Jim Herlihy

While most European countries have rejected wealth taxes as disincentives for investors and tech investors, California may vote in November to impose a 5% “one time” excise tax on billionaires. The likes of Larry Page and Mark Zuckerberg are looking to relocate to Florida or Texas to avoid it. Will California’s crazy politics kill the tech goose that laid the golden egg ?

In a historic first, a member of the Royal Family was arrested and police searched his residences for files and electronic devices. Andrew has been accused of public misconduct while serving as the UK trade envoy.

Today’s episode features a profile of the late Ambassador Bill Luers and his book “Uncommon Company”. Bill was a proponent of showcasing American artists and writers to promote our foreign policy goals.

Listeners in 60 countries and featured on most podcast platforms.

AI - Can the US maintain its’ commanding technological lead in the field ?

Marc Andreessen’s manifesto has been widely covered in the press. It is a call to embrace technology change..

The accomplishments of the APEC 2023 Conference.

Presidents Biden and Ci meet on the APEC 2023 sidelines.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Trade Representative, Katherine Tai convene the Foreign Ministers of APEC in San Francisco.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s Press Conference, post her APEC Finance Minister meetings.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen holds bilateral meetings with APEC member Finance Ministers.

We will feature brief daily summaries of conference proceedings.

Tik Tok Ban ?

A presentation on the history of St. Teresa of Avila Church to be made October 8, 2022 at Bodega.

Looking back on highlights of the Queen’s life.

North Korea 🇰🇵 is a hereditary, dynasty of the Kim family. The nation’s nuclear weapons and ICBMs ensure the regime’s survival.

Will Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania be prey to Putin’s expansionist policies on the pretext of protecting their Russian speaking minorities ?

Will Speaker Pelosi be the most senior elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years ? And how will Beijing respond ?

Most affordable for First time homebuyers : Pittsburgh, PA. Least affordable : Los Angeles.

FCC Commissioner Carr has called on the two tech giants to drop the Tik Tok app from their stores on security grounds.

A country’s physical geography still largely determines its global power and either advantages or disadvantages the geopolitical decisions of its leader.

Takamak reactor at JET facility in Oxfordshire makes a major advance in the field of fusion power.

Covid 19 misinformation on the Joe Rogan Experience has triggered a boycott by 1960s pop singers wanting their music removed from the streaming site. Is freedom of expression at stake or should Rogan steer clear of controversy ?

World Economic Forum annual meeting May 22-26, in Davos, Switzerland.

Three recent arson cases in Northern California's forests, during our dangerous annual wildfire season, have raised the fear that deliberately set fires are on the rise and contributing to the megafires plaguing the Golden State. Cal Fire says that arson arrests jumped from 70 in 2019 to 120 in 2020. How can we stop this trend ? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

Measure 2 is on the Minneapolis ballot November 2. It would remove the Police Department and Chief from the city charter. A new Department of Public Safety would be set up driven by public health considerations. Would police officers even be recruited in the future ? And if it passes, will other cities around the country follow suit ? If so, what impact would a national police department revamp have on the 2022 mid-term elections ? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/mes...

Covid 19 fueled a 2.2 year decrease in US white male life expectancy and over 3 years for black and latino men. That was the largest drop in 75 years. While other Western European countries saw a drop also, the US decline was the largest. Why ? In today's podcast we will explore the treasons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

Male College enrolment in 2020 was 40.5% male and 59.5% female. Since the mid-1980s women have earned more bachelors degrees than men. The good news is that women have excelled in higher education. But men have become disillusioned with the college experience and fewer are enrolling. So how will our society change if that trend continues for another 10 or 20 years ? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

The Economist Intelligence Unit has recently published The Global Liveability Index which ranks the top cities in the world by five criteria, Stability, Healthcare, Culture and Environment, Education and Infrastructure. It is the first time that the full brunt of the Covid 19 pandemic was factored into the equation, and just as Covid has upended our lives, so too the global City rankings were significantly changed. Auckland, New Zealand ranks as the #1 most liveable city in the world. --- Send ...

Elon Musk is worth $152 billion, but he still finds time to read in his quest for knowledge. In today's episode we will discuss some of the books that have inspired him to reach for the stars and especially to caution us about the development of Artificial Intelligence. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

While most of corporate America has been telecommuting to work from their homes for the last 11 months, that's about to change if Goldman Sachs' CEO David Solomon has his way. He views working from home as an aberration "that we're going to correct as soon as possible." He is a high profile executive whose opinions are closely followed in the corporate world. Today's episode focuses on the pros and the cons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

California voters are especially testy these days as we enter our 12 th month of Covid lockdown. Not only is the Governor threatened with Recall over his handling of the crisis, but the San Francisco District Attorney is too, for being soft on crime and hostile to police as well as School Boards. San Francisco's failure to open public schools while private and parochial schools have been in session since the Fall of 2020 is especially galling. Is California in for a sea change politically ? ---...

Ambassador Ric Grenell served as US Ambassador to Germany from 2018 to 2020. Subsequently he served as Acting Director of National Intelligence in 2020, a cabinet level post. A favorite of Donald Trump for his blunt and forthright speaking style, Sean Hannity and Representative Matt Gaetz were pushing him to declare for Governor in the likely California Recall Election. He was coy, interested, but would not take the bait. In today's podcast we will briefly profile him. --- Send in a voice mess...

The first week of February 2021 was not very good to the Governor of California. First, the Recall signature campaign was closing in on 1.4 million signatures with six weeks left before the deadline. Then two Republican candidates announced they would run against him in the Recall and a third one, an Independent was considering a run. Finally the Recall campaign has raised $2.5 million. All that in the space of a week. But political fortunes can turn a dime. Here's our latest thrilling installm...

San Francisco has been picked on by the East Coast press for decades. Of late, they have criticized us for our homelessness mess, high cost of housing, City Hall Corruption - I agree with them on that score - and the recent tech exodus to Austin, Seattle and points East because of the high cost of living. They seem to think we live in a Film Noir Warp. But San Francisco always bounces back. In fact the mythical Phoenix, rising from the ashes, adorns our city flag. Don't count us out ! --- Send ...

With the recall petition against Governor Gavin Newsom having reached 1,200,000 signatures and only 300,000 more valid signatures of California necessary to qualify it for the ballot could California be ready for another celebrity Governor ? After all Arnold Schwarzenegger swept in to the 2003 recall election to replace Gray Davis. And even Ronald Reagan was chosen by Californians to lead the state with no elective office experience. Could Clooney or another high profile Hollywood star become Go...

Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021. His predecessor Donald Trump did not attend the ceremony, but he left a letter of support for the incoming President in the Oval Office. Biden's 21 minute inaugural address spoke of unity and toning down political rhetoric. While new American Presidents enjoy a honeymoon with the voters, his challenge will be to forge links to the 74 million Americans who chose Donald Trump for President rather than...

As awful as 2020 has been been, 1968 was even more momentous with political assassinations, the Viet Nam War, the Prague Spring and Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia as well as major civil unrest throughout America. Amidst all these tectonic changes, a major political realignment occurred with segregationist George Wallace winning four dependably Democrat states. And we even had a mini-Pandemic, the Hong Kong flu. 2020 also witnessed a major political realignment which is still underway. But th...

The Siege of the US Capitol one week ago illustrated how US politics have become militarized under Donald Trump. Militias and their members were a visible presence at the infamous rally beforehand and at the storming of the Capitol. The Million Militia March scheduled for Inauguration Day January 20 will be met by 3000 National Guard troops if it turns violent. A 7 foot high unscaleable fence now surrounds the Capitol. And Trump faces a second impeachment for inciting the riot. Yet his follower...

Air India initiated a new nonstop flight from San Francisco to Bangalore - 17 hours nonstop - over the North Pole. The crew was all female, Captain, First Officer, Navigator. The new flight will link San Francisco's Silicon Valley and India's Technology powerhouse Bangalore which are already Sister Cities. And the 2.7 million Indian immigrants to the United States are very successful. But China's clashes with the Indian Army last Summer and America's trade tariffs seem to be driving India and Am...

The 25th Amendment permits the Vice President and a majority of the cabinet to declare a President unable to discharge the duties and powers of his office and replace him. Should Vice President Pence and the cabinet remove President Trump in the last 13 days of his term which expires January 20, 2021 ? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

The Covid 19 Pandemic was a Black Swan event unleashed on the world in early 2020. A Black Swan event is an extreme outlier occurrence with a huge impact which is only explainable after the fact. Do any Black Swans lurk in our future for 2021 ? By nature they are unpredictable and unknowable beforehand, but we will attempt to predict some areas that could produce black swans in the next twelve months. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

DNA genealogical testing is dominated by Ancestry.com and 23 and Me. MIT's Technology Review estimates that 26 million such test kits have been sold by these two companies. While their growth has been explosive, privacy concerns are growing. The sale of genetic data to 3rd parties is especially sensitive. And the open source genealogy website GEDMatch has even fewer privacy safeguards than the Direct To Customer testers. Is your genetic data safe ? Where is the industry headed ? --- Send in a v...

In 2019 87,00 Californians relocated to Texas. And in 2020 we lost several iconic Bay Area tech companies to the Lone Star state such as Oracle, Hewlett Packard and Palantir. Podcast celebrity Joe Rogan moved to Austin and Tesla founder Elon Musk did likewise. The cost of living in Houston is 65% lower than San Francisco while salaries are 17% less. Can California stem the flow of this exodus ? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

When Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021 he will become the 23rd President in history to have Irish roots. 50% of our Presidents have an ancestral link to Ireland - that's quite a high concentration and the story behind it is even more fascinating. Since 1945, 9 of the 13 Presidents have Irish roots along with 35 million fellow Americans. Talk about punching above your weight for the Fighting Irish ! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm...

Governor Gavin Newsom, California's 40th Governor could be facing a recall election in the Spring of 2021 in the midst of the Pandemic. Recall signature gatherers have 850,000 of the 1,500,000 qualified signatures they need to trigger a statewide election. They have 90 days to collect the remaining 650,000 signatures. If he loses, Newsom would be terminated as Governor and a fresh election would be held simultaneous to the recall. Interest in the race has now gone national with Republican leade...

Chesa Boudin, the 40 year old District Attorney of San Francisco was elected November 2019. He has spent his first 11 months in office radically transforming the criminal justice prosecution priorities for our City. But none of the changes is more controversial than his criminal prosecution of three current and former SF police officers on charges as varied as manslaughter, felony battery and assault. The Police Union has locked horns with the DA whom they opposed when he ran for election. Meanw...

As the 49 year old's net worth surged to $152 billion last week based on the success of his California companies, Tesla and SpaceEx, he announced he was decamping for Texas. Seriously ? Texas ? California has its' fair share of problems, no doubt, but isn't Musk being an ingrate ? Looks like he is biting the hand that has fed him for the last 25 years becoming the second richest man in America, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. But like they say, it's complicated ! --- Send in...

FaceBook will launch a new cryptocurrency the Diem and a financial wallet the Novi to complement it. Target date is early 2021. It will be backed by the US dollar so it will not be digital in the way that Bitcoin is digital. Further, it will have a governing board and the Diem Association which will include FB and other investors will be based in Switzerland. The strategic objective is to create a global consumer finance company based on FB's 2 billion users in 192 countries. Financial transact...

With two new vaccines and their 94% effective rates against Covid 19 pending FDA approval, light is at the end of the tunnel for the Pandemic. But will Americans accept them enthusiastically ? Or will they protest like rejecting the mask mandates and social distancing rules ? The Anti Vaxxer Movement and Vaccine Hesitant Groups are gearing up for a fight. They have shrewdly allied themselves with Church Groups, civil liberties organizations and civil rights associations to fight mandatory vaccin...

Not even a once in a century global pandemic seems to be able to slow down the rise in California's robust residential real estate market. The median price for a home hit $712,000 and shows little sign of slowing down. Low interest rates and limited supply of new homes seems to be fueling the price rise. At the same time over 650,000 Californians left the state in 2019 because of unaffordable housing and a heavy tax burden. Yet San Francisco for example, struggles to keep city streets clean and...

Governor Gavin Newsom will get to name a new US Senator to fill the vacancy left when Kamala Harris becomes Vice President. The Governor appears to be in no rush to name a successor. While he wants to make an historic appointment, he knows that it is fraught with risk. In the last 56 years, two California Governors appointed successors to fill vacant US Senate seats in 1964 and 1990 and in both cases the appointees went down to historic defeats. There are five frontrunners for the post with one ...

Twitter, Facebook and the other big social media companies moved toward a curated speech, censorship model during the 2020 campaign. As a result an Alt Tech social media ecosystem has grown up emphasizing the importance of Free Speech in social media. There are now a host of social media companies like Parler that are Free Speech oriented. While they are far smaller than the established players it remains to be seen if they can scale up and compete. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor....

November 22, 2020 marks 57 years since the assassination of the 35th President, John F. Kennedy. Yet key documents remain hidden from the public including 300 pages of files on George Joannides, a CIA operative who managed the Cuban student group DRE that Oswald tried to join. And most historians and scholars are reluctant to write the history as so many of the facts of the assassination are as murky as they were over 50 years ago. The passage of time has not cleared up the morass of the Kenned...

A popular conspiracy theory in right wing circles is that Vice President elect Kamala Harris will soon take over from an incapacitated President elect Joe Biden. When you repeat such a theory you are giving it oxygen some argue, even if your intent is to dismantle and reject it. In today's podcast I will explain how this myth has materialized, its roots in American History and why it is never likely to come to pass. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

Pfizer and its' German partner Biontech, announced on Monday November 9, 2020 that their vaccine has a 90% effectiveness rate in preventing Covid 19. This announcement is the first ray of hope that the Covid 19 pandemic which began in China and has swept the globe in 2020 can be stopped, vanquished and extinguished. Public euphoria was best summed up in the stock market as the Dow Jones surged 1300 points on the news reaching new highs. Pfizer will seek emergency use approval from America"s FDA...

President Trump, in his 16 minute electoral fraud diatribe from the White House Briefing Room, Thursday November 5 has launched a Conspiracy Theory of a stolen election, before the American people and a global audience. His obvious motivation was anger at seeing his early lead in the election returns slip away in favor of Joe Biden. He has let the conspiracy genie out of the bottle publicly giving his 70 million voters a rallying cry, much like Hillary Clinton's supporters slogan " Resist". His ...

72 years ago today, November 2, 1948, President Harry Truman defied all expectations and won re-election, when the national polls had him down 6.5% versus Governor Tom Dewey. His come from behind win was a shock to the nation. Not only did he confound the pundits, but the Democrats recaptured the Congress with healthy majorities. How did he do it ? Are there lessons to be learned for Donald Trump and Joe Biden in tomorrow's election ? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/...

The gray wolf, one of America's iconic symbols of the Old West, is to lose its' endangered species status. The Trump Administration argues that 45 years of protection has seen its numbers grow six fold to 6000. But conservationists contend that the wolf is not firmly re-established in America. The Pro and Anti wolf lobbies bring a visceral passion to the subject that some have compared to the Abortion campaign. Will the opponents succeed in overturning this delisting action ? --- Send in a voic...

2020 has been marked by extreme political polarization in the United States, and civilian unrest in most American cities. 56% of Americans polled expect political violence to follow the November 3rd presidential election regardless of who wins. While we have seen political violence in our past - 4 Presidents were assassinated and 18 out of the 45 Presidents were threatened with assassination - our elections and their results have been peaceful. Until 2020. --- Send in a voice message: https://an...

Gun sales in June surged to 3.9 million weapons, an 80% increase over the same month last year. More than 20 million new firearms have been purchased in 2020, fueled by national apprehension over the pandemic, unemployment, economic uncertainty, racial tension and political uncertainty. With more than 400 million weapons already in circulation in this country, there are enough firearms for every man, woman and child and then some. Are people fearful of losing police protection and turning to se...

San Francisco is looking to re-name 44 of its' 114 schools. The move was prompted by a review of existing names for slavery links, genocide perpetrators, colonialists, white supremacists etc. 9 US Presidents' names would be stripped from our schools including, Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt. Even Senator Dianne Feinstein would lose her place of honor and our Spanish Colonial historic roots expunged. But San Francisco's schools are still closed to in person learning and many, even in woke Sa...

JFK took on anti-Catholic bigotry upfront in the 1960 presidential campaign, speaking before a conference of Protestant Pastors in Houston, Texas, September 12 regarding his Catholic Faith. Kennedy went on to win the Presidency, albeit narrowly with 112,000 votes. He reminded the clerics of the No Religious Test provision of the US Constitution (Article VI, Clause 3) and further spoke of his own WWII heroism in the South Pacific. We thought that the concept of Catholics being viewed as "Other" ...

The Wolverine Watchmen, a Michigan based militia group, plotted to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer, try her for treason, storm the State Capitol in Lansing with 200 men and foment a civil war. The FBI arrested the 13 plotters several days ago and charged them with terrorism, conspiracy to kidnap and weapons charges after tracking them on Social Media. Michigan has been a hotbed of militia activity for many years; even Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols the Oklahoma City bombers who killed 168 ...

Wednesday night's VP debate was more anticipated than past vice presidential meet ups for a host of reasons. After last week's acrimonious shouting match that was disastrous for both Biden and Trump, Mike Pence had to steady the SS Trump which was taking on water; mission accomplished. Kamala Harris, however, had to introduce herself to the American people as a potential President while demonstrating her policy chops. Pence was in his element and confidently played his hand with aplomb, but wi...

The quickening pace of the destruction of California's forests by wildfire is staggering. In the last 3 months four million acres of our 33 million acres of forest have burned. That's 12%. From 2000 to 2019 4 million acres burned and before that it took 66 years - 1933 to 1999- to burn 4 million acres. The exponential increase in the burn rate is an existential threat to the Golden State. Yet we still do not have an overarching strategic plan to bring the wildfire menace under control. The same ...

Who are the Proud Boys and why did Joe Biden and Chris Wallace give them oxygen at the Presidential debate ? A right wing group the Anti-Defamation League calls Alt-Lite, with a Disney film inspired name wasn't deserving of mention. But they are now part of the 2020 presidential campaign. What do they believe ? What is White Supremacy ? And what about Executive Order #13950 Combatting Race and Sex Stereotyping, dated 9/22/2020. Listen to today's podcast for answers. --- Send in a voice message...

Deceit and Dirty Money is Jim Herlihy's debut novel written in the late 1990's - a simpler and gentler time before 911, Global financial crises, cell phones, the internet and electric cars. Set in San Francisco, this financial thriller with classic San Francisco Noir overtones, satirizes the City's social elite. Jim also gives an insider's explanation of the writing process and how he developed his unique voice and writing style. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/mess...

California experienced its' smallest net population growth in 2019 - 87,000 or 0.2%, the smallest net increase since 1900. The 2020 net increase is likely to be even smaller. Are the unaffordable housing costs, high taxes and high cost of living, to say nothing about wildfire air pollution and last in the nation Covid re-opening finally starting to bite ? A host of online websites offer one stop shopping Exit California packages. Are we reaching a breaking point ? Meanwhile Texans warn newly...

San Francisco's homeless population numbers approximately 24,000. It breaks down into three discrete segments, namely one third mentally ill, one third economic casualties and one third drug users and addicts. Today's podcast focuses on the drug users and addicts. The City Journal and Erica Sandberg in particular has written a detailed account of the Harm Reduction drug culture in San Francisco. Her chilling account of how they facilitate drug use and abuse among the homeless on our streets is ...

The 3700 California prison inmates who volunteer to be firefighters as we wage war on the Wildfires, will be eligible to have their records expunged as a result of their service. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the legislation into law yesterday. It's an important step for former inmates to obtain a professional certification as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) the pre-requisite to apply for a civilian firefighter job. the 3700 inmate firefighters make up 26% of those on the frontlines of ...

San Francisco's skies turned the color of Irish Single Malt Whiskey, even down to that hint of smokiness on Wednesday morning. The deep orange/amber twilight persisted most of Wednesday forcing everyone to turn on their headlights and don N95 surgical masks against the ash that swirled in the air. As if the Coronavirus were not enough. Massive wildfires, 100 miles to the North East of San Francisco exploded to life during overnight wind storms. The resulting mountains of smoke poured into the Ba...

Over the last 6 weeks, five major police departments have lost their Chiefs, in large measure because of a breakdown of trust between the Mayor and Chief. Most police chiefs serve at the pleasure of the Mayor and their ongoing working relationship is critical to the morale of the rank and file police officers and to the safety of the community. Trust, confidence and sharing of goals are key to a successful working relationship. In the five cases we cite, the Mayor became beholden to the street...

The recent murder of right wing Patriot Prayer member Jay Danielson by Antifa activist Michael Reinoehl on the streets of Portland, was a dangerous escalation in the street protests of this Summer. Reinoehl was subsequently killed by US Marshals in a gunfight near the Washington state capital Olympia. Does this mark the start of right versus left street killings ? The Southern Poverty Law Center tracks 52 right wing groups in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, but not Antifa. What's wrong with that ...

Michael Reinoehl, the confessed murderer of Patriot Prayer member Aaorn Jay Danielson, in Portland Saturday, August 29, has died in a gunfight with a law enforcement Task Force led by US Marhalls, close to Olympia, Washington, Thursday, September 3, 2020. In a series of fast moving events Thursday, Reinoehl acknowledeged that he shot Danielson in self defense, in an interview with Vice News. When the Task Force attempted to arrest him on a murder warrant, a gunfight ensued and he was killed. Th...

Aaron Danielson a 39 year old Trump supporter and Patriot Prayer was shot and killed by Michael Reinoehl, 48, years old and a self described 100% Antifa follower. The killing brings into sharp contrast the ideological battle lines of a divided country against the backdrop of 90 nights of continual protests in Portland, Oregon. Will this murder enflame the political debate or could it serve as a timeout for both sides to stop and take stock ? Portland's fraught racial history and the profusion o...

11,000 dry lightning strikes hit the Golden State overnight August 16 and 17, igniting 347 wildfires. Here in Wine Country, 50 miles North of San Francisco, the fires continue to burn two weeks later, sending massive columns of smoke and ash South to San Francisco and the Bay Area. 2020 marks the fourth straight year the Wine Country has suffered the consequences of massive wildfires. Governor Gavin Newsom says this is what climate change looks like. But is that a cop out ? Mismanagement of Cali...

Kamala Harris and Facebook. 4 conspiracy theories quickly emerged after her selection. In today’s episode we will look at each one, and while trying not to give them oxygen, debunk them --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

6 months into the pandemic,transmission rates are dropping and our changed behaviors wearing masks and socially distancing are making a difference. But the Fog of War on Covid 19 at least initially meant that many mistakes were made and lives lost unnecessarily. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

An illegal alien felon shot and killed a father and his two sons in a working class residential neighborhood of San Francisco in June 2008. District Attorney charged Edwin Ramos with three counts of murder but declined to seek the death penalty despite pleas from the widow and Senator Dianne Feinstein. The controversial case brings together three of Harris’ vulnerabilities - death penalty, sanctuary cities and referring to ICE agents as equivalent to KKK. --- Send in a voice message: https://anc...

Dementia and Alzheimer’s are brain diseases of older age. The former can be treated to an extent with lifestyle changes, but the latter is far from finding a cure. Cognition Testing became a presidential campaign issue when President Trump challenged former VP Biden to take one and make the results public. We will focus on both illnesses and the test. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

Science tells us that 95% of the population has implicit biases yet there is only a 16% correlation between the bias and behavior. So is racist, homophobic and misogynistic behavior not principally triggered by implicit bias ? That's what the science says according to Fast Company magazine, but politicians would have us believe otherwise. I attended a 5 hour Implicit Bias class sponsored by the San Francisco Police Department - the same one that all sworn and unsworn personnel must take. It was ...

Mass surveillance and totalitarianism are two prominent themes in Orwell's dystopian novel published in 1949. But there are two major mass surveillance systems at play in the world today. In the West, the data mining strategies of the FAANG internet giants with combined market capitalizations of $4.1 trillion dollars, exploit users' personal data for profit. The other system is the Social Credit Report program established by the Chinese Communist Party to reward conforming behaviors and sanction...

California's Summer surge in C-19 cases has put the Golden State in the dubious first place position of 452,000 cases versus 412,000 for New York. What went wrong ? Back in March and April, California had an enviably low number of cases versus New York which was being ravaged by the Coronavirus. But a series of missteps in the last two months set California on its current downward track. Meanwhile, cases in New York are plummeting. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/me...

California’s powerful teachers’ union the CTA and Governor Gavin Newsom seem to be taking a very slow and hesitant approach to reopening the state’s schools. He has announced that online learning rather than in person classroom instruction is the way to go. But Santa Clara County, Silicon Valley’s HQs is taking the lead asking for waivers to reopen its schools. The state’s Catholic bishops are also urging more clarity. After 4 months of lockdown, California is unprepared to open its’ schools. Wh...

Tik Tok the popular lip syncing video app has exploded in popularity globally during the Covid 19 lockdowns. But Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has threatened to ban it in the US. India and Australia have already done so. Is Tik Tok a Trojan Horse for Chinese Communist Party espionage ? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

Over 20 European countries have re-opened their schools but the US lags far behind. Our decentralized and locally controlled as well as politicized schools - school boards are elected and funded with local property taxes - are slow off the mark to re-open. Meanwhile our kids suffer. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

The world's population stands at 7.8 billion today and has increased by 5.8 billion since 1950. But the British medical journal The Lancet and the University of Washington in Seattle have authored a study which posits that the 21st Century will end with a net decline of 1 billion people. 23 countries will see their current populations cut in half and 90 countries will experience net declines. After an unbroken upward trajectory in population trends since 1800, what is the catalyst for such a re...

With San Francisco"s gyms closed for four months, hiking the urban environment of one of America's most beautiful cities affords lots of opportunities for vigorous exercise. But how is urban hiking different from walking ? We want some physical challenge which is demanding and satisfying at the same time. Listen to today's podcast for some tips on changing your city scape into an exciting outdoor adventure venue, --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

The Social Media giant is weathering a month long boycott by some of its advertisers, a critical civil rights audit and controversy about political speech. Yet Mark Zuckerberg’s founding principles for Facebook remain: voice and inclusion. How is the company faring ? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

With the 2020 Presidential election less than 4 months away, Social Media and with it Fake News stories will loom large no doubt, much as they did in 2016. The BBC has a dedicated weekly program called BBC Trending which focuses on Disinformation stories. Why would the world's most respected broadcaster want to give any oxygen to conspiracy theories and disinformation stories ? It is a measure of how far the Internet and its' no holds barred culture has impacted how we get our news. In today's...

35 million Californians live within 50 miles of one of the 21 historic Franciscan Missions: They are a key part of the California identity. But the recent destruction of statues of Father Junipero Serra, have challenged the legacy of the Missions. Urban legend versus a large, detailed historical record. Set the record straight ! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

The mushrooming of 443 homeless tents on the sidewalks of the Tenderloin, one of San Francisco's poorest and most disadvantaged neighborhoods, caused a group of neighbors, including the well-connected UC Hastings Law School to sue San Francisco on May 4, 2020. A settlement between the parties was announced on June 12, 2020 which provides for dismantling 300 of the tents and housing each homeless person in a hotel at $200 per night. The Board of Supervisors has legislated to rent 7000 hotel rooms...

The destruction of statues of Junipero Serra in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and in front of Los Angeles' founding church, Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles, was a wanton act of vandalism. Serra, a Franciscan Friar was canonized a saint by Pope Francis in 2015. As well as being one of California's Founding Fathers, literally and figuratively, he is one of the most if not the most prominent Hispanic and Latino figures in American History. His statue graces the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washin...

Cutting edge research coming out of University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in the antiviral field. Are Kinase Inhibitors the magic bullet to kill the Coronavirus ? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

When Steven Carrillo scrawled BOOG in his own blood across the hood of his white van, the US Air Force Sergeant cast his fate with the extremist anti government movement, the Boogaloo Bois. Facing two death penalty charges for killing both a federal security officer and a Santa Cruz County Sheriff deputy, his murderous acts have skyrocketed Boogaloo to national prominence. But who are they ? Can their goal of provoking the downfall of the US government be taken seriously ? We explore the roots o...

In the closing days of World War II, San Francisco hosted the organizing conference which created the UN. The conference took place at the War Memorial Opera House from April 25 to June 26, 1945. Why did San Francisco get this honor ? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

Many of our changed behaviors during the Covid 19 confinement are being translated into new policies and procedures by Employers, Healthcare Providers, Retailers and even Significant Others. The overriding theme of the changes is : Don’t be Dense. In other words, give me space. Avoid crowds to stay healthy. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

As the statue removal movement sweeps across America and England, it has hit the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Artists, academics and art historians are demanding that a bust of its' founder, Avery Brundage be removed from the Museum's foyer. He bequeathed his 8000 piece Asian Art Collection to the people of San Francisco and it is the cornerstone of the the 18,000 piece Asian collection. He served as President of the International Olympic Committee from 1952 to 1972. He died in 1975. Yet ...

The SFPD, LAPD and SJPD police unions announced a reform agenda to combat racist police officers. The plan lays the groundwork for new policies and procedures to be crafted for their departments and beyond. But is the problem one bad apple or systemic racism ? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

San Francisco has seen a 47% drop in Use of Force Incidents involving the police and the public from 2016 through 2019. But racial disparities remain. Mayor Breed’s 4 point reform plan is reasonable. But her first attempt to defund the SFPD by $23 million was unanimously rejected by the Police Commission, which includes her own appointees. She’s also calling to redirect those police budget savings to African American Reparations. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/messa...

Swedish prosecutors have named Stig Engstrom as Palme's assassin. It's taken 34 years of mystery, conspiracy and botched investigations in which 130 different people claimed to be the assassin since 1986 to reach a conclusion. Engstrom himself claimed to have tried to resuscitate Palme at the scene. The assassin attempting to revive the man he had just assassinated ! A comedy of errors. Enter renowned Swedish crime fiction author Steig Larsson who mounted his own investigation of the killing ...

Three issues are covered in this episode: 1) Abolition of the Minneapolis Police Force, 2) the Justice and Policing Bill of 2020, 3) political fallout of Police Reform on the 2020 Presidential Election. #Joerogan. #8cantwait #benshapiro. #policebrutality --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

The killing of George Floyd has unleashed a flood of police reforms.Minneapolis is considering abolishing its force while Los Angeles and San Francisco are planning to defund their police departments. And what impact will abolition and defunding urban police departments have on the 2020 Presidential Campaign ? Donald Trump wants to run as the Law and Order candidate. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

While the President and former President acknowledge that reform is necessary, they approach the issue from opposite ends of the political spectrum. What impact will the call for police reform have on the November Presidential Election ? Is reform even achievable given the fact there are 17985 police entities in the United States, and control is at the local not national level. My June 2nd podcast provides a baseline of information on Policing in America, which is so different from most other...

The proximate cause of the riots and looting is the heinous murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police office Derek Chauvin. But the ensuing civil unrest has been co-opted by a host of bad actors like Antifa who have exploited the tragedy. Weak and uncoordinated responses by the nation's Mayors and Governors has made a bad situation much worse. Tragically, the neighborhoods in Minneapolis that have been looted and torched are predominantly minority. The chaos seems likely to continue this ...

The Covid 19 pandemic has spawned many conspiracy theories. Cutting through misinformation and getting to the facts is key. But what is fact and what is fiction ? --- 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/message

Does the Covid 19 pandemic represent an epochal inflection point in American history ? Will we look back on this time as one of those watershed moments of how things used to be so much better or worse ? Or will the confinement, shelter in place and the horrific death toll melt away like other national traumas ? These are some of the questions we confront in today's episode. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice m...

The 80/20 Rule in business says that 20% of your sales team generates 80% of the company's revenue. In a sense something similar applies to Covid - 19. A small number of C-19 victims can infect a huge number of people. And clusters seem to prevail in such circumstances. Why the clusters ? What is unique to the Coronavirus to cause large group infections ? In today's podcast we will look for answers to these and other questions as America re-opens its' doors and tries to get back to a normal ex...

Two news stories this past week included the piecemeal re-opening of the American Economy in the wake of Covid-19 and the acquisition of the internet’s most popular podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience. The two stories illustrate old media and new media styles. --- 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/message

The 119 episodes of the TV series were filmed on location in San Francisco. To retain San Francisco authenticity, a sound stage was built in the City to film non-location, indoor scenes. Early 1970s San Francisco comes alive in these episodes. Douglas and Malden are both Oscar winners. --- 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/message

Podcasting has become an important information medium in the last 15 years with Apple, Spotify, Google, Anchor, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio and iHeart Radio investing heavily in distribution. While barriers to entry are low, survival of the 850,000 Podcasts is always a challenge. --- 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/message

On September 22, 1975 would be assassin Sara Jane Moore waited outside the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco's Union Square to kill President Gerald Ford. The first shot missed the President's head by 5 inches. Our 38th President literally and figuratively dodged an assassin's bullet on the streets of San Francisco. I was present at the lunch, met the President, shook his hand and chatted with him before his brush with death. I heard the shots ring out and watched in horror as the presidential...

California began Phase 2 of the Shelter in Place orders which began eight weeks ago. Many of the state's 58 counties entered the early stages of re-opening the California economy - the 7th largest in the world if California were independent - with a series of steps including opening of commerce. But the proposed curbside pick-ups at restaurants, clothing stores and book stores is hardly the jumpstart that Small Business was looking for. While construction and most manufacturing is coming back, ...

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 subcommittee. A heart-stopping car chase down San Francisco’s vertiginous hills still revs up the adrenaline ! --- 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/message

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 Massachusetts having more cases and fatalities. As California embarks on a limited re-opening next week, we explore what could throw off the Golden State from a successful re-opening. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor....

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/message

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 relief. --- 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/message

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 Towers of the World Trade Center. --- 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/message

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 8250 hotel rooms to house the homeless, but so far only 1000 homeless have moved in. The Mayor has a comprehensive plan to fix the Tenderloin problems but neighbors are skeptical. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/ap...

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 biggest challenges to face post pandemic. --- 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/message

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: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

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 the apparent full backing of its citizens ? --- 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/message

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: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

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 them for being too slow to re-open California. --- 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/message

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 make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

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 · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

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 Varadkar, Prime Minister of Ireland. --- 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/message

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 kept us safe during the Pandemic. --- 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/message

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-19 compare to historic pandemics ? --- 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/message

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. Intrigue, greed, obsession on the streets of San Francisco. --- 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/message

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 isolate, but what about their privacy ? --- 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/message

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 · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

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 preventing another Pandemic posing an existential threat to humankind. --- 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/message

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 easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-herlihy/message

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 terror are topical for today’s Covid -19 lockdown culture caused by another force of nature gone awry. --- 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/message

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 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/message

Innovation Update is a weekly feature of The San Francisco Experience. In today’s installment we recount 7 innovations created in the San Francisco Bay Area to confront Covid-19 and stop it dead in its tracks. --- 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/message

In the fifth and final part of the Living on Lockdown series, I explore how and where we get our news on Covid 19 over the rest of the lockdown. With a historic perspective and quotes from Queen Elizabeth II and Henry Kissinger. --- 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/message

Social isolation can lead to depression and loneliness. Today’s episode provides an alternative, to let you interact online through games, house parties and group movie watching at a distance. --- 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/message

In this episode we review 6 apps for takeout and delivery services from restaurants. Best practices for grocery shopping. --- 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/message

Urban Hiking is the fastest growing trend in Hiking. It brings the same hiking energy to a CityScape and is a great way to accomplish your cardio fitness goals. Several hiking apps are reviewed. --- 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/message

The first in our series of podcasts to help you get through your home confinement during Lockdown. We focus on retirement savings in your 401k account and introduce online resources you can access. --- 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/message

Sharing best Social Lockdown practices from San Francisco, the city that is pioneering how to socially isolate and distance, with a big assist from Social Media. --- 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/message

Comparison of early flight bans from China on San Francisco’s low rate of Covid 19 versus New York’s open European flights. Social Distancing Policies and Europe’s varied approach to Social Lockdown and Distancing. --- 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/message

In this episode I discuss the greatest film of all time, Vertigo, as judged by the British Film Institute in 2012. Set in 1957 San Francisco, it is a technicolor travelog of the City by the Bay. It provides a magnificent physical backdrop to the dark and brooding themes of deceit, obsession, unrequited love and insanity as depicted by Alfred Hitchcock. The screenplay was adapted from the French novel “D’entre les morts.” (From among the dead.) written by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. --- T...

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