Category Archives: Essays

Looking for a Leader

Posted on May 10, 2020 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Five months into our pandemic crisis, I was starved to recall what leadership looked like. Not just leaders in our day to day world, but in our most dire collective moments of crisis. In all my historical reading, I mostly … Continue reading →

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While America Plays — The Virus Doesn’t Care

Posted on March 15, 2020 by Jim Blackwood Jr

People who know me well will be surprised by this statement: I am an optimist. I try to believe that rational people gather information and make decisions to support themselves and their community. I am a child of the Enlightenment. … Continue reading →

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My Coronavirus Haircut

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Jim Blackwood Jr

I was getting very shaggy, so I scheduled a haircut for this afternoon. Never in my life have I spent so much time thinking about a simple haircut. I thought of the chair and the people rotating through it. I … Continue reading →

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What Do You Do When You Don’t Know What to Do?

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Jim Blackwood Jr

I am a contributor to the public health web site The Mighty. Here is an essay they published a few days ago. As a boss, I must have interviewed over 100 people for job openings. Because my engineering teams were … Continue reading →

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Jimbo Watched the NH Primary — Emptying the Clown Car

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Last October I watched my first Democratic debate and handicapped the candidates.  It wasn’t pretty. After the New Hampshire (NH) primary, it’s time to look at my predictions and look again into my political geek crystal ball. I will leave bit … Continue reading →

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Pieces of Nick

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Jim Blackwood Jr

The picture. It was late. Nick had been invited to the opening of a new exhibit at Pittock Mansion. As his Parks guy, I went with him. We got an amazing tour of the things the public don’t see, hidden … Continue reading →

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My Conspiracy Theory About the 2020 Election

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Everything is true. Tapping on a phone, or keyboard, you can find the facts to support almost any claim. That is because facts can be synthesized too. Once pushed out into the Internet, any idea, no matter how absurd, will … Continue reading →

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The Book Started Here

Posted on November 16, 2019 by Jim Blackwood Jr

People have been asking me, “How did you end up writing a book?” Like a number of insane people, I have always wanted to write a book. Since I was a kid, walking into a library or a bookstore always … Continue reading →

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How I Fell in Love with the Deep State

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Jim Blackwood Jr

My first day working in Portland City Hall, I became the commissioner’s liaison to one of the largest bureaus in the city, Portland Parks and Recreation. In our curious system, commissioners directly manage bureaus. That meant that I now had … Continue reading →

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The Man Who Saw Babe Ruth Hit a Homer

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Roland Springborn always wore a suit to the office. It draped scarecrow like off of his tall, slight frame. The elbows of the coat and back of the trousers were worn shinny and thin. Under the coat, which he took … Continue reading →

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