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.

Tuesday evening, 28 January 2014: Q&A on Virtues as Duties, Indecision, Sharia Finance, and More

I'll answer these four questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Tuesday evening, 28 January 2014.

• Question 1: Thinking of Virtues as Duties: What's wrong with thinking about the virtues as duties? My parents taught me ethics in terms of "duties." So being honest and just was a duty, along with "sharing" and "selflessness." They were simply "the right way to be," period. Now, I tend to think of the Objectivist virtues – rationality, productiveness, honesty, justice, independence, integrity, and pride – as duties. I have a duty to myself to act in these ways. Is that right or is that a mistake?
• Question 2: Overcoming Paralyzing Indecision: How can I overcome my paralyzing indecision? I am caught amid some difficult circumstances at present. To make matters worse, I suffer from almost paralyzing indecision about major life decisions, especially with respect to career. As a result of my failure to act decisively, I have stagnated painfully for years, missing many opportunities. How can I break out of this horrible pattern?
• Question 3: Sharia Finance: Should financial companies be permitted to offer financial products consistent with sharia law? Sharia Finance – meaning, investments that specifically conform with Islamic law – are growing in popularity and have been adopted by major financial companies like Citi. Should these private businesses be legally permitted to offer whatever their clients want to buy? Or should these investments be banned due to their connection with funding terror, oppressing women, and violating rights in other ways? Morally, should companies offer these investments? Should people protest or boycott companies offering them?

The live broadcast begins at 6 pm PT / 7 MT / 8 CT / 9 ET on Tuesday, 28 January 2014. 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.

19 January 2014: Q&A on Faith in Reason, Free Speech, Gay Pride, and More

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

Does being rational mean having faith in reason? Does freedom of speech apply to government officials? Are 'gay pride' parades good?

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

• Duration: 1:11:08
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (25.5 MB) or Standard MP3 File (24.4 MB)
• Tags: Axioms, Courage, Culture, Epistemology, Ethics, Faith, Foundationalism, Free Society, Free Speech, GLBT, Government, Honesty, Independence, Integrity, Law, Logic, Metaphysics, Perception, Politics, Pride, Proof, Racism, Rationality, Reason, Rights, 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.

• January 19: Activism Recap
• January 20: NoodleCast #267: Faith in Reason, Free Speech, Gay Pride, and More
• January 20: Don't Let the Kiddos Win Easy!
• January 21: Acting Badly Does Not Equal Being Bad Person
• January 22: Institute for Justice Defends Food Freedom
• January 24: Preview: Tuesday Radio: Virtues as Duties, Indecision, Sharia Finance, and More
• January 24: Link-O-Rama
• January 25: Lila Versus the Trailer

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 #198

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:

Kevin Geary presents 8 Unhealthy Eating Triggers You Must Conquer For Sustainable Success posted at The Rebooted Body, saying, "It’s a mistake to believe that you just need to know what to eat and how to exercise. That information is important, but it’s not critical. The proof to support that statement is found in the countless number of people — both men and women — who have the right information and still fail. So what is it about then? Click to find out..."

Kevin Geary presents Food Restriction, Orthorexia, and The Overton Window posted at The Rebooted Body, saying, "Are you orthorexic because you want to avoid stuff that's not real food? Is 'food restriction" even a fair term? And what does The Overton Window have to do with all of this?"

Kris Gunnars presents Top 11 “Diet” Foods That Make You Fat Instead of Thin posted at Authority Nutrition, saying, "Nutrition is full of myths. What people believe is often the exact opposite of the truth. Here are 11 'diet" foods that are actually making people fatter."

Nell Stephenson presents Could We Just Add A Little Common Sense? posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, saying, "Paleo expert Nell Stephenson suggests we implement some simple common sense when we're considering all the (erroneous) hype about why Paleo is one of the worst diets."

Sabine presents Paleo Granola posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "This is a great and easy recipe for real Paleo Granola clusters. Great for breakfast or as a snack!"

Sabine presents Rutabaga Fries posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "Rutabaga is a fantastic alternative to white potato, and makes great fries!"

Sabine presents Eggplant Lasagna posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "The taste comes from the seasoning of the meat, this eggplant lasagna is truly delicious and Whole30 approved!"

Eileen Laird presents Rainbow Chard with Bacon and Bone Broth posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "Dr. Terry Wahls recommends we eat 3 cups of greens per day. Chard is full of anti-inflammatory, blood sugar regulating, bone strengthening, heart protective, brain supporting, and detoxifying compounds. You can see why it’s a medicinal food. With the right recipe, it’s also delicious."

Steve Kirsch presents Crockpot beef heart with bacon/soppressata stuffing posted at The Paleo Drummer, saying, "A revamped beef-heart recipe, with bacon/soppressata stuffing. Yes, it's very good."

Steve Kirsch presents CrossFit changed my life posted at The Paleo Drummer, saying, "I realized something recently: I joined a CrossFit gym back in 2010., and everything about my life – including paleo living – is better as a result."

Neely Quinn presents Paleo Sweeteners 101 posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "Are Paleo sweeteners really Paleo? And which ones are best?"

Meghan Little and Angel Ayala Torres presents Paleo Watercress and Apple Salad, A Light and Healthy Entrée posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "We love salads, but we also love variety. This watercress salad is tart and sweet with a light dressing that really compliments a variety of protein. Try it with pork or chicken!"

Salixisme presents Chicken Bacon and Mushroom Alfredo with Spaghetti Squash posted at Salixisme - Paleo Living, saying, "Leftover cooked chicken, along with bacon and mushrooms in a creamy dairy-free sauce, all served in a spaghetti squash bowl. Yummy!"

Sabine presents Whole30 of 2014 posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "Entering my last week of the Whole30!"

John Menke presents How to make homemade bacon posted at Unrefine Me!, saying, "In a previous post we explained why dry-cured bacon has gotten a bad rap, and is actually more healthy than not. Now we'll show you how to make great tasting bacon yourself!"

Sara Hatch presents Keep Calm and Keto On! posted at Edible, saying, "After a long (and hectic) winter break full of travel and far too much dark chocolate, I am ready to get back to my regularly scheduled life..."

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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Institute for Justice Defends Food Freedom

I'm a bit late in blogging this news, but I'm delighted to report that the Institute for Justice has created a Food Freedom Initiative:

A new national initiative launched [November 19, 2013] by the Institute for Justice seeks to make sure the government stays out of some of the most personal decisions people make every day: What we eat and how we get our food. This nationwide campaign will bring property rights, economic liberty and free speech challenges to laws that dictate what Americans can grow, raise, eat or even talk about.

To kick off the initiative, IJ is today filing three separate lawsuits challenging Miami Shores, Florida's ban on front-yard vegetable gardens; Minnesota's severe restrictions on home bakers, or "cottage food" producers; and Oregon's ban on the advertisement of raw--or unpasteurized--milk. Each case demonstrates how real the need for food freedom is in every corner of the country.

"More and more, the government is demanding a seat at our dining room tables, attempting to dictate what we put on our plates, in our glasses and, ultimately, in our bodies," said Michael Bindas, an IJ senior attorney who heads up the new initiative. "The National Food Freedom Initiative will end government's meddlesome and unconstitutional interference in our food choices so that Americans can once again know true food freedom."

• IJ is challenging Miami Shores' front-yard vegetable garden ban in state court on behalf of Herminie Ricketts and Tom Carroll, a married couple who grew vegetables on their own property for their own consumption for nearly two decades before Miami Shores officials ordered them to tear up the very source of their sustenance or face fines of $50 per day. Learn more about their case: www.ij.org/FlVeggies.
• Minnesota allows food entrepreneurs to make certain inherently safe foods--such as baked goods--in home kitchens, but it: (1) prohibits their sale anywhere other than farmers' markets and community events; and (2) limits revenues to $5,000 per year. Violating these restrictions can lead to fines of up to $7,500 or up to 90 days in jail. IJ is challenging these restrictions under the Minnesota Constitution on behalf of cottage food entrepreneurs Jane Astramecki and Mara Heck. Learn more about their case at: www.ij.org/MNCottageFoods.
• In Oregon, it is legal for small farmers to sell raw milk, but they are flatly forbidden from advertising it. If they do advertise their milk, they face a fine of $6,250 and civil penalties as high as $10,000--plus one year in jail. IJ is challenging this ban under the First Amendment on behalf of farmer Christine Anderson of Cast Iron Farm. Learn more about Christine's case at: www.ij.org/ORMilk.

These three cases raise important constitutional questions that show how meddlesome government has become in our food choices: Can government really prohibit you from peacefully and productively using your own property to feed your family? Can government really restrict how many cakes a baker sells and where she sells them? Can government really ban speech about a legal product like raw milk? The answer is no.

IJ's President and General Counsel, Chip Mellor, said, "For 22 years, IJ has been on the forefront of protecting Americans' property rights, economic liberty and freedom of speech. With our National Food Freedom Initiative, IJ will now bring that experience to bear in the most fundamental area--food--so that Americans can be truly free to produce, market, procure and consume the foods of their choice."

If you care about your access to foods of your own choosing and the rights of food producers to engage in voluntary trade, please consider donating to IJ! IJ is extremely effective and principled in their advocacy of liberty, and every dollar donated is money well-spent in the cause of freedom.

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, 19 January 2014: Q&A on Faith in Reason, Free Speech, Gay Pride, and More

I'll answer these four questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 19 January 2014.

• Question 1: Faith in Reason: Does being rational mean having faith in reason? I'm a high school student in a religious school. Many of my classmates claim that my belief in a knowable reality, science, and reason is merely a form of faith. So how can a person validate his own reason and senses? How can a person know that they are reliable means of knowing reality – unless he uses them and thereby engages in circular reasoning? My classmates claim that God is the only way out of this puzzle: God checks our reasoning by verifying and opposing our various conclusions. How can I respond to their arguments effectively?
• Question 2: Free Speech of Government Officials: Does freedom of speech apply to government officials? In August 2013, Rolling Stone caused a furor by putting accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover. In response, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino wrote to the publisher of Rolling Stone, telling him that doing so "rewards a terrorist with celebrity treatment" – treatment the magazine should have given to the survivors. Other government officials were similarly critical of Rolling Stone. My first reaction was that these government officials had no place saying anything about a publication. But then I wondered, doesn't the First Amendment still apply to them? In other words, do government officials have freedom of speech?
• Question 3: Gay Pride: Are "gay pride" parades legitimate? Sexuality is not chosen, so being gay is not something that a person could be proud of. However, these parades seem like harmless fun, and they might even help alleviate homophobia. (They might perpetuate stereotypes too, however.) So are they, on balance, of benefit? Also, what should be made of the fact that a "straight pride" parade would be seen as homophobic? Isn't the goal here equality? Does that show that gay pride parades are elevating a minority into something special and unequal?

The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 19 January 2014. 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.

12 January 2014: Q&A on Justifying Punishment, Passive Income, Price Gouging, and More

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

What justifies punishing people for committing crimes? Is it moral to live on passive income or just work a 'four hour work week'? Is it morally wrong to profit from someone else's distress?

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

• Duration: 1:08:53
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (24.7 MB) or Standard MP3 File (23.7 MB)
• Tags: Benevolence, Business, Capitalism, Career, Central Purpose, Crime, Economics, Ethics, Hobbies, Justice, Law, Objectivity, Passive Income, Politics, Productiveness, Productivity, Punishment, Retributivism, Utilitarianism

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.

• January 11: Dixie!
• January 11: Jumping Lila in a New Bit
• January 12: Activism Recap
• January 13: NoodleCast #266: Justifying Punishment, Passive Income, Price Gouging, and More
• January 13: Punctuation. Matters!
• January 14: Kid Shaming: Wrong, Wrong, and Wrong
• January 14: Jason Brown, Fabulous Free Skate
• January 15: New Questions in the Queue
• January 15: Last Chance for Half-Price Podcast on Finding Good Prospects for Romance and Friendship
• January 15: Chilly Paintings
• January 16: Preview: Sunday Radio: Faith in Reason, Free Speech, Gay Pride, and More
• January 16: Asking for Rape?
• January 17: Suffering Worse Than Death
• January 17: 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 #197

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 How Many Pounds of Pesticide Did You Eat This Month? posted at Paleo Diet Basics, saying, "Unless you're eating organic fruit and vegetables, you're being exposed to more pesticides than you think!"

Eileen Laird presents My 1 Year Blog Anniversary and What a Healing Year It's Been! posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "Time flies, and yet so much has happened in this past year, it feels more like a lifetime. To celebrate, I decided to do something different. I filmed a little video in my home, sharing what a transformative year 2013 was for me personally, giving my best advice for your healing journey, and extending a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you for being part of my life."

Meghan Little and Angel Ayala Torres presents Paleo Chocolate Mousse, A Dessert Made with Avocados posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "This Chocolate Mousse is light and delicious and only takes minutes to make! Best part? It's made from avocados…and a little something extra to make your friends and family wonder how you get it to taste so good!"

Jennifer Brand, aka Alliefitfoodie presents Primal bacon mac and cheese posted at Alliefitfoodie, saying, "Bacon. Mac. And. Cheese. Yep, you heard me. Mac and cheese, with BACON! Of course this isn’t a paleo recipe since there is A LOT of dairy included. It does fall into the primal category, however. And that’s a category I’ve been fiddling with more and more lately. And it's just soooo good I had to share it."

Nell Stephenson presents The Paleo Diet on the ‘Worst Of’ List… posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, saying, "Paleo expert Nell Stephenson comments on the latest ranking of the Paleo Diet as one of the worst diets."

Douglas Robb presents 9 out of 10 Dentists Recommend the Paleo Diet posted at Health Habits, saying, "New archaeological / anthropological research shows that not all Paleo foods are created equal..."

Kris Gunnars presents 9 Ways That Processed Foods Are Slowly Killing People posted at Authority Nutrition, saying, "Processed foods are the main reason why people all over the world are getting fat and sick. Here are 9 reasons why processed foods are bad for your health."

Kelly Brogan presents Anti-Feminist Medicine: Statins, Not for Women posted at Kelly Brogan MD, saying, "A tour of the concerns around statins for women and the role of cholesterol in hormonal and mental health."

Kelly Brogan presents Anti-Feminist Medicine: Statins, Not for Women posted at Kelly Brogan MD, saying, "A tour of the concerns around statins for women and the role of cholesterol in hormonal and mental health."

Laura P presents Adrenal-Healing Chai Tea posted at Rising Moon Nutrition, saying, "This delicious and nourishing chai tea is perfect for the winter months. The warming spices and adaptogenic herbs help you to warm up, de-stress and stay healthy during the winter months. This herbal chai is a great caffeine-free alternative to black tea, and can be loaded up with raw honey to make it even tastier!"

Sabine presents Paleo Cheese posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "Paleo cheese? Yes, and it's really easy to make!"

Steve Kirsch presents Guest post! "Floating on [a Salty] Cloud Nine [Days in a Row]" by Skylee Robinson posted at The Paleo Drummer, saying, "Every now and then I have someone do a guest post. This one is from Skylee Robinson, who tweeted about her experience floating in a saltwater sensory-deprivation tank, and I asked her if she would do an in-depth post about it on my blog."

Ute presents Why I'm glad that the Paleo "diet" was once again ranked lasthttp://grokettesmusings.com/2014/01/13/why-im-glad-that-the-paleo-diet-was-once-again-ranked-last posted at Grokette's Primal Musings, saying, "A short blog post explaining why I don't think that the paleo diet should be ranked in the first place, and why I'm glad that SAD experts ranked it last."

Meghanne presents Kombucha Has Saved My Life posted at CaveGirl Plus One, saying, "Meg, the Modern Paleo Midwife returns after a bit of a break. She's re-establishing her busy, yet modest mountain practice and has been stressed! This post talks all about how Kombucha can contribute to health and wellness during pregnancy and beyond."

Sean Coonce presents Crock Pot Bone Broth posted at FreeRange Human, saying, "Simple and delicious set it and forget it method for making mineral rich bone broth in the crock pot."

Sean Coonce presents Spiced Cider Brined Head Cheese posted at FreeRange Human, saying, "Delicious recipe for making Head Cheese using spiced cider in the brine as opposed to regular sugar. This is a perfect super food that contains gut healing gelatin and quality meat and fat."

Neely Quinn presents New Paleo Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe posted at Paleo Plan, saying, "Check out our newest addition to our arsenal of Paleo recipes!"

J. Stanton presents Intermittent Fasting Matters (Sometimes): There Is No Such Thing As A “Calorie” To Your Body, Part VIII posted at GNOLLS.ORG, saying, "Did you know that fasting can change the number of 'calories" in food?"

Lauren presents Vitamin D: A Natural Wonder Drug posted at DC Healthy Bites, saying, "We're in the dead of winter, are you getting enough sunshine vitamin? Learn why this is important along with some interesting tidbits about vitamin D that you may not have known."

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, 12 January 2014: Q&A on Justifying Punishment, Working Less, Price Gouging, and More

I'll answer these four questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 12 January 2014.

• Question 1: Justifying Punishment: What justifies punishing people for committing crimes? In your 2006 graduate paper, "The Scope Problem in Punishment," you criticize utilitarian theories of punishment that aim for deterrence of future crimes on the grounds that they don't punish all and only those who are guilty. Yet why is that a problem? Moreover, why should a criminal be punished if doing so won't have any future benefits, such as deterring future crimes? Doesn't self-interest require that actions have some future benefit – and if so, shouldn't all punishment have some positive future effect like deterrence?
• Question 2: The Morality of Working Less: Is it moral to live on passive income or just work a "four hour work week"? Would that be compatible with the idea that a person's productive work should be his central purpose? If a person is so productive that he is able to enjoy a great life by only working a few hours per week, would it be wrong for that person to spend the rest of his time on travel, relationships, hobbies, self-improvement, education, and other non-productive interests?
• Question 3: The Morality of Price Gouging: Is it morally wrong to profit from someone else's distress? People often decry "taking advantage" of other people as cruel and wrong. For example, suppose that a person desperately needs water after a hurricane or other natural disaster. I charge him $1000 for a gallon jug, knowing that he can pay that much if he's really that desperate. Is such price gouging immoral? Is it fundamentally different from other kinds of trade – or just different in degree? Is it morally wrong to profit so handsomely by the distress and scanty options of other people in this way?

The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 12 January 2014. 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.

5 January 2014: Q&A on Morality of Abortion, Injuries on the Job, Self-Sacrifice, and More

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

Is elective abortion morally wrong? Should employers be required to warn employees of possible harms on the job? Should a person feel guilty for not acting selfishly enough?

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

• Duration: 1:10:52
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (25.4 MB) or Standard MP3 File (24.4 MB)
• Tags: Abortion, Adoption, Business, Capitalism, Children, Contracts, Duty, Egoism, Emotions, Ethics, Forgiveness, Guilt, Justice, Law, Moral Wrongs, Obligation, Parenting, Responsibility, Rights, Risk, Sacrifice, Self-Sacrifice, Sex, Work

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.

• January 4: A Great Leap Forward: Body Position in Riding
• January 5: Activism Recap
• January 6: NoodleCast #265: Morality of Abortion, Injuries on the Job, Self-Sacrifice, and More
• January 6: Report on 2013
• January 7: Manners for Kids: The Problem of Double Standards
• January 8: Coming Out Stories
• January 9: Preview: Sunday Radio: Justifying Punishment, Working Less, Price Gouging, and More
• January 9: Awesome + Crazy on Voluntary Fatherhood
• January 10: The Power of Speaking Out
• January 10: 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 #196

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 Paleo Glossary posted at Paleo Diet Basics, saying, "Not sure about the meaning of a word you encountered on a paleo blog? Stumped by an acronym. It's all here in the paleo glossary!"

Kevin Geary presents The 2nd Meal Effect: How to Hack Your Insulin Sensitivity posted at The Rebooted Body, saying, "How you can use the second meal effect to improve insulin sensitivity for higher carb meals. And potentially supercharging this effect with resistant starch supplementation."

Melissa Joulwan presents 30 Whole30-Friendly Recipes posted at The Clothes Make The Girl, saying, "Thirty super-clean, super-delicious recipes to start the year from me, Summer Innanen, The Domestic Man, Stupid Easy Paleo, The Paleo Parents, Nom Nom Paleo, Paleo Comfort Foods, and Rubies and Radishes."

Eileen Laird presents Meeting My Microbiome posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "Have you heard of the American Gut Project? It’s the largest scientific exploration into what lives inside the human gut ever, otherwise known as our microbiome. Did you know that 90% of your body is made up of microbes? We are only 10% human. Those microbes affect the function of every cell in our bodies. I joined the research and had my own gut analyzed. Today I share the results, introducing you to the other 90% of me. I also tell you how you can find out what lives inside you, too:."

Eileen Laird presents Introducing the Paleo Autoimmune Bloggers posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "My guest post on Paleo Magazine: a roundup of AIP bloggers. We all have autoimmune disease ourselves, we've all reversed it through diet and lifestyle, and we're here to help others do the same."

Sabine presents Whole30 of 2014 posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "Just started my 2nd Whole30, follow me on my journey! This week a summary of the first 7 days."

Jennifer Brand, aka Alliefitfoodie presents Paleo thumbprint cookies posted at Alliefitfoodie, saying, "Paleo-fied thumbprint cookies! Need I say more? Ok, a little more... I put my own spin on this recipe I found from Paleo Newbie, and made these over the holidays a few times for some parties I attended. They were a HUGE hit!"

Laura P presents How To Sleep Like A Baby posted at Rising Moon Nutrition, saying, "Here's a three-part series on how to optimize your sleep to improve your health and mood, including lifestyle changes, bedroom setting and more!"

Meghan Little and Angel Ayala Torres presents Paleo Kale and Apple Salad, A Vitamin-Packed Entrée or Side posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "We love this salad so much that sometimes, we turn it into a wrap! Packed with vitamins A, C, and K with apples, avocado and carrots, this salad has everything you need to get your New Year started right!"

Nell Stephenson presents The Paleo Diet on the ‘Worst Of’ List… posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, saying, "Paleo expert Nell Stephenson comments on the latest ranking of the Paleo Diet as one of the worst diets."

Sabine presents Macadamia Mayonnaise posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "This is an easy recipe for delicious macadamia mayonnaise!"

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, 5 January 2014: Q&A on Morality of Abortion, Injuries on the Job, Self-Sacrifice, and More

I'll answer these four questions on the live broadcast of Philosophy in Action Radio on Sunday morning, 5 January 2014.

• Question 1: The Morality of Elective Abortion: Is elective abortion morally wrong? Some conservatives support abortion in the cases of rape or incest, as well as in cases of serious medical problems with the fetus or the pregnancy. However, they regard the termination of a normal, healthy pregnancy as morally wrong, particularly as irresponsible. Are such abortions wrong? Does the judgment change if the couple used birth control or not?
• Question 2: Liability for Injuries on the Job: Should employers be required to warn employees of possible harms on the job? Discovery Channel's TV show Gold Rush depicted a South American gold miner using mercury in the mining process because mercury binds to gold and makes extraction from a "sluice." Mercury, being heavier, falls below the surface and is collected at the bottom of a "sluice box." The episode (titled "The Jungle") depicts workers using their bare hands in the sluice where I'm assuming they are in direct physical contact with the toxic mercury. In a free society, should employers be allowed to expose their employees to such dangers? Should employers be obliged to warn employees of those dangers or to take precautions? Or are workers responsible for the risks of their job?
• 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, 5 January 2014. 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.

29 December 2013: Q&A on Progress on Goals, White Privilege, and More

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

How can I make better progress on my long-term goals? What is the individualist response to claims about 'white privilege'?

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

• Duration: 1:17:42
• Download: Enhanced M4A File (27.9 MB) or Standard MP3 File (26.7 MB)
• Tags: Benevolence, Concentration, Crime, Culture, Ethics, Goals, Groups, Individualism, Justice, Life, Mental Inertia, Privilege, Productivity, Purpose, Race, Racism, Self-Improvement, Sexism, Skills

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 29: Activism Recap
• December 30: NoodleCast #264: Progress on Goals, White Privilege, and More
• December 30: Years of Work in One Sentence
• December 31: What Do You Go for in a Girl?
• December 31: A Quick Year-End Report on Philosophy in Action Radio
• January 1: My January Whole 30
• January 2: Preview: Sunday Radio: Morality of Abortion, Injuries on the Job, Self-Sacrifice, and More
• January 2: Gay for Football
• January 2: Crazy Sauce: Little Souls
• January 3: The Myth of Diana and Actaeon, Retold
• January 3: 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 #195

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 presents Sriracha: I don't get it. posted at Pretty Good Paleo, saying, "What's all the fuss over Sriracha?"

Ruth presents How I Became More Sensitive to Additives – And Why That’s Not a Bad Thing posted at Paleo Diet Basics, saying, "Now that I've been eating a clean paleo diet for a few years, I get reactions to things I used to be able to eat. First this bummed me out - I realised something that changed my thinking."

Melissa Joulwan presents Paleo Gifts From The Kitchen threegifts posted at The Best Version of Ourselves 2014, saying, "Kiss resolutions goodbye and live the good life right now!"

Kevin Geary presents Is Running Good for Weight Loss? posted at The Rebooted Body, saying, "Running seems to be the de facto weight loss activity. Go sit in any park when Spring hits and you’ll see everyone scurrying around in running attire, sweating their asses off and looking like they hate life. Is that you? If that’s you, lean in because I’ve got some good information for you."

Amy Kubal presents Hey! How Do I Get Off This Thing? posted at Robb Wolf, saying, "Starting off the year with a 30-day challenge or sugar detox is the new norm - but what about the other 335 days of the year? This time go in with an 'Off Ramp" plan and make 2014 your healthiest year yet!"

Diana Hsieh presents My January Whole30 posted at NoodleFood, saying, "I'm embarking on my first Whole30 this month. Yikes!"

Eileen presents Link Love: Detoxify! posted at Phoenix Helix, saying, "A real food diet boosts our bodies' detoxification ability, but in this modern world, we need more help, especially if we're battling autoimmune disease. Did you know that 80,000 new chemicals have been released into environment in the past century, without being fully tested for safety? This week, I'm rounding up some great methods for detoxifying your body, your products, and your home. How about making a resolution to try one?"

Diane Sanfilippo presents How to get started on The 21-Day Sugar Detox posted at Balanced Bites, saying, "This post is here to help you get started, and for you to find all of the amazing (and many free) resources I have created to support you in completing the program. If you’ve been on the fence and considering jumping on-board, check it out and get started with the group that begins on the first Monday of each month. We’ll be kicking off the first group of 2014 on Monday, January 6th! I know lots of you have questions about how to get started, about the program, and about the books. So, here are some answers for you!"

Kris Gunnars presents How to Win an Argument With a Nutritionist posted at Authority Nutrition, saying, "Many dietitians are basing their recommendations on old, highly flawed science. This article can help you easily win arguments with outdated nutritionists."

Adam Farrah presents The Long Road to Goals... posted at Practical Paleolithic, saying, "A post about what it takes to achieve long-term goals and how they unfold in the real world..."

Sabine presents Caramelized Onion Chicken posted at Cave Food Kitchen, saying, "A delicious way to prepare chicken and Whole30 approved!"

Ute presents Make resolutions or eliminate burdens? posted at Grokette's Primal Musings, saying, "A post on how resolutions might actually work."

Meghan Little and Angel Ayala Torres presents Getting Started Paleo posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "It's a New Year and getting started on the right foot has never been more easy! We provide easy to follow guidelines for Getting Started, Quick Tips, and Do's and Don'ts, as well as recipes and advice! Don't get overwhelmed, we're here to help! Start your new life today. Start Paleo at www.paleoeffect.com!"

Angel Ayala Torres and Meghan Little presents Paleo Pineapple Smoothie, A Vitamin C Breakfast Boost posted at Paleo Effect, saying, "So you're finally starting Paleo? Don't worry, with recipes like our Pineapple Smoothie, we'll start your day and year off right! Eating healthy has never been so delicious! Learn more today at www.paleoeffect.com!"

Victoria presents Chocolate and coconut- for health! posted at Principle Into Practice, saying, "For a while research has shown that dietary saturated fats can protect the liver against insults such as alcohol and Tylenol. A new paper starts to delve into the differences between the effects of Long Chain Saturated Fats and Medium Chain Saturated Fats, and I took a look!"

Nell Stephenson presents Get Your Paleoista Nutriton Plan and Much, Much More! posted at Paleoista, by Nell Stephenson, saying, "Paleo expert Nell Stephenson announces participation in the current bundle sale where customers can buy over $800 worth of products including their choice of any of her 6 week download plans."

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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My January Whole30

As y'all know, I've eaten a paleo diet since mid-2008. As a result, I'm no longer beholden to sugar, my weight is stable, and I don't suffer from migraines or sciatica any longer.

However, I've gotten a bit lax lately, particularly about sugar. So I've decided to do a reset by doing a Whole30 in January. I'll eat nothing but "real food -- meat, seafood, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts, and seeds." I'll eat not the slightest hint of grains, sugar, no alcohol, dairy, legumes, white potatoes, preservatives, or paleofied desserts. Also, I won't take any body measurements -- although I gave up on that some months ago for the sake of my own mental health.

To keep myself honest, Greg and Tammy Perkins will be my accountabilibuddies: I'll pay them $5 every time I stray intentionally or negligently from the Whole30. I've hacked my diet enough -- including with a much more strict elimination diet -- that I don't require such incentives ... usually. However, I'll be travelling quite a bit in January, so I want some extra incentives not to cheat.

If you want to start your own Whole30, you can start today or tomorrow and still wrap it up by the end of January. If you don't have an accountabilibuddy handy, you're more than welcome to use Philosophy in Action's Tip Jar!

If you want to know more, check out It Starts with Food in hardback or kindle.

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