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AMERICAN METAPHOR: TRY AND PAY ATTENTION

November 6, 2020 by

An American metaphor can be a traffic ticket that comes with certain instructions, the main one being pay up. Or a presidential election, but traffic ticket first. If a driver feels unfairly targeted, there’s a court option. Even if it’s fair and you know you are guilty, a court challenge could succeed if the ticketing […]

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EDUCATIONAL BREAKDOWN: “IF IT’S NOT BROKEN . . .”

November 5, 2020 by

I found this educational breakdown map on twitter. Is it accurate, or close enough? Social media accuracy is close enough without knowing when this was made and the data at the time. I’m not posting this to cheer the smart states or rag on the others, but to show how an educational breakdown of the […]

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SOFT AMERICA FLUFFS HISTORY AND LIKES IT LIKE THAT

November 4, 2020 by

What turns hard America to soft America? It starts with a poor role model for hard America, when a soft man portrays a tough guy. An aging man can be a comfort when they share the wisdom of experience, when they show up on time and ready to go, when they take their age into […]

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PRESIDENTIAL REVIEW FAIL FROM THE FIFTIES ONWARD

November 3, 2020 by

via amazon.com An Election Day presidential review sounds like a good idea? Here is one American’s remembrance of past presidents. Like a good boomer, I limited the scope to my lifetime. Opinions are my own, based on historical review from a history guy out of Portland State. Beginning in 1952, what are the lasting messages […]

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FATHER FIGURE OF THE FUTURE: VOTE BIDEN

November 2, 2020 by

The last time I talked to my step-dad, he was a father figure. He said he didn’t ask us boys to call him Dad. I called him Dad then. He was in an acute recovery facility after surgery during covid and smoke, I was outside his window talking through a screen. “You were a good […]

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WRITING AWARDS GIVEN FOR WORDS WRITTEN: VOTE BIDEN

November 1, 2020 by

The third grade writing awards from the fire department set me on my way. The framed paper hangs on my Wall of Fame as a reminder to do better. Do better in third grade? That’s when I learned the power of words. I copied a lymerick from a Johnny Hartford fire prevention magazine and printed […]

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MICROBRAND MARRIAGE? JOIN THE CLUB

October 31, 2020 by

A microbrand marriage is an extra tightener on the matrimonial knot. The idea came to me during an important conversation about the R word. Realionship. Getting married seeps into everything until it becomes the defining relationship we’ll be judged by. The “Good Husband,” and, “Good Wife,” pressure is easier to manage in a microbrand marriage. […]

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BOOMER GRANDMA CHANNELS GREAT GRANDMA EFFORTLESSLY

October 30, 2020 by

Boomer Grandma comes from a generation given the dubious credit of being the first totally self-absorbed demographic in American history. It’s quite a label to carry, but Boomer Grandma proves it wrong. Aren’t grandparents even allowed a little self-absorption? Boomer, please. Now Boomer Grandma carries an even heavier burden, if that’s possible. They are the […]

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VISIT GRANDMA FOR LESSONS SOONER THAN LATER

October 29, 2020 by

My Visit Grandma story is about the first woman elected to the Bend City Council in 1964. My Grandma. I was twelve and she was something. My grandparents were church people who abided by Presbyterian rules. They took it very seriously. As church people do, they made it a big part of their local reputation, […]

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PORTLAND OREGON FROM THE THIRD FLOOR

October 28, 2020 by

City lights in Portland Oregon brighten before sunrise, one window at a time, floor by floor, until an entire wall reveals the secret shadows behind steel and glass. Every city feels anonymous in the beginning. Tall buildings full of strangers become familiar in time. After that, it’s your town. A clear orange sky promises fall colors painted […]

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