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

Peter A. Hempel   I am not sad that this rose will die. I have picked it – it scolds me for the cutting short, the pain. I do not choose...

Dr. Peter A. Hempel                                                                        Spring 1988 Intro. to Life and Thought 101  ...

What do we want? We want landscapes, And mountains to climb, And cliffs we can fall from.   Random quotes & observations I judge, therefore I am. “If it can  be done, it will  be done. Ethics are no more than a fart in a windstorm.” ("Prolegomenon to our cryogenic future")   Like every decent person, I abhor hypocrisy on the part of others. Mine own hypocrisy is different – it is gentler, kinder, and a helpmeet to me in my days.   There are moments when I find myself in situa

Peter A. Hempel I’m writing this to put together my views on the situation in Gaza and the protests It’s a pretty complicated topic, and...

Sexual politics and common sense Peter A. Hempel Boobs Boobs are sex signals. It would seem unnecessary to say something as obvious as this, particularly in a culture where boobs are an essential part of advertising, of movies from rom-coms to thrillers, and where tabloids rejoice in shots of celebrity cleavages, side-boobs, nip-slips, and under-boobs. But the idea that these obvious additions to the female figure might be important for anything other than providing nutritio

URSULA K.LEGUIN’S HEROIC PURITANISM - "WOKENESS" GOES TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET The Gethenians do not see one another as men or women. This...

Princeton, NJ No release date set: Confidential – for internal use only A spokesperson for President Christopher Eisgruber of Princeton...

The play Hamlet grows out of the tradition of the revenge tragedy, a great favorite of the Elizabethan audience. In the conventional...

"Satan sends us temptations. God sends us opportunities." Dear pastor O, Last week while I was hiking out in the woods for fun, I found a...

The current court cases over affirmative action – this time raised about discrimination against Asians at the most selective colleges –...

Recently there has been renewed discussion of Vladimir Nabokov's once scandalous Lolita , thanks to an article in the New York Times by...

My opening question was inspired by a well-intentioned idea on the part of the committee that organized my 50th high school reunion this...