Rationally Selfish Webcast

[dianahsieh]

In Sunday's Rationally Selfish Webcast, I answered questions on moral standards for public figures, friendships with people of opposite philosophy, friendships with pirates, joining politically active professional groups, and more. An audio recording of the webcast is now available as a podcast:

NoodleCast #92: Live Rationally Selfish Webcast

As always, the full archive of past episodes are available as podcasts. You can review them and subscribe to the feed at http://www.NoodleCast.com/

Watch the Rationally Selfish Webcast live and join its text chat every Sunday morning at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. Each week, I answer questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well, drawn from a queue of questions submitted by listeners. Just go to http://www.RationallySelfish.com at the appointed hour!

[dianahsieh]

For Sunday's live Rationally Selfish Webcast, I'll answer questions on the validity of introversion and extroversion, circumcision and religious freedom, lobbying as a career, working for a statist company, and more. Come join the fun!

• What: Live Webcast on Practical Ethics
  
• Who: Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy) and Greg Perkins
  
• When: Sundays, 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET
  
• Where: www.RationallySelfish.com
  

Here are this week's questions:

• Question 1: The Validity of Introversion and Extroversion: Are "introversion" and "extroversion" valid as psychological types? Sometimes people classify themselves and others as "introverts" and "extroverts." What does that mean? Is the distinction valid and useful? Why or why not?
  
  
• Question 2: Circumcision and Religious Freedom: Should circumcision be banned? Residents of San Francisco were supposed to vote on a ballot measure that would have banned circumcision, except in cases of medical necessity. (It was stuck from the ballot by a judge due to conflicts with state law.) Since circumcision is an millennia-old religious rite for Jews and regarded as essential to their covenant with God, would a ban on circumcision violate the principle of freedom of religion?
  
  
• Question 3: Lobbying as a Career: Can lobbying be a proper career choice? Lobbying involves asking for various kind of favors from the government. Is that a profession that someone who values free markets should avoid like the plague?
  
  
• Question 4: Working for a Statist Company: Is it immoral to work for a company that uses government to eliminate or hamper the competition? For example, if a company has brought antitrust lawsuits against its competitors, should you refuse to work for them?
  

After that, we'll do a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you can't attend the live webcast, you can listen later to the audio-only podcasts. Visit NoodleCast to listen to past episodes or subscribe to the podcast feed. Also, you can submit your questions, as well as vote on your favorite questions from the ongoing queue.

I hope to see you on Sunday morning!

[dianahsieh]

In Sunday's Rationally Selfish Webcast, I answered questions on the validity of introversion and extroversion, circumcision and religious freedom, lobbying as a career, working for a statist company, and more. An audio recording of the webcast is now available as a podcast:

NoodleCast #93: Live Rationally Selfish Webcast

As always, the full archive of past episodes are available as podcasts. You can review them and subscribe to the feed at http://www.NoodleCast.com/

Videos from the webcast that I've posted to YouTube can be found on my channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/dmbrickell

Watch the Rationally Selfish Webcast live and join its text chat every Sunday morning at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. Each week, I answer questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well, drawn from a queue of questions submitted by listeners. Just go to http://www.RationallySelfish.com at the appointed hour!

[dianahsieh]

For Sunday's live Rationally Selfish Webcast, I'll answer questions on common mistakes with family, severing ties with one's parents, enablers of destructive siblings, filial responsibility laws, and more. Come join the fun!

• What: Live Webcast on Practical Ethics
  
• Who: Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy) and Greg Perkins
  
• When: Sundays, 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET
  
• Where: www.RationallySelfish.com
  

Here are this week's questions:

• Question 1: Common Mistakes with Family: What are some common mistakes that adults make in dealing with their parents? Why do they make those mistakes? And how can they do better?
  
  
• Question 2: Severing Ties with One's Parents: When should a person maintain a relationship with his parents -- or not? When, if ever, should an adult child distance himself from his parents -- or cut them off completely? Does it matter if the parent was awful years ago, but since then, he's seemed to reform his ways?
  
  
• Question 3: Enablers of Destructive Siblings: What should a person do with destructive family members and their enablers? One of my brothers, diagnosed with a mental illness, is causing serious problems for my parents. My parents invited my brother to live with them. This brother is 26 years old, he does not hold a steady job, and he has been emotionally abusive and physically violent with my parents. At this point, my parents will not kick him out for fear of being hurt. I don't live at home, but I'm deeply worried for my parents. What should I do?
  
  
• Question 4: Filial Responsibility Laws: How should a person deal with filial responsibility laws? In your April 10th webcast, you discussed the morality of taking care of elderly parents. Some states have filial responsibility laws, which would force people to take care of indigent elderly parents. How should a person would cope with such laws in practice? See and
  

After that, we'll do a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you can't attend the live webcast, you can listen later to the audio-only podcasts. Visit NoodleCast to listen to past episodes or subscribe to the podcast feed. Also, you can submit your questions, as well as vote on your favorite questions from the ongoing queue.

I hope to see you on Sunday morning!

[dianahsieh]

In Sunday's Rationally Selfish Webcast, I answered questions on common mistakes with parents, severing ties with one's parents, enablers of destructive siblings, filial responsibility laws, and more. An audio recording of the webcast is now available as a podcast:

NoodleCast #94: Live Rationally Selfish Webcast

As always, the full archive of past episodes are available as podcasts. You can review them and subscribe to the feed at http://www.NoodleCast.com/

Videos from the webcast that I've posted to YouTube can be found on my channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/dmbrickell

Watch the Rationally Selfish Webcast live and join its text chat every Sunday morning at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. Each week, I answer questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well, drawn from a queue of questions submitted by listeners. Just go to http://www.RationallySelfish.com at the appointed hour!

[dianahsieh]

For Sunday's live Rationally Selfish Webcast, I'll answer questions on activism as a moral imperative, the morality of extreme couponing, sexting as cheating, gifting valuable memorabilia to the team, and more. Come join the fun!

• What: Live Webcast on Practical Ethics
  
• Who: Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy) and Greg Perkins
  
• When: Sundays, 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET
  
• Where: www.RationallySelfish.com
  

Here are this week's questions:

• Question 1: Activism as a Moral Imperative: Should every person engage in some kind of political or cultural activism? Given the current abysmal state of the culture, might a moral person choose to live his own life based on rational principles, without advocating those principles? Is it moral to overlook the ever-increasing rights-violations by our government, rather than speaking out? Is it enough to offer moral support and/or financial support to other activists?
  
  
• Question 2: The Morality of Extreme Couponing: Is "extreme couponing" moral? Earlier this year, the Boston Globe wrote about people who engage in "extreme couponing." (See http://bo.st/pAkOBM ) Basically, they find ways to redeem store coupons in a fashion that still abides by the rules, but they get free stuff out of the deal. Are these people moral, or are they parasites because they don't actually live by trading value for value? Are they violating rights?
  
  
• Question 3: Sexting as Cheating: Is sexting a form of cheating? If you are married or in a committed relationship and you send sexually explicit texts or emails to another person, is that cheating?
  
  
• Question 4: Gifting Valuable Memorabilia to the Team: Is it dumb to return a valuable home run baseball to the team? When NY Yankees star Derek Jeter hit a home run for his 3000th hit, the fan in the stands Christian Lopez who caught the ball returned it to the Yankees, even though he was legally entitled to keep it. Some experts estimate it could have been sold on eBay for up to $250,000. The Yankees did give him some season tickets and team memorabilia but nowhere near as valuable. (In fact, he may have to pay thousands of dollars of taxes for those gifts he received from the Yankees.) Some people praised Mr. Lopez for doing the "right thing." Other said he was foolish for giving up something valuable that could have, say, paid for his kids' college or been used for other important life goals. Was he moral or immoral for returning the baseball with no expectation of reward.
  

After that, we'll do a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you can't attend the live webcast, you can listen later to the audio-only podcasts. Visit NoodleCast to listen to past episodes or subscribe to the podcast feed. Also, you can submit your questions, as well as vote on your favorite questions from the ongoing queue.

I hope to see you on Sunday morning!

[dianahsieh]

In Sunday's Rationally Selfish Webcast, I answered questions on activism as a moral imperative, the morality of extreme couponing, sexting as cheating, gifting valuable memorabilia to the team, and more. An audio recording of the webcast is now available as a podcast:

NoodleCast #96: Live Rationally Selfish Webcast

As always, the full archive of past episodes are available as podcasts. You can review them and subscribe to the feed at http://www.NoodleCast.com/

Videos from the webcast that I've posted to YouTube can be found on my channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/dmbrickell

Watch the Rationally Selfish Webcast live and join its text chat every Sunday morning at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. Each week, I answer questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well, drawn from a queue of questions submitted by listeners. Just go to http://www.RationallySelfish.com at the appointed hour!

[dianahsieh]

For Sunday's live Rationally Selfish Webcast, I'll answer questions on torturing terrorists and criminals, guilt over emotions, photocopying essays for study, extroversion versus second-handedness, and more. Come join the fun!

• What: Live Webcast on Practical Ethics
  
• Who: Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy) and Greg Perkins
  
• When: Sundays, 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET
  
• Where: www.RationallySelfish.com
  

Here are this week's questions:

• Question 1: Torturing Terrorists and Criminals: Is it moral to torture criminals and/or terrorists? We supposedly were able to track down Osama Bin Laden with information obtained by torturing captured Al Qaeda prisoners. Is it moral to torture criminals, terrorists or other evildoers to gain useful information to fight crime or help win a war? If so, should there be any limits on when and how torture should be used by the government?
  
• Question 2: Guilt over Emotions: Should a person feel guilty about his emotions? Sometimes I feel emotions that I know are misplaced, such as envy at a co-worker's promotion or anger at a friend's mistake. What should my response be to these emotions? Should I feel guilty about them? Should I change them -- and if so, how?
  
• Question 3: Photocopying Essays for Study: Is it moral to photocopy an essay for a class or discussion group? My friend and I are starting a reading group at our university focused on philosophy, and the group will meet each week to discuss an essay or article related to philosophy. I want to use one of Ayn Rand's essays from The Virtue of Selfishness." I have purchased and own a copy the book. Is it moral for me to make photocopies of the essay for the purpose of the reading group -- or would that violate copyright?
  
• Question 4: Extroversion Versus Second-Handedness: What's the difference between extroversion and second-handedness? According to Wikipedia, extroversion is "the act, state, or habit of being predominantly concerned with and obtaining gratification from what is outside the self." A key distinction between introverts and extroverts is that extroverts mentally "recharge" by interacting with other people, while introverts do that by being alone. Does being an extrovert mean that you're second-handed? Is it a moral failing of any kind?
  

After that, we'll do a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you can't attend the live webcast, you can listen later to the audio-only podcasts. Visit NoodleCast to listen to past episodes or subscribe to the podcast feed. Also, you can submit your questions, as well as vote on your favorite questions from the ongoing queue.

I hope to see you on Sunday morning!

[dianahsieh]

In Sunday's Rationally Selfish Webcast, I answered questions on the morality of torturing terrorists and criminals, feeling guilty for emotions, photocopying essays for study, extroversion versus second-handedness, and more. An audio recording of the webcast is now available as a podcast:

NoodleCast #97: Live Rationally Selfish Webcast

As always, the full archive of past episodes are available as podcasts. You can review them and subscribe to the feed at www.NoodleCast.com

Videos from the webcast that I've posted to YouTube can be found on my YouTube channel.

Watch the Rationally Selfish Webcast live and join its text chat every Sunday morning at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. Each week, I answer questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well, drawn from a queue of questions submitted by listeners. To join us, just go to www.RationallySelfish.com at the appointed hour!

[dianahsieh]

For Sunday's live Rationally Selfish Webcast, I'll answer questions on appropriate contexts for nudity, public nudity and rights, regretting time spent at work, problems with neighbors, and more. Come join the fun!

• What: Live Webcast on Practical Ethics
  
• Who: Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy) and Greg Perkins
  
• When: Sunday, 25 September 2011 at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET
  
• Where: www.RationallySelfish.com
  

Here are this week's questions:

• Question 1: Appropriate Contexts for Nudity: What's the proper approach to nudity? Should we all be nude all the time? Should nudity be saved for your lover only? Should children see their parents naked? Should we have clothing-optional get-togethers with friends? Basically, what is your view of the proper contexts for nudity?
  
• Question 2: Public Nudity and Rights: Do restrictions on nudity and sex visible to others violate rights? While having a zestful online debate, someone claimed that Ayn Rand contradicts herself in claiming that public nudity should be censored. (See "Thought Control" in the "The Ayn Rand Letter.") Since sex is a beautiful act, why should people be protected from it? Could a ban on visible pornography or sex be a slippery slope to other intrusions by government?
  
• Question 3: Regretting Time Spent at Work: At death, should a person regret all the years spent at work? I often hear the saying, "No one ever laid on their death bed wishing they had spent more time in the office." What should a person think of that -- and of the fact that so many people agree with it -- in light of the virtue of productiveness?
  
• Question 4: Problems with Neighbors: How do I ask my neighbor not to take liberties with my driveway? I work out of my office on the ground floor of our home overlooking the street with partial view of our driveway. Every day, several times a day, a neighbor uses our driveway as a turnaround instead of using the intersection one house down, or her own driveway. My big problem with this is that she is using our private property for public use. I also find this distracting when I'm working as every time she pulls into the driveway I think someone is visiting. I'm having a difficult time deciding how to approach this as I want to remain friendly with my neighbor, and don't want to come off as an unbearable jerk for just asking her not to use my property. How would you approach this situation?
  

After that, we'll do a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you can't attend the live webcast, you can listen later to the audio-only podcasts. Visit NoodleCast to listen to past episodes or subscribe to the podcast feed. Also, you can submit your questions, as well as vote on your favorite questions from the ongoing queue.

I hope to see you on Sunday morning!

[dianahsieh]

In Sunday's Rationally Selfish Webcast, I answered questions on appropriate contexts for nudity, public nudity and rights, regretting time spent at work, problems with neighbors, and more. An audio recording of the webcast is now available as a podcast:

NoodleCast #98: Live Rationally Selfish Webcast

As always, the full archive of past episodes are available as podcasts. You can review them and subscribe to the feed at www.NoodleCast.com.

Videos from the webcast that I've posted to YouTube can be found on my YouTube channel.

Watch the Rationally Selfish Webcast live and join its text chat every Sunday morning at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. Each week, I answer questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well, drawn from a queue of questions submitted by listeners. To join us, just go to www.RationallySelfish.com at the appointed hour!

[dianahsieh]

For Sunday's live Rationally Selfish Webcast, I'll answer questions on fear of death, using the do not call registry, genetic influences on thinking, the morality of selling your body, and more. Come join the fun!

• What: Live Webcast on Practical Ethics
  
• Who: Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy) and Greg Perkins
  
• When: Sunday, 02 October 2011 at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET
  
• Where: www.RationallySelfish.com
  

Here are this week's questions:

• Question 1: Fear of Death: Should death be feared? Why or why not? Also, why do most people fear death? How can a person overcome that, if ever?
  
• Question 2: Using the Do Not Call Registry: Should the "Do Not Call" Registry exist? The National Do Not Call Registry was established in 2003, and it's run by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission. Is this legitimate? Does a person have a right not to be called by solicitors and other unwanted persons? Given that there was no real attempt to come up with a private, market-based solution for the issue of unwanted solicitations, was this a legitimate case of "market failure"? Should advocates of free markets put themselves on the "Do Not Call" list and/or report violators thereof? Why shouldn't a person just hang up?
  
• Question 3: Genetic Influences on Thinking: Do our genes affect our reasoning? Evolution makes fruit taste sweet and burning human flesh smell awful. Presumably, evolution can hard wire pleasures and pains because interaction with that thing has caused our ancestors to live longer or die earlier. Wouldn't this same process make certain actions easier or more difficult, such as sacrificing yourself to save your child versus watching your child die? Couldn't evolution affect that decision by making focus more difficult, so that a person is easier impelled by his immediate emotions?
  
• Question 4: The Morality of Selling Your Body: Is it moral to sell your body? Selling our bodies or certain parts of them are perfectly acceptable in our society, such as being an egg or sperm donor, being a pregnancy surrogate, or selling hair. But others are condemned, such as prostitution or selling organs. Where should the line be drawn? When is it moral to sell a part of oneself -- and why?
  

After that, we'll do a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you can't attend the live webcast, you can listen later to the audio-only podcasts. Visit NoodleCast to listen to past episodes or subscribe to the podcast feed. Also, you can submit your questions, as well as vote on your favorite questions from the ongoing queue.

I hope to see you on Sunday morning!

[dianahsieh]

In Sunday's Rationally Selfish Webcast, I answered questions on fear of death, using the Do Not Call Registry, genetic influences on thinking, the morality of selling your body, and more. An audio recording of the webcast is now available as a podcast:

NoodleCast #99: Live Rationally Selfish Webcast

As always, the full archive of past episodes are available as podcasts. You can review them and subscribe to the feed at www.NoodleCast.com.

Videos from the webcast that I've posted to YouTube can be found on my YouTube channel.

Watch the Rationally Selfish Webcast live and join its text chat every Sunday morning at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. Each week, I answer questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well, drawn from a queue of questions submitted by listeners. To join us, just go to www.RationallySelfish.com at the appointed hour!

[dianahsieh]

For Sunday's live Rationally Selfish Webcast, I'll answer questions on Ayn Rand and William Hickman, sustainable agriculture, product placements in art, young people and credit cards, and more. Come join the fun!

• What: Live Webcast on Practical Ethics
  
• Who: Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy) and Greg Perkins
  
• When: Sunday, 09 October 2011 at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET
  
• Where: www.RationallySelfish.com
  

Here are this week's questions:

• Question 1: Ayn Rand and William Hickman: Did Ayn Rand draw inspiration from the serial-killer William Hickman? I ask due to this article on Alternet: "Ayn Rand, Hugely Popular Author and Inspiration to Right-Wing Leaders, Was a Big Admirer of Serial Killer" ( http://bit.ly/r4ST0e ). According to the article, Rand idolized the serial killer William Hickman and used him as inspiration for the leads male characters in her books, notably Howard Roark. Also, Rand is said to seek an environment in which sociopaths like Hickman can thrive. Are these claims true or not? If so, would they affect the validity of Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism?
  
• Question 2: Sustainable Agriculture: Is "sustainable agriculture" a legitimate concept? Many advocates of a paleo diet also advocate "sustainable agriculture," including Robb Wolff and Mat Lelonde. Is sustainable agriculture a valid concept? What does (or should) it entail? Should consumers be concerned that their food producers practice "sustainable agriculture"?
  
• Question 3: Product Placements in Art: Is product placement in art a breach of artistic integrity? Given that an artist must select every aspect of an artistic work, does delegating some selection to the highest bidder breach the integrity of the work? Does the type of artwork matter? Would it be okay in movies and television but not paintings? Why?
  
• Question 4: Young People and Credit Cards: How can young adults learn to use credit cards responsibly? Some young adults (usually college students) seem to make terrible financial decisions, often getting themselves into serious and overwhelming credit card debt. Others seem to handle their new financial responsibilities just fine. How would you recommend that parents teach their teenage children to use credit cards wisely? What advice would you give to young people headed to college about managing their finances well?
  

After that, we'll do a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you can't attend the live webcast, you can listen later to the audio-only podcasts. Visit NoodleCast to listen to past episodes or subscribe to the podcast feed. Also, you can submit your questions, as well as vote on your favorite questions from the ongoing queue.

I hope to see you on Sunday morning!

[dianahsieh]

In Sunday's Rationally Selfish Webcast, I answered questions on Ayn Rand and William Hickman, sustainable agriculture, product placements in art, teaching young people to use credit cards wisely, and more. An audio recording of the webcast is now available as a podcast:

NoodleCast #100: Live Rationally Selfish Webcast

As always, the full archive of past episodes are available as podcasts. You can review them and subscribe to the feed at www.NoodleCast.com.

Videos from the webcast that I've posted to YouTube can be found on my YouTube channel.

Watch the Rationally Selfish Webcast live and join its text chat every Sunday morning at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. Each week, I answer questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well, drawn from a queue of questions submitted by listeners. To join us, just go to www.RationallySelfish.com at the appointed hour!

[dianahsieh]

In Sunday's Rationally Selfish Webcast, I answered questions on judging young adults, voting with your wallet, the evidence for free will, the morality of armed rebellion, and more. An audio recording of the webcast is now available as a podcast:

NoodleCast #101: Live Rationally Selfish Webcast

As always, the full archive of past episodes are available as podcasts. You can review them and subscribe to the feed at www.NoodleCast.com.

Watch the Rationally Selfish Webcast live and join its text chat every Sunday morning at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. Each week, I answer questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well, drawn from a queue of questions submitted by listeners. To join us, just go to www.RationallySelfish.com at the appointed hour!

[dianahsieh]

For Sunday's live Rationally Selfish Webcast, I'll answer questions on state involvement in marriage, last names in marriage, marrying someone for a Green Card, being too much crazy in love, and more. Come join the discussion!

• What: Live Webcast on Practical Ethics
  
• Who: Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy) and Greg Perkins
  
• When: Sunday, 23 October 2011 at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET
  
• Where: www.RationallySelfish.com
  

Here are this week's questions:

• Question 1: State Involvement in Marriage: Should the state be involved in marriage contracts? Many people say that gay marriage shouldn't be a political issue, because the state shouldn't be involved in defining marriage at all. Is that right? Why or why not?
  
• Question 2: Last Names in Marriage: Should women adopt the last names of their husbands? In today's culture, some newly-married women adopt the family name of their husbands. Some keep their own last name. Some hyphenate their names together. Some use their maiden name for work, but their married name in their personal life. Some couples adopt a wholly new name for themselves. What do you think of these various options? Should the possibility of divorce affect a woman's decision? Should the husband have a say in the woman's decision? Should men be more willing to change their own last name to that of their new wife?
  
• Question 3: Marrying Someone for a Green Card: Is it moral to marry someone just to obtain a green card? Given the difficulties of immigrating to the United States, is it immoral to circumvent those bad laws by marrying someone solely to obtain a green card? Would it matter if the person were a good friend?
  
• Question 4: Being Too Much Crazy in Love: Is it irrational to be "crazy in love" with your boyfriend or girlfriend -- such as wanting to keep an old shirt and other discarded items? Does it matter whether the relationship is in an early or later stage?
  

After that, we'll do a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you can't attend the live webcast, you can listen later to the audio-only podcasts. Visit NoodleCast to listen to past episodes or subscribe to the podcast feed. Also, you can submit your questions, as well as vote on your favorite questions from the ongoing queue.

I hope to see you on Sunday morning!

[dianahsieh]

In Sunday's Rationally Selfish Webcast, I answered questions on state involvement in marriage, last names in marriage, marrying someone for a Green Card, being too much crazy in love, and more. An audio recording of the webcast is now available as a podcast:

NoodleCast #102: Live Rationally Selfish Webcast

As always, the full archive of past episodes are available as podcasts. You can review them and subscribe to the feed at www.NoodleCast.com.

Videos from the webcast that I've posted to YouTube can be found on my YouTube channel.

Watch the Rationally Selfish Webcast live and join its text chat every Sunday morning at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. Each week, I answer questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well, drawn from a queue of questions submitted by listeners. To join us, just go to www.RationallySelfish.com at the appointed hour!

[dianahsieh]

For Sunday's live Rationally Selfish Webcast, I'll answer questions on the purpose of bankruptcy law, bathrooms for the transgendered in transition, private versus state prisons, revealing atheism to religious parents, and more. Come join the discussion!

• What: Live Webcast on Practical Ethics
  
• Who: Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy) and Greg Perkins
  
• When: Sunday, 30 October 2011 at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET
  
• Where: www.RationallySelfish.com
  

Here are this week's questions:

• Question 1: The Purpose of Bankruptcy Law: What is the proper purpose of bankruptcy laws? When should a person renegotiate his debt with lenders, if ever? Should a person be able to wipe his debt clean by going into bankruptcy? You've suggested that a person shouldn't be able to do that, but shouldn't lenders be responsible for who they lend money to?
  
• Question 2: Bathrooms for the Transgendered in Transition: Which bathroom should a transgendered person use? The brutal attack at McDonald's on a transgendered person in April 2011 was apparently started because that person used the ladies restroom, which was already occupied by a 14 year old. Was the transgendered person wrong to use that restroom? (See http://bit.ly/oWvwws and http://bit.ly/oknbKr )
  
• Question 3: Private Versus State Prisons: Should prisons be run by the state or private companies? After reading this Huffington Post article ( http://huff.to/pqmeAk ), I wonder whether prisons should be run by private companies or the state. I tend to think private is almost always better than anything state-run, but the current system of private prisons seems to be corrupt at best. More generally, what would a prison system look like in a free society?
  
• Question 4: Revealing Atheism to Religious Parents: How much should I tell my parents about my beliefs, given that I'm still financially dependent on them? I'm in college, and if I told my parents that I'm an atheist, they'd probably stop paying my tuition. Should I tell them now, or wait until I'm done college?
  

After that, we'll do a round of totally impromptu "Rapid Fire Questions."

If you can't attend the live webcast, you can listen later to the audio-only podcasts. Visit NoodleCast to listen to past episodes or subscribe to the podcast feed. Also, you can submit your questions, as well as vote on your favorite questions from the ongoing queue.

I hope to see you on Sunday morning!

[dianahsieh]

In Sunday's Rationally Selfish Webcast, I answered questions on the purpose of bankruptcy law, restrooms for the transgendered in transition, private versus state prisons, revealing atheism to religious parents, and more. An audio recording of the webcast is now available as a podcast:

NoodleCast #103: Live Rationally Selfish Webcast

As always, the full archive of past episodes are available as podcasts. You can review them and subscribe to the feed at www.NoodleCast.com.

Videos from the webcast that I've posted to YouTube can be found on my YouTube channel.

Watch the Rationally Selfish Webcast live and join its text chat every Sunday morning at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. Each week, I answer questions on practical ethics and the principles of living well, drawn from a queue of questions submitted by listeners. To join us, just go to www.RationallySelfish.com at the appointed hour!