Episodes
May 17, 2020
Bullitt. Steve McQueen. 1968
Bullitt starring iconic 1960s King of Cool Steve McQueen is set in San Francisco. A Chicago mobster is being guarded by Lt. Frank Bullitt (McQueen) and his team pending his appearance as chief witness before a Senate subcommi...
May 15, 2020
Will California Covid-19 cases remain low ?
California's total Covid-19 infections have been remarkably low as compared to New York State. There are a host of reasons for the fact California ranks 5th in the Covid-19 stakes, with New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Mas...
May 15, 2020
Will California keep Covid-19 cases low ?
California’s Covid-19 cases and fatalities is a fraction of New York’s. As the Golden State begins to re-open next week, can we keep the Coronavirus in check ? While our weekly death rate remains about 500, that number has be...
May 13, 2020
Reopening goes global: Baby steps to normalcy.
A wrap-up of reopening news in California and Western Europe. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/me...
May 13, 2020
The Irish and the Choctaw Nation: a debt of gratitude repaid.
In 1847, at the height of the Irish Potato Famine, the Choctaw Nation donated $170 to Irish famine relief. Returning the favor, 173 years later, many Irish are donating to a GoFundMe page for Navajo, Hopi and Choctaw Covid-19...
May 10, 2020
Towering Inferno. Steve McQueen. Paul Newman. Faye Dunaway. 1974
The dedication ceremony of the worlds tallest high rise at 138 stories in San Francisco, is the setting for this 1974 disaster film. The film unintentionally provides an eerie foreshadowing of the events of 9/11 and the Twin ...
May 8, 2020
Homeless with Covid 19 in SanFrancisco.
San Francisco’s 8000 homeless people are crowding into the Tenderloin District, pitching tents on city streets. The neighbors have sued the City to compel City Hall to clean up the streets. The Mayor has committed to rent 825...
May 7, 2020
Is the Gig Economy Dead ?
Silicon Valley is beginning to experience a wave of layoffs - a rarity as tech firms considered themselves immune from such cuts in the past. But the Gig Economy with its ride hailing apps and home stay apps will have the big...
May 5, 2020
Work.com: a new software tool to re-open America.
Work.com, a creation of Salesforce based in San Francisco, will provide managers the tools to keep employees safe from the Coronavirus in the workplace, as America goes back to work. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor:...
May 4, 2020
To open or not to re-open: that is the question.
As the US moves to the next phase of the pandemic with almost half the country re-opening for business, California is slower off the mark. Why ? And why has Ireland been able to craft such a winning Roadmap to Re-Opening with...
May 2, 2020
Mrs. Doubtfire. Robin Williams. 1993
Robin Williams was an accomplished comedian and dramatic actor who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in “Good Will Hunting.”. A comedic genius, he died in 2014 at the age of 63. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor:...
April 29, 2020
Profiles in Covid: California Governor Gavin Newsom and S.F. Mayor London Breed.
Governor Newsom and Mayor Breed are products of San Francisco politics. Their early and effective Shelter in Place policies and practices have helped to keep Covid-19 cases and fatalities low. But their opponents criticize th...
April 27, 2020
My Health or My Privacy: Does it have to be a choice ?
Apple and Google roll out their Coronavirus tracking APP to public health authorities Tuesday April 28. Will it infringe our right to privacy ? Should we care ? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to ma...
April 25, 2020
The Perfect Storm: How Covid - 19 overwhelmed the system.
New data shows that the Coronavirus was coursing through America’s cities much earlier than believed. Our system’s response initially was flat footed at best. But we are making progress. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anc...
April 23, 2020
Milk. Sean Penn. 2008
Sean Penn’s Oscar winning portrayal of slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk is a powerful dramatization of the last 10 days of his life in November 1978. Milk continues to inspire both Americans and global citizens like Leo Va...
April 21, 2020
Tony Bennett to honor SF’s frontline Covid-19 workers:. I left my heart in San Francisco.
Tony Bennett will lead a mass, civic singalong on Saturday April 25 at 12 noon. All 850,000 inhabitants of San Francisco are invited to join in as a thank you to the Covid-19 frontline workers who have taken care of us and ke...
April 20, 2020
Covid 19: Have we made progress in the last 5 weeks ?
The Social Distancing and Lockdown practices of the last 5 weeks has seen a slowing in the rate of increase of C-19 infection rates and fatalities. But global and national numbers still increase. What is next and how does C-1...
April 18, 2020
The Maltese Falcon. John Huston/Dashiell Hammett, 1941
This film noir is set in 1941 San Francisco and stars Humphrey Bogart in the title role of private investigator Sam Spade, Mary Astor as the manipulative fortune seeker Brigid O’Shaugnessey, Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre...
April 17, 2020
Tracing Covid-19 victims to break the transmission chain.
A new, massive C-19 testing program will be part of our return to normal. But all new C-19 victims will have to provide names and phone numbers for their contacts who may have been exposed. Those contacts also must self isola...
April 16, 2020
California versus France: a tale of two re-openings.
As California and France appear to have passed the peak of C-19 infection rates, when and how will society get back to normal, the economy start running again and shelter in place be lifted. --- This episode is sponsored by ·...
April 15, 2020
Bill Gates: Coronavirus Warrior
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is actively funding 8 entities working to develop a Covid 19 vaccine. Gates, the visionary who brought personal computing into our lives, is now focused on finding a new vaccine and preve...
April 13, 2020
Covid 19 testing: Is it a waste of money ?
Today’s podcast focuses on C-19 policies, practices and technologies in Germany, the U.K. and the US. Best practices, use of data and testing technology to defeat Covid-19. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easie...
April 11, 2020
The Birds. Alfred Hitchcock 1963
Hitchcock’s thriller and horror film was filmed on location in San Francisco and Bodega Bay, Sonoma County in 1962. The themes of the film, a world out of joint, nature attacking humans, inhabitants seeking shelter from terro...
April 9, 2020
Why is California’s Covid 19 death rate so low ?
California with a population of 40 million has had 374 Covid-19 fatalities. During the same period through 4/7/20 New York State with 19 million people has had 5236 deaths - 14 times more than California. Why ? --- This episo...