Comments on: Column: A Li’l of This & That

By: Zena Zumeta

Zena Zumeta — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:57:19 +0000

Thanks, Jo, for continuing your wonderful column writing! We readers are truly grateful. And the added gift of links is just delicious!

By: jo mathis

jo mathis — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:19:00 +0000

I discovered Herb Caen about 20 years ago when I was visiting my brother in San Francisco. I remember the moment: I was sitting in a window seat overlooking a gorgeous view. Breeze blowing. Loving the city. And I opened the paper to that wonderful column and thought: Why don’t I live here?

TDOTTIM, I’m sure Kyle and I both agree that Mark Steyn brings much more to the table than Simon Cowell. All the more reason he should replace him.

By: TdotTim

TdotTim — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:11:55 +0000

Although I must admit, if Sir Alec Guiness were driving around fighting crime in a talking car I might actually watch :)

By: TdotTim

TdotTim — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:01:37 +0000

@ Kyle: If your idea of pop culture is televised karaoke, then consider me “sniffy”, whatever that means. And I don’t know how much Steyn you’ve read, but post 9/11 he has penned some of the most important work of this era. Simon Cowell has done…what exactly?

Simon Cowell is to Mark Steyn as David Hasselhoff is to Sir Alec Guiness.

By: kyle

kyle — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:35:40 +0000

@TdotTim: I don’t think Steyn is as sniffy about pop-culture as you.

By: TdotTim

TdotTim — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:38:02 +0000

I’m not sure if I should be impressed that you appreciate the brilliance that is Mark Steyn, or utterly horrified that you think he should strive to replace some nobody critic with a bad haircut on Not So Tiny Talent Time…or whatever that awful show is called.

By: kyle

kyle — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:14:22 +0000

Awesome idea for Steyn as Cowell sub. He’s über articulate and usually riotously funny. If only that could happen. Sigh.

By: Haliburton

Haliburton — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:42:34 +0000

Well, it is nice to see a young lady who is aware of Herb Caen. During my youth in the 1940’s through the 1960’s, there was no better reporter or columnist at the Chronicle. A marvelously entertaining chap. I used to see him all over town, on the cable cars, the streets, and in the terrific restaurants. Herb was a wonderful observer of a San Francisco that no longers exists, and will never return (Bagdad by the Bay). It is, of couse, impossible to remove the sheer physical beauty of the city. But what made it great for such a small city (750,000), is long gone. On a a rather brighter note. I well remember the delight of spending the summers of my youth in the lake country of the Irish Hills just west of Ann Arbour. Good luck with the new coach. You are going to need it! Go Bucks!

By: ROB

ROB — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:49:32 +0000

Wow! You must go to bed really early! Night person here. I have watched all the late-night comedians many times, and the only one I find consistently and genuinely FUNNY – is Craig Ferguson (after Letterman on CBS). More belly laughs from him than all the rest put together. Not surprised Conan failed, though – never found him very funny.

By: Stew Nelson

Stew Nelson — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:37:27 +0000

I lived in California for 15 years and I was a huge Herb Caen fan. I remember he used to unmercifully pick on Chico CA for some reason. One of his all time great jokes was that the Safeway (our Kroger) in Chico used to carry Velveeta in the gourmet section of the deli. He also noted once after asking the checkout clerk in the 7-11 if they carried “U.S. News & World Report” and her answer was, “No Sir! We don’t carry either one of those magazines!” Guess you had to be there!

~Stew