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HIKING BABY BOOMER PORTLAND, pt 1

Not one to miss a chance to reflect positively, I strolled Portland’s upper west side from 11th and PSU to the Central Library. It makes sense on the first Tuesday of each month. That’s when Willamette Writers, the largest writing organization in the state, holds its month meeting. I head down early on those days […]

THE LOMBARDI TROPHY, BRANDING EXCELLENCE

The Oregon Historical Society And The NFL. The most important rule of success is finding the right formula and repeating it. No need to follow failure. You’ve got that covered. If branding is your goal with either a product or a name, learn from the best. Take a lesson from the National Football League, the […]

HOW TO DATE THE STANLEY CUP IN PORTLAND

Spending Time With The Most Elusive Trophy In The World. Back when I wrote a post on Portland hockey, history boss Kerry Tymchuk said the Oregon Historical Society was bringing the Stanley Cup to town. It was a little hush-hush. Things could go wrong in that deal and everyone hoping to see it would be […]

WHEN OLD SCENERY GETS A BIRD’S EYE VIEW

Seeing Is Believing If you get sick, you quarantine yourself. Either you don’t want to get others sick, or you don’t want to hear them ask, “How do you feel,” over and over. Eventually you want to get out of the sick house. In Oregon you’re only a few miles away from spectacular scenery. It […]

WHEN PERSONAL HISTORY GETS BLURRED

BLAME THE CAMERA Before selfies you had to trust someone else with the job. Some shots worked out better than others. On this day Senator Hatfield traveled to NW 14th and Everett in Portland, Oregon. He came to deliver his papers to the Oregon Historical Society. What was it like meeting one of Oregon’s greats? […]

OREGON’S HOCKEY HISTORY

When you play the game, play to win. Every business, institution, and individual have one thing in common: If you’ve heard of them, they’re doing something right. They matter. To what degree they matter is the next question, which often depends on branding. Consider sports branding as a current model for success. Not everyone understands, or enjoys, a rabid […]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OREGON

What do you get your state for Valentine’s Day? How about a book? A recent article in the Sunday Oregonian’s Arts and Entertainment section highlighted four books about Oregon. Slavery In The Northwest shows an Oregon past that’s glossed over far too often. Sure Oregon was a great destination for midwestern farmers on the move. […]

Ben Affleck or George Clooney, A Monumental Man Dilemma

Which Actor / Director / Producer Works Best For The Next Epic WWII Script? Here on the outskirts of civilization the choice of who would do Flying Home justice grows more complicated. Both Affleck and Clooney won Oscars for producing Argo. Both know Hollywood inside out. George seems to like people for who they are, not what they […]

Powell’s Books, Phillip Margolin, And Worthy Brown’s Daughter

Listen to a man say he writes but only took one college writing class. He admits to grinding out a C+, then says he’d like to talk to an MFA fiction expert one day to learn how writing really works. The same man tried writing historical fiction for thirty years. He took one history class. If the main question of history is, […]

When Baby Boomers Need Advice They Ask Boomers. How About You

Every month a group meets to discuss their entrepreneurial progress. Why? Because there’s something magical about belonging to a group of motivated people breaking new ground. Most are baby boomers, or have the spirit. They’ve broken new ground, old ground, and everything else most of their lives. If they’re not all boomers, then they’ve earned […]