Anticapitalist "stuff"?

I read about this 20 minute video—“The Story of Stuff”—in yesterday's New York Times: A Cautionary Video About America’s ‘Stuff’. It "has become a sleeper hit in classrooms across the nation," says the Times:

The video is a cheerful but brutal assessment of how much Americans waste, and it has its detractors. But it has been embraced by teachers eager to supplement textbooks that lag behind scientific findings on climate change and pollution.
...
The video was created by Annie Leonard, a former Greenpeace employee and an independent lecturer who paints a picture of how American habits result in forests being felled, mountaintops being destroyed, water being polluted and people and animals being poisoned. Ms. Leonard, who describes herself as an “unapologetic activist,” is also critical of corporations and the federal government, which she says spends too much on the military.
...
So far, six million people have viewed the film at its site...and millions more have seen it on YouTube. More than 7,000 schools, churches and others have ordered a DVD version, and hundreds of teachers have written Ms. Leonard to say they have assigned students to view it on the Web.
...
The enthusiasm is not universal. In January, a school board in Missoula County, Mont., decided that screening the video treaded on academic freedom after a parent complained that its message was anticapitalist....

Rebel Girl's Poetry Corner: Goodbye

This poem by Galway Kinnell first appeared in the July 1966 issue of Poetry.

Rebel Girl thinks that it captures something - but of course not everything - about this time, the end of the semester, this last week of classes.

Goodbye!

Goodbye.

The Correspondence-School Instructor Says Goodbye to His Poetry Students

Goodbye, lady in Bangor, who sent me
snapshots of yourself, after definitely hinting
you were beautiful; goodbye,
Miami Beach urologist, who enclosed plain
brown envelopes for the return of your very
“Clinical Sonnets”; goodbye, manufacturer
of brassieres on the Coast, whose eclogues
give the fullest treatment in literature yet
to the sagging breast motif; goodbye, you in San Quentin,
who wrote, “Being German my hero is Hitler,”
instead of “Sincerely yours,” at the end of long,
neat-scripted letters extolling the Pre-Raphaelites:


I swear to you, it was just my way
of cheering myself up, as I licked
the stamped, self-addressed envelopes,
the game I had of trying to guess
which one of you, this time,
had poisoned his glue. I did care.
I did read each poem entire.
I did say everything I thought
in the mildest words I knew. And now,
in this poem, or chopped prose, no better,
I realize, than those troubled lines
I kept sending back to you,
I have to say I am relieved it is over:
at the end I could feel only pity
for that urge toward more life
your poems kept smothering in words, the smell
of which, days later, tingled in your nostrils
as new, God-given impulses
to write.


Goodbye,
you who are, for me, the postmarks again
of imaginary towns—Xenia, Burnt Cabins, Hornell—
their solitude given away in poems, only their loneliness kept.

Wingding in the canyon

TigerAnn played with Bea's kids.

That's my "fortress of absurditute" at right.

“It’s kinda like the Montagues and the Capulets,” I said to my class Friday.

My students stared at me, uncomprehending.

“Try this: it’s kinda like the Hatfields and the McCoys!” —Still nothing.

Annie decorated the sky, employing a sky hook that she purchased in Pacifica.

I was trying to explain to my students the nature of the party that I was about to give the next day, the first party in the history of Irvine Valley College to combine the School of Humanities and Languages—a real “party” School, pre-Mathur—and the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences—a relatively antisocial school (as the joke goes), both pre-Mathur and since Mathur.

Actually, there’s no bad blood between these schools, but their respective faculties have never partied together before (off campus), and so, who knows, maybe you put 'em together and you get an explosion or a time warp or a rift in the space-time continuum.

I think these things are poisonous or something.

So, anyway, yesterday, starting at 4:00, Annie and I hosted the first ever combo-School party, and I think things went pretty dang well. No time warps. No rift. As I predicted, my sister, Annie, and her cat, TigerAnn, were the hit of the party, blah, blah, blah. The details are unimportant.

— And, no, we didn't play "Pin the tail on the Fuentes."

Mark M wore a fedora, I think.

Plus there were pink flamingos.

Traci wore a cool retro hat.

After everybody left, Annie asked, “How many pictures did you take?”

“None,” I said.

She punched me. TigerAnn stared.

So, today, I took a few pics to give you a sense of the party—kind of a “ghost town” or maybe a “Twilight Zone” or maybe even a “post-apocalyptic” gestalt of the event.

These people sure can drink. Drink is key, I find.

TigerAnn remained Stoical throughout.

How to treat pups

In today’s OC Reg, Scott Martindale interviews embattled Capistrano Valley High School history instructor James Corbett—he of “Jesus glasses” infamy. ('I'm never negative toward religion')

Know about his case? Martindale explains:

Corbett, 62…routinely brings up divisive topics in class and often makes inflammatory statements about religion. It's all part of his effort to "provoke" students to think critically about "changes in religious thought and institutions," he says.

The class in question, after all, is a college-level Advanced Placement European history course that has religion as one of its key themes.

"I'm never negative toward religion," Corbett said. "I'm negative toward the actions of some churches toward religion. It's not disparaging religion to point out that the Renaissance popes were a bunch of whacks."

About six months ago, Corbett offended Chad Farnan, a Christian student. That ultimately provoked a lawsuit. The matter recently reached the courtroom, where Corbett was “found to have violated the First Amendment for referring to Creationism as ‘religious, superstitious nonsense’”:

District Judge James Selna…found that by making the "nonsense" remark about Creationism, Corbett violated the First Amendment's establishment clause. ... Selna, however, dismissed more than 20 other statements attributed to Corbett … in the lawsuit as not being violations….

Corbett hasn’t decided yet whether he’ll appeal.

I hope the district is paying his legal bills. If not, he could take a terrible hit.

Q. How does your teaching style differ from your colleagues'?
A. … I try to relate what we read in history to what's going on now. ...[T]he majority of the kids find history to be the most boring class. The reason they hate it is because it's dry and irrelevant.

Q. You were found to have violated the First Amendment's establishment clause when you discussed a 1993 court case involving your former colleague, science teacher John Peloza, who sued for the right not to have to teach evolution. You told your class, "I will not leave John Peloza alone to propagandize kids with this religious, superstitious nonsense." The court said you were referring to Creationism. Do you agree?
A. I was referring to the way John Peloza was teaching in his biology classroom, not Creationism. He was leading kids to the understanding that there were major scientific flaws in evolution. As a matter of science, there really aren't….
…
…When people say, let's teach both sides of the evolution debate, well, there is no both sides. There is science and there is religion.

Q. What is your approach to addressing religion with your students?
A. So many people think that sitting around in a school or mosque of church or synagogue or temple and memorizing large amounts of information is knowledge. It's not knowledge; it's indoctrination. The fact that I force people to think about other ways doesn't mean I'm anti-Christian. I regularly say, "Look, there's belief and I don't care what you believe. But there's also history and science.”….

Q. People have accused you of being anti-Christian. What are your personal religious convictions?
A. The most important words ever spoken are: "Love your neighbors as yourself," "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and "Judge not, lest you be judged." We hear those words from a lot of religions. That's what I believe – that's the core of it. I'm eclectic with religion. I was baptized Catholic and have worn a Celtic cross around my neck for the past 50 years. Right now, I'd call myself a smorgasbord Catholic. Occasionally, I go to a church on holidays. And I often stand behind the curtains at Crossline Church (a nondenominational Christian church that meets at Capistrano Valley High on Sundays) and listen to the sermon. They are intellectually stimulating, and they can often provide you with a perspective on major issues of the day. I like to hear what anybody has to say….

If we can take all of his comments seriously, they portray a Corbett that is, oh, complex. He doesn't strike me as a very consistent thinker. That's not necessarily a terrible thing.

For what it's worth, anyone familiar with science and its methods will agree that the notion that there are scientific "flaws" in "evolution" (i.e., the body of theory concerning natural selection, genetics, etc.) is nonsense. That body of theory is one of science's great success stories. Within the sciences, there are no "two sides" about evolution. (As one of my students suggested recently, this business about "evolution being just a theory" commits the fallacy of equivocation. The enemies of evolution are often word cheaters.)

Corbett uses provocation as a teaching method, and this means that some of his classroom remarks should not be taken at face value. Even so, I find his assertion that he is never "negative" toward religion implausible.

Clearly, he is negative toward religion—even in the classroom. He should just say so. He is hostile to it, at least in some of his moods. The question is, should he be allowed to be hostile toward (or dismissive of, etc.) religion in the classroom?

If his classroom were in a college, I think the answer is clearly "yes." Not sure about public K-12.

You can be honestly atheistic or agnostic without being hostile to religion, I find. Science is not about certainties, but probabilities. Its methods discourage dogmatism even about what is well-established. And it is plain that there is much about the nature of the universe that scientists don't have a clue about. They will have a clue, I think, but, for now, they're frustrated with their cluelessness.

I dunno. Seems to me that a certain humility about "what we know" is appropriate in the sciences. One who approaches religion and faith from that perspective seems less of a threat, I think.

Corbett compares his students to puppies. He should go easier on his pups, I say. Don't be kickin' 'em.

But I don't think we should kick Corbett either.

Dick's grandson, Cox

The crowd: Club breakfast welcomes Nixon’s grandson (The Daily Pilot)

Orange County super Republican Tom Fuentes invited the political power base to breakfast at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort this week to welcome the grandson of late President Richard M. Nixon.

In Newport Beach on business, Christopher Nixon Cox, 30, addressed the breakfast conference expressing his opinions on the state of the nation and the direction of the Obama administration. “Higher taxes hit the poorest people hardest,” said the young attorney who is in private practice in New York City and is also involved in raising equity for major capital investment. “We need projects that make sense for Americans,” he added, stating, “The best way to create jobs is to cut the capital gains tax.” Cox continued, “How about a 50% tax credit on payroll taxes for businesses? That would stimulate economic growth.”....

Wadda asshole.

I'm told that Al Tello, Glenn Roquemore and David Robinson (of the IVC Foundation Board) were also in attendance.

Remember when Fuentes suggested that the "Great Park" be named the "Richard E. Nixon" Park?

The few, the proud, the dismissed

• 5 named as O.C. teachers of the year (OC Reg, Thursday)

At about 11 a.m., Saddleback College math lecturer Lawrence Perez made a special trip to school after President Todd Burnett called him in to his office.

He didn't have a class, and so the special meeting was a little troubling.

“A lot of things were going through my mind. I didn’t know what was going on,” said Perez.

His concern melted into joy. Perez said he had no idea the prizes were chosen in spring, not October when the annual celebration is held.

“I'm only as good as this institution," said Perez, a 10-year teacher. "Students are the ones who directly deserve all the credit for all my success."

Then, in tromped the entourage, announcing he was one of the teachers of the year.

The five winners were chosen from more than 60 finalists selected by individual school districts. A panel of county officials picked the five winners after interviewing all the finalists.

• Documentary purports to rip GOP's closet doors (San Francisco Chronicle)

California GOP Rep. David Dreier and a number of other politicians are the unwilling stars of a controversial new documentary with an explosive premise--it's time to blow open the closet door on prominent politicians who have hidden their homosexuality while actively working against gay causes.

The film "Outrage," which opens today at the Embarcadero Center Cinema in San Francisco, presents interviews and documentation charging that a number of prominent legislators--including Dreier, the U.S. representative from San Dimas (Los Angeles County), GOP Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and former Democratic New York Mayor Ed Koch--have remained closeted while publicly opposing legislation on issues such as same-sex marriage, HIV/AIDS funding, and gays in the military.

Kirby Dick, the film's director, told The Chronicle on Thursday that "it's not only the right thing to do, it's the responsibility of journalists and filmmakers to report on hypocrisy wherever they see it.

• Cal State Fullerton names outstanding professor (OC Register)

During his 34 years on campus, [Professor Mohinder] Grewal has contributed to the development of the space-based positioning, navigation and timing systems used in common global positioning technology. He has written three books on the subject, and he holds two patents with a third patent application pending for algorithms related to global positioning and navigation.

"It's so nice to be appreciated, and have the university recognize my writings," Grewal, 65, said. "My books have brought the university a good name both internationally and nationally."

• Soldier told he'll be let go after saying he's gay (OC Register)

He wanted to go back to Iraq.

Instead, Dan Choi, an openly gay combat veteran from Tustin, received different marching orders: "pack up your stuff and go home."

That’s how he described the words printed on the "withdrawal" letter that arrived days ago to his address. In a televised interview Friday on CNN's "American Morning," Choi, who's being dismissed for violating the military's "don’t ask, don’t tell policy," said the mail hit like "a big slap in the face."
...
Choi grew up in Tustin and attended the selective military academy West Point, where he learned to speak Arabic. That rare linguistic skill paid off during an extended tour in Iraq, where he attained the rank of first lieutenant, he said.

He ended his overseas service in 2008 and joined the New York Army National Guard, a reserve military force. Then came the letter, which charged him with negatively affecting "the good order and discipline" of the guard.
...
On Thursday, Choi addressed the fallout of his decision to out himself on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show," where last month he first publicly said the words “I am gay." After the announcement, he said, fellow guardsman eased his concerns.

Lt. Choi speaks

OC grand jury to John Williams: you stink

Looks like we missed one.

A reader alerted us to a story concerning trustee John Williams. Williams, of course, is also the Orange County Public Administrator-Public Guardian, having been elected for that office in 2002.

On Wednesday, the OC Reg reported that, according to an OC grand jury, Williams is doing a seriously shitty and questionable job. (Grand jury faults public guardian office for mismanagement.)

According to the Reg, back in 2005, Williams and then-Treasurer John Moorlach promised that they could save the county $300K in three years by combining the public administrator and public guardian offices. Well, it's 2009, and, according to the grand jury, nothing of the kind has happened.

Their report, made available on Wednesday,

takes aim at Williams for doubling salary costs at the agency and engaging in questionable personnel practices. ¶ "The annual base salary of management has increased over 96 percent since 2005," read the grand jury report. ¶ "They have failed to deliver on their promise to save Orange County taxpayers' money."
…
The Public Administrator is an elected job which pays less than $20,000 a year. But the Public Guardian is an appointed position earning similar wages to other department heads at more than $138,000 annually. Under state law, the public administrator in each county settles the estates of the recently deceased who leave no known heirs....

According to the report, in 2005 there were seven employees who had combined yearly salaries of $529,796. By 2008, the number of employees had risen to 10, a spike of 40 percent. And their wages totaled $1, 042,828 annually.

The spike is not only attributable to extra employees but to numerous questionable promotions. ¶ Grand jurors found that one employee was promoted to a top management position within a year of retirement.

Apparently, that wasn’t the only promotion that was hinky. Several of them were called into question by the county’s human resources people.

Even Moorlach thinks the report is troubling. He was scheduled to meet with Williams (yesterday).

Apart from all that, the grand jury just thinks that the agency does a lousy job.

The report cited one audit by social security administration that found a 30 percent error rate in files handled by the public guardian. ¶ Another example cited was the case of one individual who left behind $7,400 after passing away. The public administrator took four years to bring the case before a court for disbursement and by that time the funds were depleted.

It gets worse:

Grand jurors also criticized the use of internal manuals saying many were not up to date and were "in shambles." ¶ "Four organizational charts were provided to the Grand Jury over a period of four months. These charts were different each time they were produced and the titles of the individuals were constantly changing." ¶ "Out of control personnel practices have created an organization top heavy in management and riddled with unhappy workers required to do much more work than what is considered typical," the report concluded.

That does sound like our Johnny.

For some background on John Williams' "public administrator" gig (and his spendthrift ways), go to
• Williams fires Padberg.
• $500 a night lodging for Orlando Boy

Speaking of dope...Matt Coker (OC Weekly) alerts us to a video on YouTube. Conservative OC judge Jim Gray argues for marijuana decriminalization (lengthy):