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OLD STANDARDS UNDER STRAIN? HOLD MY BEER

February 21, 2026 by David Gillaspie

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?

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WAY OF LIFE. WHOSE WAY OF LIFE?

February 20, 2026 by David Gillaspie

I hear the words ‘way of life’ and automatically think of tribes deep in the Amazon who have never been out of the jungle. Instead of the variety of life found in America, I go straight to pre-contact indigenous people, who of course have had contact since we know of them. Pre-contact? Amazon jungle? In […]

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OREGON LAVA CAST FOREST ADVENTURE? LET’S GO

February 19, 2026 by David Gillaspie

The Lava Cast Forest in Oregon is not for the weak of heart. I say this based on the traffic I encountered on the way in and on the way out. One car sat in the parking lot when we arrived, one car showed up as we left. Suspicious? Not much, but you never know.

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AGING FEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME

February 18, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Aging fear kicks in when you start wondering about tomorrow. Will you be there for it? Why wouldn’t you? Oh, that’s why.

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CHILDHOOD ENDING LEADS TO BLURRED LINES

February 17, 2026 by David Gillaspie

A childhood ending comes in several varieties. The people you meet in early childhood often signal the end later. It might be a parent, a teacher, or the latest bully on the block. All of them are the problem, beginning with parents.

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BAD PERSONALITY, OR JUST A BAD DAY

February 12, 2026 by David Gillaspie

The last time you had an exchange with someone that didn’t go well and left you wondering, ‘do they have a bad personality, or was it a bad moment in a bad day?’ It’s a fair question, but only if you never see them again. If you see them regularly, you know. So do they. […]

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BE INSPIRED BY SEEKING INSPIRATION

February 11, 2026 by David Gillaspie

To be inspired you have to seek it? What about seeing something accidentally, or unexpected, that hits just right? For some it’s a sunset, a beautiful sunset, the most incredible sunset since the night before. Call it inspirational, and you like it because it makes you feel inspired. Then what? Drinks? Take me for example:

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PLAY ACTING STOPPAGE

February 10, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Acting? Play acting? Playing? What’s the difference when an actor is playing a part? I’ve seen the difference from my third row center season tickets at The Armory. For years my wife and mother in-law were theater buddies, two outgoing ladies of a certain age parking underground, riding up in elevators, and walking the cement sidewalks […]

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RISK AVOIDANCE FOR WASHINGTON POST IN BEZOS’ WORLD? WRITER PLEASE

February 8, 2026 by David Gillaspie

The only risk avoidance for the Washington Post firings, layoffs, retirements? Avoid holding their place at the top of the print media pyramid. No matter the metric, The Washington Post was among the top five, if not top three with The NY Times and Wall Street Journal. Maybe it will stay up there, but not […]

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FIGURE THINGS OUT BY WRITING THEM DOWN? OKAY BOOMER

February 6, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Is it true you can figure things out by writing them down, or is there more to it? Who said, “I don’t know what I think until I write it down?” Who? Don’t panic, it was Joan Didion. I know questions make some people nervous. (Me) From National Public Radio:

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