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PORTLAND FREEZE WORSE THAN SEATTLE?

February 5, 2023 by

The Portland Freeze that didn’t happen came when I moved to NW Portland. My apartment building was a busy place to live for students and professionals. The pretty lady who sold text books always looked like she just stepped out of Vogue. She was in a class of her own. And chilly. Hey Patricia. But […]

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DOUBLE HAPPY WHEN FAMILIES JOIN TOGETHER

August 29, 2022 by

Double happy is the first time you hear, “Wait until you meet your girlfriend’s mother before making big decisions.” And your future mother in law turns out to be a champ. That’s a happy occasion? No, that’s a double happy occasion.

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SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER MATTERS MORE TODAY

April 7, 2022 by

Practice speaking truth to power if you want to get good at it. Making the sort of change you want to see takes practice. I use ‘practice’ as a synonym for understanding why truth matters more today. Why? Because The Truth has taken a beating lately.

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EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL? AN EARLY UNDERSTANDING

March 25, 2022 by

I remember thinking of equal rights my senior year in high school. In 1973, just before graduation where everyone would trek off and change the world, some of the class boarded a bus in front of the school. While we waited to leave, Principal Stuckey came out and played his bagpipes in a kilt. It’s […]

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ZOOMER HELP TIPS, NOT THAT THEY’D ASK

December 20, 2021 by

Zoomer Help, Generation Z assistance, is the last thing anyone needs. Not with characteristics like this: Members of Gen Z are digital natives. When it comes to apps and devices, they don’t need instructions, and they don’t ask for them. And this: Members of Gen Z are highly educated. This is helpful in what way? […]

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UNDERSTANDING MILITARY TRAINING FOR A BETTER ATTITUDE

December 8, 2021 by

Military training? Everyone knows what that is. “Yeah, I saw Full Metal Jacket, so I know what you mean.” What they’re missing is the hot breath and spray of some nut case screaming words in their face. Which words? It doesn’t matter. The sheer volume obscures the words. It doesn’t matter because you know what […]

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DESPERADO DECISION? COME DOWN FROM YOUR FENCES

October 16, 2021 by

A desperado decision happens the moment you spread your wings and fly. Like an eagle. It happens when you meet someone who says, “We can do this together.” That’s the day things change, the day you agree with a strong, “Yes, we can.” Set it in stone.

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RELAYED STRESS: BAD NEWS TRAVELS LIKE WILDFIRE

October 10, 2021 by

Relayed stress comes from hearing and repeating bad news, and it doesn’t get enough attention. Finding bad news is easy. It’s as easy as opening a magazine, a newspaper; as easy as looking at a phone screen, a laptop, or a tablet. Bad news is popular in print, on air, everywhere. “Do you remember where […]

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CHECKING OUT THEN BEFORE CHECKING BACK IN NOW

July 21, 2021 by

Checking out, dropping out, call it what you will, but leave the back door open. Why the back door? Because you may want to check back in and avoid the scrutiny out front. The nice picture above was not taken at an Amish farm last week, or a pioneer homestead in the 1860’s. Nope, none […]

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UNDERSTANDING PHOENIX FROM PORTLAND OREGON

May 8, 2021 by

Understanding Phoenix is easier if you have some kind of reference. Call it an urban reference. Phoenix is Big City big, but it’s more than that. Phoenix is the focal point of Arizona the way Portland is in Oregon. Not everyone enjoys that status, mostly those who don’t live in Portland or Phoenix. You’re either […]

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