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NORTH BEND HEROES START HERE

 Calling North Bend a small town is a disservice to real small towns everywhere. Driving south on 101 and crossing the North Bend Bridge takes you under this sign. If you’re not paying close attention and keep going the same direction, the entire area of the largest metro complex on the Oregon coast feels like […]

READING HISTORY LIKE IT MEANS SOMETHING?

Reading history is the same as reading a story, but it comes with a bonus: You can check the validity of the history story, check the sources, visit the places history happened and is still happening. When old people check sources it’s because they have nothing else to do? Baby boomers visit historical sites not […]

DIFFERENT SOLDIERS? HOW DIFFERENT

The men in uniform during WWII were different soldiers, different kind of people. The Axis powers carried an extreme devotion to duty, an extreme devotion to their emperor, and an extreme devotion to cruelty over helpless victims. By the way, this isn’t new, not breaking news, but a reminder for short-memoried morons who ought to […]

GAINING CONFIDENCE, losing confidence

The thing about confidence, gaining confidence, is making it personal. Something bothers you until you do something about it, then it doesn’t bother you. As much. Whether you fixed a problem, or not, you did something. That’s a win in the davidpdx book, blog, post, something. It’s win.

WATCHING NEWS, KEEPING CURRENT

We’ve been watching news, keeping an eye on things, staying current. Nothing gets by us. With a pump in a water-tank, we find the flow. My school friends and I all believe a water pump in our tank is an essential service. It’s a big part of what keeps us alive and thriving, that and […]

THE LEADING AGE, I MEAN LEADING EDGE

The leading age comes after long years of experience, and putting it into practice for the benefit of others. The best blacksmith in town learns to pound steel into the correct form and he teaches others the same skill before his elbow sidelines him. The best woodworker shapes stock into useful pieces and helps others […]

MUSIC MUSCLE: USE IT OR LOSE IT

Where is the music muscle? In your fingertips? In your ear? In your voice? No wrong answer here. It’s all three, but there’s still something missing. Whether it’s ambient noise, sounds, notes, or whether it’s so important you buy tickets and make travel plans, there’s something about music I still don’t get. On one hand […]

THE ART OF FRIENDSHIP, OR WHY YOU DON’T HAVE ANY FRIENDS

If you want to experience friendship, have friends, be generous. Loan money, loan tools, loan your car. That’s also the way to experience friendlessness when they don’t repay, return, and crash your car. The other way is spending time together. My wife says I don’t have any friends because the only people I spend time […]

UNDERSTANDING REGIONAL EMOTIONS BY WEATHER

My California girl wife discovered regional emotions in her business. With empathy and experience she learned more about people by where they we’re from than where they are. I helped out with my research, and The Beach Boys. She grew up in the next town over from them.

NW PORTLAND FROM 1980 TO YESTERDAY

I take snap shots of NW Portland, not out of nostalgia but celebration, where you walk past buildings like this block after block. It’s the only area in town where authentic city life happens, where new people arrive, settle in, and walk from apartment to work. That’s the plan, the dream, and when it works […]