Being 80-something, I get it when Democratic campaigner Joe Biden talks about record players, or President Donald Trump quips he will “tape” a program to view later. Both men are septuagenarian, kids by my reckoning, but old enough to be comfortable with earlier norms. Yes, it may

I sat down to brunch with friends, recently, a long overdue pleasure. As they were friends, they asked how my memoir was progressing. “Oh,” I  replied, the genre isn’t called a memoir anymore.  It’s referred to as “literary nonfiction.” “What’s the difference?” The

Despite what members of the alt-right might believe, I’ve always known diversity makes America great.  People come to our country to pursue their dreams and we, also immigrants,  have learned to accommodate the different lifestyles and views they bring.  In periods of economic or

The other day I sat down to talk with a fellow resident at my retirement center.  She was eating fish tacos, a messy lunch which I knew would require both hands as well as her mouth.  An excellent time to air my views on Donald Trump, I thought.  I don’t recall what outrage the p

Since the 2016 election, we’ve heard a good deal about fake news.  Bogus sources seem to spring up overnight.  Even Gig data can’t be trusted.  Click)  How do we tell the news from propaganda in this environment?  With 2.2 billion users sharing information on Faceboo

When President Barrack Obama rejected the application for the  Keystone XL TransCanada pipeline, he had more on his mind than the environment.  The project made no economic sense.  According to the U. S. Department of State, bringing heavy oil sands across our border, among the mos

While heading my teachers’ union in the 1970s, I was appointed to the Mayor’s Economic Advisory Council.  I had no background in economic development but I satisfied a necessary profile to round out the committee.  I was a woman and I was a union leader.  I soon learned my role

My car insurance is due. Though I am driving less, I expect the premium will go up.  Nothing goes down these days except my bank account.  I don’t feel particularly misused. The pendulum seems to swing in the same direction for everyone’s clock.  Greater cost and lower service.

Politics on the local and national spheres share one value in common. Voters expect their representatives to serve their constituents without seeking personal gain.  In Oregon, the feeling is so strong, that when I served in public office, I rejected a free lunch if it was offered. 

I’ve never played chess but I have played a little politics and from where I sit, the Democrats need to refine their strategies to take control of government.   Too many of its shinning stars are lining up for the Presidential race.  Instead, candidates from red state