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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_145891\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/burningman1.png\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-145891\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/burningman1-640x320.png\" alt=\"A Monday image from Burning Man webcam showing inundated playa at Black Rock City. \" width=\"640\" height=\"320\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Monday image from Burning Man webcam showing inundated playa at Black Rock City.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The weather forecast for the rest of the week at Burning Man: perfect. T\u003ca href=\"http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?map.x=178&map.y=68&minlon=-123&maxlon=-115&minlat=37.19&maxlat=42.03&mapwidth=354&site=rev&zmx=1&zmy=1#.U_zB9Ly0-AQ\" target=\"_blank\">he National Weather Service says\u003c/a> the weather will be clear and hot -- temperatures in the mid-80s today ranging into the low- to mid-90s later in the week. Nighttime temps: in the high 50s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That forecast follows an atypical start to the annual gathering in north-central Nevada's Black Rock Desert. Thunderstorms swept across the site Monday morning, flooding the desert playa that's transformed every year into Black Rock City. The wet weather turned the site into muck. Since Burners headed to the site Monday would be driving across the temporarily impassable desert floor, event organizers asked police to shut down access to the site Monday; the route was reopened early Tuesday. A Burning Man live webcam (\u003ca href=\"#burningmanwebcam\">embedded below\u003c/a>) shows the site has drained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After Monday's road closure, in Wadsworth, on Nevada Highway 447 just north of Interstate 80 east of Reno, Burners were forced to find alternate sites to park overnight. According to the Associated Press:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>... In Reno, hundreds of \"Burners\" were forced to overnight on the Wal-Mart blacktop. Nearly a hundred other RVs pulled into the parking lot of the Grand Sierra Resort casino, across the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We're just trying to stay positive,\" said a woman from Oakland, who identified herself only as \"Driftwood,\" and was hanging out with some first-timers from Texas. \"Positivity can raise everything up.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most took the rain delay in stride, and sure enough, organizers announced after midnight that they could roll onto the lake bed Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You take it as it comes,\" said Mark Vanlerberghe, who pulled into the Wal-Mart in an RV he drove from San Jose. \"I guess that's part of being a Burning Man: Don't get stressed about it.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2014/08/25/facing-rain-delay-burners-head-pyramid-lake/14602621/\" target=\"_blank\">Reno Gazette-Journal reports\u003c/a> that many other Burners headed to \u003ca href=\"http://www.pyramidlake.us/\" target=\"_blank\">Pyramid Lake\u003c/a>, on the large Paiute tribal reservation northeast of Reno. Here's how the paper describes the scene:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\"We're going to make good of a bad situation,\" said Shaft Uddin, also of London, attending his second Burning Man. \"I hear Pyramid Lake is beautiful and apparently there is going to be a big party there and potentially a massive orgy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By 2 p.m. Monday, yellow Volkswagen buses, countless recreation vehicles and at least one school bus painted to look like a cheetah with whiskers on the hood packed Block House beach at Pyramid Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Close to a dozen of those first arrivals took off their clothes and entered the lake. Within an hour, a park ranger drove up and asked them to put their clothes back on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"How can you not know that it is not OK to be naked in public?\" the ranger asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ranger then asked an Israeli man named Otto to leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"They told me to leave,\" a then-clothed Otto said. \"I said, 'I'm sorry' and he told me I could stay.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_145891\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/burningman1.png\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-145891\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/burningman1-640x320.png\" alt=\"A Monday image from Burning Man webcam showing inundated playa at Black Rock City. \" width=\"640\" height=\"320\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Monday image from Burning Man webcam showing inundated playa at Black Rock City.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The weather forecast for the rest of the week at Burning Man: perfect. T\u003ca href=\"http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?map.x=178&map.y=68&minlon=-123&maxlon=-115&minlat=37.19&maxlat=42.03&mapwidth=354&site=rev&zmx=1&zmy=1#.U_zB9Ly0-AQ\" target=\"_blank\">he National Weather Service says\u003c/a> the weather will be clear and hot -- temperatures in the mid-80s today ranging into the low- to mid-90s later in the week. Nighttime temps: in the high 50s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That forecast follows an atypical start to the annual gathering in north-central Nevada's Black Rock Desert. Thunderstorms swept across the site Monday morning, flooding the desert playa that's transformed every year into Black Rock City. The wet weather turned the site into muck. Since Burners headed to the site Monday would be driving across the temporarily impassable desert floor, event organizers asked police to shut down access to the site Monday; the route was reopened early Tuesday. A Burning Man live webcam (\u003ca href=\"#burningmanwebcam\">embedded below\u003c/a>) shows the site has drained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After Monday's road closure, in Wadsworth, on Nevada Highway 447 just north of Interstate 80 east of Reno, Burners were forced to find alternate sites to park overnight. According to the Associated Press:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>... In Reno, hundreds of \"Burners\" were forced to overnight on the Wal-Mart blacktop. Nearly a hundred other RVs pulled into the parking lot of the Grand Sierra Resort casino, across the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We're just trying to stay positive,\" said a woman from Oakland, who identified herself only as \"Driftwood,\" and was hanging out with some first-timers from Texas. \"Positivity can raise everything up.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most took the rain delay in stride, and sure enough, organizers announced after midnight that they could roll onto the lake bed Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You take it as it comes,\" said Mark Vanlerberghe, who pulled into the Wal-Mart in an RV he drove from San Jose. \"I guess that's part of being a Burning Man: Don't get stressed about it.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2014/08/25/facing-rain-delay-burners-head-pyramid-lake/14602621/\" target=\"_blank\">Reno Gazette-Journal reports\u003c/a> that many other Burners headed to \u003ca href=\"http://www.pyramidlake.us/\" target=\"_blank\">Pyramid Lake\u003c/a>, on the large Paiute tribal reservation northeast of Reno. Here's how the paper describes the scene:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\"We're going to make good of a bad situation,\" said Shaft Uddin, also of London, attending his second Burning Man. \"I hear Pyramid Lake is beautiful and apparently there is going to be a big party there and potentially a massive orgy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By 2 p.m. Monday, yellow Volkswagen buses, countless recreation vehicles and at least one school bus painted to look like a cheetah with whiskers on the hood packed Block House beach at Pyramid Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Close to a dozen of those first arrivals took off their clothes and entered the lake. Within an hour, a park ranger drove up and asked them to put their clothes back on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"How can you not know that it is not OK to be naked in public?\" the ranger asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ranger then asked an Israeli man named Otto to leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"They told me to leave,\" a then-clothed Otto said. \"I said, 'I'm sorry' and he told me I could stay.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003caside class=\"aligncenter\">[vimeo 104055254 w=640 h=360]\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>At 89, Ernie Kinney is the oldest active square dance caller in the world. That’s according to \u003ca href=\"http://www.callerlab.org/\" target=\"_blank\">CALLERLAB, the International Association of Square Dance Callers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The former Marine and schoolteacher has called all over the world and in all 50 states. These days, he’s still in demand — just sticking a little closer to his longtime Fresno home. He calls every Monday night in Hanford, about 45 minutes away. And every Thursday, dancers dressed in Western wear can find him calling for the Travelin’ Pioneers Square Dance Club at the Clovis Senior Center outside Fresno.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m the only caller who still uses 45 rpm records. That’s all I have. I don’t want to do that other stuff. I’m not gonna be here that much longer anyway,” he says. “I’m gonna retire probably in 15 years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_145362\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 350px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-145362\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/ernie-kinney-640x360.jpeg\" alt=\"ernie kinney\" width=\"350\" height=\"197\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ernie Kinney says he won't call a dance on the day he dies. But maybe the day before. (Jeremy Raff/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mirdza Ward does round dance cueing and has spent plenty of time around Kinney.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You go to other states and you talk to your square dance friends and they cannot get over that we can dance to Ernie Kinney every week!” she says. “They’re very jealous of that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says Kinney’s “humor is funny as all get-out. Of course we’ve heard it a number of times but it gets funnier every time he tells it to us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not long before Kinney comes up to Ward with a joke. “I’ve told ‘em three times,” he says. “Ten times. Never go to bed right after you take a laxative and a sleeping pill.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kinney was born in Oklahoma but has lived in the Central Valley for most of his adult life. He taught in the tiny town of Cantua Creek on the west side of the valley for 24 years, the last 10 as superintendent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We would start in September back in those days with 350 kids. By mid-October, when the cotton was being picked, we’d have 500,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kinney says he started calling square dances when he lived in Cantua Creek. He’s been invited just about everywhere as a caller, including Hong Kong, Tokyo, Australia, New Zealand, England and Sweden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ll call until the day I die,” he says. “Maybe not the day I die but until the day I die.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>At 89, Ernie Kinney is the oldest active square dance caller in the world. That’s according to \u003ca href=\"http://www.callerlab.org/\" target=\"_blank\">CALLERLAB, the International Association of Square Dance Callers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The former Marine and schoolteacher has called all over the world and in all 50 states. These days, he’s still in demand — just sticking a little closer to his longtime Fresno home. He calls every Monday night in Hanford, about 45 minutes away. And every Thursday, dancers dressed in Western wear can find him calling for the Travelin’ Pioneers Square Dance Club at the Clovis Senior Center outside Fresno.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m the only caller who still uses 45 rpm records. That’s all I have. I don’t want to do that other stuff. I’m not gonna be here that much longer anyway,” he says. “I’m gonna retire probably in 15 years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_145362\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 350px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-145362\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/ernie-kinney-640x360.jpeg\" alt=\"ernie kinney\" width=\"350\" height=\"197\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ernie Kinney says he won't call a dance on the day he dies. But maybe the day before. (Jeremy Raff/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mirdza Ward does round dance cueing and has spent plenty of time around Kinney.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You go to other states and you talk to your square dance friends and they cannot get over that we can dance to Ernie Kinney every week!” she says. “They’re very jealous of that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says Kinney’s “humor is funny as all get-out. Of course we’ve heard it a number of times but it gets funnier every time he tells it to us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not long before Kinney comes up to Ward with a joke. “I’ve told ‘em three times,” he says. “Ten times. Never go to bed right after you take a laxative and a sleeping pill.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kinney was born in Oklahoma but has lived in the Central Valley for most of his adult life. He taught in the tiny town of Cantua Creek on the west side of the valley for 24 years, the last 10 as superintendent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We would start in September back in those days with 350 kids. By mid-October, when the cotton was being picked, we’d have 500,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kinney says he started calling square dances when he lived in Cantua Creek. He’s been invited just about everywhere as a caller, including Hong Kong, Tokyo, Australia, New Zealand, England and Sweden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ll call until the day I die,” he says. “Maybe not the day I die but until the day I die.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/tcrmag/2014/08/2014-08-22b-tcrmag.mp3\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Lee Herrick's California, Korean 20-somethings talk about hyphens, good pot and the quality of wines in Napa Valley versus Lodi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Lee Herrick's California, the streets remember the Chicano poet whose songs still bank off Fresno's beer-soaked gutters and almond trees in partial blossom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Lee Herrick's California, we fish out long noodles from the pho with such accuracy that you'd know we'd done this before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Herrick is a South Korean adoptee who grew up in the Bay Area, in Danville, and later moved to Modesto. He came to Fresno 20 years ago to write and teach. Herrick is one of a long line of poets who have made a home in the Central Valley, a hardscrabble landscape that has produced fertile ground for writers, including a national poet laureate, a state poet laureate and multiple winners of the National Book Award.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But before he moved to Fresno, Herrick didn't realize the riches that the Central Valley held.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I was one of those who, having been raised in the Bay Area, I would say, 'Oh, I've maybe driven through Fresno on the way here or there,' \" he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teaching English and poetry at Fresno City College, Herrick has grown to recognize the juxtapositions that are part of everyday life in the center of the state. Bullets mix with prayer. A police state mixes with a state of grace. And in spite of it all, a bounty of peaches, grapes, red onions, salsa, wine and chapchae grows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You can have a U.S. poet laureate coming out of Trader Joe's,\" he says, \"down the same street where there is some pretty substantial poverty and some pretty substantial illiteracy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The poets grow in the Central Valley, too. Herrick tries to make a list: Philip Levine, Juan Felipe Herrera, Andr?s Montoya, Peter Everwine, Gary Soto, Lawson Fusao Inada, Corrinne Clegg Hales, Tim Z. Hernandez, Brian Turner, Marisol Baca, Carleigh Takemoto ...\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Herrick realizes there are too many poets to try and remember to keep the list going.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I think all of those poets, or at least many of them, somehow embody some sort of grit and sweat and hope that you see in the poetry,\" Herrick says. \"There is sort of a brutal realism, often, and a great sense of desire in the poets' work here.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Herrick likes to imagine a space in Central California where paperbacks are free, where farmers markets are 24 hours a day and are always packed, and where both priests and the homeless can eat equally well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As he writes in his poem, \"My California:\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>... everywhere is Chinatown,\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>everywhere is K-Town, everywhere is Armeniatown,\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>everywhere a Little Italy. Less confederacy.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like in any city, Herrick says, you can grow accustomed to its norms. But after traveling the state and the world, he thinks the norms in Fresno are anything but normal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"They're quite extraordinary, rich. And those are some of the things I think a person might miss if they just skip by and glance from the 99.\"\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But before he moved to Fresno, Herrick didn't realize the riches that the Central Valley held.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I was one of those who, having been raised in the Bay Area, I would say, 'Oh, I've maybe driven through Fresno on the way here or there,' \" he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teaching English and poetry at Fresno City College, Herrick has grown to recognize the juxtapositions that are part of everyday life in the center of the state. Bullets mix with prayer. A police state mixes with a state of grace. And in spite of it all, a bounty of peaches, grapes, red onions, salsa, wine and chapchae grows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You can have a U.S. poet laureate coming out of Trader Joe's,\" he says, \"down the same street where there is some pretty substantial poverty and some pretty substantial illiteracy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The poets grow in the Central Valley, too. Herrick tries to make a list: Philip Levine, Juan Felipe Herrera, Andr?s Montoya, Peter Everwine, Gary Soto, Lawson Fusao Inada, Corrinne Clegg Hales, Tim Z. Hernandez, Brian Turner, Marisol Baca, Carleigh Takemoto ...\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Herrick realizes there are too many poets to try and remember to keep the list going.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I think all of those poets, or at least many of them, somehow embody some sort of grit and sweat and hope that you see in the poetry,\" Herrick says. \"There is sort of a brutal realism, often, and a great sense of desire in the poets' work here.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Herrick likes to imagine a space in Central California where paperbacks are free, where farmers markets are 24 hours a day and are always packed, and where both priests and the homeless can eat equally well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As he writes in his poem, \"My California:\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>... everywhere is Chinatown,\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>everywhere is K-Town, everywhere is Armeniatown,\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>everywhere a Little Italy. Less confederacy.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like in any city, Herrick says, you can grow accustomed to its norms. But after traveling the state and the world, he thinks the norms in Fresno are anything but normal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"They're quite extraordinary, rich. And those are some of the things I think a person might miss if they just skip by and glance from the 99.\"\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/tcrmag/2014/08/2014-08-15e-tcrmag.mp3\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"To Be Takei,” a documentary profile of the actor and political activist George Takei, opens in theaters Aug. 22. We knew him first as Sulu on \"Star Trek,\" but Takei has proved a master of reinvention several times in his life. Rachael Myrow spoke with him and filmmaker Jennifer Kroot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RM: George Takei is so much in the public eye. A lot of people probably feel like they already know him — already on a first-name basis with George — why did you want to make this film?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JK: Originally, I was a fan of the original \"Star Trek.\" And then when I heard George’s LGBT activism after he came out in 2005, I just thought that was a very interesting thing for him to do. I admired it very much and found out then that he’d been imprisoned in internment camps, and I really wanted to connect the dots between all of those tremendous obstacles and issues that he had faced. And he remained such a positive — relentlessly positive — public figure that I just felt compelled to try to put this together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RM: Like many people, I know you as an LGBT activist, fighting against Proposition 8, fighting for gay marriage. What I was less familiar with was the fact that you’ve become a spokesman for the history of the internment camps during WWII. Like other Japanese-Americans, you survived a couple of those camps. I wanted to play a short clip of one of the many presentations you’ve given over the years:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[Film clip, from “To Be Takei”] George Takei: “With no charges, with no trial, the pillar of our justice system – due process – just disappeared.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10140845\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 377px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/09/TakeiCemetary.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/09/TakeiCemetary.jpg\" alt='George and Brad Takei on a pilgrimage at the cemetery at Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas, where the Takei family was imprisoned during World War II. (Cinematographer Chris Million/\"To Be Takei\")' width=\"377\" height=\"452\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10140845\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">George and Brad Takei on a pilgrimage at the cemetery at Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas, where the Takei family was imprisoned during World War II. (Cinematographer Chris Million/\"To Be Takei\")\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>GT: Well, I’ve been active in the movement to raise America’s awareness of that dark chapter of American history way back in the late '60s and '70s, when we began a movement to get an apology and redress for that unconstitutional imprisonment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RM: Do you feel that people you encounter know of the history, or are you sometimes the first person to tell them about it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GT: I’m often the first person to tell them about it. And when I tell them about the imprisonment of innocent American citizens, simply because we happened to look like the people who bombed Pearl Harbor, they are aghast. They can’t believe that something like that happened in the United States. And so, that makes it that much more important. So we developed a musical on that subject, which is covered in the documentary. And we were hoping to end that documentary with our Broadway opening. Alas, the film was finished before we got to that point. We’re waiting for a theater. However, the film does cover what we call \"the West Coast premiere\" of “Allegiance.” The New Yorkers prefer to call it “the out-of-town tryout.” But we were a big success in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre, broke all box office and attendance records. We are confident about our reception on Broadway when we finally find the appropriate size theater that’s vacant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RM: You are so many things: an actor, a political activist and an Internet phenomenon. There aren’t that many people in the world with more than 7 million followers on Facebook, more than a million followers on Twitter. Lots of celebrities promote themselves online, but you really seem to take to it like a digital native.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10140848\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/09/TakeiBarber.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/09/TakeiBarber-400x434.jpg\" alt='George Takei gets a massage from his barber (and childhood friend) Jerry Cottone. (Patrick Siemer/\"To Be Takei\")' width=\"400\" height=\"434\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-10140848\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">George Takei gets a massage from his barber (and childhood friend) Jerry Cottone. (Patrick Siemer/\"To Be Takei\")\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>GT: Well, the phrase \"social media\" defines us, but celebrities seem to take the “me” in media to be the operative thing. I find that it’s not going to be the thing that connects you with people. It isn’t “me.” It’s the word “social” in front of it. Finding that common connection between people, rather than just showing people what I had for breakfast or what fancy restaurant I went to last night. It’s finding what we have in common, songs that we remember from a few decades back. Or what we found awfully exciting about a recent movie or a book we’ve read. It’s the connection that’s important, rather than showing off your beautiful new outfit. I do that, too! But, at the same time, it’s a sharing process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RM: And it’s fair to say that one of the things you share terrifically well is your sense of humor. Anybody who’s following you on any or all of these mediums should be laughing out loud on a regular basis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GT: That’s the honey. It’s the humor that brings people together. I mean, my base is disparate. It’s LGBT people, it’s political issues-oriented people, it’s people who admire science fiction and are geeks and nerds, it’s the Asian people. You know, it’s all of that coming together. And what brings us all together is humor. That’s the binder. That’s what serves as the glue for the many, many disparate sectors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RM: Jennifer Kroot, George Takei, thank you for joining us.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/tcrmag/2014/08/2014-08-15e-tcrmag.mp3\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"To Be Takei,” a documentary profile of the actor and political activist George Takei, opens in theaters Aug. 22. We knew him first as Sulu on \"Star Trek,\" but Takei has proved a master of reinvention several times in his life. Rachael Myrow spoke with him and filmmaker Jennifer Kroot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RM: George Takei is so much in the public eye. A lot of people probably feel like they already know him — already on a first-name basis with George — why did you want to make this film?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JK: Originally, I was a fan of the original \"Star Trek.\" And then when I heard George’s LGBT activism after he came out in 2005, I just thought that was a very interesting thing for him to do. I admired it very much and found out then that he’d been imprisoned in internment camps, and I really wanted to connect the dots between all of those tremendous obstacles and issues that he had faced. And he remained such a positive — relentlessly positive — public figure that I just felt compelled to try to put this together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RM: Like many people, I know you as an LGBT activist, fighting against Proposition 8, fighting for gay marriage. What I was less familiar with was the fact that you’ve become a spokesman for the history of the internment camps during WWII. Like other Japanese-Americans, you survived a couple of those camps. I wanted to play a short clip of one of the many presentations you’ve given over the years:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[Film clip, from “To Be Takei”] George Takei: “With no charges, with no trial, the pillar of our justice system – due process – just disappeared.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10140845\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 377px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/09/TakeiCemetary.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/09/TakeiCemetary.jpg\" alt='George and Brad Takei on a pilgrimage at the cemetery at Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas, where the Takei family was imprisoned during World War II. (Cinematographer Chris Million/\"To Be Takei\")' width=\"377\" height=\"452\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10140845\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">George and Brad Takei on a pilgrimage at the cemetery at Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas, where the Takei family was imprisoned during World War II. (Cinematographer Chris Million/\"To Be Takei\")\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>GT: Well, I’ve been active in the movement to raise America’s awareness of that dark chapter of American history way back in the late '60s and '70s, when we began a movement to get an apology and redress for that unconstitutional imprisonment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RM: Do you feel that people you encounter know of the history, or are you sometimes the first person to tell them about it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GT: I’m often the first person to tell them about it. And when I tell them about the imprisonment of innocent American citizens, simply because we happened to look like the people who bombed Pearl Harbor, they are aghast. They can’t believe that something like that happened in the United States. And so, that makes it that much more important. So we developed a musical on that subject, which is covered in the documentary. And we were hoping to end that documentary with our Broadway opening. Alas, the film was finished before we got to that point. We’re waiting for a theater. However, the film does cover what we call \"the West Coast premiere\" of “Allegiance.” The New Yorkers prefer to call it “the out-of-town tryout.” But we were a big success in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre, broke all box office and attendance records. We are confident about our reception on Broadway when we finally find the appropriate size theater that’s vacant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RM: You are so many things: an actor, a political activist and an Internet phenomenon. There aren’t that many people in the world with more than 7 million followers on Facebook, more than a million followers on Twitter. Lots of celebrities promote themselves online, but you really seem to take to it like a digital native.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10140848\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/09/TakeiBarber.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/09/TakeiBarber-400x434.jpg\" alt='George Takei gets a massage from his barber (and childhood friend) Jerry Cottone. (Patrick Siemer/\"To Be Takei\")' width=\"400\" height=\"434\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-10140848\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">George Takei gets a massage from his barber (and childhood friend) Jerry Cottone. (Patrick Siemer/\"To Be Takei\")\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>GT: Well, the phrase \"social media\" defines us, but celebrities seem to take the “me” in media to be the operative thing. I find that it’s not going to be the thing that connects you with people. It isn’t “me.” It’s the word “social” in front of it. Finding that common connection between people, rather than just showing people what I had for breakfast or what fancy restaurant I went to last night. It’s finding what we have in common, songs that we remember from a few decades back. Or what we found awfully exciting about a recent movie or a book we’ve read. It’s the connection that’s important, rather than showing off your beautiful new outfit. I do that, too! But, at the same time, it’s a sharing process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RM: And it’s fair to say that one of the things you share terrifically well is your sense of humor. Anybody who’s following you on any or all of these mediums should be laughing out loud on a regular basis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GT: That’s the honey. It’s the humor that brings people together. I mean, my base is disparate. It’s LGBT people, it’s political issues-oriented people, it’s people who admire science fiction and are geeks and nerds, it’s the Asian people. You know, it’s all of that coming together. And what brings us all together is humor. That’s the binder. That’s what serves as the glue for the many, many disparate sectors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RM: Jennifer Kroot, George Takei, thank you for joining us.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"disqusTitle": "Robin Williams Suffered From Parkinson's Disease, Wife Says",
"title": "Robin Williams Suffered From Parkinson's Disease, Wife Says",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_144548\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 561px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/robinwilliams.png\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-144548\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/robinwilliams.png\" alt=\"An Instagram photo comedian and actor Robin Williams posted on his last birthday, July 21. The caption: 'Happy Birthday to me! A visit from one of my favorite leading ladies, Crystal.'\" width=\"561\" height=\"564\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Instagram photo that comedian and actor Robin Williams posted on his last birthday, July 21. The caption: 'Happy Birthday to me! A visit from one of my favorite leading ladies, Crystal.'\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 12 p.m. Thursday: \u003c/strong>Robin Williams was in the early stages of Parkinson's disease, his wife said in a statement Thursday, and he had not relapsed into drinking alcohol.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Robin's sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson's disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly,\" Susan Schneider said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that often is first noticed through trembling hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday: \u003c/strong> Marin County sheriff's officials say that actor and comedian Robin Williams, found dead at his Tiburon home at midday Monday, hanged himself. Here are the relevant details \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/More-details-to-be-released-in-Robin-Williams-5683229.php\" target=\"_blank\">by way of the San Francisco Chronicle, which reports that Williams' body was discovered by his personal assistant\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The assistant became concerned about 11:45 a.m. Monday after Williams, 63, failed to answer knocks at his bedroom door, said Marin County sheriff's Lt. Keith Boyd.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The assistant entered the room and found Williams \"unresponsive with a belt secured around his neck, with the other end of the belt wedged between the clothes closet door and the door frame,\" Boyd said.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The complete statement from the sheriff's office \u003ca href=\"#williamscoroner\">is embedded below\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 9:25 a.m. Tuesday:\u003c/strong> Marin County sheriff's officials are planning an 11 a.m. press conference on the death of comedian and actor Robin Williams. We don't know yet what information they'll release on the circumstances surrounding what they've described as an apparent suicide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meantime, an outpouring of shock and grief continues from family, friends, fellow performers and a long roster of public officials, including President Obama. \u003ca href=\"http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/08/11/president-obama-passing-robin-williams-he-was-one-kind\" target=\"_blank\">In a statement issued by the White House\u003c/a>, the president said:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien -- but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most -- from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets. The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee issued his own statement, praising Williams' generosity in giving to a wide range of causes. In addition to participating in benefits for organizations that included San Francisco's Project Open Hand and Neil Young's Bridge Foundation, Williams started his own foundation to donate money to Doctors Without Borders, the Livestrong Foundation and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Barbara Boxer, like Williams a resident of Marin County, also issued a statement Tuesday:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\"I send the heartfelt condolences of my entire family to Robin Williams' family as our entire country mourns the loss of this remarkable genius who made us smile, laugh uncontrollably or cry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"His ability to connect with everyone was a rare gift indeed. We will always remember Robin and we must also rededicate ourselves to helping each other through the dark times.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Among fellow performers reacting to Williams' death was comedian Chevy Chase -- who said they shared more than just their profession in common:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\"Robin and I were great friends, suffering from the same little-known disease: depression. I never could have expected this ending to his life and to ours with him. God bless him and God bless us all for his LIFE! I cannot believe this. I am overwhelmed with grief. What a wonderful man/boy and what a tremendous talent in the most important art of any time — comedy! I loved him,\" actor and comedian Chevy Chase said in a statement.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original post:\u003c/strong> Marin County authorities say actor and comedian Robin Williams has died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=\"vHmmqd7Qe4Uwmu5ta9RXeTlVGJdRitTi\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Marin County Sheriff's Office reported that emergency responders found Williams in his Tiburon home after getting a call just before noon Monday that he had been found unconscious and not breathing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sheriff's coroner's division said Williams apparently took his own life, though it cautioned that its investigation is ongoing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both Williams' wife and publicist confirmed his death.\u003ca href=\"http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robin-williams-dies-suspected-suicide-724724\" target=\"_blank\"> From the Hollywood Reporter\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Williams' publicist Mara Buxbaum told The Hollywood Reporter: \"Robin Williams passed away this morning. He has been battling severe depression of late. This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His wife, Susan Schneider, said: \"This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin's family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin's death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Williams was in the news last month when gossip news site \u003ca href=\"http://www.tmz.com/2014/07/01/robin-williams-actor-rehab-photo-rehab-drugs-alcohol/\" target=\"_blank\">TMZ reported \u003c/a>that he was at \u003ca href=\"http://www.hazelden.org/\" target=\"blank\">Hazelden, an addiction treatment center\u003c/a> in Minnesota, to maintain his sobriety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Williams' representative told reporters at the time, \"After working back-to-back projects, Robin is simply taking the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment, of which he remains extremely proud.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Williams was open about his issues with alcohol and cocaine addiction. As recounted in the Los Angeles Times recently:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Williams ... previously spent time on a Hazelden campus in Oregon back in 2006. He later explained that drinking had gradually become a problem again after 20 years of sobriety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You're standing at a precipice and you look down, there's a voice and it's a little quiet voice that goes, 'Jump,' \" the \"Mrs. Doubtfire\" star told ABC News in October of that year. \"The same voice that goes, 'Just one.' … And the idea of just one for someone who has no tolerance for it, that's not the possibility.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Williams' latest movie, \"Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,\" is in post-production and due for release in December. Here's how the Hollywood Reporter sums up Williams' career in \u003ca href=\"http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robin-williams-dies-suspected-suicide-724724\" target=\"_blank\">its obituary\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>A dazzling comic force whose career extended from stand-up to a major acting career, Williams' comedic talents were so quick and brilliant that he often intimidated other comedians. His improv skills were meteoric and stupefying: Williams could wing off the cuff better than any of his peers. He burst through the stand-up world into television, captivating audiences with his portrayal of the endearing extraterrestrial Mork in the '70s series \u003cem>Mork and Mindy\u003c/em>. He first limned the Mork role as a guest star on \u003cem>Happy Days\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He fractured movies audiences with his comedic and endearing performance in \u003cem>Good Morning, Vietnam\u003c/em> (1987). He delighted audiences in the box-office hit \u003cem>The Birdcage\u003c/em> (1996), playing a gay club owner who tries to convince his conservative, future in-laws of his heterosexual mainstream values. He tapped into a fey side and feminine side, as well: He delighted with his slapstick values as a hausfrau in \u003cem>Mrs. Doubtfire \u003c/em>(1993).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His rapid-fire delivery bespoke a warp-speed, associative intelligence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The mystery is in the motion: What miracle of the synapses got him from point A to point Z? At once a satirist, a comedian and a superb actor, this one-man repertory company dashes from mask to mask, voice to voice, like a man possessed by comic demons,” David Ansen wrote in Newsweek in 1986.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Williams returned to network television last year in a CBS sitcom called \u003cem>The Crazy Ones\u003c/em>. It was canceled after a single season. He said in \u003ca href=\"http://parade.condenast.com/154817/dotsonrader/robin-williams-on-returning-to-tv-getting-sober-and-downsizing-in-his-60s/\" target=\"_blank\">an interview with Parade magazine last year\u003c/a> that he was motivated to do the series in part because of financial challenges:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>“The idea of having a steady job is appealing. I have two [other] choices: go on the road doing stand-up, or do small, independent movies working almost for scale [minimum union pay]. The movies are good, but a lot of times they don’t even have distribution. There are bills to pay. My life has downsized, in a good way. I’m selling the ranch up in Napa. I just can’t afford it anymore.”\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Asked whether he \"lost all his money in his two divorces, Williams said: “Well, not all. Lost enough. Divorce is expensive. I used to joke they were going to call it ‘all the money,’ but they changed it to ‘alimony.’ It’s ripping your heart out through your wallet. Are things good with my exes? Yes. But do I need that lifestyle? No.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here's the complete statement on Williams' death released Monday from the Marin Sheriff's Office:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>On August 11, 2014, at approximately 11:55 am, Marin County Communications received a 9-1-1 telephone call reporting a male adult had been located unconscious and not breathing inside his residence in unincorporated Tiburon, CA. The Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Tiburon Fire Department and Southern Marin Fire Protection District were dispatched to the incident with emergency personnel arriving on scene at 12:00 pm. The male subject, pronounced deceased at 12:02 pm has been identified as Robin McLaurin Williams, a 63 year old resident of unincorporated Tiburon, CA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An investigation into the cause, manner, and circumstances of the death is currently underway by the Investigations and Coroner Divisions of the Sheriff’s Office. Preliminary information developed during the investigation indicates Mr. Williams was last seen alive at his residence, where he resides with his wife, at approximately 10 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mr. Williams was located this morning shortly before the 9-1-1 call was placed to Marin County Communications. At this time, the Sheriff’s Office Coroner Division suspects the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia, but a comprehensive investigation must be completed before a final determination is made. A forensic examination is currently scheduled for August 12, 2014 with subsequent toxicology testing to be conducted.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca id=\"williamscoroner\">\u003c/a>\u003ciframe id=\"doc_68553\" class=\"scribd_iframe_embed\" src=\"//www.scribd.com/embeds/236634017/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_144548\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 561px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/robinwilliams.png\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-144548\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/robinwilliams.png\" alt=\"An Instagram photo comedian and actor Robin Williams posted on his last birthday, July 21. The caption: 'Happy Birthday to me! A visit from one of my favorite leading ladies, Crystal.'\" width=\"561\" height=\"564\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Instagram photo that comedian and actor Robin Williams posted on his last birthday, July 21. The caption: 'Happy Birthday to me! A visit from one of my favorite leading ladies, Crystal.'\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 12 p.m. Thursday: \u003c/strong>Robin Williams was in the early stages of Parkinson's disease, his wife said in a statement Thursday, and he had not relapsed into drinking alcohol.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Robin's sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson's disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly,\" Susan Schneider said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that often is first noticed through trembling hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday: \u003c/strong> Marin County sheriff's officials say that actor and comedian Robin Williams, found dead at his Tiburon home at midday Monday, hanged himself. Here are the relevant details \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/More-details-to-be-released-in-Robin-Williams-5683229.php\" target=\"_blank\">by way of the San Francisco Chronicle, which reports that Williams' body was discovered by his personal assistant\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>The assistant became concerned about 11:45 a.m. Monday after Williams, 63, failed to answer knocks at his bedroom door, said Marin County sheriff's Lt. Keith Boyd.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The assistant entered the room and found Williams \"unresponsive with a belt secured around his neck, with the other end of the belt wedged between the clothes closet door and the door frame,\" Boyd said.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The complete statement from the sheriff's office \u003ca href=\"#williamscoroner\">is embedded below\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 9:25 a.m. Tuesday:\u003c/strong> Marin County sheriff's officials are planning an 11 a.m. press conference on the death of comedian and actor Robin Williams. We don't know yet what information they'll release on the circumstances surrounding what they've described as an apparent suicide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meantime, an outpouring of shock and grief continues from family, friends, fellow performers and a long roster of public officials, including President Obama. \u003ca href=\"http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/08/11/president-obama-passing-robin-williams-he-was-one-kind\" target=\"_blank\">In a statement issued by the White House\u003c/a>, the president said:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien -- but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most -- from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets. The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee issued his own statement, praising Williams' generosity in giving to a wide range of causes. In addition to participating in benefits for organizations that included San Francisco's Project Open Hand and Neil Young's Bridge Foundation, Williams started his own foundation to donate money to Doctors Without Borders, the Livestrong Foundation and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Barbara Boxer, like Williams a resident of Marin County, also issued a statement Tuesday:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\"I send the heartfelt condolences of my entire family to Robin Williams' family as our entire country mourns the loss of this remarkable genius who made us smile, laugh uncontrollably or cry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"His ability to connect with everyone was a rare gift indeed. We will always remember Robin and we must also rededicate ourselves to helping each other through the dark times.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Among fellow performers reacting to Williams' death was comedian Chevy Chase -- who said they shared more than just their profession in common:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\"Robin and I were great friends, suffering from the same little-known disease: depression. I never could have expected this ending to his life and to ours with him. God bless him and God bless us all for his LIFE! I cannot believe this. I am overwhelmed with grief. What a wonderful man/boy and what a tremendous talent in the most important art of any time — comedy! I loved him,\" actor and comedian Chevy Chase said in a statement.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original post:\u003c/strong> Marin County authorities say actor and comedian Robin Williams has died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Marin County Sheriff's Office reported that emergency responders found Williams in his Tiburon home after getting a call just before noon Monday that he had been found unconscious and not breathing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The sheriff's coroner's division said Williams apparently took his own life, though it cautioned that its investigation is ongoing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both Williams' wife and publicist confirmed his death.\u003ca href=\"http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robin-williams-dies-suspected-suicide-724724\" target=\"_blank\"> From the Hollywood Reporter\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Williams' publicist Mara Buxbaum told The Hollywood Reporter: \"Robin Williams passed away this morning. He has been battling severe depression of late. This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His wife, Susan Schneider, said: \"This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin's family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin's death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Williams was in the news last month when gossip news site \u003ca href=\"http://www.tmz.com/2014/07/01/robin-williams-actor-rehab-photo-rehab-drugs-alcohol/\" target=\"_blank\">TMZ reported \u003c/a>that he was at \u003ca href=\"http://www.hazelden.org/\" target=\"blank\">Hazelden, an addiction treatment center\u003c/a> in Minnesota, to maintain his sobriety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Williams' representative told reporters at the time, \"After working back-to-back projects, Robin is simply taking the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment, of which he remains extremely proud.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Williams was open about his issues with alcohol and cocaine addiction. As recounted in the Los Angeles Times recently:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Williams ... previously spent time on a Hazelden campus in Oregon back in 2006. He later explained that drinking had gradually become a problem again after 20 years of sobriety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"You're standing at a precipice and you look down, there's a voice and it's a little quiet voice that goes, 'Jump,' \" the \"Mrs. Doubtfire\" star told ABC News in October of that year. \"The same voice that goes, 'Just one.' … And the idea of just one for someone who has no tolerance for it, that's not the possibility.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Williams' latest movie, \"Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,\" is in post-production and due for release in December. Here's how the Hollywood Reporter sums up Williams' career in \u003ca href=\"http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robin-williams-dies-suspected-suicide-724724\" target=\"_blank\">its obituary\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>A dazzling comic force whose career extended from stand-up to a major acting career, Williams' comedic talents were so quick and brilliant that he often intimidated other comedians. His improv skills were meteoric and stupefying: Williams could wing off the cuff better than any of his peers. He burst through the stand-up world into television, captivating audiences with his portrayal of the endearing extraterrestrial Mork in the '70s series \u003cem>Mork and Mindy\u003c/em>. He first limned the Mork role as a guest star on \u003cem>Happy Days\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He fractured movies audiences with his comedic and endearing performance in \u003cem>Good Morning, Vietnam\u003c/em> (1987). He delighted audiences in the box-office hit \u003cem>The Birdcage\u003c/em> (1996), playing a gay club owner who tries to convince his conservative, future in-laws of his heterosexual mainstream values. He tapped into a fey side and feminine side, as well: He delighted with his slapstick values as a hausfrau in \u003cem>Mrs. Doubtfire \u003c/em>(1993).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His rapid-fire delivery bespoke a warp-speed, associative intelligence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The mystery is in the motion: What miracle of the synapses got him from point A to point Z? At once a satirist, a comedian and a superb actor, this one-man repertory company dashes from mask to mask, voice to voice, like a man possessed by comic demons,” David Ansen wrote in Newsweek in 1986.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Williams returned to network television last year in a CBS sitcom called \u003cem>The Crazy Ones\u003c/em>. It was canceled after a single season. He said in \u003ca href=\"http://parade.condenast.com/154817/dotsonrader/robin-williams-on-returning-to-tv-getting-sober-and-downsizing-in-his-60s/\" target=\"_blank\">an interview with Parade magazine last year\u003c/a> that he was motivated to do the series in part because of financial challenges:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>“The idea of having a steady job is appealing. I have two [other] choices: go on the road doing stand-up, or do small, independent movies working almost for scale [minimum union pay]. The movies are good, but a lot of times they don’t even have distribution. There are bills to pay. My life has downsized, in a good way. I’m selling the ranch up in Napa. I just can’t afford it anymore.”\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Asked whether he \"lost all his money in his two divorces, Williams said: “Well, not all. Lost enough. Divorce is expensive. I used to joke they were going to call it ‘all the money,’ but they changed it to ‘alimony.’ It’s ripping your heart out through your wallet. Are things good with my exes? Yes. But do I need that lifestyle? No.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here's the complete statement on Williams' death released Monday from the Marin Sheriff's Office:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>On August 11, 2014, at approximately 11:55 am, Marin County Communications received a 9-1-1 telephone call reporting a male adult had been located unconscious and not breathing inside his residence in unincorporated Tiburon, CA. The Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Tiburon Fire Department and Southern Marin Fire Protection District were dispatched to the incident with emergency personnel arriving on scene at 12:00 pm. The male subject, pronounced deceased at 12:02 pm has been identified as Robin McLaurin Williams, a 63 year old resident of unincorporated Tiburon, CA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An investigation into the cause, manner, and circumstances of the death is currently underway by the Investigations and Coroner Divisions of the Sheriff’s Office. Preliminary information developed during the investigation indicates Mr. Williams was last seen alive at his residence, where he resides with his wife, at approximately 10 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2014.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mr. Williams was located this morning shortly before the 9-1-1 call was placed to Marin County Communications. At this time, the Sheriff’s Office Coroner Division suspects the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia, but a comprehensive investigation must be completed before a final determination is made. A forensic examination is currently scheduled for August 12, 2014 with subsequent toxicology testing to be conducted.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "robin-williams-suicide-disclosure-too-much-too-graphic",
"title": "Robin Williams Suicide Disclosure: Too Much? Too Graphic?",
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"headTitle": "Robin Williams Suicide Disclosure: Too Much? Too Graphic? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_144561\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/RS11447_134732889-lpr-1.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-144561\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/RS11447_134732889-lpr-1-640x454.jpg\" alt=\"Robin Williams, pictured in 2004. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"454\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robin Williams, pictured in 2004. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>How much do you \u003cem>want\u003c/em> to know about how Robin Williams died? How much do you \u003cem>need\u003c/em> to know about it? What \u003cem>should\u003c/em> you know about it? When does releasing the details of a death, even a celebrity’s death, threaten to breach the boundaries of decency, violate privacy and even pose a public health risk?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ask because of the reaction in the KQED newsroom Tuesday as Lt. Keith Boyd, Marin County’s assistant chief deputy coroner, delivered his description of Williams’ death in a nationally televised press conference. Boyd disclosed that Williams’ body was discovered in a bedroom of his Tiburon home by his personal assistant late Monday morning. Then he offered some explicit details about the condition of Williams’ body when it was found:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>… Mr. Williams [was] clothed in a seated position, unresponsive, and with a belt secured around his neck with the other end of the belt wedged between the closed closet door and door frame. His right shoulder area was touching the door with his body was perpendicular to the door and slightly suspended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mr. Williams was cool to the touch with rigor mortis present in all of his extremities and livor mortis positioned appropriately for the position he was located in. …\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>(\u003ca href=\"http://www.iupui.edu/~pathol/autopsy/main/10/10.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rigor mortis\u003c/a> refers to a body’s temporary rigidity after death. \u003ca href=\"http://www.iupui.edu/~pathol/autopsy/main/11/11.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Livor mortis \u003c/a>describes the discoloration that occurs as blood pools in a body after death.)\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">You can thank us, the media pursuing the public’s right to know, for disclosure of the circumstances surrounding the death of Robin Williams.\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>After Boyd read his statement, some here in the newsroom (and far beyond, to judge from comments on Twitter) said they were disturbed, even shocked, to hear the graphic description of Wiliams’ postmortem physical condition. The general feeling from the comments I heard was that publicizing the details was a sort of violation. It was an intrusion into a personal tragedy that by right only those closest to the dead should share. And it exposed the awful particulars of the deceased’s last moments to a luridly curious media and public. Some raised the possibility that disclosing details of the death scene might lead to copycat suicides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the other side, a few folks said, first, that the information the coroner provided would come out in any case, and second, that the Marin County authorities might be trying to head off the inevitable sensational speculation about the circumstances of Williams’ death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I called Boyd Wednesday to ask what factors guided the decision by the sheriff’s office to include what some have deemed graphic details of Williams’ death. His answer was simple: “We are just following the law.” The law in question is the \u003ca href=\"http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=gov&group=06001-07000&file=6250-6270\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">California Public Records Act\u003c/a>, which requires local agencies to disclose most of the records they keep, including coroner’s records (One significant exception is photographs. It takes a court order to get pictures that medical examiners may have taken as part of their postmortem investigations).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked Boyd whether the details released Tuesday would be disclosed in any case his office handled. “Mr. Williams’ case is not like any other case,” Boyd said. “I wouldn’t have gotten the PRA requests I’ve gotten for this case.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can thank us, the media pursuing the public’s right to know, for all those requests. And you can thank us in advance, too, for the further details on Williams’ death that will emerge as the coroner’s office completes its forensic investigation. Among other things, media organizations have already requested recordings and transcripts of the 911 call that alerted authorities to Williams’ death late Monday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[contextly_sidebar id=”jPbOvUtyUMdV34Raq5SbNhU5rNtPZGwP”]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For my part, I do indeed believe in the public’s right to know. I think in general we’re a little too ready to protect our audiences from what we judge to be the unpleasant details of the violence in which our culture sometimes seems to be immersed, whether that violence be our wars, violent crime or, yes, suicide. I believe in the value of the public discussion that may follow full and honest disclosure, even disclosure of someone else’s awful personal tragedy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how we handle such disclosures can make all the difference. It’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/18/nyregion/pattern-of-death-copycat-suicides-among-youths.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">long been accepted\u003c/a> among suicide researchers and social scientists that copycat suicides are a real thing. There’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0007252\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a growing body of evidence\u003c/a> that media reporting on suicides can prompt more suicides. \u003ca href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0055000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">One recent study\u003c/a> looked at what happened when media reported on a novel method of suicide in Taiwan in the late 1990s: asphyxiation brought about by lighting a charcoal fire indoors. The findings suggest that intense media attention on such episodes triggered an immediate spike in similar suicide attempts. By 2010, “charcoal burning suicide” had became the second most common method of taking one’s life in Taiwan (after hanging).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response to growing attention to news media’s potential role in sparking copycat suicide episodes, suicide researchers, mental health experts and media partners have come up with a set of guidelines on how to treat the subject: \u003ca href=\"http://reportingonsuicide.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The recommendations seek to get media to emphasize the mental health and public health implications of suicide and to remove sensationalism from suicide coverage. For instance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Instead of this: Big or sensationalistic headlines, or prominent placement (e.g., “Kurt Cobain Used Shotgun to Commit Suicide”), do this: Inform the audience without sensationalizing the suicide and minimize prominence (e.g., “Kurt Cobain Dead at 27”).\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The specific mention of \u003ca href=\"http://www.biography.com/people/kurt-cobain-9542179#synopsis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kurt Cobain\u003c/a> in the recommendations is kind of interesting. Cobain, the guitarist/singer/songwriter for Seattle’s Nirvana, used a shotgun to kill himself in 1994. David A. Jobes, a prominent suicide researcher, studied Cobain’s death and the popular reaction to it. As \u003ca href=\"http://www.seattleweekly.com/home/951542-129/happens-every-day-the-suicide-of\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recounted by Cobain biographer Charles R. Cross\u003c/a> in the Seattle Weekly earlier this year, the aftermath was different from what Jobes anticipated:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>[Jobes] was actually attending an international convention of suicide researchers that week; he heard the news sitting in a bar discussing trends in the field when a breaking news report came across the television in the background. “It was the headline story,” Jobes told me, “and I was with a guy from the CDC, and our jaws just dropped. ‘This is going to be bad,’ we said. We thought there was going to be an epidemic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jobes’ extensive study found the opposite occurred. The \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897665\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">paper he published\u003c/a> speculates several reasons: “The lack of an apparent copycat effect in Seattle may be due to various aspects of the media coverage, the method used in Cobain’s suicide, and the crisis center and community outreach interventions that occurred.” Jobes says another key was outreach by the medical community in the previous year to establish a protocol for suicide coverage, urging media outlets to include suicide resources in their reports. Kurt’s death “was the first time where articles appeared with little boxes that listed hotline numbers, signs of depression, and places to get help,” Jobes said. He says Kurt’s death was something of an “outlier of a celebrity suicide in that it arguably led to reporting that did some good.”\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>So, that’s the challenge — “reporting that will do some good,” despite the distressing details. One gesture in that direction, as mentioned by one of my colleagues: recognition that suicide is a national public health crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/2011_Final_Mortality_Data_Release.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u003c/a>, 39,518 people took their lives in the United States in 2011, the most recent year for which data are available. That’s a toll 2½ times the number of homicides during the same year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As stark as that number seems — nearly 109 suicides per day, on average, with the nationwide incidence of suicide growing each year — it conceals the actual dimensions of the crisis. The CDC also \u003ca href=\"http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/suicide_datasheet-a.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">estimate\u003c/a>s that in 2010, there were 25 attempted suicides for every one that succeeded — 1 million attempts all across the United States in a single year. Two million people said they had made plans to kill themselves. Eight million said they had experienced suicidal thoughts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s natural to look for a message in Robin Williams’ suicide. I’m not sure there is one beyond the staggering realization that even those who look like they have everything can experience such blinding despair that they are driven to take their own lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The message in the larger context: Realize the dimensions of the crisis that’s taking so many lives, and pay attention and be ready to help those in your life when they tell you they’re in crisis.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_144561\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/RS11447_134732889-lpr-1.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-144561\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/RS11447_134732889-lpr-1-640x454.jpg\" alt=\"Robin Williams, pictured in 2004. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)\" width=\"640\" height=\"454\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robin Williams, pictured in 2004. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>How much do you \u003cem>want\u003c/em> to know about how Robin Williams died? How much do you \u003cem>need\u003c/em> to know about it? What \u003cem>should\u003c/em> you know about it? When does releasing the details of a death, even a celebrity’s death, threaten to breach the boundaries of decency, violate privacy and even pose a public health risk?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ask because of the reaction in the KQED newsroom Tuesday as Lt. Keith Boyd, Marin County’s assistant chief deputy coroner, delivered his description of Williams’ death in a nationally televised press conference. Boyd disclosed that Williams’ body was discovered in a bedroom of his Tiburon home by his personal assistant late Monday morning. Then he offered some explicit details about the condition of Williams’ body when it was found:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>… Mr. Williams [was] clothed in a seated position, unresponsive, and with a belt secured around his neck with the other end of the belt wedged between the closed closet door and door frame. His right shoulder area was touching the door with his body was perpendicular to the door and slightly suspended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mr. Williams was cool to the touch with rigor mortis present in all of his extremities and livor mortis positioned appropriately for the position he was located in. …\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>(\u003ca href=\"http://www.iupui.edu/~pathol/autopsy/main/10/10.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rigor mortis\u003c/a> refers to a body’s temporary rigidity after death. \u003ca href=\"http://www.iupui.edu/~pathol/autopsy/main/11/11.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Livor mortis \u003c/a>describes the discoloration that occurs as blood pools in a body after death.)\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">You can thank us, the media pursuing the public’s right to know, for disclosure of the circumstances surrounding the death of Robin Williams.\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>After Boyd read his statement, some here in the newsroom (and far beyond, to judge from comments on Twitter) said they were disturbed, even shocked, to hear the graphic description of Wiliams’ postmortem physical condition. The general feeling from the comments I heard was that publicizing the details was a sort of violation. It was an intrusion into a personal tragedy that by right only those closest to the dead should share. And it exposed the awful particulars of the deceased’s last moments to a luridly curious media and public. Some raised the possibility that disclosing details of the death scene might lead to copycat suicides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the other side, a few folks said, first, that the information the coroner provided would come out in any case, and second, that the Marin County authorities might be trying to head off the inevitable sensational speculation about the circumstances of Williams’ death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I called Boyd Wednesday to ask what factors guided the decision by the sheriff’s office to include what some have deemed graphic details of Williams’ death. His answer was simple: “We are just following the law.” The law in question is the \u003ca href=\"http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=gov&group=06001-07000&file=6250-6270\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">California Public Records Act\u003c/a>, which requires local agencies to disclose most of the records they keep, including coroner’s records (One significant exception is photographs. It takes a court order to get pictures that medical examiners may have taken as part of their postmortem investigations).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I asked Boyd whether the details released Tuesday would be disclosed in any case his office handled. “Mr. Williams’ case is not like any other case,” Boyd said. “I wouldn’t have gotten the PRA requests I’ve gotten for this case.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can thank us, the media pursuing the public’s right to know, for all those requests. And you can thank us in advance, too, for the further details on Williams’ death that will emerge as the coroner’s office completes its forensic investigation. Among other things, media organizations have already requested recordings and transcripts of the 911 call that alerted authorities to Williams’ death late Monday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For my part, I do indeed believe in the public’s right to know. I think in general we’re a little too ready to protect our audiences from what we judge to be the unpleasant details of the violence in which our culture sometimes seems to be immersed, whether that violence be our wars, violent crime or, yes, suicide. I believe in the value of the public discussion that may follow full and honest disclosure, even disclosure of someone else’s awful personal tragedy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how we handle such disclosures can make all the difference. It’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/18/nyregion/pattern-of-death-copycat-suicides-among-youths.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">long been accepted\u003c/a> among suicide researchers and social scientists that copycat suicides are a real thing. There’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0007252\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a growing body of evidence\u003c/a> that media reporting on suicides can prompt more suicides. \u003ca href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0055000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">One recent study\u003c/a> looked at what happened when media reported on a novel method of suicide in Taiwan in the late 1990s: asphyxiation brought about by lighting a charcoal fire indoors. The findings suggest that intense media attention on such episodes triggered an immediate spike in similar suicide attempts. By 2010, “charcoal burning suicide” had became the second most common method of taking one’s life in Taiwan (after hanging).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response to growing attention to news media’s potential role in sparking copycat suicide episodes, suicide researchers, mental health experts and media partners have come up with a set of guidelines on how to treat the subject: \u003ca href=\"http://reportingonsuicide.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The recommendations seek to get media to emphasize the mental health and public health implications of suicide and to remove sensationalism from suicide coverage. For instance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>Instead of this: Big or sensationalistic headlines, or prominent placement (e.g., “Kurt Cobain Used Shotgun to Commit Suicide”), do this: Inform the audience without sensationalizing the suicide and minimize prominence (e.g., “Kurt Cobain Dead at 27”).\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The specific mention of \u003ca href=\"http://www.biography.com/people/kurt-cobain-9542179#synopsis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kurt Cobain\u003c/a> in the recommendations is kind of interesting. Cobain, the guitarist/singer/songwriter for Seattle’s Nirvana, used a shotgun to kill himself in 1994. David A. Jobes, a prominent suicide researcher, studied Cobain’s death and the popular reaction to it. As \u003ca href=\"http://www.seattleweekly.com/home/951542-129/happens-every-day-the-suicide-of\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recounted by Cobain biographer Charles R. Cross\u003c/a> in the Seattle Weekly earlier this year, the aftermath was different from what Jobes anticipated:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>[Jobes] was actually attending an international convention of suicide researchers that week; he heard the news sitting in a bar discussing trends in the field when a breaking news report came across the television in the background. “It was the headline story,” Jobes told me, “and I was with a guy from the CDC, and our jaws just dropped. ‘This is going to be bad,’ we said. We thought there was going to be an epidemic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jobes’ extensive study found the opposite occurred. The \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897665\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">paper he published\u003c/a> speculates several reasons: “The lack of an apparent copycat effect in Seattle may be due to various aspects of the media coverage, the method used in Cobain’s suicide, and the crisis center and community outreach interventions that occurred.” Jobes says another key was outreach by the medical community in the previous year to establish a protocol for suicide coverage, urging media outlets to include suicide resources in their reports. Kurt’s death “was the first time where articles appeared with little boxes that listed hotline numbers, signs of depression, and places to get help,” Jobes said. He says Kurt’s death was something of an “outlier of a celebrity suicide in that it arguably led to reporting that did some good.”\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>So, that’s the challenge — “reporting that will do some good,” despite the distressing details. One gesture in that direction, as mentioned by one of my colleagues: recognition that suicide is a national public health crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/2011_Final_Mortality_Data_Release.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u003c/a>, 39,518 people took their lives in the United States in 2011, the most recent year for which data are available. That’s a toll 2½ times the number of homicides during the same year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As stark as that number seems — nearly 109 suicides per day, on average, with the nationwide incidence of suicide growing each year — it conceals the actual dimensions of the crisis. The CDC also \u003ca href=\"http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/suicide_datasheet-a.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">estimate\u003c/a>s that in 2010, there were 25 attempted suicides for every one that succeeded — 1 million attempts all across the United States in a single year. Two million people said they had made plans to kill themselves. Eight million said they had experienced suicidal thoughts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s natural to look for a message in Robin Williams’ suicide. I’m not sure there is one beyond the staggering realization that even those who look like they have everything can experience such blinding despair that they are driven to take their own lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The message in the larger context: Realize the dimensions of the crisis that’s taking so many lives, and pay attention and be ready to help those in your life when they tell you they’re in crisis.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca id=\"williamsaudio\">\u003c/a>\u003ciframe src=\"https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/162748486&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Editor's note:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>An earlier version of this post misidentified Bob Ayres. We regret the error. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Friends and fellow performers of Robin Williams, the comedian and actor celebrated for his manic intelligence and high-speed inventiveness, are expressing shock at his passing earlier Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just one example:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" lang=\"en\">\u003cp>I could not be more stunned by the loss of Robin Williams, mensch, great talent, acting partner, genuine soul.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>— Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo) \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SteveMartinToGo/statuses/498971366050107392\">August 11, 2014\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Many in the San Francisco entertainment scene are remembering Williams, too. One of those: Bob Ayres, founder of the long-defunct Other Café in the Haight-Ashbury, one of Williams' favorite venues. I talked to Ayres shortly after word of Williams' death became public (\u003ca href=\"#williamsaudio\">audio embedded above\u003c/a>). Here's part of our interview:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bob Ayres:\u003c/strong> Robin did come there a lot when we first started comedy; he hadn't gotten \u003cem>Mork and Mindy\u003c/em> yet. Once he got \u003cem>Mork and Mindy\u003c/em> everything shifted of course for him, but also for all the comedy clubs because he would come back as a star. He was so popular that when he showed up at one of the clubs, and ours was one of them, it was like God coming home. So he really helped comedy get its foothold in San Francisco in the '80s for sure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cy Musiker:\u003c/strong> Did you book him before \u003cem>Mork and Mindy\u003c/em> as well?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ayres:\u003c/strong> We did, but there was no real booking him. Back in the day we would have comedy nights, the Other Cafe happened to be the first comedy club in the city that actually paid comedians. We used to charge a dollar or two dollars on a Wednesday night, so when we were finished with the night we might hand six or eight dollars to each comedian. Among those comedians in the easily days was Robin and Dana [Carvey] and Ellen Degeneres, so it was quite a time as you can imagine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Musiker:\u003c/strong> He developed some of his characters on your stage. His great imitations. Doctor Ruth and others. Is there a memory of his performances that stands out to you?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ayres:\u003c/strong> I do remember once when he came in, and we had windows around our club so you could be on the street and watch the show, you couldn't hear it, but you could watch it. So it was late on a Saturday night and he was performing and there were just crowds packed around the windows, and the club was filled. So the police would come by and they'd look in the windows. I remember Robin getting the police to come up on stage, he literally got them to hand him their guns. Which would never happen today. But back in the day he was able to do that and had them in stitches of course.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Musiker:\u003c/strong> What about your personal relationship?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ayres:\u003c/strong> Our personal relationship was only as a club owner. His girlfriend at the time and my girlfriend at the time were best friends. So I remember going to L.A. with him once. And I was just along for the ride as he went to the Comedy Store to the Improv, back to the Comedy Store, back to the Improv, maybe six or seven appearances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You know he was a tortured soul like most great comedians, but there wasn't anyone kinder. Especially to fellow comedians — he was so kind to other comedians. That's really where he was most happy, when he was among his fellow comedians. That's where he felt at home I think.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Lisa Pickoff-White and Dan Brekke contributed to this post. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca id=\"williamsaudio\">\u003c/a>\u003ciframe src=\"https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/162748486&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Editor's note:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>An earlier version of this post misidentified Bob Ayres. We regret the error. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Friends and fellow performers of Robin Williams, the comedian and actor celebrated for his manic intelligence and high-speed inventiveness, are expressing shock at his passing earlier Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just one example:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" lang=\"en\">\u003cp>I could not be more stunned by the loss of Robin Williams, mensch, great talent, acting partner, genuine soul.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>— Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo) \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SteveMartinToGo/statuses/498971366050107392\">August 11, 2014\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Many in the San Francisco entertainment scene are remembering Williams, too. One of those: Bob Ayres, founder of the long-defunct Other Café in the Haight-Ashbury, one of Williams' favorite venues. I talked to Ayres shortly after word of Williams' death became public (\u003ca href=\"#williamsaudio\">audio embedded above\u003c/a>). Here's part of our interview:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bob Ayres:\u003c/strong> Robin did come there a lot when we first started comedy; he hadn't gotten \u003cem>Mork and Mindy\u003c/em> yet. Once he got \u003cem>Mork and Mindy\u003c/em> everything shifted of course for him, but also for all the comedy clubs because he would come back as a star. He was so popular that when he showed up at one of the clubs, and ours was one of them, it was like God coming home. So he really helped comedy get its foothold in San Francisco in the '80s for sure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cy Musiker:\u003c/strong> Did you book him before \u003cem>Mork and Mindy\u003c/em> as well?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ayres:\u003c/strong> We did, but there was no real booking him. Back in the day we would have comedy nights, the Other Cafe happened to be the first comedy club in the city that actually paid comedians. We used to charge a dollar or two dollars on a Wednesday night, so when we were finished with the night we might hand six or eight dollars to each comedian. Among those comedians in the easily days was Robin and Dana [Carvey] and Ellen Degeneres, so it was quite a time as you can imagine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Musiker:\u003c/strong> He developed some of his characters on your stage. His great imitations. Doctor Ruth and others. Is there a memory of his performances that stands out to you?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ayres:\u003c/strong> I do remember once when he came in, and we had windows around our club so you could be on the street and watch the show, you couldn't hear it, but you could watch it. So it was late on a Saturday night and he was performing and there were just crowds packed around the windows, and the club was filled. So the police would come by and they'd look in the windows. I remember Robin getting the police to come up on stage, he literally got them to hand him their guns. Which would never happen today. But back in the day he was able to do that and had them in stitches of course.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Musiker:\u003c/strong> What about your personal relationship?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ayres:\u003c/strong> Our personal relationship was only as a club owner. His girlfriend at the time and my girlfriend at the time were best friends. So I remember going to L.A. with him once. And I was just along for the ride as he went to the Comedy Store to the Improv, back to the Comedy Store, back to the Improv, maybe six or seven appearances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You know he was a tortured soul like most great comedians, but there wasn't anyone kinder. Especially to fellow comedians — he was so kind to other comedians. That's really where he was most happy, when he was among his fellow comedians. That's where he felt at home I think.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Lisa Pickoff-White and Dan Brekke contributed to this post. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"disqusTitle": "As Sir Paul Plays Candlestick on Thursday, Beatles' Fans Still Believe in Yesterday",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_144465\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 320px\">\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-144465\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/71230866-510x640.jpg\" alt=\"The Beatles leave London for their U.S. tour in 1964. The band opened the tour at Cow Palace in San Francisco. (AFP/Getty Images)\" width=\"320\" height=\"401\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Beatles leave London for their U.S. tour in 1964. The band opened the tour at Cow Palace in San Francisco. (AFP/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Later this week, Sir Paul McCartney will play Candlestick Park at the last public event at the old stadium before it’s demolished.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The concert has brought back memories of the Beatles' previous visits to the Bay Area, including the kickoff for their first American tour, an event that took place at the Cow Palace 50 years ago, on Aug. 19, 1964.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Beatles had been on \"The Ed Sullivan Show\" earlier in the year, an appearance that helped fuel the frenzy for John, Paul, George and Ringo in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was like a kid in a candy store. I’m going to a Beatles concert,\" says Jim Lucas, who teaches English at Pajaro Valley High School in Watsonville. In 1964, he was a 12-year-old surf-rock fan and budding guitarist. “My best friend Bernard Gilpin's dad got the tickets.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lucas had to lie to his parents about where he’d be the night of the concert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oh, these long-haired freaks. ‘No, you're not going to see something like that.’ So I had to tell my parents I was spending the night at Bernard’s house,” Lucas recalls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/KQED/photos/a.76430796190.85382.11319471190/10152135367011191/?type=1&permPage=1\" target=\"_blank\">KQED Facebook page\u003c/a>, Jay Dodson writes, “We sat in the very back row and the Beatles were so far away and the screaming was so loud it was really hard to hear. But nevertheless, we were really excited to be there. Everyone I knew, especially myself, we so taken aback by their sound and look and creativity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The screams drowning out the music was a common complaint. Janis Bosenko writes she was at the concert in the seventh row, “When the crowd surged forward we were crushed against the SFPD barricades. Couldn't hear the Beatles singing. Screams were so loud. My ears rang for days.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"single-video\">[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtePAJ-Zhcw&w=420&h=315]\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This footage was taken by a local news crew covering the story. There is no audio. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jim Lucas remembers the show a bit differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was screaming,” Lucas remembers, “but they had those Vox 90s (guitar amplifiers) turned up quite loud, and Ringo was thumping pretty good on those Ludwigs (his drums), but you could definitely hear them. And anybody who said you couldn’t hear them, then they weren’t there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Janis Sanz writes that she was 15 at the time. Her dad drove her and a friend to the concert, and waited for them in the parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Once the boys hit the stage an enormous high-pitched scream went up and out through the entire place.” Sanz writes, “Luckily, I was close enough to hear the music. I stood there dumbfounded, with tears in my eyes, but I didn't scream. Felt like I was in a trance when I walked out of there. What an event.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Beatles played just 12 songs in a concert lasting 38 minutes, with a few interruptions as kids rushed and jumped onto the stage, only to be escorted off by police. Fans also pelted the band with jelly beans, which were reportedly the Beatles’ favorite candy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the concert has lingered in memory for many of the 17,000 who attended, even for a few who weren’t very fond of the music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t a Beatles fan,” says Rob Caughlan, a documentary filmmaker. “I was much too cool for bubble-gum rock. I was more into Miles Davis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">I thought, 'OK, all these little girls actually spotted these guys early. These guys are actually pretty cool.'\u003ccite>-- Rob Caughlan\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Caughlan had snagged a couple of spare tickets off the bulletin board at the San Mateo Times, where he was a cub reporter. He says he became a fan of the Beatles after the concert, when he attended a press conference they held for local reporters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think there were more than 10 or 12 reporters there,” Caughlan remembers. “And the Beatles came out and sat on the edge of the table there, and they were really funny and witty and disrespectful, and just having fun being Beatles. They mocked the reporters that were asking lame questions ... and that was when I became a Beatles fan. I thought, 'OK, all these little girls actually spotted these guys early. These guys are actually pretty cool.' ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe src=\"https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/162703701&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oh, these long-haired freaks. ‘No, you're not going to see something like that.’ So I had to tell my parents I was spending the night at Bernard’s house,” Lucas recalls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/KQED/photos/a.76430796190.85382.11319471190/10152135367011191/?type=1&permPage=1\" target=\"_blank\">KQED Facebook page\u003c/a>, Jay Dodson writes, “We sat in the very back row and the Beatles were so far away and the screaming was so loud it was really hard to hear. But nevertheless, we were really excited to be there. Everyone I knew, especially myself, we so taken aback by their sound and look and creativity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The screams drowning out the music was a common complaint. Janis Bosenko writes she was at the concert in the seventh row, “When the crowd surged forward we were crushed against the SFPD barricades. Couldn't hear the Beatles singing. Screams were so loud. My ears rang for days.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"single-video\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/OtePAJ-Zhcw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/OtePAJ-Zhcw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This footage was taken by a local news crew covering the story. There is no audio. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jim Lucas remembers the show a bit differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was screaming,” Lucas remembers, “but they had those Vox 90s (guitar amplifiers) turned up quite loud, and Ringo was thumping pretty good on those Ludwigs (his drums), but you could definitely hear them. And anybody who said you couldn’t hear them, then they weren’t there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Janis Sanz writes that she was 15 at the time. Her dad drove her and a friend to the concert, and waited for them in the parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Once the boys hit the stage an enormous high-pitched scream went up and out through the entire place.” Sanz writes, “Luckily, I was close enough to hear the music. I stood there dumbfounded, with tears in my eyes, but I didn't scream. Felt like I was in a trance when I walked out of there. What an event.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Beatles played just 12 songs in a concert lasting 38 minutes, with a few interruptions as kids rushed and jumped onto the stage, only to be escorted off by police. Fans also pelted the band with jelly beans, which were reportedly the Beatles’ favorite candy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the concert has lingered in memory for many of the 17,000 who attended, even for a few who weren’t very fond of the music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t a Beatles fan,” says Rob Caughlan, a documentary filmmaker. “I was much too cool for bubble-gum rock. I was more into Miles Davis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">I thought, 'OK, all these little girls actually spotted these guys early. These guys are actually pretty cool.'\u003ccite>-- Rob Caughlan\u003c/cite>\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Caughlan had snagged a couple of spare tickets off the bulletin board at the San Mateo Times, where he was a cub reporter. He says he became a fan of the Beatles after the concert, when he attended a press conference they held for local reporters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think there were more than 10 or 12 reporters there,” Caughlan remembers. “And the Beatles came out and sat on the edge of the table there, and they were really funny and witty and disrespectful, and just having fun being Beatles. They mocked the reporters that were asking lame questions ... and that was when I became a Beatles fan. I thought, 'OK, all these little girls actually spotted these guys early. These guys are actually pretty cool.' ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe src=\"https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/162703701&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Can San Francisco's Video Stores Be Saved?",
"headTitle": "Can San Francisco’s Video Stores Be Saved? | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>You have to keep in mind just how few options there were back then. I’m talking pre-‘80s, before the VCR became the first in a long line of accessories to turn your TV into the culture’s central nervous system of escapism. You could go to retro houses or watch truncated old movies on television (interrupted by mood-shattering commercials). But those were essentially passive choices; you might find \u003cem>Citizen Kane\u003c/em>, or it might be \u003cem>Abbott and Costello Meet The Mummy\u003c/em>. You watched for a variety of reasons, one of them being “because it’s there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That is why I remember my first visit to a video store as a sort of cornucopian dream, a lavish spectacle that satisfied a deeply rooted desire. Dorothy’s first glimpse of Oz, exploding with color after a life of rural black and white. Or that famous \u003ci>Twilight Zone\u003c/i>, when the suicidal bookworm and lone survivor of a nuclear war otherwise known as Burgess Meredith \u003ca href=\"http://youtu.be/UAxARJyaTEA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">happens upon the intact contents\u003c/a> of the New York Public Library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>http://youtu.be/x6D8PAGelN8\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’ll it be today? \u003cem>The Seventh Seal\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Bicycle Thieves\u003c/em>, \u003cem>8 1/2\u003c/em>? Or maybe something in a Renoir? And here’s \u003cem>Force of Evil\u003c/em>, that overlooked noir you’ve been dying to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kid, meet candy store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fast forward (or drag your mental scroll bar) to the present, when the video store remains pleasingly but inefficiently concrete, a physical holdout in an age when websites and servers have made instant gratification of your visual narrative needs de rigueur. Once the stuff that dreams are made of, the video store is now the most endangered species in the present media ecosystem, a relic mostly fit for frequenting by grandparents and technophobes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or so the numbers say. Reading a \u003ca href=\"http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=1370\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent analysis of the industry\u003c/a> by business forecasting firm IBIS World is like looking over the last section of one of those obituaries news organizations prepare when someone is about to kick. The industry is in “the declining stage of its life cycle,” the report says. In 2005, nearly 23,000 video stores did business in the U.S. Today it’s 9,000, on the way to a predicted 4,000 in 2019. “Revenue contraction shows no signs of abating over 2014,” it continues, with sales anticipated to fall (another) 17 percent. Nine years ago, the industry employed close to 158,000 people. Today it’s 47,000, with about two-thirds of those jobs predicted to be gone with the wind five years from now.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch4>Local Stores Hanging On\u003c/h4>\n\u003cp>But it ain’t over till it’s over, and it ain’t over quite yet. A handful of video stores remain in San Francisco, though to talk to their owners is to very much wonder for how long. Their predicament has started to gain attention, especially with the \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/arts/movies/article.jsp?essid=134827\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">near-closure of Le Video\u003c/a>, long a haven for cinephiles. Even AP \u003ca href=\"http://www.usatoday.com/videos/money/business/2014/06/13/10410219/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visited the city this summer\u003c/a> to check in on the survivors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a status report on four of San Francisco’s most enduring video stores: Faye’s, Lost Weekend, Video Wave and Le Video.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10139804\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/fayes.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/fayes.jpg\" alt=\"Faye's famous sandwich board\" width=\"640\" height=\"857\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10139804\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/fayes.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/fayes-400x535.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/fayes-224x300.jpg 224w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Faye’s famous sandwich board\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Faye’s Video, 3614 18TH Street between Guerrero and Dolores\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officially called Faye’s Video & Espresso Bar, it’s the latter part of that combo keeping the store afloat. That wasn’t always the case, says co-owner Matthew Troy. Six or seven years ago, movie rentals made up two-thirds of the business; now they account for just a quarter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Troy says the store has seen a steady decline in rentals since a peak in 2008, estimating the business is down 60 percent since then. In the past year, a sharp decrease has sent video revenue to new lows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Traditionally, the store saw about 100 new accounts created per month. But in a short period of time last summer, that number dropped. “It went to 100 to 90 to 60 and 50. Now we have literally half the amount of people coming in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why such a precipitous drop? Troy thinks the change in people’s retail habits finally hit critical mass. “Netflix has been around for years, so something else is going on,” he says. “People live in areas without video stores, so when they move to San Francisco, their habit is already in place. We get people here all the time that say this is so ‘old school.’ I tell people we’re not selling Rubik’s Cubes, we don’t have Go-Gos posters up. It’s interesting how people turn on a place they would love to go to, and they’re just like ‘nope moving on to streaming on my phone or computer.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That technology has come of age, he realizes. “Four to five years ago streaming wasn’t as good; now you’ve got moms and dads streaming.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Troy says the store could still make it on coffee sales if his video rental business collapsed completely. He and his partner have been talking about rearranging the interior so movies take up less space. “I’ve done the math to see if it was worth still having movies for the hours (put in),” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s no surprise that Faye’s rent went up 50 percent recently. The store is located on one of the blocks that make the Valencia Corridor area so appealing to affluent newcomers, with Dolores Park on one end of the street, Tartine Bakery on the other, and Deflina restaurant and Bi-Rite Market in between. The store currently helps defray costs by subletting to popup stores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Troy says he doesn’t like the thought of ending the movie business, though he and his partner have had those discussions. On some days “it’s like there are tumbleweeds coming in,” he says. “But there are still 500-600 people who rent from the store. I’m not ready to tell them to go online. You get those times they’re so excited to come to a video store. Like a six-year-old, with \u003ci>Little Mermaid\u003c/i> or something. They can actually hold the box and there’s a book. It’s a tangible place where people can discuss and look at it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But we can’t be in business to just have these stories once a month. We have to be smart about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10139987\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/videowave.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/videowave.jpg\" alt=\"Video Wave's building in Noe Valley gets a facelift; Photo by Colin Hutton\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10139987\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/videowave.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/videowave-400x300.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/videowave-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Video Wave’s building in Noe Valley gets a facelift; Photo by Colin Hutton\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Video Wave of Noe Valley, 1431 Castro Street, between 25th & Jersey\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re barely scraping by,” says Gwen Sanderson, a co-owner of Video Wave for 10 years. A moment later she amends that: “We aren’t really.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ominously, the store’s 10-year lease is up soon, and Video Wave doesn’t have the space to sublet to another retailer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been able to stay here because our landlord kept the rent affordable,” she says. “But we’re likely going to see a huge increase. We don’t know what’s going to happen. We’re putting out a letter to customers now letting them know what the situation is in case they want to get involved.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sanderson rattles off the names of local video stores that have closed over the years: Dr. Video, Naked Eye, Top World Video. In 2005, she says, two competitors coexisted within five blocks of her alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She thinks the industry has long needed a new business model. “The model was this is the only place you can get movies outside the theater. As soon as that changed, it needed to be tweaked.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She would like the city to get involved in helping video stores survive, perhaps housing the entirety of the stores’ collections in one central location, then rotating titles through different neighborhoods in moviemobiles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For now, that’s a pipe dream. But Sanderson thinks there’s a compelling cultural interest in preserving the 30 years worth of titles that the remaining video stores have collected. She says stores have many titles that simply aren’t available online, which would have to be purchased at high prices in order to be viewed, should they become un-rentable. She even wrote a press release in an attempt to start a conversation about the issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The residents of San Francisco have access to every movie available for home viewing…. mainly held at locally owned video stores,” it reads. “If the last stores close in San Francisco, we will all lose access to a large percentage of what we currently have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10139805\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/lostweekend.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/lostweekend.jpg\" alt=\"Lost Weekend video in the heart of SF's Mission district\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10139805\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/lostweekend.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/lostweekend-400x267.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/lostweekend-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lost Weekend video in the heart of SF’s Mission district\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lost Weekend Video, 1034 Valencia Street, between 21st and Hill\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The store’s steady decline in business started around 2008 amid the financial crisis and subsequent Great Recession, says co-owner David Hawkins. Business has fallen roughly 60 percent since then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lost Weekend sits among the upscale eateries and boutiques that have so transformed the Valencia Corridor. But high rent is not the problem, Hawkins says. The problem is people just aren’t renting anymore and they’re not renting in increasing numbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been down 10-15 percent each year, and we were calculating that into our math of figuring out what to do,” he says. “And then it just plummeted even further. We figured there’s got to be a bottom at some point. But there hasn’t been.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Faye’s Matthew Troy, Hawkins sees the habits of the new demographic pouring into the neighborhood as the main problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used to know 90 percent of the people who walk by. Now it’s down to 5-10 percent. Everyone comes home on their buses from Google, gets on their email and computer, then goes to bed. There are fewer people leaving their houses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hawkins says that five or six years ago, he tried to organize retailers around the catastrophe he was sure was on its way. “I went around with a little notebook to every record store, video store, and bookstore in the city, trying to get a p.r. campaign. Everyone was intrigued by it, but it was like herding cats.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The store has tweaked its business over the years in response. Its 25,000 titles can now be rented for five days instead of two. And a space featuring live comedy has helped keep it solvent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A month ago the store posted an SOS on its Facebook page, saying it was facing an “immediate crisis.” Nothing’s changed since then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s to the point where we don’t have any cushion,” Hawkins says. “If anything goes wrong, we don’t have the resources. If something breaks and it’s a 40-buck replacement because it’s out of print, we have to really wrestle with if we can afford it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He makes an appeal for customers to patronize their friendly neighborhood retailers, whatever they may be. The issue is something much larger than the imminent disappearance of an obsolete media model, he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When people hear us complaining about our business going under, they’re like, ‘so what? It’s just a video store.’ But when you start piecing it together with record stores that have been around 70 years, and bookstores for hundreds of years, then you’re starting to get through what the problem really is. Everyone buys their shoes from Zappos, for instance. You used to be able to open this little shoe store in whatever town and make a living.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hawkins does not like Netflix. Video stores used to employ 150,000 people in the country, he notes; Netflix employs 2,000. He sees the choice of where you get your TV and movies as a political one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If Walmart plunked a store down in the middle of San Francisco, most people would go out of their way not to shop there. But for some reason, people don’t have that mindset about Amazon, Netflix and Apple. They’re bigger than Walmart now, humongous corporations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10139988\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/levideo.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/levideo.jpg\" alt=\"In the middle of Le Video's remodel. Same location, just one floor up.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10139988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/levideo.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/levideo-400x300.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/levideo-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the middle of Le Video’s remodel. Same location, just one floor up.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Le Video, 1231 9th Avenue, between Irving and Lincoln\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there’s a shred of hope for brick and mortar movie rental stores, you can find it in the public response to the news that Le Video was about to turn out the lights — and not just to watch a movie. Practically a cultural institution because of its insanely copious collection, Le Video was long a must-visit for any cinephile looking for rarer titles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in March, the store’s owner, Catherine Tchen, wrote on Facebook that barring a “miracle,” she would shut down at the end of April 2014. At the time, I talked to the store’s buyer, longtime employee John Taylor, who said Le Video had been losing money for years, and Tchen could no longer afford to house its money-losing 80-90,000 titles on the large ground floor in lieu of renting it out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So the plan was to move the collection to a smaller upstairs area. The store launched an \u003ca href=\"//www.indiegogo.com/projects/save-le-video-a-sf-film-institution%E2%80%9D\">Indiegogo campaign\u003c/a> to finance the transition, setting a goal of $35,000. It hit that mark in just 13 days, blasting past to a final total of $60,000, including $10,000 from \u003cem>Lemony Snicket\u003c/em> author Daniel Handler. Green Apple Books, a store with a similarly passionate customer base, is moving into Le Video’s former ground floor space. Green Apple Books opened on Aug. 1, while Le Video was set to open on Friday, Aug. 8, barring any additional delays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Le Video is now feeling a bit flush, posting a Facebook message during the remodeling about “new Internet and new phones… that will actually work when you call us…”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taylor says the money also went to hiring staff, building shelves, ordering materials for construction, and runs to the dump. Not to mention “little plastic sleeves that cost a shocking amount of money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But don’t expect the same browsing experience, once so pleasing to those who made special trips just to walk among the grotto-like arrangement of overflowing shelves. The upstairs space is about a third the size, Taylor says. All the plastic cases that housed the DVDs and Blu-rays have been discarded; you will have to conduct your treasure hunts in the kind of \u003ca href=\"//www.facebook.com/LeVideoSF/photos/a.447362580764.241311.27426240764/10152280730945765/?type=1&theater%E2%80%9D\">bins you see in record stores\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The move will also not solve the underlying problem of a business that is half or less of what it used to be, with the bottom nowhere in sight. “We did notice that at the beginning of this year, despite (business) already being pretty low, it took another dip again,” Taylor says. To address that, the store is building a web browsing tool for its huge inventory, to be followed by an online rental function. Finally, Le Video hopes to offer rent-by-mail, a model that Netflix built its empire on but is now abandoning in favor of streaming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Owner Catherine Tchen is quick to add the caveat that, though Le Video is seeking non-profit status, the store must be able to cover its own operating expenses. Le Video’s future success relies on loyal customers coming in more than once or twice a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Which provokes the question: Up against such technological, cash-flush gargantuans, are even the most forward-thinking, finely curated, and passionately complete neighborhood repositories of our cinematic heritage doomed to fight the last war in the rapidly changing media delivery game?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year I saw the author Rebecca Solnit at a fundraiser for Adobe Books, now a refugee from the same swath of hyper-gentrified neighborhood in which Lost Weekend and Faye’s reside. She counseled: “Start stocking up on memories of what used to be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Next month, we’ll look into how the new business model of Netflix, slayer of so many video stores, could possibly make them relevant again.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"description": "Jon Brooks is a KQED News online editor and writer for KQED's daily news blog, \u003ci>News Fix\u003c/i>. A veteran blogger, he previously worked for Yahoo! in various news writing and editing roles. He was also the editor of \u003ca>EconomyBeat.org\u003c/a>, which documented user-generated content about the financial crisis and recession. Jon is also a playwright whose work has been produced in San Francisco, New York, Italy, and around the U.S. He has written about film for his own blog and studied film at Boston University. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>You have to keep in mind just how few options there were back then. I’m talking pre-‘80s, before the VCR became the first in a long line of accessories to turn your TV into the culture’s central nervous system of escapism. You could go to retro houses or watch truncated old movies on television (interrupted by mood-shattering commercials). But those were essentially passive choices; you might find \u003cem>Citizen Kane\u003c/em>, or it might be \u003cem>Abbott and Costello Meet The Mummy\u003c/em>. You watched for a variety of reasons, one of them being “because it’s there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That is why I remember my first visit to a video store as a sort of cornucopian dream, a lavish spectacle that satisfied a deeply rooted desire. Dorothy’s first glimpse of Oz, exploding with color after a life of rural black and white. Or that famous \u003ci>Twilight Zone\u003c/i>, when the suicidal bookworm and lone survivor of a nuclear war otherwise known as Burgess Meredith \u003ca href=\"http://youtu.be/UAxARJyaTEA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">happens upon the intact contents\u003c/a> of the New York Public Library.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/x6D8PAGelN8'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/x6D8PAGelN8'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>What’ll it be today? \u003cem>The Seventh Seal\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Bicycle Thieves\u003c/em>, \u003cem>8 1/2\u003c/em>? Or maybe something in a Renoir? And here’s \u003cem>Force of Evil\u003c/em>, that overlooked noir you’ve been dying to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kid, meet candy store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fast forward (or drag your mental scroll bar) to the present, when the video store remains pleasingly but inefficiently concrete, a physical holdout in an age when websites and servers have made instant gratification of your visual narrative needs de rigueur. Once the stuff that dreams are made of, the video store is now the most endangered species in the present media ecosystem, a relic mostly fit for frequenting by grandparents and technophobes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or so the numbers say. Reading a \u003ca href=\"http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=1370\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent analysis of the industry\u003c/a> by business forecasting firm IBIS World is like looking over the last section of one of those obituaries news organizations prepare when someone is about to kick. The industry is in “the declining stage of its life cycle,” the report says. In 2005, nearly 23,000 video stores did business in the U.S. Today it’s 9,000, on the way to a predicted 4,000 in 2019. “Revenue contraction shows no signs of abating over 2014,” it continues, with sales anticipated to fall (another) 17 percent. Nine years ago, the industry employed close to 158,000 people. Today it’s 47,000, with about two-thirds of those jobs predicted to be gone with the wind five years from now.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch4>Local Stores Hanging On\u003c/h4>\n\u003cp>But it ain’t over till it’s over, and it ain’t over quite yet. A handful of video stores remain in San Francisco, though to talk to their owners is to very much wonder for how long. Their predicament has started to gain attention, especially with the \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/arts/movies/article.jsp?essid=134827\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">near-closure of Le Video\u003c/a>, long a haven for cinephiles. Even AP \u003ca href=\"http://www.usatoday.com/videos/money/business/2014/06/13/10410219/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visited the city this summer\u003c/a> to check in on the survivors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a status report on four of San Francisco’s most enduring video stores: Faye’s, Lost Weekend, Video Wave and Le Video.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10139804\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/fayes.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/fayes.jpg\" alt=\"Faye's famous sandwich board\" width=\"640\" height=\"857\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10139804\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/fayes.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/fayes-400x535.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/fayes-224x300.jpg 224w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Faye’s famous sandwich board\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Faye’s Video, 3614 18TH Street between Guerrero and Dolores\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officially called Faye’s Video & Espresso Bar, it’s the latter part of that combo keeping the store afloat. That wasn’t always the case, says co-owner Matthew Troy. Six or seven years ago, movie rentals made up two-thirds of the business; now they account for just a quarter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Troy says the store has seen a steady decline in rentals since a peak in 2008, estimating the business is down 60 percent since then. In the past year, a sharp decrease has sent video revenue to new lows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Traditionally, the store saw about 100 new accounts created per month. But in a short period of time last summer, that number dropped. “It went to 100 to 90 to 60 and 50. Now we have literally half the amount of people coming in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why such a precipitous drop? Troy thinks the change in people’s retail habits finally hit critical mass. “Netflix has been around for years, so something else is going on,” he says. “People live in areas without video stores, so when they move to San Francisco, their habit is already in place. We get people here all the time that say this is so ‘old school.’ I tell people we’re not selling Rubik’s Cubes, we don’t have Go-Gos posters up. It’s interesting how people turn on a place they would love to go to, and they’re just like ‘nope moving on to streaming on my phone or computer.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That technology has come of age, he realizes. “Four to five years ago streaming wasn’t as good; now you’ve got moms and dads streaming.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Troy says the store could still make it on coffee sales if his video rental business collapsed completely. He and his partner have been talking about rearranging the interior so movies take up less space. “I’ve done the math to see if it was worth still having movies for the hours (put in),” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s no surprise that Faye’s rent went up 50 percent recently. The store is located on one of the blocks that make the Valencia Corridor area so appealing to affluent newcomers, with Dolores Park on one end of the street, Tartine Bakery on the other, and Deflina restaurant and Bi-Rite Market in between. The store currently helps defray costs by subletting to popup stores.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Troy says he doesn’t like the thought of ending the movie business, though he and his partner have had those discussions. On some days “it’s like there are tumbleweeds coming in,” he says. “But there are still 500-600 people who rent from the store. I’m not ready to tell them to go online. You get those times they’re so excited to come to a video store. Like a six-year-old, with \u003ci>Little Mermaid\u003c/i> or something. They can actually hold the box and there’s a book. It’s a tangible place where people can discuss and look at it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But we can’t be in business to just have these stories once a month. We have to be smart about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10139987\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/videowave.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/videowave.jpg\" alt=\"Video Wave's building in Noe Valley gets a facelift; Photo by Colin Hutton\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10139987\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/videowave.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/videowave-400x300.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/videowave-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Video Wave’s building in Noe Valley gets a facelift; Photo by Colin Hutton\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Video Wave of Noe Valley, 1431 Castro Street, between 25th & Jersey\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re barely scraping by,” says Gwen Sanderson, a co-owner of Video Wave for 10 years. A moment later she amends that: “We aren’t really.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ominously, the store’s 10-year lease is up soon, and Video Wave doesn’t have the space to sublet to another retailer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been able to stay here because our landlord kept the rent affordable,” she says. “But we’re likely going to see a huge increase. We don’t know what’s going to happen. We’re putting out a letter to customers now letting them know what the situation is in case they want to get involved.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sanderson rattles off the names of local video stores that have closed over the years: Dr. Video, Naked Eye, Top World Video. In 2005, she says, two competitors coexisted within five blocks of her alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She thinks the industry has long needed a new business model. “The model was this is the only place you can get movies outside the theater. As soon as that changed, it needed to be tweaked.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She would like the city to get involved in helping video stores survive, perhaps housing the entirety of the stores’ collections in one central location, then rotating titles through different neighborhoods in moviemobiles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For now, that’s a pipe dream. But Sanderson thinks there’s a compelling cultural interest in preserving the 30 years worth of titles that the remaining video stores have collected. She says stores have many titles that simply aren’t available online, which would have to be purchased at high prices in order to be viewed, should they become un-rentable. She even wrote a press release in an attempt to start a conversation about the issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The residents of San Francisco have access to every movie available for home viewing…. mainly held at locally owned video stores,” it reads. “If the last stores close in San Francisco, we will all lose access to a large percentage of what we currently have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10139805\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/lostweekend.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/lostweekend.jpg\" alt=\"Lost Weekend video in the heart of SF's Mission district\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10139805\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/lostweekend.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/lostweekend-400x267.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/lostweekend-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lost Weekend video in the heart of SF’s Mission district\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Lost Weekend Video, 1034 Valencia Street, between 21st and Hill\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The store’s steady decline in business started around 2008 amid the financial crisis and subsequent Great Recession, says co-owner David Hawkins. Business has fallen roughly 60 percent since then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lost Weekend sits among the upscale eateries and boutiques that have so transformed the Valencia Corridor. But high rent is not the problem, Hawkins says. The problem is people just aren’t renting anymore and they’re not renting in increasing numbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been down 10-15 percent each year, and we were calculating that into our math of figuring out what to do,” he says. “And then it just plummeted even further. We figured there’s got to be a bottom at some point. But there hasn’t been.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Faye’s Matthew Troy, Hawkins sees the habits of the new demographic pouring into the neighborhood as the main problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used to know 90 percent of the people who walk by. Now it’s down to 5-10 percent. Everyone comes home on their buses from Google, gets on their email and computer, then goes to bed. There are fewer people leaving their houses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hawkins says that five or six years ago, he tried to organize retailers around the catastrophe he was sure was on its way. “I went around with a little notebook to every record store, video store, and bookstore in the city, trying to get a p.r. campaign. Everyone was intrigued by it, but it was like herding cats.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The store has tweaked its business over the years in response. Its 25,000 titles can now be rented for five days instead of two. And a space featuring live comedy has helped keep it solvent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A month ago the store posted an SOS on its Facebook page, saying it was facing an “immediate crisis.” Nothing’s changed since then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s to the point where we don’t have any cushion,” Hawkins says. “If anything goes wrong, we don’t have the resources. If something breaks and it’s a 40-buck replacement because it’s out of print, we have to really wrestle with if we can afford it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He makes an appeal for customers to patronize their friendly neighborhood retailers, whatever they may be. The issue is something much larger than the imminent disappearance of an obsolete media model, he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When people hear us complaining about our business going under, they’re like, ‘so what? It’s just a video store.’ But when you start piecing it together with record stores that have been around 70 years, and bookstores for hundreds of years, then you’re starting to get through what the problem really is. Everyone buys their shoes from Zappos, for instance. You used to be able to open this little shoe store in whatever town and make a living.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hawkins does not like Netflix. Video stores used to employ 150,000 people in the country, he notes; Netflix employs 2,000. He sees the choice of where you get your TV and movies as a political one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If Walmart plunked a store down in the middle of San Francisco, most people would go out of their way not to shop there. But for some reason, people don’t have that mindset about Amazon, Netflix and Apple. They’re bigger than Walmart now, humongous corporations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10139988\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/levideo.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/levideo.jpg\" alt=\"In the middle of Le Video's remodel. Same location, just one floor up.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10139988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/levideo.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/levideo-400x300.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/levideo-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the middle of Le Video’s remodel. Same location, just one floor up.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Le Video, 1231 9th Avenue, between Irving and Lincoln\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there’s a shred of hope for brick and mortar movie rental stores, you can find it in the public response to the news that Le Video was about to turn out the lights — and not just to watch a movie. Practically a cultural institution because of its insanely copious collection, Le Video was long a must-visit for any cinephile looking for rarer titles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in March, the store’s owner, Catherine Tchen, wrote on Facebook that barring a “miracle,” she would shut down at the end of April 2014. At the time, I talked to the store’s buyer, longtime employee John Taylor, who said Le Video had been losing money for years, and Tchen could no longer afford to house its money-losing 80-90,000 titles on the large ground floor in lieu of renting it out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So the plan was to move the collection to a smaller upstairs area. The store launched an \u003ca href=\"//www.indiegogo.com/projects/save-le-video-a-sf-film-institution%E2%80%9D\">Indiegogo campaign\u003c/a> to finance the transition, setting a goal of $35,000. It hit that mark in just 13 days, blasting past to a final total of $60,000, including $10,000 from \u003cem>Lemony Snicket\u003c/em> author Daniel Handler. Green Apple Books, a store with a similarly passionate customer base, is moving into Le Video’s former ground floor space. Green Apple Books opened on Aug. 1, while Le Video was set to open on Friday, Aug. 8, barring any additional delays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Le Video is now feeling a bit flush, posting a Facebook message during the remodeling about “new Internet and new phones… that will actually work when you call us…”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taylor says the money also went to hiring staff, building shelves, ordering materials for construction, and runs to the dump. Not to mention “little plastic sleeves that cost a shocking amount of money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But don’t expect the same browsing experience, once so pleasing to those who made special trips just to walk among the grotto-like arrangement of overflowing shelves. The upstairs space is about a third the size, Taylor says. All the plastic cases that housed the DVDs and Blu-rays have been discarded; you will have to conduct your treasure hunts in the kind of \u003ca href=\"//www.facebook.com/LeVideoSF/photos/a.447362580764.241311.27426240764/10152280730945765/?type=1&theater%E2%80%9D\">bins you see in record stores\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The move will also not solve the underlying problem of a business that is half or less of what it used to be, with the bottom nowhere in sight. “We did notice that at the beginning of this year, despite (business) already being pretty low, it took another dip again,” Taylor says. To address that, the store is building a web browsing tool for its huge inventory, to be followed by an online rental function. Finally, Le Video hopes to offer rent-by-mail, a model that Netflix built its empire on but is now abandoning in favor of streaming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Owner Catherine Tchen is quick to add the caveat that, though Le Video is seeking non-profit status, the store must be able to cover its own operating expenses. Le Video’s future success relies on loyal customers coming in more than once or twice a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Which provokes the question: Up against such technological, cash-flush gargantuans, are even the most forward-thinking, finely curated, and passionately complete neighborhood repositories of our cinematic heritage doomed to fight the last war in the rapidly changing media delivery game?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year I saw the author Rebecca Solnit at a fundraiser for Adobe Books, now a refugee from the same swath of hyper-gentrified neighborhood in which Lost Weekend and Faye’s reside. She counseled: “Start stocking up on memories of what used to be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Next month, we’ll look into how the new business model of Netflix, slayer of so many video stores, could possibly make them relevant again.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "tiny-treehouse-post-office-delights-hikers-in-tilden-park",
"title": "Tiny Treehouse Post Office Delights Hikers in Tilden Park",
"publishDate": 1406995250,
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"headTitle": "Tiny Treehouse Post Office Delights Hikers in Tilden Park | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Frances Dinkelspiel,\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.berkeleyside.com/2014/07/31/have-you-seen-this-tiny-treehouse-post-office-in-tilden/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Berkeleyside\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Have you seen the tiny tree house hidden in the Berkeley Hills?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December, Lea Redmond of Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.leafcutterdesigns.com/blog/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Leafcutter Designs\u003c/a> built “The Tiny Tilden Post Office” in a knothole in a tree off Curran Path in Tilden Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[vimeo 83522457 w=500 h=281]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tiny treehouse was a thank you to writer and editor \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gareth_Branwyn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gareth Branwyn\u003c/a>, who wrote “\u003ca href=\"http://boingboing.net/2009/01/29/down-the-rabbit-hole.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Down the Rabbit Hole\u003c/a>,” an article about Redmond, for \u003ca href=\"http://boingboing.net/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Boing Boing\u003c/a>. He described Redmond as “doing the work of the fairy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She writes little tiny letters on little tiny stationery and seals them with wax inside a little tiny stamped and canceled envelope,” wrote Branwyn about \u003ca href=\"http://www.leafcutterdesigns.com/shop/wsps/about.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Redmond’s business\u003c/a>. “The letter is then placed by an official World’s Smallest Postal Service employee (er… Lea) inside a little tiny blue post box.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_143574\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/tee-house-post-office-360.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-143574\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/tee-house-post-office-360.jpg\" alt=\"The Tiny Treehouse at Tilden Park. (Leafcutter Designs)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Tiny Treehouse at Tilden Park. (Leafcutter Designs)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Three days ago, Redmond announced the location of “The Tiny Tilden Post Office,” which had previously been known only to a select few and hikers with sharp eyesight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Until now, the location of the tiny treehouse has been kept secret; its tiny delights reserved for those with a patient hiking pace and a keen eye,” \u003ca href=\"http://www.leafcutterdesigns.com/blog/tiny-treehouse-treasure-woods/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote Redmond\u003c/a>. “Now we want to share it with all of you, and encourage locals and visitors alike to get out into the woods and follow the map to hidden treasure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_143575\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/tiny-treehouse-treasure-map.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-143575\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/tiny-treehouse-treasure-map-300x300.gif\" alt=\"A map to the location of the tiny post office hidden in Tilden Park. (Leafcutter Designs)\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A map to the location of the tiny post office hidden in Tilden Park. (Leafcutter Designs)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Redmond and her brother, Devin Redmond, started Leafcutter Designs to “create a more playful and peaceful world by offering curious goods, unique promotional and custom products, and participatory social art projects,” according to the company website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The World’s Smallest Post Service project started in 2008.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Lea strapped a tiny wooden desk to her back and bicycled to a nearby bakery, where she set up her miniature post office for the first time,” according to the company website. “Since then, this service has expanded online to offer tiny custom letters and cards, as well as packages with whimsical objects and sweet messages. We’ve sent tens of thousands of tiny mail items to recipients all over the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read more and \u003ca href=\"http://www.leafcutterdesigns.com/blog/tiny-treehouse-treasure-woods/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">see more pictures\u003c/a> about “The Tiny Tilden Post Office.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED News Associate Berkeleyside is an independently owned news website based in Berkeley, Calif. \u003ca href=\"http://berkeleyside.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4851428a10883a05193b1dd6c&id=aad4b5ee64\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here\u003c/a> if you would you like to receive the latest Berkeley news in your inbox once a day for free with Berkeleyside’s Daily Briefing email.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Frances Dinkelspiel,\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.berkeleyside.com/2014/07/31/have-you-seen-this-tiny-treehouse-post-office-in-tilden/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Berkeleyside\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Have you seen the tiny tree house hidden in the Berkeley Hills?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December, Lea Redmond of Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.leafcutterdesigns.com/blog/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Leafcutter Designs\u003c/a> built “The Tiny Tilden Post Office” in a knothole in a tree off Curran Path in Tilden Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tiny treehouse was a thank you to writer and editor \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gareth_Branwyn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gareth Branwyn\u003c/a>, who wrote “\u003ca href=\"http://boingboing.net/2009/01/29/down-the-rabbit-hole.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Down the Rabbit Hole\u003c/a>,” an article about Redmond, for \u003ca href=\"http://boingboing.net/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Boing Boing\u003c/a>. He described Redmond as “doing the work of the fairy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She writes little tiny letters on little tiny stationery and seals them with wax inside a little tiny stamped and canceled envelope,” wrote Branwyn about \u003ca href=\"http://www.leafcutterdesigns.com/shop/wsps/about.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Redmond’s business\u003c/a>. “The letter is then placed by an official World’s Smallest Postal Service employee (er… Lea) inside a little tiny blue post box.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_143574\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/tee-house-post-office-360.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-143574\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/tee-house-post-office-360.jpg\" alt=\"The Tiny Treehouse at Tilden Park. (Leafcutter Designs)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Tiny Treehouse at Tilden Park. (Leafcutter Designs)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Three days ago, Redmond announced the location of “The Tiny Tilden Post Office,” which had previously been known only to a select few and hikers with sharp eyesight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Until now, the location of the tiny treehouse has been kept secret; its tiny delights reserved for those with a patient hiking pace and a keen eye,” \u003ca href=\"http://www.leafcutterdesigns.com/blog/tiny-treehouse-treasure-woods/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote Redmond\u003c/a>. “Now we want to share it with all of you, and encourage locals and visitors alike to get out into the woods and follow the map to hidden treasure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_143575\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/tiny-treehouse-treasure-map.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-143575\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/08/tiny-treehouse-treasure-map-300x300.gif\" alt=\"A map to the location of the tiny post office hidden in Tilden Park. (Leafcutter Designs)\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A map to the location of the tiny post office hidden in Tilden Park. (Leafcutter Designs)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Redmond and her brother, Devin Redmond, started Leafcutter Designs to “create a more playful and peaceful world by offering curious goods, unique promotional and custom products, and participatory social art projects,” according to the company website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The World’s Smallest Post Service project started in 2008.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Lea strapped a tiny wooden desk to her back and bicycled to a nearby bakery, where she set up her miniature post office for the first time,” according to the company website. “Since then, this service has expanded online to offer tiny custom letters and cards, as well as packages with whimsical objects and sweet messages. We’ve sent tens of thousands of tiny mail items to recipients all over the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read more and \u003ca href=\"http://www.leafcutterdesigns.com/blog/tiny-treehouse-treasure-woods/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">see more pictures\u003c/a> about “The Tiny Tilden Post Office.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED News Associate Berkeleyside is an independently owned news website based in Berkeley, Calif. \u003ca href=\"http://berkeleyside.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4851428a10883a05193b1dd6c&id=aad4b5ee64\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here\u003c/a> if you would you like to receive the latest Berkeley news in your inbox once a day for free with Berkeleyside’s Daily Briefing email.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/tcrmag/2014/07/2014-07-25c-tcrmag.mp3\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Independent writers and artists have always been a big part of the comic book industry, although their voices often get drowned out by the bigger publishers, not to mention Hollywood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the independent voices remain. This weekend one of them will be at Comic Con, San Diego’s huge celebration of comic and geek culture. Larime Taylor's art and unorthodox storylines are growing a cult following.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taylor draws and writes an indie comic called \"A Voice in the Dark.\" His art is mostly in black and white and features dialogue-driven stories rather than plot lines that rely on explosions and half-nude women. In fact, he readily admits that he doesn't strive to make his artwork sexy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don't do lots of pretty, perfect people,” Taylor said. “I tend to draw people more realistically. I actually have a hard time when I try to do superheroes and things like that, because they don't look like superheroes. They look like regular people wearing the costumes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even his protagonist subverts trope after trope. She is slender and athletic, biracial and an 18-year-old college freshman when the series begins. She's also a murderess. But what sets his art apart most of all is how Taylor makes it. He draws everything with his lips and teeth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Growing up, I would draw on paper with a pencil in my mouth, a pen in my mouth, and it wasn't until about the last five, six years, maybe six, seven years, that the computer technology has caught up to what I need to be able to really overcome a lot of my limitations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10141301\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 430px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/LarimeTaylorSigns.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/LarimeTaylorSigns-430x450.jpg\" alt=\"Larime Taylor signs his artwork for fans at Comic-Con in San Diego. (Courtesy Mark Walsh)\" width=\"430\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10141301\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Larime Taylor signs his artwork for fans at Comic-Con in San Diego. (Courtesy Mark Walsh)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The 38-year-old Imperial Valley native was born with arthrogryposis, a rare physical condition that affects the body's joints. As a result, he uses a wheelchair and has very limited use of his arms, hands and legs. And so, he uses his mouth to draw. His wife Sylv Taylor, who’s also an artist with a physical disability, does his color work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taylor said they rely on Social Security, but use his work to supplement it. Soon, he said, they hope to make a living off it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's kind of what I can do. It's my skill set. I can't flip burgers or build houses or anything like that, so I tell stories and I draw. So I might as well combine the two and do that. It's basically the eas-- well, not the easiest, but it's the most immediately available way of making money with the skill set that I have,” Taylor said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sara Swieca is a manager at Villainous Lair, a book and gaming store in San Diego that is owned and run by a group of huge comic book fans. The store carries his books right up front, and Swieca has been a fan of Taylor's since she first discovered his work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had been carrying his comic for a while, but I had never actually met him in person. And up until that point, actually, I didn't realize how he did his art. I'd never really thought about it,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don't always check into every artist I get to, and I'm sorry I didn't look into it a little bit sooner because it's really quite spectacular.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10141302\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 395px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/SaraVL.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/SaraVL-395x450.jpg\" alt=\"Villainous Lair manager Sara Swieca holds up an issue of Larime Taylor's "A Voice in the Dark," a graphic series she loves. (Courtesy Mark Walsh)\" width=\"395\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10141302\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Villainous Lair manager Sara Swieca holds up an issue of Larime Taylor's \"A Voice in the Dark,\" a graphic series she loves. (Courtesy Mark Walsh)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Documentarian Neil Kendricks teaches drawing and comic appreciation classes at San Diego State University, and said he admires Taylor's drive and dedication to his craft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I guess the heart of the art-making process isn't really about your limbs, whether you've got the most agile hands or fingers, but it's really about your brain. That's the part that you can't really teach anyone,” Kendricks said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Larime Taylor said he hopes to have a long career based on his work, rather than the novelty of being the guy who draws with his mouth. So far, he said, he thinks he is doing a good job of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's better to start out with the critical acclaim and integrity, and build the following over time, than to just have something that everybody bought because the guy drew it with his mouth. And then they go back to whatever they were doing,” said Taylor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He just released the first set of \"A Voice in the Dark\" stories in trade paperback form, and he and his wife are now working on the next part of the series.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even his protagonist subverts trope after trope. She is slender and athletic, biracial and an 18-year-old college freshman when the series begins. She's also a murderess. But what sets his art apart most of all is how Taylor makes it. He draws everything with his lips and teeth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Growing up, I would draw on paper with a pencil in my mouth, a pen in my mouth, and it wasn't until about the last five, six years, maybe six, seven years, that the computer technology has caught up to what I need to be able to really overcome a lot of my limitations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10141301\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 430px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/LarimeTaylorSigns.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/LarimeTaylorSigns-430x450.jpg\" alt=\"Larime Taylor signs his artwork for fans at Comic-Con in San Diego. (Courtesy Mark Walsh)\" width=\"430\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10141301\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Larime Taylor signs his artwork for fans at Comic-Con in San Diego. (Courtesy Mark Walsh)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The 38-year-old Imperial Valley native was born with arthrogryposis, a rare physical condition that affects the body's joints. As a result, he uses a wheelchair and has very limited use of his arms, hands and legs. And so, he uses his mouth to draw. His wife Sylv Taylor, who’s also an artist with a physical disability, does his color work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taylor said they rely on Social Security, but use his work to supplement it. Soon, he said, they hope to make a living off it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's kind of what I can do. It's my skill set. I can't flip burgers or build houses or anything like that, so I tell stories and I draw. So I might as well combine the two and do that. It's basically the eas-- well, not the easiest, but it's the most immediately available way of making money with the skill set that I have,” Taylor said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sara Swieca is a manager at Villainous Lair, a book and gaming store in San Diego that is owned and run by a group of huge comic book fans. The store carries his books right up front, and Swieca has been a fan of Taylor's since she first discovered his work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had been carrying his comic for a while, but I had never actually met him in person. And up until that point, actually, I didn't realize how he did his art. I'd never really thought about it,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don't always check into every artist I get to, and I'm sorry I didn't look into it a little bit sooner because it's really quite spectacular.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10141302\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 395px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/SaraVL.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/SaraVL-395x450.jpg\" alt=\"Villainous Lair manager Sara Swieca holds up an issue of Larime Taylor's "A Voice in the Dark," a graphic series she loves. (Courtesy Mark Walsh)\" width=\"395\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10141302\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Villainous Lair manager Sara Swieca holds up an issue of Larime Taylor's \"A Voice in the Dark,\" a graphic series she loves. (Courtesy Mark Walsh)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Documentarian Neil Kendricks teaches drawing and comic appreciation classes at San Diego State University, and said he admires Taylor's drive and dedication to his craft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I guess the heart of the art-making process isn't really about your limbs, whether you've got the most agile hands or fingers, but it's really about your brain. That's the part that you can't really teach anyone,” Kendricks said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Larime Taylor said he hopes to have a long career based on his work, rather than the novelty of being the guy who draws with his mouth. So far, he said, he thinks he is doing a good job of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It's better to start out with the critical acclaim and integrity, and build the following over time, than to just have something that everybody bought because the guy drew it with his mouth. And then they go back to whatever they were doing,” said Taylor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He just released the first set of \"A Voice in the Dark\" stories in trade paperback form, and he and his wife are now working on the next part of the series.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/tcrmag/2014/07/2014-07-25e-tcrmag.mp3\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you're road-tripping through California this summer, you might spot the occasional Volkswagen Bus. Back in its heyday, in the 1960s and '70s, this portable camper was everywhere. Fewer ply the roads today, but devotees invest time and money to keep their VW Buses alive and ticking. In Berkeley, there’s a place that focuses on getting them road-ready again. It's called the Buslab.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here at the Buslab we're also known as the guys to call you and tell you it’s gonna cost a million dollars to fix your car,” jokes Buslab employee Sean Roberts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s had a passion for VWs for 25 years. “Dude! I have so much fun,” he exclaims. \"None of my cars have radios. So I listen to the engine. I listen to the wind. I listen to the road. I kinda go off to my own little world and just be me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fans like Roberts say the Volkswagen Bus isn’t your average car, citing its roundish curves, spacious interior and cool vibe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10141280\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 321px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/VWBuses.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/VWBuses-321x225.jpg\" alt=\"A wide variety of VW buses can be seen in the garage lot of Buslab. (Alejandro Rosas/KQED)\" width=\"321\" height=\"225\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-10141280\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A wide variety of VW buses can be seen in the garage lot of Buslab. (Alejandro Rosas/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The story behind the invention of the VW Bus goes something like this: One day in 1947, a Volkswagen salesman by the name of Ben Pon walked into the Volkswagen factory in Germany. He noticed a customized Bug with the driver’s seat in the back and a flatbed in the front to move parts around the factory. At that moment, a light bulb went off in Pon’s head. He sketched out the Volkswagen Bus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The evolution of the VW Bus is on full display at the Buslab. Parked outside, waiting to be restored, there’s the classic 1957 split window, and a 1973 model with sliding doors on both sides. There’s also a replica bus from the '80s TV show \"Magnum, P.I.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside the Lab, a 1991 Vanagon sits on a lift. It’s getting a Subaru engine upgrade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We actually do a lot of Subaru engine upgrades,” explains Buslab co-owner Steve Perzan. He bought his first Volkswagen Bus after he left college in 1993, and he's been working on them ever since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just makes traveling, getaways, weekend trips and longer vacations so much more accessible,” says Perzan. “Just the feeling of being on the road and that feeling of having that freedom is what draws me to it, and I think that’s what draws a lot of other people as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a strange, magnetic devotion some people have to Volkswagen culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not like it’s smack or anything,” says Roberts. “But you know, you buy one and then you get another one and then you say, ‘This one is better than the other,’ then you take all the good parts of this one and put them on the other one and then another better one comes along and then you say, ‘I’m gonna grab that one,’ and then 20-plus years later, you got a garage full of parts and a wife who knows who the other woman is. She knows where all the money goes!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10141282\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 378px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/Westys.jpg\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/07/Westys-378x450.jpg\" alt=\"The Westfalia is a popular model that can be upgraded with a Subaru engine. (Alejandro Rosas/KQED)\" width=\"378\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10141282\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Westfalia is a popular model that can be upgraded with a Subaru engine. (Alejandro Rosas/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lance Larsen has brought his 1991 Westfalia Syncro to the Buslab for years. “It’s an addictive lifestyle,\" Larsen says. “The more I use it, the more I want to use it. I get in that thing and I start heading east or north and the world just slows down a little bit. And you put on a nice playlist and everything is good again and you get out of the rat race a little bit. It’s that escape pod. It’s pretty cool that way.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Larsen says he’s camped along dozens of rivers around the state. His favorite destination: the Eastern Sierra. “There is just a lot of open space, plenty of off-the-grid camping spots if you are adventurous and are willing to beat your van up a little bit to get there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Larsen says he and his family camp about 40 nights a year in their VW bus. Larsen says he’ll never sell it. And he hopes the next generation of his family will inherit his devotion to keeping the bus rolling, on the road.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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}
},
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"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"meta": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
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