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HOT ENOUGH YET: A COOL REVIEW FOR RELIEF

June 28, 2021 by

Yes, it’s hot enough. It’s been too hot for a few days, so hot that people talk about moving to Arizona for a break. Snow Birds aren’t running from the cold in June, they’re running from the surprising heat cooking the Pacific Northwest. When a Heat Dome slams shut, the temps rise. Who’s ever heard […]

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DOWNSIZING GUIDE: FROM A PASSED PORTLAND GENERATION

June 26, 2021 by

They didn’t have a downsizing guide when they decided to move. All they knew was that 12,000 square feet over four floors was a little large for two people. Their house was a museum of their lives together. Now all the books, dishes, and furniture, enough for three households, were moving. It had been a […]

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PORTLAND TREND OR OREGON’S FUTURE ON A NEW TRAIL

June 24, 2021 by

While I usually drag on about other things, I sense a Portland trend here: @Oregonian Portland’s police chief and mayor are set to announce Tuesday that city police will no longer stop motorists for low-level infractions, such as equipment failures or expired plates, to reduce disproportionate stops of people of color. Fewer tickets for minor […]

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FALLING WOMEN, AND HOW TO HELP THEM UP

May 22, 2021 by

Falling women need a good landing. If you’re around when it happens, what’s the best move? Since a fall is usually accidental, the landing part comes from basic instinct, not planning. I’ve been that landing a few times, some better than others. You?

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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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CITY TRASH FROM PORTLAND TO VANCOUVER

March 31, 2021 by

City trash comes with the territory. More people, more garbage, more clean up. Except the clean up part is lacking, and it’s not the first time. Take New York City trash for example. More people than Portland, which is bigger than Staten Island, but half the size of the other Burroughs. I moved to the […]

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EAST COAST KIND, WEST COAST NICE, WHICH ONE IS BETTER

January 22, 2021 by

East coast people stand up for this, stand up for that. And they stand up for themselves. “I do, I do stand up for myself,” is the reply that works best, right until they start talking about what they stand up for. Then it gets dicey, a little uncomfortable. It’s one thing to stand up […]

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CREATIVE LIFE? OR JUST LOST, CONFUSED, AND EMBARRASSED

January 6, 2021 by

You live a creative life, whether you know it or not. Every hour of every day, from start to finish, we all live the creative life. Those who disagree don’t understand the word creative. Instead, they see images of people who call themselves Creatives, and back away. You don’t like self expression that includes tattoos […]

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WINNING PORTLAND? LOSE SOMEPLACE ELSE FIRST

November 28, 2020 by

Winning Portland, if you call it a win, is easy: grow a beard, wear plaid, work up an opinion on every beer you open. If that sounds like a Portland dream, it is, but it doesn’t last. Bikes, beer gardens, and weed shops are all good news from the outside looking in, but if those […]

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PORTLAND SUBURBAN LIFESTYLE DREAM: “LEAVES?”

November 18, 2020 by

Inner-city life boils down to one dream about changing to a suburban lifestyle, even a Portland suburb: To lay in grass that isn’t a urinal, a spittoon, or a goose crapped landing patch. It’s a big dream for big people. Some make it, some don’t. How does a Portland suburban lifestyle dream begin? I’ll tell […]

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