archive for June, 2005

monthly archive
Saturday, June 25th, 2005

#14: The Golden Fire Hydrant of San Francisco

the golden fire hydrant of san francisco [ 6:39 ] Play Now | Play in Popup

The “fact” that San Francisco was completely destroyed by the Great Earthquake of 1906 is widely known, of course — but less well known is the actual fact that it was the subsequent fire, raging for three days, that did almost all of the damage. I stumbled across a little piece of this history several […]

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Saturday, June 18th, 2005

#13: The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

the wild parrots of telegraph hill [ 6:03 ] Play Now | Play in Popup

I can clearly remember the first time I saw the wild parrots of San Francisco flying through the air over my neighborhood. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Or my ears, for that matter…their voices sound like a thousand tin cans rolling down a hill. Where had these bright green strangers come from, and why were […]

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Wednesday, June 15th, 2005

#12: San Francisco Blue Jeans

san francisco blue jeans [ 8:21 ] Play Now | Play in Popup

Well, I always thought that I knew the story of Levi’s jeans, how the Bavarian Levi Strauss showed up in Gold Rush San Francisco with a ton of heavy canvas for tent-making, met a miner who needed a pair of pants strong enough to withstand the rigors of gold mining, and the rest was history. […]

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Saturday, June 11th, 2005

#11: Straight Razor Morning

straight razor morning [ 7:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup

A nightmare week of computer mayhem and chaos has stimulated the nostalgic, anti-digital-technology side of my brain, and inspired me to talk about my newest old-school adoption: the straight razor! In short: I bought a vintage German razor, it’s an absolute beauty, and I risk my life every morning as I step in front of […]

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Monday, June 6th, 2005

#10: The Ruination of Fatty Arbuckle

the ruination of fatty arbuckle [ 7:47 ] Play Now | Play in Popup

Think celebrity trials and sensationalist journalism were born yesterday? Think again. The ongoing trial of Michael Jackson has put me in mind of the murder trial of international celebrity Fatty Arbuckle in 1921 — the sexual details printed in the daily press titillated a moralistic nation and ended in the ruin of one of the […]

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Friday, June 3rd, 2005

#9: Schadenfreude and San Francisco High Society

schadenfreude and san francisco high society [ 6:05 ] Play Now | Play in Popup

“Schadenfreude” is a lovely German word that means “the joy we take in observing the misfortunes of others” — more or less — and that’s what today’s podcast is all about. “Oh The Glory of It All” is the name of the new memoir from Sean Wilsey, a young man who grew up in the […]

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Wednesday, June 1st, 2005

#8: Corpseflower at San Francisco Conservatory

corpseflower at san francisco conservatory [ 6:35 ] Play Now | Play in Popup

What a day! Computer problems got you down? I can personally recommend a trip to visit the super-stinky corpseflower to put things in perspective! It only blooms for a day or two, but the scent of rotting flesh and tropical flowers will certainly rearrange your senses. The setting is fantastic… the San Francisco Conservatory of […]

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