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.

Happy Birthday, you Bastard

Posted on December 22, 2021 by hessd

I wrote recently about my “victory laps.” I started counting when I hit 80 and every year thereafter is a victory lap. One of the reasons to call the additional miles something special is that it gives me a chance … Continue reading →

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A Victory Lap in a year of COVID

Posted on December 16, 2021 by hessd

For quite a while before I crossed “the finish line” [1] I gave some thought to what to do next. There are some good reasons to think about the question, but there are also some pictures in my head that … Continue reading →

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A Dutch Nativity

Posted on December 15, 2021 by hessd

A couple I knew in the 1970s sent me this creche in appreciation for a Bible study we and some of their classmates at Westminster College had just completed. It was Luke’s story this year, which accounts for some of … Continue reading →

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But First It Will Piss You Off

Posted on December 7, 2021 by hessd

Using emotionally powerful language for your own purposes is a time-honored practice. Especially for humor. Humor sets one meaning against another in a playful context [1] and one of the meanings may be an allusion to a well-known phrase. I … Continue reading →

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Meet the Barbara

Posted on December 4, 2021 by hessd

Sherry Turkle warned long ago that people seize on “counseling computers” and confess the most remarkable things to them. I enjoyed her account when Alone Together was published in 2011, but I hadn’t thought about it recently. Then Joe and … Continue reading →

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The Magnificat and the Great Reversal

Posted on December 1, 2021 by hessd

The song “O, What a Beautiful Morning” on my recording (Siri’s choice) of Oklahoma, takes 2:35. The fragment of that same song included takes about 36 seconds, just long enough to introduce the theme and then move on. For Advent … Continue reading →

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Stepping up

Posted on November 28, 2021 by hessd

What if there were something you would like to be able to reach and it is just a little too high to get to? Not a problem. You get a little stool and climb up on that. And if you … Continue reading →

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The disappearance of narcissism

Posted on November 18, 2021 by hessd

Good news! You’re not narcissistic and neither am I. And neither is anyone else you know. And why is that? Because the traits and the associated behaviors that characterize narcissism are now so common that they are no longer abnormal. … Continue reading →

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Don’t talk to her like she’s a slave

Posted on November 8, 2021 by hessd

This is (yet another) reflection on a dilemma presented by the Netflix show HUMANS. As the series develops, it is showing more interest in the fundamental robotic dilemma: just how is it that “they” are different from “us.?” That’s not … Continue reading →

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“Professors are the enemy”

Posted on November 4, 2021 by hessd

Let’s start with a paragraph from Heather Cox Richardson’s November 3 post, “Letters from an American.” She is reporting on the pushing and shoving that is going on in politics these days. Meanwhile, the Republicans continue to focus on culture … Continue reading →

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