Randy Cassingham's Blog

Posted by Christian, Colorado on May 23, 2009:

I grew up reading Herb Caen. My favorite memories are the year he took fourth place in the "Herb Caen write-alike contest" at the San Francisco County Fair and one particular namephreakism: a quarterback at an Idaho high school named Steven Falls Down.

Posted by Sharon, Cedar Creek, TX on May 24, 2009:

Re "namephreaks", there is an OB/Gyn in Southern California named Dr. Kuntz. Although I'm pretty sure it is pronounced Koontz, I'm sure there are those who have made the mistake of pronouncing it phonetically!

Posted by Phil, Donna, TX on May 24, 2009:

Like most of the commentators before me...fond memories. I grew up in Yuba City and from a tender age...before the bridges were built...we would go for long weekends in The City. Had the good fortune to be stationed at TI twice and learned to start my day with Herb and the Chron.Like one of the earlier comments, my HS journalism teacher would frequently start the class with a Caen column. Thanks for the memories.

Posted by Brian near San Francisco on May 24, 2009:

I started reading Herb Caen when I moved to the Bay Area in 1991. Reading his column quickly became part of my morning waking up ritual along with the coffee. A while later I sent in a suggestion for the cute business names he often wrote about - It was printed and that morning I got a call from a friend who was a lifelong San Francisco area native excitedly congratulating me. I had to ask him why he was congratulating me because I didn't know what an honor it was to have your name in Herb Caen's column.

Posted by Marjorie, Calistoga on May 25, 2009:

Early sixties Caen told of an Atherton bar owner, also owner of one of those new campers. He was having an affair with his employee and was in the camper after closing.

His wife came down from their Hillsborough home with keys to the camper. She hopped in and gave the two in the camper one wild ride ending at home, backing up against a retaining wall blocking exit of the two.

Reporters were on hand when she released them in the morning.

I loved that story.

Posted by bobby, Washington on May 25, 2009:

I loved reading your Herb Caen tribute. I too was a bay area native and loved reading Caen and another similar columnist in the Oakland Tribune; Bill Fissett. They each had their own favorites with Fissetts reference to Lil old ladies (lol), and my favorite, his intense dislike for the phone company. This dislike would urge him to use payphones using a quarter, requiring the company to type a refund check and pay postage to mail it. He would then save up checks and eventually pay his phone bill with accumulated refund checks.

It takes dedication to be that perturbed.

Thanks for resurrecting the memories.

Posted by Ross Watkins, Ramona CA on May 26, 2009:

My mother was a San Francisco girl during the truly formative years of her life, and so--even though we lived in Hawaii--I was exposed to Herb Caen through his column carried in the Honolulu Advertiser. Though his style affects many of us even decades after his passing, there may never be another so in love with and in tune with San Francisco. The City By The Bay was so much more than just a place to live for Herb, he was passionately in love with the place and got to experience it all during arguably its most romantic period.

I read Herb's column until I moved away for college, then the infrequent clippings from the paper that my mother would send. His column was right next to Lou Boyd's; a master of trivia, Lou helped us to know "more and more about less and less". I miss them both. Thanks for the reminiscence, Randy.

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Yeah, Louie Boyd was another gem. Very much underrated, even though his column ran in 400 papers. Some info here from when he retired. He died in 2007 at age 79. -rc

Posted by Dennis, San Francisco on May 27, 2009:

In 25 years of enjoying Herb Caen I never found a better namephreak item than when he mentioned my own dentist ... Les Plack.

Thanks for evoking some great memories of a man who made many a morning brighter for me, Randy.

Posted by Lauren Boyd, Citrus Heights, CA on May 28, 2009:

Thanks for sharing Herb Caen. I, too, learned to read the newspaper via Herb. He was wonderful. And merciless! lol A friend of the family, Inspector Getchel -- Chinatown beat -- accidentally shot himself in the keister while dining. Herb NEVER missed mention of the anniversary of that event. Just one of those Caen tidbits. He also liked to mention Sally Stanford, as I recall. Now I also realize why/how I came to begin some of my writing with bold beginnings... or all caps and :... and of course the three dots -- four at the end.

Lou Boyd had witty columns, full of trivia, but I was always disappointed that he never responded to my question of how many L.M. Boyds existed. He never responded at all. And here we were both L.M. Boyd. Sure disilusioned this "kid." Thanks again Randy. And thanks for *always* responding to my messages, IM or what have you!

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I'm guessing it was one of those "How the hell should I know?!" reactions, since there was no way to research such a thing.

Sally Stanford ran a bordello in San Francisco on (I kid you not) Nob Hill. Herb Caen claimed that "the United Nations was founded at Sally Stanford's whorehouse" because the founding conference for the U.N., which occurred in San Francisco in 1945, often supposedly continued after hours in the living room at Stanford's house of ill repute. The cathouse was closed in 1949 when it was raided by the state Attorney General, Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Sr. Brown went on to become governor (1959-1967); his son, Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown Jr, was himself elected to governor of the state (1975-1983), and is currently (yep!) its Attorney General. -rc

Posted by Barry, Florida on May 31, 2009:

It was wonderful to see Herb Cain remembered.

I used to visit San Francisco frequently, and his column was a 'must read' there.

Too bad he was not carried by the Internet in its current form.