Category Archives: Uncategorized

Many positive statements could have been made

Posted on June 14, 2022 by hessd

Former President Trump [1] went on a platform called Truth Social on Thursday evening and offered this assessment of the January 6 Committee hearings: “So the Unselect Committee of political HACKS refuses to play any of the many positive witnesses … Continue reading →

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Happy and Loyal Women

Posted on June 11, 2022 by hessd

Every now and then, you see and ad and you wonder who in the world they had in mind when they created that one. That’s how I felt when I saw this one And how did I see this one? … Continue reading →

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I might be angry

Posted on June 10, 2022 by hessd

I think I have the standard array of kinds of anger. How would you know for sure? Still, I get angry and I watch other people get angry. I see people that I think are probably angry but who don’t … Continue reading →

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Older and Wiser, but TMV

Posted on May 31, 2022 by hessd

My brother Mark is kind enough to keep track of my blog’s birthday. It, thedilettantesdilemma.com is seventeen years old today. It has been a long time since the first blog, when I explored the question of where, exactly, we get … Continue reading →

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Having “Grit”

Posted on May 23, 2022 by hessd

Here is a line from Thomas Friedman’s column in the New York Times this morning. “In short, we are seeing a national movement that is telling us publicly and loudly: WE WILL GO THERE” The subject of “We..” is in … Continue reading →

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Desolate Old Men  

Posted on May 5, 2022 by hessd

Today, I would like to share a bittersweet reflection with you. Then I would like to poke at it a little. This anonymous reflection (below) about old friends was sent to me by an old friend of mine. He and … Continue reading →

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Act Your Age

Posted on May 3, 2022 by hessd

This phrase is an appeal to widespread knowledge and consensual values about how a person of a certain age should act. In a time where both widespread knowledge and consensual values are in decline, you would think that sentiments like … Continue reading →

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Time Spent With Old Friends

Posted on April 15, 2022 by hessd

I’ve lost track of how many times I have read parts, at least, of Neal Stephenson’s Anathem. Yesterday, I caught something new in my reaction to a scene and I’d like to tell you about it. I’m not sure what … Continue reading →

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Disordered Individuals

Posted on April 12, 2022 by hessd

Here is the text for today. I found this in an article in JAMA Psychiatry by Peter Sterling and Michael L. Platt (February 2022). “Every symptom of despair has been defined as a disorder or dysregulation within the individual.” First, … Continue reading →

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I’ve got more important things to do.

Posted on April 10, 2022 by hessd

Surely I do. I must. That would, at least, make sense of the way I eat. I’ve been puzzled about this for awhile. I eat in a decision-minimizing way. Here are some of the obvious implications. First, I eat/drink things … Continue reading →

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