Jonah Asks

Jonah Hall

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SOCIETY & CULTURE

Jonah Asks is about connecting human beings. The episodes are interview-conversations with friends and friends of friends. These extended conversations often circle back to the following themes: *technology in our lives; *turning 40 *identity; *childhood; *parenting *creativity; *anxiety; *meditation/therapy *nature; *animal connections/pets; *friendship; *psychology; *socioeconomics *equality; *relationships Broad enough? In other words, being human.

07/02/2023

With Moshe, Part Two (On Attention, Social Media, Happiness and Mental Suffering, the Human Species, Artificial Intelligence, Universal Basic Income and the Future)

Welcome Back to Jonah Asks,Here's part two of my conversation with Moshe. We discuss: attention, social media, happiness and mental suffering, the human species and biology, artificial intelligence, universal basic income and the future. music: This instrumental piece is an original of mine, based around a piano recording, added effects and then a sampled cello and atmospheric pad loop from samplefocus.com. You can find it on my other podcast, Poems, Guitar and Meditations.https://player.fm/series/poems-guitar-and-meditations/piano-cello-atmospheric-loop-for-sleepParentingBalancing the desire to give attention and support with the need to step back and observe young children. 6 minAttention and FocusMaintaining attention amidst the wave of information and social media's impact.10 minMoshe Chooses HappinessMental suffering - Mental suffering was rampant in Moshe's family. Moshe's aunt was a Holocaust survivor. On her deathbed, her son asked her "Was everything so bad?" She responded, "There were some good things, but we don't talk about that." Happiness seemed unavailable to many who lived through and survived the Holocaust. Moshe has atrial fibrillation. He has to be careful with his heart. Too much stress with atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke. 20 minProgress of the Human SpeciesMoshe is a firm believer in the progress and survival of the human species. "I'm not arguing with the universe. I will argue with reality. My optimism is based on the possibility that the evils of capitalism the way we know it and the development of artificial intelligence and other technologies will force mankind to develop a new paradigm and new understanding of how society should work. 28 minConsidering the Future: 2050 and BeyondWe veer into the future, the impact of artificial intelligence, the possibility of Universal Basic Income, etc. We disagree about how humans will evolve. 37 minTechnology and Techno-UtopianismMoshe sees human progress as an inevitability. Jonah sees human connection as a practice that has been eroding in modern life. 42 minBiology Isn't Bothered By Our Obsession with Technology...or Is It?Moshe believes in biology. Jonah believes in our biological need to make connections. Resources:New Yorker "Two Supreme Court Cases That Could Break the Internet"https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/two-supreme-court-cases-that-could-break-the-internetTristan Harris - Center for Humane Techhttps://www.humanetech.com/who-we-are

54 min
31/01/2023

With Moshe, Part One (On Memory, Positive Psychology, Jewish Migration, Israel, Identity and Self-Definition)

Welcome Back to Jonah Asks,Moshe is my neighbor. He is a modern philosopher, with an optimistic outlook, having trained himself in positive psychology. He was born in Israel in 1951 and came to New York City in the early 1970s, before returning to Israel and then eventually landing in the Bay Area. music: Neil Cowley "Eureka Pulse"3 minPositive PsychologyMoshe discusses his study of positive psychology and choosing his own personal happiness and well-being. "Wanting to be happy is a license that I acquired in my years. There is a methodology for it and I think I got. At this point it works for me and I am good with that. I was a sad Jew."9 minSpirituality and Identity Going beyond the self. Fighting to define yourself rather than be defined by a given identity.12 minMoshe's Family History Parents leaving Poland and arriving in Israel during the 1930s. Cold and superstitious places. Pogroms and then the Holocaust. Moshe's father came to Palestine in the mid 1930s, with many Jewish immigrants. Moshe's mother escaped Poland in 1938 via train through Germany, before taking a ship from Trieste to Palestine. 17 minMiddle Eastern history and Moshe's parents. Palestine and the creation of Israel in 1949.23 minMemoryJonah discusses memory and writing. Moshe has been studying philosophy and psychology. He discusses the biological need to recall negative experiences for survival.26 minBeing Jewish Israeli experience compared with suburban American experiencesMoshe explains how the history of Jewish oppression informs the Israeli pride in Judaism.Jonah's mother's childhood: Secular Jews in suburban DC (late '40s into early '60s)32 minPain versus SufferingMoshe discusses Yuval Noah Harari's ideas about pain versus suffering. Pain is contemporary and neurological event. Suffering is spread over time and is often a speculative psychological event.37 minMoshe wrote to Professor Sapolsky, who studies stress. 39 minMoshe in New York City, 1973Moshe was released from Israeli military service in 1973 and found his way to New York City. 43 minMoshe Meets His First Wife, TinaCouch-surfing, squatting, and getting by. Figuring out how to live in the United States, with a tourist visa.A wild pack of cats and a smelly small apartment in New York City.47 minMoshe and Tina move to Somerville, MA then back to Israel then ChildrenFrom New York to "Slummerville." Tina had to hide the relationship from her strict Jewish mother. Eventually, they moved back to Israel and had children. Later, they moved to the Bay Area, in part to get medical treatment for their son, who had a kidney situation. 53 minDivorce and a New Marriage After 19 years of marriage and two children, Moshe discovers Carla at his child's preschool. "I saw this beautiful woman working with a jackhammer, breaking the asphalt."61 minMoshe Is Afraid of Helplessness (Like Many of Us) Through much of his life, Moshe has prized self-sufficiency. He understands this as a reaction to his mother's helplessness. In his later years, he has accepted the deep love of his second wife and attachment. Many thanks to Moshe for the wonderful conversation. Stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon.Links:Yuval Harari's TED talkshttps://www.ted.com/speakers/yuval_noah_harariPositive Psychology TED talkshttps://positivepsychology.com/positive-psychology-ted-talks/

1h 2m
15/01/2023

Jonah Reads: "To Build a Fire" by Jack London

Welcome back to Jonah Asks,In this episode, Jonah Reads.Jack London's "To Build a Fire" (1908). A classic story of a man and a husky traversing the Yukon in winter.It helps to keep in mind the story was written in 1908.

40 min
04/01/2023

With Noah Perkins (On Childhood, Grief, Schooling, Parenting, Anxiety, Technology, the NBA and Sandwiches)

Welcome back to Jonah Asks,Noah Perkins is a terrific sports journalist, a dedicated and proud father, a sandwich lover, and a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Like me, Noah loves basketball and is a child of divorce. Unlike me, Noah experienced profound loss at a young age. His dad died in a tragic accident when he was 14 and his mom died years later in a car accident. Like me, Noah moved to California and became a father a few years ago. This is the 2nd time Noah has been on Jonah Asks. To hear the first episode: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/jonahasks/episodes/2021-01-11T12_59_55-08_00We discuss the following topics: family (divorce, family history)fathers (masculinity, psychology, connection, vulnerability)dealing with griefschooling (personal experience and considering education in general)parenting (connection, anxiety, attachment, identity)anxiety (how anxiety is passed down and how we deal with it as adults)technology (screen life versus real life)NBA (Celtics, Warriors, the schedule)sandwiches (Noah's Top 3)music"The Bottom of It" Fruit Batshttps://fruit-bats.bandcamp.com/album/gold-past-life"Reckoner" Radiohead (From the Basement session)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9rN9eY2hRcNoah's writing: https://muckrack.com/noah-perkinsNoah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoahZZPerkinsOpeningHolidaysWe discuss navigating the holidays as a parent. Noah has a 22-month-old daughter and is trying to balance his old self with his new parent self. Noah interviewed Patrick Ewing in May of 2020, beginning of the pandemic. Noah balances journalism work with fatherhood. 8 minutesNoah describes his father's background. His parents divorced when Noah was in Kindergarten.11 minutesTwo Homes and Benefit of the Doubt. Both of Noah's parents died long ago. Jonah's parents are both still alive. We discuss mythologizing and giving people the benefit of the doubt. 18 minutesThe death of Noah's dad and the aftermath. How Noah's father grew up - Moving around and abuse in the '50s. Bedford, Massachusetts. After the divorce, Noah's parents had shared custody. He'd spent every other weekend with his dad. When he was 14, Noah's died tragically in an accident. Noah was forced to see the school counselor. The situation wasn't well thought out and Noah was really uncomfortable being required to see the counselor. Noah's brother was away at college. Noah's mom did the best she could do given the situation. 27 minutesNavigating High School and Starting College36 minutesSchooling: Perseverance and Overcoming AdversityWe discuss the complexity of schooling, regarding socialization, motivation and support. 45 minutesAnxiety Growing up with anxiety and trying to parent without anxiety. Anxiety - constant problem solving - leads to creating the problems that don't exist in order to then solve. 55 minutesHow We Live - ConnectionScreen Life versus Real Life - changing behaviors and time spentNoah:"Human connection feels really good. It feels like it's become really hard to come by."63 minutesTrust We discuss the complexity of building human connection in modern life. 71 minutesNBA Talk. The Celtics, the Warriors and we discuss the much too-long regular season and ways the NBA could shorten it. 78 minutesNoah feels dirty watching football. 80 minutesNoah loves sandwiches. Three of his favorites: Pastrami on rye from a Jewish deli. Banh mi. Grilled cheese with bacon. ***Podcast Recommendation:Story of the Week: Ten Straight Years on Tinderhttps://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/story-of-the-week/10-straight-years-on-tinderThanks for listening to Jonah Asks. Share, subscribe and rate as you see fit. Be Safe and Be Kind,Jonah

1h 26m
26/12/2022

With Michael Heald (On Grief, Family History, Hyphenated Names, Anxiety, Mortality and What it Means to Read Books)

Music:Wilco "Jesus, Etc."David Bowie "Changes"Jackie DeShannon "Bette Davis Eyes" original (1974)Q. How are you doing?When was the last time it was acceptable to reply "I'm great!"?We conclude somewhere around the summer of 2016. Pre-Trump, Pre-pandemic.7 minMichael talks about his early experiences with books12 minOur last tennis match in San Francisco (Summer, 2007)Michael moves to Nicaragua for a year.15 minA Drive North from SF to Portland, Oregon (March 2014) 20 minDealing with GriefMichael's mom died of cancer in 2014 and his dad died of cancer this summer. 25 minThe Holidays36 minFamily Games The computer game The Oregon Trail has biblical overtones. 38 minMichael's dad worked as a computer engineer at IBMThe family moved from Westchester, New York to Portland, Oregon in the early 1990s.45 minHyphenated Names50 minDepression - Overt Depression versus Covert Depression54 minMichael's GrandfatherMichael describes his father's father. Michael thinks about his dad's upbringing and how it impacted his dad. Michael has letters from the 1970s, written by his grandfather, annotated by his grandmother. 63 minMichael's Dad, near the end of his life. After 14 months and four rounds of chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, Michael's Dad chose the "Death with Dignity" option (Oregon law) that allows a person who is suffering with a terminal illness to end their life. Michael describes the experience of getting the news of his father's choice. 68 minDeath with Dignity Michael describes the process of his parents dying and the "Death with Dignity" option for terminally ill people and talks about the end of each of his parents lives.79 minLife is Fragile89 minPerfect Day PublishingMichael is publishing the tenth book under Perfect Day Publishing, a small press he started in 2012. The next book to be released is: Staring Contest: Essays about Eyes by Joshua James Ambersonhttps://joshuajamesamberson.commusic clip: "Bette Davis Eyes" original by Jackie DeShannon (1974)95 minCopy-Editing, Publishing Process98 minWhat Does Reading Mean Today? We discuss different types of reading and writing and how our culture is changing around reading habits.Podcast recommendation - On Reading and the BrainEzra Klein with Maryanne Wolfhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-conversation-about-the-reading-mind-is-a-gift/Maryanne Wolf is a researcher and scholar at U.C.L.A.’s School of Education and Information Studies. Her books “Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain” and “Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World” explore the relationship between the process of reading and the neuroscience of the brain. In Wolfe’s view, our era of information overload represents a historical inflection point where our ability to read — truly, deeply read, not just scan or scroll — hangs in the balance.

1h 55m
17/10/2022

With Jeff Alessandrelli (On Writing about Selfhood, Living via Text, Shyness, Vulnerability and Storytelling)

Welcome back to Jonah Asks. This talk with Jeff Alessandrelli is wide-ranging and thought-provoking. Jeff's book And Yet is an experimental fiction novel full of quotations, philosophical ideas around shyness, desire and selfhood. The novel and the conversation both explore many aspects of modern life:*isolation vs connection;*therapy/mental health*living via text vs living in the present moment *vulnerability vs social conditioning/masculinity*creative ambition vs acceptance;*societal expectations vs individual truth. *talking vs self-consciousness*identity and performing the selfLink to Jeff's book:https://pankmagazine.com/shop/preorder-yet-jeff-alessandrelli/music samples: "Me, Myself and I" De La Soul"Saturday in the Park" ChicagoEssay in The Atlantic on the sex recession, Dec 2018https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/12/the-sex-recession/573949/Spalding Gray on Charlie Rose (1997)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geKEoxpPh5Y&tThank You For Listening and Sharing,Jonah

1h 27m
18/09/2022

The Wednesday Meeting: A Short Story

Welcome back to Jonah Asks. In this episode, I recorded an audio version of a recently completed short story, The Wednesday Meeting. It's a story about a man named Isaac. He's learning how to move forward from a childhood trauma. The written version can be found at https://darkoindex.medium.com/If you enjoy it, please share this episode. Thanks for listening.

35 min
31/08/2022

We Made it to Kindergarten

A short essay reflection on parenting and supporting a child as we all move forward into elementary school.

8 min
18/04/2022

Dear Boumie (2009-2022)

In memory of our Keeshond, Boumie (BOOM-ee) Where do I begin? Put on Nick Drake. Set your old blue harness and leash up here on the wall in the garage. Let it all come out.To see the Medium Post, click here: https://darkoindex.medium.com/dear-boumie-2009-2022-82cfde6dc3edWe're lucky to be with dogs. music: Nick Drake "Northern Sky"Love,Jonah

13 min
29/03/2021

Episode 25: With Counselor Vin (A Lifetime of Supporting Others)

Welcome back to Jonah Asks. This episode holds extra meaning for me and I hope it will for you as well. My high school guidance counselor was Mr. D'Antona. He was a beloved figure at Arlington High School, where he worked for over 40 years and was a positive influence on so many teenagers lives. I was one of those teens. During a tumultuous personal time in 10th grade, Vin's office was a refuge for me. His open-door policy allowed me to catch my breath over the course of a few months when life felt overwhelming and high school was a place I wanted to escape. This interview is wonderful because Vin (now Vincenzo) is as open-hearted and unguarded as any 80 year-old I've ever met. He's lived a full and satisfying life and he has survived life's unending obstacles while remaining optimistic. Thanks to my Mom staying in touch with Vin over the years, I was able to set up the interview over Zoom. Topics we discuss: *Growing up in Somerville and Everett (Massachusetts) in the 40s and 50s. *family dynamics *psychology *teaching *becoming a high school counselor *The 60s *social movements *impact of War on mental health *Vietnam *Italian family *Polish family *depression *bullying *mental health *community *grieving *therapy *empathy *weight *hiking *retirement *COVID *connections If you enjoyed this, please share the episode, subscribe to the podcast, and reach out to people you know who may be going through turbulent times. If you'd like to support the podcast directly: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks Thanks for listening. This is temporary, Jonah

26 min
17/02/2021

Audio Essays: On Time, Creativity, Fatherhood and Patience

One Muddy Morning: Audio Essays on Time, Creativity, Fatherhood and Patience These seven short essays were written in the last two years. Rather than compile them in an audiobook and attempt to promote/sell that, I'm publishing them here. If you enjoy them, please consider clicking the link below. To support my writing and Jonah Asks, please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks By donating a few dollars, it helps support my addiction to recording and sharing thoughts. 1. One Muddy Morning (0:00 -- 7:50) date: January 4, 2019 2. Tantrums (8:00 -- 13:55) date: November 7, 2019 3. How Are You Feeling: A Trip Through Health, Psychology, Adolescence, Fatherhood, Relationships and Emotion (14:00 -- 31:30) date: March 9, 2020 4. On Creativity, Stillness, Time and Patterns: a Response to Alan Lightman (31:40 --- 41:10) date: April 14, 2020 5. Time Passing With Child (41:25 -- 46:20) date: December 3, 2020 6. He Was Not a Typewriter (46:30 -- 51:30) date: February 12, 2020 7: Six Feet Under, Sixteen Years Later (51:40 -- 59:50) date: February 16, 2021 To support my writing and Jonah Asks, please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks Thanks for Listening. This is Temporary! Jonah

60 min

11 Episodes

Creator

Jonah Hall
Years Active

2020 - 2023
Episodes

11
Rating

Explicit
Show Website

Jonah Asks

Jonah Asks

Episodes

With Moshe, Part Two (On Attention, Social Media, Happiness and Mental Suffering, the Human Species, Artificial Intelligence, Universal Basic Income and the Future)

With Moshe, Part One (On Memory, Positive Psychology, Jewish Migration, Israel, Identity and Self-Definition)

Jonah Reads: "To Build a Fire" by Jack London

With Noah Perkins (On Childhood, Grief, Schooling, Parenting, Anxiety, Technology, the NBA and Sandwiches)

With Michael Heald (On Grief, Family History, Hyphenated Names, Anxiety, Mortality and What it Means to Read Books)

With Jeff Alessandrelli (On Writing about Selfhood, Living via Text, Shyness, Vulnerability and Storytelling)

The Wednesday Meeting: A Short Story

We Made it to Kindergarten

Dear Boumie (2009-2022)

Episode 25: With Counselor Vin (A Lifetime of Supporting Others)

Audio Essays: On Time, Creativity, Fatherhood and Patience

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