It’s hardly news that the tech industry has a gender gap issue. While women were once the pioneers of computer science, their ranks have fallen since, even as the ubiquity of computing has grown.

What is news is just how bad the situation has become: As Google GOOG recently revealed, women make up only 17% of the company’s technical workforce. At Facebook FB , it’s 15%. And while women make up 57% of U.S. college students, they earn only 18% of computer science degrees.

As disheartening as these statistics are, they come with a silver lining: the powers-that-be have taken notice and are taking action. Acknowledging their diversity issues, tech companies are actively recruiting more female programmers and developers. Events and scholarships aimed at encouraging women to pursue tech careers are popping up like iPad imitators. Still, the tech world isn’t easy for women to rise to the top.

Here are seven ways to break into the industry.

Instead of attempting to navigate unfamiliar territory on your own, find a mentor to guide you. The tech industry may not be teeming with women, but those who have been successful are often eager to offer advice and wisdom to help the next generation follow in their footsteps.

If you’re struggling to find a mentor, broaden your search. Attend local networking events, peruse your LinkedIn 2nd and 3rd level connections, or even cold-call women at companies you’d like to work for and ask if they’d be willing to grab a coffee. Such steps may be outside your comfort zone, but hey — you’re a female coder. Get used to being an outsider!

Men brag more than women. Multiple studies have documented this, including a 2013 study showing that in mixed-gender work teams, women even give undue credit to their male counterparts and downplay their own successes. The result? Men have more upward mobility and make more money than their female counterparts. Sigh.

Since the bragging thing seems to be working well for men, they aren’t likely to give it up anytime soon. So it’s up to women to level the playing field, especially if they want to stand out in the “brogrammer” culture. The first step is to promote “you” more often. When you’ve done a good job, let people know. Pat yourself on the back now and then and master the art of the humble-brag. If you simply loathe boasting, frame your successes as personal growth: instead of bragging about how well you did, remark on what you learned en route to achieving a goal. Finally, when your female colleagues do well, point out their successes; not only will they return the favor, but you’ll create a culture in which good deeds go noticed.

Keep up your technical chops

Of all the misconceptions about gender, one of the most pervasive is that men are more “technical” than women. This view isn’t limited to the computing world; we instinctively picture men in roles such as “surgeon,” “video editor,” and even “chef,” despite the fact that Ychromosomes aren’t necessary to succeed in any of these industries.

Because the tech industry is so…well, technical, this misconception can be quite pervasive. The good news is that women can overcome this. Maintain strong technical skills and stay abreast of the latest industry developments — something all coders should be doing, regardless of gender. To keep your chops current, do personal projects using software you don’t use as often. Take coding challenges at Top Coder or Hacker Rank. And when new programs begin to trend, teach yourself or take online classes at a coding bootcamp in your spare time.

Whenever you’re in the minority, it’s tempting to emulate everyone else and conform to the “norm.” But don’t repress your true nature in an attempt to seem like “one of the guys.” First, you won’t succeed — people respond to authenticity, not self-conscious reproductions. But more importantly, you need to embrace your differences, not hide them.

“You don’t have to strive to fit in, or be exactly like the male programmers,” explains Annie Shao, a veteran tech consultant based in San Francisco. “Part of what makes you valuable is that you are coming in with a different perspective, a different background, and a different way of thinking. Use that to your advantage instead of trying to become a brogrammer.”

In other words, while you might feel like an outsider at times, you were hired because you are you — and you bring a lot more to the table than you may realize.

Find a company culture that’s right for you

If you find yourself struggling to fit in, don’t assume you’re just not “cut out” to be a developer. It’s very possible that the company you’re working for simply isn’t a good match for you. People often underestimate the importance of company culture; what might seem like an added “perk” can actually have a significant impact on your psychological well-being, work output, efficiency and career trajectory.

In job interviews, learn as much as you can about a firm’s culture; reading the company blog and chatting with potential colleagues over lunch can often provide good clues.

As the old adage says, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” While the technical skills you hone are vital to your success, so will a network of people who know, like and trust you. This is especially true for women, who may have to overcome a perception gap to get a foot not just in the door, but past it, as well.

Networking events and office parties are great opportunities to grow your network, as is joining professional associations and committees. Just beware of coming off as an overzealous “networker”— that person who thrusts a business card into your hand before you’ve even shaken theirs; show others that you’re interested in them as people, not merely as an addition to your LinkedIn collection.

As mentioned earlier, there are a growing number of opportunities designed to help women in the tech industry. Tech companies have launched campaigns and initiatives such as Google’s Made with Code and Microsoft’s International Women’s Hackathon, and are actively recruiting. Professional organizations like Women in Technology and Webgrrls offer networking events, mentoring opportunities, educational programs, and other resources. Finally, there are educational grants and scholarships, including Coding Dojo’s $2,000 Women’s Opportunity Scholarship. Dig deep enough, and you’re likely to find one that will help you on your path to a great career.

Michael Choi is CEO of Coding Dojo, which offers coding and computer programming courses.

Summary: The time is ripe for aspiring female programmers and developers to make their mark in a male-dominated industry, says Michael Choi, CEO of Coding Dojo.


Patton Oswalt’s new memoir, “Silver Screen Fiend,” describes the stand-up comedian’s five-year, almost-daily habit of watching movies at LA’s New Beverly Cinema in the mid- to late-’90s. The book — his second, after 2011’s essay collection “Zombie Spaceship Wasteland” — details his efforts to overcome the obsession, his growth into adulthood, and the then-burgeoning alt-comedy scene. Oswalt performs stand-up at the Wilbur Theatre Wednesday night.

Q. Why did you want to write a memoir?

A. I’d written the first book, and I just wasn’t confident enough to just do a full memoir, so I interspersed it with little comedic bits and short pieces that weren’t very personal. And the stuff that tended to stick out and that people liked were the more biographical things.

Q. Was writing this book easier or harder than writing your last book?

A. It was different. It was just as hard writing impersonal comedy sketches as it was sitting there opening myself up on the page. This one felt a lot more conversational. It tended to make things a little easier to write. It was easier to initially write than to go back and neaten things up; that tended to be kind of hard. I was being so truthful. Am I being dishonest by going back and editing and cutting things out? That part was a little difficult.

Q. Was there anything about that time in your life that you learned by writing the book?

A. There were all kinds of moments when looking back, like, “Oh, I was letting ambition kind of devour fun, I was letting anxiety devour presence.” It was a lot of the way that you look at the world in your 20s, in that you’re the wronged hero of this amazing saga, and everyone else is just getting in your way. A lot of people have way more empathy earlier on, but it just took me a lot longer to go, “Everyone’s got their own story going on. You’re not the star of this movie.”

Q. Your book is almost entirely in the present tense. Why did you make that decision?

A. I think I made the decision because I’m so bad with grammar and tense. That’s always been something I’ve been very weak at, so I surrendered to that weakness. Also, when you remember things, you have to go back into that moment as if you’re living it in the present tense. That’s the only way that it works, clearly.

Q. One of the most interesting things in the book is how your location — Virginia, and then Los Angeles — affected your comedy. Is that still the case, now that the Internet has opened up people’s visibility?

A. Well, the Internet opened everything up, but you still have to leave your house and live your day to day. And that changes from almost block to block within the same city. So there’s always going to be those differences for the people who are open enough and present enough to be attuned to that. But what I think I’m seeing is that there are some people who are losing being attuned to their place and time and the differences in place and time when they travel, because they’re just looking at a screen the whole time.

Q. Even with the Internet giving comedians so many opportunities, especially with YouTube and podcasts, is practice still the way to get going in stand-up?

A. Visibility doesn’t mean anything if you’re not good at what you do. Whether you’re a musician or a filmmaker or a writer or a performer, you can get all the Twitter followers and Instagram views that you want, but if you’re not putting anything interesting or good up, then what good does that do you? You still have to go do it. That part will never change.

Q. Over the years, your comedy has changed from joke-oriented material to storytelling. Why do you think that happened?

A. It happened because I’m getting older and I’m changing. The stuff that I think is funny and valuable constantly changes. And you know, five years from now, my act will probably be not a storytelling act, but something I didn’t expect it to be. Any comedian that you see over time, if they’re really committed to the craft, it changes pretty radically.

Q. Do you see that shift from joke telling to storytelling in the comedy scene overall?

A. I guess now maybe, especially because people are much more online and wired, they’re a little more used to personal narratives. But I think it also just comes from getting older and getting more comfortable. When you’re younger, you’re putting up shields to look cool. You do that with jokes. As you get older, you make your connection more by opening yourself up a little bit, and that sounds more like stories.

Summary: Comedian Patton Oswalt’s new memoir, “Silver Screen Fiend,” goes deeper into personal territory than his 2011 essay collection, “Zombie Spaceship Wasteland.” He’ll be in Boston Wednesday to perform standup at the Wilbur Theatre.


FORTUNE — Much has been written about Surface, the new tablet device unveiled by Microsoft on Monday. What exactly makes it different? What will it be like to use? Is it little more than a Xerox of the world’s dominant tablet? Definitive answers aren’t likely to be had until well after the device launches. But, analysts have already weighed in with their initial impressions. Here’s what they’ve had to say:

Peter Misek, Jason North, and Billy Kim of Jefferies & Company, Inc

We do not view these devices as competitive or as a threat to the iPad. Though pricing details are unclear, we believe Microsoft will need to significantly undercut the iPad to be competitive…We believe the most important factor in the success of a tablet is its ecosystem. Based on our discussions with developers, we find the lack of enthusiasm concerning and believe Windows 8 tablets will struggle to compete with the iPad, and to a lesser extent Android tablets such as the Galaxy Tab/Note.

John W. Pitzer, Patrick Walsh, Kyle Chen, and Ryan Carver of Credit Suisse

While announcing both an ARM (Tegra) and an x86 tablet (Ivy Bridge) is a modest positive for INTC, as pre- event speculation centered on ARM only, we doubt MSFT tablets will move the dial in the near term and would remind investors that Win RT availability will occur approximately 90 days ahead of Win Pro. While many will try and compare and contrast the two tablets, we continue to believe its performance “apples” against power “oranges”. More importantly, we expect the introduction of Haswell in 2013 to level the power playing field while increasing the performance gap in INTC’s favor.

Matthew Hoffman and Bryan Prohm of Cowen and Company

Our annual surveys of iPad end- users have consistently shown iPad is used primarily for web browsing, gaming and media consumption. The Surface provides little new competition in any of those consumer use categories. Moreover, because iPad has proven to be popular with end- users despite lacking Office support, we believe RT-based tablets are most likely to cannibalize enterprise PC sales (not iPad sales). We expect the Surface will expand the tablet market more than Android tablets have to date.

Heather Bellini, Perry Huang, Brian Baytosh, and Tariq Chaudhri of Goldman Sachs

While pricing was not announced, numerous press reports have suggested that Windows 8 tablets coming from other OEMs would likely price higher than iPad given the OS license fee. If this is the case for Surface, adoption could be muted, in our view. Additionally, as with Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility, OEM alienation due to the perception of increased complication will be a concern. We note in Google’s case Android was a well established, open platform long before the Motorola purchase, whereas Microsoft is entering the tablet market at the same time as making its tablet OS available to other OEMs. Our price target remains unchanged.

Adam Holt, Jennifer Swanson Lowe, and Melissa Gorham of Morgan Stanley

While the production of hardware has not always been positive for MSFT (homeruns like Kinect offset by misses like Zune) and raises questions about gross margins, the Surface looks promising at first blush and should help MSFT gain share in the tablet and hybrid market—which is all largely incremental to the numbers, and possibly the multiple. While we need more details on apps, content and some areas of performance like battery life, Surface’s innovative Touch Cover keyboard, compatibility with Office, integrated USB ports and features optimized for Skype should help MSFT differentiate. Further, the availability of both RT and x86 Win 8 choices this Fall may increase the chance of Win 8 success, and pricing for Surface will provide reasonable price points for consumers.

Kash Rangan, Jaimin Soni, and Kenny Jiang of BofA Merrill Lynch

By owning the hardware for tablets, MSFT can potentially have better control over the specs and costs involved and will be able to tightly integrate the device with its Windows platform, in our opinion. While some tablet OEMs may view this as a risk, we expect MSFT to continue working with them to maximize the reach of Win 8 and offer more hardware choices to customers.

Summary: Will Microsoft's new tablet be a success or a flop? Here's what analysts think.


The wind inside of a cyclone is generally stratified and horizontal. (The Weather Channel)

You would be forgiven for thinking that flying through a cyclone would mean certain death, but surprisingly it’s not always the case.

While it’s advisable to do your best to avoid the fierce winds of any extreme weather event, some aircraft – such as the ‘Hurricane Hunters’ used by the United States Air Force and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – have regularly demonstrated that aircraft can fly into severe weather and survive unscathed.

As demonstrated by The Weather Channel’s Carl Parker, it all comes down to the “horizontal” winds that are common amongst cyclones and hurricanes.

Cyclonic winds are generally stable and stratified, and the wind direction is usually predictable, allowing a skilled pilot the opportunity to navigate through strong horizontal winds.

There is very little turbulence experienced inside the arms of a cyclone, due to the minimal amounts of vertical winds seen in such systems.

This is unlike wind patterns seen within traditional thunderstorms, which can feature quite severe vertical wind speed changes.

The turbulent vertical air in thunderstorms is a hazard to aircraft. (The Weather Channel)

Turbulence generally does not present a danger to modern aircraft, however the constant up and down motion caused by the severe vertical winds can be extremely uncomfortable for passengers.

Additionally, larger aircraft are more likely to sustain their course in wild weather due to their size, while lighter aircraft will be more easily tossed about by the severe winds.

While a cyclone may very well be a smoother ride than a thunderstorm, it’s still recommended to avoid flying through either whenever possible.

Take-offs and landings can be particularly hazardous in cyclonic winds due to the strong horizontal forces, as often captured by aviation enthusiasts.

Do you have any news photos or videos?


In December, the unemployment rate in Massachusetts declined to its lowest level since 2008, falling to 5.5 percent. January’s job numbers — along with revisions in the data for all of 2014 — will be released Tuesday at 9 a.m. by the state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

The Harvard School of Public Health and the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis are holding a workshop on the science of risk assessment and how to prepare your business for inevitable occupational hazards. 8:30 a.m. Monday through 5 p.m. Thursday, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, FXB Building, 651 Huntington Ave., Boston. $2,300.

The Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts is hosting its 4th Annual Local Food Trade Show. Buyers, farmers, and producers will have the opportunity to expand their palates and open their wallets for local, sustainable food. Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 346 Huntington Ave., Boston. $25.

A panel of investors will be discussing various concerns around the first round of investment for your startups. Hosted by WeWorks Labs. Tuesday, 6 to 8 p.m., 51 Melcher St., Boston. Free.

General Assembly will be hosting a class taught by LearnVest on how to budget and prioritize your financial goals. Tuesday, 6:30 to 9 p.m., General Assembly Boston, 51 Melcher St., Boston. Free.

Summary: Local food, risk assessment, and more notable events and things to know.


Boston-based Rethink Robotics unveiled Baxter, its industrial robot, in 2012. Since its launch, Baxter has been updated several times, mostly to improve the speed and accuracy of the robot’s ability to do automated manufacturing tasks.

On Thursday, Rethink disclosed how it reimagined its Baxter concept with a new robot, called Sawyer.

“We saw all these opportunities for tasks that Baxter couldn’t do,” said Rethink Robotics’ chief executive Scott Eckert about the origins of the smaller robot. Manufacturers that used Baxter wanted a robot that had a higher level of performance with greater precision and speed, he said.

Unlike the larger two-armed Baxter, Sawyer is much smaller: 42 pounds compared to Baxter’s 165, and has a single arm, which the company says is ideal for machine tending, circuit- board testing, and other automated tasks. Like Baxter, Sawyer has an animated face and uses the company’s Intera software system, which allows it to “learn” tasks and adapt to its environment.

Additionally, Sawyer will feature an “embedded vision system” that includes a camera in its head and a Cognex object recognition and barcode scanning camera built into its arm.

Eckert said Sawyer will be used in tighter spaces where the robot needs to be integrated into assembly lines with human workers.

The basic version of Sawyer will retail for $29,000, while the starter version of Baxter goes for $25,000. Eckert said the more advanced hardware in Sawyer’s arm — including the expensive Cognex camera — accounts for the higher price.

In terms of the name Sawyer, Eckert said Rethink likes to give its robots human names that would sound like a “trusted buddy that you would work with.” The company also likes to have names that have a historical reference. “Baxter” is an old term for a baker, while “sawyer” is a colloquial name for someone who saws wood.

The new robot is expected to be released this summer in North America, Europe, China, and Japan.

Summary: Boston-based Rethink Robotics unveiled Baxter, its industrial robot in 2012. Since its launch, Baxter has been updated several times, mostly to improve the speed and accuracy of the robot’s ability to do automated manufacturing tasks. On Thursday Rethink disclosed how it reimagined its Baxter concept with a new robot, called Sawyer.


Fortune: You ran part of IBM’s software business, then Symantec, and now you’re the chairman of Microsoft’s board. Far less is known about the 265-person, $75-million-in-revenue Virtual Instruments, where you are CEO. Where did it come from?

John Thompson: Virtual Instruments was created in 2008 as a private-equity-led carve-out from Finisar, the networking-components maker. I joined in 2010 as CEO, thinking it would be a part-time job until we found a permanent leader. It’s been a full-time job.

What is the business and why the split from Finisar?

Virtual Instruments monitors the routing of information between servers and storage to make sure the whole data center is healthy. We can tell you where the performance and utilization problems are for all your networks. Finisar sold technology to other technology companies. It did not have the DNA of selling to big businesses, which is what we do.

So you’re saying IT departments need simpler products, just like those for consumers?

That’s exactly right. They don’t want to spend weeks or months or years to understand your product in order to get value from it.

We have a little over 300 clients now. They tend to be among the largest users of technology, especially companies with equipment in their data centers from multiple providers as well as multiple software applications. They include PayPal, Wells Fargo, and Apple. We also help companies size their data centers correctly. AIG is using us to help go from 32 global data centers to two.

Was it a challenge to go to a smaller company?

A career is all about following your passion. Bigness is ego talking. It’s better to let your intellect talk. For my next gig, I’m going to have an idea with a friend, and we’re going to get a barn.

Looking back on your IBM experience, how important is corporate culture?

As a company grows, its management systems must change to accommodate a bigger and different company, and its culture must change as well. IBM required a leader, Lou Gerstner, to say, “This is what we’ll do and not do, and here is the behavior that will be rewarded and punished.” Over time that changed IBM’s corporate culture. You don’t change a corporate culture overnight.

Will Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s new CEO, need to change the company’s culture?

That’s a better question for Satya, but there are some attributes of Microsoft today that look like IBM circa 1990. For example, the Windows monopoly is under attack. To deal with that, Microsoft will have to change many things.

Connected is an interview series with leaders of innovative organizations. Conversations are condensed and edited. For more Q&A and video, go to fortune.com/connected.

This story is from the March 17, 2014 issue of Fortune.

Summary: Newly appointed Microsoft chairman John Thompson discusses his latest passion projects.


04/22/2015 AT 03:35 PM EDT

The biggest threat to America's national security may not be nuclear weapons or terrorist organizations, but its citizens' unhealthy diets.

"Just under three in 10 young people [ages] 17 to 24 can join the Army today – and the other armed services for that matter – and the single biggest disqualifier is obesity," Major General Allen Batschelet of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command

. "Ten percent of them are obese and unfit to the point that they can't join the service. It's really very worrisome."

Currently, more than one third of adults in the U.S. are obese, according to the

, and studies show that

"The obesity issue is one of the most troubling because the trend is going in the wrong direction," says Batschelet. "Ten percent are disqualified today, and we think by 2020 it could be as high as 50 percent, which would mean only two in 10 would qualify to join the Army."

According to the major general, this could pose a real risk to the country's ability to defend itself.

"I don't know that it's fair to call it a crisis just yet, but I think it's quickly approaching one," he says. "It really becomes a nation security issue."

Summary: "By 2020 [obesity rates] could be as high as 50 percent, which would mean only two in 10 would qualify to join the Army," Major General Allen Batschelet says


A man accused of injuring women and removing their teeth during sex was trying to help them, not hurt them, a New Zealand court has been told.

Philip Lyle Hansen, 56, has pleaded not guilty to 11 charges, including unlawful sexual connection and charges of wounding with intent to injure four women.

It's alleged Hansen extracted the women's teeth with pliers and attempted to remove the teeth of one woman with a screwdriver.

On Wednesday a Wellington District Court jury continued hearing evidence from a woman, 47, who was in a relationship with Hansen during the 1990s.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court she never consented to Hansen pulling out her teeth.

During cross-examination defence lawyer Mike Antunovic said the woman had let Hansen pull out six teeth from her lower jaw.

"So after he pulled out the first tooth ... the second tooth, the third tooth, the fourth tooth, the fifth tooth, the sixth tooth ... you didn't ask him to stop?" said Mr Antunovic.

"No," replied the woman, who said she had been drinking that night but was not heavily intoxicated.

The lawyer said the woman had not objected to Hansen extracting her teeth with pliers.

"You opened your mouth to allow him to put the pliers in," said Mr Antunovic.

"I would not just freely open my mouth to a pair of pliers," said the woman.

"Well, you didn't shut your mouth. You didn't tell him to stop," said the lawyer.

The woman told the court she couldn't, saying "I had no choice".

Mr Antunovic suggested Hansen had been trying to help the woman when he tried to remove her emerging wisdom teeth with a screwdriver after she complained about the problems they were causing her.

"Do you think Philip was trying to help you, in his own way?" he said.

"Not really, no," said the woman.

Do you have any news photos or videos?

Summary: A New Zealand man is alleged to have extracted four women's teeth with pliers and attempted to remove the teeth of one woman during sex.


Whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks has relaunched its system for the public to anonymously submit sensitive information after its shutdown four-and-a-half years ago.

WikiLeaks said on Friday that it has opened up a test version of its new system that lets sources upload documents, emails and videos that companies and government agencies would rather conceal. The system runs on Tor, free software that routes Internet traffic through a separate network to mask a user’s location and identity. Even WikiLeaks says it can’t track the leaker’s identity.

Publishing anonymous leaks has been at the core of WikiLeaks’ mission since it was founded in 2006. U.S. Army Private Chelsea (then known as Bradley) Manning famously used WikiLeaks to leak classified documents and videos about military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was eventually arrested and jailed for violating the U.S. Espionage Act.

In late 2010, a group of WikiLeaks staffers grew unhappy with the organization’s leaders and seized control of its system for submitting leaked information. Soon after, WikiLeaks vowed to bring back a new version. But it’s taken years longer than expected, in part due to the organization financial woes and leader Julian Assange’s political and legal troubles (he’s been holed up in Ecuador’s Embassy in London to avoid deportation to Sweden for questioning about rape allegations).

New whistle-blower projects, like GlobaLeaks and SecureDrop, which also use the Tor software, have sprung up in recent years as alternatives.

Despite taking its submission system offline, While WikiLeaks has continued to publish documents. But the group’s impact has waned as whistle-blowers turn directly to news outlets to leak secrets. Edward Snowden, the former CIA contractor who helped to expose widespread NSA surveillance, gave a vast collection of documents to The Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald and documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras. With the relaunch of its portal, WikiLeaks is hoping to regain some of its earlier momentum and reach more potential leakers.

For more about leaked information, watch this Fortune video:

Summary: The anti-secrecy group has opened the door again to the public handing over sensitive government and corporate documents for publishing.


SAN SALVADOR, March 5— The Salvadoran Government appointed a three-man electoral commission today as a first step toward promised elections for a constitutional assembly next year.

The United States has been pushing hard for the Government to announce a date for the elections, but Government officials would say only that they would be held next year.

Fears of a right-wing coup have apparently died down following strong United States statements yesterday in support of the junta headed by President Jose Napoleon Duarte. The Government announced that a search was under way for Roberto D'Aubuisson, a former army intelligence major who was allegedly organizing a coup, but it was unclear whether he was still in the country.

The promised elections would be for a Constituent Assembly to rewrite the country's Constitution; general elections would be held later. El Salvador had military presidents in different forms of right-wing dictatorships for 50 years until reform-minded young officers took over the government in a coup 17 months ago and established the present junta. The military's top commanders have said they will not run in the planned elections.

Mr. Duarte's strategy has been to try to divide the democratic leftists from the guerrillas and to include them in the election process. This would cut off much of the guerrillas' political and financial support, leaving them the choice of laying down their arms or facing a Salvadoran army made more powerful by American aid.

Although the rightists do not at the moment have the support of the majority of the armed forces, they do appeal to a lingering feeling within the military that Mr. Duarte and his Christian Democratic Party will negotiate away recent battlefield gains.

The word negotiation has become so charged here that at a news conference yesterday Mr. Duarte stressed that he was seeking a ''dialogue,'' rather than a ''negotiation,'' with the leftists.

''We have called for a dialogue to the opposing Salvadorans,'' he said. ''The Salvadorans have a right to come back to El Salvador.'' He added, ''We will look for a democratic solution whether the right likes it or not.'' Mr. Duarte said, however, that the only subject of negotiation - or dialogue -was the election process and the monitoring of it. He said that he would not negotiate tohe form a coalition government, even a temporary one to run the election.

''We are not willing to negotiate any position in the Government,'' he said, ''because the only people who have the right to determine positions in the Government is the Salvadoran people through elections.

''But what we are willing to do is to find a way to supervise the whole electoral process. All the political parties would register, including all the extreme leftist parties who are willing to incorporate themselves and drop their arms.''

The opposition parties could also supervise the ''election process,'' Mr. Duarte said in what some here in fact saw as a negotiation opening. In a separate interview, however, he conceded that he could not guarantee the personal safety of the leftist leaders. Many of the kind of moderate leftists that Mr. Duarte has been appealing to have been killed in the last year by right-wing death squads. As a result, most of the leftist political leadership is in self-exile in Mexico.

The three members of the election council were named at a ceremony today in the presidential palace before the junta and the diplomatic corps, indicating the importance that Mr. Duarte and the civilianmilitary junta attaches to the election. The three are considered moderates, but how much control they will have over the elections and whether they will be acceptable to leftist leaders is unclear.

Only one of the three, Guillermo Antonio Guevara, a Christian Democrat who is secretary to the junta, has strong political connections. The president of the council, Jorge Bustamante, is an obstetrician and the other member, Ramon Ernesto Rodriguez, is an attorney.


By John Leonard A BETTER CLASS OF PERSON. An Auto- biography. By John Osborne. 285 pages. Dutton. $13.75.

IN ''Epitaph for George Dillon,'' by John Osborne and Anthony Creighton, George says: ''I attract hostility, I'm on heat for it.'' In ''Inadmissible Evidence,'' which Mr. Osborne wrote alone and much prefers, Bill Maitland tells the audience: ''I myself am more packed with spite and twitching with revenge than anyone I know of. I actually often, frequently, daily want to see people die for their errors.'' Bill also worries: ''And then, then I have always been afraid of being found out.'' In ''A Better Class of Person,'' the first volume of his autobiography, Mr. Osborne finds himself out, and will attract hostility.

He looks back, of course, in anger. In general, he is angry at England's lower middle class, of which he is the vengeful child. In particular, he reviles his mother, who is still alive. Class and mother, in this fascinating yet unpleasant book, sometimes seem to be the same mean thing, a blacking factory, Shabby-Genteel Family

Mr. Osborne's mother was a barmaid, his father a copywriter for a London advertising agency. Relatives on both sides of the family were shabby-genteel, which is to say they felt, in the suburbs, that they had Come Down in the World, and nobody else would be permitted to Upstart if they could hinder it: don't owe anything to anybody, and always have an edge.

Thus: ''Spontaneity was bad breath to them.'' And: ''Disappointment was oxygen to them.'' And: ''The grudge was their birthright they pursued with passionate despondency to the grave.'' And: ''Despair would be like staying up spiritually too late.''

As a child, Mr. Osborne stayed up too late. His kindly, bookreading father perished of ''the White Plague,'' tuberculosis, and so did a sister. The family, downwardly mobile, moved too often. Boys in the schoolyard called him a sissy and beat him up, as he would later punch out a headmaster. He suffered from acne, bed-wetting, rheumatic fever, friendlessness and the ''Black Looks'' of the smothering barmaid. His frog died and his grandfather ate eel pie. ''Throughout my childhood no adult ever addressed a question to me.''

Even then, he was introspective: ''Perhaps I already had a vague sense that courting and, what's more, achieving popularity was not a gift I possessed.'' And, ''I may have felt already that if I had talent it was to vex rather than to entertain.'' Learning early on to smoke out ''prigs, hedgers and dissemblers,'' he multiplied the number of people he found it ''impossible to love'' - gardeners and golfers, ''loud-mouthed actors and lounging fairies,'' smokers of pipes and readers of The Daily Telegraph, shop assistants and exwaitresses with ''hernias and arthritic hips and strokes.''

But none compares with his mother, portrayed as a monster of malice. He quotes at length from her letters to him, and each quotation is an occasion for ridicule. She isn't even allowed to vacuum the carpet: ''Handing over the Hoover to my mother was like distributing highly sophisticated nuclear weapons to an underdeveloped African nation.'' (He seems not to care much for Africans, either.)

Here, according to Mr. Osborne, is ''the funniest, most enjoyable sight I had ever seen'': his terrified mother, ''bent at the knees like a crazed gymnast,'' her knickers below her knees ''in a collapsed silky bag,'' her bottom ''frozen to the lavatory seat.'' She had gone to the bathroom during the blitz and had been bombed on.

I don't know the lady, but we are talking about years of Depression and World War, during which she managed to put food on his plate and bring back black-market goodies. She is, after all, the same mother who loaned him the money for his first typewriter and his first engagement ring. She kept him going when the dole wouldn't. In exchange, he had to take her to the cinema on Mondays. He concludes: ''I am ashamed of her as part of myself that can't be cast out, my own conflict, the disease which I suffer and have inherited, which I am and never could be whole. My disease, an invitation to my sickroom.'' Wow. No wonder the women in his plays are unbelievable.

By this time, a piano has been set on fire and a marriage has fallen apart. We have followed Mr. Osborne to the hospital, to a dreadful public school, to Fleet Street where he is an ''ace reporter'' for the trade journal Gas World, to the provinces with a fourth-rate theater troupe, to Brighton where he lolls away a year with the bountiful Stella. If Stella's sexual largesse deserves more gratitude than he can muster, well, he is hard on all his benefactors. He is, in fact, hard on everybody, including himself.

Mr. Osborne is not a crybaby. Like Jimmy Porter in ''Look Back in Anger'' - about to open as this book closes - he jeers at himself as well as the world. Jimmy Porter, however, had some important things to say about politics and culture. Mr. Osborne, looking back, would prefer to forget that he ever trifled with Socialism; he wants instead to be a brawling version of Evelyn Waugh. He complains of Jews, homosexuals, Australians and body odor. ''Nothing is noisier,'' he says, ''than a Philistine in pain.''

Yes. But how many times can you alarm the bourgeoisie? Maybe one more time. The wrathful wit who liberated English theater, at age 25, will now liberate himself, at age 52. If he feels rotten, and he certainly does, then mother is to blame.

Illustrations: photo of John Osborne


Questions are based on news reports in The Times this week. Answers appear on Page 30.

1. ''Our poor hero, badly prepared for life,'' a psychoanalyst, pictured at right, wrote in a long-suppressed preface to the diaries of a performer, at left, who recorded his thoughts and ravings for two years after madness had ended his career. Name the performer and the psychoanalyst.

2. The recent discovery of a limestone fragment in Israel echoes an idea of a popular film. Explain. 3. Some of the best-laid plans of the Carter Administration, first drafted 20 months ago, were put into operation by the Reagan Administration. What plans were they?

4. A report that cited a ''lack of candor'' and ''the appearance of impropriety and favoritism'' concluded that there was ''insufficient evidence'' to establish an abuse of power ''despite certain facts which might, in the eyes of some, support an inference to the contrary.'' What was the report about?

5. A Paris museum is holding a summerlong party to honor a beloved character, a leader by calling and bourgeois by choice, who has reached the age of 50 and has been long in the tooth for every one of them. Who is the character?

6. Three players were inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y. Who are they? 7. A planned gridlock lasted two days. Where did it occur and why was it held? 8. Paper sacks, cloth bags and suitcases were stuffed with money as part of Operation Bancoshares. Who conducted the operation and what was its purpose?

9. Facilities have been scaled to the needs of an unusual clientele at a hotel in Norwalk, Conn. Explain. What kind of hotel is it? 10. Joseph E. Seagram & Sons opened the bidding for Conoco Inc., offering $73 a share on June 25. Who made the closing bid and what was it?

11. The remains of three flies were so badly decomposed that scientists could not perform autopsies on them. In what Eastern city were the flies found and why would the autopsy results have been vitally important?

12. Sixty-two persons were detained in a foreign country. Who were they, what country was it, and what were the circumstances? 13. One baseball figure is credited with playing a crucial role in the settlement of the seven-week strike. Who is he? 14. Oil and gas companies are leasing mineral rights from farmers in a hilly region of an Eastern state where soundings of the underground rock structure suggest the presence of natural gas. What region is it?

15. A television series that is barely surviving in the ratings race received 21 Emmy nominations from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. What program is it?

16. The leader of one Latin American nation was killed and the head of another Latin American nation was forced to resign. Identify them and the nations.

17. ''The dollar is going to the moon, I think,'' said a bank executive. To what was he referring? 18. One afternoon newspaper may be shut down if unions do not agree to wage concessions. Another afternoon newspaper published its first Sunday edition in an effort to challenge the morning paper's dominance. What papers are they?

19. The planets Uranus and Neptune may be the jewels of space, according to a recent theory. Explain. 20. Fiji and the United States are the only nations that have publicly agreed to be part of a 2,500-member force. What force is it? 21. The Federal Communications Commission granted permission to CBS Inc. for something that television networks have been forbidden to do for the last 10 years. What is it?

22. A record field of (22/24/26/28) horses are entered in today's 56th Hambletonian Trot. 23. Approximately (33/50/66) percent of the people on probation in New York City are arrested for new crimes, according to the Probation Department. Linda Amster

Illustrations: photos of Vaslav Nijinsky and Alfred Adler


The nation's largest retailers yesterday reported sharp sales gains for April compared with April 1980. This year, Easter was celebrated on April 19, giving retailers two and a half weeks of pre-holiday sales to include in their April figures. Last year, Easter fell on April 6, and most Easter shopping gains were reflected in reports for March 1980.

Jeff Edelman, an analyst with Dean Witter Reynolds Inc., said the improved weather that accompanied the later Easter also helped sales. In addition, he noted that the Federal Government had imposed sharp credit controls in March 1980, causing retail sales to go ''into a tailspin.''

Sears, Roebuck & Company, the nation's largest retail chain, reported its sales rose to $1.44 billion in the four weeks ended May 2, a 20.5 percent increase from $1.29 billion a year earlier. Sears's chairman and chief executive officer, Edward R. Telling, said that the company's merchandising operations in April recorded the largest monthly increase since December 1977.

The K mart Corporation, a discount retailer and the second-largest chain, said sales for the four weeks ended April 29 totaled $1.23 billion, up 18.4 percent from $1.04 billion a year ago. K mart's chairman, Bernard M. Fauber, said a new promotional campaign was showing positive results.

K mart's sales increase for March and April of 13.2 percent over the 1980 period was ''above the trend line and exceeds the sales increases of the previous eight months,'' Mr. Fauber said. Penney Posts Sharp Rise

The J.C. Penney Company, the nation's third-largest retailer, said in New York that its sales rose 21.8 percent, the largest monthly sales gain since July 1978. For the four weeks ended May 2, sales totaled $848 million, up from $696 million in the comparable 1980 period.

Walter J. Neppl, Penney's vice chairman, said strong consumer response to spring fashions, sporting goods and home furnishings was evident before and after Easter, as favorable weather prevailed in many areas of the country.

The F.W. Woolworth Company, No.4, said its sales climbed 14.1 percent in the four weeks ended April 28, to $585.9 million, from $513.6 million a year ago.

Woolworth's international sales, which were hurt by the rising cost of the dollar overseas, reduced the sales gain somewhat, said Edward F. Gibbons, the company's chairman and chief executive officer.

In dollars, Woolworth's foreign sales rose 5 percent in the period, while domestic sales were up 18.6 percent. Had foreign exchange rates remained constant, Woolworth's international sales would have risen 10.2 percent, and the total sales increase would have been 15.8 percent, Mr. Gibbons said. Strong Two-Month Period

The combined March-April period, ''which should be viewed as a single selling period'' because of the variable date for Easter, produced a 10.6 percent rise in Woolworth's domestic sales, the largest seasonal increase in two years, Mr. Gibbons said.

Yesterday, Montgomery Ward & Company, the fifth-largest chain, a Chicago-based unit of the Mobil Corporation, reported its best monthly sales gain in nearly eight years. The retailer said that April sales reached $444.4 million, up 21.7 percent from the same period a year ago.

Edward S. Donnell, Ward's chairman and chief executive officer, attributed the increase to a ''return of consumer confidence, coupled with good weather nationally, and the Easter holiday.'' He said sales were strong in all parts of the country.

The April increase was the largest monthly year-to-year sales increase since September 1973, Ward said. The company said retail items that sold well in April included apparel, jewelry, personal care items, sporting goods, housewares and auto parts.


VINELAND AHIGH SCHOOL dropout who last month ended a three-year term as president of the New Jersey State Board of Education says he believes the public school system now is more than holding its own against the incursion of private and parochial school enrollment and is ''regaining the public respect and support that we let slip away in the past few decades.''

The former president, F. Paul Ricci, a financier and businessman, said, however, that unless steps were taken to improve the training and certification of teachers ''we stand in critical danger of losing some of the momentum we have gained in this decade.''

In an interview at his 120-acre cattle farm on the edge of this Cumberland County borough, Mr. Ricci said public education faced ''tough going'' mainly because of ''failure to come to grips with the teacher tenure system, the process of training teachers and certification of teachers.''

The recent recommendations of the New Jersey Commission to Study Changes in Teacher Education and Licensing - known as the ''Newman Commission'' - indicates some headway, he said, but ''has fallen far short of my hopes and it appears that everybody is hesitant to take action.''

Mr. Ricci, who left high school in his junior year to work in a bakery because of economic pressure on his family during the Depression, said his chief disappointment in the Newman report was its failure to mention the tenure system at all.

''Tenure,'' he said, ''remains the biggest barrier to school progress, teamed up as it is with a continued obstructionism of the New Jersey Education Association to overall teaching proficiency.''

He said that in a move toward teaching accountability and quality, ''we required an evaluation of every tenured teacher, once a year, with a written performance report that includes student progress. But the N.J.E.A. still has us in court on that one.''

However, he emphasized, ''although we hear a lot of criticism of public education, we fail to recognize that we are graduating more students from high school in New Jersey than ever before and for the third year in a row, basic skills test results have indicated improvement.''

Private and parochial school enrollment increased by 1 percent last year, a significant figure in light of the public school increase of 2 percent. The gain in private and parochial school enrollment, he said, offers a new challenge to the public school system.

The total enrollment is only about 10 percent of the public school figure of 1.3 million students, but the increase, he said, is heightening the ''pressure for accountability'' on public schools.

The source of improvement ''rests squarely with the teaching profession,'' he added. Eventually, he predicted, the tenure system ''will go in spite of the N.J.E.A. and its $20 million political action fund.'' Mr. Ricci said the state board was ''still willing to bleed and fight the opposition of the N.J.E.A. and the Association of School Boards, which constantly charge, without substance, that we are diminishing local control.''

Actually, he said, ''local control was lost when the N.J.E.A. succeeded 11 years ago in bringing about forced negotiations between teacher organizations and school boards, placing everything in the system, including sizes of classrooms, length of class time, even time for lunch, into a forced negotiation status.''

A teacher accumulates a sufficient number of credits for a certificate ''to teach for life,'' he pointed out, so long as the number of credits is right and so long as that teacher reaches the first day of the fourth year of employment. Once tenure is granted, he said, there is no longer any incentive for self-improvement.

Thus, he said, ''mediocrity is protected, the teacher can coast for 30 years, simply be on time and not get into any trouble, and a nice retirement is ahead.''

He said the tenure system was outdated because there were all kinds of other safeguards in teacher contracts and civil rights legislation that made more sense.

Mr. Ricci, who will continue to serve on the state board until 1984, said he agreed fully with a recent public appraisal by T. Edward Hollander, Chancellor of Higher Education, that improving the training and licensing of teachers was a top priority. But the key to this improvement, he said, is in the hands of the colleges that teach teachers and over which there is no control.

The need, he said, is for a higher admission level to the teaching profession - it is now a 1.5 college grade -but the problem is that lack of salary incentive and other problems keep good candidates away.

Stockton College has responded to the responsibility of proper training of teachers, he said, by introducing a system in which teacher candidates are dropped after one year if they fail to meet standards prescribed in a second-year evaluation test. But as far as he knows, he said, that is the only college that is participating.

''We must find some kind of inducement because there simply are not enough young people who want to be dedicated and competent teachers, who love the profession, and will become teachers no matter what the disadvantages may be.''

''It may sound corny,'' he said, ''but I regard teaching as the noblest of professions in a tradition of respect for the scholar that is common in the history of the world.''

Since 1976, Mr. Ricci has been chairman of the board of the Vineland Savings and Loan Association. He is also president of the Windsor Card Shops Inc., a chain of card and gift shops in shopping malls throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

He has been succeeded as president of the state school board by David Brant, a Cherry Hill lawyer.


WASHINGTON DESPITE their determination to steer a constant course, it has long been obvious that some of the officers piped aboard President Reagan's ship on Jan. 20 were carrying their own sealed orders. In the last ten days, however, the outsized personalities in senior policy positions pressed their conflicting agendas in an embarrassingly public way - and, by White House lights - at a terrible time. The President's foreign policies are encountering major obstacles in Israel and with the European allies, and the news on the economy is grim enough for Mr. Reagan himself to say, in his press conference last week, that ''we're going to have some hard times for the next few months.''

Only a week after summoning Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. and Richard V. Allen, the national security adviser, to the White House for a stern lecture on the importance of mutual cooperation in foreign affairs, Mr. Reagan found himself giving another, possibly more painful lecture to David A. Stockman, his brilliant budget director. His confessions, taken by many as devastatingly indiscreet, were of lack of faith in the President's ''supply-side'' plan for revitalizing the economy.

Although no one could measure for sure the impact on the President's ability to defend his economic program, senior aides were downcast - especially at Senate leader Howard H. Baker Jr.'s warning that Mr. Stockman had ''damaged himself'' and ''damaged the President's program.'' White House aides acknowledged that, despite Mr. Reagan's refusal to accept Mr. Stockman's offer to quit, the budget director was very much on probation. Mr. Reagan was understood to have come very close to dismissing him; Mr. Stockman, in his own press conference of disavowal, described his ''visit to the Oval Office for lunch with the President'' as ''more in the nature of a visit to the woodshed after supper.'' Clearly his is not the position of strength needed by the point man for a program already facing nothing but trouble on Capitol Hill. Mr. Allen's Poor Judgment

Then, by week's end, there was Mr. Allen back in the news, asserting that he did not consider it a bribe to receive an envelope containing $1,000 in cash from a Japanese magazine after the magazine interviewed Nancy Reagan the day after the inauguration. The payment was simply a ''gratuity'' or an ''honorarium'' so inconsequential, that, Mr. Allen said, after placing it in a safe in his office, he forgot about it for eight months. Indeed, sources close to the Justice Department indicated that there was little evidence to support a bribery charge.

Nevertheless, many White House officials thought Mr. Allen had showed colossally poor judgment in taking the money, an act hardly mitigated by forgetting about it. Despite public expressions of support from the White House, some officials were saying that the episode could have delivered a fatal blow to Mr. Allen's position. He already has more than his share of enemies, with Mr. Haig only the most visible antagonist. Senior aides at the White House, for instance, are increasingly convinced that he is a poor administrator, though he apparently still has the support of Edwin Meese 3d, the President's influential counsellor.

To analysts within the Administration, the troubles of the last two weeks transformed a casual quip by the President that ''we're a very happy group'' into a subject of black humor. One senior aide said he thought a critical shakedown was inevitable after the White House's first 10 months of successes. ''It may be that things will have to get worse before they can get better,'' he said.

The source of the troubles, officials agreed, lay in those conflicting agendas, the keepers of which are all convinced they carry the President's mandate. Secretary Haig's remarks about Central America were a case in point. Convinced that Mr. Reagan appointed him because of his alertness to Communist subversion around the globe, Mr. Haig has made a major public issue of the threat of insurrection by Marxist-backed guerrillas in El Salvador. Aides to Mr. Reagan, however, are alarmed that warnings of possible American intervention have damaged the President's public standing and, worse, provoked opposition among powerful allies in the hemisphere. Mr. Stockman's Distressing Candor

The more obvious example relates to the supply-side economics formula guiding Administration policy all year. Mr. Stockman's unburdening of his doubts about the efficacy of the strategy, just as the economy seemed poised to dive, was embarrassing because it showed he had simply embraced it as a way of putting into practice his own economic theory. What was perceived as damaging was the contradiction of what President Reagan has said many times. Mr. Stockman admitted that he never felt tax cuts alone, as the supply-side canon holds, would ''cause output and employment to expand'' quickly.

Instead, in an article in the Atlantic Monthly magazine, the budget director was quoted as saying he had embraced across-theboard tax cuts because they would restore incentives to Americans to accumulate wealth and lead to economic health in the long term. ''Kemp Roth,'' one such remark read, ''was always a Trojan horse to bring down the top (tax) rate'' on the rich. Last week, he explained that ''a Trojan Horse is a - wooden beast without a brain, and had I recalled that, I never would've used that metaphor.''

The distinction may be somewhat obscure, but it is critical. It explains why Mr. Stockman has apparently feared since at least February, much earlier than had been supposed, that the Reagan program would produce insufficient growth, that the Administration's budget deficit projections were therefore too low and that inflation and interest rates would be ignited. That was the very concern expressed by the program's opponents, Democrats in the main, but also some Republicans.

Now the economy is in a downturn, and deficits in the years ahead look to be so huge that Republicans in the Senate are defying the Administration and readying a program of tax increases and cuts in defense spending a lot like the one Mr. Stockman apparently failed to persuade Mr. Reagan to accept. It is not such a surprise that Senator Bob Dole, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, found the Atlantic Monthly article ''refreshing,'' a remark that nevertheless simply stunned the White House.

Whatever the motives of the various participants, the question now is what to do about the troubles besetting the Administration's program. Democrats are certain to join with Senate Republicans in worrying about the deficit and therefore seeking defense cuts or tax increases. It is increasingly clear that Mr. Reagan, who has for now accepted the view of Treasury Secretary Donald T. Regan that the deficits must be handled by further budget cuts, will have to make difficult choices about which of his three main campaign promises is more important - balancing the budget, cutting taxes or increasing military spending. To his present chagrin, Mr. Stockman has become known to all the world as the one more concerned about deficits than others. In the end, his hand could be strengthened, if events force the President to come round to that view.

Illustrations: cartoon of Reagan and staff


It's bad enough to have Muzak soothing any beast savaging an office. Or a self-styled fashion expert trying to intimidate us into uniform dress codes the way no office manager could (shades of China's blue-quilted masses!). Now we're being pressed to be quiet fixtures in a tranquil office.

It probably started when the Harvard Business Review ran an article on how to cope with the abrasive personality. The answer: dilute him (her). Judging from the subsequent turn of events, millions must have been vengefully laying for their tormentors. Many form the vanguard of those now teaching chief executive officers how to spike squeaky wheels. They are cashing in, of course, on the current craze about productivity, cost-effectiveness and women learning teamwork. Seminars dealing with the difficult are offered at $1,000 a crack. For companies in more modest circumstances, there is a how-to book that sternly points out that the cost of troublemakers is too great for any company to tolerate. Step-by-step instructions follow.

Such beliefs, however, never made any company successful. It is standard operating procedure in any growing concern to let 1,000 flowers bloom along the road to progress. This pragmatic and profitable philosophy was well summarized by the novelist Ian Fleming, who was probably an ''unresponsive'' when he was a civil servant. He said: ''In every large business, there is one man who is the office tyrant and bugbear and who is cordially disliked by all the staff. This individual performs an unconsciously important role by acting as a kind of lightning conductor for the usual office hates and fears. In fact, he reduces their disruptive influence by providing them with a common target.'' The same is true of insensitive louts or layabouts.

The codification of troublemakers would do justice to any jobdescription committee: hostile/agressive and passive/agressives (all ''Sherman tanks''), complainers, unresponsives, know-it-alls, indecisives etc. Managers are also told they can gain control by understanding the roots of discomfiting behavior. To deal with a Sherman tank (dogmatic, pushy, loud), it is suggested, look him in the eye while uttering defusing phrases, such as ''in my opinion''. Outlast any eruption. And avoid an open fight. Complainers should not be allowed to sit so they can ''whine in comfort.'' Instead, one must listen with noncommittal ''ums'' and ''ahs,'' directing conversation toward solutions. For know-it-alls, homework must be thorough and ''extensional questions'' must be asked to draw them out of their territory.

Yet it won't take long for a gadfly to figure out a counterattack. Determined folk, like Galileo, tend to be resourceful and tenancious, as residual as any DDT-immune insect. Complainers know how to write solution-filled missives - which the easy-going don't like to read. Confront a know-it-all with extensional questions and he'll bring a briefcase full of extensional answers. Silent types have the metabolism to outlast both Type A's and B's. As for the indecisives, those in the Food and Drug Administration blocked the marketing of thalidomide, didn't they?

To suggest difficult employees can be manipulated ignores history. The stake, exile, firings and the cafeteria silent treatment have never stopped them. It's time consuming, too, to trace behavior origins, because we all know that disruptives stem from being treated like nonpersons. Napoleon, Joan of Arc and Richard Nixon were not about to be treated like schlemiels once they made it beyond puberty.

To smooth the edges of rough diamonds such as Einstein or Edison strikes at the very heart of progress, creativity and stimulation, to say nothing of providing that scapegoat of Fleming's. Coffee breaks would be dismal indeed without the rising decibels and drama of: ''Do you know what he did today?''

More important, obstructionists of the Ralph Nader stripe force us to expand outlooks, to detour around roadblocks that keep us from streamlined highways. Aren't extremists or whistle-blowers famed for providing the genesis of cheaper, more efficient ways of doing things? Of forcing us to stay up-to-date and out of ruts? Of making us think?

Impossible people turn dissatisfaction into benefits for society whether they've been the chap who invented the wheel, Martin Luther, or Charles Babbage with his forerunner of the computer. In the competitive world of business, office harmony leads to yes-men, complacency and eventual bankruptcy. Instead of urging corporate America to eradicate troublemakers, why not continue to cultivate them in quality circles or brain-storming sessions?

Harmony in the work world is not only is impossible but also unbearable. Striving for it is a key step toward that dreary, unproductive world of conformity so balefully predicted by Aldous Huxley and George Orwell -both fascinating troublemakers, incidentally. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Barbara Lenmark-Ellis is a lifelong troublemaker who lives quietly in Oregon as a writer.


Livestock and meat prices soared their daily allowable limits yesterday, and analysts attributed the gains to a Government report showing lower hog production than had been previously expected.

Pork bellies gained their 2-cent permissible limit across the board and cattle, feeder cattle and live hogs were the 1.50-cents limit higher.

Analysts said there was heavy futures buying influenced by the Agriculture Department report released after the close of trading Friday that said the pig inventory for the period of December through February was lower than earlier estimates and that the number of farrowings expected from March through May will be lower than earlier projected.

Live hogs for delivery in April closed at 40.32 cents a pound on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. March-delivery pork bellies rose to 43.80 cents a pound. For April delivery, live cattle were 60.90 cents a pound and feeders were 65.17 cents a pound.

Silver prices made a steep, swift fall about midway through the session, closing the 50-cent limit lower in all but the spot month and dragging other metals with it.

Analysts said the sell-off was caused by news reports that the Federal Reserve chairman, Paul A. Volcker, had reiterated that William Herbert Hunt and Nelson Bunker Hunt must sell some of their silver holdings. Analysts said the report caused some ''panic selling'' even though it has been reported that the Hunts would slowly liquidate some of their holdings as a result of their involvement in last year's silver crisis.

Silver for delivery on the spot March contract fell 52 cents, to $12.95 a troy ounce. Gold on the Commodity Exchange in New York closed $4.80 to $15.10 lower, March $524.90 a troy ounce. Analysts said fear that dry growing conditions in the Middle West could decrease production helped lift grain and soybean futures sharply higher on the Chicago Board of Trade.

Prices opened mixed to slightly lower, with demand slackening from foreign buyers because of the rising value of the dollar in world currency trading.

''Then all of a sudden there was talk about the weather - people are worried about the lack of subsoil moisture,'' particularly in Iowa's soybean and corn fields, one trader said.

Soybeans gained as much as 22 cents a bushel, with the contract for delivery in May closing at $7.81 1/2 a bushel. Wheat was 8 1/2 cents to 11 cents higher, May $4.33 a bushel.

Analysts also cited speculation that the Reagan Administration may be about to take some steps to end the curtailment of grain shipments to the Soviet Union. About 17 million tons of grain were held back from Russia under the curtailment imposed in January 1980 by President Carter in retaliation for Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.


As he has so often in the past when a coaching job opened in pro football, Joe Paterno is being mentioned again. Paterno, who was 55 years old Monday and is in his 16th year as coach at Penn State, was regarded as one of the candidates the New England Patriots' job as soon as they dropped Ron Erhardt earlier this week.

And yesterday The Boston Herald American quoted Paterno as saying that, partly because of his long friendship with Bucko Kilroy, the general manager, the Patriots were one of the few pro teams he would consider joining. Reached for comment on the article, Paterno, who has apparently never grown accustomed to such speculation regarding him, expressed annoyance. ''All I'm interested in now are Christmas and the game against Southern California,'' he said, referring to Penn State's Jan. 1 appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. ''I don't even want to waste my time talking about it now. I don't want to conjecture about next month, next year, 10 years from now.'' ... The Chicago Bears plan a news conference for Saturday amid speculation that George Halas, the owner, will fire Coach Neill Armstrong. The Bears were 8-8, 10-6 and 6-10 in his three seasons.

Illustrations: photo of Joe Paterno


The American Society of Newspaper Editors announced yesterday that staff writers for The Baltimore Sun, The Miami News, Newsday and The Wall Street Journal had won its Distinguished Writing Awards for 1982.

David Laventhol, publisher of Long Island's Newsday and chairman of the society's 16-member writing awards board, said that the winners in four categories were selected from nearly 700 entries submitted in the fourth year of the award program.

The winners, their categories and the work being recognized are: Theo Lippman Jr., 52 years old, The Baltimore Sun, commentary, for five satirical pieces in the Notes and Comment column. Tom Archdeacon, 31, The Miami News, sportswriting, for four pieces on unexpected achievement in the sports business and athletics. Patrick J. Sloyan, 45, Newsday, writing against deadline, for his reports on the assassination and funeral of President Anwar el-Sadat of Eqypt.

William E. Blundell, 47, The Wall Street Journal, non-deadline writing, for five articles dealing with the impact of industry on people in the Western states.

Each winner will receive a prize of $1,000 at the organization's convention in Chicago in May.


MONTGOMERY, Ala., May 22— The nameplate says ''George C. Wallace, Governor,'' which he is not, but has been three times, wants to be again and in Alabama souls perhaps will always be.

His handshake is firm, his smile perfunctory. His words slur and occasionally trip awkwardly over each other as they tumble through lips set in a permanent snarl.

He sits behind a big desk, hearing with difficulty, his partly paralyzed body in a wheelchair, his face in a grimace of pain, his mind rattling in the memories of a turbulent past.

He is a relic of an era when racism and recalcitrance ran deep through his native South. His conversation nowadays invariably turns to events he depicts himself as having shaped over the last two decades, and he often reminds his listener of his fame.

''I am known by captains of industry and the leaders of foreign nations,'' he repeats. Mr. Wallace, who is 62 years old, strode across the nation's consciousness in the 1960's and early 1970's with acts of defiance that took him from schoolhouse doors in Alabama to Presidential primary campaigns. More Subdued in His Tone

Now, he is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of an assassin's bullet 10 years ago, and is more subdued, conciliatory and compassionate in tone. It is clear to those who have watched him for years that he craves another hour on the stage.

He has stated his intention to seek a fourth term as Alabama's Governor, and in an interview in his office yesterday he insisted it was not because he needed to run for office again.

''I like campaigning,'' he said, his right hand clutching low on his right side and his eyes clinching into a squint. ''But I like better seeing things accomplished, things you want to see accomplished.'' Then he recited a list of accomplishments of his administrations, including the time his first wife, Lurleen, served when by law he could not succeed himself. She died of cancer in 1968 after two years in office.

But most of the things he wanted to talk about had little to do with Alabama and less to do with his plans for the future of his state. He Recalls 1972 Campaign

''I was going to be the Vice Presidential candidate with Humphrey if McGovern could have been headed off at the convention,'' he said, in reminiscing about the 1972 campaign for the Democratic Presidential nomination. ''We only missed by 12 votes blocking McGovern from getting all the California delegation through the unit rule. We had already agreed I would be on the ticket with Humphrey. Jimmy Carter said we could carry the South with me on the ticket with Humphrey.''

No, he said, he does not harbor any ambitions for national office. But then his eyes flashed when he said, ''Of course, as governor of a state that is known, as I am, I would speak out on national issues.''

Then he did so, lauding President Reagan's call for ''new federalism'' and growling that ''it should not have been any other way in the first place.''

From there, he moved into the past, to the menace he said he foresaw in Fidel Castro almost 30 years ago. He chided newspapers as lacking insight, saying they saw the Cuban revolutionary as ''the Robin Hood of the Caribbean.'' He Deplores Divided Nations

Shifting to clutch his left side, he said that Communism had many evils and that the divisions of Korea, Germany and Eastern Europe were a source of shame.

''Hitler was bad and should have been defeated,'' he said, ''but Mao and Stalin and Ho Chi Minh killed 15 to 1 more people than Hitler did.'' He said Franklin D. Roosevelt was guilty of ''misreading'' Stalin.

Mr. Wallace, his eyes seeming to beseech the interviewer to repeat those questions his hearing aid failed to pick up, said: ''I don't believe in confrontation, and I'm not a warmonger - we just can't have any nuclear wars. But the Russians don't want equality of arms.'' Then, with a flash of his sarcastic wit, he said: ''Of course they don't want to destroy us, either. If they destroy us, who'd feed them?

''They just want to intimidate the smaller countries in Africa and Asia and the Middle East so they can control the minerals and oil and resources of the world.'' 'Spiritual Revival' Seen

He said that the moral condition in America was deplorable. ''The moral standards have dropped so low there is a spiritual revival coming in this country,'' he said.

He reached for a copy of James Agee's book ''Let Us Now Praise Famous Men'' and rifled through the photographs of sharecroppers taken by Walker Evans in the Depression.

''I know what that was like back then,'' he said. ''I lived in those days.'' He has not lived such a life in several years, however. Since leaving the governor's office at the beginning of 1979, Mr. Wallace has been the Director of Rehabilitative Resources for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, with an annual salary of $68,000. His office is in downtown Montgomery. In the reception area are two of six plainclothes state policemen who are assigned to him. In addition, he has a paid staff that includes two secretaries and a press assistant.

Knowledgeable observers of Alabama politics believe his chances for winning are excellent.

Illustrations: photo of George C. Wallace


NINE has always been an important number in baseball. Nine players. Nine innings. And now another nine has emerged, the nine members of the Baseball Writers Associati on who did not vote for Henry Aaron on this year's Hall of Fame ballot. Henry Aaron was elected, of course, along with Frank Robinson, but somehow the ni ne votes that Henry Aaron did not receive seem more significant t han the 406 he did receive. To think that nine presumably respon sible voters would deem Henry Aaron unworthy of the Hall of Fame is, in a word, preposterous.Almost scandalous.

''I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to be unanimous,'' Henry Aaron was saying yesterday, ''but I realized that nobody had ever been a unanimous choice. I was happy to come in second.''

Henry Aaron meant second to Ty Cobb in the Hall of Fame election percentage. Back in 1936 when Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson were chosen as the Cooperstown shrine's charter members, Ty Cobb collected 222 of a possible 226 votes, a 98.2 percentage. With 406 votes out of 415 ballots, Henry Aaron's percentage was 97.8.

But that still doesn't answer the question - how could nine voters not mark the square next to Henry Aaron's name on their ballot? ''If a player deserves to be in the Hall of Fame by a unanimous vote,'' Henry Aaron said, ''he should be rewarded with it.'' Henry Aaron deserved it. Of all the players in more than 100 years of major league baseball, he had the most home runs (755), the most runs batted in (2,297), the most total bases (6,856) and the most extra-base hits (1,477). He appeared in the most games (3,298), he accumulated the most official times at bat (12,364) and he had the most seasons with 100 or more games (22). But his home-run total is his monument. To put it in perspective, consider that if anyone is to approach it, he must average 35 homers for 20 years just to hit 700.

And yet nine voters chose to ignore Henry Aaron. Historically, of course, it wasn't surprising. Three years ago 23 voters chose to ignore Willie Mays; in 1966 there were 20 who ignored Ted Williams; in 1969 there were 23 who ignored Stan Musial; in 1955 there were 28 who ignored Joe DiMaggio.

In this year's election there were 45 who ignored Frank Robinson, too. With 312 votes necessary for election, he received 370 votes, a landslide by Hall of Fame standards.

Jack Lang, a baseball writer for the New York Daily News and the secretary-treasurer of the B.B.W.A.A., would not divulge the names of the nine brethren in keeping with the tradition of a secret ballot. But he did describe some of the ballots, each of which permits a voter to select as many as 10 of the 42 candidates.

''One ballot was from a Latin-American writer who voted only for Luis Aparicio,'' Jack Lang said. ''Another was from a writer in a Midwestern city who voted only for Juan Marichal.''

Both of those players were worthy candidates. Juan Marichal, the high-kicking right-hander who spent most of his career with the San Francisco Giants, finished third with 305 votes, but he was seven short of election. Luis Aparicio, the little shortstop who was with the Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox, finished eighth with 174 votes.

But how, in conscience, could those two voters not mark the square next to Henry Aaron's name on their ballot? ''On the ballot, the names are in alphabetical order,'' Jack Lang said. ''Aaron's name naturally was first, followed by Aparicio and Richie Ashburn in that order. On one ballot, the voter checked Aparicio and Ashburn, but passed over Aaron. When the ballots started coming in to me a few weeks ago, I put the first one aside that didn't have Aaron's name on it. And then the second one. I figured if there were only one or two I'd suggest to the president of the Baseball Writers that maybe those one or two should be advised that they were the only ones who didn't vote for Aaron but when the third and the fourth and the others kept coming in, I didn't bother. As late as last weekend I go t 26 ballots and two of them omitted Aaron.''

One or two ballots omitting Henry Aaron would be understandable. Perhaps a member of the brethren was weary. Or hungover. Or in a hurry. Understandable, but not excusable. But nine votes? Never.

Not that Henry Aaron sounded bitter. He had been scheduled to appear at a morning news conference yesterday at the Sheraton Centre but had been trapped in Atlanta by a storm and he did not arrive until mid-afternoon. And for all the hassle, he was smiling. In the late years of his career with the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers, he occasionally mentioned that he had not truly been appreciated. But yesterday he appeared fulfilled.

''I feel for the first time that what I did has been appreciated,'' he said. ''It was always this player and that player and then Henry Aaron but now I think I'm appreciated. I don't know the yardstick for election and I know I was never a politician. But if you're talking about a man's record and what I accomplished between the white lines, I can't understand why I wasn't unanimous - or why Frank Robinson or Willie Mays or Ted Williams weren't.''

In the confusion, Frank Robin son, a slugger of 586 homers mostly with the Baltimore Orioles and earlier with t he Cincinnati Reds, alsomoved into the top 10 in Hall of Fame electio n percentage. His 89.1 percentage put him behind Ty Cobb, Henry Aaro n, Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Bob Feller, Ted Williams, Stan Musial and Christy Mathewson and just ahead of Joe DiMaggio. Bas eball's first black manager, he's now the San Francisco Giants' m anager.

''I had to work hard for what I did,'' Frank Robinson said, ''but Hank Aaron seemed to do things so easy. Maybe that's why he didn't get his due publicitywise.''

Henry Aaron, of course, also was challenging baseball's most hallowed legend, Babe Ruth, whose total of 714 homers had appeared insurmountable. Babe Ruth's loyalists always mentioned that Henry Aaron needed 2,896 more times at bat to hit 715 homers. But yesterday Henry Aaron talked about that, too.

''I never wanted them to forget Babe Ruth,'' he said. ''I just wanted them to remember Henry Aaron.'' In the Hall of Fame election, 406 voters indeed remembered Henry Aaron but somehow nine others did not.


A river cruise ship capsized on the Yantze River Monday night, in China’s central Hubei province, after being caught in a tornado, China’s state-run news reported. The rescue was ongoing Tuesday but the news looked grim: of the ship’s 458 passengers, only a dozen had been rescued as of the afternoon.

Most of the passengers onboard were senior citizens traveling on a group tour. Among the survivors were the captain and chief engineer, which may raise public suspicion of at least negligence. It is reminiscent of two recent accidents: Last year, the South Korean ferry MV Sewol’s capsized, killing 304 passengers. Its captain, who abandoned ship with passengers still onboard, was later sent to jail for more than 30 years. In 2012, the Costa Concordia cruiser struck a reef near Tuscany and 32 people eventually died from falling or jumping into the water. The captain fled the ship before many of the 4,200 passengers and was found guilty of manslaughter this year in an Italian court and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

The Chinese ship, called Eastern Star, was built in 1994 and could carry a maximum of 534 people.

The accident could rank as one of China’s deadliest in past decades. A 2011 high-speed train accident in Wenzhou city killed 40 people and enraged the public when coverage of the accident was heavily censored and wreckage was buried on site. Today, Chinese journalists were reportedly kept from traveling close to the accident .

Summary: Accident stokes suspicion of negligence as senior officers are found among the survivors.


06/16/2015 AT 11:55 AM EDT

John Hurt, the veteran British actor known for playing the Elephant Man as well as Mr. Ollivander in the Harry Potter films, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but is "optimistic" about his prognosis.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Hurt, 75, said: "I have always been open about the way in which I conduct my life and in that spirit I would like to make a statement. I have recently been diagnosed with early stage pancreatic cancer. I am undergoing treatment and am more than optimistic about a satisfactory outcome, as indeed is the medical team."

He added: "I am continuing to focus on my professional commitments and will shortly be recording 'Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell' (one of life's small ironies!) for BBC Radio 4."

in December, has been twice nominated for an Academy Award – for 1978's

, and for playing the title role of John Merrick in David Lynch's 1980 biopic

"The role stretched me to the limits," he

He has also starred in dozens of other movies, including

Summary: The veteran British actor says he is "more than optimistic about a satisfactory outcome"


07/21/2015 AT 07:00 PM EDT

star revealed to her Twitter followers on Tuesday that she has now officially graduated from high school.

Sharing her exciting news with fans, Kylie wrote: "I finished school last week" adding: "I know I never post on social media when I'm in class but that doesn't mean I don't encourage education!"

Oh AND.. I finished school last week.. & I know I never post on social media when I'm in class but that doesn't mean...

It's been a busy time for Kylie recently, who last week attended the ESPYs to support Caitlyn Jenner getting the

She also joked last week that she had grown up too fast after posting a

picture from her reality show.

But for now it seems Kylie will be busy celebrating school being out for summer – and forever.

Summary: Kylie Jenner, 17, told her Twitter followers her exciting news on Tuesday


"At this point, the issue appears to be a problem related to extended exposure to consistently high humidity," NHTSA said in a statement on Monday. "However, we are leaving no stone unturned in our aggressive pursuit to track down the full geographic scope of this issue."

Toyota recovered replaced air bag inflators from areas of South Florida and Takata evaluated them starting in August, according to the NHTSA documents. On Oct. 10, Takata informed Toyota that a number of the inflators performed "improperly" during testing. Five days later, after reviewing the data with NHTSA, Toyota decided on the recall.

Read MoreChrysler recalls more than 900,000 vehicles

Over the last six years, Takata has recalled about 16 million vehicles globally for defective air bags, including the regional recalls.

The Toyota vehicles affected by Monday's recall are from model years 2002 through 2005, according to the NHTSA documents. They include the Lexus SC coupe, Toyota Corolla small car, Corolla Matrix small car, Sequoia SUV and Tundra full-size pickup. Also part of the recall are General Motors' Pontiac Vibe, which was built by Toyota.

The vehicles being recalled are registered or originally sold in areas of South Florida, along the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa, according to the NHTSA documents.

Summary: Toyota Motor on Monday recalled 247,000 vehicles in the U.S. because a Takata-made air bag may rupture.


U.S. stock-index futures declined sharply on Wednesday, with Dow futures down more than 100 points, as investors confronted less-than-expected earnings outlooks, worries about emerging markets and braced for the Federal Reserve's next move on stimulus.

"Earnings so far have been nothing to write home about, and it seems that no matter what, the market has found something imperfect even in the best of earnings," said JJ Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade.

In addition, Turkey's currency has jumped against the dollar in the wake of that nation raising their interest rates, rattling investors. "There continues to be growing concerns over emerging markets and that we may have some problems there," he added.

ATt&T and Boeing both fell after issuing disappointing full-year forecasts. Yahoo slid as its online ad prices fell again in the fourth quarter.

Futures initially rallied sharply following news that Turkey's central bank had sharply raised its interest rates late Tuesday afternoon. In immediate reaction, Dow futures spiked as much as 150 points and the Turkish lira rose to 2.2 against the dollar.

In its first emergency meeting since 2011, Turkey's central bank hiked its overnight lending rate to 12 percent from 7.75 percent. The move is aimed at stemming the lira's sharp declines and follows an unexpected rate hike by India's central bank.

(Read more: Turkey's drastic action may not save emerging markets)

Summary: U.S. stock index futures struggled around the flatine Wednesday, a day after an aggressive rate hike from the Turkish central bank and as investors looked ahead to the Federal Reserve's next move on stimulus.


For Robert Wander, CFP and owner of Wander Financial Services, the employee-benefit consulting half of his practice informs the other, financial planning, half.

"Working in the benefits area is a big help when reviewing that aspect of a client's financial plan, which is often an important piece of their situation," he said.

This is especially true during clients' fall enrollment periods, when they need to make choices about health insurance, supplemental disability, supplemental life insurance, flexible spending plans, health savings accounts and 401(k) plans.

Read MoreSEC examining your advisor?

"They can give me access to all the information, and I'll guide them as to what elections to make," Wander said. "Many clients are not taking full advantage of what's being offered to them, especially with HSAs and flexible spending accounts—they tend to overlook these options because they don't understand them."

Wander said his expertise allows him to integrate all these benefits into the client's whole financial picture and to be more thorough. Furthermore, if clients retire or are between jobs, they still need his help to deal with benefit options.

Summary: A look at the many ways financial advisors are incorporating insurance expertise into the services they offer clientele.


Such has not been the case this May, with the XHB rising 2.1 percent in the first nine trading days of the month. And therein may lie the opportunity.

"We believe the recent outperformance provides a compelling entry point for investors to buy put spreads," Goldman's options team wrote, referring to a bearish options strategy with measured risk. Burnishing their case is the fact that "options investors are not pricing in downside risks to homebuilder stocks ahead of summer," meaning that put options are attractively priced.

While that may make for a smart trading strategy, historical anomalies without explanations are just that—exceptions. But Goldman says there's a decent fundamental explanation for the historical trend.

The underperformance comes "largely as investors buy the typically highly correlated group ahead of the highly anticipated Spring selling season, and then sell once the news has been disseminated," the research team said.

Megan McGrath, who covers the homebuilders for MKM Partners, told CNBC she has also noticed the historical underperformance, with May, June and especially July tending to disappoint. And she agrees that this summer could bring much of the same.

"With the spring selling season coming to a close and some new concerns about rising yields and mortgage rates, we think it could be difficult for the shares to find a meaningful positive catalyst in the early summer," she wrote.

McGrath is neutral on the sector as a whole, forecasting flat performance in 2015.

But even bullish analysts say the summer could bring rocky waves.

"The homebuilders typically experience a lot of seasonality—no surprise there," wrote Robert Wetenhall, who covers homebuilders and building products stocks for RBC Capital Markets. And even though the fundamentals have been strong in terms of overall home selling, "the builders already started to outperform in April, which suggests that investors aren't that focused on fundamentals."

"I like the group long-term, but agree that we could see near-term volatility as we roll into the summer," Wetenhall concluded.

CORRECTION: This version corrected the year of McGrath's forecast.

Summary: Housing stocks tend to sink in the summer months, Goldman Sachs has found. Here's what could be behind the strange trend.


Updated Aug 23, 2015 at 7:23p ET

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) Pinch-hitter Fukutaro Kiyomiya homered in the bottom of the fifth inning, and Tokyo pitchers Nobuyuki Kawashima and Daiki Fukuyama shut down Mexicali Baja California, Mexico, in a 3-1 victory Sunday in the Little League World Series.

Kabu Kikuchi gave Japan a 2-0 lead in the first when he singled home Shingo Tomita and Yugo Aoki. Aoki finished 3 for 3, all singles.

Kawashima struck out five and walked none in four shutout innings for the win. Jose Reyes took the loss for the Mexican team, allowing three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings before leaving at 87 pitches.

Gerardo Lujano homered for Mexicali Baja California in the sixth.

Japan improved to 2-0. The Kitasuna Little League also represented Japan in winning 2001 and 2012 LLWS titles, with return trips in 2007 and 2014. Mexico dropped into the elimination bracket to face Sydney on Monday.

Summary: Tokyo beats Mexican team 3-1 in LLWS


In an interview on CNBC's "Halftime Report," Short said Amazon's earnings report was likely to disappoint.

"We're looking at Amazon expected to be down about 60 cents earnings per share, negative 60 cents. That's in comparison to negative 9 cents year-ago. Amazon still has some things to work out," she said. "Yes, they've been growing on revenues, but they have a spending problem."

Read MoreAmazon expected to lose money, again, in Q3

Among bright spots for the market, Short said that the outlook for financials appeared positive, with the sector up around 8 percent year over year.

"I think you're seeing an end to the big government settlement fees," she said, adding that mortgage lending was also up quarter over quarter.

Industrials, also, were coming in "really, really strong," Short said, noting strong results from Caterpillar and Boeing.

Read More Caterpillar blows doors off analyst estimates

"Caterpillar's sort of relaxing some of the fears around the euro zone," she said, adding that it served as a proxy for global growth. "When we see industrials do well, we start to feel a little better about the economy."

Finally, consumer discretionary looked robust, Short said, noting that overall same-store sales were strong and that consumer sentiment was at its highest level since 2007.

"I think there's still a lot of bright spots, and with unemployment continually decreasing, that's making the consumer feel OK about going out there and spending a bit more," she added.

Summary: Ahead of earnings from Microsoft and Amazon.com, analyst Christine Short says only one appeared positive.