Some great questions answered in this week’s editions of the podcasts I try to listen to. I am glad that I am finally able to set aside the time to listen to them again. I find it helps me keep my mind moving along the right track in my own thinking.

Philosophy in Action – This week Dr. Diana Hsieh and Greg Perkins discuss, in depth (30 minutes for each of the first two questions):

• Participating in superstitious rituals (i.e. reading your horoscope and putting a “good luck cat” in your shop)
• Should you punish yourself for a wrongdoing by destroying something you value? As part of this answer there was a great discussion of what punishment is, as opposed to the natural consequences from your act, and why using it is often counter productive.
• They also covered a couple “rapid-fire questions” on rival studios encouraging theaters to not show The Interview, and should we use a different term than voluntary.

Peikoff.com Episode 354 – Dr. Yaron Brook answers these questions:

• Why are there no videos of Yaron speaking in Germany?
• Why do you use Hong Kong rather than Dubai as an example of capitalism when Dubai appears to have grown just as quickly?
• Why do many people call for sending troops to Africa to fight ebola?
• Do you think private charity could fund crisis in an entitlement free society?
• What is advice to the Israeli government in the debate on the cost of living in many cities?