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.

Knowing how it turned out

Posted on July 24, 2016 by hessd

Milton Mayer used to make fun of people who use Latin where they could just as well have used English. He managed to do that inoffensively by making that error repeatedly and then making fun of himself for doing it. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Environment, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Genre and Meaning

Posted on July 22, 2016 by hessd

I want to ask you to think along with me today on meaning and scripture. I want to say that explicitly at the beginning because the opening example will seem to be about something else entirely, especially, coming as it … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A Failed Conversation at Starbucks

Posted on July 10, 2016 by hessd

I experienced one of the few failures of conversation I have ever had in our Starbucks group last week. I had a position I wanted to sell. It is position the group almost certainly accepts in general, but they didn’t … Continue reading →

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

Arguing with Trump voters

Posted on July 5, 2016 by hessd

I’m not recommending it. I’m just thinking about how I would go about it. The argument from self-interest is the best there is in electoral politics. And although we celebrate elected representatives who can sacrifice their own good for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Political Psychology, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“Bad Faith” and Politics

Posted on June 28, 2016 by hessd

I don’t know J. D. Vance at all, but I think I’d like him if I had the chance. The New York Times for June 26 offered his article, “The Bad Faith of the White Working Class,” which you can … Continue reading →

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

How not to feel like a frail old man

Posted on June 26, 2016 by hessd

It’s not as easy as you might think. Here are some things we need to consider just to get started. First, it would help a good deal of you are actually not frail[1], not old, or not male. That would … Continue reading →

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

How to be seen and heard

Posted on June 21, 2016 by hessd

Much to my surprise, I discover that I am not quite finished with the movie, The Intern. In my earlier post [“The Intern as a Theological Prop,” on March 11] I considered the whole plot and let my theological sensitivities … Continue reading →

Posted in Living My Life, Movies, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Generosity and the Discipline of the Market

Posted on June 12, 2016 by hessd

This is another celebration of a remarkable Starbucks discussion. That is why I chose such an academic-sounding title for it; all that formality sounds like a celebration to me.  It was the kind of discussion from which the participants leave … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Living My Life, Society, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

When fathers are teachers

Posted on June 5, 2016 by hessd

I’ve decided this year to celebrate my experiences of being a father. Not all of them deserve to be celebrated, of course. I still regret the time I punished one of my kids for an offense another kid later confessed … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Living My Life, Political Psychology | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Memorial Day Reflections

Posted on June 1, 2016 by hessd

What does it cost to use a U. S. citizen in the U. S armed forces? That’s the question I want to ask. I know it cannot be answered in the form I have first asked it, but I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Paying Attention, Politics, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments