page contents Google

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 […]

BIGGER PICTURE, FUZZY FOCUS

Looking hard at the bigger picture takes attention away from the small stuff. Everyone complains about hair loss, overweight, under motivated, but forget their sense of freedom to itch, eat, and flop around. The solution comes to everyone and it’s never the same. Do this for that, but not too much, not too often, and […]

MADE IN FOR THE WIN

Made In cookware made it to my house in a roundabout way. When I called customer service there was nothing roundabout about it. I was left wishing every exchange could be so welcoming. Here’s how it went:

BORING, TRIVIAL, POINTLESS LIFE? GOOD JOB

Doing a good job means what? Following orders and delivering a finished product according to the highest standards of the industry? Let’s not get carried away. How about finishing on time with something that works the way it’s supposed to work? You can do that and your masterpiece at the same time. If you don’t […]

NORTH BEND IN THE OREGON HISTORY CENTER

This is North Bend in 1940. Something is missing, though. I-5 is missing, but there’s something else. These baby boomers and their memory, you never know what you’re getting.

LUNAR NEW YEAR AND MORE IN PORTLAND

My small group of five went to the Lunar New Year Parade in downtown Portland. Yes, that Portland. If you’ve heard about it and wonder, it’s not a smoldering city rocked by insurrection. But it was rocking. After living in bigger cities where most people visit and leave, including Portland, I was thrilled to see […]

ELDERLY TRUTHS FROM OLD MAN

I watched a video clip of an old man speaking elderly truths. He looked good in his v-neck sweater and button down collared shirt. He said he was ninety-one in the most sincere way. His talk was aimed at the younger crowd, you know, around seventy. Made me feel like a teenager.

STORY SHAPE: MORE SAG IN THE MIDDLE?

Story shape and physical fitness have that in common, the middle. From the beginning of ‘good fortune,’ the main character has a few moments until things dip downward. Think of the fanatical diet and exercise demon losing their edge in a Las Vegas buffet and taking off from the high dive into the Mexican, Italian, […]

TAXES PAID, SERVICES DELIVERED, AMERICAN DREAM

You settle back after you close the books on your taxes paid and that new life waiting just around the corner. Those taxes are the money paid to live the American Dream. Who among us thinks of taxes paid every time we get jolted driving over another gaping pothole? “Why do I bother when they […]

AMERICAN IMMERSION CLASS STARTS NOW

An American immersion class is more than how to fold a flag without dragging it in the dirt. Still, when you do get to that part don’t drag it in the dirt. No, my friends, an immersion class begins with requirements. Just as we’ve seen in old WWII movies, you need to know a few […]