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SUICIDE WALL BY ALEX PAUL

You know a Vietnam Veteran who knows someone on the wall. They all know someone. It’s a teammate or high school friend who never made the Christmas letter list. The men who adjusted to a post-Vietnam War life have friends who remind them of a missing someone. If you talk to them long enough you’ll discover […]

NPR AMERICAN HISTORY FAILS

Is There A Future For American History? NPR Says Maybe. A history joke: “This is George Washington’s Ax, the one he used to chop down the cherry tree. The head’s been replaced five time, the handle eight, but it represents the same space.” After you stop laughing you’ll see the history problem: the ax isn’t […]

PORTLAND’S FARM TRIP

How Far Away Is Portland’s Farm, Portland’s Midwest? Not Far At All. Do you ever imagine golden waves of grain while sweating it out in your hotbox apartment? You wait for a breeze to blow through the crops in your mind while heat mirages rise off the asphalt beach parking lot. Or you’re standing in […]

SOUTHERN HISTORY THE RIGHT WAY

A New Southern History Flag For The South? History is like a cat. Once it’s out of the bag, it won’t back. Andrew Jackson won’t fit under anyone’s hat and if he did you’d probably have a lot less hair. The uproar over the Confederate battle flag throws the South for a loop, but not […]

YOUR NAME, YOUR TRUTH

In a time not so long ago your name wasn’t good enough. Hard to believe in the land of straight shooters and honor, but John Wayne didn’t start out as John Wayne. Neither did Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis. It was a different time. Benedict Cumberbatch says those days are long gone. Still, there’s something […]

OREGON DUCK MAKES HISTORY TEAM

Oregon, Oregon Duck Marcus Mariota, And The Oregon Historical Society. A lesser Portland writer might ask why Nike paid three days of admission at the Oregon Historical Society. Not this one. Everybody who walk in the door? Free. Thank you, Nike. A lesser Portland blogger might ask why Oregon? Why not Portland State? Why not […]

PORTLAND: THE FOG OF HISTORY

Yesterday’s Tomorrow – A Portland Journey. From the street under your feet to the places you walk by everyday, the untold story unfolds. Except you never see it. We live in the moment. Moving from one place to another is our goal, and it’s enough. But it’s not enough for everyone. It’s not enough for […]

OREGON HISTORY SPEAKS OUT

 Kate Brown Knows The Drill. 1. Gravity’s History. Not long ago Governor Kitzhaber spoke during the memorial for Thomas Vaughan. He was a great man who elevated the role of history in Oregon by leading the Oregon Historical Society to great heights. Saturday, on Oregon’s 2015 birthday, the woman replacing Governor Kitzhaber the day after […]

PDX HISTORY IN WILLAMETTE WEEK

It’s All In The Personal Details For Portland. Historic data reflects how things were and warn against what might be coming. After the facts of an event circulate through enough hands it becomes hard truth. The forty year history of Portland as recounted by Willamette Week reporters show a city recent arrivals will never know. […]

THE LOMBARDI TROPHY, BRANDING EXCELLENCE

The Oregon Historical Society And The NFL. The most important rule of success is finding the right formula and repeating it. No need to follow failure. You’ve got that covered. If branding is your goal with either a product or a name, learn from the best. Take a lesson from the National Football League, the […]