Chapbook
The Original "Know Your Role"
If you undertake some role beyond your capacity, you both disgrace yourself by taking it and also thereby neglect the role that you were unable to take. — Epictetus
Portland
Portland
The driver was the catalyst, the street was the cause
For my first 10 years in Portland, I lived in the same house and used the same four bus stops: One to go east, one to go west, one to go north, one to go south. The bus stops to go north and south frightened me. Their street was too
Politics
My election ballot: State measures 60-65
Oregon State Measure 60: No. School districts should be allowed discretion in determing what policies are best for their students. Oregon State Measure 61: No. Judges should be allowed discretion in determining sentencing for crimes. Oregon State Measure 62: No. Lottery proceeds currently fund job creation, economic development, and education.
Politics
My election ballot: State measures 54-59
Oregon State Measure 54: Yes. A little bit of Constitutional clean-up that I'm glad we're doing. Oregon State Measure 55: No. Is pretending that the old district lines are still in force any less confusing a way to deal with redistricting than the current way?
Politics
My election ballot: State offices
Oregon Secretary of State: Kate Brown (D). By default. Her two opponents are, respectively, an amateur and a naïf. Oregon State Treasurer: Ben Westlund (D). Westlund's opponent, Allen Alley, touts his business experience, but when I look at how his company, Pixelworks, was doing when he resigned as
Politics
My election ballot: National
The Republicans deserve the broom. United States President: Barack Obama (D) United States Senate: Jeff Merkley (D) United States Representative, 3rd District: Earl Blumenauer (D)
Portland
Seen in Portland
A man in his late 50s or early 60s, sitting with stocking feet on a rocking chair on the porch of a Craftsman house on Southeast Salmon Street on a cool late-summer evening. A traditional American scene, like something out of Norman Rockwell. Except for how intently he was
Portland
Fire down the road
Few things are as bracing as leaving work in the evening, looking into the distance, and noticing a pillar of thick black smoke rising from the street you live on. Fortunately for me, the fire was about two miles down the street from my house. And the wind was blowing
Politics
Overmaking a point
Seen this afternoon at The Original Pancake House: A guy wearing a Ronald Reagan t-shirt with a McCain/Palin button pinned to it, and carrying a copy of Barry Goldwater's Conscience of a Conservative. I resisted the temptation to walk over to him and say: "Dude…
Portland
New Yelp! Reviews
I have two new reviews on Yelp!: Glowing Greens in Downtown Bluefin Sushi Bar in Hollywood
Food
A satisfying lunch
The best, best, best, best, bestest thing about having my weekdays off work this week is that I can eat at Pine State Biscuits without waiting in line for an hour.
Life
Hot town, summer in the city
One positive to riding home this evening on a packed, slow-moving TriMet bus in 102-degree heat while wearing pants and a long-sleeved shirt: When I got home, weeding the shaded side yard in 90-to-95-degree heat for an hour and a half seemed like a