One reason for the Portland Metro area's lack of connection to reality has to do with the whole "creative class" thing. Yes, Intel does make something real, but most of the employees are software engineers. Nike figured out how to charge exorbitant prices for sneakers, as long as they keep "innovating" their designs. German Addidas located their North American design center here as well. It kind of all started with Tektronics, who was in the right place at the right time to supply oscilloscopes to the burgeoning aerospace/defense industry post-war.