SOAP OPERA

A little subplot as UH takes on Stanford

It could get a bit schizophrenic in the Shoji household today, as the University of Hawaii volleyball men take on Stanford University in their Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tourney quest. UH Wahine volleyball coach Dave Shoji might be donning the Warrior green, but sons Kawika and Erik are key players on the Cardinals squad. That's a small plot twist. But for most other Hawaii fans tuning in at 4:30 p.m. today, the UH mens team will be the unequivocal draw. It'll be No. 4 UH versus No. 1 Stanford, and promises to be quite a thriller—especially if Hawaii wins and advances.

GOLD FINGER

Bad publicity often better than none

It wasn't always must-see-TV, but parts of Tuesday's nine-hour grilling of Goldman Sachs by U.S. senators on The Hill had their own surreal pull. High-powered, egocentric, well-heeled guys in suits on one side versus ... well ... high-powered, egocentric, well-heeled guys in suits on the other.

A tidbit of irony in the televised power play: Even as the Dow suffered a 213-point drop for the day, Goldman's stock rose 0.7 percent, to $153.04 a share.

SHOWDOWN

Furloughs idea catching on, unfortunately

Hawaii isn't the only state using furloughs to cope with a budget crisis. New York Gov. David A. Paterson, left, is seeking legislative approval to begin furloughing state workers one day per week, insisting that he has little choice as public worker unions refuse to reopen contracts or make other concessions on pay and benefits.

Paterson may put the furlough language in an emergency budget bill, setting up a major showdown with the Legislature and their union allies. Because such emergency bills are extremely difficult to amend, lawmakers would face the choice of consenting to furloughs or allowing the government to shut down, The New York Times reported.