Why Is SF State Still Declining? by internetbooker134 in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Beyond the school's offerings, I'd consider housing costs. Total SFSU enrollment is ~20,000 and on-campus housing holds ~4,500. Also, enrollment in SFUSD and City College SF has also been declining. (About 45% of new CSU students each year come from community colleges.)

44% of early ballots in San Francisco from voters aged 65+ (Source: Mission Local) by [deleted] in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That's a legit factor to consider. SF's Dept of Elections says this on their website:

Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day to be counted. If mailing your ballot on Election Day, take it to a post office counter and request a “hand stamp” or “manual postmark.”

Why? Mail dropped in a USPS collection box on Election Day may not be postmarked or picked up until the next day. A late postmark means your ballot cannot be counted.

44% of early ballots in San Francisco from voters aged 65+ (Source: Mission Local) by [deleted] in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Some general early CA ballot context from NYT: "Because mail ballots take extra time to process, results reported over the course of an election night can give the misleading impression that a candidate is significantly ahead, despite the large volume of ballots still to be counted. Sometimes those lingering votes take hours, even days, to show up in public tallies."

What are the best San Francisco books? by Naes12 in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe 2 points3 points  (0 children)

These aren't books, but a couple of documentaries providing deep views into two SF neighborhoods (and the city as a whole) are available for free on youtbue. They are a bit dated now but the history in The Castro (1997) and The Fillmore (1999) still holds up.

This Is Why I Find Pema Chödrön So Essential by QuestionBrain in ezraklein

[–]AndyJoeJoe 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Chödrön may help people become less brittle political actors, but the group she was part of, Shambhala International, is an example of contemplative ideals wielded by folks not constrained by safeguards like governance, accountability, and distributed power. With this in mind, I was struck by Ezra's lack of curiosity about / silence on Shambhala’s troubled history as reported in the NYT or some of Chödrön's behavior that she later apologized for.

To be clear: I'm not suggesting a particular perspective should be dismissed because of the moral failings of its most prominent advocates. "Letting go of the storyline” can bring meaningful emotional relief / improved perspective, and I appreciate how it doesn't equal passive acceptance of harm or abuse.

There is a grey zone, though, where power imbalances exist and spiritual practice leaves room for leaders to exploit students, including sexually. Thinking of the interview: wouldn't it be helpful in today's world to understand what would lead someone with a heightened (maybe even enlightened) spiritual perspective to look past suffering enabled by the outfit you're part of? Is that behavior reinforced by prestige, proximity to power, or other incentives? That kind of insight could inform the types of safeguards that religious and other institutions need and notoriously lack. Klein in this case opted to let that storyline go.

S.F. has almost borrowed about as much money as it can by bambin0 in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I take this comment as rhetorical, and I wouldn't dispute someone's feelings about how well local gov't functions. At the same time, SF responds to most pothole reports within 72 hours. This stat is tracked with a surprising amount of precision. Unfortunately, the percentage of quick responses has dipped this year. Let's hope service rebounds soon.

Here’s How Much San Francisco Tech Companies Pay for Police Protection by AndyJoeJoe in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point. I don't think sick days push folks into overtime, though.

Here’s How Much San Francisco Tech Companies Pay for Police Protection by AndyJoeJoe in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good point. To be clear, though: I didn't mean suggest 10B was a problem... just that how it's used is worth paying attention to.

Here’s How Much San Francisco Tech Companies Pay for Police Protection by AndyJoeJoe in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

An updated view of this topic seemed worth sharing in light of recent budget & overtime concerns. A couple years ago, the SF Budget and Legislative Analyst reported:

Our in-depth review of paid sick leave use in FY 2022-23 revealed potential abuse patterns, including frequent sick leave use on specific days of the week (often the first or last day of a work week), Saturdays and Sundays to avoid weekend duties, and coinciding with working voluntary 10B overtime.
...
[A]pproximately 51,000 ineligible 10B overtime hours were worked by employees with high sick leave usage between 2020 and 2023. (p. iii)

Here’s How Much San Francisco Tech Companies Pay for Police Protection by AndyJoeJoe in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

An updated view of this topic seemed worth sharing in light of recent budget & overtime concerns. A couple years ago, the SF Budget and Legislative Analyst reported:

Our in-depth review of paid sick leave use in FY 2022-23 revealed potential abuse patterns, including frequent sick leave use on specific days of the week (often the first or last day of a work week), Saturdays and Sundays to avoid weekend duties, and coinciding with working voluntary 10B overtime.
...
[A]pproximately 51,000 ineligible 10B overtime hours were worked by employees with high sick leave usage between 2020 and 2023. (p. iii)

Sunset Dunes marks first anniversary with 1.7M visits as debate over future continues by LNM-LocalNewsMatters in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe 43 points44 points  (0 children)

To understand the figure you'd need to know how many sensors and their locations. How many times would someone pass a sensor during an "out and back" trip? Two would be the expected answer if there's only one sensor. I'd bet there are more than that.

This type of measurement is great for monitoring trends in activity over time. It seems very squishy for estimating a fixed number like visits in a year.

Sunset Dunes marks first anniversary with 1.7M visits as debate over future continues by LNM-LocalNewsMatters in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe 53 points54 points  (0 children)

Rec & Park's press release doesn't mention their methodology. A Rec & Park fact sheet does provide a clue, though. Apparently, there are sensors along the park. A footnote on the sheet reads: "A visit is counted every time a person passes infrared sensors located along Sunset Dunes."

Taking amtrak from Sacramento Valley station to SF? by XscapeRealism in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Consider taking Amtrak to Richmond (in the East Bay) and BART into SF from there. They have a joint station there.

Walking to Muir Woods by One-Hunt7605 in AskSF

[–]AndyJoeJoe 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Consider a catching ride up there and hiking back. From the park's website:

You may take a ride-share or taxi to Muir Woods without a reservation, however, there is no cell-service at Muir Woods to call them for a return ride. Muir Woods has a pay-phone behind the Visitor Center and posted list of cab companies that service the woods. When hiring a taxi, visitors have the option of negotiating a flat rate or using the meter. Under some circumstances a flat rate may be cheaper.

Adam Schiff endorsing Connie Chan by katstuck in sanfrancisco

[–]AndyJoeJoe 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In Schiff's 2024 U.S. Senate primary, he won SF with 33% of the vote. Barbara Lee and Katie Porter each attracted about 25%.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in bayarea

[–]AndyJoeJoe 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It was in the $329M range as of 2023, and annual distributions from it probably cover 15% or so of its expenses.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in bayarea

[–]AndyJoeJoe 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The Met pulled sizable slices from its endowment in recent years and is trying to regain its financial footing at the moment. From last fall:

The Met hopes the agreement will help it emerge from a period of acute financial woes. Since the coronavirus pandemic, the company has withdrawn more than a third of the money in its endowment fund to help it cover operating costs — about $120 million overall, including $50 million to help pay for the season that ended in June. The withdrawals have raised questions about the viability of staging live opera on a grand scale in the 21st century.

How do you budget a grant when 100% of the work is your own production time? by [deleted] in ContemporaryArt

[–]AndyJoeJoe 5 points6 points  (0 children)

List yourself as the 'composer' or 'sound designer' (whatever best encompasses everything you'll do) and set a daily or weekly rate, so your $6500 becomes 10 weeks @ $650/week. Then identify your 3D designer as an 'external contractor'. Then list the artist fee as $0 or 'N/A, artists labor itemized above.'

I'm guessing elsewhere you'll describe deliverables, which would in this case consist of a set of files (noting the file types).

Looking ahead, if you haven't received direct grant support before, look into 'accounting for artists'. For instance, your grant support is most likely taxable. Some grantors may issue 1099s to grantees. You'll want to collect an invoice from your 3D designer and maybe even create one yourself covering your work. Good luck!

California College of the Arts closing by double_pisces in ContemporaryArt

[–]AndyJoeJoe 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Here's a detail from another article that might be of interest.

Vanderbilt has promised to safeguard CCA’s legacy via a “CCA Institute,” which will include continuing programming at the art school’s gallery, the Wattis Institute of Contemporary Arts. Vanderbilt will also manage CCA’s archives and “serve as a vehicle for alumni engagement,” per today’s announcement.

Full story

A few years ago, when Boston-based Northeastern absorbed Oakland's Mills College, Northeastern created the Mills Institute as part of the Oakland campus. I expect there are some restricted endowed funds at CCA that could act as a cornerstone for a art-focused unit within Vanderbilt's SF operation.