I know there is a constant mantra that “violence is not the solution.” Call me somewhat undecided on that.

Early spring is the best time to hunt for unicorns – in early April, they are just emerging from their cocoons and are still slow and tentative – the best option is to try to find a young weeping willow tree where multiple cocoons have been attached.

As I looked at the lamp, well, what would anyone do? I rubbed it against my sleeve.

“A few of the crew ended up heading out again on other ships as fast as they could. They couldn’t handle the idea of being back, so they became space rats instead. I almost did too. It might have been better for me if I had."

An additional episode (stand-alone) for my short story "The Jump"

“Go home, and take off that damned suit. You can’t handle it. You’re probably a good guy, and that’s why you can’t handle it. The ones who can handle it are pretty much psychos. The ones who are good at it are the very ones who should never be around children at all.”

“A fuck is just sex, but a head-fuck is art.”

“You have no fucking idea what it’s like to be old. You want me to act chipper and positive. Well fuck that. You have no clue. When something hurts for you, you figure it’ll go away. For me, it’s just an add-on to all the other pain. None of it stops. Ever. “You tell me to think of something that I’d enjoy doing. Like watching TV? The shows worth watching are on too late. Even if I tried, I’d just fall asleep two minutes into them. I just get bored anyway. I get bored with ev

In the end, “trans” leaves out some crucial information – specifically, how trans they are (or what kind of trans they are). It’s a term without nuance, that we are expected to accept without question.

Note: I spent much of my time during my market research career traveling around the world conducting or observing focus group discussions. Aral was an oil company operating in Germany that was being taken over by BP. Aral intro  (alternative) Focus group report   The moderator began by reading the respondents a prepared statement announcing that BP had acquired Aral, and that this group discussion would revolve around this new relationship between the two brands.   The respon

Author's note: So much has changed since the long-ago days of my youth. People today confront questions that no one could have imagined in the past. I thought it might be interesting put together a few of these questions in the form of a party game for you and your friends. Feel free to offer your thoughts and answers in the comments. Or to add questions of your own.   Party Game Questions Forget charades – these will really get the conversation started Peter A. Hempel Questi

Did you hear the one about the atheist who walked into the 12-step program? (Hint: he didn’t find God) by Peter   I'm writing this story to give outsiders a sense of what goes on in the 12-Step programs. I know that when I was first considering attending one of these programs, I was very wary and skeptical, particularly given that I am an atheist and I knew that there was a lot of stuff about a “higher power.” I ended up doing a year in program, six months of hard time, and s

What was Monica thinking? Peter A. Hempel   I noticed the other day a tabloid story that Monica Lewinsky was seeking help for her sex addiction problems.  She was checking out the 12-step sex addiction programs, but felt, not unreasonably, that she wouldn’t actually have much hope of confidentiality there.   In the meantime, however, she has been moving forward.  She has thrown all her thongs, peek-a-boo bras, split-crotch panties, etc. into the garbage, and is shifting to co

Europe’s “far right” is not America’s far right Infidels have rights, too Peter A. Hempel – 11/04/25 There is a lot of alarm these days about how Trump and Trumpism are part of global rise of the “far right,” particularly in Europe. But I’m wondering if we are missing some fundamental differences between the US and Europe. Trumpism is economically far right, bankrolled by dark money billionaires and the Heritage Foundation, culminating in Project 2025 – at least for now. Its

Why the Democrats suck on crime Peter A. Hempel 08/28/25 Republicans have been leveraging “out of control” crime as a campaign issue at least since the days of Nixon. “Law and order” has always been cynical on their part; even as they call loudly for draconian law enforcement in the streets, they continually protect (and enable) the criminals at the top – and within their own ranks. Democrats have responded by digging themselves into a deep hole on the crime issue. In part, b

A prolegomenon to any future cryogenics A preliminary consideration of ethical, legal, and practical issues Peter A. Hempel Cryogenic preservation is already upon us. The Alcor Life Extension Foundation, founded in 1972, has been enrolling clients for over half a century.   Whether the process will provide the promised resurrection is yet to be seen. At this point, none of his clients have been defrosted and revived, nor is there any specific schedule for such an event. (Expe

Better than the alternative? Peter A. Hempel – 10/16/25   When my father moved into his late 80s, his memory began to fail. He was an academic, a world-renowned figure in the field of philosophy of science. He loved his family and loved being with friends; he had a wonderful sense of humor. But his intellectual career was central to who he was. He loved having in-depth discussions with colleagues about different issues in philosophy of science, and in particular, questions of

My Car, My Body Peter A. Hempel (10/03/25)   My senior year in high school, my parents gave me their old car. This was in 1961, and the car was a 1948 Plymouth, an extremely popular model in its heyday.   My parents were not car people. My father had had a near-fatal bike accident in his early 20s and took it as a sign that he should not be in charge of vehicles of any sort. My mother, who grew up in Philadelphia and New York, had never had any need for a car. But when my fat

TEXT AS COPY: A Prolegomenon Towards a New Theory of Intentionality   Peter A. Hempel, Ph.D.   TEXT. As signifier, this is a term riddled...

Peter A. Hempel   In the summer of 1996, I found myself in an all too familiar situation – out of work and desperate.   I was living in Austin. I had returned there 2½ years earlier following the end of my marriage. That was now two jobs ago. I had been job-hunting for several months with no leads in sight.   Out of the blue, I got a call from Doug Schoen, one of the founders of Penn + Schoen, the market research company I had worked for twice before. (Don’t ask – that will s