Mystery photos for a Friday

I've been sifting through a stash of old family photographic negatives that my brother found in his garage. Yesterday,  I came across at least two mystery photos. The photo above was taken by my dad, with his old Retina Kodak,  in Germany in 1951. Dad can't recall the woman or the location. He acknowledges that he must've taken it (it was on a roll of other photos that, clearly, he took). As you can see, the photo is blurred by the unsteady hand of the photographer, so it's hard to make out the young lady's features. (Click on graphics to enlarge.)

A close-up. She'd be about 78-years-old now.
Soon after this photo, my folks met on the boat sailing from Germany to Canada.
You know, the girl above looks a lot like Rebel Girl!
UPDATE: talked to my dad. He now says the gal "could have been one of my girlfriends."
Dad used to have lots of photos of old girlfriends. One day (in maybe 1952 or '53), mom gathered up all those photos and saved one picture of each girlfriend. She threw out the rest. Then she informed dad of her editing. "That's the way it's gonna be," she said. "Here's what's left." (Something like that.)

I also found this photo of the interior of a restaurant, one of two photos. The scene is northwestern Germany. Dad was on the Rhine just before he sailed for Canada in late 1951. He says he has no idea whatsoever who the waitress is and why he took this pic. Maybe an acquaintance of a friend?

This is a photo of my mom, circa 1958, likely in Kitimat, British Columbia.  But what is she doing? Just posing, I guess. She says she doesn't remember the photo or the occasion, but she acknowledges that she and dad did fool around a lot with his camera. That's for sure. Some of that stuff is pretty racy.
Sister Annie would have been about 4 and I would have been about 3 at the time of this photo.

This one's no mystery. At some point (in 1957 or 1958), while in Kitimat, my folks bought a new washer and  refrigerator—both by Westinghouse. Boy were they proud. Mom says she had dad take these pics so she could send them to her sister in Germany.
"My sister has never been the same," says mom, mysteriously.
I love the daffy "Mad Men" style of these appliance photos.

It's modern!

My folks' vision isn't what it used to be. They scrutinized this one for some time and only came up with distinctly wrongish theories about what's depicted. It looks to me like the Southwestern desert. I Googled "Desert View Trading Post" and discovered that that is the name of a place near the Grand Canyon. After a little looking I discovered that the Grand Canyon DVTP, which still exists, looks very much like the building depicted here. Voila.
My dad took the pic in 1958, when we traversed Route 66 from near Niagara Falls to LA.

"I'm frustrated we're talking about dogs...."

Famous talking dog

     Jonathan Volzke of the Capistrano Dispatch joins the San Juan Capistrano Patch in reporting that SJC Councilman Derek Reeve has pulled his controversial anti-illegal immigration proposal. (See Anti-Illegal Immigration Policy Proposal in Capistrano Pulled after Plagiarism Allegations.)
     Volzke seems to view Reeve’s action as a consequence of recent plagiarism allegations made against him by the SJC Patch. A kind of strategic retreat, under a rock, I guess.
     Based on Jenna Chandler and the Patch’s reporting, it seems very clear that Reeve, a lawyer, a realtor, and a Saddleback College Poli Sci instructor, has blatantly plagiarized the works of various authors in recent months—on the Patch.
     Not sure if anyone’s checked any other publications yet.
     Mayor Sam Allevato said that Reeve’s plagiarism issue is distracting:

“I feel further discussion by the City Council (of the plagiarism allegations) is unwarranted as it does nothing to further the interests of the residents of San Juan Capistrano and is yet another distraction from the important work of this Council,” Allevato said. “Ultimately, Mr. Reeve will have to answer to the public and his employers regarding his actions.”

     —Gosh, I think Allevato is alluding to Concordia U and Saddleback College, where Reeve teaches. No?
     Another City Councilman, John Taylor, evidently worries that Reeve could mess up SJC's rosy rep:

“Members of an elected body are supposed to be leaders—plagiarism is against the law,” Taylor said in a written statement “This lack of character and leadership is a hindrance in his ability to govern the affairs of our City.”

"Distracted"

     I don't know about plagiarism being against the law; it does invite civil lawsuits. Surely it's unethical, scandalous.
     Another council member, Laura Freese, evidently a fan of absurd remarks, said: “I’m frustrated we’re talking about dogs, the right to gather and now plagiarism” (CD).
     I’ll bet. This fracas sure reminds me of the old Frogue/Board Majority days, when SOCCCD officials spent most of their time 'splainin' the board’s absurd actions and policies, many of which were clear instances of “red meat tossage” to the Board Four’s benighted right-wing constituency—you know, the people who, fifteen years later, sip tea and support Reeve.
     A former Councilman is urging others to take a good look at Reeve. Maybe he thinks there’s more to find under the rocks of SJC. Do you suppose?
     Meanwhile, Reeve ain’t talkin’. He won’t respond to his old buds at the SJC Patch, who want to know about this unseemly pattern of plagiarism that he saddled ‘em with. I bet they’re pissed. Are they gonna delete all that stuff?
     I wonder if Saddleback College’s Academic Senate is dusting off its "code of ethics"? I mean, what’s the point of having a code if you don’t do something when one of your own members violates it bigtime?
     For all I know, they're on the case right now. I can just imagine the discussion:

     "Well, he's obviously taken other writers' words and ideas and claimed them as his own! The rascal!"
     "Wait. The stuff on the Patch is written, right? Maybe his dog Muhammad peed on his submissions, messing 'em up?"
     "Never mind pee. Our code is about being honest with academic stuff. When he writes for the Patch blog, that's not academic stuff; it's political stuff."
     "Wait! Doesn't he teach politics here at the college? I'm so confused!"
     "Let me get this straight. If he goes on TV and announces that he wrote Huckleberry Finn, that's OK, cuz it's only TV?"
     "He'd better not say it on Saddleback TV. Nancy Padberg watches that shit, and I bet she hates Mark Twain. Have you ever read Letters from the Earth?"
     "Yeah. Gosh."

     I happen to know that they really do talk that way down at Saddleback. They're seriously serious down there, man.

And now for something completely different...

Rebel Girl is proud to report that IVC student Mary Carreon hss been awarded a coveted internship at the OC Weekly, where she will work under the direction of Gustavo Arellano, the Weekly's managing editor, award-winning writer, contributing editor to the Los Angeles Times Op/Ed pages, lecturer at Cal State Fullerton and perennial runner-up for IVC commencement speaker. (What's a guy gotta do?)

Here's a snippet from Carreon's first piece, coverage of author Sandra Cisneros' appearance last weekend:

OC Media
Sandra Cisneros Wows More than 200 at Libreria Martinez Reading
​Written by new OC Weekly intern Mary Carreon. Hola, Mary!

Beloved Mexican-American author Sandra Cisneros graced Libreria Martinez this past Saturday afternoon, with the legendary bookstore filled with over 250 Cisneros fans. Store owner Rueben Martinez stated that he had seen his store so full before, which was partly true: after all, the last time Cisneros came to do a booksigning for him, Martinez had to host the reading at the Orange County High School of the Performing Arts.

Cisneros is always a ball of energy, and she delighted the crowd by reading a short story from her new book, Have You Seen Marie? During a brief question-and-answer session, Cisneros stated she's currently writing several new books, including a collection of "lost" essays with the tentative title, Writing in My Pajamas; Have You Seen Marie?, an adult picture book; a children's book titled, Bravo, Bruno; and several other collaborative projects including a screenplay of her iconic The House on Mango Street.

To read the rest, click here.

Carreon will be covering local arts, cultural and sport events.

*

On Derek Reeve's failure to be honest

     As you know, controversial San Juan Capistrano City Councilman Derek Reeve is on the faculty of Saddleback College and he is enrolled at Claremont Graduate University, where he is seeking a doctorate.
     Recently, we learned that he's a plagiarist, one who offers others' words and ideas as though they are his own.
     According to his faculty profile at the Saddleback College website, Reeve expects to finish his doctorate in 2013:

CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY [CGU] – Doctorate of Philosophy, 2013 Major: Political Science;  Double Academic Emphasis: International Relations and American Politics;  Sub-emphasis: International Terrorism; U.S. Constitutional Law and Interpretation

     I checked, and, unsurprisingly, CGU has a policy on Academic Honesty, one that mentions plagiarism. According to the policy,

The ideal of academic honesty is crucial to the integrity of a college or university; conversely, academic dishonesty undermines the very basis upon which institutions of higher education are organized and function. All students at Claremont Graduate University are expected to meet the highest standards of honesty in the performance of their academic work….
. . .
The Standards of Academic Honesty proscribe (but are not limited to) the giving or receiving of unauthorized help in examinations or other assignments, plagiarism and other unacknowledged or undocumented use of source material, and forgery. [My emphases.*]

     Such standards are utterly familiar to any academic. CGU’s conception of “academic honesty” is typical. So is its rejection of plagiarism.
     CGU’s policy on Academic Integrity explains “plagiarism” as follows:

     Plagiarism is a serious academic offense, which will lead to disciplinary procedures when detected. ... Faculty members are required to report all cases of apparent plagiarism to the office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Most plagiarism occurs unintentionally, due to ignorance of academic expectations on citing sources. However, ignorance is no defense in cases of plagiarism….
. . .
     Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic ethical standards….
. . .
     The range of definitions [of plagiarism] is illustrated by the following examples:

• "Plagiarism...means trying to pass off someone else's work as your own."
• "Plagiarism … means using another person's language or ideas without acknowledgement."
• "Plagiarism is defined as the attempt to fob off another's thought or language as one's own..."
• "Fundamentally, plagiarism is the offering of the words or ideas of another person as one's own.. . .

The key to avoiding plagiarism is documentation. When you take words, ideas or facts, which are not common knowledge from someone else, cite your source…. [My emphasis.]

     I doubt that one could find an institution of higher education in this country that did not have policies regarding academic honesty that are essentially similar to CGU’s. That is, throughout academia, students and professors are expected to be “academically honest,” and the most familiar element of any account of academic honesty is its rejection of plagiarism—i.e., its rejection of the passing off of others’ ideas and writing as one’s own.
     Naturally, CGU’s primary concern is with Reeve’s conduct as a student and as a scholar. One might suppose, therefore, that his conduct outside that realm—e.g., as a contributor to political blogs or newsletters—is of no relevance to them or to academia. That supposition is dubious, I think.
     Let’s return to Saddleback College, where Reeve has worked for six or seven years as an Associate Faculty. As it turns out, a dozen years ago, Saddleback College faculty adopted a “Faculty Code of Ethics and Professional Standards.” It quotes a familiar American Association of University Professors statement:

"Professors, guided by a deep conviction of the worth and dignity of the advancement of knowledge, recognize the special responsibilities placed upon them. Their primary responsibility to their subject is to seek and to state the truth as they see it. To this end professors devote their energies to developing and improving their scholarly competence. They accept the obligation to exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending, and transmitting knowledge. They practice intellectual honesty…." (AAUP Statement, 1990) [My emphasis.]

The Saddleback “code” goes on to require that

Faculty exhibit intellectual honesty and integrity in all scholarly endeavors.

     The point I'm making is simple. Qua scholar and qua college faculty, Reeve is expected to be honest, and, obviously, one aspect of honesty is not passing off other’s writings and ideas as one’s own—even in less-than-scholarly settings. Jenna Chandler’s recent piece in the SJC Patch makes very clear that Mr. Reeve does exactly that—he passed off others’ ideas and writings as his own—and he has done so repeatedly. He cannot be trusted to argue honestly; he certainly cannot be trusted to instill academic honesty in his students.
     Who knows. Perhaps this will make him more attractive to his hooting Neanderthalic supporters—a loutish crew known for anti-intellectualism and a suspicion of science. But to academics, Reeve is a scholar and teacher who has failed to internalize or accept what is utterly central to academic life: honesty.**

*Tea Partiers, the word "emphases" is the plural form of the word "emphasis."
**Mr. Reeve is turning out to be quite the lout, what with his willingness to engage in juvenile taunts of Muslims and repeated intellectual theft. Why am I not surprised that he is also pious?

• Matt Coker has noticed the Reeve saga, including this latest chapter.
• The OC Reg's Frank Mickadeit updates: Did city councilman plagiarize?

…"Did City Councilman Plagiarize?" editor Jenna Chandler asked in the headline over her story. The weight of the evidence she presents combined with Reeve's lack of a credible response makes it difficult to reach any other conclusion….

Derek Reeve, plagiarist? (He's toast)

     —Two recent developments re Derek Reeve, the Saddleback College adjunct and SJC City Councilman who mirthfully informed the people of SJC that he had named one of his dogs "Muhammad."
     You'll recall that that action yielded the fellow much attention plus the designation "pinhead" from Bill O'Reilly.
     Now, the two developments:

1. Poll: No apology needed for Muhammad dog comment (OC Reg)

77% of 481 respondents to a Register online poll don’t think San Juan Capistrano Councilman Derek Reeve should apologize for his public remarks about naming his dog after the Muslim prophet. 

     Yeah, whatever. Reg readers are living up to their reputation.

2. Jenna Chandler of the San Juan Capistrano Patch weighs in with this: Did City Councilman Plagiarize?

     San Juan Capistrano Councilman Derek Reeve has published essays that are virtually identical to the words of other writers.
     He helps run the city, lectures at local colleges and practices law, but for the past few months, San Juan Capistrano City Councilman Derek Reeve has also blogged on Patch, opining on local issues and promoting some of his government proposals.
     He stopped blogging earlier this month after Patch questioned him about dozens of passages that appear to be lifted from other publications, word for word and without attribution.
     In one case, an entire post submitted by Reeve matched content from other publications. In others, as much as two-thirds of Reeve's essays were a patchwork of paragraphs identical to material written by newspaper columnists and reporters for such publications as The Oregonian and The Hill.... (continued)

     Oh my.
     Chandler has details in her article. They're devastating. Check 'em out.
     Tea Partiers, in academia, plagiarism is a VERY SERIOUS SIN. I know you won't be able to understand that. Nevertheless, it's true.
     Reeve might have a future as a Tea Partier, since tea people have no standards and seem attracted to jerks and morons. But, unless Chandler is making all of this stuff up, as an academic, Reeve is now toast.

The September 2011 board meeting—live and direct!

     (For a sunnier take on this meeting, see Tere's board meeting highlights.)
     It’s 6:05 down here in the Ronald Reagan room, and it’s time once again for the monthly meeting of the venerable SOCCCD board of trustees.
     The audience is the typical thin crowd thus far. No sign of the trustees. I’ll keep you posted.
. . .
     6:16: Two trustees have entered the room. A good sign!
. . .
     6:24: OMG! Don Wagner's in the room! He's jawin' with Tod Burnett.
     The trustees are fixin' to start up.
     6:27: Nancy Padberg opens the meeting.

     • No actions taken in closed session.

"Don Wagner is a leader among California Republicans."

     • Invocation: Marcia Milchiker asks for God's help.... Quotes Robert Lewis Stevenson. Then says "amen."
     • Pledge of allegiance: by Frank Meldau
     • Resolutions for Professors of the Year. Marcia reads each. This is gonna take a while. I miss Fuentes' contempt for faculty and for board opponents. All this worshipfulness and earnestness and reverence is about to make me puke.
   
Public comments:

     1. HAT LADY. A middle-aged lady in a hat and shades comes up to the podium. She indicate her interest in becoming Chancellor. Really. She lists her qualifications. She then indicates that she is preparing a lawsuit (against the district), something about a film or video class. I think I heard the mildly unpleasant sound of crinkling aluminum foil as she shifted her hat on her head. She's now left the podium. I catch Tere's eye. Her look is within the bounds of professionalism. I'm impressed.
     2. DON WAGNER, former SOCCCD trustee, present leader of the legislative anti-public education contingent, grandly steps up to the podium. He tells the story of his coming across Bill Hewitt on a plane to Sacramento years ago. He says: We had a long discussion. We didn't agree about everything. We've continued those discussions. I'm happy to report, says Don, that a friendship developed. When I heard that Bill was retiring, I started working on a certificate of recognition or appreciation or some dang thing. I discovered how much he's done. Wow. So, being a big shot Republican in Sacto, I had the State Legislature write a resolution. (He holds it up in the air. It's framed. It highlights some of Bill's accomplishments, which Don reads. The thing has a big green strip on it. It looks like something from an old cigarette ad.) Bill's real legacy: thousands of students who have benefitted from his work. On behalf of the people of Cal, thanks, Bill.
     Applause. Bill speaks: Acknowledges his "staff." Humbly explains that he could not have done all those magnificent things that he has done—he mentions some of 'em—without... yada yada.

Board reports:

     Bill Jay: no report
     Frank Meldau: thanks for the tour of SC, Tod, he says. Great football game and homecoming. Chili bowl cook-off was great, despite that pesky power outage.
     Marcia Milchiker: yes, no power for chili cook-off. Dang. But it was a great event. In the dark.
     T.J. Prendergast: Yeah, the homecoming game was great. I will be attending the water polo game.
     Nancy Padberg: yeah, I too went to the game. Saddleback's "Constitution Day" was wonderful, with a "big article in the paper."
     Dave Lang: Thanks IVC Prez Glenn Roquemore for something, don't recall what. It was a nice homecoming.
     Student trustee: puts tawdry crown on his head; then announces, "I won homecoming king!" He attended water polo games. (I think this kid hopes to be on TV one day.)
     Chancellor Gary Poertner: mentions accred follow-up report and strategic plan—two items tonight. They represent a "very huge effort." Thanked all of the people who worked so hard on the report, etc.

6:58: unanimous vote for consent calendar.

4.1 Presentation about Accred. follow-up reports:

     Roquemore introduces the team: IVC Senate Prez Lisa Davis Allen, Kathleen Werle, Saddleback Senate Prez Bob Cosgrove, VPI Don Busche.
     It's been a long journey. August 2010—we submitted self-study reports. January 2011: both colleges got warning status. Ouch.
     He thanks Gary Poertner for his crucial efforts.

     So here's the presentation:

It was like a dream or something

     Tod Burnett: it was an effective district-wide effort. Poertner put together a district steering committee. Yada Yada.
. . . (Trust me, you don't want the details)
(As you know, a camel is a horse designed by a committee...Just sayin') . . . (just how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? Well, that's a very important question, of course. Let's see) . . . I do believe that I am in a coma now. I'm fairly certain that I'm drooling. I hear voices droning...
7:11 Kill me now....
I hear voices: ...we have found these delightful plastic forms. We have shoved turds into them, with great care. Behold the lovely product: remarkable things, aren't they? Behold their perfection. Wow we must be good.
I hear those voices again. We have been very diligent... Standards. Reports. Dedication. Excellence. Drool. .... Voices....
... I see trustee faces. Some are sleepy, bored. One seems pained, but that's probably about something else. The voices keep changing, droning. Drool....
It's 7:18. Kill me, kill me now.... We want to thank... I hear snoring. How many pinheads can angel on the head of a....? Constituent groups in the district.... Planning and decision-making.... Relevance...
Dysfunctional.... Tax-payers.... Werle handles that special recommendation....
College-wide discussion boards have been initiated.... Safe, transparent.... A policy on mutual respect.... Yeah, protect the worst faculty for decades..... respect.... Gotto have mutual respect....
The ACCJC Accred Teams will visit in November.
In January, the ACCJC board will meet, and they'll decide whether we should stay on warning....
We'll be notified in February....

The dream suddenly lifts.
Nancy: "thanks for a great report." Board members, any questions? NONE.

Next: district-wide strategic plan:

Poertner: very little difference between info item last time and what we have today, he says. Mentions one addition: establishment of a new DISTRICT facility between IVC and Saddleback College, a long-time desideratum. This may be the time to pursue that, what with the economy in the toilet.

Vote to accept plan: unanimous

Item 6.2: a cash-flow matter.... Borrowing money from ourselves....  They vote: unanimous.

Yada yada. I so miss Tom.

Too many notes, I think

6.5 Board Policy Revision....
     Lang has comment ... He offers suggestions re the wording of the code of ethics policy. Blah blah blah.
     Nancy P seems mighty peeved by this "wordsmithing." Wants to move things along. The sarcastic Nancy emerges. Marcia says, gosh, she likes all Dave's tiny changes. Well, ask to be recognized next time, snaps Nancy, the ruthless Nancy.
     Let's use "according" instead of "giving," says Dave.
     I think they're referring to this line:

Respectfully working with other Board members in the spirit of harmony and cooperation and giving each member courteous consideration of his or her opinion.

     Prendergast: maybe we should look up the word "according"; maybe the right word is "affording," says TJ. (He teaches P.E.) Nancy says, "affording" makes sense to her. Let's do that.
     (Good Lord. These people are in charge of colleges?)
     6.5 passes.

6.6 More revisions. Delegation of authority to the Chancellor. Discussion.
6.7 Resolution to rescind five grant-funded classified layoffs. Roll-call vote. Unanimous.
6.8 Academic personnel actions. Unanimously passes.
6.9 Classified personnel actions. Unanimously passes.

We miss you, Tom

Reports:

7.1 Notice to board of ceremony to be held at Disneyland Hotel.
7.2 Reassigned time and stipends. Info only.
7.3 Speakers. No comments/questions.
7.4 Basic Aid Report.
7.5 Facility plan status report. No questions.
7.6 Monthly financial status report. No questions.

Reports from constituency groups:

Bill Hewitt

Saddleback College Ac Senate: blah blah
Faculty Association: no report
IVC Ac Senate: no formal report
Peebles/ATEP: no report
Roquemore/IVC: congrats faculty of year. Robert Young's lecture: paradise at middle age. Exploration of OC from an urban development perspective. Blah, blah.
Burnett/SC: thanks Cosgrove and Busche. Also Claire C-S. Blather about homecoming. Blah blah.
(Will this never end?)
Bugay: nice to be in a district that remembers 9-11.
Fitzsimmons: (too many words, too quickly said)
Et al.

7:57 adjourned (in name of student who died in skateboard accident).

Music for this dreary moment

Well i'd like to think i'm the mess you'd wear with pride.

Like some empty dress on the bed you've layed out for tonight.

Maybe i'll tell you sometime.

Time.sometime.

And you were right.

Right.

You were right

Outside by your doorstep

In a worn out suit and tie

I'll wait

For you to come down

Where you'll find me

Where we'll shine

Oh