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BASIC APPRECIATION OF COMMON THINGS

A basic appreciation is important for context.
Things are usually more complicated than they seem.
A brick is a brick, just some fired up mud, until you see them working together.
In the hands of a skilled craftsman, a brick is a jewel.
What else deserves a second look? A towel rack.
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TALKING DOWN TO SOMEONE? WHY

How can you tell when someone is talking down to you?
It might be the clarification questions you ask that gets them annoyed to the point of explaining everything a few times, very slowly.
Or it might their regular way of communicating.
Which leads to more questions, like, “Why be a jerk?
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FALLING LEAVES OF AUTUMN

Falling leaves are the rule of the season.
The only place without a carpet of leaves is a parking garage.
But that’s Oregon, famous for trees.
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toughen up

GYM MEMORIAL FOR BOOMERS

  The first thing you notice in a new gym is the pecking order. Strong guys group together. Old guys over there. Young men pumping out the reps. Ladies all over the place on every piece of equipment.   Women have the gym all figured out. Guys not so much.   Over time a few […]

SNAP, CRACKLE, POP: WAKING UP OLD AND MOBILE

Fight waking up old by not moving? Oh those magic moment between sleep and awake. You could be any age at any place and be a vital force. So you don’t move to enjoy the moment as long as it lasts. Then you swing out of bed. Your back cracks. Take a step and your […]

GET A JUMP START ON GLOBAL WARMING IN THE ARIZONA DESERT

The Arizona desert feels like the future of global warming. I’m not complaining about one hundred ten degree days, and neither is the cactus. But how much hotter would it get if global warming trends continue? Check the temps next week. The weather news calls for potential records. My home turf in Oregon gets record […]

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boomer years

TALK WHEN THE TIME’S RIGHT, LIKE NOW

To Baby Boomers, Their Parents, And Grandparents: Talk when the time’s right. A recent read revealed the sad tale of one person wishing they had taken the time to speak to their parents more often. They wished they knew their folks better. Of course the person was a baby boomer. They had more regret than […]

YAHOO CALLS OUT BABY BOOMER DEBT

Why can’t they get the numbers right. UPDATE: Baby Boomer Birth Years run from 1946-1964. It’s more a reminder than an update, which is important when a Yahoo writer fits boomers age into the 65-74 age bracket. I’ll do the math. The youngest boomers turn fifty this year. Their life span runs from 1964-2014. So […]

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT: TWO BABY BOOMERS TALK ABOUT IT

The last question you want to ask a combat vet is, “Did you kill anyone?” Just figure they did and if they want you to know, they’ll tell you. The last thing you want to ask a boomer is, “Did your parents and teachers physically abuse you as a child?” We come from an era […]

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buckle up

Travel Bans From History, Who Should Be Banned

    Travel bans tend to be specific in terms of where to go and where not to go.   Travel bans say one thing: Don’t go there, girlfriend. Stay away, pal.   Like a dress code in the NY disco dancing prime time of the late ’70’s, while punk rock was getting ready to […]

PDX BRIDGES NEW & OLD

The new pedestrian bridge brings new views of Portland. The view of the freeway looking south. To find it from I-5 north, take the Ross Island Bridge exit and snake around. Park your car before you make the right turn to the Ross Island ramp and you can’t miss it.           […]

PORTLAND PLANNING VIEW FROM SOUTH WATERFRONT

    Does the top pic look anything like a Portland planning Christmas card? Stacked apartments dot the SW Portland landscape like a vision of Chicago from the Sears Tower.   That’s not the welcome mat Portland planning rolls out for new pioneers. Where’s that world famous food cart court next to a tap room? […]

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