Joe Thompson's Home Page

I worked at Wells Fargo Bank until I got involuntarily retired after just shy of 32 years.

I am a native of San Francisco. I went to Saint Monica's grammar school, Saint Ignatius College Prep, San Francisco State University, and Heald Business College. I have taken some good classes at Golden Gate University.

I have lived in Pacifica, CA with my wife and daughter since 1987.

I am a railway buff with a special interest in street railways. Please see my new comment section.

Please visit my Cable Car Home Page, the most comprehensive site about cable cars on the web.

I am a member of the California Historical Society and the San Mateo County Historical Association. The Museum of the City of San Francisco is a good resource for history fans.

I also like San Francisco Bay ferryboats. Please visit my web site (new url). The largest passenger boat was the Eureka, built in 1922 by the Northwestern Pacific Railroad. She is on display at the Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco. Note the walking beam, which drove the paddle wheels.

Visit my blog: The Pneumatic Rolling-Sphere Carrier Delusion

Our parish is Good Shepherd in Pacifica. I like to go to weekday mass at Old St Mary's in San Francisco. The Archdiocese of San Francisco has a good site. I enjoy visiting the New Advent Catholic Supersite.

Good Shepherd Church

I am a lifelong fan of the San Francisco Giants. I attended my last game at Candlestick Park on 25-Sep-99. The Diamondbacks won. We went to the open house at the new ballpark on 08-April-2000.

The Giants won the 2000 National League West Division championship. 2001 was a very interesting season. Barry Bonds set season records for home runs (73), walks (177), and slugging percentage (.863). He was also voted the league's MVP. In 2002, Bonds won the batting title and the Giants won the pennant after exciting playoff series against the Braves and the Cardinals. The Giants played a seven game World Series against the Anaheim Angels. Then Dusty Baker left under sad circumstances, but I am happy the Giants signed Felipe Alou to manage. On 31-Mar-2003, the Giants won their first game for Alou, beating the San Diego Padres 5-2. The Giants were in first place all season in 2003, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to eventual World Series winners Florida Marlins. The Giants were in contention until the last game of the 2004 season, but just missed making the playoffs. Barry Bonds hit his 700th home run on 17-September-2004.

In July, 2004, recently retired Giants announcer Lon Simmons, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Great choice. On 14-July-2005, the Giants won their 10,000th game. Appropriately, it was against the Dodgers, 4-3. 0

Goodbye to Buck O'Neil, Joe Rosenthal, JB Murphy, Dan Andreotti, Pope John Paul II, Jimmy Smith, Will Eisner, Chet Helms, Desmond Dekker, John Kenneth Galbraith, Lloyd Bentsen, Coretta Scott King, Fayard Nicholas, Gordon Parks, Wilson Pickett, Dante Benedetti, Thomas Fleming, Anita O'Day, Jose Uribe, Chris Brown, James Brown, Gerald Ford, Sam Chapman, LM Boyd, Art Buchwald, Art Fowler, Arthur Schlesinger Jr, Mstislav Rostropovich, Mister Wizard, Rod Beck, Ingmar Bergman, Michelangelo Antonioni, Max Roach, Phil Frank, Joe Zawinul, Marcel Marceau.