Category Archives: Getting Old

What I’m Good At

Posted on October 14, 2014 by hessd

“There are two things I know to be true. There’s no difference between good flan and bad flan, and there is no war,” says CIA agent Charles Young (William H. Macy), in Barry Levinson’s mercilessly funny movie, Wag the Dog.  … Continue reading →

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Amazing High-performance Old Guy

Posted on September 27, 2014 by hessd

  C’est moi.  I am, in fact, an Amazing, High-performance Old Guy, hereafter AHOG.[1] You will want evidence, of course, as you should.  Let’s start with this morning, when this first occurred to me.  I made my first Starbucks run … Continue reading →

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Consenting to sex

Posted on September 27, 2014 by hessd

Here is the way the State of California is going at the question: Section 67386 is added to the Education Code, to read:  (a) In order to receive state funds for student financial assistance, the governing board of each community college … Continue reading →

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“The Hard White Light of Integrity”

Posted on September 7, 2014 by hessd

For about a month now, I have been basking in the stories that make up Simon Van Booy’s new book, The Illusion of Separateness.  The book isn’t really a fable with a point.  It is better than that in every … Continue reading →

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A Whole New You

Posted on August 31, 2014 by hessd

There is always the chance that you are not going to believe what I am going to say today.  Or, if you are younger (nearly everyone is) than I am and more tech savvy (nearly everyone is), you might just … Continue reading →

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He’s really let himself go since his wife died

Posted on August 16, 2014 by hessd

“He has really let himself go since his wife died.” It’s a perfectly ordinary sentiment.  Everyone knows immediately what it means.  He has stopped taking the care necessary to appear properly and behave properly to his companions.  He used to … Continue reading →

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Paleo Acres High School

Posted on August 1, 2014 by hessd

Bette and I have been browsing retirement centers.  Our plan is to move into one in 2017, which was a long time away in 2005 when we first decided to do it.  Now it is close enough that we are … Continue reading →

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The Perils of Personhood

Posted on July 22, 2014 by hessd

Through our long and largely successful run as a species, we  have had to ask and answer a lot of questions.  We have not been asked to formulate and answer some questions that are coming to seem fundamental.  Obviously, I … Continue reading →

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Gideon in the Land of Oz

Posted on July 5, 2014 by hessd

I know of a distressingly bad senior center called Lakeview. It is losing money; it has already cut costs; the owner is a bully; the doctor is a wimp; the residents live pathetically limited lives.  What they really need is … Continue reading →

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Stereotyping

Posted on June 28, 2014 by hessd

One of my favorite introductions to a topic comes from Tom Lehrer’s song, “Smut.”  “I do have a cause though,” he says,  “Smut…I’m for it.”  That little ellipsis gives you a chance to imagine why he hates smut so much … Continue reading →

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