page contents Google

OREGON HISTORICAL: JOB THREE OF FIVE

Oregon Historical is the third of a five part series inspired by a twitter post asking to list five jobs. From mill work, to army medic, a museum job was a perfect fit. The idea started from three thousand miles away.

GREEN CHAIN DANCER TELLS SISTER STORY

The green chain in the local plywood mill called for me after freshman year in college. I had a college loan and the job was the best for paying it off and putting money away for sophomore year. I was the new guy on the swing shift crew in 1974 with men who enjoyed a […]

EARLY SCHOOL RIVALRIES FUEL LIFETIME OF CONTENTION

Early school rivalries explain so much about how we interact with one another. I started school at sea level; the rivalry schools were on higher ground. That’s where kids from the fancy part of town learned how important they were and why they were better. At least that was the theory in first grade. Sports […]

GRACELESS BEHAVIOR: APOLOGIZING FOR MALE PATTERN RUDENESS

What better example of graceless behavior than an old man stealing a seat from women? Yes, it’s a small thing, but still a symptom of a greater ill. Graceless behavior is not about equal rights.

SUPPLY CHAIN BLUES ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY

A supply chain brings the stuff, the things we can’t live without. Large and small, long and short, it’s stuff that is researched and designed, approved and produced, then boxed and shipped. A strong chain delivers quality on time; then there’s the other supply chains.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL FINAL: HOW ABOUT THOSE OREGON DUCKS

The Oregon Ducks didn’t play in the college football finals last night. Neither did Oklahoma. Today the final rankings came out. Oregon was #5 in the polls that matter, #7 in a network poll where the people probably didn’t stay awake for PAC12 games, and #6 in a poll of experts last updateD in early […]

THE HEATER AND THE OREGON HEAT

On a chilly Oregon Sunday, known as Wild Card Weekend in the NFL, my heater died. I had no Oregon heat. My palace was cold. Like every writer known to man, I was working and didn’t notice until I felt the air conditioning kick in. Except the cool breeze came from the furnace fan, minus […]

THE SUN DEVILS SHOCKER OVER OREGON

The Sun Devils did their best to ruin Oregon’s playoff run. And they did it during my first visit to Frank Kush Field. As a sports fan, I had great seats for the biggest football game of the year. My takeaways from the night were more than game results. To start, the Ducks and Sun […]

BOOMER TRAFFIC SCHOOL

INSPIRED BY When you move to the suburbs, remember this: You’re not the first. You’ll find long-term residents in your new town whose parents and grandparents all went to the schools your kids will attend. They’re not used to new people. When you tell them you moved from Portland’s inner-eastside, they’ll look at you like […]

CAGE FIGHT SHOWS GOOD MANNERS

The line outside a symphony hall finds civilized people on their best behavior, looking good and full of hope for a night to remember. It’s a well-dressed crowd on Broadway, a shuffling queue of elites found in cities around the world where even a mugger might receive a gracious thank you. By elite, I mean […]