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.

What to Do if the World Burns Up

Posted on July 28, 2015 by hessd

I didn’t start out to think about the topic of suicide. [1] Actually, I started with the destruction of the entire surface of the earth, courtesy of Neal Stephenson’s recent SevenEves. [2] The death of all the humans on the … Continue reading →

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Believing and Believing IN

Posted on July 25, 2015 by hessd

I love it when this happens. I have watched Secondhand Lions maybe half a dozen times. Some parts, probably well over a dozen times. And always there is the sense that some part of my mind is receiving some really … Continue reading →

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Did the Media Go Too Far?

Posted on July 23, 2015 by hessd

This is mostly a rant about how television “news” operates. If you’ve never watched news programs on television or if you do watch and like what you are seeing, this is probably not the essay you want to read. On … Continue reading →

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Men learn from Hobbes and Women from Rousseau

Posted on July 20, 2015 by hessd

OK, so it’s never going to replace Mars and Venus. Also, it’s not precisely true. But it is mostly true—more often than not—and it has the same principal virtue that John Gray’s Mars/Venus books have. It teaches that there are … Continue reading →

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They Could At Least Have Warned Us

Posted on July 17, 2015 by hessd

I do like democracy. I don’t like how very limited our democracy has become. I would like for us to be better. I’m a fan, a booster; but I think our team has lost a lot over the last few … Continue reading →

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Reading Strategically

Posted on July 14, 2015 by hessd

I am a strategic reader.  It is the scandal of my book group.  Last month, my grandson, who is headed off to college, drew back from me when I described what I meant by that term and said something on … Continue reading →

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No More Buildings Named after YOU

Posted on July 10, 2015 by hessd

When we moved to Portland, we moved into the Wilson High School attendance area.  As a result, I am the proud father of Wilson alums. Wilson is named for President Woodrow Wilson. [1] It’s a thing in Portland. We also … Continue reading →

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My Inner Wormtongue

Posted on July 3, 2015 by hessd

Gríma, son of Gálmód was Théoden’s chief staff. Those of us who are familiar with bureaucratic organizations are likely to read through that line and fill in the missing word, “of” and never notice that it wasn’t there. Others may … Continue reading →

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Win the Day

Posted on July 1, 2015 by hessd

When Chip Kelly was football coach at the University of Oregon, he was interviewed frequently by sports stations in Portland. He quickly gained a reputation as a terrible “interview,” as the stations put it. They kept asking him question he … Continue reading →

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The Equally Unlikely Pilgrimage of Maureen Fry

Posted on June 27, 2015 by hessd

The first time I read Rachel Joyce’s marvelous The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, I followed Harold’s adventures very carefully. Why is his trip on foot to Berwick-upon-Tweed called “a pilgrimage?” What’s “unlikely” about it. Those seem to me good … Continue reading →

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