Category Archives: Uncategorized

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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Disapproval Fatigue and Team Names

Posted on January 19, 2022 by hessd

I grew up in a meat and potatoes house. We had noodles from time to time, but we never had “pasta.” That being the case, the first dozen or so times I saw the word “antipasto, “ I misunderstood it … Continue reading →

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So…who IS the fairest of us all?

Posted on January 12, 2022 by hessd

I’ve been in a number of conversations recently that presume race and racism as the proper context for the discussion. It isn’t always. Sometimes it is culture; sometimes it is class; sometimes it is religious practice. And on some of … Continue reading →

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Staying Protected Against “Them”

Posted on January 4, 2022 by hessd

I want to express a guarded admiration for “them.” Before I do that, I will need to say just who I mean by “them” and also to suggest that the clarity of that designation is becoming a little ragged around … Continue reading →

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