About

This blog belongs to Becky Vartabedian (and features ideas and photos from AV, my husband and occasional contributor). I teach and study philosophy. I’m finishing a Masters Thesis on the way verbal gestures confirm the presence of others in our field of experience. In August, I’ll begin my doctoral work at Duquesne University where I hope to study themes of intersubjectivity and mutual responsibility in the history of philosophy (broadly) and in phenomenology (specifically).

I have been a contestant on Jeopardy!, and I have written professionally about television.

The name of this blog emerged when AV was making bacon (there was an actual side of pork in our fridge), and the recipe required an occasional flipping of the pig. Also, we love cured pork products. Interestingly enough, Plato uses a pig as a counterexample to the anti-realism of Protagoras in the Theaetetus. The Theatetus used to be my favorite dialogue, but in June 2008 I spent a week doing philosophy two-a-days with the Gorgias and grew to love that dialogue more. Because of the Gorgias I am now even more suspicious of politics.

Comments on this blog are certainly welcome, but we don’t tolerate comments that are snarky or jerky. Healthy, respectful debate and challenge is one of the best ways of dealing with ideas and competing claims. Don’t be a jerk.