Up – Down and Sideways — Part II

Posted on August 31, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post) (#1 – #3)

As I stated in Part I of this eclectic post (https://thebeerchaser.com/2025/08/23/up-down-and-sideways-part-i/) I contemplated using the title “The Good,The Bad and The Ugly,” but I wanted a third category where I could describe something that was neutral or perhaps where I’m ambivalent, so I went with what you see above.

It’s very easy these days to be cynical and pessimistic about the future – I won’t enumerate all the reasons as that would take several posts and be a downer in itself. Small gestures by people one encounters, however, restore faith in humanity.

Such was the case when my wife and I were on a plane fight from Portland to Anchorage on July 3rd. Sitting immediately in front of us was a young couple with an infant. Of course, this always makes one wonder how relaxing the flight will be; however, we remember our own experiences when we flew with our young daughters and empathized.

Right before the flight started, the dad, leans over the seat and presents us (as well as all the people in the adjacent seats), the plastic bag and the note shown below:

I was going to ask him if he had any Snickers bars, but Janet elbowed me. The irony was that little Tara was an absolute angel – even when she wasn’t sleeping. Her personality was far superior to the guy sitting across the aisle from me.

And with apologies, that brought back memory of one of the jokes in my files which conveys how bad that situation can be:

A businessman is on a cross-country flight and sitting in the row just in front of him are two parents and their three-year-old son. The dad tells his son that the plane is a Boeing jet which fascinates the kid. (#4)

As the plane lifts off, the child keeps repeating in a loud voice, “Boeing, Boeing, Boeing!” After ten minutes, the guy behind him grows so frustrated that he leans over the seat and says in a stern voice to the kid, “Be Silent! Be Silent.”

So, for the rest of the flight, the kid in a happy voice yells, “Oeing! Oeing! Oeing!”

And to make it worse, the kid sitting right behind him performs the world’s longest drum roll tapping his hands on the back of the guy’s seat from LA to New York.

Down

This time of year, evokes positive memories of college years – football, new academic energy, football, fraternity relationships and parties, football and dating. That said, it’s with saddened heart and anger I witness the deplorable attacks on our universities. (And in some notable cases, capitulation by the institutions.)

To retain their independence and viability, universities need to self-police change some standard practices, be economically prudent and show wisdom and common sense in their research and academic offerings. I certainly don’t want somebody from the federal government shaping curriculum.

The cost of a college degree has become prohibitive for many families – even at state schools. And many universities have gotten comfortable with the traditional model of academia, which may now not be economically viable. (#5)

I love my undergrad alma mater – Oregon State University. I learned how to live and interact with others, contribute in group settings and got an excellent liberal arts education which made me a more enlightened person. (And prepared me for graduate school…!) (#6 – #7)

Oregon State is an excellent engineering, forestry and oceanography school (as well as having an innovative Fermentation Science Program) and also provides a decent liberal arts and business curriculum.

That’s one reason a recent news story in Oregon Live entitled “Oregon State professor teaches punk, horror – and Taylor Swift.” really irritated me.

“‘I thrive in trying and doing,’ he said, ‘and getting feedback and trying again.’ The 41-year-old brings the same mindset to his classroom. (The professor) said he values ‘co-creation’ over traditional teaching doctrine – not teaching down to students but learning alongside them’…. (emphasis added)

And in his other classes on punk music and Taylor Swift, he has students create ‘zines,’ scrappy anti-establishment pamphlets crafted with anything at hand, as a way to learn a do-it-yourself creative philosophy.”

Now, I assume the professor is a nice, well-intentioned guy, but I would suggest that if he wants to “learn alongside” his students, that he should pay tuition rather than being paid as a faculty member.

It’s this kind of stuff which gives the misguided souls who want the government to intervene in university curricula, ammunition for their mission (#8 – #9).

Some university research also raises questions such as the objectives of a 2025 study published in The Guardian at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany – one of eighty independent, non-profit research institutes.

They are funded by the German state and federal governments:

“Wild fish (bream) can tell people apart – at least when they are wearing different-coloured outfits – researchers have found in a study they say could shift our relationship with the creatures….The researchers carried out 30 trials for each (differently colored) outfit and used video recordings to count the number of fish following each diver.

(Researcher Maëlan)Tomasek added that the study could prompt us to reconsider the way we treat fish, including whether to kill and eat them. ‘It’s very human to not want to care about them, but the fact that they can care about us, maybe it’s time that we can care about them, too,’ he said.”

I don’t know much about Max Planck other than he was a German theoretical physicist who won a Nobel Prize in Physics. I kind of wonder if he would approve of a study like this.

Might it also be a large inferential leap to assume that because a fish follows a guy wearing a red shirt, that it has an emotional attachment? I would also not be hesitant to eat a fish who prefers orange and black to green and yellow.

Conversely…

When I initially read the headline “Edible tape invented to stop your burrito from falling apart” – a project by students at Johns Hopkins University School of Engineering, I thought “Here we go Again!”

“Four US engineering students were brainstorming the perfect invention for their product design course, when lunch inspiration – literally – fell into their laps. ‘Erin was eating a burrito and the tortilla opened all over her,’ one of the four, Tyler Guarino tells CNN.

‘It hit her then – this is a problem that we can solve…. We tested about 50 different formulations’ before finding the winning ‘Tastee Tape’ recipe, Guarino says.” (#10 – #12)

Now maybe it pays to keep cynicism about the impact of research in check, because when I checked further, I found that their counterparts at MIT had already taken it a step further as explained in a 2022 article: “Engineers develop surgical ‘duct tape’ as an alternative to sutures”

“In numerous experiments, the team has shown the patch can be quickly stuck to large tears and punctures in the colon, stomach, and intestines of various animal models.

The adhesive binds strongly to tissues within several seconds and holds for over a month. Once an injury is fully healed, the patch gradually degrades without causing inflammation or sticking to surrounding tissues.” (#13)

I didn’t check to see if their invention had been implemented in operating rooms – for either people or fish.

You’re Going to be Sick of Winning..???

I was going to leave it there but couldn’t resist quoting two more studies on the same concept that make me wonder how some researchers feel about the practical value of their studies to society.

In 2021, “University of Iowa research finds bronze medalists happier than those with silver.”

“To analyze the photos, the research team used software capable of reading facial expressions by the shapes and positions of mouths, eyes, eyebrows, noses and other facial features. (An assistant professor of marketing noted) ‘A spectator might be inclined to praise a silver medal performance. But for a lot of people, that might not feel like a win.” (#14)

What’s in a Smile?

Now in the AI study above reviewing photos of 413 athletes at medal ceremonies from 142 Olympic track and field events between 2000 and 2016, the conclusion was reached strictly by analyzing facial expressions.

You should be comforted that another marketing professor did her research – this study based on simulations.

“…according to Monica Wadhwa, marketing professor at Temple University’s Fox School of Business in Philadelphia, ‘not winning is, in fact, more powerful than winning.’ She has spent nearly a decade researching this seemingly paradoxical idea, motivated by her childhood experiences.”

And unfortunately, my daughters are now adults, and I didn’t have the benefit of her advice to parents. To wit: “When kids lose – whether in sports or in school – point out to them how close they came to winning.”

Sideways

In my last post, I talked about the acceleration of change in society and trends which affect our daily lives in ever-increasing rapidity. I think these next trends are probably good; however, it may take some adjustment on my part.

I’m talking about both the use of semicolons and spaces after a period. According to the 5/22/25 Morning Brew:

“The punctuation mark that makes you feel pretentious even when you somehow manage to use it correctly is rapidly becoming passé. The semicolon’s usage in English books has plunged by almost half in the last two decades, from 1 in every 205 words in 2000 to 1 in 390 today, the Guardian reported…

These days, it’s probably found more often in computer programming and tattoos than in text.” (emphasis added)

That brought to mind one jokester’s comment about change stating, “In fifteen years, we’re going to have to get used to seeing a lot of really old people walking around with tattoos.” (#15 – #17)

I’ve always put two spaces after the period at the end of a sentence. I was taught that in two years of high school typing – one of the most useful classes I’ve ever taken and one that I took because I wanted to date a girl who was taking the class. (I did.)

According to a recent article by MasterClass.com:

“The overwhelming majority of contemporary style guides and word processors advise using a single space between typed sentences. When in doubt, use single spacing in research papers, essays, and your creative writing. This is true regardless of whether your sentence ends in a period, a question mark, or some other form of punctuation….

The debate over the number of spaces has waned over the years, but some adherents to the two-space convention (known as ‘two-spacers’) argue the extra space signals the end of a complete thought more effectively.”

Now I’m behind the times since the 2019 American Psychological Association Style Guide reflected the change. I didn’t check to see if they did any research on the emotional impact of being a “two spacer.” I’ve made an effort to reflect the punction change in this post although I’m not going to do a detailed check.

If you don’t like that, go ahead and sue me – my transition to the conclusion of this long post with a lawyer joke – a rhetorical question and remember. I loved working with lawyers:

“If an IRS auditor and a lawyer were both floundering in the surf and you could save only one, would you go to coffee or read the newspaper?” (#18 – #19)

Cheers

#1. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arrow_slim_up.svg) This file is licensed under (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en. Author: Wenflou – 20 August 2022.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:Arrow slim down.svg – Wikimedia Commons) This file is made available under the https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en. Author: Wenflou – 20 August 2022.

#3. Wikimedia Commons (File:Sideways Arrow Icon.svg – Wikimedia Commons) This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Subject to disclaimers. Attribution: Riley Huntley at the English-language Wikipedia. 29 August 2012.

#4, Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Alaska-737-4QB-YVR.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Author: Makaristos – 22 May 2008.

#5. AI Image Generator (Bing Image Creator).

#6. Wikimedia Commons (File:Corvallis, Oregon State University – DPLA – 20466127df16e7e71103ee1bfd3343bb.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Author: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives – 15 August 2015.

#7. Wikimedia Commons (File:OSU by air.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: saml123 – 26 May 2008.

#8. Wikimedia Commons (File:Max Planck.png – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Courtesy of the Clendening History of Medicine Library, University of Kansas Medical Center – 17 December 2009.

#9. Wikimedia Commons (File:South Coast Sea Bream – Fish Market – New Street – London 2025-02-14.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Author: Haydn Blackey – 14 February 2025.

#10. Wikimedia Commons (File:Maryland Hall, Johns Hopkins University, Jan 2011.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Cvenghaus – 11 January 2012.

#11. Artificial Intelligence (https://www.bing.com/images/create/image-of-a-taco-next-to-some-clear-adhesive-tape/1-68b28c80361f4a7dbb5eff9d322359d2?mdl=1&ar=1&FORM=GENCRE)

#12. Wikimedia Commons (File:Chemistry Laboratory RMIT Building 7.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Ozarch – 4 April 2012.

#13. Wikimedia Commons (File:Great Dome, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aug 2019.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Mys 721tx – 30 August 2019.

#14. Wikimedia Commons (File:Korea Kim Yuna Sochi Medal Ceremony 05.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Attribution: Korean Culture and Information Service (Korean Olympic Committee) – 22 February 2014.

#15. Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Semicolon_Art.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Author: Altair Netraphim – 15 June 2022.

#16. ChatGPT Image Generator (https://chatgpt.com/c/68b38aac-a2ec-832a-8585-472da6ae4384).

#17. Wikimedia Commons (File:Syriac sublinear full stop (Estrangelo form).svg – Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Unknown – 19 June 2022.

#18. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons – (File:Person reading a newspaper (Unsplash).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Author: Roman Kraft – 17 May 2017.

#19. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Reading in Bangkok (Unsplash).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Author: rawpixel.com rawpixel – January 2017.

Up – Down and Sideways — Part I

Posted on August 23, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

I contemplated using the title “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly,” but I wanted a third category where I could describe something that was neutral or perhaps where I’m ambivalent.

In these days of turmoil, I’ll try not to overload “The Down” category – besides, my wife would claim I was reinforcing perceptions that I’m a grumpy old man….

One of us is missing

For the last two years, I’ve been getting together each week with a group of four other retired guys – yes, they are also old, but not grumpy, which is good for me. They include a lawyer, title company exec, clinical psychologist and emergency room physician – all retired. Since we all travel, if there are at least three of us around, we’ll still get together.

We discuss a diverse group of topics and try to avoid politics. It usually starts out with what might be labeled “the organ recital” – a litany of what isn’t working up to par in our now seventy-year + bodies. (#4 – #5)

Earlier this summer, we were sitting around our usual small table, and three of us had our legs crossed and one of the group emphatically stated, “You guys shouldn’t cross your legs. My cardiologist said it’s bad for your circulation!”

I initially dismissed this, but then saw an internet caption entitled, “How sitting cross-legged is slowly killing your circulation.” Since it didn’t assert that it was killing me, I decided to ask Janet’s and my wonderful primary-care physician.

Dr. Laura Byerly specializes in geriatrics and also teaches at Oregon Health & Science University. Besides being a superb doctor, she is a wonderful human being and the epitome of common sense. (#6)

Without hesitating, Dr. Byerly responded, “Don, I’m not going to say crossing your legs is good for you, but I’d rather have you cross your legs than stress over the impact.”

And we are blessed to have the medical and pharmaceutical technology both to diagnose and treat the many conditions we face today. The challenge is to make better efforts to ensure that those who need the care – especially children and those in poverty-stricken areas have access.

Note: Medical vocabulary is also interesting and I’m fortunate to have two registered nurse daughters to help me interpret terms when I don’t want to bother the docs. For example, after a scan, I learned (somewhat to my surprise) that I didn’t need to be concerned that my aorta, arteries and gastrointestinal tract are “Grossly Patent.” (#7)

Grossly patent and unremarkable are a good

Counterintuitively, that’s actually a good thing and means they are open, unobstructed and functioning normally and I will be able to continue Beerchasing without reservation. Another issue which seems self-contradictory to an overachiever is the fact that one should be happy to hear that a test result is “unremarkable!”

Balance Issues

Since I was having some balance and gait issues after my back surgery, I got a referral for physical therapy. Again, I was blessed to have two wonderful PT’s – Dr. Noel Tenoso and Brionna Sims PTA at FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Center in West Linn.

I suggested to him that for balance and stability purposes, it would help if he recommended a bar in our shower and suggested the design below. I mentioned Thebeerchaser blog and told him that this would further my quest to visit “watering”.

(Credit for the concept goes to my friend Mitch Teemley, – writer, director and filmmaker, who also has a wonderful blog.) (#8)

Only for stability!

In our first session, Noel and I shared that our undergraduate schools were rivals – Oregon State and the University of Oregon. Noell is a die-hard U of O Duck – he even has an annoying small plushie duck on the reception counter.

The twelve sessions really helped. After the initial one, Neal had a weeklong trip to Kona planned, so Brionna and the staff teamed up with me for a coming-home surprise. Knowing what a Duck fan he is, they took advantage of International Beaver Day.

They plastered pictures of the industrious rodents all over his office – including the ceiling. On his desk, was my stuffed beaver you see in the picture below (It plays the Oregon State fight song.)

I was there when he returned and the photo captures his reaction.

Down

How many times recently have you gone to a service provider and as you’re leaving, your representative earnestly says, “By the way, you’ll be getting an e-mail survey on our performance. We have high standards here, so anything less than a ten is a problem…” (#9)

Does this take negative numbers?

We are fortunate to have a wealth of great shows and movies on cable and streaming, but I let the commercials drive me into an ad frenzy. It’s the endless repetition, the actors and the message – particularly on insurance commercials.

It doesn’t take a Nobel Prize in Economics , a personal audience with former Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan or repeated admonitions from Progressive’s Flo, (Stephanie Courtney) for one to realize that it makes sense to “bundle” your car and home-owner’s insurance.

Further, why does Liberty Mutual’s Doug (David Hoffman) – and his ugly emu – incessantly advise, “Pay only for what you need!” Even a kindergartener would realize it doesn’t make sense to pay premiums on a tree house he doesn’t have if he only needs collision coverage on his training wheels….(#10 – #12)

Now perhaps I should not blame the actors but lay the onus on the ad agencies and the corporations they represent, because as you will see in Part II of this post, there are some really good commercials which endear one to the players and the product.

However, the two that make the term “irritating” inadequate are Toyota’s Jan (Laurel Coppock) and Jacuzzi’s Christine Haack (El Moussa, Anstead and Hall…). With the former, it just seems demeaning to have a smiling, effervescent woman do essentially nothing but hand people the keys to their new cars or point out models in a showroom.

(My time in management makes me view this bubbly persona as unnecessary overhead.) (#13 – #14)

But while the aforementioned performers in the commercials are professional actors, Christina Haack is not and this is obvious by her cadence and stilted articulation – best described as “Upspeak.“

Upspeak, also known as uptalk or high rising terminal (HRT), is a way of speaking where declarative sentences end with a rising intonation, making them sound like questions. As well-stated in an Oregon Live letter-to-the-editor:

“I hope that younger people listen to and model their tone of delivery, which projects conviction and confidence versus another prevalent stye of speaking producing a singsong, chirpy affectation, marking the speaker as tentative and approval-seeking.” (#15 – #16)

Sideways

Change can be both positive and negative and I’ve tried to adapt remembering the quote by John F. Kennedy (one Kennedy worth quoting…):

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

Of course, it also took me about ten years to accept the refutation of the maxim:

“Don’t go swimming for at least an hour after eating.”

Change can be glacial even when common sense and economic factors dictate it. For example, in Oregon, we were only able to pump our own gas starting in August 2023 leaving just New Jersey as a final holdout. (#17)

The final change I’ll address in this post is also neutral, but probably mostly positive. It’s another trend like the growing shift to non-alcoholic beer. (See Part II of this post.)

Names!

Not a recent change, but a major one that took place after twenty-six years was naming hurricanes with strictly female appellations. In 1979, that sexist practice changed. (“David” was the first male moniker.)

Not to digress, but for a fascinating article about hurricane naming conventions see this link from the National Hurricane Center.(#18)

Gender Neutral….

I’ve been surprised but pleased at how names have changed. One can always go to a website showing the most popular baby names. It probably won’t surprise you that in 2025 the two most popular girl’s names are Olivia and Emma (not Alexa for obvious reasons). For boys, Liam and Noah take the top spots.

It’s good that the most prevalent monikers in my day such as Tommy (#39) and Timmy (not in top 100) now don’t make the grade. And Lance is also not a common name now days, but in medieval times, people were called “Lance – a – lot.” (apologies for that….)

Checking out the names of the excellent athletes our local paper highlights each week reveals some creativity and a departure from established conventions. Just take a look at some of these. On a number, you wouldn’t be able to identify the gender and it’s also fun to see surnames employed quite a bit as first names.

Jaden	Kendall	Finley	Bailee
Enzo	Ava	Hayden	Barrett
Eamon	Davis	Teagan	Rhyson
Leah	Nixon	Biz	Kat
Rylan	Brooklyn	Turner	Hudson

In my last post, I mentioned how proud I was to be named after my dad’s best friend and fraternity brother, Don Wilburn, who was a genuine WWII hero. In May 2025 he was awarded a posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross – 83 years after his heroic missions over North Africa as a pilot for the Army Air Corps.

It should be noted that for obvious reasons, one almost never sees a baby named Donald these days. And similarly, I haven’t seen any young children named TACO – but I guess that goes without saying! (#19)

TACO – not very popular

Heavenward... (#20)

Taste and Believe!

Since this is a blog about bars and breweries (and a lot of other stuff…). I’ll end on a very positive note. I was involved from the outset of the Benedictine Brewery and St. Michael Taproom on the grounds of the Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary when it opened in 2017.

It’s one of less than a handful in the US owned and operated by Benedictine Monks. I’ll never forget the “old-fashioned barn raising” we had on a cloudy day in November 2017, when 125 monks, priests, seminarians, members of the Mount Angel community and volunteers gathered to erect the framed structure from a concrete slab. https://thebeerchaser.com/2017/11/21/the-benedictine-brewery-beam-me-up

Fr. Martin Grassel O.S.B. the Head Brewer and Manager has developed a regional following for his excellent beers. Although some were skeptical that this enterprise could thrive in a competitive craft-brewing environment, the Brewery has exceeded all expectations celebrated its eighth birthday on August 8th. (#21 – #23)

“The August 8th milestone marks the anniversary of the brewery’s establishment, which launched its first partnership with Coleman Agriculture in 2018 to kick off the Oregon hop harvest…It also emphasized the monks’ values of stewardship and community, mirroring the sustainable farming practices of Coleman Agriculture.” https://newschoolbeer.com/home/2025/7/benedictine-brewery-8th-anniversary-collaboration-with-coleman-hops-kicks-off-hop-harvest

Cheers

External File Attribution

#4. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Colour-Music – Page 44.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1930. Author: Alexander Wallace Rimington1911.

#5. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Internal organs.svg – Wikimedia Commons) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: Mikael Haggstron – 23 June 2010.

#6. Oregon Health Sciences Website (Laura K. Byerly MD | Health care provider | OHSU).

#7 Wikimedia Commons (File:Moderní výpočetní tomografie s přímo digitální detekcí rentgenového záření.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Tomáš Vendiš – 14 February 2022.

#8. AI Microsoft Image Generator.

#9. Wikimedia Commons (File:Online Survey Icon or logo.svg – Wikimedia Commons) This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Author: Tungilik – 25 July 2014.

#10. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:The Nobel Prize.svg – Wikimedia Commons) This image of simple geometry is ineligible for copyright and therefore in the public domain, because it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship. Author: Premeditated – 6 May 2019.

#11. Wikimedia Commons (File:Dromaius novaehollandiae – Maroparque 01.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: H. Zell – 18 March 2019. (IMU)

#12. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (Greenspan, Alan (Whitehouse) – Alan Greenspan – Wikipedia) This file is a work of an employee of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain. Author: White House photo by Shealah Craighead – 9 November 2005.

#13. Wikimedia Commons (File:Jemca Toyota, The Hyde – geograph.org.uk – 5188704.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Attribution: Jemca Toyota, The Hyde by David Howard – 10 November 2016.

#14. AI (https://designer.microsoft.com/editor?applied).

#15. Wikimedia Commons (File:Christina El Moussa 2.png – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Jocean4 – 23 September 2018.

#16. AI (Untitled Project | All In One Web Editor | Picsart).

#17. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Pumping gas by hand.JPG – Wikimedia Commons) This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Author: MarkBuckawicki – 22 October 2015.

#18. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Staring Down Hurricane Florence.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This file is in the public domain in the United States because it was solely created by NASA. NASA copyright policy states that “NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted.” Author: Alexander Gerst – 12 September 2018.

#19 AI Microsoft Image Generator.

#20 – #23. Benedictine Brewery Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BenedictineBrewery).

J-ubiquitous

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #)

In past “Beerchasing Miscellany” blog posts (those not on a bar or brewery, but just my random reflections), I’ve often used alliteration in the title featuring the month of publication. Examples include January Jammin, February Flashbacks, Ambling in April, May Musings, May Meanderings, June Juxtapositions, Jumping in June, October Origins, Thanksgiving Thoughts, November Nuances…..you get the idea.

The topics in these include my coffee chat with the West Linn Police Chief Peter Mahuna and subsequent ride-along with a City police officer. I offered thoughts on the Oregon State vs. Oregon football games (I still call it the politically incorrect “Civil War rivalry”) and told you about the musical choices in my collection ranging from Big Band to Country Western.

There was my visit to a wonderful breakfast diner in Canby, Oregon – that being Pappy’s Greasy Spoon. And when nostalgia overcame me during the pandemic and I couldn’t go to dive bars, I even tried to glorify high school memories at Oregon City High School (e.g. placing an outhouse on the roof of the school as a senior prank – see story below from the now defunct Oregon City Enterprise Courier.

A Departure?

The title of this June post is a bit of a deviation from the awful alliteration in the past. I’ll explain the “ubiquitous” reference below, but it’s meant to highlight a recent reunion with two good friends Kirby Neumann-Rea and Craig “The Dude” Hanneman – the latter going back to college days at Oregon State University in the late ’60’s.

The story of our triangular connection reveals how life’s events weave their way through our existence and enrich our routines – sometimes many years later.

Kirby’s wife, Lorre Chester-Rea is the sister of the late, Gary Kestler USMC – my best friend and neighbor in high school (and a fellow outhouse prankster – see above) who was killed in Viet Nam in 1967. Lorre and Gary’s dad, the late Robert Chester, who served as Oregon City Police Chief for many years, was the best man in my 1980 wedding.

I have written about The Dude a number of times in this blog, relating our time as roommates in the SAE house at Oregon State in 1969, his affinity for Dean Martin, his football history as an All-American for the Beavers and then defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers including an indirect and unintentional role in the 1972 Immaculate Reception.

Also, his affinity for Dean Martin and his summiting of Mt Everest in 2012 and eventually all of the Seven Summits. (I should also mention that he loved to play Dean Martin tunes in our study room – incessantly. (#1 – #3)

Kirby and the News!!

The foundation of this story originates forty-four years ago in Dallas, Oregon – shortly after Kirby graduated from Linfield College in McMinnville. He was a cub reporter for the Polk County Itemizer-Observer – a weekly newspaper.

Kirby’s reporting endeavors actually go back further as he explained in a May 16, 2025 article in the McMinnville News Register – the fifth paper on Kirby’s journalistic journey (as evidenced in the photo below) and where he retired as Managing Editor on March 31st:

“I started as a paperboy more than 50 years ago, for the old East Side Journal in Kirkland, Washington. My first writing experiences were as an eighth-grade stringer for the Sammamish Valley News, in Redmond, Washington, then as a journalist for the paper at South Albany High in Oregon.” (#4 – #6)

Kirby left the Dallas paper after several years and traveled overseas, then took a job at the Molalla Pioneer – another weekly, in 1985. Fate had it that he would then return to the Dallas Itemizer Observer (he was probably enchanted and curious about the name of the paper…).

Kirby had gained enough credibility at his paper by that time to have a column he called “Scrapbook” – observations and insights laid out in an eclectic narrative – a feature, he stated, he was blessed to continue during his entire career.

One of his responsibilities was covering the meetings of the Polk County Commission. Enter The Dude, who after his NFL career, went home to Turner, Oregon to manage his family’s farm and then successfully ran for a four-year term as Commissioner (1985-1989).

Well, one of the items Kirby mentioned in a 1989 “Scrapbook” post was about a Dallas Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting. Evidently, this meeting was a weekly highlight for the city of then 9,500 people as this excerpt from his column states. Craig Hanneman was also mentioned, and the column shows Kirby’s respect for The Dude. (#7)

Breakfast News…

“The room was cramped; the twenty-people who attended represented the largest gathering at any breakfast forum in recent memory.”

And this next paragraph is where Kirby’s erudition as a wordsmith started a “story” that would idiosyncratically continue with some gaps for over forty years.

“…Mike Propes of Willamina, Republican candidate for Polk County Commissioner…came with his mother, Alice Propes, armed with his ubiquitous sepia-tone campaign brochures and a sore throat. (emphasis added)

…..Commissioner Craig Hanneman was one of those who declined breakfast as he prepared to hear the words of the two men who want his job. (Hanneman declined to run for re-election.) Or perhaps he has no room for the Cholesterol Special, what with all the fire in his belly.

He’s always had gastrointestinal coals, but Hanneman seems feistier than normal as the end of his time as commissioner approaches. Perhaps he’s experiencing ‘short-timer syndrome’ in reverse.

I don’t envy anyone who crosses Hanneman between now and Jan 1; a man of strong convictions (and usually the information to back it up), he is determined to leave office as active as the day he began four years ago.”

….Wavering on an issue in front of Hanneman is like pitching underhand to Jose Canseco.”

Well, as both Neumann-Rea and Hanneman relate the story, the Dude called Kirby after the story appeared and laughingly said something to the effect of:

“Damn Kirby. You taught me a new word. I’m a farm boy from Turner and have never seen or heard the word ‘ubiquitous.’ (Note: That may also have been true for most of us who went to an aggie university!) I had to go to the County Judge’s chambers and look in his dictionary.”

And as the story goes, from that meeting until the end of his term in office later that year, The Dude worked in the word “ubiquitous” at every Commission session.

It’s a Small World

I had stayed in touch with Lorre Chester-Rea and her mother over the years and met Kirby once when they were living in Hood River and he was working for the Hood River News. I had no idea that he knew Craig Hanneman.

Craig and I have had periodic phone calls and beers from the time he returned to Oregon. Several years ago, when we were probably having a draft Budweiser at a dive bar – I think I was kidding him about his limited vocabulary and the name Kirby Neumann-Rea and the ubiquitous story was related.

We laughed at the connection and decided the three of us needed to have a Beerchasing reunion. That occurred at a McMinnville brewery in March 2023 as shown in the photo below

It Doesn’t End There…

From that point on, we would send each other headlines or articles with our favorite word such as the one at the start of this post that the Dude sent last month from an article about the Willamina School District and those shown below.

Craig is even sending copies of letters-to-the-editor from the Wall Street Journal! The opportunities are manifold as the present usage of this word is ……“always appearing or found everywhere.” (Roget’s Thesaurus)

The conclusion – at least for now – was at an event in May celebrating Kirby’s retirement as Managing Editor of the McMinnville News Register and his robust journalistic career. Craig Hanneman was a speaker and I attended as a guest.

The event was filled with Kirby’s family, friends and colleagues from the papers he served for forty-four years. Of course, The Dude related the “ubiquitous” story and presented Kirby with a copy of the original “Scrapbook” column shown above. (He ignored my suggestion, that he end his oration by advising Kirby to remember that “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime“.)

The Importance of Community Newspapers

Kirby’s contribution to five different community newspapers in Oregon is remarkable and laudable. As Craig Hanneman stated:

“He made every paper he worked at better and the observations and insights from his Scrapbook column were unlike anybody else’s.”

And as well stated in the Tidewater News blog, these publications are critical – many have disappeared given the proliferation of digital and social media.

“In an age dominated by global news and social media, the value of local news often gets overshadowed. However, local journalism plays a crucial role in shaping communities, fostering democracy, and keeping citizens informed.”

Kirby Neumann-Rea’s role in these institutions is solid, plus it led to an even more important legacy as he stated:

“My top journalism experiences have to include meeting my wife, Lorre, while on the job. She was serving as municipal court clerk and I as the new editor of the Molalla Pioneer, just starting out there in 1985 – on April 1, naturally – and making the rounds at city hall.”

Kirby and Lorre have been married thirty-eight years and have two wonderful sons – Connal and Delaney Rea. (#8)

Neumann Rea (the retirement moniker he’s adopted) may no longer have a “Scrapbook” column any longer, but you can now catch his wonderings on his blog – “Burn the Ax Handle” where he covers a wide range of topics.

In fact, I have to compliment him for his use of alliteration in the most recent one – “Cacophony of Curiosities.”

And he will not be bored whatsoever in retirement – whether it’s playing pick-up basketball, where some people (including Neumann-Rea) think he has a decent elbow jumper, to continuation of the hobby he inherited from his dad, Donald, who died in 2020 at 94. (#9 -#11)

Neumann-Rea still sends about fifteen postcards every month and writes letters – not really expecting a response. His dad’s conglomeration of cards and letters started when he was 12.

“It was his collection that inspired my lifelong fascination with postcards, including the sending of them. One of the last interactive acts of his life was my reading the messages to him, many from his sister or mother or aunts in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s.

He collected them extensively during his Navy days in WWII, which has provided an excellent chronicle of his time in uniform.”

I assume that Lorre is going to be all over him, with a more challenging full-court press than he sees at the gym, to get rid of most of the newspapers I’m confident he has stashed in their garage. (#12)

“You can’t keep all of these!”

External Photo Attribution

#1. Oregon Alpha News

#2. Courtesy Craig Hanneman

#3.Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dean_Martin_-_publicity.JPG) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1930 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Source: Original studio publicity photo of Dean Martin for the film Bells Are Ringing (1960).

#4 – #5. McMinnville News Register (https://newsregister.com/article?articleTitle=kirby-neumann-rea-starting-over-on-a-new-fork-in-the-road-of-life–1747409748–51914–commentary.

#6. Linked-in (20) Kirby Neumann-Rea | LinkedIn).

#7. Dallas Oregon Chamber of Commerce (https://dallasoregon.org/).

#8 – #11. Courtesy of Kirby Neumann-Rea.

#12. Microsoft Edge AI image generator

Guess Who’s Coming to…..Beerchase!!

Posted on May 15, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

At the end of April, we were delighted to have two separate house guests. Archie, our three-year old grand-pup, visited for ten days from Seattle while his family was on a Hawaiian vacation.

And my old consultant friend with whom I worked at the Schwabe law firm before I retired in 2011 – “West Coast” Dave Hicks – flew in from an east-coast business trip for two days before he returned home to Ventura, Ca.

In the early days of my Beerchasing hobby and over the next five years, Dave was a frequent companion as you can see from the photos below at the Double Barrel, Reel-Em Inn, the Horse Brass Pub, the Richmond Bar, Crackerjacks, Belmont Station and the Ranger Station.

Dave has used his Princeton and University of San Diego Law School education well and is now Chief of Staff at Garnett Capital Advisors – a financial services firm specializing in managing loan portfolio sales for credit-granting institutions.

He is also known to use his experience as a Princeton Nassoon – the university’s oldest acapella group – with his identical-twin brother, to entertain at parties although he refrained from doing this at the dive bars we visited.

We usually toasted one of my first and most memorable Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, the late Dr. Harry Frankfurt – Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Princeton and author of the wonderful essay “On Bullshit.” (#2 – #4)

The Princeton Nassoons in 2008

Some Trepidation…?

Archie had visited and stayed overnight with us in the past, but it was always with his family – Mom and Dad and two young daughters.

Question No. 1: “How would he react to staying with us for ten days?”

Question No. 2: “How would he react to our male out-of-town visitor for a day and one-half? Did he have an aversion to the Ivy League?”

Well, our concerns were short-lived. Archie immediately went over to Dave sitting on the couch and curled up next to him and rolled over to have his stomach rubbed. Dave is a walker and the next day, he and I took Archie on a long walk on which Dave was the main leash holder. And the pup was a prince for his entire stay with us.

Trepidation unwarranted!

Beerchasing

Dave and I had an ambitious agenda. On the Friday afternoon, we drove the twenty-four miles to the Mount Angel Abbey to have some beers at the Benedictine Brewery and St Michael Taproom and say “hello” to Fr. Martin, the Manager and Head Brewer.

Fr. Martin stopped his work to say hello

No brewery will ever surpass my affection for this enterprise on the grounds of the Abbey in Mount Angel Oregon – one of just three owned and operated by Benedictine monks in the US.

Those who follow this blog, may recall that I was involved in the planning and development of the Brewery starting in 2016 until it opened in late 2018 including the amazing event in 2017, when over 125 monks, priests, seminarians and volunteers and members of the Mount Angel community, gathered for an “old-fashioned barn rising.”

As shown in the videos in this post, we started with a cement slab that cloudy morning and by the end of the day, had a framed structure for the brewery and taproom. https://thebeerchaser.com/2017/11/21/the-benedictine-brewery-beam-me-up/ (#5 – #11)

Dave and I had a great sampler of six beers and toured the beautiful Abbey Hilltop including a visit to the famous Alvar Aalto Library before returning to our home in West Linn. (#12 – #13)

Dave had invited Janet and me to dinner the next evening at the Bellpine Restuarant at the top of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in downtown Portland. While Janet spent her Saturday afternoon on a variety of activities, Dave and I drove into Portland for beers at two of my favorite downtown dive bars.

The Yamhill Pub – as I stated in the title of my 2015 blog post https://thebeerchaser.com/2015/05/14/the-yamhill-pub-a-dive-bar-with-character-or-grunge/ the aura of this hole-in-the-wall was best described in the now defunct Portland Barfly Website (another COVID victim…)

“A genuine dive-bar lurking midst the downtown shopping arcade, the Yamhill Pub maintains an unreconstructed seediness through blaring juke, food…(and, for that matter, toilets) best avoided, actively-encouraged graffiti upon the smoke-stained walls, pennies-a-serving pitchers, and a fiercely-protective cadre of underemployed regulars (seniors, rockers, bike messengers) willing to throw themselves in front of Hummers to prevent the forces of gentrification. Intimidating for the first-time visitor, but that’s sort of the point.”

This was my fourth visit to the Yamhill, and I was happy to see that it was still in business. As one regular commented to me in 2015, “Mark my words, this place will be gone in five years and that will be a tragedy.”

Willamette Week reported in November 2020, that Kevin Hill, the owner, launched a $15,000 GoFundMe campaign to raise $15,000 to save the bar – evidently it worked.

But grunge is still the watchword – from the graffiti-infested walls, the bathrooms and even the entrance sign in which the name has become essentially illegible. Look at the difference in the sign over the front door between 2015 and last month!

But as stated in its own Wikipedia page and as affirmed by, Neal, our friendly bartender, the Yamhill Pub, founded in 1939, still retains its legacy for draft PBR. “The bar has been recognized as the top Pabst Blue Ribbon seller in Oregon.”

Not only that, but at one time in the ’90’s they were #5 in North America!! Before I could scoff, he pointed out this PBR sign (see below) from 2012 – Number 18 in North America in PBR sales.

Dave and I chatted with Neal about Portland bars and watched the The Other Guys – a “buddy-action-comedy” movie with Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell and Michael Keaton which was streaming on the of the two small screen TVs hanging at the corners of the bar. (It seemed appropriate given the setting.)

Kelly’s Olympian – We walked around Portland some more – noting how the City was coming back from the depths but still had a way to go – and I suggested we drop into another favorite dive. Kelly’s Olympian, which evolved even before the Yamill (in 1902 – the third oldest Portland bar in continuing operation) has class and a great theme as you will see from the pictures below and this description from their website:

“The crowning glory is the collection of a dozen vintage motorcycles hanging from the ceiling and about, each restored to perfection. One of the owners is a motorcycle enthusiast and finally found a home for his impressive motorcycle collection.

Complementing the motorcycles are other motorcycle accessories, combined with museum quality neon signs, antique gas pumps and historic photos of Portland and motorcycles.”

If you enjoy history, read the full account in my 2015 blog post. Even the name chronicles the legacy:

“The name was derived from the name of one of the original owners, ‘Kelly’, and the Olympia Brewing Company, which was involved in the inaugural opening so that it could sell its product, Olympia Beer. It was originally called ‘The Olympian Saloon’. The name ‘Kelly’s’ was added a few years later…..”

And part of the bar’s historic identity goes back even further. The sections of downtown Portland – mostly in Old Town Chinatown – were known for their “Shanghai Tunnels.” According to Wikipedia, this is really a misnomer, and an urban legend:

“They connected the basements of many hotels and taverns to the waterfront of the Willamette River. They were built to move goods from the ships docked on the Willamette to the basement storage areas, allowing businesses to avoid streetcar and train traffic on the streets when delivering their goods.”

I had seen some of these on a tour by Adam Milne, owner of Old Town Pizza and Brewing, below his establishment in Old Town (right three photos below), but behind the Kelly’s Olympian Bar is a stairway down to the basement (photo on the left).

In my 2015 first visit to the bar, Lucia, the Manager, verified that servers still descend the stairs through the trapdoor behind the bar to get ice and that’s where their kegs are also stored.

We left after Dave refused to believe my story that the 1912 Princeton Student Body President visiting Portland one summer, got drunk at Kelly’s and was last seen being shuttled to a Chinese freighter.

Bellpine at the Top of the Ritz Carlton – We headed to West Linn to pick up Janet and get into our fancier duds and then drove back into Portland where notwithstanding our offer to dine on pub food at a brewery, Dave treated us to a wonderful six-course dinner (plus dessert) at the Bellpine on the 35th floor of the Ritz.

“Led by acclaimed Executive Chef Pedro Almeida, the culinary journey features ingredients indigenous to the region and is accentuated with world-class wine selections and unique spirits crafted by the region’s master distillers.”

Although the opulent bar was sparsely occupied on a Saturday night, the restaurant was hopping and it was a wonderful meal (yes, I drank wine instead of a PBR) and a fitting farewell to Dave who flew out the next morning to his Ventura, Ca. home. (#14 – #16)

Final Note

I chuckled on the way back home about having a bit of culture shock based on our three establishments that day ending with Bellpine after Kelly’s Olympian and beginning at the Yamhill Pub. Perhaps it was tantamount to a high-rise outhouse…..

And unfortunately, the 2019 timing of the development of the Ritz, by noted Portland developer, Walt Bowen, was disastrous. A fascinating March 2025 Willamette Week article charts the history:

“After two huge wins, he was ready to gamble again. A new project, called Block 216, would be his most ambitious ever. It would have five floors of prime office space, a Ritz-Carlton hotel, and 132 Ritz-Carlton condominiums…

That may be the most ill-timed guarantee in the history of Portland real estate. A year later, the world locked down because of COVID-19. Hotels emptied. People fled urban condos for ranch houses in the suburbs…

It appears Bowen’s dream tower will instead be a 460-foot tombstone for his career. As first reported by WW on March 5, the construction lender for Block 216 said in an earnings report that ‘ownership and serial asset disposition on the components would be the best net present value outcome for the loan.’

Translation: take the keys and sell the building in pieces.” (#17)

Well at least Kelly’s and the Yamhill will still be serving good cheap beer!

External Photo Attribution

#1. Garnet Capital Website (https://www.garnetcapital.com/aboutus/management#1)

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:2008NassoonsHolzhaus.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Lhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en – Attribution: Nassoons at English Wikipedia – 5 July 2008.

#3. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:On Bullshit cover.jpeg – Wikimedia Commons) This image of simple geometry is ineligible for copyright and therefore in the public domain, because it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship. Author: Dr. Harry Frankfurst, Princeton University Press – 2008.

#4. Wikimedia Commons (File:Harry Frankfurt at 2017 ACLS Annual Meeting.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN30Qk9j0bKuWF2ulC9CtVQ – 29 October 2018.

#5 – #11. Benedictine Brewery Website (https://www.benedictinebrewery.com/home-1).

#12 – #13. Mount Angel Abbey Website (https://www.mountangelabbey.org/).

#14 – #17. Wikimedia Commons (File:Portland, Oregon, May 2024 – 54.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Another Believer – 19 May 2024. (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Another_Believer).

Ambling in April

Posted on April 26, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

In the last several posts, I’ve highlighted a few breweries (Baerlic, Ferment and Thunder Island) and two great bars (Holmans’ Bar and the Hi-Top Tavern). This edition of Thebeerchaser will just take a miscellaneous stroll through some random musings and relate a great week-long trip to Kauai in late February.

Upon returning, my wife and I decided that for the rest of March and April, we wouldn’t drink alcoholic beverages except on weekends (Friday and Saturday). This may not seem like much of a sacrifice, but I often enjoy a gin martini on weeknights while watching the Portland Trailblazers. (There were times when it assuaged the pain…).

And I have to say, besides ingesting fewer calories, the few non-alcoholic beers I’ve had are pretty good. It’s a trend. According to an article last month in The Beer Connoisseur:

“Non-alcoholic beer is booming as more consumers seek flavorful, alcohol-free options for social drinking and wellness.”

External photo attribution at the end of the post (#1)

I wondered what the reaction would be in the first dive bar I requested one and thought the conversation might go like this:

Beerchaser: “I’d like a pint of your best non-alcoholic beer.”

Bartender: “Sure buddy. You want to show me some fake ID?”

And Speaking of Kaui….

Kauai is our favorite Hawaiin Island and we had perfect weather. Besides just relaxing on the beach, we explored the island.

And speaking of relaxing, one of the best methods was on the beach – with a cold brew or an exotic drink with a little umbrella in it – reading a good novel. And that raises a good news – bad news situation.

The good news was that I got immersed in Warren Easley’s, last novel Deadly Redemption – a great read. The bad news is that I finished it and have now enjoyed all ten of his books. There aren’t currently any new Cal Claxton novels to read.

Friends had recommended an interesting and unique way to see the sunset on the north part of the island. We would certainly recommend the two-hour sunset golf tour on the Princeville Makai Golf Course. It was well worth the $60 per person fee.

There were about nine golf carts – each seating two – and the charismatic golf pro led the entourage with about six stops where he related the history of the island and other great anecdotes.

We saw amazing natural habitat including several fascinating albatross families and just reveled at what is a beautiful (and incredibly challenging) golf course.

“The final stop on the tour is truly one of the most stunning locations in the world to witness a sunset… our signature par 3, seventh hole on Princeville Makai that makes for the perfect viewing spot….”.

And we learned, among other facts, the wild chicken population – an estimated 450,000 compared to 80,000 people residing on Kauai, evidently dates back to Polynesian settlers in 1200 AD. Although strikingly colorful and perhaps keeping the bug population down, the constant crowing of these scavengers is annoying.

The golf pro also told us about a more recent infestation of large green parakeets when we saw one in one of the trees by the golf course. There are no natural predators.

“Along Kauai’s resort-studded south shore, thousands of wild rose-ringed parakeets with bright green feathers and brilliant red beaks obliterate hotel parking lots and vehicles daily with their poop. Full of seeds, the bird dung attracts rats. If not quickly removed, it can ruin car paint.

Transported to the Garden Isle as pets and then either intentionally or mistakenly released into the wild in the 1960s, the birds now number at least 11,000 on Kauai, according to the scientists who study them.” Honolulu Civic Beat – 6/2/21

Given this bleak history of infestations, it made me wonder if the Kauai Legislature might start restricting lawyers from visiting the Garden Isle. (#2 – #4)

And on the way back from the golf course…..

Some friends told us about a relatively new brewery we should check out for dinner and beer when returning. It was a good tip (although how often does Thebeerchaser not have that assessment when it involves a watering hole…).

NaPali Brewing opened in 2023 and is a family enterprise – the dream of Blake and Kati Conant.

“Our journey to create this space has been one of passion, dedication, and a deep love for the island we call home. We started this brewery with a dream to share the flavors and spirit of Wailua with every person who walks through our doors.”

It has an expansive floor plan, good live music and food you’ll enjoy. Janet and I sat at the bar and our bartender, Quade, was very personable and told us the story of the brewery. I still salivate when thinking about the Poke Bowl I had that night. (#5)

Leaving the Island

As we parked at our hotel on the return from the golf cart tour and brewery visit, we were approached by a couple who I initially thought was just trying to avoid one of the chickens roosting by the cars.

They stated, however, that they had been staying with some friends who stocked up on “salty snacks” and they were leaving for the airport for their night flight home. “Did we want them – otherwise they were going to have to throw them away?”

Janet puts rigorous rations on my consumption of these, but I quietly whispered to her that it would be rude to refuse their kind offer. Did we want to add to the Kauai landfill? And we were not leaving for another day and one-half.

Chipping in…..The goldfish were for the granddaughters at home.

Since we didn’t order a meal on the six-hour flight home, I enjoyed some Doritos and Lays Barbecue Chips. They paired well with one creative offering of Alaska Airlines – it’s new Cloud Cruiser Beer.

“(It’s) created exclusively for the airline through its partnership with Seattle-based brewery Fremont Brewing….this exclusive India pale ale (IPA) has been brewed specifically to taste great at high altitudes. It’s served in cans designed with bright and colorful artwork that pays homage to the Pacific Northwest region.” (emphasis supplied)

The statement “brewed specifically to taste great at high altitudes” may mean the intoxicating effect of a 6.5% ABV at 30,000 feet, but I took one can home and really enjoyed the beer just as much at our residence in West Linn, Oregon which is just 105 feet above sea level.

As we got home and reflected on the superb weather we had, I skimmed the Darwin Theory Winter Newsletter named appropriately, “Monkey Business,” which had arrived in the mail. No it’s not a recap of the Scopes Trial. Darwin’s Theory is one of my favorite dive bars – in Anchorage, Alaska. We visited it when we were on an Alaska cruise in 2014.

Talk about a contrast. The newsletter told the tale of the weather conditions they faced at the beginning of the year:

“One of the worst snowstorms ever, and there have been many, came through the first week of January. Solid hard rain for two days, winds that reached 100 miles per hour (that’s Hurricane level) followed by a cold front that froze the standing water.

Darwin’s did something that it has never done in the 45 years of operation, that’s closed its doors for the safety of its staff and customers, the glare ice was incredulous. Best never to see the likes of this storm for another 50 years.”

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (File:Bartender – Malmö-1992.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: John Leffmann – 1992.

#2. NaPali Brewing Website (Napali One Year Anniversary -capturedbyjolie-05-3aef4a24.jpg (1920×1280)).

#3. Wikimedia Commons (File:Green Parrot Cairns-1and (4197620649).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Author: Sheba_Also – 13 December 2009.

#4. Wikimedia Commons (File:Red Junglefowl by Tisha Mukherjee 06.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Tisha_Mukherjee – 21 March 2025.

#5. Wikimedia Commons (File:Martin Lipton, McGraw Hill lawyer, cropped.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This work is from the Bernard Gotfryd collection at the Library of Congress. According to the library, there are no known copyright restrictions on the use of this work. Author: Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer – 1979.

Being Thankful

Posted on April 6, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

The beautiful Columbia River Gorge

Welcome to Thebeerchaser. If you’re seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos (especially the family photos at the end) and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post – #1.)

In this time of turmoil – not only in the US, but throughout the world – we have to work to gain perspective at times and reflect on our many blessings. One of my blessings is my wife, Janet – we had our 45th anniversary on March 29th.

Janet and I met in early 1979 at an evening Oregon City Planning Commission meeting when I was Chair of the Commission and she was a newly-hired Planning Department staffer. We started dating and got engaged at the Top of the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco in September.

Shortly after getting married, we even decided to attend graduate school together – my last two classes and her first two – Data Analysis for the Masters in Public Administration program at Portland State University.

It was in the early days of PCs so we had to drive in to Portland and wait with other students (sometime for 45 – 60 minutes) to have our punch cards run on the mainframe to produce a printout which we analyzed.

It was our first negotiation of the marriage – the winner would clean our bathrooms and the loser would go down and stand in line at Shattuck Hall….

I’m always thankful for the courage Duane (FDW) and Frannie (my parents) had in 1961. After visiting Oregon on a vacation the summer before, they decided we would move to Oregon with four kids – ages 8 to 14 – and without FDW having a job – to have a better life than in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Whenever I drive up the Columbia Gorge past Multnomah Falls and see majestic Mount Hood, I think of the sacrifices they made to make that move as well as remember the first time my family viewed those sights driving west on Interstate 84 to Portland when I was twelve.

So, on our anniversary, Janet and I decided to take a trip up the Gorge to the picturesque burg of Hood River – population of about 9,000 right on the banks of the Columbia River and with grand views of Mt. Hood in the background. Of course, on the way, there was a short stop for a beer and a tasty order of sweet potato fries at Thunder Island Brewing in Cascade Locks.

Thunder Island Brewing Co.

We’ d been to Thunder Island several years ago, when it was in a rather ramshackle structure with a few picnic tables adjacent to the parking lot and the offerings were sparse. Oh, has that changed, although unfortunately, their website doesn’t really relate the history except through several news articles in The Oregonian and Brew Public in 2021 – 2.

The owners’ account is almost always more meaningful and personal – especially when it’s the journey of former homebrewers who followed their dream such as Thunder Island’s husband and wife ownership team of Dave and Caroline Lipps Park.

That said, the 2021 Oregonian article by former Beer Writer, Andre Meunier – updated in 2023 – does a superb job of relating the 2013 origin, the relocation and their current operations.

Similarly, the September 2020 Columbia Gorge News story by its Editor and my friend, Kirby Neuman-Rhea provides great perspective:

“Owners Dave and Caroline Lipp embarked on a new building project and started a family all within the same year, operating their popular riverside brewery and pub under COVID-19 conditions as they prepared in late August to move from the original riverfront location 100 yards up to 601 N.W. WaNaPa Ave.”

The Lipps had to deal with high winds and the wildfires that swept the Gorge and caused the closure of all establishments relying on outdoor seating. But the new facility is very impressive – two stories with multiple bars, several dining areas and an expansive patio. (Right after the relocation, the patio was the only area open but was well received.)

Thunder Island takes its beer seriously as documented in Andre Meunier’s aforementioned article:

“Of all the changes, the most important might be the hiring of head brewer Jen House in February of 2021. Formerly of heralded Russian River Brewing, the California maker of popular Pliny the Younger and Pliny the Elder beers, House most recently brewed at Hood River’s Double Mountain Brewery.

She also holds a master’s degree from University of California at Davis fermentation program, and she has brought that expertise to Cascade Locks, along with consistent quality to Thunder Island’s beers.” (#2 – #3)

How’s that for a resume!

I’m sure the Brewery has won multiple beer awards, but again, their website surprisingly doesn’t mention these. I did find this after a search on the web – from 2022:

“We are thrilled to announce that we took home our first Oregon Beer Award with a bronze medal for our Mrs. Pierce’s Porter. We’re honored to be amongst so many amazing breweries and medal winners. Shout out to Jen for brewing such stellar beers.”

Our server, Helmit, was great and we tasted several beers and decided to go with a sampler with these four:

(YaYa Juicy IPA, Hatchery Hazy IPA, 140 IPA and Vertical Limit Amber Ale)

All were good, but the YaYa – their flagship – was our favorite. Thunder Island also has a great pub menu. We ate a shared order of delicious sweet potato waffle fries for $9 and we took a good part of it to go.

On to Hood River

We’ve made a number of trips to Hood River previously and always enjoy the quaint, but bustling, downtown area with great shops, two breweries (Pfriem and Ferment) and especially the walk along the Columbia River. It is outstanding – especially on a warm sunny day when the forecast had been cold and cloudy. (#4)

We love both of these breweries, but with time constraints, chose Ferment on this trip. It’s a multi-storied building with a large deck on the second-floor sporting plenty of tables. The expansive open area with a nice lawn in back of the brewery, also with picnic tables, provides additional space including an area for dogs (and kids) to roam, play frisbee, etc.

And the interior is spacious and classy with great views of the River and exposed brewing equipment. We just had time to split a beer and chose the Nelson IPA which rivaled the Thunder Island IPA. (# 5 – #6)

We had ninety minutes before our dinner reservations, so we parked a few blocks from Celilo Restuarant and strolled through downtown Hood River – a bunch of small shops – cycling, windsurfing, outdoor gear, galleries and a classic bookstore. (Janet persuaded me – with some effort – to avoid the temptation to hit the Oak Street Pub based on the Yelp review):

“While walking around Hood River I was looking for a local beer and something to snack on. I stumbled upon this place and decided to drop in. I was surprised to see they had fried Cheese Curds on the menu which was awesome! I was torn between those curds and the nachos.

I went with the curds because, when will I find curds again.The curds were just perfect. The beer selection could’ve been a bit more diverse but it was ok. Support local!”

Janet didn’t accept my contention that dining on cheese curds would significantly reduce our dinner expense. While she looked at some boutiques, I spent almost thirty minutes browsing in the Waucoma Book Store – also on Oak Street – and a very pleasurable experience.

And I was glad, although not surprised, when viewing the Staff Recommendations section to see nine of the ten novels (all of which I’ve devoured) written by my Beerchasing friend, author Warren Easley – the most recent Beerchasing Notable. (Only Matters of Doubt was missing – the first in the Cal Claxton series and a great read.) (#7 – #10)

Dinner

As we were waiting for Celilo to open at 5:00, I was preparing to get a photo of Janet in front of the restaurant and then a nice couple offered to take our picture. The manager was just opening the door and heard me say that it was our 45th anniversary.

And what a classy establishment – sparkling interior, great bar, friendly and knowledgeable servers and outstanding food based on our one visit. Janet wasn’t extremely hungry and wanted the salmon burger and I gave her a few bites of my New York Strip Steak – perfectly cooked medium rare with “Rosemary and garlic roasted red potatoes, Oak Rose kale, radish and blue cheese salad, horseradish cream, red wine sauce.”

My yearning for cheese curds was quickly forgotten and we took enough home for dinner the next night (we supplemented with our remaining waffle fries from Thunder Island). (#11 – #13)

And as I suspected, the establishment, opened in 1995, is locally owned and operated – the chef and managing partner, is Ben Stenn (photo above) and they have a great philosophy:

“…..the foundation of Celilo Restaurant when it opened in 2005 (is) Ben’s philosophy, ‘Know the source, Know your people, Know your food.’”

We waited to order our drinks until after the server took our menu choices and I was ready to order a dry gin martini (up with olives) when the bar manager appeared with two flutes of champagne and said, “Happy Anniversary.” Our experience at Celilo was a superb way to end a wonderful trip.

Thanks Celilo!

And to Close on the Thankful Theme….

On March 29, 1980, Janet and I were married in the Oregon City First Presbyterian Church. It’s been a whirlwind forty-five years and I thank God every day for Janet who has been a wonderful wife, mom to our two daughters and grandmother to our four wonderful granddaughters. And she’s also a wonderful Beerchasing companion (except to dive bars!)

Blessings and Cheers

Internal Photo Attribution

#1. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons File:Cape Horn, Columbia River Gorge NSA.jpg – Wikimedia Commons. This image is a work of the Forest Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain. Author:
Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region – 9 September 1992.

#2, Wikimedia Commons (File:Panorama of Columbia River Shore – Hood River – Oregon – USA.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Adam Jone Ph.D. – 29 September 2012.

#3. Thunder Island Brewing Facebook Page.(https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1935141349959870&set=a.260315430775812).

#4. Thunder Island Brewing Facebook Page. (https://www.facebook.com/ThunderIslandBrewing/posts/%EF%B8%8Fhead-brewer-jen-house-says-come-grab-a-pint-of-brave-noise-pale-ale-this-4-abv-/2203374693136533/).

#5. Ferment Brewing Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1212973380836468&set=pb.100063714512945.-2207520000&type=3).

#6. Ferment Brewing Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1078275794306228&set=pb.100063714512945.-2207520000&type=3).

#7. Waucoma Bookstore Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1059900462830808&set=pb.100064325935808.-2207520000&type=3).

#8. Waucoma Bookstore Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/HoodRiverChamber/photos/t.100064325935808/1372035909517338/?type=3).

#9 – #10. Warren Easley Website ((https://www.warreneasley.com/).

#11 – #13. Celilo Restaurant Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=490672409735957&set=a.490672376402627).

February Flashbacks

Posted on February 1, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

Rather than review a specific bar or brewery, this post is about some miscellaneous topics that continue to fill my cranium at the beginning of the year.

Welcome to Thebeerchaser. If you’re seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

For the Record…

In previous posts, I’ve mentioned my eclectic taste in music as evidenced on my iPhone – previously on CDs, cassettes and before that vinyl – 33, 78 and 45 rpms, in part, from my dad’s platters.

He had a great collection and it was one reason that from junior high, I became a fan of Big Band music – Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Bennie Goodman, et al. Background is in the first post I wrote about my wonderful parents, who met in New York City in the mid-forties when both worked for American Airlines. (#2 – #3)

Paula Kelly and the Modernaires

The young couple established their home in Merrick, Long Island, where my sister, Lynne, was born in 1946 and I in 1948. Dad loved Big Band music and they danced to the Glenn Miller Orchestra at the Glen Island Casino. They became friends with Paula Kelly and the Modernaires who performed there.

I evolved in college and listened to groups like the Four Seasons, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, et al. (And as mentioned in my last post, during the time Craig “Dude” Hanneman was my roommate, The King of Cool – Dean Martin.)

As I progressed in my music (although unfortunately not in my selection of fiction) and I became enamored with both classical and jazz music. How I became an ardent fan of country-western, I don’t remember, but a major share of my playlists are now the greats such as George Jones, Don Williams (yes, I often get asked), Alan Jackson and Merle Haggard.

Rather than just using iTunes or YouTube, in my home office, I have a turntable and receiver and often play selections from the albums and CDs shown below:

Not wanting to cling to the past, but the trend in country music is not positive. The Roadie Music blog summarizes it well in a 2021 post, “What Happened to Country Music”:

“One could argue that country music from 30 or more years ago is close to extinct and that what you get now is a mix of pop and rock with a lap string guitar added and a southern accent.”

And Alan Jackson lamented the state of the music he loves during a recent interview by declaring that “country music is gone — and it’s not coming back.”

He and George Strait state their position in a wonderful number “Murder on Music Row.” Check out the superb melody on this link YouTube and this excerpt of the lyrics — Outstanding! (#4 – #5)

“But someone killed country music, cut out it’s heart and soul
They got away with murder down on music row.

For the steel guitars no longer cry and fiddles barely play
But drums and rock ‘n roll guitars are mixed right up in your face.

They thought no one would miss it, once it was dead and gone
They said no one would buy them old, drinking and cheating songs
Well, there ain’t no justice in it and the hard facts are cold
Murder was committed down on music row.”

Another Perfect Example

Country-western tunes are often about aspirations. I came across this one recently on YouTube (check it out) and added it to my playlist. After all, who can quibble with the prayer “Lord Help Me Be the Kind of Person My Dog Thinks I Am ” by the Bellamy Brothers. (#6)

And the lyrics convey it well as evidenced by this excerpt:

“Sometimes I go to church on Sunday,With Saturday’s whiskey on my breath,But I keep praying and promising to quitBefore I drink myself to death,Help me walk the straight and narrow,Change this light into a lamp,Oh Lord help me be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

Now the preacher’s been real good to me,But I know who’s really been there in a jam.Lord help me be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.”

Country ballads often convey redemption such as George Jones’ classic “The Right Left Hand”:

“And the vows I took before
Were all forever more
But no matter how I tried, they came undone.

I put a golden band on the right left hand this time
And the right left hand put a golden band on mine.”

And this one I recently discovered is the epitome. Check the lyrics and melody to this country-gospel hit, “Jesus and Mama Always Loved Me” by Confederate Railroad first sung in 1992 which rose to #2 on the US Country Chart. (#7)

“Jesus and Mama”

“I made a wish upon a star
I could have a brand new car
Got tired of wishing
So I stole one.

Seventeen and knew it all
My dreams were big, but my thoughts were small
So many roads somehow I chose
The wrong one.

I wish mom could see me now
And how I’ve turned it all around
Lately I’ve been going down
The right road.

But Jesus and mama always loved me
Even when the devil took control
Jesus and mama always loved me
This I know.”

Now to finish, I have to share some of the fictitious country-western titles I’ve kept in my files for years – from the Oregonian’s former “The Edge” column. I don’t think either Kacey Musgrave or even Willie Nelson is going to sing any of these:

She was a bootlegger’s daughter and I loved her still

I’m sorry I made you cry, but at least your face is cleaner

I wish I were a woman so I could go out with a man like me

And in honor of the lawyers – “I can’t pass the bar and there’s one on my way home”

And Speaking of the Bar….

One of my favorite Beerchasing companions is attorney, Jim Westwood – a fellow Oregon City High School graduate where his mom, Catherine, tried to teach me the distinction between nominative and genitive cases for two years in Latin class.

In fact, to “honor” his mom, I’ll relate the dialogue at the last bar we visited when I gave the bartender my order:

Beerchaser I’ll have a martinus.

Jim: Don, that should be “martini

Beerchaser: Jim, if I had wanted a double, I would have told him.

Jim and I have been friends through legal-related issues and shared civic endeavors and then mug-raising for almost forty years. I tried to relate some of his story on my blog post published in 2013 where he was named a Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter.

This outstanding lawyer just turned eighty and the collage below, which I sent for his birthday, demonstrates his personality and affinity for Beerchasing.

Regardless of your political affiliation or philosophy, it’s imperative – possibly more than any time in US history – that Americans have a good grasp of the US Constitution. And I could go into a rant about the dearth of effective civic courses in our high schools.

That’s why Jim and his fellow Oregon coaches in the We the People National Competition deserve accolades both for their dedication and effectiveness in teaching these principles.

“In the last 20 years, teams representing the State of Oregon have earned six National titles, two National Runner-Up titles, six Third Place wins, and 23 top-ten finishes.

…The We the People National Finals, hosted by parent organization The Center for Civic Education, takes place each year in Washington, D.C. Approximately 48 teams compete each year, representing almost all U.S. states and territories.

Except for one year when he coached full time at Portland’s Parkrose High School, he was a unit coach at Grant every year between 2002 and 2020. And he’s remained pretty involved at Grant and other schools such as DeLaSalle North Catholic.

Four times the team he coached or assisted won the National Championship! The Grant Generals won the title in 2013, 2015 and 2018. In 2024, the team from Grant beat more than 48 state winners nationwide.

And you would be amazed at the regimen these kids face to prepare. They may not run wind sprints, but the equivalent of football Daily Doubles might consist of immersing themselves in the Bill of Rights in the morning and probing the nuances of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment over lunch. (#8)

2024 National Champions

In 2013, Marilyn Cover, Executive Director of the Classroom Law Project (CLP), stated:

“(Jim’s) a great teacher, a great coach and a great model citizen.’ He was honored last year as the 2012 Legal Citizen of the Year by the Classroom Law Project.”

To demonstrate why Jim is such a good coach, I first want to preface with the historic figure he most admires – George Washington. That’s why the Multnomah Bar Association in 2013 presented him with the individual portrait shown in the photo below by his Pulitzer winning friend, political cartoonist, Jack Ohman.

As we entered one bar a few years ago Jim commented:

“It must have been easy for George when he got asked for ID at a bar. All he had to do was show them a quarter.” (#9)

2013 MBA Award of Merit

Well in 2015, Coach Westwood announced to his team that if they won the National Championship, he would get a tattoo to recognize that victory. “1783” was inked on his left arm. For those wondering, it was the year Washington bade farewell to his officers at Fraunces Tavern and resigned as Commander-in-Chief.

Grant won again in 2018 and his second tattoo followed with a continuation of the Washington theme. Jim stated:

“The cursive writing above 1783 consists of the first two letters (with a small ‘o’ to complete the abbreviation of ‘George’) from George Washington’s signature on the Constitution as president of the 1787 Convention.”

He retired from being a full-time coach in 2019, but as Jim, with his characteristic modesty, then stated:

“I intended to fade into nothingness, but as has happened with other retiring coaches, Grant Con team is the Hotel California. You can never leave. The best description of me is ‘involved volunteer.”‘

I would suggest that the alumni from Jim’s team would not only row him across the Delaware River, but even try the Columbia (in honor of Jim’s law school.)

Although he was a volunteer and not a coach at the time of the 2024 victory, the ink flowed again and requires an explanation as well as an illustration of a lawyer’s logic:

“The Washington family coat of arms features three stars in a row. When Grant won Nationals last April, that was my thought for a tattoo design – three stars.

But then I was struck by the similarity of the Grant High logo – a ‘G’ with four stars in a row. So I killed two birds by doing the four-star design to honor both Washington and U.S. Grant High School.” (#10 – #11)

Washington Family Coat of Arms

Grant High Logo

A Meld!

The Oregon competition for We The People took place on January 25th. Grant placed third and also received special recognition for their outstanding presentation. Cheers to the kids and their coaches for the exemplary commitment.

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (File:Vinilos distintos tamaños.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Banfield – 5 April 2010.

*2. (https://www.amazon.com/Orchestra-Live-Glen-Island-Casino/dp/B009H43Y3K)

*3. Wikimedia Commons – Public Domain – (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Kelly_(singer)#:~:text=By%20CBS%20Radio/CBS%20Photo%20-) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1926 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Source: CBS Radio 1951.

#4. Wikimedia Commons (File:George Strait on stage.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Author: Craig ONeal – 7 April 2008.

#5 Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Alan jackson at pentagon.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This image is a work of a U.S. military or Department of Defense employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain in the United States. Author: Joe Burlas – September 2002.

#6. Wikimedia Commons (File:The Bellamy Brothers.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Jarrett Gaza – 16 April 2013.

#7. Wikimedia Commons (File:Confederate Railroad2019.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Jdkwv – 28 December 2021.

#8. . Center for Civic Education (Release: Portland’s Grant High School Places First in Center for Civic Education’s Nationwide Competition on the Constitution – civiced.org).

#9. Multnomah Bar Association

#10. Public Domain Wikimedia Commons (File:COA George Washington.svg – Wikimedia Commons) – This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Ysangkok at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide. 2006.

#11. Grant High School Facebook ((3) grant high school portland – Search Results | Facebook).

January Jammin…….

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Thebeerchaser

Happy New Year (and) Birthday!

Now I’m not trying to start the year off on a negative tone, but I thought this observation from my file collection reeked with wisdom:

“Denny’s has a slogan, ‘If it’s your birthday, the meal is on us.’ If you’re in Denny’s and it’s your birthday, the chances are excellent that your life sucks!”

Bar Profitability (#2)

I recently read a short article by a guy (probably an Economics major at an SEC school) that stated, “After pouring one shot of liquor, the income from the rest of the bottle is pure profit….” He should try telling that to one of the hundreds (or thousands) of bar owners who have gone out of business since the pandemic.

To lend credence in refuting this idiot’s assertion, I came across the following which itemizes the actual cost of a martini in five cities. https://vinepair.com/articles/martini-cost-breakdown/ For context, I mentioned martinis in my last post about the great bar – The Holy Ghost in Portland, Oregon – where we had martinis which cost $14 each.

The article gives the price for the patron at classy bars in five US cities – New York City $20, Charleston $14, Los Angeles $16, Phoenix $15 and Chicago $16. (#3)

More overhead than just the gin and olive!

It then gives an overhead calculation for each city. To illustrate, let’s just take the operating costs for the Chicago martini at the classy Club Lucky with the price of $16.

Ingredients: $3.23
Labor: $4.64
Mortgage: $0.86
Food: $4.16
Supplies: $0.49
Miscellaneous costs: $0.93
Total Cost: $14.31
Profit: $1.69 (#4)

So, for the guys who slowly nurse their drinks over conversation about the plight of the Chicago Bears, it takes a lot of customers to keep this establishment afloat.

A poignant quote about economists is from John Kenneth Galbraith:

“Economics is extremely useful as a form of employment for economists.” (#5)

But if you want to know about economic viability, I advise that listening to a financial expert rather than some guy who probably played linebacker at the University of Alabama is wise.

College Memories and the King of Cool

Followers of this blog may remember a number of posts where I’ve related fond memories of my SAE fraternity days at Oregon State University. The bonds established during those four years have continued over more than fifty years (gads, am I that old…?).

Whether it was learning how to study (which I largely ignored in high school) by having mandatory study tables from 7 to 10 each night as a freshman (unless achieving over a 3.0 GPA), we learned about accountability as a “rook” by getting up each morning at 6:30 AM with members of our class when we cleaned the heads or helped cook breakfast.

We learned to adapt by slumbering in one of four twenty-five bed sleeping porches. The lessons ingrained were not imparted in classes in Western Civ or Intro to Sociology.

And there were lasting memories such as football games including the incredible upset over the #1 rated USC Trojans led by OJ Simpson in 1967 – the year of the OSU Giant Killers.

We can’t forget concerts by entertainers such as Three-Dog Night, Petula Clark and Lou Rawls, house dances with pre-functions, the Inter-fraternity Sing, intramural championships and the Civil War game. Comraderie with my fellow NROTC midshipmen and even second-term Calculus (not!) are part of the recollection. (#6 – #7)

I even learned from my room-head when I was a freshman that it was cool to blow your nose in a dirty undershirt (he maintained that no-one would ever know) – a practice I sustained for years until the first time I tried it after getting married. Janet informed me that if I ever did that again, I would do all the family’s laundry forever.

And these friendships have been sustained throughout the years including some great Beerchasing events, attending football games in Corvallis and sadly, memorial services including the last two years for SAE Brothers Duane “Thumper” Barton and Charlie “Buck” Adams where we serenaded the departed bros with the SAE song.

Now, some might say, “Dirt (that was my college nickname), you are living in the past;” however, I would remind them of Helen Keller’s statement:

“So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.”

Now as an example, take my fraternity brother, Craig (The Dude) Hanneman (a former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, who I first met when he came to the SAE house as a freshman on a football scholarship in 1967. He was involved in football and I in NROTC and with the normal college schedules, we didn’t get to know each other well until winter term of 1968.

Each class slept on sleeping porches with bunks – and we also had four-person study rooms with a desk and closet for each guy. There was a bench-couch and table at the end under a window where we put the hi-fi so we could play vinyl tunes.

We were assigned these rooms each term by the House Manager and Hanneman was the youngster in the room and I was one class ahead as a sophomore. I knew he was a guy (with a rural background) from Turner which I originally thought was a truck-stop somewhere in Eastern Oregon or Idaho.

My 33LPs were of popular groups like the Four Seasons, the Mamas and Papas and The Temptations. I assumed Craig would favor country-western icons like George Jones or Merle Haggard, but on the first days I came back from class, he was playing Dean Martin.

When I questioned him, he pointed out that Dino was known as “The King of Cool” and maintained that I too would learn to love him. Well, that didn’t prove to be the case, except for one song, which I played over and over while we both sang along – Thirty More Miles to San Diego…(#8)

The King of Cool

I subsequently learned that the song was track 10 on the album “Happiness is Dean Martin” – a title that didn’t comport with my perceptions. That said, I also liked the song “Open Up the Door – Let the Good Times In” which we adopted as our motto in Room 2 although it had a negative impact on our GPAs.

I also pointed out to Craig that thirty miles north of San Diego – besides being the location of Legoland – was a drive of 16 hours or 989 miles from Corvallis, so the likelihood of us having a beer there rather than Price’s Tavern in downtown Corvallis was minimal.

While his taste in music was questionable, I immediately learned that the Hanneman’s sense of humor was robust. As I mentioned above, freshman (rooks) at the house could garner demerits from the House Manager for missing or showing up to morning work or study tables late.

Upper classmen told us that these demerits would be recorded on our college transcripts and could keep us from getting a job or into grad school and eventually heaven.

I still have in my files, the most cherished demerit from those years that was authored by Craig Hanneman during an all-house work party to get the house in shape for homecoming weekend. It speaks for itself.

Joel McDonald, the House Manager, was a wonderful guy and after college became a minister. We were glad to know that this demerit didn’t keep him for gaining admission to seminary…..

None of us knew at that time that Dude would go on to become an All-American defensive tackle and then play for the NFL – first with the Pittsburgh Steeler’s including the playoff game with the Immaculate Reception – which has a Craig Hanneman element in itself https://www.steelers.com/news/a-mistake-that-turned-out-to-be-immaculate

Or upon retirement from the NFL because of injury, own and manage a 200-acre farm and forest operation for seven years before being elected County Commissioner of Polk County, Oregon in 1985.

He followed with a career as a corporate executive at Willamette Industries, Weyerhaeuser and at the Oregon Foresty Industry Council for a combined twenty-two years. Now, I will probably be admonished for the preceding by my old friend because he’s very modest and tries to avoid accolades, but he was also a great family man.

And while his career achievements are admirable, what endears him to his friends is his sense of adventure and expanding his horizons – that and his loyalty to friends. Dude and his football teammates ran with the bulls in Pamplona (picture below) has ridden his Harley thousands of miles on road trips on multiple continents and rafted serious rivers.

Oh yeah, there was also his summit of Mount Everest in 2012 – one of the Seven Summits which he completed in 2019. In fact, he is one of the few members of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame to be inducted for two sports – football and mountain climbing.

I stay in touch with Dude and we have periodic Beerchasings – with the SAEs including the one below from the Gemini pub in Lake Oswego.

And, of course, Dino and our favorite song comes up. For example, this e-mail after I congratulated him on the Mount Everest climb:

“Okay, I’ll admit it, all those late-night sessions playing “flinchies” (that’s another story…..) really hardened me up to climb Everest! And to prove some things never change, you’ll be pleased to know I had plenty of Dean Martin tunes on my iPod Nano to help drown out the noisy wind at night.”

Flash Forward

On the afternoon of October 31, 2024, I was trying to figure out how to surreptitiously transfer to my desk drawer, some of the Snickers candy bars we had for youngsters coming to our house on Halloween.

While I was in my office trying to keep Janet from seeing my clandestine depletion of what I thought was detrimental to youngsters’ dental health, a text popped up on my phone with the following two photos:

I was aware from an e-mail two days before from Dude telling me that he was departing on an adventure that would take him through Southern California and stating:

“Dirt, I’m driving through San Diego tomorrow night….and leaving tugged a tad at my heart thinking of the good memories of our time in Room 2 listening to Dean Martin and only thirty miles to go. If I see a road sign that says SD thirty miles, trust me, I’m taking a picture.”

Well, the picture on the above left is not of a road sign, but of Craig’s GPS, which caused him to bring up the golden oldie on the right. Go figure!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=sjrVIU1u1LU

With my elevated mood, I was much more generous with the candy that night than usual.

Cheers and Happy New Year (#9)

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Birthday_cake.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Fir0002.

#2.Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bright-Field_Lighting.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Kyle May – 17 November 2007.

#3. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dry_Martini-2.jpg) This work has been released into the public domain by its author. This applies worldwide. Author: Dry_Martini.jpg: Original uploader was Hayford Peirce at en.wikipedia. 8 September 2009.

#4. USARestuarants.info (https://cdn.usarestaurants.info/assets/uploads/c9924fee793df3d25760cdeea8a7102c_-united-states-illinois-cook-county-chicago-691299-club-luckyhtm.jpg)

#5. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dollar_sign_capitalism_logo.svg) This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Author: OwcaGierka – 13 November 2022.

#6. Albany Democrat Herald (https://democratherald.com/news/local/anniversary-of-the-giant-killers-famed-osu-team-beat-usc/article_b8be0757-0fcb-5091-a984-72075eb7d5ca.html)

#7. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Memorial_Union_at_Oregon_State_University.jpg) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: user:Owen – May 2005.

#8. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dean_Martin_-_publicity.JPG) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1930 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Source: Original studio publicity photo of Dean Martin for the film Bells Are Ringing (1960).

#9. Image courtesy of Pam Williams.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Posted on November 28, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

What a year it’s been, and the post below is an amalgamation of a bunch of random thoughts and clips I’ve collected. Although a time of upheaval, we have much about which to be thankful.

As the photo (above right) suggests, why not raise a mug of my favorite Benedictine Brewery beer – Hairshirt IPA. Perhaps it can also help allay your guilt while you enjoy a great beer.

Here’s to Our First Responders and Health Care Professionals

I’m extremely thankful for both first responders and health care professionals – not only at this time of year, but every day. I admit a bias, because both of our daughters are registered nurses (Lisa – radiation/oncology clinic and Laura – hospital pediatric emergency department) and I am proud and amazed at their dedication and expertise.

I could go on, but these two photos (both from the archives) express it more aptly:

Oregon Health Sciences University is a large organization and gets a lot of bad press, but the patient care we have gotten there from every provider and all staff has been outstanding.

Dr. Laura Byerley, our primary care physician in the Department of Internal Medicine, who is also an assistant professor at the Medical School is the most notable example. She is an outstanding doctor and we are grateful for her. (#2 – #4)

The City of West Linn is a suburb twelve miles south of Portland, where we’ve made our home for the last forty-two years. With a population of 28,000, it’s an ideal place to reside.

The City Government is effective and services including the Police Department are excellent. It’s across the Willamette River from historic Oregon City, where I lived from the time I moved to Oregon in 1959 and graduated from high school. (#5 – #7)

I met Janet, my wife of forty-four years, at an Oregon City Planning Commission meeting in 1979 and she subsequently became the Assistant City Manager of West Linn, before working in the private sector.

I’d been impressed with the West Linn Police Department and after we both retired, I decided to try to support them and find out a little bit more. So in 2022, I took advantage of the program entitled “Meet the Chief” and had a wonderful chat with him over coffee.

Chief Peter Mahuna is a native of Maui and a former college athlete (basketball) at Pacific University where he graduated with a BS in Social Work. He has extensive law enforcement credentials and has been Chief since November 2021. (#8 – #9)

wlpd_photo_102024

I’d always wanted to schedule a “Ride-along” with a police officer and based on the positive experience with the Chief signed up in the winter of 2023:

“(The goal is to) provide an opportunity for the community to see first-hand, the day-to-day workings of law enforcement, including familiarizing the public with the complex and unpredictable nature of police work.”

I rode along with Officer Matthew Goode on a Wednesday evening from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. He introduced himself and gave me a tour of the Police Station which is a nice facility. During that period, we only encountered traffic violations, but I had a chance to have a great conversation.

Officer Goode earned a BS in Finance and then graduated from the Oregon Police Academy before becoming a WLPD officer in 2019. Chief Mahuna is a big man, but Matthew is significantly taller as you can see from the photos.

He’s a fine representative of the Police Dept. and loves his job although he was candid about the frustrations and challenges in serving, given perceptions of the police by many citizens.

For example, our last stop occurred after we followed a car for about a mile that was weaving and crossing the yellow line in a sparsely populated area of the City. It certainly appeared as if the driver was intoxicated.

When he could safely pull the car over, it was in the driveway of the owner. Rather than being intoxicated, the young woman, aged 16, had just obtained her driver’s license and had not driven at night previously.

Mathew cautioned her and didn’t issue a citation, but the girl’s young neighbor came out of her house and chastised him for making the stop in the driveway with his red-lights flashing – go figure!

He also told me that for every encounter or call, they have to enter in the car’s computer, the gender, race and age of the person stopped which goes to the State of Oregon. Each department’s statistics are analyzed to determine if there is a preponderance of race from the people stopped.

I was impressed with Officer Goode and it did not surprise me last week to see that he and a fellow West Linn officer received lifesaving awards for separate incidents. Goode, in response to a call on Sept. 11 helped save the life of an unconscious 2-year-old who had stopped breathing. Chief Mahuna stated:

“You immediately began administering CPR, checked the child’s pulse and began chest compressions. TVF&R arrived and you continued chest compressions working alongside TVF&R in your attempt at saving this child’s life.

After many minutes the child began breathing again. The child was then rushed to the hospital and the following day the child’s vital signs had finally been stabilized.” (#10)

Officers receive award

Life in West Linn

West Linn is an upscale community and has a lower crime rate than many cities. Recent statistics from one data source based on 11/23 figures show:

There were 310 total crimes committed in West Linn the last reporting year.
On a rate basis, there were 1,154.9 total crimes per 100K people in West Linn.
The overall crime rate in West Linn is -50.31% below the national average.
West Linn ranks #11 safest out of 103 cities in Oregon.
West Linn ranks #4,253 safest out of 9,869 cities in the United States.

I assume that one frustration for officers is the volume of mundane and frivolous calls to which they have to respond. The West Linn Tidings reports these each week and I’ve been saving some of the best which are somewhat humorous.

That said, I’m well aware that a police officer never knows when a routine call might be hazardous or involve saving a life. As unbelievable as it sounds, none of these are made up. Heres’ some from the last several years.

10/13/ – 4:55 pm – A woman said a man was sitting outside a church and followed her, so she had to run inside and lock the door. Police contacted the man who was a volunteer at the church and had arrived a bit early for an event that evening. (#11)

Bank security issues?

6/13/ – 4:22 pm – A caller expressed concern about a bank on Hood Street closing early.

4/10 – 9:54 am – An employee of a bank on Salamo Road called police because of suspicious circumstances. An occupied vehicle had been in the parking lot outside the bank for a half-hour and another vehicle showed up fifteen minutes later. An officer contacted the vehicles’ occupants who were just waiting for the bank to open. (#12 – #13)

Musical Instruments

7/11/ – 5:44 pm – Police received a complaint about people playing bagpipes on Willamette Drive.

8/4 – 2:41 pm – A woman complained about a husband and wife playing the accordion on Hood Street.

Children and Young People (#14 – #16)

7/25 – 2:04 pm – A missing child was found in a garage. Apparently he hid there after he was scared by a shadow in the backyard.

3/15 – 12:09 am – Girls buying two cases of toilet paper at Walmart claimed it was for a “school project.”

8/7 – 8:12 pm – A caller said a staff member at an undisclosed location grabbed a child’s tongue and yanked it.

1/28 – 11:48 am – Police received a call about a sixteen year-old who was expressing sexual frustration about his mother during therapy.

But the most bizarre incident has to be demonstrated with the headline from the West Linn Tidings and the news clip.

And just so you don’t think my former residence and crosstown high school rival isn’t squeaky clean, I leave you with this one from the City of Oregon City Police Log:

6/18 – An unconfirmed report of marijuana plants growing in the Senior Citizens’ Gardens remains a mystery. (#17)

The above incidents were culled from hundreds contained in the clippings I’ve saved and I have many more which I may post in the future. My wife will at least be thankful that I’m finally recycling these!

Happy Thanksgiving!

External Photo Attribution

#1. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:2010.08.22.150922 Umzug Bierfass Kirwa Sulzbach-Rosenberg.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: Hermann Luyken – 22 August 2010.

#2. OHSU Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=651984720287167&set=a.352160336936275).

#3. OHSU Website (Laura K. Byerly MD | Health care provider | OHSU).

#4. Wikimedia Commons (File:Oregon Heath and Science University, Marquam Hill, Portland – DPLA – 6e01f529e825c50a836d4955c257acca.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This file was contributed to Wikimedia Commons by Oregon State Archives as part of a cooperation project. Source: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives – 31 October 2019.

#5. Wikimedia Commons (File:Willamette Falls, Willamette River, Oregon City and West Linn – DPLA – 0649218212d8dc8ee462ef1911a3b29c.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Source: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives – 15 March 2021.

#6. Wikipedia (File:WL flag.jpg –

#7. Wikimedia Commons (File:Oregon City Bridge, Arch Bridge, Willamette River, Oregon City, West Linn – DPLA – b22b1b5705bedfad1bdb35b488a24655.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Source: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives – 20 March 2019.

#8. City of West Linn Website (Police Home | City of West Linn Oregon Official Website).

#9 – #10. City of West Linn Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/@WestLinnPD/).

#11. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Chase Bank branch in Palatine, IL.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Mysterymanblue / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain.

#12. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Gaita seivane brocada.JPG – Wikimedia Commons) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: Susana Seivane.

#13. Wikimedia Commons (File:Scandalli Extreme Diva 1.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author:
Zygmusc – 3 December 2022.

#14. Wikimedia Commons (File:Shadow 2 – panoramio.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: marco mini – 15 April 2007.

#15. Wikimedia Commons (File:Toiletpapier (Gobran111).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) L licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license. Author: Brandon Blinkenberg – 9 September 2004.

#16. Wikimedia Commons (File:زبان tongue.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Mahdiabbasinv – 12 March 2016.

#17. Wikimedia Commons (File:Cannabis sativa (marijuana plants) (Manhattan, Kansas, USA) 14 (48971448801).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: James St. John – 18 July 2015.

Court(s) are in Session – Part I

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

Moda Center – Home of the Portland Trailblazers

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please click on the title to bring up the post so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1 – #2)

Well, it’s time for the NBA Season to “kickoff” and the Portland Trailblazers – rebuilding since their NBA Championship in 1977 – evoke a lot of good memories as well as frustrations.

The zenith was the 1977 victory over the Dr. J (Julius Erving – led Philadelphia ’76ers) where the underdog Blazers, coached by the legendary, Jack Ramsey, lost the first two games and then won four straight to win the series.

The late Bill Walton was named the MVP which led Philadelphia Coach, Gene Shue to comment, “Bill Walton is the best player for a big man who ever played the game of basketball.” (Wikipedia) (#3 – #5)

But there have been bad times as well for our pro hoopers. For example, the Portland Jail Blazer era:

“One of the most infamous periods in Trail Blazers history is the era of the ‘Jail Blazers.’ Though the team had experienced its fair share of controversy and issues in prior seasons, many consider the ‘Jail Blazers’ saga starting during the 2000–2001 season.”

Fortunately, the players with questionable character during that era, were eventually traded and another rebuilding started in 2006 with better citizens running the floor.

A fascinating Willamette Week article in 2018 gave an update on six of the most “notorious” and some of them at least turned the corner. https://www.wweek.com/sports/2018/01/17/a-look-at-where-six-of-the-best-known-jail-blazers-ended-up/

For example, Isaiah (JR) Rider who “….gave us a basketball gift to remember — the most unlikely shot in NBA history.” (Yahoo Sports.com)

“His life fell apart after his forced retirement from the league in 2001, but he seems to be picking up the pieces. He started a kids’ basketball training program in Arizona called Sky Rider. According to his Twitter account, he’s a ‘current family man’ and his 6-year-old son is a spelling bee champion.

But my best memory of the Blazers was from 1979. I had one-third of a season ticket – two tickets to about twelve games that I split with some work colleagues. I asked Janet Dancer, who I met at a night meeting, for a date when she was working for the City of Oregon City and I was the Chair of the Planning Commission and our first date was to a Trailblazer game.

After being married for forty-four years this year, she still kids me about not taking her out to dinner before the game. I have always responded, “Two Blazer tickets cost enough for one date!”

Mug Shots…

These days, I don’t go to many Blazer games; however, I always watch them on TV notwithstanding the fact that they haven’t gone to the playoffs in the last three years and in 2019-20 lost in the first round.

The team still offers some good basketball to watch and having a beer while “spectating” in my Lazy Boy Recliner while watching on a big screen is almost better than being at the game.

Photo Oct 16 2024, 8 39 41 PM

Now given my Beerchasing hobby, I have a lot of mugs and beer glasses. Shown below are just a few of my favorites from my exploits over the last thirteen years.

But to enhance the experience for the coming season, I decided to visit the NBA Store which offers a good selection of mugs including this one for the Trailblazers. You can use this link to procure some discounts. https://capitaloneshopping.com/s/store.nba.com/coupon (#6)

Rip City!

A Collaboration

And based on an announcement this week, the first beer in my new Blazer mug will be a Rip City IPA:

“Whether at the game or watching from home, this beer is the perfect game-time drink. ‘We wanted to create an IPA that embodied the taste of Oregon,’ says Rogue Brewmaster Joel Shields. ‘It’s piney, crisp, and perfect for cheering on the Trail Blazers!'” (#7)

Perfect game-time drink

Players in the Other Court

I worked with lawyers for over thirty years during my career – first as the Business Manager at the Oregon State Bar and then retiring after twenty-five years at the Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt law firm – the last twelve as the Chief Operating Officer. I therefore have a keen interest in legal issues and also love the lawyer mentality.

On the whole, the many lawyers with whom I worked, were dedicated and collegial professionals who worked diligently for their clients and to uphold the Rule of Law.

My employment at the Bar and the firm as well as knowing so many lawyers, however, meant my service as a juror was, in all likelihood, not going to happen. And jury duty was something I always wanted to experience.

One time in a criminal trial, I didn’t survive voir-dire because I answered the prosecutor’s question with another question. I was the victim of her first preemptory challenge. The other times when I was a member of a jury pool, I knew either one or both of the trial lawyers and was excused.

As a result of my long-term friendship with outstanding Portland lawyer and mediator, the late Susan Hammer, who was also a colleague on the City Club of Portland Board of Governers, I met and had lunch with Multnomah County Judge Jerome Labarre in 2013. (#8)

We became friends and after I related my tale of woe of never serving on a jury, he said:

“Well Don, it’s not serving on a jury, but I have some interesting trials on my docket, and you are welcome to sit in my courtroom and observe.”

Jerry, a Georgetown Law grad, was appointed to the bench in 1999, after serving for a number of years as an assistant district attorney and then in private practice specializing in complex litigation.

He is a Past President of the Multnomah Bar Association and an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark Law School. He retired in 2017 and now has a mediation practice.

And in 2013 I subsequently observed a one-week murder trial (interestingly enough the victim was shot in an east Portland dive bar) and then a fascinating month-long trial which resulted in the largest verdict for a plaintiff in Oregon history – a class action suit against British Petroleum – described as “Oregon’s Landmark Class-Action Suit.”

But alas, Beerchaser.com followers, you will have to await the story of that experience and some other court-related tales in Part II of this post – stay tuned…. (#9)

And Vote on November 5th!

External File Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (File:Rose Garden Arena Interior.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Subject to disclaimers. Author: Tv145033 at English Wikipedia – 22 March 2006.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:Clackamas County Courthouse, Oregon City – DPLA – 13cd2d986b77594222b11d38c0491c08.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Author: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives – 6 August 2013.

#3. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Portland-Trail-Blazers-Logo-1990.png – Wikimedia Commons) This logo image consists only of simple geometric shapes or text. It does not meet the threshold of originality needed for copyright protection, and is therefore in the public domain. Author: Portland Trailblazers – 1 January 1990.

#4. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Bill walton blazers photo.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1929 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Author: Portland Trailblazers – 1977-78.

#5. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (Bill Walton and Jack Ramsay – Portland Trail Blazers – Wikipedia) By Unknown author – Sporting News, Public Domain, (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31110876) – 1977.

#6. NBA Store Website (Portland Trail Blazers 32oz. Macho Mug with Handle (nba.com))

#7. Rogue Ale Website (Oregon rocks at GABF; Oregon City Brewing gets bookish – dwilliams2951@gmail.com – Gmail (google.com)). Andre’ Meunier column The Oregonian 10/17/2024.

#8. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Jury box in the courtroom of the Van Buren County Courthouse in Clinton, Arkansas.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law. Author : Brandonrush -19 August 2020.

#9. Wikimedia Commons (File:Balanced scale of Justice (blue).svg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law. Author: User:Perhelion, color edited by User:Deu – 12 March 2015.

Thebeerchaser

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Thanksgiving Thoughts

Court(s) are in Session – Part I