Category Archives: Uncategorized

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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Toxic Masculinity

Posted on March 29, 2022 by hessd

Today, I want to think about the expression “toxic masculinity.” [1]. I have three major goals in writing this essay. The first is not to whine about the expression. The second is to try to persuade you that I am … Continue reading →

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It’s not a flaw. It’s a feature

Posted on February 23, 2022 by hessd

We sang a hymn this past Sunday I had never sung before.[1] I did pretty well in the first stanza but I hit a serious speed bump in the second. It goes like this: “Teach us, O Lord, your lessonsas … Continue reading →

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The Beauty of Pravic Verbs

Posted on February 12, 2022 by hessd

“Still working?” she said as she passed. “Do you ever get a break?” he said, fifteen minutes later. Things like this happen for two reasons. I sit and type next a place where a lot of people walk. This of … Continue reading →

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The Anger of the Bypassed Classes

Posted on February 10, 2022 by hessd

Some of the links available in Thomas B. Edsall’s column in the New York Times yesterday have moved me to try to envision a broader political landscape for the U. S. I don’t know if this is sophisticated or naive. … Continue reading →

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Staying in Love

Posted on February 7, 2022 by hessd

I am going to argue today that it is possible and that for a certain kind of person—I am that kind of person—it is a really good idea. Now, during what my wife, Bette, and I call “the Valentine season” … Continue reading →

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The Stupidity of Intellectuals

Posted on February 3, 2022 by hessd

I’m going to say a lot of bad things about intellectuals today so I might just as well take the trouble to identify myself as one right up front. I have had a lot of formal education and have spent … Continue reading →

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Avoiding Divisive Concepts in Our Schools

Posted on January 26, 2022 by hessd

This is so easy to snicker at and dismiss. It is ridiculous on its face. And that is why it is so dangerous. Let’s think about it. And so we will have something concrete to think about, let’s consider Florida’s … Continue reading →

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