Soviet Union Archives • DAVIDPDX

page contents Google

GENTLE SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD TIMES

December 28, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Who doesn’t make gentle suggestions? Call it good manners if you know the difference between a request and an order. ‘Would you please help me?’ instead of, ‘Get over here and make yourself useful.’ This happened recently:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: American President, anguish, Baby Boomer blogger, berlin, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, Cold War, control, current times, Eastern Europe, education, family, follow through, gentle suggestions, good manners, history, iron curtain, john kennedy, life in order, Love, manners, MARRIAGE, misunderstood, politics, request, revolution, Russia, sensitive, sex, Soviet Union, stalin, story, suggestions, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

COLD WAR HISTORY FOR BABY BOOMER BEGINNERS

December 27, 2025 by David Gillaspie

The Cold War? Even the name sounds dismissive. Are today’s students reading it and thinking, ‘No one got killed like a Hot War so what’s the big deal? Wasn’t it more peaceful after WWII?’ I know I did. But history isn’t about picking and choosing, hunting and pecking. It’s about the slow roll of time […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, American, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, Cold War, David day, education, gulag, historical access, historical relevance, history, iron curtain, learning, library of congress, loyal, loyalty, relevance, Russia, Soviet Union, stalin, story, USA, war, writer, writers, writing

INSPIRE CHANGE WITH DEEDS AND WORDS

October 28, 2022 by David Gillaspie

“Inspire change” are not just pretty words to say. You can say it, write it, but there’s more: Show it. Remember the writer’s trope of, ‘Show, don’t tell?’ Do both to inspire change.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Berlin wall, blogger, boomerpdx, change, education, educational, educational moment, good deeds, historical education, inspire, inspire change, Portland, Portland Oregon, Soviet Union, vote, writer, writers trope