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EMOTIONAL RESCUE? BUDDY, IT’S JUST A GUITAR

An emotional rescue always happens at the same time. Guaranteed. First, we go through some things, then some more things. Just to keep it interesting, we go through even more things. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good, sometimes in between. I’m focusing on ‘sometimes in between.’ Why? As a constantly adjusting guy in a constantly […]

WATCHING TELEVISION AND WONDERING IF ‘THE ONE’ IS RIGHT

Watching television with my wife usually means murder mystery. The English-ier the better. Lately we’ve drifted into Law and Order: SVU. It’s always full of grizzly details that makes my skin crawl. Most recently we saw The One and my skin is still crawling. Is it good question to ask? Do you think you’re The […]

ASIAN AMERICANS ARE AS AMERICAN AS IT GETS

Asian Americans are as American as it gets. I’ve said it twice. Fight me. Hate crimes against elderly Asian Americans is not a sport, not a statement, but an act of cowardice and ignorance committed by the sort of people we’ve seen too much of. Who are they? Who might be joining them? It’s people […]

BULLDOG STRONG, PASS IT ALONG

Bulldog strong is what happens in North Bend, Oregon. It probably happens everywhere else, but Bulldog strong lasts a lifetime. So far. The best way to tell if you’ve got some Bulldog in you? Do hard things, then reflect on where the credit goes after you get over yourself. For example:

WRITING ROOM: FROM FAMILY ROOM TO SICK ROOM AND BACK

A writing room is any room where writing is done. It’s a bedroom, a classroom, or living room. It could be a bar or coffee house; a bus or train. Some writing rooms belong to writers who need ‘consistency of place’ to be productive. How can you be sure your writing room is right for […]

STORY CATCHER IN THE WRITING ROOM NOT SO WRY

J.D. Salinger was a story catcher who wrote books. One of them sells like new today: Approximately 250,000 copies of The Catcher in the Rye are sold each year – which is almost 685 per day! The Catcher in the Rye was first published in 1951. That’s quite a record for keeping readers coming back. […]

GREAT MEMORIES ADVICE: FROM ONE LIFE STAGE TO THE NEXT

Great memories ought to inform current decisions. After all, if you have great memories you cherish, why not add to them? Moving along life’s stages, from one to the next, from being a kid, to teenager, to young adult, to middle age, to senior, fills up a big wagon of memories to pull along. Did […]

SATURDAY FIGHTS: MMA BLOOD STAINS THE OCTAGON

Saturday fights on ESPN lined up match after match, finishing with title fights. Not boxing, not wrestling, but Mixed Martial Arts. If that’s not the Big Time for UFC, Ultimate Fighting Championship, what is?

MASK SAFETY ADVICE? IT STARTED BEFORE COVID AROUND HERE

Mask safety feels a little redundant after a year, as if slow learners are leading the way, and it’s going astray. To clear things up, point to a mask and what it means. Give it a good look. It’s a blue mask, a white mask, a cloth mask, or an N95 mask. That mask, worn […]

OREGON PIONEER, GOLD MAN, GOLDEN LOGGER, THAT GUY

The Oregon Pioneer atop the Salem capitol dome is every boy who grew up in the golden era of Oregon logging when you could drop out of high school, get a job in the woods, then buy a house, a truck, and a boat. All you had to do was show up early and do […]