should probably stop here to let that sink in to peoples' heads for a while.

The unemployment rate is calculated by a survey. It is called the Current Population Survey. A questioner comes to your door and asks you questions about whether you are employed or have been actively seeking work within the last 4 weeks. And guess what? The person answering the questions could be a high school dropout or a college grad who has not found a job. The person answering the questions could be someone who has left work years ago and wants to return. The person could be a mom whose children have grown. You may not even be eligible for unemployment compensation. Oh my. The person’s answer is recorded by the questioner and that person’s answer is part of the survey that is used to calculate the unemployment rate. To be part of the survey there is no requirement that you are eligible for unemployment compensation. There is no requirement that you are currently receiving unemployment compensation. There is no requirement that you have worked in the past. And, BLS even calculates an alternative unemployment rate that includes discouraged workers (U-4) for you.

RPLong writes:

MingoV - Doubtless. You've articulated one example of what I was calling the "dislocated worker effect."

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Cut in Nifty targets reflects downgrade in earnings: UBS

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Gautam Chhaochharia, Hd India Research, UBS says that the cut in Nifty targets is a direct reflection of the downgrades in earnings estimates. Gautam goes on to add that an earning growth of 10% is expected in FY16.

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My colleagues down under have announced a technical conference to be held in Sydney the week of 15 September....

Image:Lotus Collaboration and Portal Technical Conference, Sydney, September

On the 15th, they'll hold the annual "Lotus Collaboration Summit", which is a free product/strategy event similar to those which were done worldwide last year in the second half of the year.  Then, from the 16th to the 19th, they'll hold the Lotus Collaboration and Portal Technical Conference, a four-day, deep dive event with five separate tracks of deep dive technical sessions.  The price is AU$2990 per person, but the Aussies have put in place a buy 5, get one free discount as well as a discount for IBM business partners.

There has been a lot of demand from the ANZ market for a local event on the size and scope of Lotusphere, or the Lotus Fusion event from years past.  While not a full week freebie, this set of events will deliver on both the strategy and on the technical content that you've asked for.

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Gilliam's Other Holy Grail Movie

By Damian Arlyn
In a perfect world, not only would I see every film on the big screen but I would know absolutely nothing about them beforehand. Once in a while I am reminded that the best way to see a movie is with no foreknowledge whatsoever as to the film's genre, cast or plot. To go in having no preconceived notions about how one ought to feel or what one ought to think about it — no expectations for how impressed one is supposed to be by the performances, sets, costumes, budget, etc. — but to simply approach the work on its own terms and be either carried away by the reality it creates for itself or be alienated from that reality based solely on the competence with which it weaves its tale would be my ideal. Of course, I realize that we do not live in such a world. Even if it were possible to see every film in the theater (which, for many people it is not, due to physical limitations or economic difficulties) I'm not sure I'd want to given how awful so many movies are nowadays. If I could somehow be guaranteed ahead of time of a film's quality, I'd be willing to go into every film-viewing experience completely "pure" and uncorrupted by any outside information or influence. As it is, I can recount the exact number of times I went to a movie under such circumstances. It has happened precisely twice. The first was The Fisher King. The second was The Usual Suspects. Since the former celebrates its 20th anniversary today, it is that title with which I will be concerning myself.

My dad took me to see The Fisher King when I was 15 and, as I've said, I knew very little about it outside of its enigmatic title and the fact that it starred Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges (a fact I was able to glean from the marquee poster on the outside of the theater). I had no idea that the story involved a cynical, egotistical Manhattan radio "shock jock" named Jack Lucas (Bridges) whose careless on-air remarks prompt a disturbed caller to open fire with a shotgun in a restaurant full of yuppies before turning the gun on himself.

Racked with guilt, Jack descends into a deep depression and alcoholism for three years during which time he shacks up with a self-assured New York woman named Anne (Mercedes Ruehl) who owns a video store. On a particularly bleak night, Jack attempts suicide but two young hoodlums who find him and start pouring gasoline on him intending to set him ablaze interrupt him when he is saved by Parry (Williams) a homeless man who believes he's a knight sent on a quest from God to find the Holy Grail. Jack soon learns that Parry's insanity stems from his traumatic experience in the restaurant the night of the shooting when his wife was one of the seven people killed. Feeling responsible and, in a desperate attempt to ease his conscience, Jack resolves to help Parry in some way and thinks he may have discovered how when he notices Parry pining from afar for a mousy woman named Lydia (Amanda Plummer). I didn't know any of this going in.

Despite (or perhaps because of) my ignorance of the film prior to seeing it, I was positively captivated by it from beginning to end. Somehow it weaved a magical spell over me. As the cliche goes, I had never seen anything like it before. It quickly became my favorite film and remained so for a couple of years. I bought the soundtrack, which featured segments from the wonderful score by George Fenton, and even found a copy of the novelization to help enrich my understanding of the story and its themes, all of which resonated quite strongly with me: love, loss, forgiveness and especially redemption.

I also did not know who Terry Gilliam was. I didn't even really know about Monty Python yet, so I certainly didn't know that The Fisher King wasn't his first cinematic foray into the subject of the Holy Grail (though I was at least acquainted with the Grail having seen Indiana Jones search for the thing two years prior). I didn't know that this was a rare occasion where Gilliam, who normally writes his own screenplays, was really a director-for-hire. After the debacle that was The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Gilliam was looking for a smaller and more intimate story to tell and he found it in the unique and spellbinding screenplay written by Richard LaGravenese (who would go on to pen The Ref, Beloved and The Bridges of Madison County). Interestingly, when I watch the film now — having seen the rest of Gilliam's oeuvre and being a big admirer of his work — it seems like a project tailor-made for Gilliam and his personal pet interests such as reality versus fantasy, imagination as an escape from tragedy, medieval knights in shining armor, etc.

The film is filled with dozens of entrancing and unforgettable scenes. The sweet and hilarious double date that begins with Lydia clumsily knocking things over (with Parry doing the same in an attempt to make her feel less awkward) and ends with everyone in hysterics before Williams sings a sweet and simple rendition of "Lydia the Tattooed Lady," the frightening chases involving the Red Knight, the climactic sequence where Jack attempts to retrieve the Grail from its "castle" (all the while commenting to himself on how crazy it is), the nightmarish flashbacks to the murders at the restaurant and Michael Jeter's audacious Ethel Merman-style musical number delivered to a flabbergasted Lydia are just a few. However, my all-time favorite sequence from the film occurs in Grand Central Station. It begins with Parry looking through the crowd for Lydia. When he finally glimpses her, he smiles and the music starts. She walks right past him and suddenly a couple dances by in the background as the cute little ditty that was playing transitions into a beautiful waltz. Soon that couple is followed by another and another until everyone in Grand Central is waltzing around Parry as he follows Lydia across the floor. It's a charming sequence and apparently was not in the original script but was the brainchild of Gilliam, who needed a way to visually capture how bewitched Parry is with his fair maiden. It's sublime.

The performances by all the actors are excellent. Jeff Bridges may be enjoying somewhat of a rejuvenation in his career currently, but at the time of The Fisher King he was just another solid, respected but somewhat underrated actor (like Johnny Depp before Pirates of the Caribbean or Robert Downey Jr. before Iron Man). His portrayal of the selfish, cynical jerk is actually the emotional anchor of the story. He's the straight man off of whom Williams can play his performance as Parry, a variation on his usual manic screen persona, though here it is put to good use in the guise of an insane, but brilliant, former history professor who even in madness has an entire library of references from which to draw upon in his ravings (one can almost imagine that had Williams' character from Dead Poets Society lost his mind, the results might look something like this). What makes Williams' performance superior to his usual fare are the quieter, more sensitive moments such as when he finally confesses to Lydia that he loves her. Williams earned a best actor nomination for his turn as Parry, but alas he would not receive that Oscar until years later for his stellar supporting work in Good Will Hunting. Mercedes Ruehl, however, did take the best supporting actress statuette home that year for her indelible turn as Jeff Bridges' sassy girlfriend and it was well-deserved. She embodies the self-assured, no-nonsense New York Italian woman perfectly. Amanda Plummer plays Lydia with just the right amount of sweetness and eccentricity and the late Michael Jeter as a gay cabaret singer does what is perhaps the best Ethel Merman impression I've ever heard in a film (except perhaps for Lt. Hurwitz in Airplane!). Also, David Hyde Pierce, Harry Shearer, Kathy Najimy and John de Lancie all play supporting roles.

Generally speaking, The Fisher King was well-received by critics and did respectable business at the box office (making $42 million on a $24 million budget). In the 20 years that have elapsed since I first walked into that theater completely unaware of what I was about to experience, other films have gone on to replace it as my "favorite," but it will always have a special place in my heart. Its story still moves me, its music still delights me, its action scenes still thrill me and its characters still charm me. To this day when I watch it I want to believe that Parry is not totally crazy, that he really is "the janitor of God" and that the chalice they retrieve truly is the Holy Grail, "the symbol of God's divine grace." It may not be Terry Gilliam's best film (I tend to be unoriginal and go with Brazil on that point) but it is probably his most enchanting and more than any other film, shows off his gift as a romantic, honest-to-God storyteller and not just an eye-dazzling satirist/rebel.

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For most journalists, traveling into North Korea is like the holy grail of assignments.

Not because it's a particularly glamorous destination with beautiful beaches, delicious food or artistic masterpieces, but because it is so mysterious -- literally and figuratively closed off to the real world. It is so isolated, it's called the "hermit kingdom."

As with many countries, you have to get a visa to enter as a journalist, but North Korea seldom grants them. I had one nine years ago, but at the last minute, I was redirected by breaking news and couldn't use it. I was really torn, because on the one hand I had to cover the Rambouillet talks that preceded the 1999 Kosovo War, but on the other hand I so wanted that rare glimpse of the Secret State.

So when CNN asked me to cover the historic trip of the New York Philharmonic to Pyongyang at the end of February, I jumped at the chance. After months of negotiations, the North Korean government agreed to the orchestra's demands for playing Pyongyang, which happily for us included bringing in a large contingent of journalists.

I was under no illusion that we journalists would have free run of the place -- far from it. However, any access is better than none, and any time is better than never, even in the dead of freezing North Korean winter. Behind-the-Scenes photos from inside North Korea Read full article »

All About New York PhilharmonicNorth Korea

Notes from North Korea
Christiane Amanpour ventures to one of the world's most closed societies with a rare look inside a notorious top-secret nuclear facility.
Saturday and Sunday, 8 and 11 p.m. ET

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Borger: Shouldn't GOP wait for a better target?

  • Story Highlights
  • Gloria Borger says Sonia Sotomayor resembles Obama in some ways
  • Conservatives are preparing to fight nomination, she says
  • Borger: They'll use public appearances as well as decisions
By Gloria Borger
CNN Senior Political Analyst
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Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull," "AC360" and "State of the Union with John King," as well as special event coverage.

President Obama chose Sonia Sotomayor to fill a coming vacancy on the Supreme Court.

President Obama chose Sonia Sotomayor to fill a coming vacancy on the Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- All told, Sonia Sotomayor spent six hours at the White House last week, one of them with President Obama.

As it turns out, that interview was the most important one she had -- because she aced it, and as one senior administration official told me, "she won it in the interview."

In some ways, it's surprising, because the president actually "knew the least about her" of any of the Supreme Court candidates, according to this senior official.

But in many ways, it's not surprising, since her life story also resembles that of the president himself: raised by a single (widowed) mom, excelling academically at elite universities and then deciding to devote her life to public service. So when the president talks of someone who has "life experience outside the law," she fits the bill.

And when you look at her own words, it's as if she has been channeling Obama. As she told the Los Angeles Daily Journal in 1992, "I'm a down-to-Earth litigator, and that's what I expect I'll be like as a judge."

That's exactly what the president was looking for.

It didn't hurt, of course, that she has been confirmed by the Senate twice. And, as a senior administration official points out, none other than ranking Judiciary Committee Republican Orrin Hatch has voted for her twice (although in a statement Tuesday, he remained noncommittal).

It didn't hurt that she's Hispanic; "let Republicans go there," a White House aide said.

And the White House maintains that she is the ultimate bipartisan pick, since she was nominated by George H.W. Bush in 1991 and then again by Bill Clinton in 1997. Actually, Bush 41 appointed her to the court because he had cut a deal with then-New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan: The senator got to choose a couple of nominees in New York. His pick: Sotomayor, so Bush recommended her.

In any case, no one can say she doesn't have the credentials. But that's truly beside the point for conservative opponents. This is about two things: attacking her as an activist judge and ensuring their own survival. As a way to raise money, it works, but only after every complicated court decision is reduced to a digestible sound bite.

Conservatives are marshaling their forces to make the case that she is a bad choice because she "will allow her feelings and personal politics to stand in the way of basic fairness." That quote is direct from a crib sheet of talking points distributed by conservatives. Indeed, it continues, "[she] readily admits that she applies her feelings and personal politics when deciding cases."

No doubt, they'll use the recent case of Ricci v. DeStefano, in which she supported the city of New Haven, Connecticut's decision to throw out the results of a firefighter promotion exam because almost no minorities qualified for promotions. The Supreme Court is about to rule on that case -- and, some say, overturn Sotomayor's thinking -- perhaps even before her confirmation hearings.

But in a way, it's not just about her decisions. Opponents also point to various public appearances in which she made the case that the federal court of appeals is where "policy is made," as she said at Duke University in 2005. And at Berkeley in 2001, she mused, "I wonder whether by ignoring our differences as women or men of color, we do a disservice both to the law and society."

Those are abhorrent words to those who oppose any inkling of activism in their jurists. And they will raise them as such.

But here's the question: Wouldn't it be more prudent for Republicans to save their fire for a better target? Someone perhaps not as qualified? Or someone who is not quite as historic an appointment as Sotomayor?

No doubt, as Sen. John McCain said Tuesday, she would probably not have been his pick. But then again, he added, "my initial thoughts are that elections have consequences, and this is his selection."

Advise and consent, sure. But it's the knee-jerk opposition that can get you in trouble.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gloria Borger.

All About Sonia Sotomayor

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21 killed in suicide attack on African Union base in Somalia

  • Story Highlights
  • Seventeen soldiers, four civilians killed in attack on African Union base
  • Bombing was carried out by militants driving vehicles bearing U.N. logos
  • Al-Shabaab, the Islamist militia with ties to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility
  • Strike came days after U.S. special forces killed a senior al Qaeda operative
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(CNN) -- A brazen, daylight suicide bombing on the African Union's peacekeeping mission in Somalia's capital has killed at least 21 people, mostly peacekeepers, the mission said Friday.

The attack on the African Union base came days after U.S. special forces killed Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan, pictured.

The attack came days after U.S. special forces killed Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan, pictured, in southern Somalia.

Suicide bombers, disguised in two U.N.-marked vehicles, Thursday rammed through the security gate of the mission's headquarters, which is attached to Mogadishu's airport.

They detonated their explosives just as Somalia's transitional government and mission representatives concluded a high-level meeting inside the compound, said the African Union's special representative for Somalia, Nicolas Bwakira. The attack killed four Somali civilians and 17 Ugandan and Burundian soldiers, including the mission's second in command, Burundian Maj. Gen. Juvenal Niyonguruza, he said.

The force commander, Ugandan Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha, was among the 40 wounded. He assumed command of the African Union Mission in Somalia -- known as AMISOM -- last month.

The bombs struck a building that also housed the offices of DynCorp International, a U.S. military contractor that supports the peacekeeping operation, according to Bwakira. It is unclear if any of DynCorp's employees were among those wounded in the strike, and a company representative could not be immediately reached for comment.

After the bombings, insurgents fired mortars at the African Union compound in an effort to maximize the number of casualties, Bwakira said.

Al-Shabaab, the Islamist militia with ties to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the African Union.

The strike happened days after U.S. special forces targeted and killed a senior al Qaeda operative in southern Somalia.

Analysts immediately hailed the death of Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan on Monday as a major blow to al Qaeda's efforts to work with Al-Shabaab to try to gain a foothold in the lawless country.

Days later, however, Al-Shabaab struck back at the most prominent Western-linked target in Mogadishu -- the African Union peacekeeping mission.

The African Union has a 3,400-member peacekeeping force in Somalia, made up of troops from Burundi and Uganda. It operates under a U.N. mandate to support Somalia's transitional federal government.

The peacekeeping force is charged with protecting key government and strategic installations in Mogadishu, including the port, airport and presidential palace. It is the de facto military force of the weak, transitional Somali government.

Thursday's bombing was the deadliest attack on African Union peacekeepers in Mogadishu. It was also a show of force by Al-Shabaab to the West, particularly after the death of Nabhan, who was considered the main link between al Qaeda and Al-Shabaab.

Bwakira said he hoped it would "galvanize the international community ... to do more and do better" in helping restore order to Somalia.

"The international community needs to do more, we are not happy with what we have today," the African Union ambassador said. "We need more financial support, military support and the international community needs to deliver that support -- not just deliver lip service."

Suicide bombings have become more common as Al-Shabaab strengthens its ties with al Qaeda, but the bombers rarely are able to penetrate security as deeply as the attackers apparently did Thursday.

Western countries vowed not to let the attack deter their mission.

The United Nations, European Union, Arab League, United States and others issued a joint statement vowing "not be deterred by such criminal acts and (to) continue all our efforts to ensure the return of peace and stability in Somalia."

France helped evacuate 17 of those wounded in Thursday's bombing to a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, its foreign ministry said Friday. Other wounded victims were taken to Nairobi by the Nairobi-based charity group AMREF.

France and the United States have been supporting Somalia's transitional government on security issues. The United States is supplying arms to Somali forces.

CNN's David McKenzie contributed to this report

All About African UnionAl ShabaabSomaliaAl Qaeda

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Texas police shoot woman, 93

Texas police shoot woman, 93
Texas police shoot woman, 93

    Texas police shoot woman, 93

Texas police shoot woman, 93 00:48

Story highlights

  • DA: A man believed to be the woman's relative called 911 asking for help
  • Police, prosecutor say officer asked 93-year-old woman to drop gun; she refused
  • Officer fired three times on Pearlie Golden at her home, hitting her twice, attorney says
  • Community members upset over shooting of "Ms. Sully" and say she was sweet woman
Texas Rangers are investigating why police in a small central Texas town fatally shot a 93-year-old woman at her home.
Pearlie Golden, a longtime resident of Hearne, a town of approximately 4,600 people about 150 miles south of Dallas, was shot multiple times Tuesday.
A man believed to be a relative of Golden's made the 911 call asking for help from police, Robertson County District Attorney Coty Siegert said.
"What I understand is (Hearne police) were called out because a woman was brandishing a firearm," Siegert said.
"An officer asked her to put the handgun down, and when she would not, shots were fired."
Hearne City Attorney Bryan Russ Jr. said Officer Stephen Stem told Golden to drop her weapon at least three times.
Stem fired three times, and Golden was hit at least twice, he said.
She was transported to a local hospital, where she died.
The Hearne Police Department placed Stem on administrative leave pending the inquiry.
"We're very saddened by this. Everybody in the city government is deeply disappointed that this lady was killed," Russ said. "Now, the investigation is out of our hands. It's under the Texas Rangers, which is where we want it to be."
According to police, the Texas Rangers have a revolver believed to have been in Golden's possession at the time of the shooting.
Community members told CNN affiliate KBTX that Golden, known affectionately as "Ms. Sully," was a sweet woman.
"Even if she did have a gun, she is in her 90s," Lawanda Cooke told KBTX. "They could have shot in the air to scare her. Maybe she would have dropped it. I don't see her shooting anyone."
The case will eventually be presented to a grand jury, which is standard procedure when dealing with officer-involved incidents, Russ said.
In the meantime, Hearne City Council members will meet Saturday to discuss Stem's employment or whether any disciplinary action will be taken.
"I would expect people to be upset about this, a young police officer shooting a 93-year-old lady," Russ said. "I'm upset about it. Most of our citizens are upset but at the same time I don't believe all the facts have come to the surface yet."


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Did CNN Rock the Vote?; CBS Cancels 'The Reagans'

Aired November 9, 2003 - 11:30   ET

HOWARD KURTZ, HOST (voice-over): Hoping for hipness. Did CNN and the Democratic candidates rock the vote or just pander to young people? Do regular folks ask better questions than journalists, and is the public sick of all these debates?

Movie meltdown, CBS cancels "The Reagans," the unbalanced and controversial film about the former first couple. Did the network abandon a flawed piece of fiction or bow to pressure from Matt Drudge, Bill O'Reilly and Republican chief Ed Gillespie?

And "Autumn of the Moguls." Author Michael Wolff on Rupert Murdoch and other media big shots, and how he wants to join their club.

KURTZ: Welcome to RELIABLE SOURCES, where we turn a critical lens on the media. I'm Howard Kurtz. Journalists love asking questions at political debates. After all, they're the ones who study the issues and scrutinize the candidates, and they believe they have a special ability to pin down the politicians, to make news, and, let's face it, to bask in the spotlight. Which is a perfect subject for "The Spin Cycle."

BERNARD SHAW: If Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty?

KURTZ (voice-over): But in recent years, it has become more fashionable to let real people ask the questions. Since, the argument goes, they care more about down to earth bread and butter issues than preening press types.

All the better for trend watchers if the regular folks are part of an identifiable group, say, MTV-loving 18 to 30-year-olds who advertisers know like beer and fast cars. So if CNN's "Rock the Vote" debate in Boston was any indication, here are some of the serious issues on the minds of young Americans who asked the candidates directly or submitted their thoughts to moderator Anderson Cooper.

Grand questions of strategy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're the manager of the Boston Red Sox. It's game seven.

KURTZ: Technology issues.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it's not quite boxers or briefs, but Macs or PCs?

KURTZ: Preservation of the species.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: "Why did you have to kill those two pheasants in Iowa last week? You find it necessary to kill animals for photo-ops?"

KURTZ: Social interaction.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you could pick one of your fellow candidates to party with, which would you choose?

KURTZ: Not to mention national drug policy.

COOPER: Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past? Yes?

KURTZ: There were cheers, but mainly for the candidates who said yes.

KURTZ: Boy, things have changed since Bill Clinton told the world he didn't inhale. But it was Clinton, of course, who told an MTV audience he wore briefs, not boxers.

So are the media serving up news with these debates, or just political theater? Well, joining us now from New York, Michael Wolff, a columnist for "New York Magazine." His new book, "Autumn of the Moguls: My Misadventures with the Titans, Poseurs and Money Guys Who Messed Up Big Media."

And here in Washington, radio talk show host Laura Ingraham. She's the author of the best-selling "Shut Up and Sing: How Elites in Hollywood, Politics and the U.N. are Subverting America."

And William Saletan, chief political correspondent for the online magazine "Slate."

Welcome to all.

Laura Ingraham, was CNN trying to connect with young people with this debate or just project a hipper image?

LAURA INGRAHAM, "SHUT UP AND SING" AUTHOR: CNN was trying to look a little hip and also trying to get young people, I think, to turn into cable news and into politics early on this political season.

And there's some fun that comes out of these debates, some questions that, you know, you wouldn't ask and I wouldn't probably ask. But you know, people are 18 or 19 or 20, they look at the world differently and I think sometimes this kind of thing is fun. I'm not sure who's paying attention and it's a fun issue and a fun time to do it. But I don't think much is getting accomplished here.

KURTZ: A lot of slack being cut by Laura Ingraham.

William Saletan, you're a young person. At least, you're younger than me. Did this debate speak to you, or were you embarrassed by some of these inane questions?

WILLIAM SALETAN, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, "SLATE": I was embarrassed. I think if you watched the first 15 minutes of this debate, you saw all that was worth seeing. It was all the flag stuff, the Confederate flag.

And then after that, it was just these silly questions, like Macs versus PCs. A completely useless question. Showed nobody -- didn't show anything about the personality of the candidate, much less their policies. And what really bugs me is the way the candidates pandered to these questioners. When they ask stupid questions, you know, just talk about something else.

KURTZ: What do you want them to do? Slap them around? Insult them?

SALETAN: They patted them on the back. John Kerry comes out after he gets asked about the Red Sox. He says, "Great question." No, not a great question. You just wasted two minutes of John Kerry's time and everybody else's time.

KURTZ: And our time.

SALETAN: Absolutely.

KURTZ: All right. Michael Wolff, could all this have anything to do with the 10 percent drop this season in the Nielson ratings for 18- to 34-year-olds? Everybody wants those younger viewers, right?

MICHAEL WOLFF, "AUTUMN OF THE MOGULS" AUTHOR: Well, everybody does, but this is not the way to get them. You know, the idea -- I mean, in this whole Rock the Vote thing, when it originally began, has always seemed to me for one thing to be incredibly condescending. It gives me the creeps.

And I think it gives most young people the creeps. I mean, it certainly has never produced ratings before. It's not producing them now.

KURTZ: Laura Ingraham, what do you make of all the cheering for the past marijuana users? The point at which -- Joe Lieberman said -- he had to say he was sorry he never tried it.

INGRAHAM: It's just goofy. I mean, the whole thing is goofy. But the idea that the Democrats want to connect with young people, well, they'd better start. The Harvard Institute for Politics study that just came out last week shows that young people support Bush at a larger rate and larger percentage than other age groups. Eighteen to 30-year-olds tending to be more conservative on a whole host of issues. That's bad news for the Democrat Party.

But asking questions about, you know, computers and, you know, what downloads do you do? It makes no sense. But what do you expect these kids to ask? You know, questions about the GDP? I don't think so. That's not going to -- that's not going to get any yuks from the audience. And they want to goof around. They want to go, you know, go have a keg afterward or something. So it's not a big deal.

INGRAHAM: Yes, exactly.

WOLFF: But there's actually -- there's actually a larger point here, because the Democrats do connect with young people demonstrably more than Republicans.

INGRAHAM: No, they don't.

WOLFF: Yes, they do.

INGRAHAM: No, they don't.

WOLFF: They...

INGRAHAM: Did you see the Harvard poll, Michael?

WOLFF: Yes, but that's young people who vote. If you look at young people who don't vote, which is the great majority of that age group, they connect with the Democrats in theory.

SALETAN: One of the problems, though, is that when these politicians try to connect with young people, they do it in this very ham-handed way, and they end up looking silly. I mean...

KURTZ: It's condescending.

SALETAN: It's what happened with Clinton, you know, with boxers and briefs. He was trying the saxophone thing.

And this happened to Howard Dean, you know. They asked the question, "Have you used pot?" You know, and Dean begs off the question, wisely, I thought. And then all the other politicians say, "Oh, I used it. I used it. I used it." And then Dean feels a necessity to come in at the end and say, "Oh, yeah. I did, too." Like that's really hip.

KURTZ: Speaking of Howard Dean, you mentioned the Confederate flag controversy. Now, this had gone on for a couple of days, a little bit of a flap about him saying he wanted to appeal to Southerners who drive pickup trucks with Confederate flag decals.

But when it's said in the debate, then the media kind of pumps it up to a huge story to the point that, you know, Dean had to apologize. So are the media just, you know -- are these debates really being staged so the media can have fresh headlines on this campaign? SALETAN: I don't know. I mean, that flag story was -- what really bothered me there was the way that the media tends to get lost in the nuances of a story. Like, is Howard Dean sort of not apologizing enough? Was he insensitive? When the average person watching this is wondering, "Is Howard Dean a racist?" And I don't think the media paid enough attention to getting out front and addressing the question of whether he is or not.

INGRAHAM: Is Howard Dean a racist? I think what happened is Howard Dean made a statement, which is a true statement, that Democrats have to connect with the South. He then took that -- he initially said, "Yes, I mean what I said. We have to connect with the South."

Then he apologized and offended Southerners by then saying, "Well, you have to stop voting along the lines of race, God, gays and guns." Saying that two days later. He has hurt himself in the South with the way he reacted to his initial comment.

KURTZ: And Michael Wolff, Al Sharpton was really all but accusing Dean of being racist in that debate. Don't reporters have some responsibility to point out that Sharpton, who was making these charges, has a long history of racial insensitivity, going back to the Tawana Brawley days?

WOLFF: Well, the Sharpton story is always amazing, how little is mentioned about how Al Sharpton got to be Al Sharpton.

But I think the Confederate flag thing really is just those two words, "Confederate flag," the story was done. That's a hot button. Dean mistakenly pushed it, and everybody went with it.

KURTZ: I want to move on to the perhaps emotional or cultural highlight of the Rock the Vote debate. And that is they all had to produce these 30-second videos. Let's take a look at a few seconds of Howard Dean's attempt at a rock video.

KURTZ: Were you down with these videos, Laura? Did they rock your boat?

INGRAHAM: Horrifying. Horrifying in every one. But it's always like when an adult tries to act like a kid. So you always kind of get slightly embarrassed for the adult who does that. And that's kind of what they were all doing on these tapes.

I think young people really are attracted to confident, strong candidates who are principled. Period. And you don't have to act like a kid in order to win the younger person's vote.

SALETAN: This was the most insane part of the debate. Here we have what candidates object to: having to boil down their message to 30 seconds and not say anything. So they're given a 90-minute debate where they can talk about things substantively.

And what does the format do? It makes -- it cuts it up into little 30-second videos. It's entirely counter-productive.

KURTZ: Michael Wolff, journalists love to cover these things, love to go to them, but are ordinary people paying attention? Does anyone at this stage of the campaign care about all of these debates?

WOLFF: I think -- I think not. I mean, certainly, nobody's getting any ratings here. Journalists obviously are paying attention, obviously getting stories out of this. Is anyone following these stories? I think it's entirely, completely a turn-off at this point.

KURTZ: And do you think, Will Saletan, that some of the also- rans here who are cluttering up the stage -- we're talking about Sharpton and Braun and Kucinich -- ought to be excluded from the debates? Or should the media be ignoring these people? Because obviously, to call them a long shot is to put it charitably.

SALETAN: Well, what we had, in fact, was that we let them in the debate. But we in fact excluded -- I mean, Dennis Kucinich didn't get to talk until halfway through this debate. He didn't get a question. We are de facto ignoring these guys, and maybe we've got to face up to it and just cut them out of the debate.

KURTZ: What do you think?

INGRAHAM: I mean, they're not adding anything. But there's a lot of humor in these debates, and I think at this time, a lot of serious news and a lot of sad news coming out of Iraq. And I think people want to laugh. So turn into a Democrat debate, and you'll laugh a lot.

KURTZ: So you're portraying it as a sit-com.

INGRAHAM: It's -- it's funnier than most sit-coms on television today. I mean, Al Sharpton and Carol Moseley Braun and Dennis Kucinich -- Dennis Kucinich who is a ventriloquist in his spare time. You know, he has a dummy. I'm not kidding. I want the dummy to speak next time, at the next debate. That will be really fun.

KURTZ: All right. You guys are tough theater critics.

Will Saletan, thanks very much for joining us.

When we come back, Ronald Reagan, too hot for TV? CBS drops a controversial mini-series in the face of a media firestorm. That's next.

CBS President Les Moonves bowed to pressure this week and yanked that mini-series on Ronald and Nancy Reagan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you run an actor for governor? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's on television. Everybody knows him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody knows him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nancy, we want to put him in the governor's seat. We want to put him into the presidency.

JUDY DAVIS, AS NANCY REAGAN: He doesn't want to do it.

DAVIS: These men are serious. And they're Republicans.

JAMES BROLIN, AS RONALD REAGAN: Well, I'm an actor, not a politician.

KURTZ: From the moment "The New York Times" disclosed part of the script, there was an avalanche of criticism from Republicans, Reagan loyalists and conservative commentators, who said CBS was doing a hatchet job on an ailing former president.

Moonves says he concludes the film was badly flawed, but some Democrats cried censorship.

SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), MINORITY LEADER: I think any time occasions arise when the essence of the judgment made by television producers is influenced by outside forces, we have to call into question whether that level of intimidation is appropriate.

KURTZ: That wasn't enough for Republican Chairman Ed Gillespie, who says CBS is merely handing off the admittedly unfair film to the pay cable network, Showtime, which is also owned by Viacom.

Gillespie declared that "misleading a smaller audience of viewers is not a noble response to the legitimate concerns raised about this program."

Well, still with us to talk about the controversy, radio talk show host Laura Ingraham and "New York Magazine" columnist Michael Wolff.

Laura Ingraham, is this a victory for Republicans and Reagan loyalists and conservative commentators?

INGRAHAM: I've got to tell you, I think what we heard from Tom Daschle shows you why the Democrats are in trouble. He said it's disturbing that "outside forces" would influence a network's decision to push off the series to another network.

Those outside forces are hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country. And because they listen to talk radio, are they any less legitimate?

INGRAHAM: Yes. It's the public's airwaves. We forget that. With these huge corporations owning the networks, we forget that the airwaves are our airwaves. And if we aren't going to have any influence over what goes over these airwaves, who should? Just Les Moonves?

KURTZ: Michael Wolff, did CBS and Moonves really have any choice in the end but to pull the plug on this apparently ill-fated project?

WOLFF: Of course they had a choice. They could have shown it. They could have said, "This is -- we've done hundreds of these kinds of films. We've done them about -- we've done hundreds alone about the Kennedys. And we're going forward with this because -- because we don't bow to pressure from political groups."

KURTZ: But if CBS admits that the film is biased and unfair and unbalanced, then why not walk away?

WOLFF: Well, because they're -- well, they can't -- they can't admit that they've bowed to pressure, so therefore they have to go back and say, "Oh, yes. This project that we've been developing all along, which everyone has seen countless times, scripts have been approved and vetted, there's something wrong with it. Oh, we see it now. We missed it before."

KURTZ: So you believe that they're not being candid? That really, they're caving in to all the noise about this film and that the cover story is, "Well, I guess it wasn't very good after all"?

WOLFF: I think everybody believes that they've caved in. I mean, this is -- there doesn't seem to be a mystery here about what happened. It's a total, complete cave. The idea that they're suddenly bringing a kind of critical intelligence to the programs that they produce, well, we know it's television. And we know that has never happened.

INGRAHAM: Well, I think Michael's off about the motivation for changing the film. But the fact is, these are the people of the United States, and it's their airwaves. And CBS likes to pride itself on being called the "Eye on America": "We are the Eye on America."

Well, America still loves Ronald Reagan. Probably about 100 and what, 50 million Americans really love this man.

KURTZ: You haven't seen the film yet.

INGRAHAM: Now, but an executive from the film, let me finish, Michael, an executive from the film actually talked to "The New York Times." That's how this story got started. And that executive revealed that a quotation was made up, which really made Reagan out to be this terribly anti-gay individual. And there are other things about the movie that were clearly mischaracterizing...

WOLFF: I would never...

INGRAHAM: He was not like that.

WOLFF: I would never put myself in a position to defend one of these biopics, all of which are ridiculous and stupid. But let's go over all of the others which have not been forced off the air. Just deal with the poor Kennedys alone.

INGRAHAM: Well, then people should have spoken out about it, Michael. If people spoke out about it, maybe they wouldn't have aired. I mean, what's the big deal?

KURTZ: Well, one difference is that JFK has been dead for four decades now.

INGRAHAM: Sure. But his family is very strong and they're very powerful in the United States.

KURTZ: Of course. But I think why...

INGRAHAM: His legacy is important.

WOLFF: But poor Jackie was on those -- those biopics for two generations.

KURTZ: I just think one of the reasons this struck a nerve with the public to the extent that it did is because you have a president who's dying of Alzheimer's. And you have a first lady who's struggling to care for him. And it was seen as...

WOLFF: There's an assumption there that I would question, that it struck a nerve with the public. We don't know that.

INGRAHAM: Yes, it did.

WOLFF: We know only...

INGRAHAM: Better get out of New York more, Michael. You've got to get out of New York.

WOLFF: I never leave New York.

INGRAHAM: Yes, I know. It's obvious. You never leave Manhattan. How could you think that? It's totally...

WOLFF: What, it struck -- how do we know this? Let's go over the imaginary (ph) theory.

INGRAHAM: Well, I talk to hundreds of thousands of people every day on the radio, and I'll tell you something. It lit up the phones like nothing else we've talked about in the last few months.

KURTZ: If this were a movie about Bill Clinton...

KURTZ: ... that had fictional scenes with Monica Lewinsky, I doubt CBS would have bowed to liberal pressure.

INGRAHAM: Well, probably not. Probably not.

KURTZ: Well, what's the difference?

INGRAHAM: Because there probably wouldn't have been the same liberal pressure. I mean, if the liberals organize and they work to either effect a boycott or some type of change in artistic projects, let's say the crucifix in urine. They fought for that artistic expression, right? They fought all the way for that.

KURTZ: So how is it, Michael Wolff, that CBS can spend $10 million on this project and no senior executive looks at the thing until a couple weeks before it is supposed to go on the air? How do you...

WOLFF: Well, obviously, that's not true. Obviously, everybody saw it and everybody said, "Oh, this is what we do. This is a traditional biopic. It's about a popular president, it has some controversy. It has romance. Good. Book it. Let's do it."

INGRAHAM: I don't know. I mean, Barbra Streisand was on "Oprah" about three weeks ago, talking about her husband being Reagan in this biopic. And she was laughing with Oprah, and she said, "I didn't have a problem with it, as long as they told the truth about Ronald Reagan."

And the audience laughed, and Oprah laughed.

When I heard that, it struck me at the time, and I ran a clip of that on my radio show. And that kind of foreshadowed what was going on with this film. I think she had actually seen part of the film. When this controversy began, she didn't have a problem with it.

KURTZ: Well, to find out we'll have to watch Showtime, I guess...

INGRAHAM: Exactly.

KURTZ: ... at the appointed hour.

Laura Ingraham, thanks very much for being with us.

Still ahead, Michael Wolff on why the age of media moguls may be fading and what he's doing to become one himself.

KURTZ: We're talking with Michael Wolff about his new book, "Autumn of the Moguls."

Sumner Redstone, Barry Diller, Michael Eisner. Why are you down on all these big, powerful media moguls? WOLFF: Well, because they've ruined the media business. They've ruined the business that I work in, that I've grown up in.

KURTZ: What did they do that was so terrible?

WOLFF: Well, they took literally thousands of companies and they reduced them to five. And five companies that are fundamentally dysfunctional from a business point of view and also from the other point, that produce media that no one is interested in.

KURTZ: You say some nice things in the book about Rupert Murdoch. In fact, you say you have a semi-crush on him. You interviewed Murdoch on a conference, which you wrote about...

WOLFF: Emphasis on "semi," though.

KURTZ: Semi. OK. Well, that's more of a crush than some people have. And yet, as you freely acknowledge in your book, you know, Murdoch -- Harper Collins is the publisher of the book. Was that an awkward situation for you?

WOLFF: It threatened to be an awkward situation at several times, but in fact, it wasn't. And I must say that -- that Rupert was -- or let us say Mr. Murdoch, well, in fact, I understand, he didn't read the book. So...

KURTZ: I've read it.

WOLFF: ... I've been OK.

KURTZ: You write a lot in this book about this big media conference. You go to a lot of these conferences where Murdoch and the likes of Diller and others show up and rub shoulders with other very important, very rich people. Why is that important enough to be worthy of your attention? Do the average people care about these things that are held in places like Aspen?

WOLFF: You know, I'm not sure if the average people care, but I think they probably should know that these kind of conferences occur, that this is where real decision are made. It's where real power exists. It's where the course and the fate of the media is decided, and the media is the most powerful influence in all of our civic lives. Certainly more powerful than politics.

KURTZ: Now, you yourself were involved with some other investors in trying to buy your magazine, "New York Magazine."

WOLFF: I certainly am.

KURTZ: Why do you want to move over to the ownership side, and how realistic is this bid that you're involved in?

WOLFF: Well, I like to think of this as sort of practicing what I preach. But I'm not about becoming a mogul but, in fact, about becoming something of an anti-mogul, to take back this little piece of the media business for the people who actually run the business, put out the magazine.

The chances -- my chances, you know, I actually think they might be pretty good. The bidding formally starts next week, so I -- my fingers are crossed.

KURTZ: A lot of journalistic eyebrows were raised when "The New York Times" wrote about you a few weeks back, and you said that as a columnist you're paid $450,000. I mean, how'd you get to be so valuable?

WOLFF: They were -- that was "The New York Times." You know, "The New York Times" always gets these things wrong, and they got this one wrong.

KURTZ: You're not well compensated?

WOLFF: I am well compensated, and I'm grateful to be well compensated. As a matter of fact, there was a lot of people said to me, they said, no writer is worth that much. These are other writers who said this. And I thought to myself, wow, think about that statement.

Anyway, I am well paid, but I'm not that well paid.

KURTZ: Just briefly, the...

WOLFF: I wish I was.

KURTZ: "The New York Observer" ran an unflattering review of the book, and you wrote to the editor of the "Observer," Peter Kaufman (ph), and say -- I'm cleaning this up, "Bleep you. Let's go out of our way not to talk again."

Sounds like you're being a little thin skinned?

WOLFF: I thought -- it was actually something I've always -- the kind of e-mail that I've always wanted to send and I'm always surprised that more people don't send. So I read that interview, and I said -- I said, "Hot dog. I'm going to send an e-mail to Peter," who I have known for 25 years. And I thought, "Here it is. Lay it out there."

KURTZ: We'll see what kind of reviews you get from the moguls you're writing about.

Michael Wolff, "Autumn of the Moguls." Thanks very much for being with us.

WOLFF: Thank you.

KURTZ: We'll be right back.

KURTZ: Well, that's it for this edition of RELIABLE SOURCES. I'm Howard Kurtz. Join us again next Sunday morning at 11:30 Eastern for another critical look at the media.

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