Adventures in Bureaucracy

Sunday, August 31, 2003

The marketing geniuses find another place for advertising. Just when you'd thought it was safe to ride the Metro...

¶ 21:41

There's a comment to be made about this headline and the workings of some Congressmen, but I won't be the one to make it.

¶ 21:30

Thursday, August 28, 2003

Interesting how power failures in the Northeast, in London and in the Washington area don't get the same media coverage as power failures in Iraq. What's the difference? Well, for starters, we don't have people looting copper wire in any of those places. Not even Detroit.

¶ 21:29

Who'da thunk it? Some nice words about an immigration inspector:

"As I was waiting at Passport Control, one official — in charge of the line — didn't quite have her act together. She asked me to stand in a variety of places, none of which seemed the right one. When I got to a desk, this second officer — who had noticed my little dance — said, cheerfully, 'Getting the good ol' American run-around, huh?' I smiled and said yes. 'Well,' he continued, 'at least you know you're home.'
I thought that was absolutely precious — a sort of verbal and personal candy upon my re-entry."

¶ 17:25

Back again, and let me just say that the whole air travel experience is not what it used to be. Northwest Airlines tried to sell me a sandwich on board for ten dollars. Tell me again how this is making my flying experience better?

¶ 17:21

Wednesday, August 06, 2003

From U.S. News and World Report:

"The nation's immigration inspectors are grumbling. They say the Department of Homeland Security, looking to save some bucks, has been giving their Sunday and overtime shifts--which earn them double time--to customs inspectors, who are paid only time and a half. Another gripe: Customs folks aren't as adept with the special terrorist-screening databases, says Charles Showalter, vice president of the union representing immigration inspectors. And that, he says, could mean a potential national security risk. 'Through a process of cussing and fussing with it, we've learned some things,' he says. 'But these systems are extremely difficult to work with.'"

A friend of mine says that the morale is awful, and that all the changes so far amount to a hostile takeover of INS by the Customs Service. I'm glad I got out when I did... and I don't miss the overtime on Sundays and holidays a bit!

¶ 22:30

Beauties on the beach, New Zealand style.

¶ 22:05

Tuesday, August 05, 2003

PragueBlog's assessment of this article is right on target. "Just plain nuts." I haven't been to Prague since 1991 (where does the time go?), but I can tell you that there was a lot of renovation work going on in the Staromak then, so it wasn't exactly the Communists who kept the city spruced up. And the cheap shots at Vaclav Havel just make the author seem like a bimbo herself.

¶ 22:03

Sunday, August 03, 2003

Now I could see this happening in New York or Philadelphia, but Toronto? Nicer and more civilized people indeed. (via Whacking Day)

¶ 23:27

Found 'em, and added a few more for good measure.

¶ 23:21

I got bored with the old template and thought this one was pretty good. Now if only I can find my links again...

¶ 22:59

"Terror at the beach". Appropriate.

¶ 22:56

Saturday, August 02, 2003

Sick of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck? You are not alone. Although some people can't seem to get enough.

¶ 14:27

I think in some circles this could be considered heresy.

¶ 10:29