Infected Mushroom

Welcome to the 2024 sailing season! We're posting this today in honor of the amazing weather and wind we've been having lately, especially today. Most boats are already in the water although a few are not, but then it's still only June. Keep in mind that the water is still cold, with dangerous upwellings that are cold enough to kill, despite some very warm days recently. We also have a new HOI and lessons are underway.

A quick refresher for the partiers: NO alcohol is allowed on Hoofer boats (wink-wink). If you're caught with beer on board, well, just don't get caught. We were out on a [boat type redacted] in that great wind today (Saturday), and we didn't not have no beer on board. Anyway, beer doesn't kill--incompetent Union directors do, but there is still officially no beer allowed on Hoofer boats. Drugs? Yes. Beer, no.

Note that there is now a $200 work-hours deposit (which most of you will never see again). Of course, instructors and other preferred members don't have to pay a deposit. Only you the customer do.

With the season getting into gear, communication becomes more important than ever. Among other things, that means the club's email lists. You may need to be logged in to view or add comments.

There is also the keelboat list, but that appears to be dead in the water. In fact, the only posts over the past year have all been by Pete Mooney (see image)--not exactly what you would call "interaction" or a healthy exchange of ideas. Most of the posts aren't even about sailing--they're on off-topics like silent movies, folk concerts, sex organs, etc. The list's webpage (or is it here?) says "for Soma, Toy Boat, Decoy, Knotty Rascal and Spray..." Do we even still have any of those boats? One, maybe.

Facebook seems to be the preferred method of communication for club leaders, but as we all know Facebook is in its death throes and is a mediocre alternative. The anal wet dream of billionaire scumbag Mark Zuckerberg has just about run its course.

We strongly encourage the club's email lists for communication. Several are used regularly, some only sporadically, but they are the official venue for interaction and announcements. Check them out at the above link to the lessons site.

Speaking of communication, there haven't been any BOC minutes posted in over a year. How's that for pathetic, not to mention dereliction of duty? Nor has the club's website been updated to show current club leaders and instructors. It seems the webmaster has a free membership for nothing.

Of course, you can always use this blog for communication!

And who was that fetching young (not!) Treat Williams-lookalike with the blonde 'do teaching windsurfing the other day? (see photo) Meeow....

JIMMER FOR HOI?!

MARCH 23 UPDATE: Still no official hiring of a new HOI, but word is that Gretchen might return. We hope so! (but not for the reasons you might think.) Face it, we're not going to get top talent for this job, so just pick someone already.

The opening for the vacant Hoofer Sailing Club Head of instruction (HOI) job has closed, with interviews ongoing. Apparently Jim Rogers has applied. He was HOI for more than 15 years (1989-2005) and is intimitaly familiar with the job and its duties, so why not re-hire him?!

Here's why. As a crook and a con artist (sound familiar?), Jim probably isn't the best choice for HOI. Like Donald Trump on a much smaller scale, Jim covets the job he held for so long because of the power and perks that come with it, e.g. the power to manipulate and abuse people, to enrich oneself, etc. That didn't seem to work out very well for Jim before, but as HOI, you're the big fish in a small pond. Nevertheless, despite being dug in like a north woods tick, Jim was removed from Hoofers in 2010 and reassigned to the furthest corner of the Union. He has since returned as a bored board instructor.

Incredibly, the only prerequisite for the HOI job is "Previous sailing experience". Nothing about managerial experience, teaching experience, certifications, etc. Yup, we're easy, and desperate because most people don't last long in the Hoofer Sailing HOI job.

The job has a somewhat sordid history. Jim Rogers we've discussed. Brian Borkovich, a.k.a. Borko, also committed crimes on the job, including voting to increase his own salary (that may not sound so bad, but it's actually a felony in Wisconsin). Tom Barry died on the job. Dave Elsmo moved on to become head of Hoofers, as did Rogers. The latest, whats-her-name, quit. It's almost as if the job attracts unscrupulous people, or at best individuals who are naïve.

With the right oversight, the HOI position could be a great learning development opportunity for students in management or similar fields. Unfortunately, such oversight has always been lacking at Hoofers and the UW. The BOC has some control, and used to have more, but they need even more oversight themselves.

Meanwhile, you have a chance to change all that and help make the HOI position respectable again! Oh wait, you don't--the application deadline has already passed. In any event, the club better hurry and pick someone because the application deadline to apply as a sailing instructor for 2024 is this Friday.

We hate to be so critical, but there are so many serious problems at the Wisconsin Union and Hoofers that it would be impossible to elaborate on all of them. This blog is only the tip of the iceberg.

From U.S. presidents on down to Hoofer instructors, including the HOI, corruption is ubiquitous among public employees. As a federal appeals court just ruled, even U.S. presidents are not immune from prosecution and punishment for crimes they commit. Neither are Hoofer employees, although most have managed to escape justice so far.