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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 […]

IAN KARMEL’S BOOMER GYM ALERT

Based On Ian Karmel And Everything As F##k: A Warning Voice From His Generation To Boomers. Too many fitness fanatics urge us to better health. And we ignore them. You can’t ignore Ian Karmel. The Portland comedian and Portland Mercury columnist writes about his gym experience, the same gym experience boomers have been dodging. What […]

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT OSCAR GOES TO?

Who deserves the Oscar for the Affordable Care Act? Health insurance used to be simple when I was young. At least it seemed simple. Mom and Dad took me to the doctor when things looked funky, like my collarbone. Things break on kids, like bones when they fly through the air and land awkwardly. Have […]

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boomer years

BOOMER AND THE BOMB

Every August Brings The Atomic Winds Of The Bomb Howling Out Of History. History is more than binge watching the Hitler Channel with a few War In The Pacific shows tossed in for balance. If history is your passion, but you aren’t a history major with an advanced degree, your opinion still matters. Every August […]

Baby Boomer Oregon Histories

If it was good enough for Ken Kesey, it’s good enough for you. The question: Where are the Oregon stories and why don’t we hear more of them? At least Kesey kept it in state with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Sometimes A Great Notion. Blame it on confusion. Oregon is not England no matter what the […]

How Teamwork Is Supposed To Work In Real Life

    A team is a temporary group with the same goals. Whether it’s sports, school, work, or family, it’s important to know how teamwork is supposed to work.   The biggest element of teamwork is cooperation, which is in shorter supply than most expect.   For example, in the armed forces all entities compete […]

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buckle up

PEARL TAVERN, JOEY HARRINGTON, GERDING THEATER

What makes a baby boomer date night better than the Pearl Tavern, Joey Harrington, and a play at the Gerding Theater? Not much. At least you’ll start out knowing one of the three is a good bet. All boomers love looking back and remembering the good old days. Since we already see Joey Harrington in […]

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.           […]

BILTMORE: BIG MONEY BUILDS A BIG HOUSE

    Sneaking up on the big Biltmore House The first question is appearance. Not the house, you. What do you wear if you’re visiting the biggest privately owned house in America? This isn’t Disneyland and Sleeping Beauty Castle, so shorts and flip flops aren’t good enough? If that’s true, you’ll find dress code violations […]

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