Career Choices
While I’m actually somewhat sympathetic to his reaction, it seems like this guy maybe ought to reconsider his choice of career.
This also brings to mind the importance of Reihan’s recent post on surveillance of police at The Agenda.
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I am reminded of a comment from KVS (back when he was JA, I think) about a study of the difference between how Southern male college students and Northern male college student reacted to being bumped in the hallways. The phrase that stuck in my head was “Northerners have thicker skins and sharper elbows.”
Anyway, love the clip! If the internet means my business gets squeezed in exchange for more of this — I say fair trade!
— Tony Comstock · Jun 14, 01:54 PM · #
I’d be curious how people would contrast this with Buzz Aldrin punching the guy who accused him of “faking the moon landing.” My first instinct is to side with Buzz but against Mr. Etheridge, but I don’t know how to make a good rule for it. I assume that perhaps some provocative parts of the Etheridge video were removed to make it seem worse.
— Brian Moore · Jun 14, 02:16 PM · #
“I’d be curious how people would contrast this with Buzz Aldrin punching the guy who accused him of “faking the moon landing.” My first instinct is to side with Buzz but against Mr. Etheridge, but I don’t know how to make a good rule for it.”
When I was in school my girlfriend got into a pretty enthusiastic investigation of the evolution of the “fighting words” doctrine, and how it eventually came to be regarded as an unworkable legal concept, but I don’t remember the details. Maybe KVS will favor us with his legal acumen.
Since my last I have also found myself reflecting on a convo I had in 2003 with DP and Steadicam Op Bob Wise.
At the time I had used Sony DSR PD100s (a relatively inexpensive palm-corder that used a professional recording format) to produce a handful of well-received films, and was quite enamoured with capablities of cheap, little cameras, including stealth.
Bob pointed out that having a camera that looked like a camera that any (other) jerk could own might now always be an asset; that full-sized cameras that said “I’m a professional, I know what I’m doing) evoke a different response than consumer gear, and that the response they provoke might not always be to the filmmakers detriment.
Bob was especially keen on how big cameras looked in the sort of production stills that filmmakers use for their meta-promotion; and that big cameras help attract the right kind of attention. They make it easier to get “making of” articles into magazines, and make the product look more serious to the readers of those magazines.
Which is a long way of asking a couple of questions:
Would Jim, or anyone else marginally sympathetic to our poor ambushed congressman (that would include me) feel differently if our feckless college students hadn’t looked like every other jerk wielding a cell-phone camera and the congressman had tee’d off on them. (Of course if they had looked more “professional” they never would have got that sort of reaction from him, so it’s more of a rhetorical question than a real question.)
But circling back on the “fighting words” thing; we have pretty liberal laws regarding “the press”; but I wonder how they might change now that everyone has the ablity to produce and publish. What if these two kids had charged up on me and my family while we were down at the beach? I’m not Southern, but I’m half Irish and a very similar variety of hilarity might ensue.
“Fighting words” law changed to adjust to the realities of the modern world. I wonder how/if Freedom of the Press might change too.
— Tony Comstock · Jun 14, 06:46 PM · #
Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon, so he can punch anyone he wants.
— Carter · Jun 14, 07:35 PM · #
Reminds me of Michigan state senator Bruce Patterson who wants a registry of reporters. Like this Etheridge person, he somehow thinks it’s important to know who is asking him questions.
“He told FoxNews.com that some reporters covering state politics don’t know what they’re talking about and they’re working for publications he’s never heard of, so he wants to install a process that’ll help him and the general public figure out which reporters to trust.”
Here’s a piece of advice for him: Don’t trust any of the reporters. Trust shouldn’t be part of the process. The relationship should be adversarial.
When reporters apply to be listed in the registry, he wants them to provide proof of the following:
— “Good moral character” and demonstrate they have industry “ethics standards acceptable to the board.”
— Possession of a degree in journalism or other degree substantially equivalent.
— Not less than 3 years experience as a reporter or any other relevant background information.
— Awards or recognition related to being a reporter.
— Three or more writing samples.
My comments: Reporters don’t have good moral character, or they wouldn’t be reporters.
Degrees in journalism should not automatically disqualify someone from working as a reporter, but they should help identify who to cut when it’s time to downsize.
In an ideal system, reporters should have to provide proof that they have never knowingly accepted or acknowledged any kind of award from their peers. They need to pay more attention to their readers, and less to their peers.
— The Reticulator · Jun 14, 10:32 PM · #
My guess is that we’ll find out the identities of the kids as soon as they consider the potential size of the out-of-court settlement.
— Ethan C. · Jun 15, 02:59 PM · #
“Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon, so he can punch anyone he wants.”
I’m pretty sure that’s a statute somewhere in the Penal Code. And if it’s not, it should be.
— Erik Vanderhoff · Jun 15, 07:32 PM · #
Now this would be a rewarding career choice:
Hearing Mom’s voice for the first time
— Keid A · Jun 16, 12:51 AM · #
Keid A:
It’s funny that you point to that. I’ve used this exact example of what a rewarding invention looks like.
Thanks,
Jim
— Jim Manzi · Jun 16, 01:16 AM · #
Boş verinya Hayatınızı Yaşayın Kçakez geleceksiniz Dünyaya.
— sohbet · Jun 19, 10:24 AM · #
Mr. Manzi
Glad to see you are still alive. Must be tough that people were able to respond to your column in which you threw 4 respected scientists under the bus so you could take a shot at Levin. If you could, could you respond to James M. Taylor’s piece, which seems to destroy every argument you made in your “I’m Doing This For Ross” hit piece on Levin? We dont’ want to let down Ross.
— Matt X · Jun 19, 03:57 PM · #