See this movie

          Good evening, 919 Gang. Mary and I saw the movie “Spotlight” today, and I agree with everything Preston Turegano said about it last night. And that includes his complaint about the previews. There were eight, and they took 20 minutes. I had finished my popcorn by the time the previews were over, so I was ready to go home. Mary insisted we stay, and I’m glad she did. It is an excellent film. For me, one of the highlights was the scene near the end where they showed the Boston Globe presses running. Been a long time since I last saw a sight like that.

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          REBER: Last night, Cecil Scaglione asked, “Does anyone know how to talk to a real person in the U-T subscription dept???”

          MICHELE DAVIS writes:

          The only "real" person that I know of actually employed by the U-T is Dave Fischer. You can leave him a voice mail by accessing his name via the U-T phone system and he may call you back, but probably not. There are the call room folks but they are based in Arizona and pretty much don't know anything.

          LESLIE WOLF BRANSCOMB writes:

          Well, Cecil, I recently discovered that writing a rant about not being able to reach an actual person in the U-T subscription department (let alone in the U.S.) for the 919 gang blog, and cc-ing to Reader's Rep Adrian Vore, pretty quickly got me a personal phone call from a very nice lady in Subscriptions named Dawn. She assured me she could fix my problem (paper stopped being delivered) and that she would be my personal connection from now on. I know this is a result of my post in the 919, because she said so. She offered me a "retiree rate" of $101 a year. (I'm not actually retired, but at age 55 I guess I deserve it.)

          Despite having already re-subscribed to the paper twice via phone, and multiple emails and phone calls to "customer service" - and still no delivery - she said she'd get our subscription restarted the next day. And she did. The paper came once. After 5 more days of phone calls and emails to Dawn and to customer service, I got a guy on the phone who sounded, like so many others, like he was talking to me from a noisy phone bank in another country. (He didn't sound Indian; maybe Taiwan?) Anyway, he offered us a 13-week subscription, so for the third time in two weeks I gave up my credit card info to a stranger over the phone, to subscribe to a paper we've been getting for more than 20 years at the same address. To this person's credit, the paper did begin arriving again. I can't wait to see what happens when our 13 weeks is up. The only person affiliated with the U-T who actually gave me her name (first name only) and phone number was Dawn. Her number is (619) 293-2159. Judging by the prefix, she's actually in the building. Maybe. Good luck.

          Note: every offer we got to re-subscribe had wildly different rates: When our subscription was close to expiring we got a notice by mail asking us to re-subscribe for $258.59 a year(!) So we waited, figuring they'd come up with a better offer in order to keep long-time subscribers. Then, just before the paper stopped coming, I got a call from a friendly lady who offered me a subscription for $3.96 a month (that's $47.52 a year). Done! I gave her my credit card info, but still no paper. Dawn offered me a retiree rate of $101 a year. I gave her my credit card info. Still no paper. The one that finally did the trick was an offer from the guy in "customer service" in another country (the only time out of more than half a dozen calls to customer service when the recipient of the call didn't put me on hold, then hang up), was for $24.91 for 13 weeks, or $99.64 a year. Go figure. (And yes, being a former reporter, I have all this info at my fingertips because of course I took notes on every phone conversation, and started a file.)

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          ELIZABETH GABRIEL writes:

          Ah, tumbleweeds. When I was a child in the central San Joaquin Valley, we ​had them, as you say, piled up against fences and sometimes blowing across Highway 99. I was recently wondering why I don't see them much anymore. Herbicides, I suppose. But we loved them. Piled up and interlocked tumbleweeds made great forts and other structures for us. They were targets for bows and arrows made of twigs. But the best were the tumbleweed snowmen at Christmas time. People would paint them white then do the traditional snowman thing with hats, scarves, brooms and cutouts for eyes etc. The good old days.

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          ANTONIA (TONI) ALLEGRA writes:

          In Japan, teachers and journalists are held in high esteem. They are paid well for their work since they are recognized as true leaders in the culture. Reminds me of Ted Turner's quote: "A leader creates infectious enthusiasm." Sounds to me that Diane Rocha's teaching was fueled by her leadership talents. Lucky were her students.

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          REBER: Tim isn’t kidding. These photos are terrific.

          TIM WILSON Forwards:

          Incredible photos created without Photoshop:

http://tinyurl.com/q7g9ry3

Jack J. Reber

P.O. Box 2239

Ramona, CA 92065

U.S.A.

2reberjack@gmail.com

Drifting along

          Good evening, 919 Gang. It seems every year we in Ramona have a different “bonanza.” Two years ago, for instance, it seemed rabbits were everywhere. This year I haven’t seen any in months. Some years we have a flood of squirrels. There is a similar phenomenon with plants. A few years ago we had four acres of mustard. We dug them out, and we sprayed them, and that plague is behind us – for now.  This year we are besieged by tumbleweeds.

          There are many kinds of tumbleweeds. I think Russian thistle is the most common around here. I’ve read that Ukrainian immigrants brought the seeds with them, unintentionally, in the 1870s. We have them as much as three feet round. As the plants die, they break loose from the roots and drift across the countryside, each spewing as many as 250,000 seeds as it goes.

          If you visit us, you will see tumbleweeds piled up against fences all over this area. And they are so light they can jump fences, meaning they have the potential to be roving torches in a fire.

          The Sons of the Pioneers made tumbleweeds seem kind of romantic. I don’t agree.

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          PRESTON TUREGANO writes:

          I recommend the movie "Spotlight," which is about how The Boston Globe in the early years of the current century exposed a conspiracy in the Catholic diocese of Boston to cover up priests' sexual abuse of numerous children.  One priest, Paul Shanley, who repeatedly raped a boy, is named -- in passing and on a list of priests known to be pedophiles -- in the movie. Although Shanley was arrested while hiding in Hillcrest in May 2002 and returned to Boston to face charges, none of that is shown in the movie. I just recall reading about it, or seeing a local TV news report about the creep.  There are several spot-on performances in "Spotlight" given by Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery and Stanley Tucci.  The film procedurally shows how reporters and editors used to rely on not just files and court documents, but also library clips to create stories. And it doesn't shy from depicting legal efforts, and old fashion face-to-face intimidation, often employed in an attempt to stop journalistic investigation.  The only downside to going to "Spotlight" was having to endure -- and I'm not exaggerating -- almost 30 minutes of previews/trailers/coming attractions. I lost count after nine segments. Some were for movies that won't come to theaters until March and May.   

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          DIANE ROCHA writes:

          Thanks, David Farmer, for the acknowledgement of the humor. I cannot tell you how many times I had to defend myself from parents and administrators who just didn't get it. One parent in particular from a few years ago said, "Humor does not belong in the classroom." I couldn't help myself. I laughed. My principal, who was at that meeting, didn't think it was funny. I collected myself and said, "I couldn't imagine teaching middle school without humor. It's the best way I know to reach these kids." The funniest part of this whole thing is that the usual complaint about me was that I was too strict. 

          The dirty little secret about education that they neglect to mention in teacher education programs is that there is s certain segment of the population who believe that teachers are fair game for their potshots. They can be vicious and cruel, and we are expected to sit there and take it. Notice I said "expected." I refused to allow this abuse. I have walked out of meetings with the parent still raving, I have called for help when I could see the conference heading down a dangerous path, and I have insisted, on two occasions, that the parent leave my classroom immediately. One parent was drunk and the other called me a racist. The latter got ugly, but I prevailed. 

          These are some of the things that caused me to leave three years earlier than I had planned. With spineless administrators who do not back up their teachers, the dream really did become impossible. This Diane Quixote and her trusty Rochanante had to admit that swimming upstream for more than two decades, while having its moments of glory, proved to be too much to bear. 

          Oh, and by the way, yes, I often sang to my students. And yes, I did occasionally sing "To Dream the Impossible Dream."

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          CECIL SCAGLIONE writes:

         Ciao Jack:  Does anyone know how to talk to a real person in the U-T subscription dept???

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          KENT FREELAND writes:

          Strange hed in Sunday's U-T:
          MAN HELD FIVE YEARS IN CUBA   
          THOUGHT HE BE FREED QUICKLY
          "...he be freed"? The story says "...thought he'd be freed..."
Looks like someone lopped off the 'D to make the hed fit.

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          REBER: As we close out November, don’t forget to wish Happy Birthday, Nov. 30, to Joe Gandelman and John McCutchen.

Jack J. Reber

P.O. Box 2239

Ramona, CA 92065

U.S.A.

2reberjack@gmail.com

Murdoch/Koch/Beutner

          Good evening, 919 Gang. Wouldn’t life be dull if it weren’t ever so often spiced by U-T sales talk?

          A 919ER writes:

          Can you believe it?

          Rupert Murdoch of all people breaking the latest story that Tribune Publishing may be sold and, as part of the deal, the Los Angeles Times and U-T may be spun off to California-based owners.

          Murdoch, of course, is hardly a disinterested party. He may be stirring up Wall Street investors, or could even be a hidden hand in the deal. After all the turmoil, and earlier rumors years back that the then newsroom pariah might buy the U-T, old Rupert doesn't look so bad today.

          We'll know more Monday morning when the stock exchanges open. If Tribune Publishing, which has been tanking, opens with a jump, then Wall Street insiders will have put their money behind Rupert's Twitter scoop of last Friday. Tribune Publishing is already being seen as dead in the water by some, a prime candidate for bottom fishers.

          For those who took the buyouts and ran, many of whom checked out Wednesday, the prospect of yet another new owner may give pause for reflection on their decision to leave. Might there be an end to years of bloodletting in the wings? Did they leave too soon? Conversely, a new ownership would bring another roller coaster ride of staff changes and personality clashes.

          And the biggest surprise would be if sacked Times/UT publisher Austin Beutner returns to the driver's seat under ownership led by LA billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad.

          REBER: I don’t think a Broad/Beutner combine would be a surprise. And I think it would be preferable to some of the possibilities being discussed. Read on:

                                                                     

          BOB ELLEDGE forwards:

          If Koch Brothers Buy LA Times, Half Of Staff May Quit

http://tinyurl.com/c9klb4z

          REBER: Let’s don’t forget, all this is talk. Nothing has happened to support any of these scenarios.

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          DAVID FARMER writes:

          I've been to the Norman Rockwell museum in Stockbridge, Mass. You can gain a lot of insight into Rockwell's Americana there. For example, you learn that he sometimes worked from photographs instead of live models. Take this iconic depiction of a kindly policeman talking to a little boy at a soda fountain:

          As you can see, Rockwell was quite faithful to the photograph (at left) in his portrayal of the policeman. But he made changes with the boy and the soda jerk behind the counter. (The counterman was described as a jerk because he was smoking indoors.)

          Which brings me to the famous Rockwell painting of a family's Thanksgiving feast, featured here Thursday.

          Norman Percevel Rockwell (his full name) was unable to attend the gathering. Instead, he sent his cousin, Nelson Rockefeller Rockwell, to get a photo.

          Nelson didn't want to miss out on the food, so he stayed at the table and took one of the world's first selfies. You can see him at the extreme lower right. At that time, few people knew how to take a good selfie. The selfie stick was later invented by another cousin, Nathan Hale Rockwell.

          Norman destroyed the photograph taken by Nelson. He preferred to let people believe he'd been present at the dinner. Nelson, who eventually fell on hard times, attempted to blackmail Norman over the photo. He assumed that his famous cousin would pay him handsomely to keep his mouth shut. But since the photograph no longer existed, Nelson was unable to prove his accusation.

          Nelson died soon after his blackmail attempt, a drunken, homeless bum. It's said that he froze to death during one harsh winter in Stockbridge. This is the last known depiction of Nelson:

          True to his character, Norman didn't even paint this portrait from life. He sent the previously mentioned Nathan Hale Rockwell to take a photo of the hapless Nelson. Then Norman had Nathan "disappeared" by the Stockbridge police (This was carried out by the officer shown above.) Norman had learned his lesson about cousinly blackmailers.

          Thus it was through such questionable maneuvers that Norman Rockwell kept his reputation while he was still alive. It's only since he died in 1978 that the facts have slowly begun to emerge. They are well-documented at the Stockbridge museum. Also displayed there are numerous early pictures from when a very young Norman was still painting by numbers. And, of course, claiming that the results were his originals.

          At the time of his death, Norman was still working on a painting. His easel held a large piece of black velvet. On a stand in front of the easel was a photograph of Elvis Presley in full, sequined, regalia. That painting would be worth plenty if it had been finished.

          It's so sad when one of your heroes turns out to be a murderous copier of photos, chronic liar, and painter on velvet. Don't you think?

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          JIM OKERBLOM writes:

          Glenn Grant is correct. For space and weight reasons, Chevy Volts do not come with a spare tire. Instead, they are equipped with a small electric pump about the size of a six-pack of beer. It plugs into the cigarette lighter, and will inflate a tire that is flat. The pump includes a canister of sealant that is injected into a flat tire. It is designed to fix small leaks like those caused by a nail. It will not repair major blowouts, however. There is also free roadside assistance. It will tow a Volt to any repair shop, not just a Chevy dealer.

          REBER: I can’t recall where I saw it, but it was a sequence in which a dad was going to teach his teen-age son everything he needed to know in preparation for becoming a driver.  The humor in this was that one of the lessons was how to change a tire, the assumption being that nobody does that these days.

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          DAVID FARMER writes:

          I'd like to comment on the contributions yesterday of two members of this group.

          First, I loved Diane Rocha's tale of teaching after newspapering. I've always thought the two professions have much in common. They are both trying to give people information they can use to live their lives most successfully. Yes, newspapers often strive to amuse or fascinate. And reading Diane, I can see that she provided occasional amusement to her students and colleagues over the years. Except for education bureaucrats who somehow got into the profession without the humor gene.

          Second, Joe Holly has some kind of voodoo going for him. Yesterday's photos were exceptional, as his always are. But I resent the fact that he ends up in locations that I somehow never reach. Even when I travel to the same place. Clouds, waves, birds, animals, plants always perform at their optimum when they see Joe.

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          REBER: Tonight we wish Gerry Braun a Happy Birthday, Nov. 29.

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          TIM WILSON forwards:

          Female screen stars throughout time:

http://tinyurl.com/qavjj3p

Jack J. Reber

P.O. Box 2239

Ramona, CA 92065

U.S.A.

2reberjack@gmail.com