Author Archives: hessd

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About hessd

Here is all you need to know to follow this blog. I am an old man and I love to think about why we say the things we do. I've taught at the elementary, secondary, collegiate, and doctoral levels. I don't think one is easier than another. They are hard in different ways. I have taught political science for a long time and have practiced politics in and around the Oregon Legislature. I don't think one is easier than another. They are hard in different ways. You'll be seeing a lot about my favorite topics here. There will be religious reflections (I'm a Christian) and political reflections (I'm a Democrat) and a good deal of whimsy. I'm a dilettante.

I Need a Fix. Man.

Posted on November 3, 2026 by hessd

It is election day today.  I have hopes of substantial Democratic advances, but no hope at all of democratic advances.  [1] That is the difficulty I would like to deal with today. I would like to make a small detour, … Continue reading →

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Regaining Delettancy

Posted on October 30, 2026 by hessd

I have two ideas that engage me this morning. The first has to do with the un-word in the title. My spellchecker and my AI assistant both inform me that there is no recognized English word “dilettante.” Actually “recognized English … Continue reading →

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The Election is an Audition

Posted on October 25, 2026 by hessd

Everyone seems to agree that the general election, now less than two weeks away, is crucially important.  The reasons why it is important vary a good bit from one commentator to another.  I have not yet read one that says … Continue reading →

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Being Old, Part V: Within and Between

Posted on October 13, 2026 by hessd

There is a story I used to laugh at.  It was told on Edward C. Banfield, the noted sociologist.  It goes that a friend stopped him on the Commons to ask a question about sociology and certainty.  It could have … Continue reading →

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Being “Here”

Posted on September 27, 2026 by hessd

Ardnakelty, Ireland is a very complicated place.  Author Tana French has featured that complexity in writing about the lives of two people who are trying very hard not to get sucked into it.  Long before they know each other, they … Continue reading →

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Having intentions is good, right?

Posted on August 16, 2026 by hessd

Yes.  For lots and lots of things.  I have prized my own awareness of what my intentions are—I will grant that I am not always aware of all of them—and of how subsequent steps are created to follow an intention … Continue reading →

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Some lucky charm or locket

Posted on August 8, 2026 by hessd

I want to pretend to complain about a paragraph in Amor Towles masterful A Gentleman in Moscow.  There is a tiny bit of truth in my complaint, but it is mostly a vehicle to express my appreciation for one small … Continue reading →

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On Not Living in a Biscuit Tin

Posted on July 31, 2026 by hessd

“For several days, in fact, [the Count] had been fending off a state of restlessness. On his regular descent to the lobby, he found himself counting steps….He found that he was walking through the doors of the Piazza at 12:01 … Continue reading →

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I remember it all…like it was yesterday

Posted on July 16, 2026 by hessd

I don’t, actually.  That title is bait for my children.  It is the first part of a two-line joke that they will all remember and that is why it is the title. I have reached the time in my life … Continue reading →

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Autocorrect Tyranny: The Usage Overlord

Posted on July 13, 2026 by hessd

My brother John brightens the Mondays of a lot of people with his Pixlist, a nature photograph and some snappy commentary which he makes available on Monday mornings.  This morning, besides telling me a good bit about how tendrils of … Continue reading →

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