(Editor's Note: I know I promised peace and quiet, but why hold back these treasure troves of valuable information?) OVERVIEW For years, I've never heard all that many great things about Milan, Italy. Sure, it's the fashion and financial capital of Italy, but its reputation is one of gritty urbanity, not of urban splendor. The reputati...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS My heart remains heavy, over the loss of Scott Edwards. Thanks to all of you that reached out. Life must go on, but this is an odd day, for sure. (Odd transition, too.) Because later today, Julie and I leave for a nearly 3 week trip to Europe. We're visiting Milan (our inbound gateway) for 3 nights, Lake Garda for 5 n...

There is no regular blog today. Yesterday, I received word that Scott Edwards died of a sudden heart attack, at home late Monday night. He was 63. After my own parents and wife, Scott had the biggest impact on me of anyone in my life, which is why I am sharing this here. Our relationship dates to the summer of 1985, when I went to work...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS OMG, is there a worse thing today than to be called "woke"? "The woke radical left is coming for your guns and want your children to hate themselves!" And then I saw this online, and I knew a post was going to be necessary. The problem, at least to this older white man of privilege, is that woke simply used be a form ...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS Like clockwork, out came the Republicans bitching about Papa Joe forgiving $10,000 ($20,000 for Pell Grant recipients) in student loan debt, for middle and lower income people. Shocker, I know. But also a shocker, they are completely wrong. And for a change, I have standing to say so. Here's the story. You see, by the...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS OK, I've had enough. I am ready to fight for the real America. In the streets, if necessary. This guy and every single other fucking white Christian nationalist can kiss my radical liberal commie pinko San Francisco ass. The photo above was taken recently at the Kentucky State Fair. In today's Republican party, this g...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS (Editor's Note: this is not an official Portico Darwin Travel Guide, as I must actually do the trip. But this one looks pretty f'ing good.) Our niece, the blossoming marcom empress Nicki Vale of Denver, is heading out for quite an adventure. As she was kind enough to share her plans with me, I thought I'd share them w...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS This one might not mean much to a lot of you. As I say, you can always start writing your own blog, or go read a book. But if you like baseball, especially of the San Francisco Giants variety, this might bring a smile to your face. The recent anniversary of my 2012 Giants winning their second of three World Series cha...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS I think for many, the real heartbreak over Trump being President and all that's come with that is not just what a complete slimeball of a person he is. Or that it may take us decades to recover from the damage he's wreaked. No, the heartbreak is because I thought we had really turned a corner as a nation in 2008, when...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS My Oceanside inspection complete, I winged it home yesterday. I would be remiss if I didn't thank my Killer hosts: suffice to say, you passed my rather stringent inspection with flying colors. And you're both so nice to invite me to come down each and every month from now on! And speaking of travel: now is the time I ...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS Yesterday afternoon, I winged it to the SoCal suburban paradise of Andy and Libby Jones. Their little tyke Dean Andrew Jones, Jr. is coming up on his first birthday, so I hand-delivered a gift, and then proceeded to inspect the new pergola that Andy has gone on and on about. Indeed, everything is wonderful, including ...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS I frequently complain about a lack of nuance in our public discourse. Here is an example of how two things can be true at once: I mostly love and am proud of what President Biden has accomplished, yet he needs to be a one-term president. Here is some nuanced thinking, from me, as well as another concerned citizen, on ...

This is the FBI entering the South Florida mansion of Al Capone. It popped into my mind yesterday for some reason. Tomorrow, I will be balanced. Today, I bask in an American rebirth, and our greatness. We remain a country of laws. I believe Trump is headed for what he deserves: total and utter disgrace. I will further predict history w...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS It would be hard to calculate, but I am not sure there's a place where I've ever spent more time in my life than in The Presidio, a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, here in SF. Because since 2014, I've walked 5 miles most every day somewhere in its 1,500 acres of splendor. And before that, Julie and I...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS Last Friday, it was a history of concerts - at least my own. Today, I'm going to share some different history, yet keep the focus on my favorite subject: myself (shocker). Because I've found some great historical photos of my beloved SF, and specifically, our own neighborhood here, The Marina District. Sounds exciting...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS RIP Vin Sculley. Almost as legendary as Bill Russell. An American Treasure. OK: I look back on the World Trade Center being knocked down on 9/11 as a pretty bad day in American history. A subject that should be respected with the utmost gravity. I also feel the death of a loved one is a serious matter, and likewise, o...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS RIP Bill Russell, amongst the greatest athletic champions, and people, in history. There, I said it, right there in the subject line. I find it funny that anything Beyonce' puts out is automatically considered a monumental achievement in the recording arts. That is fucking bullshit. Yet, I can hear it now. "Oh, the ly...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS (Editor's Note: this is easily the most graphic-intensive post I've made to date. Because of that, it might take a moment or two for all of the photos to load on your device - my apologies for any problems.) Of many, having the time to take on (self-absorbed) hobby-like projects is a big perk of being retired (or in h...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS Sure, it's been fun focusing on what I wear at home, but I return us now to the real world. As you know, one of my biggest gripes with the Republican party is that they don't offer much in the way of policy proposals, but instead seek and retain power via division, gerrymandering, and name-calling. Lately, however, it...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS "Oh, Portico - your recent blog posts have been so heavy. So political. Can we turn down the doom and have something fluffy and fun?" No problem. But you asked for it. As you may know already, I've pretty much shelved my quest for relevance and have really leaned in to retirement. (OMFG, I LOATHE the term "lean in", b...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS Do you know how long 187 minutes is? Yes, a bit more than 3 hours, but it is also the amount of time that then-President Donald Trump did absolutely nothing on January 6, 2021. While our Capitol and elected officials and his own VP were under attack, Trump did not call anyone on his National Security team. You know, l...

Tonight's January 6th Committee hearing may be yet another nail in the coffin for Trump and his enablers. Until then, I came across a couple of items that I think merit your special attention. They provide some balance and perspective, something welcome as the drumbeat for Trump being jailed continues. First, here is the cover and lead...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS It's been a while, so how about a trip around the world to see how other countries are doing on major infrastructure projects? First, let's visit Asia and see what our Chinese friends are up to. Hint: 400 MPH trains is what they're up to. China Just Unveiled the World’s Fastest Train That means a trip from downtown Ch...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS Homeless? Everywhere. Car window smash-and-grabs? Naturally. Open-air drug markets? Of course. Yes, my beloved SF has it all. And, it's really expensive! In all seriousness, despite its flaws - and those are only some of them - SF is amongst the best cities in the world. And when you take into account its proximity to...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS If you spend any time around me - any time at all - it won't be long before I start going on (and on) about Casa Integration, a company I started from scratch in late 2001. Suffice to say I take a lot of pride in what I accomplished, including winning over and successfully selling to rich people. And I don't mean just...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS Perhaps the older among you will remember when Fonzie went water skiing on "Happy Days" and jumped over a shark? That is where the term "Jumped the Shark" originated: it is the point where something or someone goes too far. I think many today have jumped the shark. We've done so by forgetting how much of what we take ...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS My recent recent (very) political posts garnered very little reaction. OK, zero reaction. As I always say, I really don't care: I write this blog because I love writing. And I honestly enjoy putting my near-infinite opinions and thoughts out there. You're so very welcome. But still, I know I've been pretty heavy recen...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS Breaking Opinion About Breaking News: how long will it take after the assassination of Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe for a gun cheerleader in America to say "See? They have the strictest gun laws in the world in Japan, and yet this still happened. More guns!" For the record, Japan has about 126 million peop...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS Wow. It seems like it was only a couple of weeks ago we had a mass shooting that shocked the nation. Oh. Why can't we do better? On guns or anything? Ask yourself the following questions, and consider which of our two major parties is best aligned with your own beliefs. Seriously. I will publish, without any comment o...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS Even when I want to keep it light for a holiday, it's difficult. Even the diversionary world of sports brings another sign of what seems our irreversible decline as a nation. Because USC and UCLA are leaving the Pac 12 conference, for the Big 10. Bogus doesn't begin to describe it. What, may you ask, would drive these...