Category Archives: Essays

“Just Look at Him” – A Debate Guide

Posted on June 26, 2024 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Generally, I try not to pay too much attention to the accidental Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. But last night he was making the rounds of the cable news network with a simple message. (Okay, not the Biden hyped … Continue reading →

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Biden Has a Harris Problem — So Do We

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Jim Blackwood Jr

I watched the Kamala Harris interview on CNN. I tried to stay hopeful. No, really, I did. That hope lasted until she fumbled the first question in a blizzard of verbal nothingness. The interviewer then tried to help her by … Continue reading →

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That Night Walt Curtis Hit On Me

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Jim Blackwood Jr

When I read that Portland poet Walt Curtis had died at 82, it reminded me of a different Portland. For all my precarious existence back then, I loved it. I arrived in Portland in 1982, at the worst possible time. … Continue reading →

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Countless Kids Rescued: Sally Retires

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Tomorrow my wife will kiss me and leave for the office one last time. Of course, since I am a retired night owl, she will do that while I am blurry-eyed and still in bed. After decades of devoting her … Continue reading →

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Great Job Joe — Keep Your Promise and Retire Now

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Jim Blackwood Jr

“I can’t get up in the morning without one good rationalization.” Woody Allen When I consider the possibility that Joe Biden is going to run for reelection, I feel like I am watching the opening scenes of a dystopian movie. … Continue reading →

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The Collapse of Civilization –- Damn Close

Posted on January 15, 2023 by Jim Blackwood Jr

I really wanted to see a movie. Simple desire. Now that we live in the burbs, we I don’t have access to all the wonderful old theaters in the big city. I knew what I was getting into here. It’s … Continue reading →

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Ghost Dog at Our Feet

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Mozy had been with us for over a year when Zoom arrived. We were cautious about how they met, backyard first so neither of them felt hemmed in. After a few sniffs, and the new boy demanding some play, they … Continue reading →

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My New Bike: At Least I Missed the Creek

Posted on November 19, 2022 by Jim Blackwood Jr

You never forget. Just like riding a bike. Something I reminded myself as I extracted myself from an Alder tree. In the memory fog, most of us have a rite of passage story about our first bike ride. It’s the … Continue reading →

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My Improbable Dahlia Habit

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Another happy surprise I took from Portland. I am a dahlia guy. Growing up, I hated yard work. In the desert, it was a hot, nasty business that ended with me wheezing and sneezing nonstop in front of the air … Continue reading →

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The First Portland Apartment Porch Mystery

Posted on August 16, 2022 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Good grief, it has been a long time since I have had the time to sit down and write. The last 2 months of the move have been one task after another. I enjoy feeling productive and genuinely enjoy the … Continue reading →

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