The MonkeyBuddha Tapes

Episode 015 – My Yiayia Sophie & Thea Kay Part 2

On February 11th, 2023 I sat down with my Yiayia (Grandmother) Sophia Manta and Thea (Great Aunt) Kalliope Phillips for a much-awaited followup podcast from the episode I recorded with them back in 2019. Last week, Kay passed from pancreatic cancer. She lived a beautiful 92 years full of song, dance, family and stories, and I’m forever glad to have this recording with her.   [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/344159015_1471862063637306_8674445874870520593_n.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/344159015_1471862063637306_8674445874870520593_n.jpg?ssl=1[https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343502239_622244146499672_3846621042546295137_n.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343502239_622244146499672_3846621042546295137_n.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343533040_3525385321113809_6038233804766743254_n.jpg?resize=300%2C190&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343533040_3525385321113809_6038233804766743254_n.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343488226_254565107028394_1598478249038813905_n.jpg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343488226_254565107028394_1598478249038813905_n.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343557943_977361223434885_4469128752952618693_n.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343557943_977361223434885_4469128752952618693_n.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343473720_753652809581490_7640181893467178983_n.jpg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343473720_753652809581490_7640181893467178983_n.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343741781_163097493079629_1417840871567749891_n.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343741781_163097493079629_1417840871567749891_n.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/PXL_20230225_213640657.MP_.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/PXL_20230225_213640657.MP_-scaled.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/344392097_475243318090898_4930763685162889373_n.jpg?resize=243%2C300&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/344392097_475243318090898_4930763685162889373_n.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343692547_6151482904908892_6007262659501393949_n.jpg?resize=300%2C168&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343692547_6151482904908892_6007262659501393949_n.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343768112_784503569994637_1938673298182434468_n.jpg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343768112_784503569994637_1938673298182434468_n.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343754208_535700705184508_2838111827379326992_n.jpg?resize=300%2C223&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/343754208_535700705184508_2838111827379326992_n.jpg?ssl=1

Episode 014 – Dr. William Howell

Dr. William Howell is the Chair of the Political Science Department at The University of Chicago and a scholar of the American presidency. He studies not presidents, but the structure and powers of the presidency itself, as well as how those powers have been twisted and reshaped by the many individuals to have held the office. Join us in this episode as we zoom out to ask exactly what kind of power an American President has, how Dr. Howell is proposing we alter the division of powers to better fit the incentives of various elected officials, and whether it’s time for a Constitutional rewrite! We also touch on the hot-button topics of who the American media is beholden to, why we’ve gotten so politically polarized, and what the debate over free speech on college campuses is missing out on. A big thanks to Dr. Howell for letting me come by his office to record this episode! Some key links include: * His University of Chicago profile page [https://political-science.uchicago.edu/directory/william-howell] * His recent appearance [https://news.uchicago.edu/podcasts/big-brains/trump-and-changing-power-presidency-william-howell] on UChicago’s Big Brains podcast which we reference * His 2016 co-authored book Relic [https://www.amazon.com/Relic-Constitution-Undermines-Government-Presidency/dp/0465042694]: How Our Constitution Undermines Effective Government – and Why We Need a More Powerful Presidency along with his other publications [https://www.amazon.com/William-G.-Howell/e/B001ITYEQS/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1] * Slate Star Codex – The Toxoplasma of Rage [https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/12/17/the-toxoplasma-of-rage/] [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Howell-615x750.jpg?resize=444%2C444&ssl=1]

Episode 013 – Dr. Thomas Talhelm

How does the culture that we grow up in shape our priorities in life and ability to perceive the world? Where do the psychological differences between cultures come from in the first place? These are the kinds of questions pursued by Dr. Thomas Talhelm, Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Join us in this episode as we take a tour of the unlikely course of events that brought Thomas to Guangzhou in southern China, where he uncovered a source of psychological variation thousands of years old which is still influencing human behavior en masse today! We also hit upon the mysterious nature of human preferences, the many ways of understanding what it means to be a “collectivist”, and how westerners can use cultural psychology to inform their judgements of faraway places. Thanks to Thomas for recording this episode, not once but TWICE due to problems with my recording equipment first time around! For more information check out his personal webpage [https://thomastalhelm.weebly.com/], university profile [https://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/directory/t/thomas-talhelm], and Kickstarter campaign for Sqair [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/smartair/the-sqair-the-worlds-most-cost-effective-air-purifier], the world’s most cost-effective air purifier. [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1189493_orig.jpg?resize=640%2C492&ssl=1]

Episode 012 – My Yiayia Sophie, Thea Kay & Aunt Jenine

The MonkeyBuddha Tapes is back, and more wholesome than ever! On January 13th I baked a loaf of bread, drove over to my Yiayia’s house and joined her, my Thea Kay and Aunt Jenine for a wide-ranging conversation about family history, the American Dream, and where to find the best love potions in Chicago. The version playable above is an edited version, stripped of a few family stories to focus on the parts of the conversation relevant to the general population. If you want to hear the whole shabang, play it below or right-click this link [https://monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/MBT-012-Yiyia-Kay-FULL-VERSION.mp3] and save the file. Family photos courteously provided by my Yiayia: [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAG4080.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAG4080.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAG4082.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAG4082.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAG4081.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAG4081.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAG4079.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAG4079.jpg?ssl=1 [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAG4083.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAG4083.jpg?ssl=1

Episode 011 – Dr. Mark Hansen

The MonkeyBuddha Tapes has arrived in Chicago! Last week I sat down with Dr. Mark Hansen [https://mapss.uchicago.edu/directory/mark-hansen], the Faculty Director for the University of Chicago’s MAPSS Program, former Dean of the Social Sciences Division, and “one of the nation’s leading scholars of American politics.” I was delighted to find that he was as approachable as he is accredited (read: very) and happy to share his insight into our current political landscape and passion for higher education.   It seemed necessary to include a few show notes on the many figures and events Dr. Hansen referenced that are beyond the knowledge of pedestrians such as myself. I learned as much googling around about these as I did during our conversation, so I’d highly recommend checking a few of them out. SHOW NOTES: A brief explanation of the Alternative/Ranked Choice [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y3jE3B8HsE] voting system Primer on the history of primary elections [https://www.britannica.com/topic/primary-election#ref140177] in the US, including introduction of direct primaries throughout the 20th century Take a fresh look at the 1968 Democratic National Convention [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Democratic_National_Convention] in the context of changes in direct democracy Bill Hicks bit [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLIPUDlRBFA] I mentioned, “the puppet on the left” and “the puppet on the right” Some notable Progressive Republicans from back in the day: Robert M. La Follette [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._La_Follette#Governor_of_Wisconsin] (“the most celebrated figure in Wisconsin history), George Norris [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Norris] (the very perfect, gentle knight of American progressive ideals”), and Fiorello La Guardia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiorello_H._La_Guardia] (“The Little Flower”) Obama’s 2004 speech [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDoT43BlJUo] on the United States of America The MAPSS Program [https://mapss.uchicago.edu/frequently-asked-questions/program] Dr. Hansen oversees (which I’m enrolled in) Some frightening graphics [https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/a-lost-decade-in-higher-education-funding] on the cuts to funding for higher education over the past 10 years The original, widely revered 1944 G.I. Bill [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.I._Bill], and the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-9/11_Veterans_Educational_Assistance_Act_of_2008] passed in 2008 The University of Chicago’s Statement on Principles of Free Expression [https://freeexpression.uchicago.edu/page/statement-principles-free-expression], and Geoffrey Stone’s full address [https://aims.uchicago.edu/node/101] from 2016 Outro song: We Don’t Care [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tdpq3FRGhY] by Kanye West (Lyrics [https://genius.com/Kanye-west-we-dont-care-lyrics])   [https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/IMAG3923.jpg?resize=640%2C360&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/monkeybuddhadiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/IMAG3923.jpg?ssl=1A rainy afternoon on the 5th floor of UChicago’s Regenstein Library.