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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 […]

OLD STANDARDS UNDER STRAIN? HOLD MY BEER

Old standards are only for old people. Wrong. What’s wrong is the idea of standards, which I’ll clear up right now in case there’s any doubt: The Standard is the standard, no matter the age, young, or old. Got it? Good. So what exactly is The Standard?

HONOR CODE FOR WHEN YOU ‘KNOW BETTER’

An ‘honor code’ has always sounded like a ‘pinky promise.’ That’s when someone tells a secret and you hook pinkies to never tell. Ever. Is a pinky promise bigger and more important than an honor code? Hmmmmm?

REAL PEOPLE FROM HISTORY

Real history gets more realistic when granddaughters tell about their family. I’ve got grandkids. Maybe you’ve got grandkids, too? Imagine them in the future, telling your story. What would it sound like? This comes from a comment on Stumbling Stones Of Harsh History:

PUSHING YOUR BOUNDARIES? NOT TOO FAR

Do you know your boundaries, and how far to push? I reviewed some yesterday. Maybe one. As a fitness fan who also likes taking it easy, I sometimes go too far. To far one way with a slack day, or two; too far another day with too much. Here’s how it worked out yesterday:

NATIONAL PRIDE FROM THE BACK ROW

The idea of national pride usually comes from where you were brought up, and who raised you. My sense of things comes from growing up in small town America, raised by parents who came from even smaller towns. The sophisticate in the family was Grandma, who grew up in Dallas, Texas, graduated high school as […]

POLITICAL HISTORY = HISTORY

When you consider historical facts, when you read history, you’re reading political history. With any luck, what you read is put together by someone who has read and understands the role of politics. What is that role? Creating a just and vibrant society for the greatest number of people. But that’s just my opinion.

LIVING HERE? LIVING THERE? KEEP IT UP

Whether living here, or wherever, it’s getting easier to see a different image, where things look tight. How tight? Reddit has an idea of how tight. But I’m thinking tighter with more people in smaller spaces. I’ll start at the beginning, a one room ‘studio’ on NW Lovejoy, Portland, Oregon at the top of a […]