Author Archives: Jim Blackwood Jr

An Evening in Pickleandia

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Jim Blackwood Jr

If you are ever a little down because so much about Portland has become big and confusing, head out to Lents Park, out beyond 82nd Avenue, to a sweet little place called Walker Stadium. The demise of the Portland Beavers … Continue reading →

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The 65th Anniversary Celebration

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Today is my parents’ 65th wedding anniversary. I wish I could say it was a day of unfettered celebration but for my family it is a day of reflection and some sadness. You see, my mother is in the final … Continue reading →

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The Mental Illness All Around You

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Jim Blackwood Jr

For most of my adult life I have lived with Panic Disorder. It’s natural for folks who hear that to immediately cross-reference to their own lives. They think of a time they were very afraid or very anxious and, bless … Continue reading →

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The Problem with Portland’s Lawn Sign

Posted on July 7, 2017 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Dog walking around my neighborhood I see dozens of Portland’s favorite lawn sign. It must have a generic, shorthand name known but to a few. I ain’t the few. There was a time when I was a Unitarian. I enjoyed … Continue reading →

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The Joy of the Broken Urinal Blues

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Half the world has no idea what it is like for a guy to piss in a rock and roll club.  Women are better for it. Last week I went out to see my buddies in the band Volcker.  (Yea, … Continue reading →

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Life Among the “NIMBY Racists”

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Jim Blackwood Jr

More people are coming.  How many times have we heard that?  When I drive around Portland I sometimes get a little lost because my memory landmarks are gone, replaced by a monoculture of 5 story apartment buildings. An ugly fight … Continue reading →

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Death on the Eastbound MAX

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Jim Blackwood Jr

  What’s going on here?  Like so many people I had to stop to ponder the vicious attacks on humanity at the Hollywood MAX station.  As I read about the reactions to the violence, things just keep getting more complicated. … Continue reading →

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That Time With Gregg Allman in Atlanta

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Have you ever had a waking dream? I got to see the Allman Brothers Band a couple of times. The second time I saw them play their music. The passing of Gregg Allman reminded me of the first time I … Continue reading →

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Give Me Appropriation with a side of Beans and Rice

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Jim Blackwood Jr

The absolute truth is that none of us can get through a day without a little cultural appropriation. Humans are creatures of infinite adaptation and co-optation.  The folks who are most scary believe in racial and cultural purity.  Yea, I … Continue reading →

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Caught In Our Own Thought Bubbles

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Americans are sorting. Regionally and ideologically. It’s natural to seek your tribe…your clan…your kind. But it is dangerous too. Unchallenged thinking is an insidious toxin to personal and societal growth. If I learned anything from 8 years in Portland City … Continue reading →

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