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 most 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, 29 December 2013: Q&A on Progress on Goals, White Privilege, Self-Sacrifice, and More

I'll answer these four questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 29 December 2013.

• Question 1: Progress on Long-Term Goals: How can I make better progress on my long-term goals? I have the curious affliction of stagnating, often for very long periods of time, on long term goals. That happens even when those goals pertain to pursuits I enjoy. This pattern has me confused and somewhat alarmed, because I know that these long term goals I have set for myself will be the most meaningful for me to accomplish. Although I see the great value in skill-building for a new career, learning to play the piano, learning a new language, and so on, I cannot seem to get myself to take the daily, repeated action required for more than a week or two. That happens, despite my applying GTD and breaking down the larger task into manageable pieces. My neophile personality simply takes interest in something else, and I miss a day (then two, then three) of taking action, preventing me from ever establishing an activity as a habit. How can I break this cycle of mediocrity, so that I can really start making progress on long term goals?
• Question 2: Claims of White Privilege: What is the individualist response to claims about "white privilege"? In May 2013, you published a blog entry entitled, "Personal Motives for Benevolence" where you introduced the idea that prejudice is often formed by favoritism and not overt bigotry. Clearly, favoritism can extend to race too, in the same way it extended to your example of "professor" vs "quilter." So what is the proper response to advocates of "white privilege awareness" such as David Wise and David Sirota? In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing, David Sirota wrote a Salon article entitled "Let's hope the Boston Marathon bomber is a white American" where he argued that culturally,"white terrorists" are treated as lone wolves, whereas Islamists are treated as existential threats. David Wise wrote an article called "Terrorism and Privilege: Understanding the Power of Whiteness" where he claims "White privilege is knowing that even if the Boston Marathon bomber turns out to be white, his or her identity will not result in white folks generally being singled out for suspicion by law enforcement, or the TSA, or the FBI." What is the individualist answer to this collectivist viewpoint?
• Question 3: Guilt over Self-Sacrifice: Should a person feel guilty for not acting selfishly enough? According to rational egoism, a person ought to act selfishly – not in the sense of hurting others, but in the sense of pursuing his own good. If a person fails to do that, should he feel guilty for failing to act morally?

The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 29 December 2013. The podcast will be posted later that day. 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.

22 December 2013: Q&A on Explaining Egoistic Benevolence and More

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

How can we better explain how helping others can be egoistic?

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

• Duration: 1:09:34
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (25.0 MB) or Standard MP3 File (23.9 MB)
• Tags: Altruism, Benevolence, Communication, Egoism, Ethics, Manipulation, Meta-Ethics, Predation, Relationships, Sacrifice, Self-Interest, Self-Sacrifice

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.

• December 21: Dressage: Edward Gal on Moorlands Totilas
• December 23: Activism Recap
• December 23: NoodleCast #263: Explaining Egoistic Benevolence and More
• December 23: Newscasters Repeat Themselves, Again and Again
• December 24: Paul Hsieh Forbes Column: Obamacare Spends ‘Other People's Money' To Make Healthcare Expensive And Scarce
• December 26: Preview: Sunday Radio: Progress on Goals, White Privilege, Self-Sacrifice, and More
• December 26: Last Chance for a Signed Copy "Responsibility & Luck"
• December 27: New Questions in the Queue
• December 27: 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!

Read more...

The Paleo Rodeo #194

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:

Ruth presents A Tip That’ll Reduce Your BPA Exposure posted at Paleo Diet Basics, saying, "Bisphenol A, or BPA isn’t new, but lately we’re being exposed to it in much larger quantities. It's everywhere - even in our own bodies. Here are some tips to reduce exposure."

Eileen Laird presents Pink Grapefruit and Avocado Salad posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "Have you ever eaten grapefruit and avocado together? If not, you're missing out. This winter salad is easy to make, packed with nutrition, and totally delicious. Did you know avocados are anti-inflammatory? Or that grapefruit boosts glutathione, helping our bodies detoxify? Every time I research the nutrition behind recipes, I am newly amazed at the medicinal power of real food."

Meghan Little and Angel Ayala Torres presents Paleo Pear and Pecan Salad, A Seasonal Entrée or Side posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "This seasonal salad is so delicious for a light entree or as a side! Full of goodness like our Honey and Sea Salt Nut Medley, pears and bacon, you'll want to go back for seconds!"

Neely Quinn presents What to Eat at Restaurants on Paleo posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "A little guide to eating Paleo at restaurants."

Hadass Eviatar presents About Batteries posted at My Coat of Many Colours, saying, "We are all chronically sleep-deprived. What do you do to help deal with this problem? I need help!"

Adam Farrah presents To My Friends On Christmas Eve - 2013 posted at Practical Paleolithic, saying, "A heartfelt Christmas Eve post from Adam Farrah."

Kevin Geary presents Resistant Starch: The Most Helpful Carbodhyrate? posted at The Rebooted Body, saying, "Resistant Starch is being discussed all over the place right now. So, what's the verdict in terms of Rebooting your body? Kevin weighs in on resistant starch in this weeks article."

Tarah presents Paleo Sausage and Apple Stuffed Breakfast Bell Peppers posted at What I Gather, saying, "A sweet and savory mixture of sauteed spinach, apples and breakfast sausage stuffed into baked bell peppers."

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 most 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, 22 December 2013: Q&A on Egoistic Benevolence, White Privilege, and More

I'll answer these four questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 22 December 2013.

• Question 1: Explaining Egoistic Benevolence: How can we better explain how helping others can be egoistic? In your October 7, 2013 radio show, you observed that people often don't understand how acting kindly and generously towards friends is self-interested. Instead, they think that being benevolent toward anyone is "other-regarding" and hence, altruistic. How can we egoists untangle this seeming conflict for people?
• Question 2: Claims of White Privilege: What is the individualist response to claims about "white privilege"? In May 2013, you published a blog entry entitled, "Personal Motives for Benevolence" where you introduced the idea that prejudice is often formed by favoritism and not overt bigotry. Clearly, favoritism can extend to race too, in the same way it extended to your example of "professor" vs "quilter." So what is the proper response to advocates of "white privilege awareness" such as David Wise and David Sirota? In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing, David Sirota wrote a Salon article entitled "Let's hope the Boston Marathon bomber is a white American" where he argued that culturally,"white terrorists" are treated as lone wolves, whereas Islamists are treated as existential threats. David Wise wrote an article called "Terrorism and Privilege: Understanding the Power of Whiteness" where he claims "White privilege is knowing that even if the Boston Marathon bomber turns out to be white, his or her identity will not result in white folks generally being singled out for suspicion by law enforcement, or the TSA, or the FBI." What is the individualist answer to this collectivist viewpoint?

The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 22 December 2013. The podcast will be posted later that day. 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.

15 December 2013: Q&A on Public Shamings, Aggressive Dogs, Photography, and More

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

Are public shamings morally justifiable? What should a person do about a neighbor's aggressive dog? Does photography qualify as art?

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

• Duration: 1:09:54
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (25.1 MB) or Standard MP3 File (24.0 MB)
• Tags: Aesthetics, Art, Communication, Crime, Ethics, Justice, Law, Moral Wrongs, Neighbors, Painting, Parenting, Pets, Photography, Punishment, Relationships, Reputation, Risk, Spiritual Values, Value

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.

• December 14: My New Dressage Saddle
• December 15: Activism Recap
• December 16: NoodleCast #262: Public Shamings, Aggressive Dogs, Photography, and More
• December 16: Feeling Christmas-y?
• December 17: SnowCon 2014 – March 5th to 9th in Frisco, Colorado
• December 18: MRSA on the March
• December 18: Jumpy the Dog
• December 19: Preview: Sunday Radio: Egoistic Benevolence, White Privilege, and More
• December 19: Dog and Cheetah: Run, Chase, and Play Time
• December 20: Doctors and the Police State
• December 20: Half-Price Sale: Podcast on Finding Good Prospects for Romance and Friendship
• December 20: 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!

Read more...

The Paleo Rodeo #193

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:

Ruth presents The Minimalist Guide to Superfoods posted at Paleo Diet Basics, saying, "Everything you need to know about superfoods (it's probably not what you think!)."

Kevin Geary presents Don’t Make Any New Year’s Fitness Goals Until You Read This posted at The Rebooted Body, saying, "If you want the new year to be different — truly different and not just imaginatively different — then I’ve got TEN important things to think about before you even begin to consider your health and fitness resolutions for the New Year."

Neely Quinn presents Should You Do A Post Workout Recovery Drink or No? posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "The fitness media can make it sound like you need protein as fast as you can get it. You don’t want to be losing muscle mass! Oh, God! But is this advice primarily for bodybuilders and line backers, or can it apply to the rest of us?"

Eileen Laird presents Introduction to Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "Do you believe in the mindbody connection, and the power emotions have over our physical health? Research is showing this connection more and more clearly all the time. Today, I write about the Emotional Freedom Technique, a simple process for releasing negative emotions that may be holding you back. While it's a tool that can help us year-round, the holidays seemed an especially good time to teach it."

Nell Stephenson presents Paleoista Holiday Announcement of the Day: My Nutrition and Fitness Studio is Opening Soon! posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, saying, "Paleo expert Nell Stephenson announces her Paleo nutrition and fitness studio which is about to open in Brentwood, California."

Laura P presents Big Changes and Such! posted at Rising Moon Nutrition, saying, "I have been away for the blog scene for a couple weeks because I moved to a new town! I left Portland for Viroqua, a small town in Wisconsin, for a while...and it is a thriving real-food community! Find out all the great things Viroqua has going on in the health and food world!"

Jennifer Brand, aka Alliefitfoodie presents Inflammation nation posted at Alliefitfoodie, saying, "I don’t think anyone can dispute the fact that we are a nation plagued with chronic disease. And many of these chronic conditions have lifestyle related factors associated with them. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer. We hear more and more about autoimmune diseases (like arthritis) nowadays as well, and chronic pain. What do these different conditions have in common other than the fact that they have lifestyle components associated with them? If you guessed inflammation, you’d be right! In this article I do a little research on the subject of inflammation."

Jennifer presents Eggnog Pancakes posted at The Paleo Prize, saying, "Every year I try and come up with an eggnog related post because I simply adore the stuff!! For the holidays this year – I decided eggnog bright and early Christmas morn would be the way to go – in pancakes! :)."

patrick clark presents How I Brought My Office Outside posted at Paleo All the Way, saying, "Imagine taking your laptop to the park on a sunny day and working outside, while you are Earthing and getting sunshine. I've cracked the code, with a system and set of props that allows all day creativity to flow while you are having fun."

Kris Gunnars presents 4 Natural Sweeteners That Are Actually Healthy posted at Authority Nutrition, saying, "A list of 4 natural sweeteners that are excellent alternatives to sugar. Some of them are merely safe to eat - others are downright healthy."

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 most 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, 15 December 2013: Q&A on Egoistic Benevolence, Public Shamings, Photography, and More

I'll answer these four questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 15 December 2013.

• Question 1: Egoistic Benevolence: Can actions done for the sake of others be egoistic? In your October 7, 2013 radio show, you mentioned that people have a difficult time understanding how exercising benevolence towards one's friends is egoistic and self-interested. Instead, they think that being benevolent toward anyone is "other-regarding" and hence, altruistic. How can we untangle and explain this seeming conflict between egoism and benevolent action?
• Question 2: Public Shamings: Are public shamings morally justifiable? I often read of judges handing down sentences designed to humiliate the offender, such as standing at a busy intersection wearing a sandwich board apologizing for their offense. Many people favor these kinds of punishments in lieu of jail time because they consume less resources of the penal system. They may be more effective too. Does that justify such shamings? Moreover, what's the morality of similar shamings by parents and businesses? A bodega in my neighborhood posts surveillance camera footage of shoplifters, usually with some snarky comment about their theft. I find this practice amusing, but is that moral? Is it akin to vigilantism?
• Question 3: Problems with an Aggressive Dog: What should a person do about a neighbor's aggressive dog? My husband was attacked (but barely injured) by a neighbor's dog. No one else was in the room at the time. Our children often play at this person's house, and the dog has always been friendly in the past. How do you suggest handling the situation? Should we allow our children to play with the dog, as we always have in the past? What should the owner do about the dog?
• Question 4: Photography as Art: Does photography qualify as art? I've always viewed photography as a legitimate form of art. However, many people I disagree: Ayn Rand argued that it's a technical rather than a creative skill. However, I regard photography as a technical and creative skill, just like painting. So does photography qualify as art? If not, does that mean that photography doesn't have value – or has less value than proper art forms like painting? If photography has value nonetheless, what is the source of that value?

The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 15 December 2013. The podcast will be posted later that day. 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.

8 December 2013: Q&A on Secular Humanism, European Colonizers, Declaring Love, and More

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

What are the similarities and differences between Objectivism and secular humanism? How should European colonizers be judged for their treatment of Native Americans? When should a person declare his love for another?

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

• Duration: 1:10:30
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (25.3 MB) or Standard MP3 File (24.2 MB)
• Tags: Colonization, Communication, Culture, Emotions, Epistemology, Ethics, Government, History, Homesteading, Love, Metaphysics, Objectivism, Philosophy, Politics, Property Rights, Relationships, Rights, Romance, Secular Humanism, United States

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.

• December 7: "Equestrian Fashion"
• December 9: Activism Recap
• December 9: NoodleCast #261: Secular Humanism, European Colonizers, Declaring Love, and More
• December 9: 2Cellos
• December 10: A Quick Thought on Perception
• December 10: Doggie-Powered Rube Goldberg Machine
• December 11: New Questions in the Queue
• December 11: Don't Waste that Opportunity!
• December 12: Preview: Sunday Radio: Egoistic Benevolence, Public Shamings, Photography, and More
• December 12: Jon Stewart: "That Thing They Said They're Not Doing? They're Totally Doing"
• December 13: My Birthday Present: iTunes Ratings and Reviews
• December 13: 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!

Read more...

The Paleo Rodeo #192

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:

Ruth presents The Minimalist Guide to Superfoods posted at Paleo Diet Basics, saying, "Everything you will ever need to know about superfoods is right here (and it's not what you think)."

Kris Gunnars presents 6 Reasons Why a Calorie is NOT a Calorie posted at Authority Nutrition, saying, "Some believe that all calories are created equal and that the sources of those calories don't matter. Here are 6 reasons why that is completely false."

Melissa Joulwan presents Paleo Gifts From The Kitchen posted at The Clothes Make The Girl, saying, "Three fast-and-easy recipes for paleo gifts from the kitchen AND colorful, custom labels you can download and print. Merry, merry!"

Sabine presents Lockd-up Eggs posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "A different way to make eggs, perfect for brunch!"

Sabine presents Chicken Cacciatore posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "Chicken and Chianti, a delicious combination!"

Amy Kubal presents Unwrapping Health: Great Holiday Gifts For Everyone posted at Robb Wolf, saying, "If you're struggling to find a gift for that hard to shop for person, here's a bunch of healthy ideas."

Neely Quinn presents New Paleo Pumpkin Bread Recipe! posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "Celebrate the holidays with this grain-free, dairy-free, totally Paleo bread!"

Meghan Little and Angel Ayala Torres presents Paleo Onion Rings, A Crunchy Side or Burger Topping posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "These onion rings are awesome with our Remoulade Sauce or on top of our Signature Paleo Effect Burger (see our cookbook!). They are fast, easy and oh so delicious on our Broccoli Casserole! Perfect for the holidays :)."

Eileen Laird presents Perfect Breakfast Sausage posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "Through research and experimentation, I’ve created a nightshade-free, succulent sausage recipe that even pleases my husband (a self-professed sausage snob.) Added bonus? it’s easy to make. Enjoy!"

Sam presents Paleo Oreos posted at Bacon it Paleo, saying, "Double Stuffed Paleo Oreos."

Nell Stephenson presents Keep Your Holiday Sanity and Go For The Fat! posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, saying, "Paleo expert Nell Stephenson suggests readers make sure to balance all their meals with healthy fats in order to achieve steady blood sugar levels which will help them though the holiday season more successfully."

Jennifer Brand, aka Alliefitfoodie presents By the hair of my skinny skin skin posted at Alliefitfoodie, saying, "What you eat can affect the condition of your skin. I can definitely speak for myself when I say I’ve been visited by the acne, dermatitis and rosacea fairies many times in my 40 years. A review of the literature shows that these conditions, as well as psoriasis and eczema, can all be dramatically improved in many folks when changes in diet are made. That means that paying attention to what you eat is a great way to start to identify what may be causing your skin conditions."

Melissa Joulwan presents How To Peel A Grapefruit posted at The Clothes Make The Girl, saying, "It might seem obvious, but my dad's technique for peeling pink grapefruit is the best. This video shows you how to do it, just in time for grapefruit season."

Diane Sanfilippo presents Podcast Episode #117: Handling haters, MSG in bone broth, bras and emotional recovery posted at Balanced Bites, saying, "On this week's podcast, Liz and I talk about understanding carb recommendation, Bone broth and MSG, and Bras!"

Sean Coonce presents Holiday Lattes and Paleo Shortbread posted at FreeRange Human, saying, "Simple and delicious recipes for: Egg Nog Latte, Gingerbread Latte and Paleo Shortbread for your holiday celebrations."

Tarah presents Balsamic Pork and Apple Stuffed Sweet Potatoes posted at What I Gather, saying, "Sweet potatoes stuffed with onion, apples, spinach and pork sauteed in balsamic vinegar."

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 most 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, 8 December 2013: Q&A on Secular Humanism, European Colonizers, Love, Dogs, and More

I'll answer these four questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 8 December 2013.

• Question 1: Objectivism Versus Secular Humanism: What are the similarities and differences between Objectivism and secular humanism? Objectivism and secular humanism are two secular worldviews. What are their basic points? Are they hopelessly at odds? Or do they share some or even many attributes?
• Question 2: Moral Judgment of European Colonizers: How should European colonizers be judged for their treatment of Native Americans? Some people, especially conservatives, give blanket praise to Columbus and European colonizers, notwithstanding their conquest and displacement of native populations. Those Native Americans are sometimes denigrated as ignorant, brutal, and/or lacking any concept of property – and hence, as unworthy of the protection of rights. Many others consider the Native Americans either noble savages or at least the rightful owners of the land. They condemn European colonization as unethical conquest or even genocide. Are either of those approaches correct? What counts as a fair judgment of European colonizers in their behavior toward Native Americans? How should European colonizers have treated native persons?
• Question 3: The Right Time to Declare Love: When should a person declare his love for another? What is an appropriate amount of time to wait before saying "I love you" in a new relationship? New relationships often start out strong, but then the feelings of eros dissipate after a few months. When you meet someone who you share the same values and ideals (and you are super-attracted to him or her) when should you say those three little words?
• Question 4: Problems with an Aggressive Dog: What should a person do about a neighbor's aggressive dog? My husband was attacked (but barely injured) by a neighbor's dog. No one else was in the room at the time. Our children often play at this person's house, and the dog has always been friendly in the past. How do you suggest handling the situation? Should we allow our children to play with the dog, as we always have in the past? What should the owner do about the dog?

The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 8 December 2013. The podcast will be posted later that day. 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.

1 December 2013: Q&A on Suicide, Atheism, Irrational People, Rational Education, and More

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

When would suicide be rational? How can I convince myself, deep-down, that God does not exist? Is it wrong to walk away from a person who suffers from repeated medical emergencies due to their own irresponsibility? What would a rational educational system look like in a free society?

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

• Duration: 1:12:29
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (26.0 MB) or Standard MP3 File (24.9 MB)
• Tags: Academia, Altruism, Atheism, Business, Capitalism, Character, Christianity, Education, Egoism, Epistemology, Error, Ethics, Evil, Free Society, Habits, Health, Independence, Introspection, Justice, Life, Moral Wrongs, Psycho-Epistemology, Rationality, Religion, Responsibility, Suicide

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.

• December 2: Activism Recap
• December 2: NoodleCast #260: Suicide, Atheism, Irrational People, Rational Education, and More
• December 2: Two Special Offers on Responsibility & Luck … Just for December
• December 2: Two Great CyberMonday Sales: Amazon and The Great Courses
• December 3: Idealizing the Past: Progress in Airline Travel
• December 3: NoodleFood Authors, Now Fixed
• December 4: Preview: Sunday Radio: Secular Humanism, European Colonizers, Dangerous Dogs, and More
• December 4: Adrian Peterson's Adult-Onset Shellfish Allergy
• December 5: The Moral Perils of Mocking People on the Internet
• December 5: An Awesome Spam Comment
• December 6: The Head Covering Movement
• December 6: 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!

Read more...

The Paleo Rodeo #191

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 Healthy Sugars That Can Kill You posted at Authority Nutrition, saying, "Many natural sugars are marketed as healthy, but they are just as bad (if not worse) than regular sugar. Here are 6 'healthy" sugars that can kill you."

Kevin Geary presents The Definitive Guide to Calories posted at The Rebooted Body, saying, "Your permission slip and ultimate reference point for ending the obsession with calorie counting and tracking."

Ruth presents Paleo Cooking: Like Regular Cooking, Only Better posted at Paleo Diet Basics, saying, "Sometimes the changes between a paleo and a non-paleo meal are subtle, but they make all the difference."

Eileen Laird presents Angie's Success Story posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "Angie Alt has 3 autoimmune conditions: celiac disease, endometriosis and an autoimmune skin condition. During the 15 years it took for her to be fully diagnosed, she endured numerous hospital visits, extreme pain, and psychiatric symptoms that made her consider checking herself into a mental hospital. The gut-brain connection is real, folks! The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol not only restored her physical health, but her mental health as well."

Steve Kirsch presents The Serious Post (Time to make a change?) posted at The Paleo Drummer, saying, "There's an age that you'll reach when suddenly you have to stop screwing around and get serious about good health, nutrition, exercise and sleep. This one's about noticing before it's too late."

Neely Quinn presents What's The Right Serving Size for Me? posted at Paleo Plan.

Max presents Why I Stopped Following The Paleo Diet posted at CavemanCollege.

Nell Stephenson presents Paleoista’s Holiday Tip of the Day is Back! posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, saying, "Paleo expert Nell Stephenson invites readers to email her with questions to be used for her annual Paleoista's holiday tip of the day blog posts for all of December."

Sean Coonce presents Crock Pot Carne Asada posted at FreeRange Human, saying, "Simple and delicious 'set it and forget it' recipe for making Carne Asada in the crock pot for those colder months when grilling isn't an option."

Melissa,a.k.a. Cavechic presents Need your feed backon paleo related topics posted at Paleo Connections, saying, "I'm trying to provide to my readers, posts on topics relevant to them that they may not be seeing elsewhere AND, I'm looking for design ideas for paleo t-shirts that go beyond what is typically found out there now. Help me, help you have a better paleo experience."

Melissa,a.k.a. Cavechic presents National Nutrition Month is coming! Paleo-cane is too. posted at Paleo Connections, saying, "Join me in prepping for releasing an onslaught of paleo nutritional information during National Nutritional month coming up in March 2014. I'm sure there will be a lot of misinformation being spread from bad nutrition dogma sources. Stop by and see suggestions on what to write about and how to prepare for a blogging hurricane of paleo information or (paleo-cane)."

Jennifer Brand, aka Alliefitfoodie presents Paleo chocolaty chunk cookies posted at Alliefitfoodie, saying, "I participated in another round of Paleo Pen Pals for the month of November. My pen pal sent me total awesomeness. A 100% cacao bar. I decided to doctor up a cookie recipe I created some time back, that I had been meaning to try again. These puppies came out AMAZING!"

Diane Sanfilippo presents 5 Questions with Caitlin Weeks Author of Mediterranean Paleo Cooking and Giveaway! posted at Balanced Bites, saying, "This week I am excited to share an interview with Caitlin Weeks, a certified Nutrition Consultant, author of the blog Grass Fed Girl and co-author (with her professionally-trained chef husband Nabil Boumrar) of the newly released eBook, Mediterranean Paleo Cooking.Caitlin is also generously giving away a copy of Mediterranean Paleo Cooking to THREE lucky readers!"

Melissa Joulwan presents Paleo (AIP Friendly) Maple Shortbread posted at The Clothes Make The Girl, saying, "5 ingredients transform into grain-free, AIP-friendly shortbread just in time for Christmas!"

Sam presents Chocolate Mug Cake posted at Bacon it Paleo, saying, "quick and easy two minute chocolate mug cake."

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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