Philosophy in Action: NoodleFood : Endorsements

Request: Podcast Reviews in iTunes

Posted by Diana Hsieh on 30 December 2014 at 8:00 am Announcements, Endorsements

Dec 302014

As 2014 draws to a close, I’d like to ask fans of Philosophy in Action Radio for a small favor of a few sentences: Please help me spread the word about the show by rating and reviewing the podcast in iTunes.

To submit a review, you’ll need to be in the iTunes app. (I don’t see any way to submit a review from the web site.) From the podcast’s web pages (linked below), click on the blue “view in iTunes” button under the podcast image on the web page. (If that doesn’t work, just search for “Philosophy in Action” in iTunes, and look for the versions marked “MP3″ and “M4A”.) Once on the correct page in iTunes, click on “Ratings and Reviews” under the podcast title, and then “Write a review”. Then write away!

Please review both the Enhanced M4A Format and the Standard MP3 Format. The content is the same: the only difference is the file type.

Here are some of the reviews posted since I last made this request:

Thank you for those… and for all the others! Just a sentence or two or three is much appreciated!

Finishing My Podcast Series on Philosophy of Religion

Posted by Diana Hsieh on 19 May 2014 at 10:00 am Endorsements, Tip Jar

May 192014

Earlier this week, I received the following message with a new recurring monthly tip to Philosophy in Action’s Tip Jar:

I value your work and am in favor of your continuing the philosophy of religion podcasts!

Thank you, thank you! Based on that request, plus some other encouragement from regular contributors, I plan to resume and finish that podcast series on philosophy of religion after I finish my podcast series on my book Responsibility & Luck.

I really love when my contributors express an interest in particular projects on my “Maybe” list. That definitely bumps them up in priority for me and makes me excited to work on them. So if you’ve like to have a say in what projects are on my agenda, become a regular contributor!

Kind Words about Philosophy in Action Radio

Posted by Diana Hsieh on 30 April 2014 at 9:00 am Endorsements, Tip Jar

Apr 302014

As April draws to a close, I wanted to share a few of the kind words that I’ve gotten from fans of Philosophy in Action Radio over the past few months. Then, if you’re so inclined, you can throw a bit of love into our tip jar!

Here’s one:

I love listening to your work. As soon as I get some disposable income I will send a piece of it your way. I also just ordered your book on moral luck and am excited to get into it. Keep up the good work! (As long as you enjoy it, that is.)

Thank you! My book on moral luck is available here: Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame. I’ll have copies with me at ATLOSCon that I’ll sign and sell for $20.

Here’s another:

I am working through your backlog, slowly catching up to the present. You, Greg and your Weds. interviewees are often my companions while I am cooking and eating. Always interesting, entertaining, and informative. Thanks for the company, beats cable TV!

Awesome! Here’s yet another:

I personally credit your blog and especially your podcasts with helping to ground me in the facts, limit my snap judgments in situations that require more thought and integration, and monitor my tone and word selection in stating my judgments. I have come to respect how difficult it is to consider the facts and form a final judgment, particularly about people! Objectivism is indispensable to understanding the standards, but to judge each particular situation or person requires the identification of the facts specific to that issue, evaluation through thought, and the process of integration. … please accept my gratitude for influencing me to become more careful and deliberate in my judgments, and more effective in delivering them. In other words, thank you for helping me to become more objective.

Thank you for those kind words! I’m so glad that my message has been heard.

Here’s another:

After a prolonged conservation with two Christians I went ahead and listened to all of your philosophy of religion podcasts. They were really helpful in both clarifying their arguments and explaining why they are wrong. For this information, thank you.

Great! You can find those podcasts on philosophy of religion on this page. I never completed that series, but I’d like to do so. If enough people express an interest, that might just happen.

The Tip Jar

Remember, Philosophy in Action depends on the support of fans like you. By contributing, you’re not just helping to make the radio show happen, but also enabling me to work on projects like the major update I’m doing to Explore Atlas Shrugged.

You can contribute online via Dwolla or PayPal. Or you can send a check or money order via the US Mail, including with your bank’s bill pay service. You can easily create recurring contributions with any of those methods of payment. If you want to pay by some other method, choose “Other” below and explain in the comments. I recommend using Dwolla: it’s a payment system with lower fees, stronger security, and better interface design than PayPal. A Dwolla account is free and easy to create.

Name:
Email:
Tip Amount:
Payment Method:
Payment recurrence:
Comments/Questions:	I’d love to hear what work of mine inspired your generosity in these comments. I want to know what my fans enjoy most, so that I can do that more!

If you contribute, we’re happy to answer a question of particular interest to you sooner rather than later. The question must already be in the queue, so if you’ve not done so already, submit it. Then just e-mail me at [email protected] to make your request.

A Quick Year-End Report on Philosophy in Action Radio

Posted by Diana Hsieh on 31 December 2013 at 11:30 am Endorsements, Tip Jar, Year in Review

Dec 312013

Before 2013 comes to a close, I want to post a quick year-end report, thank my contributors of 2013, and ask for your support in 2014.

In 2013, I produced 80 episodes of Philosophy in Action Radio. 50 were Q&As, in which I answered 169 questions. 29 were interviews, and just one was a podcast. (Later, I’ll work on compiling a list of some of my favorites.)

As for listening statistics:

I had 152,507 listens via BlogTalkRadio, with 6,110 of those being live. That’s an increase of nearly 45% over last year’s total of 105,380.
I had 219,114 downloads from my podcast archives. (That’s 152,402 downloads from my old host podbean and 66,712 downloads from my new host libsyn.) That’s an increase of nearly 60% over last year’s total of 137,350.

That’s 371,621 listens from all sources — an increase of over 50% from last year’s total of 242,730. Wowee, that’s even better than I expected! That growth makes me darn happy… and I hope to do even better in 2014!

In addition to those radio shows, I published my first book, Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame. That was far, far more work than I expected, but I’m so glad to have that work out in the world.

I’m particularly grateful to all the people who made that work — and more — possible by their financial support. That’s what makes what I do possible, and it keeps me motivated to work even harder on new projects. Here are some of the comments that I’ve received recently from some of those contributors:

I want to thank you for the great podcasts. I’ve been listening since September of 2009, and they just keep getting better! I’m a monthly contributor, and it’s worth every cent.

Diana, Thanks for your webcast, and all your reasoning analyses! I don’t have a good question to accompany this donation, but I may remind you of it when I do submit a question. -) Have a great new year!

I want to say i love your show. I really do enjoy the works and ideas of Ayn Rand, and I considered myself a total objectivist right up until I came in contact with the objectivist community online. Its refreshing to listen to your show and see that rationality is alive and well somewhere.

I have become a regular weekly listener to your show and I have started a regular $5 a month contribution to your tip jar. I know that this isn’t a huge amount but its all i can do for now. I hope that it does help and will continue to promote the show to my more than 1300 twitter followers just as often as I can.

I really enjoyed your recent podcast. You and Paul managed to convince me that personality theory is not just some foo-foo fluff stuff made up by academics, but can actually be quite valuable when formulated and applied in a certain way. This will be very useful for my career, and I think personal relationships as well. I’d be interested in hearing more about personality theory from you in the future. Keep up the great work, and thanks so much!!!

Oh, I love this comment that I just received on a last-minute order of a signed copy of Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame.

I’ve been listening to your Sunday broadcast for about three years now, and have greatly enjoyed the variety of thought-provoking ideas you touch upon. While I’ve always been interested in ethics, I’ve never had a chance to examine moral luck, and am looking forward to reading your book.

Remember, today is the last day to order a signed copy, at least until April! It’s also the last day to contribute to Philosophy in Action’s Tip Jar in 2013! Remember…

My Birthday Present: iTunes Ratings and Reviews

Posted by Diana Hsieh on 13 December 2013 at 9:00 am Endorsements, Personal

Dec 132013

Today is my birthday… hello, 39! Um… wow, how the heck did that happen?!? Really, I can’t believe that I’ll be 40 next year. Wow.

Today, I’d like to ask fans of Philosophy in Action Radio for a small favor of a few sentences. Please help me spread the word about the show by rating and reviewing the podcast in iTunes. You can do that for both the Enhanced M4A Format and the Standard MP3 Format. (The content is the same: the only difference is the file type.)

You can also find these two versions of the podcast by searching for “Philosophy in Action” in iTunes. Here are a few sample reviews from those already posted that I particularly appreciated:

Alas, I’ve been remiss in not asking for reviews, so most of the reviews are from years past. I’d really appreciate some newer reviews. But hey, if you insist on throwing a bit of love into Philosophy in Action’s Tip Jar, I won’t refuse.

Kind Words about Philosophy in Action Radio

Posted by Diana Hsieh on 30 September 2013 at 10:00 am Endorsements

Sep 302013

As September draws to a close today, I wanted to share some of the kind words sent to me about Philosophy in Action Radio lately… as a tiny reminder to you to contribute to Philosophy in Action’s Tip Jar if you enjoy the show too. Here we go:

Your radio show is awesome, by the way. You pack such impeccable logic and reason into an easily digestible philosophy and I applaud you for tackling real issues…

Ah, thank you!

I just wanted to send you a general “thank you!” and “keep up the good work!” I’ve been enjoying all of your radio shows, and especially liked your interview with Jonathan Hoenig on the workings of financial markets. The school year will be starting soon for me, and it will be nice to have your radio show on Sunday to relax to.

Yay! Here’s that interview: Jonathan Hoenig on The Workings of Financial Markets.

I just wanted to thank you for the all the efforts that go into producing Philosophy in Action. I am something of a podcast junkie, but I do make your show a priority. You’ve succeeded in making philosophy fun, interesting, and even humorous. …

I appreciate you answering my question about non-financial incentives for showing how much a person values your show. To that end, I’m making it a point to share upcoming events as often as I see them.

In reference to that last sentence, even if you can’t afford to contribute to Philosoph in Action’s Tip Jar, I really appreciate when people share upcoming events, posted podcasts, and blog posts on social media. That helps spread the word about the show, and I appreciate that hugely!

Thank you for providing the podcasts. My husband and I are both programmers who work from home. Since we don’t have commutes, we don’t often set aside time to listen to radio or podcasts otherwise. But we recently started a big painting project in our house, and a friend recommended your show. We’ve been looking forward to listening in on Sundays & catching up on your back catalog for the past month of weekends as we slowly finish painting my husband’s office. Your discussions have provided us with plenty of food for thought and topics for conversation. I really enjoyed your answers to the problem of dealing with panhandlers (a sadly common occurrence where we live) and social contract theory. Please keep up the great work. You’ve gained two loyal listeners & I’ll be setting up a recurring payment soon.

I love that! Here are the discussions mentioned: Responding to Panhandlers and Social Contract Theory.

I’ve been reading NoodleFood for many years, and it has been a huge boon to my life. I started reading it just after I read Atlas Shrugged, back when I was an Objectivist infant. You’ve helped clarify my thinking on so many issues. And the work you’re doing now in your podcasts is better equipping me to pursue my own life and happiness. I’m thrilled to support your work in whatever small way I can. Thank you so much.

Hooray!

Thank you for providing the same support that I used to get from the Ayn Rand newsletters which also provided rational views of topical situations. I enjoy the broadcasts and will send more tips.

Wow, that’s really lovely to hear. Really!

Today is the last day to support my work this month via Philosophy in Action’s Tip Jar. I want to give a big shout of appreciation to everyone who has contributed so far in 2013, particularly to the amazing people who contribute every week or month. That’s so important to me, both spiritually and materially.

May’s Tip Jar Needs Your Love!

Posted by Diana Hsieh on 28 May 2013 at 10:00 am Endorsements, Statistics Review, Tip Jar

May 282013

As May draws to a close, I wanted to remind y’all that you can support my work via Philosophy in Action’s Tip jar. (That “y’all” is thanks to the unbelievable fabulousness that was ATLOSCon 2013.)

That support enables Philosophy in Action Radio to reach an ever-wider audience. Recently, that includes 19,861 listens and downloads for April 28th’s radio show, where I answered questions on self-interest in marriage, atheists attending religious ceremonies, multigenerational space travel, drugs as treatment for mental illness, and more. It includes 4530 listens and downloads for May 12th’s radio show, where I answered questions on taxes versus slavery, infanticide after abortion, emergency medical care, and more.

Mostly though, I hope that people contribute to the tip jar because they find value in my work. Here’s a few comments that I got with tips lately that I particularly enjoyed. I received this first one after my April 14th radio show, in which I discussed moral judgments of obese people, among other topics.

This second one references my December 30th radio show on the good in American culture.

Finally, this third one is talking about my May 15th interview with Paul McKeever, which I agree was fabulous!

Oh wait, I just found another… about my February 20th interview with Chris Mortensen:

If you enjoy my blogging and radio shows but you’ve not yet contributed (or you’ve not contributed lately), please consider throwing some love in the tip jar. That really makes a dig difference to me, financially and spiritually.

You’ll find the buttons to contribute below. You can contribute via Dwolla, PayPal, or US Mail. (I recommend that you use Dwolla: it’s a payment system with lower fees, stronger security, and better interface design than PayPal. A Dwolla account is free and easy to create.)

However… I know that some of you aren’t financially able to contribute, even though you enjoy and appreciate my work. In that case, please know that I notice and cheer whenever you share the announcements of upcoming shows, as well link to podcasts of past shows and blog posts, on Facebook and Twitter. That helps grow my audience, and I appreciate that show of support too.

Contribute Via PayPal

Using PayPal, you can make a one-time contribution or create a monthly contribution:

If you’d like to make a one-time contribution in an amount not listed, use this link.

Contribute Via Dwolla

Using Dwolla, you can make a one-time contribution or create a recurring contribution in any amount.

You can adjust the amount and frequency of your contribution on the next page — or you can use this link. You can cancel a monthly contribution at any time using your list of Recurring Payments.

Contribute Via U.S. Mail

To contribute via check or money order, please mail it to:

Diana Hsieh
P.O. Box 851
Sedalia, CO 80135

Please write “P/A Radio” in the memo field.

Again, my hearty thanks to everyone who has contributed to Philosophy in Action in May, including those of you at ATLOSCon. I couldn’t do what I do without your support!

Two Great Emails

Posted by Diana Hsieh on 20 December 2012 at 10:00 am Endorsements

Dec 202012

On Tuesday, I received two fabulous emails from fans of Philosophy in Action Radio. Here’s the first:

I have been listening to all your podcasts for the past year now, and I am almost current. I don’t have much I can do in the way of contributions, but I wanted to at least take a minute and tell you that I am sincerely grateful for the work you have done. You’ve cleared up a lot of things for me, and the sense of life that you and Greg portray is inspiring. I hope to one day be able to re-pay you for all you do for me.

Here’s the second, which came with a generous tip:

Dear Diana, Thanks for the great work you are doing! My wife and I are big fans. I greatly enjoyed some of the recent interviews, especially the ones with Andrew Miner, Craig Biddle, and Dr. Daniels. Happy belated birthday and happy holidays!

I’ll write up a proper statistics report at the end of the year, but in the meantime, I’m happy to report that November had over 31,000 listens or downloads and December so far has over 27,000 listens or downloads.

That’s pretty awesome, but I want even more growth! So once we resume broadcasting after the holidays, I’ll upgrade my BlogTalkRadio subscription from “Premium” to “Plus,” which will double my monthly quota of promotional impressions from 5,000 to 10,000. That will help us present rational principles for real life to an even wider audience. (Yay!)

If you want to help make that happen, please throw some end-of-year love into our tip jar. You can do so using the links below.

If you’ve already donated lately — and particularly if you donate via a recurring monthly subscription — thank you so much! You rock! In return for that support, if you have a question or topic that you’d like to hear me cover, just e-mail me at [email protected] to make the request. I’ll happily oblige.

Contribute Via PayPal

Using PayPal, you can make a one-time contribution or create a monthly contribution:

If you’d like to make a one-time contribution in an amount not listed, use this link.

Contribute Via Dwolla

Using Dwolla, you can make a one-time contribution or create a recurring contribution in any amount.

Contribute Via U.S. Mail

To contribute via check or money order, please mail it to:

Diana Hsieh P.O. Box 851 Sedalia, CO 80135

Please write “P/A Radio” in the memo field.

Reminder: Podcast on Finding Good Romantic Prospects

Posted by Diana Hsieh on 22 July 2010 at 7:00 am Endorsements

Jul 222010

Just as a quick reminder, my ninety-minute podcast on finding good prospects for romance and friendship is still available for purchase. You just need to make me an offer that I can’t refuse!

You’ll find an outline of the podcast, as well as other details, in this post. Here, I thought I’d let one of my listeners, Isaac, speak to the value that he’s found in the podcast:

I can’t tell you how valuable I’ve found your podcast on romantic relations! To start, and as you mentioned yourself, it was just as applicable and valuable to more ‘ordinary’ relations. Simply thinking of the relations you have with people in terms of acquaintances/friends/close friends and whether the time and effort you spend is in line with your values is a powerful tool.

You mentioned the danger of limiting judgment in romance to a purely ‘sense of life’ level, and I think you struck on the biggest problem most people, myself included, have with romance! Really analyzing your own values and how they mesh, or clash, with others is vitally important in even casual friendships, and not carrying that over to romantic relationships leads, well, nowhere!

And the simplest advice of all, “doing nothing is a recipe for getting nothing!” It’s good to be reminded that identifying ourselves as Objectivists doesn’t automatically make us immune from the dangers of following our guts over our heads, or being passive! We still have to act, so thank you for your work in applying excellent principles to the actions all too many of us leave to chance!

What can I say to that, other than: YAY! Overall, I’ve gotten very positive feedback on the podcast, and a number of people told me at OCON that they’ve been putting my advice to good use.

As I explained in my original post, I’m selling the podcast, but not by the ordinary means of setting a price. Instead, I’m accepting or rejecting offers.

If you want the podcast, fill out the form below, offering whatever you think reasonable. If your offer is satisfactory to me, then I’ll accept it. I’ll send you a link to the podcast, as well as instructions for payment. If your offer is too low, then I’ll reject it. You’ll owe me nothing, but you’ll get nothing from me.

I won’t haggle: you have one chance to make me a good offer. So your offer should represent your judgment of the likely worth of the podcast to you. As with the pledges, I’ll happily offer a refund if you’re unsatisfied with the podcast, provided that you explain your reasons why. Also, you’re welcome to share the podcast with members of your household — but no one else.

<a href="http://dianahsieh.wufoo.com/forms/z7x4a9/" title="Offer for Podcast on Finding Romantic Prospects" rel="nofollow">Make an Offer for Podcast on Finding Romantic Prospects</a>
If you have any questions, please feel free to post them in the comments or e-mail me before making an offer.

Update: Oh, lovely! Notice what Kevin Wroblewski wrote in the comments:

I found this podcast very useful in my life. I put it to work at OCON and found that I had Diana’s voice in my head many many many times throughout the conference. OCON was FILLED with social situations where I was surrounded by new people (I have always been an introvert when in comes to environments like that) but instead of feeling awkward, I practically instantly felt camaraderie with so many of the people there. Now I am sure a large part of this simply had to do with the nature of the people attending OCON to begin with, but whenever I was standing in conversation with a group of people, I continually would catch myself doing the things Diana points out NOT to do in this podcast and would immediately correct what I was doing. Usually this was involving my body language such as having my arms crossed in front of me when talking to people.

Additionally, I very much noticed OTHER OCON attendees putting Diana’s advice in this podcast to work as well and I took note of how effectively it worked for them too! I guess the secret is out!

Thanks, Kevin!

The Blog

NoodleFood

Request: Podcast Reviews in iTunes

Finishing My Podcast Series on Philosophy of Religion

Kind Words about Philosophy in Action Radio

A Quick Year-End Report on Philosophy in Action Radio

My Birthday Present: iTunes Ratings and Reviews

Kind Words about Philosophy in Action Radio