Category Archives: Uncategorized

Trumpism and Greater Appalachia

Posted on January 18, 2021 by hessd

Here is the first paragraph of Colin Woodard’s examination of the “American nation” he calls Greater Appalachia. [1]  “Nation” is a cultural reference in Woodard’s usage and Greater Appalachia is the culture where I was born and raised.  (See the … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Did anybody remember to bring the boxes?

Posted on January 7, 2021 by hessd

Like a lot of people, I spent most of yesterday watching television.  I learned as lot from the commentary.  The video, not so much.  All day, they showed the same protesters coming up the same stairs their progress being retarded … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Eggs and Omelettes

Posted on January 7, 2021 by hessd

As I write this, it is getting dark in Washington D. C. There are still pro-Trump rioters inside the Capitol and darkness does odd things to riots.  On all the channels I have watched, the reporters and commentators are asking, … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Psychology, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Balance of Power?

Posted on January 6, 2021 by hessd

The government of the United States was built to be a balancing act.  Just what elements of this mechanism are supposed to be “in balance” have changed from one time to another.  Early ideas were that the largest states were … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“Give me a break”

Posted on January 5, 2021 by hessd

Trump’s recent phone call to Georgia is iconic.  It puts on display nearly all the things that are most characteristic of Trump [1] and most dangerous to democracy. Here is the account of the call as it appears in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Naughty and Nice

Posted on December 23, 2020 by hessd

This is the kind of post I think I had in mind when I started all this in 2010.  Yesterday, the words to “Santa Claus in Comin’ to Town” came to my mind and I noticed something I had never … Continue reading →

Posted in Getting Old, Uncategorized, Words | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The most lied about President

Posted on December 20, 2020 by hessd

It was a professional conversation.  About long-term financial planning, mostly.  We had done all the work and the comments being made were “on the way out the door comments,”  In some way, the topic of President Trump came up and … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Political Psychology, Uncategorized, ways of knowing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

And Remember to Breathe

Posted on November 4, 2020 by hessd

I am writing this on the morning after the election.  You might think that a blogger like me would want to talk about politics this morning.  Not really.  I want to write about adjusting the balance between my life, taken … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Bo Knows Politics?

Posted on October 15, 2020 by hessd

There comes a time when, as the logic of a movement plays out, it just goes too far.  In this essay I want to say that I have reached that point myself, so far as the self-righteous political left is … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Psychology, Politics, Uncategorized, Words | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Just Enough Evidence for Now

Posted on September 16, 2020 by hessd

I have one model of persuasion I would like to explore today and one I would like to reject.  I am sure these models have names that are known to people who study persuasion, but I don’t know what they … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Psychology, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment