Observed, Portland
19
Nov 08

Epiphanies of Yesterday’s News

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Epiphanies of Yesterday’s News

Some days some things jump out at me. This morning it was signs. I was traveling a familiar route, and three signs looked new to the urban landscape.

“Keep Portland Weird!” cried out from the west side of Music Millenium, the only place I buy CDs in person. I knew the store on East Burnside Street sold bumper stickers with the slogan. Until inquiring inside I didn’t know how many, more than ten thousand, or that the store had copyrighted the slogan. And had the sign painted a year ago. What fog have I been in?

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Portland
21
Jun 08

Phoning home

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Only in Portland. That’s my reaction whenever I observe an example of what makes my city quirky and vibrant. It explains the unexplainable.

The slogan “Keep Portland Weird,” adorning bumper stickers and t-shirts, is catchy but implies intent to meet a predetermined goal. But weirdness here tends to be organic. Nor is it weird if you revel in it. More like “Keep Portland Normal.”

What’s normal? Take the telephones nailed to a power pole at Northeast 28th and Burnside . I lifted the receiver of one. Written in neat block letters on the cradle was “Self Phone.”