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Welcome back to Jonah Asks!Recorded: 6/12/26Karsten works as a director of policy and regulatory strategy in the electric and gas utility business. Karsten has helped lead clean energy innovation in the utility industry for 12 years, developing launching new initiatives in electric transportation, grid modernization, distributed generation, building decarbonization and the future of gas.  15m Solar at Home - Obstacles Distributed energy sources (EVs, Solar for homes) -  Obstacles - cost, roof replacements, shared buildings El Cerrito, California houses - 1920s Houses built in 1920s around development of Chevron Oil Refinery in Richmond.  21mPolicy Issues How policy interacts with physical world, policy, economics:  Policy vs Actionable Plans - From Policy to Reality Can public utilities genuinely serve the public?  28m Investor-run Utility Model  Karsten reiterates that % of household income spent on electricity has generally stayed the same over the last 30 years. But...the burden on lower-income families is far-greater than middle and upper-middle class groups. In his work, Karsten has advocated for more support for lower-income communities. In 2023, DPU increased energy assistance programs from a flat 32% for eligible customers to a sliding scale up to 70% off of energy bills for customers in the lowest income tiers. To see these charts on electricity costs over the last forty-five years, more detailed show notes and info here. 48m Will we be using nuclear energy in the future?  ***As always to support Jonah Asks, please share, subscribe and/or rate this podcast.Clean energy initiatives Clean Air Task Force (CATF): Science-backed advocacy, pushing for carbon capture, advanced nuclear, and zero-emissions tech deployment in the U.S. and globally. GRID Alternatives: Perfect for a localized impact, solar power for low-income communities. Earthjustice: The premier environmental law organization, using litigation to enforce policies that accelerate the transition to clean energy and defend frontline communities from pollution.

It was a pleasure to reconnect with Jeremy. Jeremy has been a Kindergarten teacher in Salt Lake City for many years. He's recently gone through some major life changes. Our conversation ranges from educational issues to finding community, from learning from life's difficulties to recapturing one's attention and many other topics. Here are detailed show notes, with links to various articles and podcasts mentioned in the episode and a great picture of Jeremy in nature!Please share and subscribe.Keep building community and connections.Thanks for Listening!Jonah

Hello Good People,Maybe, just maybe, I can convince a few people to talk to me about political progress, rebuilding democracy, avoiding cynicism and resignation. In May, June and July, I will be recording something. Either short monologues or conversations with other good people. Take a listen. If you're interested in setting up a summer talk, email me at jonahasks at gmail.Midterms are in November. He won't be in office forever,Jonah

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-sleep Parenting Balancing the desire to give attention and support with the need to step back and observe young children.  6 min Attention and Focus Maintaining attention amidst the wave of information and social media's impact. 10 min Moshe Chooses Happiness Mental 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 min Progress of the Human Species Moshe 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 min Considering the Future: 2050 and Beyond We veer into the future, the impact of artificial intelligence, the possibility of Universal Basic Income, etc. We disagree about how humans will evolve.  37 min Technology and Techno-Utopianism Moshe sees human progress as an inevitability. Jonah sees human connection as a practice that has been eroding in modern life.  42 min Biology 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

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 min Positive 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 min Spirituality and Identity Going beyond the self. Fighting to define yourself rather than be defined by a given identity. 12 min Moshe'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 min Middle Eastern history and Moshe's parents. Palestine and the creation of Israel in 1949. 23 min MemoryJonah 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 experiences Moshe 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/

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.

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 2018 https://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

Welcome back to Jonah Asks, This is the second episode with Jeremy. It was recorded at the end of June, but it's finally made its way to the internet. Jeremy is a thoughtful human, a compassionate teacher, and maintains hope for humanity, despite it all. Themes:*Teaching Kindergarten*Five Year-Olds*Labor Rights*Emotional Regulation*Compassion*Emojis and Language*Retaining Hope for HumanityIf you enjoy this episode, please share it.

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.

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

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

Welcome back to Jonah Asks.This was a rare in-person conversation between two old friends. I visited Portland, Maine, where I stayed with Mike. We recorded this conversation. We discuss: friendship; masculinity, emotions, strategies for dealing with anger; experiences with anger; childhood dynamics; mindfulness and meditation. I read (and we critique) Ton Mak's A Sloth's Guide to Mindfulness.Thank You for listening. Try to allow patience back in when anger threatens to overwhelm you. Be mindful...when you can. Don't be too hard on yourself. Don't be judgmental. Don't force yourself to smile and don't force anyone else to smile. Be kind. Thank you once again.Jonah (and Mike)

This short episode is about my mostly unknown Eastern European roots. I read entries from the genealogy report I wrote for my social studies class in 8th grade. Considering The Ukraine and Romania and why I (like many American Jews whose families arrived around 1900) don't know much about Eastern Europe or what the experiences of our ancestors was like when they did get out and arrive in New York.

Welcome Back to Jonah Asks. Meet Jeff Alessandrelli. Jeff is a poet, professor and publisher of poetry. He is the John Stockton of the world of poetry, dishing out assists like its 1989. This is an interview for writers and creative folks. We drift from Erik Satie to Samuel Beckett to Bill Knott to Adam Haslett to our own thoughts on identity, from what it means to write and share your work to the psychology of writers and eventually we discuss nihilism solitude.  https://jeffalessandrelli.net/booksJeff reads selections from his poetic biography "Erik Satie Watusies His Way Into Sound" 0:08 Impressions from Childhood 0:15 Skateboarding  Jeff wrote a book of essays on skateboarding and Biggie. 0:24 Growing up in Reno and family history 0:30 Nebraska Jeff lived in Nebraska. He earned a PhD in Literature with a focus on Poetry. Later, he returned to Nebraska to teach at a small university. 0:45 Writing: Samuel Beckett, Bill Knott and Writing IdentitySatisfaction vs endless striving. The creative process vs literary world. Recognition and validation. Poet Bill Knott. Identity -- writing identity versus real life identity. 0:59 Fonograf Editions Jeff started a non-profit poetry press. It began with putting out albums of poetry on vinyl. The press now releases books as well. Jeff is an editor and curator.  "I started reading and finding an identity in books from a very young age. Fongoraf is an extension of that. Fonograf published Mark Leidner's "Returning the Sword to the Stone," which made the NY Times Best of 2021 list for poetry.  1:03 Appreciating Jeff's Editing and Assisting in Poetry Jeff's literary role: Like John Stockton in the 1990s, Jeff dishing out assists to poets. Jeff edits poetry and runs a small press. http://thefanzine.com/bad-business-is-good-art-fonograf-editions/ 1:10 Writing, Solitude and the Imaginative Life Nobody Marries Themselves In 2003, I read Adam Haslett's story collection "You Are Not a Stranger Here." I finally re-read it a few months ago.  Adam Haslett's "The Perpetual Solitude of the Writer" "One of the paradoxes of writing...in order to fulfill the urge to communicate something to other people, you end up spending huge amounts of time on your own." Jeff, on The freedom of writing poetry: "One of the beautiful things about poetry, but also challenging, is that there's no money in it." 1:36Focusing on Gratitude and Dropping Cynicism1:51Films: "Nebraska" and "The Station Agent"Jeff teaches Nebraska in his composition class. 1:55Writing is Unique to the WriterFind Jeff and his books online at jeffalessandrelli.netFind Fonograf Editions Thanks for Listening and Sharing,Jonah

Welcome back to Jonah Asks. This is part two of my interview with Kyle. Throughout his life, Kyle has traveled with an open mind and compassionate heart. This episode is affecting, because Kyle is a thoughtful, unrushed storyteller...who happens to have many stories. Even as I listened again in editing, I appreciated the ease with which we discussed the big questions, around humanitarian work, humanity, sustaining hope, fatherhood and marriage, and dealing with technology. A native of Northern California, Kyle has dedicated much of his life to Humanitarian Work. During college, he spent a semester in Australia. After college, he spent two years in Malawi, teaching through the Peace Corps. He traveled to India, Nepal and Bhutan, before returning to California and eventually heading to grad school to study International Peace and Conflict Resolution. After that, Kyle was in East Timor and then based in Thailand, directing an anti-human-trafficking campaign in Southeast Asia.   Music samples:of Montreal "Wraith Pinned to the Mist" album The Sunlandic Twinshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8cCPH1qnYI&ab_channel=PolyvinylRecords Seckou Keita "N'doké"; album Seckou Keita: 22 Strings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77J78-jb-a4&ab_channel=SeckouKeitaSeckou Keita plays the Kora, a West African lute/harp made of 22 strings.  One of Kyle's mentors: Prof. Abdul Aziz Said, started the graduate program, worked on White House Councils, etc. https://www.american.edu/sis/news/20210215-a-tribute-to-abdul-aziz-said.cfm East Timor / Timor Leste We discuss the genocide in East Timor and Kyle's work there on peace and reconciliation after genocide. Non-Profit Dedicated to Peace and Reconciliation:Search for Common Groundhttps://www.sfcg.org/0:47 Q. When you feel overwhelmed with the problems of the world, what restores you? Kyle describes bringing it back to the individual and the power of connection and kindness. 0:50 Thailand and South Asia: Anti-Human Trafficking Campaign 0:58 Q. How do you balance fatherhood with work, marriage and time for yourself?Fatherhood, Relationship, Work and Finding a Balance 1:20 Habits: Limiting Technology 1:24 The Difficulty of Just BeingThanks for Listening to Jonah Asks. If you're looking to donate to the Search for Common Ground, click here: https://www.sfcg.org/Please email with questions or comments. jonahasks at gmail dot com