I spent the weekend in San Francisco, and would like to share some observations with you. I was a block off Union Square, in one of the few hotels that did not have a picket line. That narrows down where I stayed remarkably. Yes, it was loud; no, I didn’t particularly mind; no, at no time did I cross a picket.
We are not talking about workers who are striking to force an employer to agree to a massive increase of pay and benefits. These people are just trying to keep even. Even the Mayor is on their side, perhaps remembering that employees vote, but companies do not.
Expect this to get uglier before it gets solved, and expect this scene to become more common until such time as we solve the problem of rising health insurance costs, as well as employee benefits in general. The great irony is that employer provided insurance may drive the price of insurance up. As an experiment, dig out your employee benefits information and pay-stub, figure out what health insurance costs, and get an online quote for similar coverage.
It may be harder to get a job these days, but employees are tired of being treated as nothing more than a commodity.
Other points of interest:
Chinatown is well worth seeing — and shopping! A suitably short woman can even find clothes that fit without alteration. Top notch Chinese cuisine is of course available.
The Metreon is a fascinating gallery of all things Sony. Words do not adequately describe this Temple of Geek.
The San Francisco Apple Store has a variety of events. I attended a GarageBand seminar that was not meant for power-users, but I learned things. Thank you, Geoff!
If you are planning on being in San Francisco on November 20-21, you should absolutely consider attending the International Taiko Festival, sponsored by the San Francisco Taiko Dojo. I got to see a free concert in Union Square and it was amazing! I have been to percussion concerts before, but this was more like dancing with drums.
Finally, it was my pleasure to have lunch with Elisa Camahort. We — and our significant others — had a lovely time, good food, and great conversation.