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.

Lent and inconvenience

Posted on February 17, 2018 by hessd

If only we had more time, right? If only. If we had more time, we would…um…we would… OK, what would we do with more time? A professor of mine at Wheaton College [1] once told a story about himself that … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Studies, Politics, Sustainability, Theology | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Racism and Sexism, treated by The Good Doctor.

Posted on January 25, 2018 by hessd

If you were here, I would dearly love to turn to you, as I did to Bette, and say, “What just happened?” Here is what I think happened. In the first season of The Good Doctor, they have developed a … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Movies, Paying Attention, Society | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

My next job

Posted on January 23, 2018 by hessd

This is a fantasy. If you don’t know me, you might wonder why I would write about what my next job will be. I have retired several times already and my final retirement was five years ago. If you do … Continue reading →

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

Living with Seniors

Posted on January 20, 2018 by hessd

That’s what I do. I live in a Senior Center, being old myself. [1] But when I was an undergraduate in college, I lived with Seniors, too. And Juniors and Sophomores and Freshmen. I just thought of that today. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Getting Old | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Horizons

Posted on January 17, 2018 by hessd

All my life, I have been a sucker for horizons. “Horizons,” I once thought to myself, “are just the earth in profile.” With a horizon, you get beyond the welter of particular features and see the broad incontestable outline of … Continue reading →

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This is your id speaking. Listen up!

Posted on January 13, 2018 by hessd

I’ve been thinking about healthcare recently. I’m going to say some things I haven’t heard anyone else say. That is often not a good sign. As usual, I am going to start at several apparently unrelated starting points and as … Continue reading →

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

Pick two

Posted on January 10, 2018 by hessd

You can have it fast and you can have it good and you can have it cheap. Pick two. I heard this from a patient on The Good Doctor who said he was in real estate and cited the “pick … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Time on and time off

Posted on January 9, 2018 by hessd

Nearly all the words I know about work presuppose there is a task to be done and a place to do it. Whatever else there is—the person who is supposed to do the work, for instance,—gets pushed to the margins … Continue reading →

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

IOYK

Posted on January 2, 2018 by hessd

“I’m Old, You Know.” Since the time I invented that acronym, I have learned that it also can man “if only you knew.” There are lots of circumstances in which this particular excuse is more or less appropriate, but I … Continue reading →

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The Good Patient

Posted on December 25, 2017 by hessd

I have very slowly become a fan of the ABC show The Good Doctor. The friction that is the basis of the show—Dr. Shaun Murphy is better than everyone else at the hospital in diagnosis and treatment and worse than … Continue reading →

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