page contents Google

REMEMBER TO VOTE: BE SOMEBODY

Remember to vote at this late date. Late? Well, this is the last day to drop ballots at collection sites. Mine dropped yesterday. Felt pretty good.

HIGH SCHOOL CLASS FOR PLUMB, LEVEL, AND SQUARE

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 […]

SHARING SPECIAL DAYS, EVERY LAST ONE

Special days have special meaning which don’t hit the same for everyone. For some it’s repeating, “Why bother,” for the fortieth time. Others like to say, “I thought we’ve moved past all that.” But you still find those looking for something special in every day, and keep looking until they find it. Hell or high […]

DIFFERENT SOLDIERS? HOW DIFFERENT

The men in uniform during WWII were different soldiers, different kind of people. The Axis powers carried an extreme devotion to duty, an extreme devotion to their emperor, and an extreme devotion to cruelty over helpless victims. By the way, this isn’t new, not breaking news, but a reminder for short-memoried morons who ought to […]

RECLAIMING MY TIME ON SOUTHERN OREGON COLLEGE SIXTY-FIVE YEARS LATER

Southern Oregon College Graduating Class of 1960: My dad. He transferred after two years at Central Oregon Community College in Bend. It was a well used path to the first college degree in his family. He was thirty years old, an old 30. Back then thirty was older, fifty was a grandparent. Hit sixty and […]

GAINING CONFIDENCE, losing confidence

The thing about confidence, gaining confidence, is making it personal. Something bothers you until you do something about it, then it doesn’t bother you. As much. Whether you fixed a problem, or not, you did something. That’s a win in the davidpdx book, blog, post, something. It’s win.

THE LEADING AGE, I MEAN LEADING EDGE

The leading age comes after long years of experience, and putting it into practice for the benefit of others. The best blacksmith in town learns to pound steel into the correct form and he teaches others the same skill before his elbow sidelines him. The best woodworker shapes stock into useful pieces and helps others […]

MUSIC MUSCLE: USE IT OR LOSE IT

Where is the music muscle? In your fingertips? In your ear? In your voice? No wrong answer here. It’s all three, but there’s still something missing. Whether it’s ambient noise, sounds, notes, or whether it’s so important you buy tickets and make travel plans, there’s something about music I still don’t get. On one hand […]

SERVING BITTER TRUTH ON SPECIAL WITH A SIDE OF MOVE ALONG

What’s worse than seeing a big strong man taken down by bitter truth and forced to accept responsibility for their actions? They say what they need to say, then say it again when more details come out. And there’s always more details. I’m left asking why this happens so often? It’s disturbing, disruptive, and ultimately […]

LESSON PLAN FOR TODAY: COMMON HISTORY

First we review what makes up a lesson plan. Wiki says:   A lesson plan is a teacher’s detailed description of the course of instruction or “learning trajectory” for a lesson. A daily lesson plan is developed by a teacher to guide class learning. Details will vary depending on the preference of the teacher, subject […]