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WHAT A WONDERFUL PORTLAND WORLD, pt 1

Louis Armstrong sang What A Wonderful World before Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, but both know how to bring it home. I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom, for me and you. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world. This was the opening song for an unforgettable Saturday.

BELLY DANCER MEANS THE PARTY STARTED

The right belly dancer makes all the difference. There is no wrong belly dancer, is there? Watching a classically trained belly dancer is confusing at best. They’re so good with so much going on it makes you dizzy. The scarves, the finger cymbals, the harem clothes all work together. It’s too much, which makes it […]

BABY BOOMERS RUINED AMERICA? NO, YOU DID.

When you hear how ruined America is and agree, it means one thing. If it’s not poisoned air, poisoned water, or broken bridges, it’s broken morals. Pick one to work on first. Did you pick yourself? Not yet? Give it another try. In the meantime, poisoned air from art glass factories isn’t the same as […]

KANYE WEST, ENTREPRENEUR LEADERSHIP

Finding the best funding means Entrepreneur Leadership. Asking for money is one thing. It’s all part of entrepreneur leadership. Asking rich guys for money? That’s another thing. Asking famous rich guys for money when you’re a famous rich guy who says he’s $53 million down? That’s Kanye West reaching out to money with big names […]

BABY BOOMER HISTORY: PRESIDENTS SINCE 1946

Baby boomers showed up in 1946, Presidents since 1946. From the drama of the golden baby boomer decade, the psychedelic Sixties, you’d think Nixon was the only president that mattered. Or Lyndon Johnson. But good history fans hark back to Harry Truman in 1946. Harry ‘The Buck Stops Here’ Truman welcomed the first wave of […]

MUSEUM ARTIFACTS DON’T BELONG IN TOILETS

If you have something worthy of a museum artifacts collection, keep it safe. A museum joke that bears repeating: This is George Washington’s hatchet he used to chop down the cherry tree. The handle’s been replaced six time, the head four, but it represents the same space. Funny stuff. I think it came from Saturday […]

CRUISING PORTLAND CANCER CLUSTER: AN URBAN EVENT

Does the name Portland Cancer Cluster sound like run for your life? Should it? One lovely afternoon I sat in a Division Ave food court/food cart pod for a beer with a dear friend. We were surrounded by the sounds of urban joy that make Portland such a desirable location. Young moms and dads talked […]

IS COLLEGE EDUCATION A TRUST FACTOR?

Do you trust people with more college education than you?   The old rule was get a college education and get a good job. A college degree opened doors. A high school diploma used to be the ticket to success. What changed? Boomers used to work high school education level jobs during their summer college […]

A LITERARY PANEL FOR WILLAMETTE WRITERS

Three literary journal editors address Willamette Writers in Portland. Nothing cramps a writer’s brain more than one question: What is the secret to getting published in a literary journal? If you’re looking for the gold standard of publication, literary journals shine bright. Get a piece of writing published there and you join the literary crowd. […]

MALHEUR BLUES

Malheur Blues (inspired by Bad Moon Rising)   Out on the Malheur Reservation Some men are getting set to die Surrounded by national attention Who now are asking questions why   Don’t drive after dark Leave your truck in park Don’t make yourself an easy mark   Pull out your pocket Constitution Demand that you […]