Ever since I’ve had to wear false teeth, for more than the past quarter century (gosh, that sounds like a long time) I’ve periodically had these fearful temporary flash moments of losing them. Like if I fell and knocked them out, bit too hard on something, dropped a dumbbell, got in a fight and had them punched down my throat, had an unfortunate mishap while trying to pull a train with a rope between my teeth, you know, that sort of thing. And now that I have brand new ones, that are only a few months old that feeling is as strong as ever. I don’t even bite my nails anymore.

But I never could have imagined happening what happened to Elena Aronson on Muni (municipal) bus in San Francisco. Last April, she was riding the bus and a man sitting next to her became fixated on her teeth, telling her how beautiful they were, like the moon and the stars and he told her he wanted them. Even though a seasoned bus rider in both New York and Chicago, she was uncomfortable with the man’s forwardness and exited the bus at the next stop. The next thing she recalled was being on her knees and bleeding profusely from where her two front teeth had been ripped from her mouth. She was taken to the hospital by a good Samaritan and she spent the next two days there recovering. She doesn’t remember for sure that the man followed her off the bus or of being hit and because no witnesses ever came forward it was nearly impossible to file a police report and she was just about laughed out of the department and she was denied victim’s assistance due to lack of concrete evidence.

A Muni spokesman said that even if a surveillance tape had been requested by police, it would be doubtful that it would prove an assault since it allegedly took place off the bus. With help from columnists from the San Francisco Chronicle, Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross, the police allowed her to create what she feels is a dead on artist’s rendering of the man she suspects is responsible for the more than $11, 500 in hospital and medical (including replacement teeth) she incurred. She realizes the sketch may never lead to an arrest, but at least now the police have a picture of him in case he should resurface. And with completed police paperwork, she is now appealing the denial for assistance.

In a which came first, the chicken or the egg, sort of  scenario, today is the 31st anniversary of the Barbra Streisand/Neil Diamond duet “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” hitting the number 1 position on the charts. By sheer coincidence, it’s also the 31st  of the Neil Diamond/Barbra Streisand duet “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” hitting the number 1 position on the charts.  Elsewhere in music news, 45 years ago, Ringo Starr had his tonsils removed, but don’t email to congratulate him, he’s no longer accepting emails from adoring fans. His life is much too busy to acknowledge his fans. Peace and love, though.  And Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” hit number 1 in 1957.  As it turns out, he’s not answering his emails either.

Take a look at this video and see what you can make of it, before it gets revealed.

Many thanks to reporter Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle for including You’ve been Sentenced! in this piece. Joshua has found the best of the best for 2009 — family games,party games and strategy games, plus he includes a helpful local Bay area list of just where you can buy these great games.

A very brief excerpt follows below – his article is quite detailed. Please visit the San Francisco Chronicle to read the entire piece. Joshua has some great new picks — I might have to go shopping myself!

Our panel plays, grades the board games of 2009

Sunday, November 29, 2009, Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle

“As books, newspapers and music become ever more virtual and relocate online – or at least onto handheld electronic devices – it warms the cockles of my semi-Luddite heart to know that there are some sources of pleasure that continue to thrive in the real, physical world.

Yes, sex, obviously. But also board games – those ingenious and infinitely variable configurations of cardboard, wood, paper and plastic that combine to make life fun and surprising.

As in past years, we’ve gone to great lengths to investigate and test-play as many of the season’s new offerings as possible in an effort to guide readers toward the cream and away from the duds. Here once again is The Chronicle’s annual guide to some of the past year’s releases, ranging from family fare to party entertainments to brain-busting strategic showdowns.

Party games

You’ve Been Sentenced (McNeill Designs, $24.99; 3-10 players; age 8+; 30-45 min.) The manufacturer is trying to sell this as an educational game, but don’t be fooled – it’s actually plenty of fun. The equipment is a deck of pentagonal cards, most of them printed with five variants of a single word (e.g., large/larger/largest/enlarged/largely). Each player gets 10 cards and tries to build a sensible sentence using as many as possible – not always an easy task if you get shortchanged on articles or prepositions. Then try to convince the other players that “You fantasized falling Harpo Marx” is a meaningful sentence. Expansion decks allow for a focus on pop culture, gourmet cuisine or science fiction.”

David Archuleta, the doe-eyed runner-up from the seventh season of “American Idol,” appears Monday at the Warfield in support of his new album, “Christmas From the Heart.” The 18-year-old singer’s second release this year features his golden-voiced takes on a handful of seasonal standards such as “The First Noel” and “O Holy Night,” as well as a new song called “Melodies of Christmas.” He called us last week from his family’s home in Murray, Utah, to talk about his career so far, holiday plans and dream about Bob Dylan.

Q: Are you already over this whole Christmas thing?

A: Christmas isn’t here yet.

Q: I know, but you’ve had to think about it since October when the album came out.

A: Oh, yeah. I’ve actually been celebrating Christmas since the summer because we had to start recording in July. But it’s been good. It’s helped me really think about what Christmas is all about.

Q: Was it hard to go in the studio and sing “O Holy Night” while you were wearing flip-flops and shorts?

A: It was interesting, to be sure. In some studios we had the Christmas lights up just to get in the mood.

Q: What’s the one Christmas album your family listened to every year?

A: My mom was a big fan of Celine Dion, so that’s probably the biggest. She’s such an amazing singer. There’s so much power in her songs and her voice. She’s a big part of my Christmas memories.

Q: Your album came out the same day as Bob Dylan’s “Christmas in the Heart.” Do you think any of your fans accidentally picked up his album and wondered what happened to your voice?

A: I know, they almost have the exact same title, which is pretty funny. I hope not. Bob Dylan was actually in my dream last night.

Q: What was Dylan doing in your dream?

A: I think he was singing Christmas songs. I don’t really remember my dream. It was snowing and his Christmas music was going on. I don’t know why. I guess he was on the back of my mind yesterday. I should Tweet about that.

Q: This is your second album this year, also your second tour, and you’re in the studio working on your next album. Why so fast?

A: It’s going fast, but that’s how you grow. It pushes you out of the comfort zone and what you thought you could do. You don’t think you can do it, but you get through it and you realize it’s all part of the growing process. Sometimes the business can get tough, but you have to be willing to handle it and take that challenge. It reminds you that it’s always worth it in the end.

Q: What’s the one thing you want for Christmas?

A: I don’t really want anything. Just to be home and not worry about anything. As long as I get a few days to just relax and not have to do something, I’ll be happy.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/27/PK3H1ANVGD.DTL&type=music#ixzz0YDQAboOd

This is a great excerpt from an article in the SF Gate written in 2004:

Eater points out an interesting generalization made about Mission bars in a Chronicle article about North Beach’s Tosca:

The implication is that time has passed Tosca by and so have the young drinkers who give bars energy. They’ve migrated to the Mission District, where a bartender must have a pedigree in “mixology” and a modeling portfolio, plus be handy with a muddler for grinding Kaffir lime leaves into organic citrus syrup.

Now, I don’t know which bars Chronicle Staff Writer Sam Whiting is going to, but the burly mixologist serving me my whiskey ginger ale at the Latin American Club the other night didn’t muddle shit for me.  He’s pretty chill, though.

Side note: would love to see some cocktail ingredient muddling on Handjobbin’.  Just a suggestion.

San Francisco Chronicle
November 1, 2009 
Chantal Lamers
Sunday Home & Garden Feature
Art from nature’s oddities
Unexpected displays bring rooms to life

Baylor Chapman’s San Francisco home isn’t about formal floral centerpieces or huge houseplants. For the sought-after designer, known for sustainable gardens and floral arrangements, home is about personal touches, repurposing materials and using nature’s knickknacks to their utmost potential.

{read more}

OK, let’s be realistic about this.  Stanford’s Toby Gerhart is not winning the Heisman Trophy this season. 

But the fact that the Stanford running back is even in the mix – gaining the attention of even the New York Times in this extended feature – lets you know that his is no ordinary story.

Toby Gerhart

And, honestly, with a BCS title game that was seemingly pre-ordained before the season between Texas and the winner of the SEC title game (Florida or Alabama), college football fans have no choice but to look for other, more interesting storylines to define the 2009 season.

Without a doubt, the Gerhart story is gaining steam, challenging even the riveting saga of the BCS wanna-be duo of Boise State and TCU in giving college football fans something to discuss while waiting for that predictable national championship game on January 7th in Pasadena.

Fortunately, Gerhart remains grounded (as shown in this profile by the local San Francisco Chronicle).  Additional proof can be found in this Stanford-produced video that has fun with his elite two-sport status.

Yes, it is refreshing to see a breakout star with professional potential in both football and baseball rise into the national consciousness without all of the prefab hype that usually accompanies such success.

And, oh yeah, if this sports thing doesn’t work out, Gerhart will only have a stinkin’ degree in management sciences and engineering from Stanford to fall back on.

Great, great story that rebuilds a little faith in the modern student-athlete.  Heisman or not, his success (and the not-so-coincidental accompanying success of his team) deserves our full attention now and into the future.

There is a point here, I promise. But first, here’s the scene. My desk, at work. A wobbly stack of books, papers and files, some dating back to last spring. A to-do list, also written last spring. On the other side of my mousepad, a pile of resumes for the letters of rec I need to write. On my computer, some 200 emails that at least have to be opened.

Plus the steady buzz of folks, either in the hall, or in my office. Kinda like a roving cocktail party, but without the booze. This is not necessarily a good thing. The latter, I mean.

My home office, not much better. At least 100 unread emails. My desk is cleaner — today — but you still never know what you’ll find. A friend once described my work-at-home digs as a junk drawer. At times, the description is apt.

On Tuesday I got up early, graded papers, scanned two newspapers, got ready for school, found and paid my Macy’s bill while my Cheerios got soggy, blew out the door and off to work, taught some classes, and met with a bunch of students who have the end-of-quarter heebie-jeebies. (They’re contagious).

Last week, we hosted a party to celebrate a friend’s engagement. Next week is Thanksgiving (Yikes! I forgot to order the turkey). It’s my husband’s and son-in-law’s birthdays. Shannon and I are knee-deep in writing this book. And this blog. My hair is stringy and I’m low on clean clothes.  So here I am.

Don’t get me wrong.  I fully realize that those balls I’ve got in the air mark me as a lucky woman.  Nonetheless, I’m somewhat breathless just itemizing all this. I’m frazzled. Distracted. And probably like you, just a little bit crazed: Too much going on, going on all at once.

Maybe it was ever so. But now, add this. The San Francisco Chronicle has reported on some new studies on the way that techno-stimulation — texts, tweets, IMs, Facebook, news alerts, the list goes on — has led to a new form of attention deficit disorder. We’re always on. Uber-connected. Addicted to short bursts of constant information. And despite our best intentions, we get sucked in. All of which, experts say, impacts our ability to analyze. From the story:

“The more we become used to just sound bites and tweets,” [Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, director of Stanford University's Impulse Control Disorders Clinic at Stanford University] said, “the less patient we will be with more complex, more meaningful information. And I do think we might lose the ability to analyze things with any depth and nuance. Like any skill, if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Dr. John Ratey, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, uses the term “acquired attention deficit disorder” to describe the way technology is rewiring the modern brain.

I don’t know about you, but I really don’t need to know what Suzy from Ohio is doing every five minutes. And yet. There’s the seduction of the buzz, the flash. She has me at beep-beep.

Which brings me belatedly to my point: Is all this stuff, this stimulation, this juggling, cluttering up our already cluttered brains to the point where we are not only overwhelmed — but chronically undecided?

The science suggests the answer is yes. Shannon wrote earlier on our blog about the Paradox of Choice, about how the more choices that confront us, the less likely we are to make one — or to be happy with it when we do. There’s the iconic jam study, where shoppers confronted with 24 jars of jam — versus just six — walked away empty handed. And the pivotal Magical Number Seven study, which dates back to the 1950s, that found that the human brain has trouble processing more than seven items at a time. The study was the basis for similar research in 1999 by Stanford Marketing Professor Baba Shiv, then an assistant professor at University of Iowa. He sent two groups off to memorize a series of numbers. One group had to memorize three. The other, seven. At the end of the task, the groups were given their choice of a treat: gooey chocolate cake or fruit salad. The three digit group overwhelmingly chose fruit. The seven digit group — cake. The point? Overwhelmed with the memory task, the rational brain of the seven-digit folks begged off and let the emotional side take over.

Shannon wrote recently about Zen and art of multi-tasking where, really, what we need to do when we drink tea –is to just drink tea. I wrote about the need to just play cards. Put all of this together and I think you find that maybe, for our own mental health, not to mention our ability to make decisions, we need to turn down the chatter.

Sixties guru Timothy Leary (he of LSD fame) once exhorted the youth of the day to “turn on, tune in, drop out.” I’m thinking it’s time to flip the switch: Turn off, tune out, drop in.

But wait. Did that make the slightest bit of sense? Not sure. I’m off to find some chocolate cake.

Well, I must say, it’s been a rather nice week in the news for Ridge, and I’m very happy to see that our holiday appeal appears to be bi-coastal, in that both the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle recently highlighted Ridge wines for their Thanksgiving Dinner companionability!

The New York times article, written by Eric Asimov, recounts this year’s edition of an annual pre-Thanksgiving tasting:

For six consecutive years, the Dining section’s wine panel has gathered for an early Thanksgiving meal. The mission: to taste potential holiday wines, to determine what works and what does not with a representative feast, and to offer coherent answers to the annual question of what to serve with the bird.

In the red wine category, our 2007 Three Valleys was elected the proverbial Best In Show:

Sam brought our top-rated red, a 2007 Three Valleys zinfandel from Ridge. I always run counter to the Thanksgiving bromide that zinfandel is the perfect American wine for the most American holiday. Zinfandel is often too big and alcoholic. But at 14.3 percent, this zin was well balanced and almost sleek.

On the other coast, Jon Bonné wrote a pair of linked Thanksgiving-theme articles recently; in the first one, from 11.13.09, he gives readers a very helpful general guide to selecting wines for the Thanksgiving table, and in the second, from 11.15.09, he provides tasting notes on some of his personal recommendations. He wrote the following about our 2007 Geyserville:

2007 Ridge Geyserville Sonoma County ($35) A classic Geyserville that shows off why Ridge’s style has endured. Sweet and eloquent, with charred branch, balsam, plump blackberry and a smoky edge. The balance is impeccable. Predominantly Zinfandel, with Carignane, Petite Sirah and Mourvedre.

So, if you’re beginning the process of selecting your wines for Thanksgiving, I am happy to suggest a little something from Ridge!

Celebrities beware: YouTube is making it even easier for anyone with a camera phone to turn your behavior – be it mundane or sensational – into news. The world’s top purveyor of Internet video has launched YouTube Direct, whereby TV and online news editors can obtain video from so-called “citizen journalists” – and even request such video be shot by amateurs seeking attention. It’s not entirely about celebrities, of course. Many news outlets will be seeking disaster footage, for example, or rowdy behavior at political town hall meetings. News outlets seeking footage can announce it in a variety of ways, including via call-out videos posted at YouTube. When a YouTube user has video they think will interest the mainstream media, it can make it easy for editors, producers and journalists to contact them. Testing the service now are Huffington Post, NPR, Politico, the San Francisco Chronicle and a couple of Boston TV stations.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5AF4QT20091117

Photo: The Golden Gate Endeavour

Two Britons faced hardships and were followed by whales during their 189 day,  5,000-mile rowing trek. The article brought to mind Yann Martel’s Life of Pi.

Click here for the story that ran in today’s San Francisco Chronicle>

The overall health care reform bill passed 220-to-215, but the restrictive language on abortion coverage in the Stupak Amendment also passed with a 240-to-194 vote with the support of the anti-choice Democrats and the Catholic Bishops.

The Stupak Amendment establishes a ban on government subsidies to pay for “any part of a policy that includes abortion coverage.” This means that tax credits given to lower income families cannot be used towards abortion services in any circumstance. Newly insured women will not be offered insurance plans that cover abortion. Those women with insurance that covers abortion could lose that coverage if employers chose to use the government plan.

In the San Francisco Chronicle, columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. states, “the truth is that even with the Stupak restrictions, health care reform would leave millions of Americans far better off than they are now – including millions of women.” Yes, this is true, but we should not be moving backwards on reproductive service coverage.

Obama somewhat agrees. The President does not want to change the “status quo” on abortion, but he also does not support the use of federal money for abortions. Therefore, there should be no increase of abortion coverage in insurance, but the Stupak Amendment would alter the status quo on abortion coverage and should be revised by Congress.

I hope the final vote on Stupak in the Senate does not pass. With the strong support from anti-choice Democrats, some Republicans, and the Bishops it will be a close call.

Female health is not a priority. It has always been prohibiting reproductive services that gets the most attention. The recent W.H.O. study reports that the majority of women in developing countries do not have sufficient health care coverage. Although the status of women’s health in the U.S. has improved in the last century, reform is still necessary especially in reproductive coverage.

From Willie Brown’s column in the San Francisco Chronicle – What a week it’s been in California politics, with insiders and oddsmakers having a field day.

But beware. Things may not be as they seem.

First up, you’d better keep Dianne Feinstein’s name on the list of possible candidates for governor. I’ve known Dianne for years, and the role of chief executive is a much better fit for her than being one of 100 senators.

I can also tell you from the meetings I have had with her that she is very serious about California’s budget troubles, water troubles and other troubles. She is also serious when she says that she just might run if the other candidates come up short on plans to fix the mess we’re in.

In short, it is no accident that she is constantly putting her toe in the water.

Second, for all the hype, don’t be so sure former eBay CEO Meg Whitman will make it through the Republican primary. Her failure to vote, her past support for Democrats such as Barbara Boxer, and her inability to answer questions about her time at eBay are not going away.

Plus, Whitman should never have said she intended to spend $150 million on the race. How is that for fiscal responsibility?

On the other hand, former Rep. Tom Campbell and state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner are both quality candidates. They’re going to be responsible for forcing Whitman to go to Hawaii. And as she sinks, Poizner in particular is going to rise.

Steve has an attractive personal story, from his days as a schoolteacher to his success as a high-tech multimillionaire. And, of course, he has the money.

Campbell is the brightest of the group. He’s brighter than Jerry Brown. But Campbell’s problem is that you can’t win an election in California traveling by Greyhound.

As for the entry of Carly Fiorina in the Senate race against Boxer, that’s going to be a real fight.

Fiorina is an attractive candidate. She’s been around the block a couple of times, having represented John McCain in the 2008 presidential race. She has money, but she hasn’t told anybody that she intends to spend it on the race, and she’s now a recovering cancer patient. So she will be seen as an interesting person.

But remember, Barbara Boxer is the single most fortunate politician in California. And in politics, it’s far better to be lucky than to be good.

By Willie Brown

I read through the Food Lover’s pocket guide and had expected something else. I had read through the full editions once in the past years and the pocket edition was new to me. The book should be narrower if not longer -in length- and will be the perfect size pocket guide. I strongly believe a good number of restaurant guidebooks become popular because of their portable sizes. Food lover’s pocket guide has excellent information and should be read by more people even though is successful as is.

The writing uses a novel and fresh approach (though many guidebooks are written similarly forever) compared to books such as Zagat that list ‘everyone’ and say good things about ‘everyone.’ It would make sense to list one’s preferred places and say why they are great and that is what Patricia Unterman does well. I really like the descriptions because she gets right to the point. A person who reads a pocket guide would want good and brief information that does the job fast and effectively. Her writing accomplishes this quite well.

I, however, did not know San Francisco is the artisan bread capital of the US and the world. I am still thinking about that one but agree with the back cover “Patricia Unterman has been the city’s most respected food critic for more than three decades, …” I think a food critic has to accomplish great many things to become a genuine contributor and Michael Bauer may be the city’s most feared but not the most respected food critic. I have read through Michael Bauer’s recipe books, which are good, and am curious why he never wrote a restaurant guidebook. I know the obvious stories of being busy, and the SF Chronicle column accomplishes the same but if he did, will it be wonderful writing like this guide? I remember when I first started writing blog posts, someone pointed out my old alma mater may use my writing as examples of bad writing, by an English major, that is published. I did it anyway and think I have gotten better. I wonder what people would say about Michael Bauer’s famous writings in a food guidebook?

I really enjoyed Patricia Unterman’s writing and the organization of the volume though I found hardware stores in there. That confused me at first but realized were for kitchen gear. I look forward to reading the 2009 edition soon.

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Reviews by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush

Nice article in Chronicle Datebook yesterday about book just released by two journalists in the know, Silke Tudor and Jack Boulware.  Credibility is king, and these trudgers have it.  Looks to be a solid read for regional, and global subterranean music geeks like myself.  Click below for Professor Selvin’s article.

San Francisco Chronicle

Starting this Monday, The San Francisco Chronicle will begin printing its editions with high-quality glossy paper, a style once used solely in magazines.  The paper’s move is the first for a general-interest daily, necessary for one of the hardest hit publications in the United States.

Hoping to make the paper more visually appealing for both new readers and advertisers, The Chronicle plans on using the glossy paper on its front page, the first page of most sections and other selected pages inside the paper.  Ownership assumes that advertisers will commit to the paper more than before since their products can now be displayed with a shine not found in traditional print ads.

But is the paper’s decision too little, too late? After all, its weekday circulation dove nearly 26 percent from a year ago to an average of just over 250,000, and the publication lost $50 million in 2008, prompting Hearst Corp., the paper’s owner, to threaten sale or closure.  To compensate, job cuts and rising newsstand prices have appeared more common than not as 2009 draws to a close.

But there’s another culprit for The Chronicle’s actions.  The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times – two of the nation’s wealthiest newspapers – have extended their influence to the Bay Area to reach affluent residents and high-end advertisers.  To keep its head above water, The Chronicle needed to adapt.

What’s unfortunate here is that the industry is becoming a victim of itself.  Institutional business trends hurting today’s papers are leading those same papers to compromise good journalism for showy labels as their means of attraction.  Whereas its reputation – and the occasionally quirky headline – maintained readership in the past, The Chronicle is yet another example of what’s wrong with modern journalism.

Not to say that every paper out there is doing itself in by making beneficial business changes.  As an aspiring journalist, I hope to one day compete in this environment, so I hope decisions like The Chronicle’s pay off in both the short-term and long-term.  But one question remains.  How bright is the future?

With its circulation falling faster than that of any other major U.S. newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle is determined to set the pace in a flashier way: It’s about to become the first general-interest daily to print its editions on high-quality glossy paper.

The new look, scheduled to debut in Monday’s newspaper, is part of the Chronicle’s effort to create a more visually appealing newspaper as more readers turn to the Internet for free information and entertainment.

The magazine-style glossy paper would make its print edition more pleasing to read and could help the newspaper attract more advertisers looking to make their products shine.

The Chronicle, the largest newspaper in technology-driven northern California, has been hard hit by the migration to the Internet. Its weekday circulation plunged nearly 26 percent from a year ago to an average of 251,782 during the April-September period, more than any other big-city newspaper in the United States.

The decline extended a pattern that has been unfolding throughout the decade. In 2001, the Chronicle’s weekday circulation stood at 527,000.

Despite the latest circulation losses, Chronicle management says the newspaper is in far better financial shape than it was last year when the publication lost about $50 million, prompting its owner, Hearst Corp., to threaten a sale or closure in February. The turnaround since then has been driven by painful cost-cutting that eliminated hundreds of jobs this year and by higher newspaper prices.

The Chronicle now charges $7.75 per week for home delivery, up from $4.75 per week last year, and a $1 on the newsstand, up from 75 cents. That has helped offset some of the industrywide declines in advertising sales—still the main source of newspaper revenue even as readers are asked to foot a larger part of production costs. The Chronicle is now making money in some weeks, something it rarely did in recent years, according to Mark Adkins, the newspaper’s president. The newspaper is taking advantage of its newfound prosperity by making improvements, such as the switch to a slightly thinner type of glossy paper than what is used in magazines. The glossy paper will be used on the Chronicle’s front page as well as the first page of most other sections. It will also show up on some pages inside the newspaper.

Because glossy paper usually is more expensive than traditional newsprint, it’s unlikely the Chronicle would be making such a move without some advertisers already lined up to help foot the bill, said newspaper analyst Ken Doctor of Outsell Inc.

The Chronicle confirmed it has secured some advertising commitments for the new glossy format, but it would not provide details or discuss the paper’s costs.

The switch also is another sign of how newspapers are targeting their print editions at niche markets as their circulation shrinks. In this case, Doctor said the Chronicle seems to be focusing on older, more affluent readers—a demographic more likely to appreciate spiffier paper. It’s also an audience prized by advertisers selling luxury products.

Some trade publications such as Variety and Hollywood Reporter already print on glossy paper.

The Chronicle is sprucing up just as two of the nation’s three largest newspapers are aggressively courting the San Francisco Bay area’s affluent residents and high-end advertisers. The New York Times introduced a special Bay area edition last month and The Wall Street Journal is launching one on Thursday.

Proclaiming itself as “The Voice of The West,” the Chronicle has had a tendency to stand out from other newspapers since its inception 144 years ago. It started to print its sports section on green paper decades ago and has a history of quirky headlines such as “A Great City’s People Forced to Drink Swill” in a story about the quality of coffee in San Francisco restaurants.

The Chronicle began laying the groundwork for the move to glossy paper in July when it closed its own presses and shifted production to a $200 million printing plant run by an outside contractor.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004032959

This video documents the people of San Francisco in all their variety. Forgive the contrived opening shot of the Golden Gate Bridge, and place each of these people in your city. At least enjoy the Taxi Driver score, and don’t miss the credits:

One unique thing I noticed while visiting San Francisco was its homeless population, which seems high – or at least conspicuously visible. I haven’t gotten a chance to read through all of this SF Chronicle package on the issue, but the lead supports this conclusion:

The more able of the homeless find their way into shelters, counseling and housing programs. But the most chronically indigent, called the hard core, steadfastly refuse most help and stay outside. These 3,000 to 5,000 homeless at the very bottom are the most visible, and they give the city its dubious distinction of having what many call the worst homeless problem in the country.

Several theories: it’s a pretty liberal place, more helpful to the poor; the weather is milder throughout the year, making living outdoors easier. Further hypotheses encouraged in the comments.

A large city can have multiple major newspapers with many readers. San Francisco used to have two daily newspapers once. Today, San Francisco chronicle is published in the original format but San Francisco Examiner appears in tabloid-size. The free Examiner arrives in abundance and is read by many daily. The Examiner content is similar to San Francisco Chronicle though leaner and with a healthy load of advertisements.

I was looking at a copy of the Examiner today and something bothered me. The pages are together and filled with a mixture of ads and content but something does not feel right. I thought about it and what I found is the pages are hard to navigate. The paper feels hard to read. The headlines have one kind of typeface. The body of the articles have another kind of typeface. And the remainder of printing appears in more typefaces. Even if the typefaces are matched, the choice of typeface for the articles is not a good one. I read a good deal and not all fonts are created equal. Some fonts appear small in normal sizes while others can read easy and appear large in any size. In addition, the colors of the graphics feel very strong. Each bar, sidebar, line and graphics has a noticeable color. The pages have so much distraction that I, as a reader, get confused and personally don’t want to look at the pages for more than a second at the most. A publishing rule says to get attention, only a few seconds are available for each page.

I see many tabloid-size publications locally that are very easy to read. I think the Examiner could do a makeover and become an easier-t0-read newspaper. A good number of the Examiner readers are mobile and larger typeface or a kind of typeface that reads easy and seems large should work very well both for mobile reading and stationary speed reading. It seems the Examiner does many thing right but can improve a little. I remember a rule for business website design that can apply here also. A new design for a website is recommended every six months. The new look renews reader interest and allows the site to incorporate improvements. And a proven business rule remains unchanged: Success can be copied. A stack of publications, similar to the Examiner, should provide tons of proven ideas on how to make the Examiner read great for a few months.