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SENDING THE RIGHT MESSAGE TO WHO?

I’ve heard the right message all of my life:
Do this and this; don’t do that.
Sometimes the right message comes from the right place.
Other times?
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REMEMBER TO VOTE: BE SOMEBODY

Remember to vote at this late date.
Late? Well, this is the last day to drop ballots at collection sites.
Mine dropped yesterday. Felt pretty good.
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HIGH SCHOOL CLASS FOR PLUMB, LEVEL, AND SQUARE

The high school class I regret not taking?
Shop. Woodworking. Construction.
Why the regret? I bought a table saw.
It’s piece of machinery people in their thirties and forties buy because there’s something missing in their life: They’ve never built anything.
The table saw is also famous for kick-backs that send a piece of lumber rocketing through the garage door, and a sharp blade that sends detached fingers bouncing off the wall.
I bought the saw from a man who had already fed it a finger tip, so I was good.
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VOTERS’ PAMPHLET OR VISION OF THE FUTURE

What do you do when the voters’ pamphlet arrives in the mail?
Ignore it because you already know who to vote for?
Open it up to see who in the world would put themselves up for election?
Or read it in search for better candidates for better representation at the local and national level?
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DRINKING ACTIVITIES LIST FROM FIRST TO LAST

Drinking activities differ based on where you are in the world and what’s available.
Wine seems like a worldwide drink, so let’s go with wine instead of craft beer, or curated cocktails.
Alcohol can open doors to different cultures and different times in history.
Take the Monkey Gland for example:

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toughen up

Neck Cancer … What Is It Good For … Absolutely Nothing

A reader left a comment recently that moved me to respond in a universal way.   Hey Patrick,   Thanks for coming over to boomerpdx. A quick question: How did you find me and this topic. I write about it a lot, but not too many show up in comments like you. I’m glad you’ll […]

MICHAEL BECKER WALKS WITH PURPOSE

I like people who channel their problems constructively. They’re effective in making me feel like the whiner I’ve always taken pride in.   Michael Becker channels his problems constructively, and he’s a big boost. I found him in a search of cancer memoirs. We’ve exchanged pleasant emails. Have I told him I’m scouting for my […]

BOOMER HEALTH INDEX

When No News is Good Boomer Health News. Just when you’ve turned the corner and feeling better, clothes fit better, face looks more like you remember looking, something happens. You forget to move. You decide not to get up. You don’t feel making an effort is worth the reward. You’re tired. Now what? You could […]

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boomer years

BOOMER GENERATION BREAKS AMERICA ON TIME COVER BUT NOT IN OUR HEARTS

    At some point every generation can take credit for breaking America. The pinata of democracy is strong enough to take a few whacks.   It helps that those swinging the stick are usually too old to do much damage, but watching them still hurts.   Steven Brill explains it all for baby boomers, […]

Bob Dylan Time Shift From Second Gear To Overdrive

    Like so many today, I also feel change in the wind, and like any baby boomer worthy of the tag, I consult the only text reliable enough to lay it all out in understandable language.   No, not the Bible, or any religious narratives.   I turn to Bob Dylan, and so should […]

When The Lights Go Down In The City

The Neon Gets Better. On a cold, dark, night, a city asks for caution. Even the familiar takes on an extra foreboding. With others, or walking alone, the sound of footsteps behind you quickens your pace. Empty shadows carry secrets you don’t want to know. Some streets are just not very inviting. Even in the […]

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buckle up

ASTORIA BOOKS, ASTORIA DOCUMENTARY, ASTORIA PLAY

Call it Little Big Astoria?   No one doubts the importance of Astoria in Oregon history. Little Big Astoria looms in the imagination from early sea captains challenging the Columbia Bar, to Lewis and Clark showing up overland, to today. The fish packing, lumber mills, and ebb and flow of new people keep Astoria current. […]

THE KING OF NEW YORK CITY, 1975

Stoner nation rolled in the muddy Woodstock slip and slide in upstate New York. Five years later they took a shower, got a haircut, and danced the disco. Top New York City discos needed the right people managing the door and lines that grew down the sidewalk most weekends. Full of Queens, Brooklyn, and Jersey […]

6 STEPS OF EUROPEAN TRAVEL AFTER THE FIRST STEP

  Step One: Admit you’ve been bored to death since your last trip.   You miss making connections, new train stations, airports. The miracle of being on time. Like a caged animal, your travel bug paces. Every Sunday it rattles the gate. That’s when Rick Steves shows up. With a dish. Travel bugs feast on […]

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