Phone photo 2544

Portland, Oregon

Phone photo 2543

Portland, Oregon

Phone photo 2542

Property of PGE

Placement of signs or

posters on the poles is not permitted

PGE may bill for 

removal of these signs

Interesting to note that in this particular Portland neighborhood I observed a guy who systematically went from phone pole to phone pole, tearing off any sort of sign, flyer, poster, and tearing them up into neat little squares. He looked very serious and official as he carried out this task.

Phone photo 2541

Portland, Oregon

Phone photo 2540

Portland, Oregon

Phone photo 2539

Portland, Oregon

Phone photo 2538

Portland, Oregon

Morty Comix #2580

Morty Comix # 2580 was tacked up on a community bulletin board in the back room of a nice restaurant in Portland, Oregon. The food was great and they were playing Lou Rawls.

Phone photo 2515

Portland, Oregon

Morty Comix #2579

Morty Comix # 2579 was left, ironically enough, under the rug at a pretty amazing vacuum cleaner museum in Portland, Oregon sponsored by a company that has been in the biz for over 70 years. The display could probably a use a good professional curator to take it over and supply a narrative educating us laymen on the importance of what we are viewing. Might be a good project as an internship opportunity for a student in the museum field since this collection is unique and educational.

Morty Comix # 2577

Morty Comix # 2577 was left in an elevator lobby/storeroom of a downtown grocery store, Portland, Oregon

Keep [LOOK AT ME! LOOK At ME!] Weird

The "Keep [Blank] Weird" trend supposedly started in Austin, but has spread like eczema across the cultural epidermis. So sad.

Maybe it was original the first time it was used, but now it is hardly unique or creative.

To me the whole idea of weirdness is that the subject in question is out of touch with common reality and somewhat unaware of their own weirdness. Rotary Club meetings are weird. Most of the small towns in southwest Washington State are weird. The Tea Party is weird. Cats are weird. People who wear bicycle helmets indoors are weird. Silverware is weird.

Actually most of life is weird. But among the things that are not weird are cities, or entire states, that jump up and down and shout "Look at us! We're weird!" That's not weird, that's just marketing, which is pretty mundane. Since my motto is "Drabness is Goodness," I can hardly complain about this "Keep ... Weird" ad campaign, so I'll embrace the paradox as part of normal pop culture.

Phone photo 2467

Portland, Oregon

Postcard - Seattle, Washington

"The Downtown Business District of Seattle, Washington. The towering 600 ft. (183 m) Space Needle is seen in the foreground, the Kingdome on the right, and majestic, snow-covered Mount Rainier is clearly visible in the distance, 100 miles (160.9 km.) away."

Taken in the late 1970s or 1980, when I lived in Seattle. Such a great city. I prefer it to Portland, although I know that is not the hip way to think these days. But look at our histories and you'll see Washington is a much more progressive state.

Morty Comix # 2563

Morty Comix # 2563 was pinned up on a community bulletin board at the parking garage entrance to a grocery store in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Phone photo 2330

 

Two bridges over the Willamette River

Broadway Bridge, Steel Bridge

Portland, Oregon

Phone photo 2329

Willamette River, Portland, Oregon

Phone photo 2328

Broadway Bridge over the Willamette River

Portland, Oregon