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.

Robots are better than anything

Posted on June 22, 2012 by hessd

Not, as in the earlier post, “better than nothing.”  Let me say up front that this whole “social robot” thing scares me.  It’s creepy, but the path to there from here is lit up like a strip with landing lights. … Continue reading →

Posted in Living My Life, Love and Marriage, Paying Attention, ways of knowing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

My Father’s Magic and How He Worked It

Posted on June 17, 2012 by hessd

When I was in my 20’s, I had the rare privilege of watching my father teach an adult Sunday School class, using abysmally bad materials.  The classes were a lot better than the materials.  That puzzled me. I got the … Continue reading →

Posted in Getting Old, Living My Life, ways of knowing | Tagged | 2 Comments

Squeaky Clean Hearts and Teeth

Posted on June 15, 2012 by hessd

The pivot point of today’s reflection is going to be squeaky clean hair (point 1) and “you can tell it’s working by the tingle” toothpaste (point 2).  After that, all bets are off but this might be the time to … Continue reading →

Posted in Living My Life, ways of knowing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

What deciding to love can do

Posted on June 13, 2012 by hessd

In 2001, Director Ron Howard made a movie about the perilous career of John Nash, who won the 1994 Nobel Prize for economics.  Nash’s life, as portrayed by the movie, is pretty dark and I have heard that his actual … Continue reading →

Posted in Love and Marriage, Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The DEBT I owed

Posted on June 10, 2012 by hessd

How does this line strike you?  “I was raised by a cool systematic father and a warm episodic mother.”  Of all the material that wound up in the 106 page document, it is my favorite.  It heads the third paragraph … Continue reading →

Posted in ways of knowing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Robots are “better than nothing”

Posted on June 10, 2012 by hessd

Back in the old days, when there began to be science fiction fantasies about robots taking over the world, reassurance came with the line, “You can always just unplug them.”  And, with a quibble occasioned by robotic security measures, that … Continue reading →

Posted in Paying Attention, Politics, ways of knowing, Words | Tagged | 2 Comments

Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave…

Posted on May 31, 2012 by hessd

I have two anecdotes to share today.  I still read Orwell’s 1984 every now and then, just to keep the calluses on my mind thick and supple.  It helps me deal with things like this. Whenever I go to the airport … Continue reading →

Posted in Words | 1 Comment

Colleagueship at the The York Times

Posted on May 25, 2012 by hessd

Probably, the New York Times doesn’t have meetings where the columnists they publish sit down around a table and talk about how things are going at the paper.  Maybe they never did.  But if they used to do that, I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Quiet: Some Reflections by an Introvert

Posted on May 24, 2012 by hessd

This post will eventually be about introversion.  Specifically, it will be about a marvelous book about introversion:  Quiet, by Susan Cain.  It has a subtitle too—The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking—but the subtitle doesn’t represent … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Posted on May 20, 2012 by hessd

Bette and I saw this movie last night with a friend who had served in the Peace Corps in India.  We enjoyed his comments a good deal, but even without his additional insights into Indian life, it would have been a movie … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | 2 Comments