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THE REAL WESTERN AMERICA OUT HERE IN OREGON

The real Western America isn’t Texas or California Readers around the world see the American west through movies. From John Wayne in his cowboy costume, to private eye Jack Nicholson in LA’s Chinatown, to policeman Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry franchise, they view the west through a distorted lens. Forget about the red rocks of Colorado, […]

ONE POINT LOSS ENDS OREGON DUCK SEASON

    The last game of the year turns Oregon Duck season sour at Final Four Get to the Final Four and lose, and you’re a loser. Get to the championship game and lose? You’re still a loser. If you don’t defend your championship the next season you’re a loser. See how often you can […]

BEAVERTON, PORTLAND’S EASTSIDE FOR ADULTS

  Beaverton sees Portland as a necessity of suburban life. They need a city nearby But it doesn’t work the other way around. Portland sees Beaverton in the same lot as Tigard, Lake Oswego, Gresham, even Vancouver. Suburbs feeding off the urban tube. You can defend any town, but a suburb takes more thought. Start […]

OREGON vs CAROLINA FINAL FOUR: THE CITIES

    Sports show off the cities when teams meet on the biggest stage. And who doesn’t like learning about new places? A game like an Oregon vs Carolina Final Four gives fans a chance to play Would You Rather. Would you rather live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, or live in Eugene, Oregon? A […]

JORDAN BELL: OREGON DUCKS’ BILL RUSSELL

  6’9″ Jordan Bell, same size as Bill Russell. Wiki quote from Bill Russell: “The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot.” Either Kansas had a bad shooting night, or Jordan Bell had a great game. (Bell’s Elite Eight stat line: […]

BLUE BLOOD COLLEGE BASKETBALL WITH A TOUCH OF GREEN

Who are college basketball blue bloods? Google college basketball blue bloods and who shows up. Teams wearing  blue. Just follow the blue to the blue bloods. Duke blue might be a stretch the past two years. The Oregon Fighting Ducks took them out big in last year’s Sweet 16. Beating the defending champion 82-68 wasn’t […]

LEARNING FROM WHERE YOU LIVE, PT.1: NORTH BEND

    Ask the North Bend question. In a reflective moment that soon passed, I asked my Dad which of us grew up in a rougher town. I felt certain he’d say his town, Ryderwood. Ryderwood was a logging camp town, a company town with a company store. The one thing all logging company towns […]

OKAY IT’S BROKEN TREATIES, BUT WE’RE STILL KEEPING THE LAND

Watching Broken Treaties on Oregon Public Broadcasting tonight? It’s no bedtime story. Too often we live in a bubble. Not much gets in and most of what we see is our own reflection. It’s not an ideal way of life, more a goal. Then the bubble pops and things change, like you’ve got things to […]

LEARNING TO LEARN PORTLAND BIG AND SMALL

  Life long learners need classes to learn Portland?   A New York man moved to Portland in his fifties. He returns to The City every year to find something new. “Just walk around the financial district in lower Manhattan and you can read the history of the area on the sidewalk,” he said. “I […]

MAN ANTHEM: COMMITMENT TO YOUR WOMAN, FAITH IN YOUR MAN

    Women looking for THE ONE need to apply the Man Anthem Test.   The notion of one Man Anthem, and only one, goes against the grain on most sites. The Good Men Project listed ten, as in top ten Man Anthems, with Queen’s We Are The Champions at #1. While I love the […]