Category Archives: sociability

I and AI

Posted on May 16, 2021 by hessd

Sherry Turkle’s memoir, The Empathy Diaries, was published recently and I bought it as soon as I heard about it. She has spent nearly all of her professional career studying the human-robot interaction.  She is the one who, in Alone … Continue reading →

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The Diamond Dogs

Posted on January 24, 2021 by hessd

I like institutions.   I admire people who can call institutions into being.  I have tried it myself from time to time and I know it isn’t always easy.  Knowing how hard it is, my heart goes out to Ted … Continue reading →

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Identity and Agency

Posted on September 6, 2020 by hessd

Sounds heavy doesn’t it?  You wouldn’t know, just by looking at the title, that this is going to be a critique of hyperindividualism. [1] Let’s start with this exchange. Empathetic Elder: (EE) Thank you for sharing that account with me.  … Continue reading →

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Staying Busy

Posted on April 19, 2020 by hessd

This is a COVID—19 sort of speculation. [1] The COVID pandemic and our plan to bend the curve of new infections downward has led to a lot of urging that people stay home. To help us stay home, the management … Continue reading →

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A Non-conversation about the COVID-19 Virus

Posted on March 26, 2020 by hessd

In today’s New York Times (March 26), Nicholas Kristof and Russell Moore had a non-conversation about the COVID-19 virus.   Kristof, with co-author Stuart Thompson and with the help of some statistical model builders, published an interactive graph on the … Continue reading →

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Bible/Anthropology 201

Posted on July 31, 2019 by hessd

At Holladay Park Plaza (HPP), where Bette and I live, [1] there is a set of electronic bulletin boards, telling what is going on that day/week.  Each event or activity is identified by a little icon, telling what kind of … Continue reading →

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Warm, graceful, generous, funny

Posted on May 14, 2019 by hessd

I want to share with you today some signs I have carried with me for awhile now.  I love these signs; I love the people who thought of them and the people who thought it was a good idea to … Continue reading →

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Something happened

Posted on April 15, 2019 by hessd

The bad thing about the NBC show New Amsterdam is that it isn’t very realistic.  On the other hand, it is well done and week after week, manages to surprise.  In this essay I am going to tell you about … Continue reading →

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Taming Uncle Bot

Posted on November 25, 2018 by hessd

So…I met Karen Tamerius this morning.  She is the founder of a group called Smart Politics.  I’m not sure why she calls her organization that.  Having spent a little time with it, I think I might have called it “How … Continue reading →

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Peers and Um-peers

Posted on May 22, 2018 by hessd

“Peer” is the English language version of the Latin par, which means “equal.” [1]“Umpire” just means “not a peer.” English borrowed nompere from the French but over time “a noumpere” became “an oumpere”—a process I learned just today is called … Continue reading →

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