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.

There is no Starbucks in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Sigh.

Posted on July 2, 2018 by hessd

Bette and I went to see Won’t You Be My Neighbor yesterday, as good a way to begin a July as I could think of.  I knew I needed to see it, but I was hesitant, too, because Mr. Rogers’ … Continue reading →

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It isn’t HIM, it’s THEM

Posted on June 27, 2018 by hessd

The New York Times did us all a service in its June 23 article, “As Critics Assail Trump, His Supporters Dig in Deeper.”  I confess that I liked it partly because it wasn’t news to me, but I also liked … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Psychology | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Times, They Are A’Changin’

Posted on June 18, 2018 by hessd

Count on it. Let’s take as an example the Roaring Twenties and the Stodgy Fifties. [1]  The 20s were a time for experimentation and throwing away traditional norms.  The 50s were a time of recovering from that and reacquiring those … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Psychology, Society | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Church and Reconciliation

Posted on June 11, 2018 by hessd

I have just read a report by Ian Lovett, written for the Wall Street Journal in May 2018.  The subtitle of the report runs like this: “A push toward activism among liberal Christian denominations is reshaping traditional worship and splitting … Continue reading →

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All the “Yes” you will ever need

Posted on June 5, 2018 by hessd

I have been thinking this year about the Resurrection.  There is no way to avoid it, really, because at the First Presbyterian Church of Portland, Oregon (hereafter, “my church”) Easter is not a “day,” it is a “season.”  So on … Continue reading →

Posted in A life of faith, Books, Movies, ways of knowing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

My place or yours?

Posted on June 4, 2018 by hessd

It’s not what you think. [1]  The “places” I am thinking of have to do with memorial services.  Bette and I have just come from a service at our church, celebrating the life of a dear woman.  We had just … Continue reading →

Posted in Getting Old, Living My Life | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

New fashions in exculpation

Posted on May 31, 2018 by hessd

  When fashion writers comment on the new styles of the new season, then don’t stop to call their readers’ attention to the fact that all these people have chosen to wear clothes.  They take that for granted and so … Continue reading →

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Peers and Um-peers

Posted on May 22, 2018 by hessd

“Peer” is the English language version of the Latin par, which means “equal.” [1]“Umpire” just means “not a peer.” English borrowed nompere from the French but over time “a noumpere” became “an oumpere”—a process I learned just today is called … Continue reading →

Posted in Living My Life, sociability | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Episcopal Ghost from Hell

Posted on May 19, 2018 by hessd

I have been a fan of C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce for a long time. I have appreciated it the way a reader of fiction appreciates, and since I have taught courses using it as a text, I have … Continue reading →

Posted in A life of faith, Theology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Final Rest

Posted on May 16, 2018 by hessd

It took me roughly a year to decide to get a tattoo. It took something like 5—7 minutes to actually get the tattoo. Here it is. I am amazed, as I look back at this simple process, to think that … Continue reading →

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