One thing I never quite understand is why African Studies Association meetings are held in hotels where the nightly rate is close to half the annual income of the average African.

But there may be one more reason to be concerned about the location of next year’s ASA location. As the video below suggests, a number of hotels are in trouble with local unions.  Now, I must plead a degree of ignorance about the real issues at stake, and about how labor conditions compare between San Francisco’s hotels and those of other cities.  But I also find it very interesting that the video below was shot at this year’s conference hotel.

YouTube – Don’t Get Caught in a Bad Hotel.

Thanks to Jennifer Bussell for the link!