The San Francisco Citizen

Well it’s on over at the Asian Art Museum. The fantastic new show is Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul.

Now it’s got its fair share of bling, more than enough to hold you until King Tut hits town in 2009, but all these golden treasures come with a story. Read all about it over at the National Geographic and look at some high resolution photos here. And see what San Francisco Art Examiner Marisa Nakasone thinks about it here.

Click to expand:

Pair of pendants depicting the “Dragon Master” (Tillya Tepe, Tomb II). 100 BCE–100 CE (or 100 BC-100 AD, if you swing that way). Gold, turquoise, garnet, lapis lazuli, carnelian, and pearl, National Museum of Afghanistan, ©Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet

There’s a whole series of related programs and events, including An Evening of Poetry and Music tomorrow and a showing of The Kite Runner movie in November.

And don’t forget about Target First Free Sundays at the Asian. It could be a good way for you to spend a rainy day weekend?

See you there!

It looks beter in person. Check it out.

The whole thing runs through January 25,  2009. 

$12 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for youth 13–17, and free for children under 12. Thursday evenings after 5 pm admission is just $5 for all visitors except those under 12 and members, always free.

The museum is in the Civic Center area: 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

It’s open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, with extended hours until 9:00 pm every Thursday.

It’s on! It’s fantastic. It’s you. It’s Power and Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty running through September 21, 2008 in the first floor Lee, Hambrecht, and Osher Galleries at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum. Take a look at the show here and learn more about it here, courtesy of kultural kommissar Kenneth “you need me” Baker.

You see, all this stuff isn’t merely decorative, it actually means something. That’s why the  heavy accompanying book costs $18 to ship from Amazon - this whole show is just chock-a-block full of culture. To wit, check out cover boy Prince Zhu Youyuan in his ceremonial uniform. His shoulder patches represent the moon and the sun, and you can also see green dragons blue vessels, green algae, red fire, white rice, blue axes, and blue bows. Dude’s got more icons than an iPhone 3.0. Click to expand:

Click on this one and see that they played golf in China back in the day, LPGA style. Court ladies in the inner palace, by Du Jin (active middle 15th century). Handscroll, ink and colors on silk:

Ming bling wasn’t just muddy red or brilliant blue on white - we’ve got a whole palette here:

So what’s your move? Get on over there before it closes next month. The only rational way to beat the crowds on August 3rd, 2008, Target First Free Sunday, would be to get in line before they open at 10:00 AM. But then you’d miss the opportunity to get in on the docent tours offered on all non Target Sundays at 10:30 AM,  12:30 PM and 1:30 PM.

Here’s what you do if you go on a day when you actually have to pay admission: Arrive early to check things out on your own and then take the free one-hour tour with a docent like Anthony Pan:

There’s lot’s of stuff to learn at The Asian’s best show ever. See you there!

Well, check it out. Today, Southwest Airlines (LUV) is crowing about their lack of fees.

So that means “NO First or Second Checked Bag Fees, Change Fees, Fuel Surcharges, Snack Fees, Aisle or Window Seat Fees, Curbside Check-In Fees, or Phone Reservation Fees.” Hurray!

What the “legacy” carriers don’t seem to understand is that some people really, really don’t like hidden fees. Like how some restaurants in San Francisco hit you with an undisclosed 4% tack-on when you get your bill. 

Fly with Southwest and you’ll think you’ve been transported back to the 1970’s, when fees were a four-letter word:

Nostalgic photo via Church of the Customer

Now, some may quibble about a few things, like how the cheapest fares from Southwest are only available online. But that’s as it should be, since reserving a flight by yourself lowers the expenses of running the airline. This is a better approach than a company advertising a price and then surprising you with a fee that you didn’t even know existed. The point is that Southwest has none of the new fees all the other airlines seem to have.  

Now this might put SWA at a disadvantage when they advertise their rates, because they lose all those little “profit centers” the other airlines take advantage of. But just remember that Bags Fly Free, and lots of other things are free, when you fly with LUV.

Hurray. Certain other airlines should take notice of this.