Tag Archives: writing

“Unnecessary Videos”

Posted on January 1, 2026 by hessd

The old Soviet joke is that there is no Tass in the Pravda and no Pravda in the Tass.  My Soviet Studies professor at Miami University, who told us that one and who spoke Russian fluently, said that Tass meant … Continue reading →

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Being in Kilter

Posted on December 17, 2025 by hessd

The word for today on my Word-A-Day Calendar is “kilter,” and the author makes the kind of comment I associate with George Carlin, who wondered aloud about what ideas like “chalant,” would do for users of English.  Every use of … Continue reading →

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Paying Attention to the News: Part I

Posted on October 24, 2025 by hessd

It’s not as easy as it used to be.  Today, I would like to explore some of the reasons I feel that way and prepare for an essay in which I describe a few of the things I have done … Continue reading →

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Writing in my civilian name

Posted on June 16, 2025 by hessd

A few years ago, I jotted a quick note to my son, Doug, and in my haste, signed it Dale instead of Dad. I considered that an egregious breach—more on that later—and wrote him another note the next day, as … Continue reading →

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The Watcher has a better idea

Posted on March 7, 2025 by hessd

In an email to a friend this morning, I wrote “interested” when I had intended to write “interest.”  The sentence contained the phrase, “your interest has outlasted…” I noted it because the Watcher (that’s what I call the alien intelligence … Continue reading →

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The “right way” to watch a story

Posted on December 14, 2024 by hessd

At the risk of sharing domestic details, I am going to use my own recent experience as the illustration for a serious strategic dilemma.  It turns out that what I like best about stories is finding out how they got … Continue reading →

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Christmas Blessings to a Sad Friend

Posted on December 14, 2024 by hessd

Today, a friend shared with me a poem that I liked very much.  I still like it.  In fact, I like it more now that I did when I first read it, because I have put it through the mill … Continue reading →

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Watching myself teach

Posted on November 1, 2024 by hessd

I won a free throw contest once. A long time ago. It was set up as a tournament; I won my bracket and a friend of mine won the other bracket. So we met in the finals. The setup was … Continue reading →

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