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FENDER TELECASTER, MORE THAN A FEELING

May 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Playing notes and chords on a Fender Telecaster is an act of history. Even more if it’s a butterscotch Tele. Why? Because it has a legacy. It’s an historical artifact, a throwback, brought up to date every year. Playing one puts you in the legacy no matter how long, whether from 1950 to yesterday. But […]

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Time beginning, the MIDDLE, and end

May 23, 2026 by 1 Comment

Where is time beginning every day? Somewhere in England. I was there during one of my drives through the English countryside in a tiny Vauxhall with my wife and two gigantic teenagers inside. Did they enjoy their historical moments in the olde country, their strolls along legendary paths? Yes, they did.

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HIGH SCHOOL CLASS FOR PLUMB, LEVEL, AND SQUARE

May 18, 2026 by 2 Comments

The high school class I regret not taking? Shop. Woodworking. Construction. Why the regret? I bought a table saw. It’s piece of machinery people in their thirties and forties buy because there’s something missing in their life: They’ve never built anything. The table saw is also famous for kick-backs that send a piece of lumber […]

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OLD PORTLAND, YOUNG PARENTS

May 8, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Make that old Portland, youngish parents. Or not so old Portland, and not so young parents. We weren’t teenagers, but if you ever want to feel like one push a stroller around downtown. With two kids it’s like a double punishment, like sent to your room AND missing dinner. What else?

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BABY BOOMER CRY TOWEL

May 1, 2026 by

Who else needs a cry towel? Everyone. Who admits it? Not everyone. The problem is not everyone had a cry towel when it counted. Like when they were a baby. You can see it in people who think of kids as just another mouth to feed. Instead of the biggest thing ever, that baby found […]

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DO WHAT MATTERS BECAUSE YOU MATTER

April 16, 2026 by

When you find yourself asking ‘what really matters anymore’ the correct answer is ‘You matter,’ which isn’t a problem until you start doing weird shit to prove it. Like what? Look around, get the news, and some days it seems like there’s an effort being made to make you feel like you don’t matter. How […]

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BUSY LIFE IN THE FAST LANE, PASSING LANE, OR . . .

March 28, 2026 by

A busy life means making a difference to someone, to something, to somewhere. Take your pick. Pick more than one. What you can’t pick is anyone else’s priorities for their busy life. You can try, but why?

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QUIET LIFE STARTER KIT

March 19, 2026 by

Does a quiet life begin with keeping quiet? If so, how’s it going? Or does it mean something else? Let’s go with something else:

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NORTH BEND IN THE OREGON HISTORY CENTER

March 10, 2026 by

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.

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OLD SONG RINGS TRUE TODAY

March 4, 2026 by

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.

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