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With the specter of the holidays looming and conspicuous consumerism running amok, Skepticality delves into the topic of vice with Peter Sagal, host of the National Public Radio's popular quiz show Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Peter is the author of The Book of Vice: Very Naughty Things and How to Do Them.
Show Notes
 

Date – November 27th, 2007, Read by Swoopy

Peter Sagal is the host of the popular NPR quiz show, Wait Wait …Don’t Tell Me.
Wait Wait.. is heard by 2.5 million listeners a week on 450 public radio stations nationwide.
NPR has some of the most downloaded podcasts on iTunes, including Wait Wait
Peter is also a successful playwright with works performed in regional theatres nationwide.
He is also a regular contributor to the New York Times Sunday Magazine.
Peter Sagal was invited to speak at The Amazing Meeting 5 held by the JREF.
Derek and I met Peter and his wife while wandering the Wynn hotel and casino.
We embarked in a failed search for an art gallery, that was no longer part of the hotel.
Peter Sagal’s first book is The Book of Vice: Very Naughty Things and How to Do Them.
The book uses science and critical thinking to explain why vices aren’t so taboo. 
Among the vices in the book are: fetish clubs, swinger’s parties, lying, gambling and molecular gastronomy.
While he wouldn’t consider himself a Skeptic with a capital S, Peter was pleased to be invited to theAmazing Meeting.
Peter has explored vice in his other work, and giving a critical but humorous spin on many skeptical topics like conspicuous consumption, and holocaust Denial. 
On the chapter devoted to lying there is a fictional conversation between a believer and a skeptic over the existence of Massachusetts.
Another example of lying portrays President Bush explaining why “the raccoon is on fire.”
Swoopy probably found this more funny than she should have.
The chapter on Pornography dispels the myth that porn stars aren’t educated.
Adult film star Nina Hartley is portrayed as someone who quotes Tolstoy and Nietzsche.
Peter’s daughters don’t know what their parents have been up to lately.
It was enough to tell them it was grown up stuff.
While molecular gastronomy is fun, you can’t eat that way all the time.
A 22 course “Tour” at Alinea costs 195 dollars per person.
Is a “transparency of raspberry, rose petal, and yogurt” a vice?
Peter gave the people at the Swinger’s party pseudonyms from the TV show Friends.
Peter still considers himself “vanilla”.
It is important to tell people that it’s okay NOT to do something, just because you think everyone else is doing it.
William Bennett’s 
Book of Virtue was a best seller.
William Bennett was then exposed as a habitual gambler, and was not chagrined.
Vice isn’t truly vice, if you don’t feel guilty doing it. 
Peter’s wife went with him on many of his research trips, and had fun.
The Book of Vice: Very Naughty Things and How to Do Them is available everywhere. 
You can download the Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me podcast from NPR or iTunes.
Promo – eSkeptic. 
Skepticality outro.



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