Smithsonian and What's Wrong?

This is a very vivid and concrete example of what's wrong in our country. Those who are highly paid, presumably for having great expertise, really have no expertise other than how to line their own pockets.

A co-worker recently told me she was going to visit Washington, D.C. I said I really like it there, especially all the free museums of the Smithsonian. "Oh, they charge admission." What? Well, that's the way things have been going -- but I decided to look it up (and surprise, just today, a new article about the institution)...

Article 1 (link): From 2006, there is a discussion of charging admission, because "the complex is crumbling because there is not enough money for critical repairs." However, in the founding charter of some portions of the Smithsonian, it is explicitly stated that the institution will be supported by taxpayer funds.

Article 2 (link) : Institution considering cutting exorbitant salaries of executives -- one who resigned was also using institution funds to repair his home swimming pool.

Now, presumably, these people are getting paid very large amounts of money because they have incredible management expertise, right? So the institution shouldn't have fallen into disrepair if that were the case. Instead, they vote themselves larger and larger salaries, abuse the funds, and ask the public for more money to repair facilities they have mismanaged. This is the kind of work you can only get if you have friends in high places.

And resignation is too easy for these people -- this is a crime against the taxpayers, and against the institution they were entrusted to maintain. Certainly worthy of prison time.

Olympic Closing Ceremonies

Awright, after fiddling with the Microsoft wanks to see NBC's closing ceremonies via website... OK, yes, she's more attractive than Robert Plant (at least, to this half of the species), and I can see why Mr. Page consented. But it's... Well, after a Zep song was used to sell Cadillacs, what can you really expect anymore?

Dancing

Tried to go out dancing again last night... place I thought might be ok... ugh. Music was awful. This is after walking about a mile to get there, since all the MUNI buses were bunched up going the other direction.

Tenderloin still the same

Concentration of services to the homeless also creates concentration of customers for drug dealers. (see article) One stop shopping; all you have to do is get in line, and everything you need will be taken care of (except restrooms -- see earlier post -- those handing out food should provide 24 hr restrooms as well).

Wanna be an actor?

So you want to be an actor? Get in line, over there, behind the people who are paying big bucks to be in a film (well, big bucks to the average Joe; peanuts to heiresses). (see article)

Mayor's 2nd wife. Ah, the trials and tribulations of living in the public eye.

Castro tour bus

Article in the Chronicle about tourists visiting the Castro. When I worked in the Castro, my co-worker pointed out the tourist buses driving by and said we should always wave to the tourists ! It became a funny ritual.
link to Chronicle article

Leaving Las Vegas

As we were leaving Las Vegas, the people at the gate waiting for the San Francisco flight seemed shockingly normal. My brother, in another gate bound for the Midwest texted me; "plenty of silicone at the gate."

For the first time since I've moved here, San Francisco seemed oddly wholesome.

Three Strikes

Three strikes on an evening I decided I should get out of the apartment more often.

Mojitos, a bar which usually has live dance bands was holding a special event; ticket holders only. Info on tiki bar that sounded huge was outdated (it's now been split in half). A "new" bar mentioned by a co-worker turned out to be somewhere I had been already.

Oh, en route to the new bar, there were four kids on the bus. Girls cute and sober, guys drunk. First time I've almost been the target of projectile vomiting and it was funny, maybe because a) it barely missed me and b) I was sympathizing with the girls.

War

My niece just signed up for the National Guard "to get money for college."

Isn't it great that we live in the Land of Opportunity?