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THE MENTAL GREAT DIVIDE

The great divide is a function of nature. It’s also called the continental divide. From a geological stand point it where water in the form of rain or snow flows toward either the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific. To help illustrate how this works hold your hand flat, then give it a quarter turn and […]

CHANGING TIMES, LIKE LAST TIME

Changing times can break you. “You can only pull out of the times what the times will give you. “You create out of your experience. “If your experiences are the same as the guys’ next door and he ain’t doin’ nothin’, then you aren’t going to be doing much either.” Bob Dylan

HIGHER EDUCATION MORE AFFORDABLE OVERSEAS?

Higher education has never been more affordable according to the spam on boomerpdx. My special knowledge spam comes with a twist of learning. I knew writing about college would sink in somewhere, just not here:

AGREEING TO AGREE? WHEN DOES THAT EVER HAPPEN

Agreeing to agree doesn’t seem like much to the uninitiated. It gets tricky when you agree with people you’ve never thought much of; you know, disagreeable people. Tricky and stunning when the role call of those to agree with brings a cast of characters together. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like an unusual […]

CANCER TREATMENT CHALLENGES IN 2025

Cancer treatment. Are there two more frightening words in any vocabulary? If you have any friends or family in it, you know. But, if it’s never touched up anyone you know, they are only words. Just words in passing.

LINES CROSSED? DRAW A BETTER LINE

Lines crossed is a warning” “Don’t cross that line, bro.” But who listens to that? It’s just a line, isn’t it? This is called ‘learning from experience.’

SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT I DON’T KNOW

‘Smart enough’ is a fair goal in education. It’ll take you where you want to go, and help avoid places you don’t want to go. There’s a self-serving element to it when you like school so much you go to college to become a teacher. Or, you like kids enough to give them a better […]

VALUABLE ASSET? ASK THE MAGNA CARTA

What is the most valuable asset we possess? I believe it is self esteem, self worth. In fact, I count on it in myself and others. Good self esteem in others means they know how to behave themselves in public. I was thinking about it during a recent Costco run that included a chat with […]

CRAFTSMEN KNOW HOW TO WORK, ARTIST KNOW WHEN TO STOP

Craftsmen know their work, the ins and outs, the customs and traditions; they know the lay of the land. The good news is you can tell a good craftsman by their work. As a young history worker I inventoried a donation of hand tools used to build the wooden ships of old. The toolbox was […]

GILBERT HOUSE IN SALEM: CHILDREN’S MUSEUM, ADULT PLAYTIME, OR BOTH

The Gilbert House Children’s Museum is fun for kids, a way for them to see new things in a new context. Gather up the kids and grandkids for an afternoon of the usual? Nope, not at the Gilbert House. There’s something undeniably sweet going on there for the big kids, the adults.