Monthly Archives: June 2025

Plenty left on the rack

Posted on June 30, 2025 by hessd

Some years ago I taught with a sociologist friend who taught me a song he called “the mini mart Song.” And that’s what we called it when we asked him to sing it for us. He was a conservative man, … Continue reading →

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Writing in my civilian name

Posted on June 16, 2025 by hessd

A few years ago, I jotted a quick note to my son, Doug, and in my haste, signed it Dale instead of Dad. I considered that an egregious breach—more on that later—and wrote him another note the next day, as … Continue reading →

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Fun with Dick, Jane, and Ezra

Posted on June 10, 2025 by hessd

I had an experience this week that writers will recognize. I wrote a very small targeted fantasy as a way of unfolding some of the complexities of Israel’s post-Exilic history in the 6th Century BCE. It’s not as arcane as … Continue reading →

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No more money for you, Harvard!

Posted on June 6, 2025 by hessd

On April 11, three representatives of the Trump Administration wrote a letter to the president of Harvard, laying out the new requirements Harvard would be required to meet. If you treat the letter only on the level of the language … Continue reading →

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An American Government of One Branch

Posted on June 1, 2025 by hessd

Let’s begin with just what to call this part of the Project 2025 Report (hereafter the Report) of the Heritage Foundation, a well-known conservative think tank.  The Report calls it “The Executive Office of the President of the United States.”  … Continue reading →

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