Philosophy Weekend: News from Philosophy in Action

Every Saturday, I post the news of the week from my primary work, Philosophy in Action, where I apply rational principles to the challenges of real life. Here's this week's update.

Upcoming Radio Shows

Philosophy in Action Radio broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Below are the episodes upcoming this week. I hope that you join us! More upcoming episodes can be found here: Episodes on Tap.

Sunday Morning, 1 September 2013: Q&A on Competition, Risking Welfare, Trolley Problem, Infatuation, and More

I'll answer these four questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 1 September 2013.

• Question 1: The Value of Competition: What is the value of competition? You recently competed in your first three-phase event on your horse. Why did you bother to do that? How did that affect your mindset and training? What did you learn from the experience? More broadly, what is the value of such competition? Shouldn't people always do their best, even when not being tested against other people?
• Question 2: Risking Welfare by Having Children: Should a person forgo having children to avoid the risk of needing welfare? I know that accepting government welfare is wrong: it's a kind of loot stolen from taxpayers. For a person to accept welfare is damaging to his life and happiness. However, I would like children, but in today's economy, particularly with my spouse's frequent job turnover, I'm not sure that's possible without ever relying on welfare. If I had children, I don't know if I would be able to resist becoming a looter to care for them. What if the only alternative is for the state to take charge of them? I couldn't allow that. Wouldn't accepting welfare be better than that?
• Question 3: The Trolley Problem: Does the "trolley problem" have any validity or use? I often come across people who think ethical philosophy consists of asking others what they would do in hypothetical situations in which they are allowed only two options, both terrible. One I keep coming across is that of the Trolley Problem proposed by Philippa Foot and modified by Judith Thomson, in which one must choose whether to kill one person or let five others die. Psychologists Jonathan Haidt and Joshua Greene even take fMRIs of people when they answer this question. Greene says that when someone chooses to sacrifice one individual, the prefrontal cortex – which regulates impersonal, long-term decisions – lights up. By contrast, when one refuses to sacrifice the individual, blood rushes to the amygdala – the part of the brain regulating empathy and visceral emotional responses. Is it valid for moral philosophers to pose the Trolley Problem to people and to insist that people's answers show that one can only either be a deontologist or a utilitarian?
• Question 4: Romantic Infatuation: Is it wrong to indulge romantic infatuation? I am infatuated with a young woman for whom I am not a suitable match, including because I am 30 and she is 16. It is strictly a fantasy; I make no effort to pursue or to make my feelings known to her and have no intention to ever do so. However, in private, I am deeply in love with her and practically worship her like a celebrity and collect all her pictures. (I refrain from masturbating to her because doing so makes me feel guilty.) Due to deficiencies in my life that I consider unfixable, I have low self-esteem and have given up on dating for the foreseeable future, if not indefinitely. Do you think my behavior is creepy, immoral, or bad for my own well being?

The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 1 September 2013. The podcast will be posted later that day. For more details, check out the episode page.

Wednesday Evening, 4 September 2013: Christian Wernstedt on "Stress and Your Health"

I'll interview personal health coach Christian Wernstedt about "Stress and Your Health" on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Wednesday evening, 4 September 2013.

What are some of the common ways that stress impairs a person's health? What can a person do to resolve those problems? Personal health coach Christian Wernstedt helped me recover from adrenal insufficiency, leaky gut, and other problems stemming from my 2009 crash into hypothyroidism. In this interview, he'll share his basic approach and insights with us.

Christian Wernstedt, born and raised in Sweden but now living in New York City, is a personal health coach, educator, and entrepreneur specializing in applying science and time proven empirical methodology to one's everyday practices such as diet, exercise, and supplementation. In 2008, while working as a freelance IT consultant, he became Interested in evolutionary concepts in nutrition and has since then studied and practiced these and other health related ideas and methodologies. In 2010 he founded the company VitalObjectives, which has since then become a successful coaching and educational practice with a track record of putting individuals on a path towards improved health and resolution of health issues.

The live broadcast begins at 6 pm PT / 7 MT / 8 CT / 9 ET on Wednesday, 4 September 2013. The podcast will be posted later that evening. For more details, check out the episode page.

Recent Podcasts

The podcasts of last week's radio shows are now available. Check out the full collection of past radio shows in the archives, sorted by date or by topic. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast RSS feed too.

28 August 2013: Cheryl Hein on "Parenting a Child with Disabilities"

I interviewed mom-of-twins Cheryl Hein about "Parenting a Child with Disabilities" on Wednesday's Philosophy in Action Radio:

"What are some of the rewards and challenges of parenting a child with disabilities? How should parents navigate family dynamics, education, and social interactions? How can parents do right by their disabled child, as well as themselves and other family members?" Cheryl Hein is the mother of nineteen year old boy-girl twins, one of whom, her daughter, was born with developmental disabilities, including Down syndrome and autism. In choosing the approaches for educating their twins, Ms. Hein and her husband considered a number of key values, such as effective education, opportunities for intellectual and social enrichment, family dynamics, and, as they got older, their kids' preferences; practical considerations such as cost and logistics were also weighed. Ms. Hein became heavily involved in understanding and navigating public school special education services and other available private and government programs for educating her children, and in advocating for the choices she believed were right for them. As she has lived with the daily and long range parenting challenges, she has also thought deeply about matters of family, private and government support for the education, care and keeping of children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Ms. Hein received a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA. She has managed multi-million dollar R&D programs for private industry, state and federal governments for more than 30 years, in settings as broad as manufacturing, product development, private research laboratories and university research organizations. Most recently, as managing director of the UCLA Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology (CASIT) and in private entrepreneurial efforts, she has focused on fostering advances in technologies for education and training based on combining findings from the science of learning with interactive computer technologies such as simulation and games to create learning systems that align effectively with how our brains work.

You can listen to or download the podcast below, and visit the episode's page for more.

• Duration: 1:15:47
• Download: Standard MP3 File (27285024 MB)
• Tags: Abortion, Adult Children, Children, Disability, Disability, Education, Independence, Parenting

Recent Blog Posts

Here are last week's posts to Philosophy in Action's blog NoodleFood, ordered from oldest to newest. Don't miss a post: subscribe to NoodleFood's RSS Feed.

• August 23: New Questions in the Queue
• August 23: Link-O-Rama
• August 24: High Intensity Weightlifting Update: The Sixth Sheet
• August 24: Yesterday's Almost-Faceplant on Lila
• August 26: Activism Recap
• August 26: NoodleCast #238: Rapid Fire Extravaganza
• August 26: Support for Honor Killings in Jordan
• August 27: Preview: Wednesday Radio: Cheryl Hein on Parenting a Child with Disabilities
• August 27: Spousal Privilege for Gay Couples… in the News
• August 28: John McCaskey's New Blog
• August 28: Guest Blog Post on Social Justice? Maybe Not
• August 29: NoodleCast #239: Cheryl Hein on Parenting a Child with Disabilities
• August 29: Hsieh Forbes OpEd: How Much Will Your Life Be Worth Under Obamacare?
• August 29: 19 Years of Paul Hsieh
• August 30: Preview: Sunday Radio: Competition, Risking Welfare, Trolley Problem, Infatuation, and More
• August 30: Link-O-Rama
• August 30: Trolley Problem: What Would You Do?

If you're interested in more from Philosophy in Action, be sure to like our Facebook Page and subscribe to our Newsletter!

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The Paleo Rodeo #177

Welcome to this week's edition of The Paleo Rodeo!

The Paleo Rodeo is a weekly blog carnival featuring the best paleo-related posts by members of the PaleoBloggers e-mail list. The past editions of the Rodeo are collected on this page.

What is "paleo"? As I say in Modern Paleo Principles:

A "paleo" approach to health uses the evolutionary history of homo sapiens, plus the best of modern science, as a broad framework for guiding daily choices about diet, fitness, medicine, and supplementation. The core of paleo is the diet: it eschews grains, sugars, and modern vegetable oils in favor of high-quality meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables.

The purpose of The Paleo Rodeo is to highlight some of the best blogging of the ever-growing paleosphere.

Here is this week's edition:

Kris Gunnars presents Top 5 Reasons Why Vegan Diets Are a Terrible Idea posted at Authority Nutrition, saying, "Despite the propaganda, there is no scientifically valid health reason to avoid animal foods. Here are 5 reasons why vegan diets are a terrible idea."

Neely Quinn presents Liz Wolfe on Homesteading, Skin, and Her Own Paleo Journey posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "I did a really fun interview with Liz Wolfe of www.cavegirleats.com about her secrets to healthy skin, what brought her to Paleo, and homesteading!"

Jennifer Brand presents Paleo ‘cheese’ recipe posted at Alliefitfoodie, saying, "A play on words and a 'recipe' for paleo style health/nutrition education. In this piece I combine my love for nutrition and wellness, and gaining knowledge with my love for sharing it all with others."

Jennifer Brand presents Paleo kitchen sink meatza posted at Alliefitfoodie, saying, "I had been wanting to create a meatza for some time and I finally did! What I was waiting for I have no clue. That wait time was DEFINITELY time wasted. I wasn’t planning on posting a recipe for this because there are meatza recipes all over the Internet, but when I posted the pictures of my version, I was asked for my recipe. I had to oblige!"

Sabine presents 5 Most overrated/overused Paleo foods posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "This post already created some heated discussions online earlier, what are your thoughts?"

Tarah presents Sweet Sesame Dressing - Paleo Pen Pals August 2013 posted at What I Gather, saying, "A recipe for Sweet Sesame Dressing made with Fish Sauce from my Paleo Pen Pal!"

Meghan Little and Angel Ayala Torres presents Paleo French Toast, A Breakfast or Brunch Entrée posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "This French Toast recipe is made from our delicious White Bread recipe - fluffy and sweet, just like mom used to make...but you know, Paleo!"

Eileen Laird presents Crockpot Caramelized Onions posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "This week, I'm celebrating the nutritional powerhouse that is the humble onion. Learn why its so beneficial to our health, and get a delicious recipe for Crockpot Caramelized Onions as a reward."

Nell Stephenson presents Paleo Dining in Whistler posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, LLC, saying, "Paleo expert Nell Stephenson shares some of the Paleo friendly dining places she visited during a recent trip to Whistler BC."

Diana Hsieh presents High Intensity Weightlifting Update: The Sixth Sheet posted at NoodleFood, saying, "Here's the latest update on my high-intensity, low-speed, once-per-week weightlifting sessions that keep me in such great shape!"

Penny presents 5 minute Tweet Rundown on AHS13 posted at Health Coach Penny, saying, "I tweeted until my hands cramped and compiled all of them in my post about the Ancestral Health Symposium in Atlanta."

David Sinick presents The Paleo Manifesto - The Paleohacks Podcast Episode #17 with John Durant posted at The Paleohacks Blog, saying, "This blog post is a podcast episode where The Paleohacks Podcast host Clark interviews John Durant, author of the Paleo Manifesto about: - Why ALL diets are essentially high fat diets. - The one thing that’s missing from almost everyone’s diet. - How to strategically biohack for insanely fast results. - Is cannibalism Paleo? The surprising answer… - The secret to using cold thermogenesis to rev up fat loss like never before. And more..."

Sabine presents Paleo Bread posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "Over time, I've tried many paleo 'bread" recipes, here's the summary."

Chris presents 3 Steps to Transition to Paleo and How to Use Paleo Substitutions posted at PrimalPal, saying, "Are all paleo substitutions for SAD foods bad? Can these substitutions help someone transition to a paleo diet and lifestyle? Read on to find out."

Rebekah Reddy presents Half Indian Pantry Staples: Dahi (Homemade Yogurt in a Crockpot) posted at Half Indian Cook, saying, "Today's post is about how I make yogurt in a crockpot--it's really easy and a more affordable way to enjoy some fermented dairy."

Diane Sanfilippo presents Podcast Episode #102: Candida, Paleo bread, nightly pee breaks and FODMAPs posted at Balanced Bites, saying, "This week's podcast covers many food and nutrition-related questions including Candida, Paleo bread, nightly pee breaks and FODMAPs."

Melissa,a.k.a. Cavechic presents When the paleo pyramid is deliberately altered...everyone who eats of it suffers posted at Paleo Connections, saying, "It's time to accept the fact that the paleo diet is about eating meat and fat and embrace the health benefits of doing both."

Salixisme presents Peach-Coconut Chia Pudding posted at Salixisme, saying, "This delicious pudding uses only a few ingredients and is very quick to make. It makes a great desert, lunch box addition and is also useful as a quick, satisfying breakfast or snack."

Laura P presents Cardamom Peach Cobbler posted at Rising Moon Nutrition, saying, "Sweet, juicy local peaches baked under a soft coconut cardamom crust...the best way to eat peaches this season!"

Many thanks to the PaleoBloggers who submitted to this edition of the The Paleo Rodeo! We love new members! So if you blog on paleo-related matters and you'd like to submit your posts to the carnival, please subscribe to the PaleoBloggers e-mail list. You'll receive instructions and reminders via that list.

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Philosophy Weekend: News from Philosophy in Action

Every Saturday, I post the news of the week from my primary work, Philosophy in Action, where I apply rational principles to the challenges of real life. Here's this week's update.

Upcoming Radio Shows

Philosophy in Action Radio broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Below are the episodes upcoming this week. I hope that you join us! More upcoming episodes can be found here: Episodes on Tap.

25 August 2013

Philosophy in Action Radio will not broadcast on Sunday, 25 August 2013.

Wednesday Evening, 28 August 2013: Cheryl Hein on "Parenting a Child with Disabilities"

I'll interview Cheryl Hein about "Parenting a Child with Disabilities" on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Wednesday evening, 28 August 2013.

What are some of the rewards and challenges of parenting a child with disabilities? How should parents navigate family dynamics, education, and social interactions? How can parents do right by their disabled child, as well as themselves and other family members?

Cheryl Hein is the mother of nineteen year old boy-girl twins, one of whom, her daughter, was born with developmental disabilities, including Down syndrome and autism. In choosing the approaches for educating their twins, Ms. Hein and her husband considered a number of key values, such as effective education, opportunities for intellectual and social enrichment, family dynamics, and, as they got older, their kids' preferences; practical considerations such as cost and logistics were also weighed. Ms. Hein became heavily involved in understanding and navigating public school special education services and other available private and government programs for educating her children, and in advocating for the choices she believed were right for them. As she has lived with the daily and long range parenting challenges, she has also thought deeply about matters of family, private and government support for the education, care and keeping of children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Ms. Hein received a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA. She has managed multi-million dollar R&D programs for private industry, state and federal governments for more than 30 years, in settings as broad as manufacturing, product development, private research laboratories and university research organizations. Most recently, as managing director of the UCLA Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology (CASIT) and in private entrepreneurial efforts, she has focused on fostering advances in technologies for education and training based on combining findings from the science of learning with interactive computer technologies such as simulation and games to create learning systems that align effectively with how our brains work.

The live broadcast begins at 6 pm PT / 7 MT / 8 CT / 9 ET on Wednesday, 28 August 2013. The podcast will be posted later that evening. For more details, check out the episode page.

Recent Podcasts

The podcasts of last week's radio shows are now available. Check out the full collection of past radio shows in the archives, sorted by date or by topic. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast RSS feed too.

18 August 2013: Q&A on Certainty, Limits of Sympathy, Scolding Children, Panhandlers, and More

I answered these questions on Sunday's Philosophy in Action Radio:

What must I do to reach certainty about a course of action? How much sympathy should I have for people failing in their obligations due to personal struggles? Is it wrong to discipline other people's children when they refuse to do so? How should I respond to panhandlers asking for money?

You can listen to or download the podcast below, and visit the episode's page for more, including audio files for individual questions.

• Duration: 1:16:40
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (28846365 MB) or Standard MP3 File (27602568 MB)
• Tags: Aristotle, Benevolence, Boundaries, Charity, Children, Communication, Deliberation, Emotions, Epistemology, Ethics, Honesty, Justice, Mental Illness, Moral Wrongs, Parenting, Personality, Planning, Psycho-Epistemology, Rationality, Relationships, Sympathy, Values

21 August 2013: Kelly Elmore on "The Value of Rhetoric" I interviewed English Ph.D student Kelly Elmore about "The Value of Rhetoric" on Wednesday's Philosophy in Action Radio: "What is rhetoric? Why does it matter? How can the basic concepts of rhetoric help us write more effectively, understand advertising better, or speak more effectively?" Kelly Elmore is an English graduate student in Rhetoric and Composition, an assistant director of the Georgia State University Writing Studio, a teacher of freshman composition, writing consultant for the geology department, homeschooling mom to Livy, partner to Aaron, and the instigator of family adventures for both, avid reader, lover of vampires and the Regency, separate or combined, Anglophile, extrovert, and proud possessor of a very tall soapbox. You can listen to or download the podcast below, and visit the episode's page for more.

• Duration: 1:12:26
• Download: Standard MP3 File (26082555 MB)
• Tags: Activism, Aristotle, Communication, Epistemology, Politics, Relationships

Recent Blog Posts

Here are last week's posts to Philosophy in Action's blog NoodleFood, ordered from oldest to newest. Don't miss a post: subscribe to NoodleFood's RSS Feed.

• August 17: My First Event on Lila: Colorado Horse Park Trial
• August 19: Activism Recap
• August 19: NoodleCast #236: Certainty, Limits of Sympathy, Scolding Children, Panhandlers, and More
• August 19: Crafty People of the World, Unite!
• August 20: Preview: Wednesday Radio: Kelly Elmore on The Value of Rhetoric
• August 20: The Natural World Through Christian Eyes
• August 20: Me at ATLOSCon 2013
• August 21: Preview: Thursday Radio: Rapid Fire Extravaganza
• August 21: Rhetorical Analysis: A Preview
• August 21: Crazy Phone Call
• August 22: NoodleCast #237: Kelly Elmore on The Value of Rhetoric
• August 22: Embarrassed by Hollie McNish
• August 23: New Questions in the Queue
• August 23: Link-O-Rama

If you're interested in more from Philosophy in Action, be sure to like our Facebook Page and subscribe to our Newsletter!

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The Paleo Rodeo #176

Welcome to this week's edition of The Paleo Rodeo!

The Paleo Rodeo is a weekly blog carnival featuring the best paleo-related posts by members of the PaleoBloggers e-mail list. The past editions of the Rodeo are collected on this page.

What is "paleo"? As I say in Modern Paleo Principles:

A "paleo" approach to health uses the evolutionary history of homo sapiens, plus the best of modern science, as a broad framework for guiding daily choices about diet, fitness, medicine, and supplementation. The core of paleo is the diet: it eschews grains, sugars, and modern vegetable oils in favor of high-quality meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables.

The purpose of The Paleo Rodeo is to highlight some of the best blogging of the ever-growing paleosphere.

Here is this week's edition:

Kris Gunnars presents 4 Common Foods That Kill 15 Million People Per Year posted at Authority Nutrition, saying, "These 4 common foods contribute to some of the world's most serious diseases, which collectively kill millions of people per year."

Amy Kubal presents What Kind Of Hungry Are You? posted at Robb Wolf, saying, "You say you're hungry, but what kind of hungry are you? Find out here!"

Neely Quinn presents My Husband's Battle with Sugar posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "Yep, my otherwise Paleo husband had a serious addiction to sugar, which he recently overcame. If he can do it, anyone can!"

Nell Stephenson presents Nature’s Noodle- Spaghetti Squash posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, LLC, saying, "Paleo expert Nell Stephenson writes about 'nature's noodle', spaghetti squash."

Kevin Geary presents The Health and Fitness Industry is Dead. And That Includes You Paleo. posted at The Rebooted Body, saying, "Over 1000 Facebook shares and still going strong, 'The Health and Fitness Industry is Dead..." discusses the biggest thing missing from every popular health and fitness model; and the first group to begin including this key success piece will likely steal the show."

Fatisfied presents Hoo Wants to Save a Sawbuck? posted at Free Your Fat, saying, "Here is an easy way for you and your friends to save $10 on your favorite Paleo foodstuffs!"

Jennifer Brand presents Too much of a good paleo thing? Say it isn’t so! posted at Alliefitfoodie, saying, "Moderation and what it means. Paleo treats, and misconceptions about consumption of healthy foods, such as not having to practice moderation because it's good for you."

Jennifer Brand presents How a paleo gal gets sauced: meat sauce marinara posted at Alliefitfoodie, saying, "Recipe for my paleo meat sauce marinara! Also includes a little story telling and some dietary facts/information on specific food cravings."

Jennifer Brand presents My paleo (virtual) community posted at Alliefitfoodie, saying, "A little soul baring about how much I love and appreciate the online paleo community I've found on my journey to date. Connecting with like minded individuals is the theme."

Jennifer Brand presents Paleo apple pie cookies posted at Alliefitfoodie, saying, "A recipe for cookies that I developed because I had enough homemade walnut butter to feed an army. I needed to do something with it!"

Eileen Laird presents Paleo Success Story: Russ Crandall posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "Russ Crandall is the talented cook behind the paleo blog, Domestic Man, but he's also one of the most amazing paleo success stories. Diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the arteries, he had a stroke at age 24 and open heart surgery at age 26, but it wasn't until he switched to the Paleo Diet that his health turned around."

Meghan Little and Angel Ayala Torres presents Paleo Tomato and Artichoke Salad, A Warm, Italian Side posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "Full of good-for-you veggies and done in under 5 minutes, this warm Tomato and Artichoke Salad is the perfect side to chicken or fish! And it's Vegan!"

Sabine presents Coconut Crust Quiche posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "This is one of my best quiche recipes ever!"

Chris presents Day 1 of Whole30 While Traveling posted at PrimalPal, saying, "This is the first post of a few that shares tips and strategies to stay compliant with the Whole30 while traveling. It is possible and you can do it. There's no reason to not be healthy while hitting the road!"

Chris presents Life of a Whole30 Business Traveler Days 2 and 3 posted at PrimalPal, saying, "The business trip continues and so do the tips for staying on track with the Whole30 while on the road. Check out the surprising reaction of a stranger while enjoying a Whole30 meal. Hilarity ensues."

Salixisme presents Grilled Chicken and Peach Salad posted at Salixisme, saying, "This was one of the best meals I have eaten this year. Chicken breasts, cooked on the grill, served in a salad that also includes grilled peaches. Delicious!"

Steve Kirsch presents Walk On posted at The Paleo Drummer, saying, "As a CrossFitter, sometimes I think we forget the basics – like the mental and physical benefits of a long walk, every day."

Diane Sanfilippo presents Homemade Ketchup Recipe posted at Balanced Bites, saying, "This tangy tomato topper features a concentrated sweet and savory taste, but without the added sweeteners. And you can make it in the slow cooker!"

Diane Sanfilippo presents Podcast Episode #101: Cholesterol Clarity with Jimmy Moore posted at Balanced Bites, saying, "On this week's podcast, I talk with Jimmy Moore about his new book, Cholesterol Clarity. Tune in to find out more about cholesterol facts vs. myths."

Laura P presents Are Plants Poison? 10 Common Anti-Nutrients in Plant Foods and How to Get Rid of Them posted at Rising Moon Nutrition, saying, "Many common plant foods that we eat (even on the paleo diet) contain anti-nutrients. Here I'll discuss some of the most common offenders and how to mitigate their impact on your health!"

Many thanks to the PaleoBloggers who submitted to this edition of the The Paleo Rodeo! We love new members! So if you blog on paleo-related matters and you'd like to submit your posts to the carnival, please subscribe to the PaleoBloggers e-mail list. You'll receive instructions and reminders via that list.

Read more...

High Intensity Weightlifting Update: The Sixth Sheet

I'm really quite late in posting this update, as I've almost finished my seventh sheet of high intensity training. However, as I often say, better late than never! If you've not read my prior posts, but you want to see my progress, check out:

• From CrossFit to High Intensity Weightlifting
• High Intensity Weightlifting Update: The First Sheet
• High Intensity Weightlifting Update: The Second Sheet
• High Intensity Weightlifting Update: The Third Sheet
• High Intensity Weightlifting Update: The Fourth Sheet
• High Intensity Weightlifting Update: The Fifth Sheet

Here's the latest sheet:

Here's a summary of my progress on various movements, starting from Session 80 from Sheet 5 to Session 96 on Sheet 6. All the machines are Nautilus, except the lower back and the torso rotation. As before, only Leg Press and Lower Back are done every session; all other movements are done every other session.

As you'll see below, I continued making steady progress on leg press, which I really wanted to do. As a result, I stalled out on some other movements or even decreased. Overall, I'd say it was a good sheet.

Every week:

• LP: Leg Press: 260 to 280 lbs. I was very happy to be making steady progress again.
• LB: Lower Back: 160 to 162 lbs. I didn't make much progress on this wider range of motion, but that's okay!

Every other week:

• Hip AB: Hip Abduction: 95 to 85 lbs. It helps to vary the weight on this machine a bit, given that I'm pretty much at my limit.
• Hip AD: Hip Adduction: 115 to 105 lbs. Same as above
• CR: Calf Raises: 300 lbs. I didn't do this often.
• Lower Back (see above)
• PD: Lat Pull-Down: 130 lbs. No progress.
• Leg Press (see above)
• CP: Chest Press: 75 to 65 lbs. We decreased my weight because I'm just tapped out immediately after leg press.
• Row: Row: 60 lbs. I still hate this machine, but the movement is exactly one that I use for riding, to get Lila up off her forehand, so I'd better get it done!
• Ab C: Ab Crunch: Steady at 15 lbs.

Every other week:

• LE: Leg Extension: 65 to 70 lbs. I went back up to 70 lbs.
• LC: Leg Curls: LC is a 90-second curl of the leg, with progressive intensity, backward against a stable frame.
• Lower Back (see above)
• Leg Press (see above)
• Bicep: Steady at 45 lbs: It's still hard to make progress with this machine given that it's immediately after leg press. Oh well!
• Tricep: Steady at 80 lbs: Again, no progress, no worries.
• Rot T: Rotate Torso: 44 to 46 lbs. On this sheet, we began doing a hold rather than movement, which is incredible hard but a much better workout. Now I struggle with muscle failure, rather than the movement.
• New MXCP: (Funky MedX Ab Cruncher Hold): steady at 75 lbs: All good.

P.S. If you decide to try my SuperSlow gym -- now TruFit Health -- in south Denver, please tell them that I referred you!

Read more...

Philosophy Weekend: News from Philosophy in Action

Every Saturday, I post the news of the week from my primary work, Philosophy in Action, where I apply rational principles to the challenges of real life. Here's this week's update.

Upcoming Radio Shows

Philosophy in Action Radio broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Below are the episodes upcoming this week. I hope that you join us! More upcoming episodes can be found here: Episodes on Tap.

Sunday Morning, 18 August 2013: Q&A on Certainty, Limits of Sympathy, Scolding Children, Panhandlers, and More

I'll answer these four questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 18 August 2013.

• Question 1: Achieving Practical Certainty: What must I do to reach certainty about a course of action? Suppose that I'm being careful in my thinking about a practical matter – perhaps about how to solve a problem at work, whether to move to a new city, whether to marry my girlfriend, whether to cut contact with a problem friend. When can I say that I'm certain – or at least justified in acting on my conclusions? Given my personality type (INTP), I tend to leave questions open for far too long, when really, at some point, I need to close them. Are there any general guidelines or principles around figuring out what that point of closure should be? Even then, when should I revisit my conclusions, if ever?
• Question 2: The Limits of Sympathy for Failures: How much sympathy should I have for people failing in their obligations due to personal struggles? In the past two years, I've witnessed two businesses (both one-person operations) crash and burn due to the owners' inability to continue to operate while suffering from severe depression. I don't know the trigger in the first case, but in the second case, the depression was precipitated by a divorce, then the murder of a toddler in the family. The business is online, and unhappy customers have been airing their frustration with the fact that they never received goods already paid-for. Some friends are stepping in to help, but the owner's reputation has been ruined. How much slack should I – or others aware of the situation – cut the owner? How far should my sympathy go?
• Question 3: Scolding Other People's Children: Is it wrong to discipline other people's children when they refuse to do so? I was eating lunch at an outdoor market. A woman and her son stopped near me, and the boy (who was probably around 8 years old) leaned over my table and stuck his finger in my food. Then he started laughing and ran around in circles. The mom looked at me and dismissively said, "He's autistic." Then she walked away. How should I have responded? Is there a respectful way to tell a stranger that her son's behavior is unacceptable in a public setting? Would it be wrong to speak to the boy directly?
• Question 4: Responding to Panhandlers: How should I respond to panhandlers asking for money? I live and work in a downtown area, and am often asked by strangers on the street for money. These requests vary in form from the brief but honest ("Spare some change?") to the manipulative and dishonest. My stock response is to say that I have no cash, which is almost always true, but somewhat dishonest in that my lack of cash is not my main reason for refusing to give. Explaining my real reasons – I don't know who this person is, I don't know how he will spend the money, and I don't think giving people money helps reduce their reliance on handouts in the future – seems overly harsh on someone who is obviously having a rough time of it already, and takes a long time to boot. I feel like I should acknowledge the request somehow, but I want to effectively disengage from the situation as quickly and safely as possible. Is my stock response inappropriate because it is dishonest? Would it matter if I claimed to have no cash on those rare occasions when I am in fact carrying cash? If I shouldn't be using my stock response, what can I say to quickly and safely disengage? Also, I get a lot of dubious stories about being stranded downtown without bus fare. I've often thought about carrying a few valid, single-use transit tickets with which to respond to such stories. It's something I can afford, and it would in theory limit how my charity gets used. Would this be a wise or safe course of action?

The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 18 August 2013. The podcast will be posted later that day. For more details, check out the episode page.

Wednesday Evening, 21 August 2013: Kelly Elmore on "The Value of Rhetoric"

I'll interview English Ph.D student Kelly Elmore about "The Value of Rhetoric" on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Wednesday evening, 21 August 2013.

What is rhetoric? Why does it matter? How can the basic concepts of rhetoric help us understand advertising or prepare for an interview?

Kelly Elmore is an English graduate student in Rhetoric and Composition, an assistant director of the Georgia State University Writing Studio, a teacher of freshman composition, writing consultant for the geology department, homeschooling mom to Livy, partner to Aaron, and the instigator of family adventures for both, avid reader, lover of vampires and the Regency, separate or combined, Anglophile, extrovert, and proud possessor of a very tall soapbox.

The live broadcast begins at 6 pm PT / 7 MT / 8 CT / 9 ET on Wednesday, 21 August 2013. The podcast will be posted later that evening. For more details, check out the episode page.

Recent Podcasts

I took last week off to compete in my first three-phase event on my horse Lila. Check out the full collection of past radio shows in the archives, sorted by date or by topic. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast RSS feed too.

Recent Blog Posts

Here are last week's posts to Philosophy in Action's blog NoodleFood, ordered from oldest to newest. Don't miss a post: subscribe to NoodleFood's RSS Feed.

• August 11: Activism Recap
• August 13: Choose Your Associates Wisely
• August 14: One Year with the Most Helpersome Kitty Ever
• August 14: Cat Versus Stuffed Bobcat
• August 15: Preview: Sunday Radio: Certainty, Limits of Sympathy, Scolding Children, Panhandlers, and More
• August 16: Today's Inspiration: Ritchie Parker
• August 16: Link-O-Rama

If you're interested in more from Philosophy in Action, be sure to like our Facebook Page and subscribe to our Newsletter!

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Functional Fitness? Bah!

Some evangelists for CrossFit like to talk about the benefits of "functional fitness." Personally, I see some value in training people how to properly lift heavy weights... but other than that, there's just strength and skill.

I've experienced that first-hand: I did CrossFit for a year, and now I've been doing SuperSlow for nearly two years. I've seen that I can stack bales of hay, haul 50 pound bags of feed, and ride my very strong half-draft horse just as well doing SuperSlow as I did with CrossFit. Or rather, I can do it better because I'm not nursing a strained rotator cuff or unbearably sore from my workouts.

Recently, I experienced another revealing test of the power of SuperSlow. Until mid-March, I'd not skied or snowboarded all season. At first, the snow was terrible, so I was enjoying riding my horse, rather than hitting the slopes. Later, once the snow came, I was trapped at home with construction workers, supervising a slew of house repairs. I barely managed to escape the house for my weekly SuperSlow appointment; I couldn't possibly manage to abandon ship for a whole day.

As a result, I skied and snowboarded for the first time in a full year at SnowCon 2013 in mid-March. (Yes, I was rusty!) Then, here's what I did:

• Monday: Ski for two hours in powder
• Tuesday: Snowboard for five hours
• Wednesday: Snowboard for five hours
• Thursday: Ski for five hours

I'm a high intermediate/low expert skier, but I'm not experienced in powder. So the two hours on Monday were far more difficult for me than two hours on groomed runs would have been. Also, I'm still a beginner snowboarder, so that requires even more effort from me than skiing.

Guess what? I was mildly sore after Monday, but that gradually disappeared. I was tired after those five hour days, but I was never dangerous: my muscles were responding with full strength to the commands of my brain.

To my mind, that's genuine functional fitness!



And guess what? Four of the five people in that picture do SuperSlow!

P.S. If you're a local and you decide to try my SuperSlow gym (now TruFit Health) in south Denver, please tell them that I referred you!

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The Paleo Rodeo #175

Welcome to this week's edition of The Paleo Rodeo!

The Paleo Rodeo is a weekly blog carnival featuring the best paleo-related posts by members of the PaleoBloggers e-mail list. The past editions of the Rodeo are collected on this page.

What is "paleo"? As I say in Modern Paleo Principles:

A "paleo" approach to health uses the evolutionary history of homo sapiens, plus the best of modern science, as a broad framework for guiding daily choices about diet, fitness, medicine, and supplementation. The core of paleo is the diet: it eschews grains, sugars, and modern vegetable oils in favor of high-quality meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables.

The purpose of The Paleo Rodeo is to highlight some of the best blogging of the ever-growing paleosphere.

Here is this week's edition:

Kris Gunnars presents 6 Reasons Why Vegetable Oils Are Toxic posted at Authority Nutrition, saying, "Vegetable oils like soybean and sunflower oil are often mistakenly assumed to be healthy. These oils are loaded with trans fats and increase inflammation."

Neely Quinn presents New Paleo Challenge Community Facebook Page! posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "I created the Paleo Challenge community page so that people can ask questions, find support, and learn from others’ experiences. We all need encouragement and information when we’re doing something as crazy as changing our entire diet! I know I did!"

Nell Stephenson presents Is Paleo A Fad? posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, LLC, saying, "Paleo expert Nell Stephenson writes about the many inaccurate permutations of Paleo popping up all over the place."

Salixisme presents Paleo Thai Meatballs with Sate Sauce posted at Salixisme, saying, "Spicy Thai style meatballs, that I served with a sate sauce based on almond butter and coconut milk rather than the usual peanut butter based one."

Eileen Laird presents Chocolate: Friend or Foe? posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "In this article, I talk about fake chocolate vs. real chocolate, its potential health benefits and health concerns, and where it fits on the paleo diet."

Eileen Laird presents Flavor Infused Homemade Chocolates posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "Delicious chocolates are so easy to make at home, and taste soooo much better than the store bought varieties, you’re going to wonder why you’ve never made them before. Today, I give you a basic chocolate recipe that you can jazz up with added flavors. It’s like having a candy store in your very own home, but one that’s good for you!"

Laura P presents My 5 Favorite Detox Methods posted at Rising Moon Food, saying, "Detoxing your body is an important part of cleaning up your diet and getting healthy...here are my five favorite safe and effective detox methods you can do at home for very little time or money!"

Sean Coonce presents Cajun Burgers with Carmelized Onions posted at FreeRange Human, saying, "Amazing burgers grilled with a rub to give them a nice crusty exterior. Topped with slowly carmelized onions, and you've got a simple and delicious meal."

Melissa,a.k.a. Cavechic presents Do you REALLY need to eat vegetables? posted at Paleo Connections, saying, "We have been conditioned to believe green, leafy vegetables are part of a healthy diet...but are they really?"

Steve Kirsch presents Book Review: The Paleo Coach by Jason Seib posted at The Paleo Drummer, saying, "Jason Seib appears to have written a near-perfect paleo lifestyle/fitness book that integrates sleep, food and exercise into a solid plan for health, longevity and fat loss. So I reviewed it!"

Rebekah Reddy presents Baigan (Eggplant) Chutney posted at Half Indian Cook, saying, "Slightly sweet, spicy, and full of wonderful flavors, this eggplant and tomato chutney is very versatile and will make good use of summer nightshades."

Diane Sanfilippo presents Podcast Episode #100: Ask us (almost) anything! posted at Balanced Bites, saying, "This is our 100th podcast! We decided to have an 'ask us anything" session", so tune in for some quick fire questions and answers about non-nutrition-related things that our listeners wanted to know about us."

Many thanks to the PaleoBloggers who submitted to this edition of the The Paleo Rodeo! We love new members! So if you blog on paleo-related matters and you'd like to submit your posts to the carnival, please subscribe to the PaleoBloggers e-mail list. You'll receive instructions and reminders via that list.

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Philosophy Weekend: News from Philosophy in Action

Every Saturday, I post the news of the week from my primary work, Philosophy in Action, where I apply rational principles to the challenges of real life. Here's this week's update.

Upcoming Radio Shows

Philosophy in Action Radio broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Below are the episodes upcoming this week. I hope that you join us! More upcoming episodes can be found here: Episodes on Tap.

Note: Philosophy in Action Radio will not broadcast on Sunday, 11 August 2013 or Wednesday, 14 August 2013. I'm taking a break to compete in my first three-phase event (as an adult, that is) on my fabulous horse Lila.

Recent Podcasts

The podcasts of last week's radio shows are now available. Check out the full collection of past radio shows in the archives, sorted by date or by topic. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast RSS feed too.

4 August 2013: Q&A on Dangerous People, Objectivism and Evolution, and More

I answered these questions on Sunday's Philosophy in Action Radio:

How can I better identify dangerous or immoral people in my life? Does evolutionary theory contradict the principles of Objectivism?

You can listen to or download the podcast below, and visit the episode's page for more, including audio files for individual questions.

• Duration: 1:12:21
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (27233691 MB) or Standard MP3 File (26052932 MB)
• Tags: Character, Communication, Egoism, Epistemology, Ethics, Evolution, Friendship, Honesty, Human Nature, Integrity, Justice, Logic, Meaning, Metaphysics, Moral Wrongs, Objectivism, Personality, Psychology, Rationalism, Relationships, Science, Virtue

7 August 2013: Tom Varik on "Gay Marriage and Spousal Privilege" I interviewed attorney Tom Varik about "Gay Marriage and Spousal Privilege" on Wednesday's Philosophy in Action Radio: "As the cause of gay marriage gains ever-more traction, many have wondered whether marriage really matters. Attorney Tom Varik argues that it does. In this interview, he discussed the legal status and importance of gay marriage, including the recent Supreme Court cases, as well as the history and limits of spousal privilege." Tom G. Varik is an attorney in Cleveland, Ohio, where he currently works for the Social Security Administration. He attended the University of Akron School of Law, earning a JD in 2009. Before that, he studied motion picture production at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, where he produced several short films featured in various international underground film festivals, and earned a BFA in 2006. You can listen to or download the podcast below, and visit the episode's page for more.

• Duration: 1:03:30
• Download: Standard MP3 File (22866516 MB)
• Tags: Culture, GLBT, Law, Marriage, Politics, Rights

Recent Blog Posts

Here are last week's posts to Philosophy in Action's blog NoodleFood, ordered from oldest to newest. Don't miss a post: subscribe to NoodleFood's RSS Feed.

• August 4: Activism Recap
• August 5: NoodleCast #234: Dangerous People, Objectivism and Evolution, and More
• August 6: Preview: Wednesday Radio: Tom Varik on Gay Marriage and Spousal Privilege
• August 7: New Questions in the Queue
• August 8: NoodleCast #235: Tom Varik on Gay Marriage and Spousal Privilege
• August 9: Link-O-Rama

If you're interested in more from Philosophy in Action, be sure to like our Facebook Page and subscribe to our Newsletter!

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The Paleo Rodeo #174

Welcome to this week's edition of The Paleo Rodeo!

The Paleo Rodeo is a weekly blog carnival featuring the best paleo-related posts by members of the PaleoBloggers e-mail list. The past editions of the Rodeo are collected on this page.

What is "paleo"? As I say in Modern Paleo Principles:

A "paleo" approach to health uses the evolutionary history of homo sapiens, plus the best of modern science, as a broad framework for guiding daily choices about diet, fitness, medicine, and supplementation. The core of paleo is the diet: it eschews grains, sugars, and modern vegetable oils in favor of high-quality meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables.

The purpose of The Paleo Rodeo is to highlight some of the best blogging of the ever-growing paleosphere.

Here is this week's edition:

Annika McCann presents Beef heart and liver chili posted at Pretty Good Paleo, saying, "Hide your offal in this yummy chili!"

Kris Gunnars presents 5 Artificial Chemicals That Are Making You Fat (Found in Your Home) posted at Authority Nutrition, saying, "There are many chemicals in the environment that can make your body put on fat. Here are 5 of these chemicals, that are probably present in your home."

Neely Quinn presents The Autoimmune Paleo Protocol Is Scary... posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "The autoimmune Paleo protocol is super restrictive and it intimidates people away from trying Paleo at all. A more moderate approach can help people ease into healthier eating, and figure out what foods they're sensitive to along the way."

Nell Stephenson presents Unraveling Eczema Article Barely Mentions Diet posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, LLC, saying, "Paleo expert Nell Stephenson writes about a recent article in the NY Times that talks about eczema but hardly mentions diet."

Julie and Charles Mayfield presents Polyface, Pork, Paleo Giveaway and Paleo Lunches and Breakfasts On the GO posted at Paleo Comfort foods, saying, "Here's a chance to win 2 tickets to the upcoming Save Your Bacon weekend featuring Robb Wolf and Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm."

Ritu presents How to develop a meditation practice - Part 1 posted at nutritionize!, saying, "Nutritionize! is a well-being blog focused on food, movement, and meditation."

Jennifer Hunt presents Vibrant Sexy Strong Is Going Offline on August 16 posted at Vibrant Sexy Strong, saying, "After 2.5 years, I'm finished with PCOS/Paleo blogging and am on to another adventure. Thanks for reading!"

Chris presents Should You Try to Lose Weight During the Whole30? posted at PrimalPal, saying, "If you're doing a Whole30 then you probably have goals for doing so. Some people want to lose weight during a Whole30. This post discusses whether losing weight should be your goal during the Whole30."

Laura P presents GAPS Zucchini Fritters and Transitioning to Full GAPS posted at Rising Moon Foods, saying, "Here's a recipe for easy zucchini fritters that are GAPS Intro friendly and so delicious! Plus, a check-in on my transition from the GAPS intro to full GAPS diet...it's been quite an experiment!"

Melissa,a.k.a. Cavechic presents Bacon! posted at Paleo Connections, saying, "I'm taking you back in time to a blog post from December, 2011 written about nitrates and bacon."

Melissa,a.k.a. Cavechic presents Menu from the Drake Hotel posted at Paleo Connections, saying, "I wonder what our families would say if we served up a menu like this for this year's Thanksgiving?"

Many thanks to the PaleoBloggers who submitted to this edition of the The Paleo Rodeo! We love new members! So if you blog on paleo-related matters and you'd like to submit your posts to the carnival, please subscribe to the PaleoBloggers e-mail list. You'll receive instructions and reminders via that list.

Read more...

Philosophy Weekend: News from Philosophy in Action

Every Saturday, I post the news of the week from my primary work, Philosophy in Action, where I apply rational principles to the challenges of real life. Here's this week's update.

Upcoming Radio Shows

Philosophy in Action Radio broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Below are the episodes upcoming this week. I hope that you join us! More upcoming episodes can be found here: Episodes on Tap.

Sunday Morning, 4 August 2013: Q&A on Dangerous People, Evolution, Annoying Kids, Infatuation, and More

I'll answer these four questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 4 August 2013.

• Question 1: Identifying Dangerous People: How can I better identify dangerous or immoral people in my life? I don't like to be morally judgmental about personality and other optional differences. In fact, I like being friends with a variety of kinds of people: that expands my own horizon. Yet I've been prey to some really awful people in my life. Looking back, I'd have to say that I ignored some signs of trouble – dismissing them as mere optional matters, as opposed to moral failures. How can I better differentiate "interesting" and "quirky" from "crazy" and "dangerous" in people I know?
• Question 2: Evolution and Objectivism: Does evolutionary theory contradict the principles of Objectivism? I am new to atheism and Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism, and I embrace both wholeheartedly. However, I take issue with the theory of evolution. Atheism seems to imply evolution, but evolution seems to clash with Objectivism. Evolution holds that man is an insignificant piece of the larger, grander picture of the randomness that is life, that man is just one small insignificant step in the collective evolution of the earth, and that man is one with Mother Earth, not superior to it. In contrast, Objectivism holds that man has a purpose and that man is the most significant being, supreme over all other life. Also, Objectivism holds that "A is A" and that "Existence exists." Evolution, in contrast, claims that life came from non-life, fish came from non-fish, and man came from non-man – meaning that A came from non-A. Am I correct in my criticisms? Might some theory other than evolution be more compatible with Objectivism?
• Question 3: Scolding Other People's Children: Is it wrong to discipline other people's children when they refuse to do so? I was eating lunch at an outdoor market. A woman and her son stopped near me, and the boy (who was probably around 8 years old) leaned over my table and stuck his finger in my food. Then he started laughing and ran around in circles. The mom looked at me and dismissively said, "He's autistic." Then she walked away. How should I have responded? Is there a respectful way to tell a stranger that her son's behavior is unacceptable in a public setting? Would it be wrong to speak to the boy directly?
• Question 4: Romantic Infatuation: Is it wrong to indulge romantic infatuation? I am infatuated with a young woman for whom I am not a suitable match, including because I am 30 and she is 16. It is strictly a fantasy; I make no effort to pursue or to make my feelings known to her and have no intention to ever do so. However, in private, I am deeply in love with her and practically worship her like a celebrity and collect all her pictures. (I refrain from masturbating to her because doing so makes me feel guilty.) Due to deficiencies in my life that I consider unfixable, I have low self-esteem and have given up on dating for the foreseeable future, if not indefinitely. Do you think my behavior is creepy, immoral, or bad for my own well being?

The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 4 August 2013. The podcast will be posted later that day. For more details, check out the episode page.

Wednesday Evening, 7 August 2013: Tom Varik on "Gay Marriage and Spousal Privilege"

I'll interview attorney Tom Varik about "Gay Marriage and Spousal Privilege" on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Wednesday evening, 7 August 2013.

Why does gay marriage matter? What elements of marriage cannot be covered by ordinary contracts? What is the significance of the recent Supreme Court cases on gay marriage? Attorney Tom Varik will answer these questions and more.

Tom G. Varik is an attorney in Cleveland, Ohio, where he currently works for the Social Security Administration. He attended the University of Akron School of Law, earning a JD in 2009. Before that, he studied motion picture production at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, where he produced several short films featured in various international underground film festivals, and earned a BFA in 2006.

The live broadcast begins at 6 pm PT / 7 MT / 8 CT / 9 ET on Wednesday, 7 August 2013. The podcast will be posted later that evening. For more details, check out the episode page.

Recent Podcasts

The podcasts of last week's radio shows are now available. Check out the full collection of past radio shows in the archives, sorted by date or by topic. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast RSS feed too.

28 July 2013: Q&A on Social Contract, Excusing Wrongs, President Obama, and More

I answered these questions on Sunday's Philosophy in Action Radio:

Is a 'social contract' the proper basis for government? Are there moral limits to romanticizing historical figures in art? Does mental illness excuse wrong behavior? How should I respond to friends who fanatically hate President Obama?

You can listen to or download the podcast below, and visit the episode's page for more, including audio files for individual questions.

• Duration: 1:07:51
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (25545620 MB) or Standard MP3 File (24430415 MB)
• Tags: Activism, Art, Barack Obama, Communication, Emotions, Ethics, Friendship, Government, History, Honesty, John Rawls, Judgment, Justice, Law, Literature, Manipulation, Mental Illness, Meta-Politics, Moral Wrongs, Objectivity, Politics, Relationships, Social Contract Theory, Thomas Hobbes

31 July 2013: Eric Daniels on "Why Small Government Isn't the Answer" I interviewed historian Eric Daniels about "Why Small Government Isn't the Answer" on Wednesday's Philosophy in Action Radio: "Is "big government" the fundamental problem of American politics? Historian Eric Daniels will explain why this common formulation is misleading, wrong, and even dangerous to liberty." Dr. Eric Daniels teaches history and works on curriculum development at the LePort Schools in Irvine, California. He has previously taught at Clemson, Georgetown, and Duke Universities. He has a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Wisconsin. You can listen to or download the podcast below, and visit the episode's page for more.

• Duration: 1:15:05
• Download: Standard MP3 File (27051724 MB)
• Tags: Activism, America, Anarchism, Crime, Culture, Epistemology, Government, History, Law, Libertarianism, Politics, Racism, Rights, Self-Defense, Sexism

Recent Blog Posts

Here are last week's posts to Philosophy in Action's blog NoodleFood, ordered from oldest to newest. Don't miss a post: subscribe to NoodleFood's RSS Feed.

• July 27: Saturday's Schooling Dressage Show: Testing Our Skills
• July 29: Activism Recap
• July 29: NoodleCast #232: Social Contract, Excusing Wrongs, President Obama, and More
• July 30: Preview: Wednesday Radio: Eric Daniels on Why Big Government Isn't the Problem
• July 30: Horse, Agent of Justice
• July 31: Last Chance to Support Philosophy in Action in July!
• July 31: Should You Send a Lady a Picture of Your Dick? The Flowchart
• August 1: NoodleCast #233: Eric Daniels on Why Small Government Isn't the Answer
• August 1: Leave Everything Behind: The Demands of Speedy Evacuation
• August 2: Preview: Sunday Radio: Dangerous People, Evolution, Annoying Kids, Infatuation, and More
• August 2: Link-O-Rama

If you're interested in more from Philosophy in Action, be sure to like our Facebook Page and subscribe to our Newsletter!

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