NewsNews Commentary

The San Francisco Experience

Jim Herlihy

We are a "deep dive" news podcast, for Americans who get their news from the Internet. Our mission is to give the listener succinct, fact based analysis both non-ideological and independent from a California, Silicon Valley perspective.

Your host

Jim Herlihy is a published author: his novel “Deceit and Dirty Money” is available on line. He served as President of the SF Public Library Commission 1992 - 1996. While working in Latin America, he was a stringer for The Economist, The Times and the BBC. Jim serves as a director on two SF sister city boards : Bangalore, India and Cork, Ireland.

Play

Open in

24 episodes
Avg 36 min
English

Episodes 24

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

S38 · E7
Tuesday · 12 min
Lassen Volcanic: America's least visited National Park.
When Mt. Lassen erupted in May 1915 it caught the imagination of the American public. Nearby San Francisco was hosting the Panama Pacific Exhibition to celebrate the 1914 opening of the Panama Canal. It was also a statement to the world that San Francisco had fully recovered from the destructive 1906 earthquake. But the massive volcanic eruption reminded San Franciscans of the unpredictable power of Mother Nature. And in 1916 Lassen Volcanic became a National Park.
S38 · E5
August 25 · 25 min
The Front Lines of Social Change. Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Talking with author Richard Bermack.
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade was a group of about 3000 young, idealistic Americans who volunteered to fight in Spain against the fascists. When they returned in the late 1930s they maintained their social activism with support for the great causes of the 1950s, 60s and beyond. A memorial to their memory is under threat in San Francisco as a park is re-configured.
S37 · E20
August 24 · 27 min
Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District. Talking with Bri Maughan.
Fisherman's Wharf is San Francisco's top tourist destination with over 13 million visitors annually - more than one million every month. It is also the City's historic working water front. Set up in 2005, the Community Benefit District (CBD) is overseeing a revitalization of this colorful and iconic San Francisco neighborhood.
S38 · E4
August 19 · 48 min
Queens of Code. Inspiring True Stories from NSA's Computing Women. Talking with author Eileen Buckholtz
Women have played a major role at the National Security Agency as technology innovators, contributing to the Nation's security. Eileen Buckholtz recounts their contributions with a series of 29 profiles of former colleagues, mentors and co-workers. She was one of the first women to graduate with a degree in Computer Science in 1969 and had a 30 year career at the Agency.
S38 · E3
August 17 · 41 min
Welcome to Fabulous Angeles. The Rock n' Roll adventures of a wayward Westside teen. Talking to Richard A. Lefkowitz
Rick Lefkowitz captures 1970s Los Angeles in his debut memoir. Accessing Rock legends was easy as he and his best friend Moxie discovered on their travels around LA. It was an open, more friendly city versus today and one where he could chase his dreams to write songs and make music. Mick Jagger, David Bowie, B.B.King, the Dooby Brothers - he met them all !
S38 · E2
August 14 · 31 min
New Zealand's Golden Visa meets California's Billionaire Wealth Tax: Is it a match made in heaven ? Talking with Peter Fullerton-Smith
New Zealand's Golden Visa program is structured to attract high net worth individuals and families to relocate to this stable, safe and civil South Pacific island nation. The Active Investor Plus Visa has two categories - Growth and Balanced and require an investment of NZ$ 5 million and NZ$ 10 million respectively. And home purchase for properties valued at NZ$ 5 million are also permitted.
S38 · E1
August 12 · 36 min
In conversation with the Honorable Amy L. Nechtem, former Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Juvenile Court Department.
Justice Nechtem during her distinguished judicial career has championed innovative approaches to improving outcomes for vulnerable children and families throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and across the nation. She continues to advance the conversation through her podcast " By Her Honor".
S37 · E19
August 5 · 37 min
The Decline and Fall of Tabloid English. Talking with Christopher Gage.
Britain's tabloids developed a shorthand argot to cram racy and punchy stories into frontpage headlines. Often suggestive and cheeky, it is a writing style that has withered under the weight of Political Correctness, hypersensitivity and trigger happy offense taking. Christopher Gage shares his thoughts on the demise of Tabloid English from his recent essay in "The Spectator", one of the UK's oldest magazines.
S37 · E15
August 3 · 29 min
In conversation with Breanna Sinclaire.
Breanna is a classically trained opera singer and graduate of CalArts Institute and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She was the first trans woman to sing the National Anthem for the Oakland "A"s, the San Francisco Giants and the San Francisco Deltas.
S37 · E18
July 29 · 47 min
The Castro Theatre: an Iconic San Francisco Landmark. Talking with Mary Conde.
The Castro Theatre sits in the heart of San Francisco's Castro District. The 1400 seat lavish movie house dates from 1922 and is a mix of Beaux Arts meets Spanish Baroque and Art Deco architecturally. But after a $41 million renovation by Another Planet Entertainment, it has re-opened in 2026 to community acclaim. With modernized and updated systems as well as a more flexible floorplan The Castro Theatre retains its' charm of yesteryear.
S37 · E17
July 27 · 32 min
The Hornblower Group: a leader in maritime experiences. Talking with Tim O'Brien
The Hornblower Group moves over 20 million people annually on a fleet of vessels across North America and the United Kingdom. Two of its' signature ferry services serve the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, and Alcatraz in the San Francisco Bay.
S37 · E16
July 24 · 42 min
In a Good Place: How spaces where we live, work and play help us thrive. Talking with author Leidy Klotz.
Our physical environment - house, office, school, hospital, church, store - can influence our relationships and feelings in many ways. Leidy Klotz walks us up to the intersection of physical buildings and their emotional impact - for good and sometimes ill - on our psyche and well being.
S37 · E14
July 22 · 43 min
Streetwise: Getting to and through Goldman Sachs. By Lloyd Blankfein. In conversation with William Cohan
Lloyd Blankfein, who retired as CEO of Goldman Sachs in 2018, relates his path to the C Suite of America"s most fabled investment bank in this insightful and witty memoir. Growing up in public housing in Brooklyn, his determination to succeed is apparent from page one. Author and financial journalist William Cohan interviewed Lloyd when he was CEO and more recently in retirement and brings a keen eye to Lloyd's story.
S37 · E13
July 17 · 53 min
A Giant Leap: How AI is transforming Healthcare. Talking with author Dr. Robert Wachter.
A Giant Leap is a well researched analysis as to how Artificial Intelligence is being integrated into our healthcare system today. It also discusses the impact of a new technology on the doctor patient relationship . Overall an upbeat and positive outlook for integrating this new technology into our healthcare practices and culture.
S37 · E12
July 9 · 35 min
The 36th NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkiye. A multipolar alliance led under the auspices of the United States. Talking with Alp Sevimlisoy.
President Erdogan hosted the 32 leaders of the NATO Alliance in Ankara on July 7th and 8th for a summit. President Trump attended. Key issues on the agenda were: Defense Investment, Defense Industries in NATO countries and Support for Ukraine. Alp was in attendance and shares his analysis and impressions.
S37 · E11
July 7 · 49 min
Ecuador, The Galapagos and a 6 month South American driving adventure. Talking with Volker Langbehn.
The fifth and final episode chronicling a road odyssey through six South American countries. Transitioning into an active retirement while chalking up a lifetime goal and learning new skills.
S37 · E10
July 2 · 34 min
Birthright Citizenship and Trans Athlete Ban. The Supreme Court's Decisions. Talking with Professor Luke Boso.
The Supreme Court closed out the term handing down two high profile decisions on birthright citizenship and Trans athletes. The former decision went in favor of maintaining it but nevertheless caused some partisan reaction especially toward Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Professor Boso also discusses the historic use of emergency actions from the Trump Administration to the Court, and the Court's willingness to agree to them.
S37 · E9
July 2 · 51 min
Liberty and Equality in America: Examining the Radical and Paradoxical Legacy of the Declaration of Independence. Talking with author Byron Williams.
As America celebrates the 250th anniversary of its Independence on July 4th, we analyze the original and ongoing inspiration of our foundational document The Declaration of Independence. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
S37 · E8
June 29 · 38 min
The AI Instinct: The future of AI and Human Decision Making. Talking with author Rana Gujral.
Artificial Intelligence was created by modeling human cognition. While AI was built to run on slow and deliberate thinking processes, humans maintained dominance in fast, intuitive, emotion based cognition : until now. This book follows the rise of AI from a background tool to a force that shapes how we think, feel, and experience the world.
S37 · E7
June 25 · 32 min
Roscoe: 12 hours living homeless in San Francisco. Talking with author Andrew Gregor.
Andrew brings an architect, home builder's perspective and empathy to the issue of one man's struggle with being unsheltered on the Streets of San Francisco. Having experienced a brief brush with homelessness himself, he relates the story of Roscoe with credibility and sensitivity.

Showing 1–20 of 24 episodes