The Rob Burgess Show

Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess. On this, our 202nd episode, our returning guest is Edward J. Watts.

You first heard Edward J. Watts on Episode 129.

Edward J. Watts holds the Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Endowed Chair and is professor of history at the University of California, San Diego and lives in Carlsbad, California. He is the author and editor of several prize-winning books, including “The Final Pagan Generation” and “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny.” His new book, “The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea,” was published on Aug 3, 2021.

Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message.

Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn, RSS, and, now, Spotify.

The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com.

You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com.If you have something to say, record a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to [email protected]. Include “voice memo” in the subject line of the email. Also, if you want to call or text the show for any reason, the number is: 317-674-3547.

Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess.

On this our 201st episode, our returning guest is Josh Sigler.

You first heard Josh Sigler on Episode 14, along with fellow regular guest Brandon Chapman.

Josh Sigler grew up in Tipton, Indiana, where he was a 2002 honors graduate of Tipton High School. He earned his bachelor's degree in media studies and organizational communication from Manchester University in 2006, and served as a community affairs intern at WTHR Channel 13-Indianapolis during his senior year. He’s worked for various publications over a 15-year career as a journalist, including the Kokomo Tribune and the Wabash Plain Dealer. He earned the Hoosier State Press Association (HSPA) award for best sports feature in 2015, and has won various other awards during his career from the HSPA and the Associated Press. During his six years at the Kokomo Tribune, Sigler was an AP football pollster and his work has appeared in publications such as the South Bend Tribune, the Hartford Courant and the San Antonio Express-News.

A quick programming note:

You can read Josh's Oct. 4, 2015 Kokomo Tribune story, “What happened to Tabi?: Unsolved Tipton murder still haunts family” by clicking here: https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/what-happened-to-tabi-unsolved-tipton-murder-still-haunts-family/article_8c963a66-6608-11e5-a6cf-ab346e27802d.html

Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message.

Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn, RSS, and, now, Spotify.

The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com.

You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com.If you have something to say, record a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to [email protected]. Include “voice memo” in the subject line of the email. Also, if you want to call or text the show for any reason, the number is: 317-674-3547.

Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess.

On this our 200th episode, our guest is … me!

My first solo episode of this podcast was Episode 41, the second was Episode 62, the third was Episode 84, the fourth was Episode 117, the fifth was Episode 131, the sixth was Episode 135, the seventh was Episode 182, the eighth was Episode 189 and the ninth was Episode 194. And, on Episode 100, I was joined by my wife and regular guest Ash Burgess, who interviewed me.

I am a 17-time award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in print, radio, online, and television. I am currently Editor of the Wabash Plain Dealer. Most recently, I was News Editor of NUVO; Managing Editor of the Indiana Lawyer; and City Editor, Opinion Page Editor and Editorial Board Member of the Kokomo Tribune. I was also a reporter at WFHB, the Times-Mail, The Reporter-Times, Ukiah Daily Journal and Ukiah Valley Television.

Oh yeah, and I’m also the proprietor of the podcast, The Rob Burgess Show.

Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message.

Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn, RSS, and, now, Spotify.

The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com.

You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com.If you have something to say, record a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to [email protected]. Include “voice memo” in the subject line of the email. Also, if you want to call or text the show for any reason, the number is: 317-674-3547.

Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess.

On this our 199th episode our guest is Eugene Smith.

Eugene Smith was born in 1957 in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Fresno, California. He was working in Georgetown, Guyana, for Peoples Temple on November 18, 1978, when he lost his mother, wife, and infant son in the mass murder-suicide at Jonestown.

Repatriated by the U.S. authorities on New Year’s Eve, he broke a $50 bill stashed in his shoe to buy breakfast for himself and a fellow survivor. Returning to California at age 21, Smith faced the daunting challenge of building from scratch a meaningful and self-sufficient life in the American society he thought he had left behind. He retired in 2015 after 22 years’ service with the California Department of Transportation. He lives in the Bay Area.

On May 11, 2021, Smith's book, “Back to the World: A Life After Jonestown,” was published by Texas Christian University Press. https://www.tamupress.com/book/9780875657783/back-to-the-world/

A quick programming note:

As I mention in the episode, I was a reporter for the Ukiah Daily Journal from 2007 to 2009. During that time, I also had a chance to interview fellow Jonestown survivor, Tracy Diaz, formerly known as Tracy Parks. https://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/2008/11/02/survivor-recalls-the-horror-of-jonestown-ukiahan-travels-back-to-guyana/

I also had a chance to interview Rebecca Moore for that story. Moore lost two sisters in Jonestown and now is now professor emerita of religious studies at San Diego State University. With her husband, Fielding McGehee III, she co-manages the website, Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple. https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=16580

Moore was instrumental in providing context for that 2008 article, and connecting me with Eugene Smith for this episode. https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=17033

Thank you again. Anyone who is even remotely interested in the good, bad and otherwise of Peoples Temple is encouraged to visit their website. It is truly a valuable historical resource. https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/

Finally, I want to thank Tracy Diaz and Eugene Smith for taking the time to share their stories with me over the years.

Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message.

Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn, RSS, and, now, Spotify.

The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com.

You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com.If you have something to say, record a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to [email protected]. Include “voice memo” in the subject line of the email. Also, if you want to call or text the show for any reason, the number is: 317-674-3547.

Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess.

On this our 198th episode our returning guest is Ash Burgess.

You first heard Ash Burgess on Episode 16, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 39, Episode 58, Episode 63, Episode 77, Episode 86, Episode 91, Episode 100, Episode 124, Episode 130, Episode 136, Episode 142, Episode 143, Episode 148, Episode 151, Episode 154, Episode 165, Episode 176, Episode 184, Episode 191, Episode 196 and Episode 82, and which also featured regular guest Jonathan Fowler of the podcast.

Ash Burgess has a dusty degree in Religious Studies and an appetite for both high and low culture. She strives to celebrate the best of every season with her young children.

Follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ashburgess/ and subscribe to her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl2Bis7mhGmekVi0ZioJFOg?app=desktop

A quick programming note: If you want to hear the episode we recorded almost a year ago before we began our homeschooling journey, that would be Episode 176.

Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message.

Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn, RSS, and, now, Spotify.

The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com.

You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com.If you have something to say, record a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to [email protected]. Include “voice memo” in the subject line of the email. Also, if you want to call or text the show for any reason, the number is: 317-674-3547.

Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess. On this, our 197th episode, our returning guest is Brandon Chapman.

You first heard Brandon Chapman on Episode 14 when he appeared alongside Josh Sigler, and his solo appearances on Episode 97, Episode 132, Episode 157 and Episode 166.

Brandon Chapman is a sports podcaster who hosts a baseball coaches' show, “Swing Away” and “Sounding Off,” the latter of which I have been a guest on, and co-hosts “Chap and Teach Take Me Back '90s,” which I have also been a guest on, with co-host John Robertson, who also appeared on Episode 183. He resides in Peru, Indiana with his wife, Abby. He graduated from IUK in May of 2018 with a B.S. in Communication with a concentration in Public Speaking. He was recently named the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) 2021 “E” District “Media Person of the Year.”

Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message.

Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn, RSS, and, now, Spotify.

The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com.

You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com.If you have something to say, record a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to [email protected]. Include “voice memo” in the subject line of the email. Also, if you want to call or text the show for any reason, the number is: 317-674-3547.

Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess.

On this our 196th episode our returning guest is Ash Burgess.

You first heard Ash Burgess on Episode 16, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 39, Episode 58, Episode 63, Episode 77, Episode 86, Episode 91, Episode 100, Episode 124, Episode 130, Episode 136, Episode 142, Episode 143, Episode 148, Episode 151, Episode 154, Episode 165, Episode 176, Episode 184, Episode 191 and Episode 82, which also featured regular guest Jonathan Fowler of the podcast.

A quick programming note: In this episode we mention the concept of AshCo, which Ash and I first discussed in detail in Episode 136. And name of the new religious movement we mention is actually called Love Has Won.

Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message.

Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn, RSS, and, now, Spotify.

The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com.

You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com.If you have something to say, record a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to [email protected]. Include “voice memo” in the subject line of the email. Also, if you want to call or text the show for any reason, the number is: 317-674-3547.

Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess.

On this our 195th episode, our guest is Ruth Ben-Ghiat.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a historian, educator and commentator on fascism, authoritarian leaders and propaganda. She is Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University and an Advisor to Protect Democracy. She writes for CNN and other media outlets, and her latest book, “Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present,” which was published by Norton in 2020, examines the authoritarian playbook illiberal leaders have used for a century. Her Substack newsletter, Lucid, examines threats to democracy and how to counter them. Follow her on Twitter @ruthbenghiat.

Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message.

Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn, RSS, and, now, Spotify.

The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com.

You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com.If you have something to say, record a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to [email protected]. Include “voice memo” in the subject line of the email. Also, if you want to call or text the show for any reason, the number is: 317-674-3547.

Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess.

On this our 194th episode, our guest is … me!

My first solo episode of this podcast was Episode 41, the second was Episode 62, the third was Episode 84, the fourth was Episode 117, the fifth was Episode 131, the sixth was Episode 135, the seventh was Episode 182 and the eighth was Episode 189. And, on Episode 100, I was joined by my wife and regular guest Ash Burgess, who interviewed me.

I am a 10-time award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in print, radio, online, and television. I am currently Editor of the Wabash Plain Dealer. Most recently, I was News Editor of NUVO; Managing Editor of the Indiana Lawyer; and City Editor, Opinion Page Editor and Editorial Board Member of the Kokomo Tribune. I was also a reporter at WFHB, the Times-Mail, The Reporter-Times, Ukiah Daily Journal and Ukiah Valley Television.

Oh yeah, and I’m also the proprietor of the podcast, The Rob Burgess Show.

A quick programming note:

In 2019, I had the opportunity to be a panel moderator at the CBD Midwest Expo Tour at Indianapolis Marriott East on the topic of “CBD vs. THC.” I had the honor of being asked to return for this year's event, this time on the topic "2021 INSIGHT: CBD Regulations in the Midwest" from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. Saturday, April 10 also at the Indianapolis Marriott East. If you want to check out the 2019 panel discussion, visit: http://www.thisburgess.com/2019/03/2019-03-15-cbd-expo-midwest-2019-cbd-vs.html I will also provide a link to this year's panel discussion once I receive a copy and post it. In the meantime, this episode was recorded on both days of this year's event in the Expo Hall. Thank you to the organizers, fellow panelists and everyone who spoke to me for this episode.

Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message.

Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn, RSS, and, now, Spotify.

The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com.

You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com.If you have something to say, record a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to [email protected]. Include “voice memo” in the subject line of the email. Also, if you want to call or text the show for any reason, the number is: 317-674-3547.

Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess.

On this, our 193rd episode, our guest is Bandy X. Lee, M.D., M.Div.

Bandy X. Lee, M.D., M.Div., is a forensic psychiatrist and violence expert who was a fellow of the National Institute of Mental Health and faculty member at Yale School of Medicine for 17 years. Since 2002, she has served as consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO) and is now president of the World Mental Health Coalition. In addition to her clinical work in correctional and public-sector settings, she was director of research for the Center for the Study of Violence, founder and director of Yale’s Violence and Health Study Group, and project leader for an academic collaborators group for the WHO. She consulted with governments on violence prevention programming internationally and within the U.S., as well as helped with prison reform, including New York City’s once-notorious Rikers Island. She designed the Global Health Studies course, “Violence: Causes and Cures,” at Yale College, which led to her textbook, “Violence: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Causes, Consequences, and Cures” (Wiley-Blackwell, 2019). She published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and chapters, 17 edited scholarly books and journal special issues, nearly 300 op-eds, and the New York Times bestseller, “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President” (Macmillan, 2017 and 2019). Her latest book is “Profile of a Nation: Trump’s Mind, America’s Soul” (World Mental Health Coalition, 2020).

A quick programming note:

Near the end of the episode, we allude to, but do not address directly, a complaint filed last month by Dr. Lee against Yale University.

For background, here is part of a Tuesday, March 23 story in The Yale Daily News which you can read here: https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2021/03/23/former-professor-says-yale-fired-her-over-tweet-on-trump-dershowitz/

“Bandy Lee MED ’94 DIV ’95, a formerly Yale-affiliated faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry in School of Medicine, filed a complaint against the University on Monday alleging 'unlawful termination… due to her exercise of free speech about the dangers of Donald Trump’s presidency.' University spokesperson Karen Peart declined to comment on the specifics of the case. Yale was the only named defendant. Lee’s complaint alleges that Yale fired her in response to a January 2020 tweet that characterized 'just about all' of former president Donald Trump’s supporters as suffering from “shared psychosis” and said that Alan Dershowitz, a lawyer on Trump’s legal team, had 'wholly taken on Trump’s symptoms by contagion.' Dershowitz responded to the tweet with a letter to Yale administrators, in which he complained that Lee’s tweet constituted 'a serious violation of the ethics rules of the American Psychiatric Association” and requested that she be disciplined. The legal action listed five causes, including breach of contract, breach of good faith and wrongful termination.”

The book by Alan Dershowitz I mention during this portion of the episode is titled, “Cancel Culture: The Latest Attack on Free Speech and Due Process,” and was published Nov. 17, 2020.

And the Netflix documentary featuring Dershowtiz that I also mentioned is titled, “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich” and is available on Netflix.

Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message.

Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn, RSS, and, now, Spotify.

The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com.

You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com.