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BREAKING THINGS IS EASIER THAN FIXING THINGS

Breaking costly things is part of adult life. We find something useful, and use it. And it breaks. Sometimes they break themselves. If it breaks, we fix it, or throw it away and buy an updated version. The proud and the brave say, “Not me, man. If something breaks, I try to fix it before […]

TWITTER TALK DONE RIGHT

Twitter talk quoted: replying to @DavidGillaspie Museums are shit places to gain an understanding of history because colonizers build and fund them. T. Roosevelt is famous for that “Only good Indian is a dead Indian” quote, but apparently not famous enough. You are an old white man with a colonizer perspective. Some nerve. Me: Hey […]

HISTORY LESSONS? WHO SKIPPED THAT CLASS

History lessons come the hard way. All the dates and names pile up. We give up on history, and stop paying attention when history reads like a phone book. But once the connections hit and we start linking names, dates, and places, we seek out history lessons. I walked between the Portland Art Museum and […]

VIRTUAL VOLUNTEER MAKES AN OFFER TO REFUSE

What is a virtual volunteer? My wife and I were making quiche together. She seemed a little down. Earlier she’d asked me to bring the Halloween decorations tote downstairs. It struck me as an irony to decorate for a hands on holiday in the coronavirus era. I shared the feeling. No wonder she seemed a […]

MARRIED PEOPLE REVIEW: TRICK QUESTIONS OR NEW COMMITTMENTS

Five guys were going over the rules of married people with a past. The question was what to disclose to a wife and what to leave out. The men agreed that no good comes from giving too much personal history, but no one said why. I’ll help:

FAMILY MAN? WHO WERE YOU BEFORE THAT

Every man is a family man until it’s time to do what family men do. “But, Dave, what do family men do?” I’ll answer before you ask, because you were going to.

GREG STROBEL AWARDS MEDALS, CHANGES LIVES

In 1973, Greg Strobel was the best college wrestler in the NCAA Championship meet. The best of the best. A group of high school wrestlers from North Bend drove up to Seattle to watch the matches. We saw what greatness looked like toward the end of the finals when Greg Strobel stepped out on the […]

MATURE PATIENCE: AGING OUT OF THE SNIT FIT

Before we acquired mature patience, things were different. Everything was a new beginning, but not just new, bright and shiny new. And it was exciting. Truth to tell, bright and shiny new is still pretty damn exciting, but in a different way.

COUNTRY BAND, BLUES BAND, PLAY ‘EM IF YOU’VE GOT ‘EM

From a country band to blues band, it all started in the school band. I don’t know what makes others want to stand up and make noise, but for me it’ simple: have some fun. You remember fun? It’s spelled f – u – n.

PROFESSIONAL BLOGGER or HOBBY BLOGGER

A professional blogger reads the room, knows their audience, and edits like a crazy person. Being a professional means never getting caught mistaking to, too, or two. The same with they’re, there, and their. Accept and except, its and it’s fill out the card. Being a pro means taking greater interests in what moves the […]