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ALL DOGS MATTER, NORTH BEND BULLDOGS MATTER MORE

February 22, 2017 by

  Of all mascots, North Bend Bulldogs rise to the top.   You probably heard this before? “You may forget names and faces, but you’ll never forget how you felt being there.” North Bend is where the ‘there’ is. It started early. Those lucky enough to finish their primary and secondary education in one place […]

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OREGON’S BIRTHDAY: WHAT YOU MISSED AT 158

February 15, 2017 by

  If you skip Oregon’s Birthday party, you’ll never know Oregon.   You read the same stories from around the country. People matching their vibe to a location show up in Portland. Families planning a big move, choosing between ten cities, come to Oregon because Portland checked all the right boxes. Students enroll in colleges […]

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MONICA DRAKE: PORTLAND AUTHOR, DETECTIVE, DELIGHT

February 12, 2017 by

    Tell me a better Oregon name than Monica Drake, then show me a better story collection.   Oregon Ducks and Monica Drake? Perfect combination. Oregon State Beavers and Monica Nutria? Not so much. In her short story collection, The Folly Of Loving Life, Monica Drake gives TRUTH to this writers’ advice: Only write […]

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PORTLAND SUCKS? TELL US MORE ABOUT THOSE FEELINGS

February 10, 2017 by

Say Portland sucks and you might be right, but why ruin it for the rest of us.   If Portland sucks for you, that may be just the tip of your iceberg. Blame the city for what? Your attitude, your entitlement, your butt-hurt life? Why not? You don’t know what you want and it bugs […]

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PERSONAL PRIDE vs MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS

February 8, 2017 by

Go ahead and be selfish just this once, keep your personal pride personal.   Who among us admits personal pride? Raise a hand. All up? Good. Pride for you and yours is a cornerstone of civilization, something to build on. You can tell personal pride people when you see them in full blossom. They wear […]

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ASTORIA BOOKS, ASTORIA DOCUMENTARY, ASTORIA PLAY

February 2, 2017 by

Call it Little Big Astoria?   No one doubts the importance of Astoria in Oregon history. Little Big Astoria looms in the imagination from early sea captains challenging the Columbia Bar, to Lewis and Clark showing up overland, to today. The fish packing, lumber mills, and ebb and flow of new people keep Astoria current. […]

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CLAM DIGGERS, CLAM DIGGING, CARRYING A CLAM BUCKET

January 26, 2017 by

Life according to clam diggers.   Thoughts of childhood should come with warnings. If it’s one happy, golden moment, after another, it’s not a memory. It’s a Hallmark Card of childhood. Real memories include trying time, leaning time, and what to never do again time. Did you have friends or relatives who owned land and […]

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LETTER TO ENGLAND, IN ENGLISH. ENGLAND WRITES BACK

January 19, 2017 by

  Who writes a letter to England?   Before you scroll off to other click-bait, consider this: Write one letter to the person or place of your choice. One letter. Start with the usual, “Dear.” Then send it. If your letter sends death threats or rings fire alarms, this isn’t for you. Instead, call it […]

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TWO MARRIED GUYS MAP DATE LIFE

January 1, 2017 by

What else would two married guys do? The beauty of public transportation comes with the people you meet. Two old men waited at a Portland bus stop. Late afternoon drizzle fell on the city through fading light. The sun made little effort to split the clouds over the Willamette River. Man 1: It felt like […]

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INSULTING ENVIRONMENT CLOSES ROADS, MINDS

December 18, 2016 by

  Keep an open mind to insulting environment. Global warming, from either man-made pollution, or natural cycle of atmospheric anomalies and melting ice-caps, is still about the environment. You can’t hide from that old environment. It’s all over the place; we all share that one. And we’ll share the insulting environment after it changes. Whether […]

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