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DO MORE? LIKE WHAT

March 13, 2026 by David Gillaspie

You need to do more to matter? That’s what you ask yourself when someone says, “You need to do more to matter.” Have you heard that? I still hear it and I’m not some spring chicken pecking my way around the pen. When is enough enough?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, big brother, classic, classic funny, coaching, college, confidence, deployed, do more, education, funny, graduated, judging, losses, opinion, sports, story, unmotivated, wins, writer, writers, writing

WE DON’T NEED NO EDUCATION, (FOR ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL)

March 8, 2026 by David Gillaspie

From twitterX: I get yelled at for saying this but for many hundreds of years people went to university not to get diplomas or be employable but because immersion in the humanities was considered foundational to a good life, and school must return to its original purpose: the joy of learning. Doesn’t that […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: college, college degrees, education, family, higher education, history, ivory tower, learning, learning experience, Love, millennials, no education, Oregon, Portland, Portland Oregon, story, university, vision, western history, writer, writers, writing

OLD SONG RINGS TRUE TODAY

March 4, 2026 by David Gillaspie

These are the opening lyrics of an old song, for what it’s worth: There’s something happening hereWhat it is ain’t exactly clearThere’s a man with a gun over thereA-telling me I got to beware That’s the name of the song, For What It’s Worth. Click the link for the live video.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, change, college, education, fuck ups, gangster, golden ticket, history, kids, learning, morons, old song, Oregon, Patty Hearst, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, revolution, Southern Oregon, story, travel, Vietnam, vietnam era, wife, writer, writers, writing

HOW TO OREGON DUCK FOOTBALL PLAYOFF AT AUTZEN

December 23, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Oregon Duck football begins where all college football begins: on campus. This is the lovely yard we passed on the way to Autzen from Max’s Tavern in Eugene, Oregon. The place was hopping with Duck shirts, Duck jersey’s, and a few James Madison people. One in our group spent their college years at University of […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: autzen, baby boomer, Baby Boomers, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, college, college football, designated driver, Duck football, duck football playoff, duck season, football, football destination, football fans, football game, football playoff, go ducks, how to, Oregon, Oregon duck football, Oregon Ducks, sports, Sports fans, sportsmanship, track town usa, University of Oregon football, writer, writers, writing

COLLEGE DIPLOMA, JUST ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER?

December 19, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Every time I open the sleeve and look at my college diploma it takes me back to another time. What time is that? The mid-70’s? Nooooo. Early 80’s? Noooo. But I started freshman year in 1973.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: academics, advanced degree, AI, America, American, american nobility, appointed officials, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, bachelor's, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, college, college diploma, education, equality, facebook, fraternity, history, landed gentry, learning, liberty, magna carta, master's, nobility, pfc gillaspie, PhD, public policy, U.S. Constitution, writer, writers, writing, youtube

HISTORY MAJORS DECLINING? SO WHAT

September 15, 2025 by David Gillaspie

History majors in decline is the story. ‘So what,’ is the response. Is there a historical reason for this? There’s always a historical reason for everything. Here’s the ‘so what’ part for you:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: anger, baby boomer, blame, boomer brain, college, cultural, dropout, education, emotional response, extra money, family, family event, fools, fun, help, higher education, historical, history, history major, history majors, learning, male emotion, school, shared conclusion, strike out, time, touchstone . cultural touchstone

THE UNITED FEELING FROM HERE

September 10, 2025 by David Gillaspie

I get that united feeling when I think about how much we all have in common. It’s a growing feeling, but still elusive when differences are strong. Fortunately, being different is a good thing, not a shame thing. We have that in common. But, still . . .

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, best friends, big accomplishment, black hat, blog traffic, blogger, china, Chinese, Chinese readers, college, common ground, cultural exchange, culture, disappointments, education, higher education, historical authority, military draft, new readers, nw history, old friends, personal blogger, readers, relatives, senior citizens, SEO, u.s. history, united feeling

LIFE STACK GETTING HEAVY? THEN WHAT

September 2, 2025 by David Gillaspie

I call it the life stack, all the stuff you look at every day, all the crap that just sits there. You look at it in passing. It’s not crowding you, not taking space better used for something else, but it carries reminders. Eventually you sound like someone who said, “I’ve had this hanging on […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: broke free, change, college, community warehouse, dumpster, education, empty space, far west metals, life, life stack, load, looking back, military career, overwhelmed, trash, truck, u-haul, unloaded gun, willpower

CLASSROOM TAXING FOR BOOMERS

July 19, 2025 by David Gillaspie

What’s the difference between a classroom and a business meeting? Both involve giving a report, turning in homework. Both require good listening skills. You hope you pass, or get promoted, in each of them. So, what’s the difference? Cash flow.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: breaking news, cash, cash flow, chronic problems, class, class time, classes, classroom, college, college educated, dividends, education, horse sense, interest, investment, knowledge, learning, necessities, public education, public school, reading, taxes, taxing, wisdom, work

“I HAD NO IDEA?” OK BOOMER

June 13, 2025 by David Gillaspie

At some point ‘no idea’ or ‘I have no idea’ is the wrong answer. You can use it as an excuse up to a point, up to a certain age, and it isn’t seventy. Too often I feel like I should have an answer to the hard questions, something better than raising the white flag […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: art, baby boomer, BOOMER, college, college degree, college education, education, granddad, grandkids, history, history of art, IDEA, knowledge, learned, learned answer, math, no idea, ok boomer, paris, qualification, resources, saint denis, science, works of art