Author Archives: hessd

I’ve been reading a good deal about “self-care” recently. I have read so much, in fact, that I am beginning to think about it. If you wanted to glance over a series of images about self care and you put … Continue reading →

The whole notion of “living in an illusion” and then of being “disillusioned” is a commonplace. Even if from the outside, it can be seen as swapping one plausibility structure for another, from the inside, it doesn’t feel like that. … Continue reading →

I took the argument far enough in Part I to say that one might declare an earlier view to be “illusory” for any number of reasons. What you took to be the factual underpinnings may have eroded. They almost certainly … Continue reading →

Everyone who was raised within a culture that believed something important about human life runs the risk of coming to a time in their life where they proclaim that they are “disillusioned.” I was raised in a conservative Christian culture, … Continue reading →

On the principle that it takes a village to raise a child, I would like to pursue the thought that it takes as much as 156 milligrams of hippocampus to remember who directed a film that is nearly everyone’s favorite. … Continue reading →

I want to tell you this morning about my favorite “Merry Christmas.” There is no joy is this “greeting.” It is said in an intimate tone, although as you see in the picture, it is said by a judge presiding … Continue reading →

In 1977, I invented the “victory lap.” It’s one of the best things I have ever done. There were, of course, victory laps before mine, but I am quite sure there were no victory laps quite like mine. The “victory … Continue reading →

On December 13, John McWhorter wrote a column for the New York Times. I haven’t read it yet. I read his columns whenever they appear in the Times and I very much enjoyed his lectures on linguistics, which he developed … Continue reading →

I started blogging so I would have somebody to talk to. When I began—May 30, 2010—I was married to a wife I liked to talk to; I was teaching at PSU and had access to quite a few students to … Continue reading →

The Christmas Visitor In the letters of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, the author is really upset about some notion about the earthly ministry of Jesus. It is not easy to say just what it is, but someone seems to … Continue reading →