This is the fourth installment of my COVID-19 confinement: A Summer of Change During the 20 years that I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon, the summer months are what I look forward to the most. This is usually when Eric (the hubster) and I take a short break from the sometimes crazy work-hustle and head up … Continue reading COVID Confidential: Vol 4
The third installation of my Covid confinement. To date, it has been more than 18 weeks since I’ve stepped foot into my (our) Northwest Portland, China Town office. It’s been a bit surreal. Let’s face it, 2020 is becoming the year that should be reset back to 12/31/19. Any celebrations planned after March 13, 2020, … Continue reading Covid Confidential: Vol 3
It's not a game anymore, it's real life! The world has changed and it’s been a long time coming. An awakening has occurred; an amazing, loud, and unsettling awakening in the United States and in other parts of the world. The death of an unarmed Black man at the hands of a White police officer … Continue reading The Black Experience
This piece is dedicated to members of the board (past and present) for your tireless efforts, and to the volunteers , sponsors, photographers, DJs, and thousands of attendees for supporting the wonderful beneficiaries along the way. All nonprofits are not created equal. In 2000, shortly after I moved to Portland, Oregon from the Netherlands (Amsterdam), … Continue reading Seeing Red
Well, it’s been over a month since Oregon’s Governor Kate Brown enacted the “Stay at Home” aka Shelter in Place rule. Like other states, Oregon and its residents have been enduring the rapid and viciously unpredictable nature of the Coronavirus. Our Portland economy, with its trendy food carts and amazing restaurants are also casualties of … Continue reading COVID Confidential: Vol #2
All I can say is wow. This epidemic is our generation’s global Black Plague. The difference this time is that it's a global pandemic and not just a disease isolated only in Europe. The US is sadly late in the game with a plan to combat this intrusive and deadly invader. Some people are treating … Continue reading COVID Confidential: Vol#1
Politics are not a favorite part of my regular diet. I don't crave the civic satisfaction some of my more enlightened friends and colleagues do. I actually never really have. When I do try and digest the platter of ballot measures, bond amendments, and candidate profiles, I feel nauseous and unsatisfied. Photo credit: Sommer Martin … Continue reading The Bitter Taste of Politics
The constructs of time have been debated by scholars for centuries. For me, these "constructs" are too cerebral for my little brain to comprehend. Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity stated, “time and space are not as constant as everyday life would suggest.'' I only know enough about time to prompt me to get me where … Continue reading Time Escapes Me (US)
When I was younger I really loved to dance. I would get lost in the rhythms, moving with the highs and lows of the music. It allowed me to express myself; it still does. Though, I can no longer move at the level of a professional dancer, I can clear the dance floor when I’m … Continue reading My Inheritance
By all American standards, my family was pretty was normal. Dad was a Master Sergeant in the US Army and Ma was the obedient wife, cook, and caretaker of my older sister and me; we even had a dog. My father and I did all the stereotypical activities expected with society’s male bonding rituals; fishing, … Continue reading You’re What?!
Judge Don't Judge...Much 