Living on $2 a Day - The Impact of Microfinance
Microfinance gets a lot of press these days, for good reason. It is a powerful tool that puts financial resources in the hands of the poorest, and the impact of…
The Joe Content Blog
San Francisco food, drink, people and places, plus the occasional opinion.
On the Loss of a North Beach Regular
This past Sunday brought the very sad news of a friend’s sudden death. Randy Hernandez was a spirited, generous and kind soul. A talented musician and dedicated surfer, he seemed…
Batali, Bourdain to Open Atop San Francisco's Fairmont
San Francisco, CA - Almost 30 years after leaving California to apprentice in Italy, Mario Batali has penned the lease on Animale, a 250-seat restaurant and enoteca planned for the…
Editorial
Bernie Sanders' Easter Sweep And The Real Upset
Senator Bernie Sanders had a heck of an Easter weekend. Dealing a serious blow to Hillary Clinton’s delegate lead, Sanders swept all three primaries, taking Washington, Alaska and Hawaii…
Vagabonds, Lunatics and Scoundrels in San Francisco History, Part 1
One morning in the Spring of 1841, Pennsylvania businessman Paul Geddes was on his way to the bank to deposit $7,000 for his employers. Geddes must have been feeling lucky…
Editorial
Party Politics: Will of the Voters Be Damned
This week we read in the news that 2012 presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has filed paperwork in preparation for a 2016 presidential run, with Paul Ryan listed as his running…
Notorious Belle: The Story of Belle Cora
Born Arabella Ryan in 1832, Belle Cora was the daughter of a Baltimore minister and a doting mother. She rose to become one of San Francisco's most celebrated madams. Along…
Editorial
Bernie and Hillary: Gloves Off in New Hampshire
At Thursday’s Democratic debate in New Hampshire, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton went head-to-head (sans third wheel Martin O’Malley) on the stage for the first time. It was a slugfest…
Editorial
The Calendar, The Clock and The 5-Day Work Week: Arbitrary or Inevitable?
A few nights ago I was talking with a bartender friend, and we got caught up in a conversation about the calendar. She told me the story of railwayman Moses…
Editorial
Competing Institutions - Pope Francis In Context
Today we see in the news that Pope Francis has tied with Donald Trump for second place in a poll of the world’s most admired men (both lost to Barack…