The Sunday cat asks that everyone take a deep breath and then say

AAAwwwwwwwwww!  New angelic messengers!

These were born at the Yalta Zoo in Ukraine.

We featured white lion cubs before; see here.

GCC Doubleheader

From the APA’s Committee on Public Philosophy.

CPP Book Signing and Panel Organized for the Eastern Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association

Book Signing:

At the December 2012 Eastern Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association in Atlanta, GA, the Committee on Public Philosophy will host a book signing event on December 29, 2012, from 2-4 PM in Imperial Ballroom B at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, GA.

Five philosophers are participating and have written books that show the impact of philosophy on public life. They include

John Lachs, Stoic Pragmatism
Jeremy Wisnewski (with R.D. Emerick), The Ethics of Torture
John Shook, The God Debates
Carlin Romano, America the Philosophical
Robert Talisse, Democracy and Moral Conflict.

Each author will say a few words about writing for the public about pressing philosophical matters and will then meet visitors and sign books available for purchase (cash or check). Come meet the authors and enjoy some philosophical discussions. You can also read our initial press release about this event here, which includes a brief summary of each book.

Panel:

We are also sponsoring the following panel featuring Jim Sterba’s work:

“Can Moral and Political Philosophy Really Provide a Foundation for Public Policy or is it Question-Begging All Around? A Panel on Jim Sterba’s Work”

Sunday, December 30th, 9:00-11:00 a.m., Session VI-J, Room TBA @ the conference

David Cummiskey (Bates College)
John Lachs (Vanderbilt University)
James Sterba (University of Notre Dame)
Moderator: Eric Thomas Weber (University of Mississippi)

For information on the Gendered Conference Campaign, see our GCC page and our GCC FAQ page.

Are you irresistible? You can be fired for that.

I’m no legal scholar, but it strikes me as wrong (on so many levels) that you could be fired because some one else can’t keep their libido in check.

A dentist acted legally when he fired an assistant that he found attractive simply because he and his wife viewed the woman as a threat to their marriage, the all-male Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The court ruled 7-0 that bosses can fire employees they see as an “irresistible attraction,” even if the employees have not engaged in flirtatious behavior or otherwise done anything wrong. Such firings may be unfair, but they are not unlawful discrimination under the Iowa Civil Rights Act because they are motivated by feelings and emotions, not gender, Justice Edward Mansfield wrote.

Read the full story here.