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THEFT IN SPORTS, THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE BEST

Stealing is a big part of baseball tradition. The air fills with electricity when great base runners threaten to take off. The crowd cheers and history books get rewritten with a speedy runner standing on first. Pitchers get nervous. Right-handers peek over their left shoulder for a pick-off. Lefties have a stare-down. Catchers check their […]

NIKE KNOWS WHAT WINNERS DO

They Do What Losers Don’t Do. Nike coach Alberto Salazar is a poor loser. You’ve heard the saying, “Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.” Al has probably heard it, too. Is his competitive attitude a surprise? This is the runner who finished marathons, collapsed, and even received last rites. Fortunately, rumors […]

HOME TEAM TO THE RESCUE

(written for oregonsportsnews.com) Sports and real life need more separation, like church and state. You have a team at work? How’s their conditioning? Are you wrestling with a problem? Did the problem try to pin you? And enough of the ‘end run’ talk. You can’t do an end run from your chair. As much as we celebrate […]

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? […]

PORTLAND STREETS, pt.2: THE WALK

Every town, city, or bump in the road has somewhere you shouldn’t be. You’re new, you don’t know the lay of the land, and you get caught. What happens next tells you who you really are. One place you shouldn’t have to worry about is walking down NW 21st in Portland, Oregon. Most of the […]

A GREATER DIVIDE: URBAN PLANNING

No Matter Which Side Of The Street You Live, Aging Makes Us More Alike. One look at the Sunday obituaries and you’ll see it. Older people resemble each other. It’s a good message for those who still dye their hair. You won’t be an autumn brown at ninety. What you will be doing is living […]

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 […]

DYNAMIC DENTAL TIME WITHOUT THE DRAMA

Have you seen the dental form that asks how you feel? How do you feel about dentists? About making dental appointments? How do you feel about waiting in the dentist’s waiting room? This isn’t about uncovering deep secrets, just a way for the doc to get a feel for their patient. It’s about feelings, and […]

WHAT DO WILLAMETTE WRITERS AND THE PCC CLIMB CENTER HAVE IN COMMON

According to his son Zane, Ken Kesey’s goal was making today different than yesterday. Was yesterday different from the day before? Today makes the cut if you’re not doing the same things as yesterday. It seems so easy, but there is a penalty. Log two similar days in a row and you’re off the bus. […]

THE USEFUL PORTLAND BOOMER BLOGGER

The Common Question. What is it you ask when you meet someone new? Networking people want to know, “What do you do?” So do most others, but they won’t admit it. They don’t want to seem pushy. Portland business is polite business. When you meet others in a regularly planned gathering it’s not a question of what […]