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.

Constitutional amendment, Part I

Posted on February 21, 2019 by hessd

I think the most important challenge facing Americans today is constitutional amendment. Think of that as sub-headline.  It’s misleading, sure, but it is supposed to get you into the body of the essay.  We’ll see. Let’s work first on the … Continue reading →

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Grief sherpa

Posted on February 19, 2019 by hessd

I’m a big fan of good analytical categories.  I value them in the way academics tend to, but on beyond that, I have been benefitted by them in some very personal ways.  Martin and Doka, for instance [1], distinguish between … Continue reading →

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Let’s hear it for Iggy

Posted on February 18, 2019 by hessd

This is a celebration of Dr. Iggy Frome.  If you watch the NBC series, New Amsterdam, you already know Iggy.  He is “the psych department” at the hospital.  So far, that has mostly required him to be empathetic and cuddly, … Continue reading →

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Not being afraid

Posted on February 12, 2019 by hessd

There is nothing quite like fear to inspire an ardent interest in what works. I am going to cite today two formulations that have helped me and that I have thought about. [1]  It seems odd to me, as I … Continue reading →

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The 12 days of Valentine Season

Posted on February 10, 2019 by hessd

It does sound odd, I am sure.  But Lent sounded odd to me at first and so did Passion Week and Advent.  I think “the 12 Days of Christmas” sounded less odd than those.  A gift a day to a … Continue reading →

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Being friends with your adult children

Posted on February 9, 2019 by hessd

I want to begin with one of my favorite quotes from The West Wing.  Lisa Wolfe is a staffer in a Republican Senate, which controls the confirmation of federal judges.  Josh Lyman is a staffer in a Democratic White House, … Continue reading →

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It’s “Groundhog Day.” Again.

Posted on February 2, 2019 by hessd

I will watch Groundhog Day again on Saturday. I watch it every year. I just don’t seem to be able to help myself. (Just kidding about that last part.) In this well-known movie, Phil Connors (Bill Murray) discovers that his … Continue reading →

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“Realistic” as a slur

Posted on January 30, 2019 by hessd

I’ve been having fun recently thinking about two sets of terms that are so close to each other, in a way, and yet so very far apart. The first set is real/realistic. It comes from the most recent remake of … Continue reading →

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Doing agreement

Posted on January 20, 2019 by hessd

Last night, I watched—again—one of the final episodes of The West Wing. In it, Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) asks Arnie Vinick (Alan Alda) to be his Secretary of State. This seems odd, on the surface, because Santos has just defeated … Continue reading →

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Thou shalt not share false witness

Posted on January 12, 2019 by hessd

It looks just a little odd, doesn’t it? And yet, you know exactly what I am referring to. The language of the 8th commandment (by at least one ordering of the commandments) reads “bear false witness” and “share false witness” … Continue reading →

Posted in Paying Attention, Political Psychology, Sustainability, ways of knowing, Words | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment