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GRAVEYARD WALK IN A GARDEN OF STONE

My father is buried in the veteran’s section of a Klamath Falls graveyard.
I voted for the Willamette National Cemetery but he lived near Klamath Falls so it made sense.
The last time I visited was a dark, rainy, day with the irrigation pipes laid out and sprinklers helicoptering around.
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VETERANS DAY, 2026

Behind every veteran on Veterans Day are people who got them on their way.
In this photo the force of nature is on the right.
It’s my Mom.
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HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE WITH EVELYN BANKO

Last night my wife and I, along with our friends Barry and Phyllis, attended a Holocaust remembrance in the Tigard library.

 

Please join us on the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht for a witnessing by the local Holocaust survivor Evelyn Banko.
She will be talking about her experiences under Nazi persecution in Austria, and her family’s eventual journey to safety in the US by way of Latvia and the Soviet Union. 
Caution: strong language involving violence and death.
Program presented in partnership with the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education.

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TAKING PART IN FAMILY LIFE

Family life takes time. Ask the Baldwins with their seven kids.
Keep that in mind, you youngsters, when you decide it’s time to join in.
Join the club, the family club, sooner than later.
Why?
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THE TRUTH, GETTING A HANDLE

Getting a handle on the truth shouldn’t be a big hurdle to clear.
All it takes is a little self-awareness.
The truth is your friend if you’re not too sketchy.
Will it set you free? Well . . .
It depends on the sort of shackles your used to.
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toughen up

CANCER EDUCATION, PAIN MANAGEMENT, LIQUID OXY

I am a sore throat expert. It’s a benefit of neck cancer education after I graduated from treatment. Of all sore throats in the history of sore throats mine was the worst, said everyone with a sore throat rated above an 8.5.

RADIATION, HYDRATION, SATURATION, REPEAT

      From cancercenter.com Because radiation is used on and in their bodies, some patients mistakenly worry that this automatically means their bodies become “radioactive” after they treatment. Most patients just want to finish radiation and don’t care about the baggage. That comes later. If they beat cancer, they accept the side effects. Once […]

CANCER ROOM: BEST OF TIMES, WORST OF TIMES

The biggest motivation for writing a cancer room memoir like ‘LICKING CANCER, The Full Response’ is paying tribute to the people I met in there.   From staff to patients, it’s a team focused on the same goal, until it goes off the tracks, and it does in one way or the other for everyone. […]

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boomer years

Dear Millennial Voters, All Of You, From Air And Water

  The future is closer than you think, and you, millennial voters, will have the final say on the future you want.   Now the last thing you give two damns about is a rant from a flowing silver haired, mustachioed, Mark Twain wannabe blogger. I get it.   But, sometimes people need a little […]

BROADWAY OREGON, A PARABLE

Two guys, just people who need people. The beauty of life we agree on: the Mona Lisa, Grand Canyon, and Broadway Oregon sparkle like universal jewels. You’re seen the Grand Canyon and Mona Lisa, or heard of them. Not Broadway Oregon. No one’s heard of it. You’re the first. I’m only talking to you. Kids […]

TEACHER ABUSE BAD FOR STUDENT BODY

  How does a seasoned school administrator lose their job by ignoring students? When they decide some student voices are more important than others.   The old saying about a squeaky wheel getting the grease may apply here, but the school official was out of lube. Now they’re out of a job, or will be […]

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buckle up

POLICE STOP TRAFFIC TICKET SAFETY DRILL

A traffic officer pulled me over coming down the ramp to the straight stretch to the Portland (PDX) airport. Of course I didn’t think it was fair, just an opportunistic wrong place, wrong time deal. And I was ten mph over the limit. In the van were my two kids, wife, and a French exchange student late […]

MEMORY CUE, EVIDENCE FROM ANOTHER LIFETIME

    How long ago was 1979?   The Brooklyn Union Gas Company makes the call.   How often do you run across things, not your things, that remind you of a different life?   Then it’s your stuff and you don’t remember.

TWO MARRIED GUYS MAP DATE LIFE

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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