Category: Video+discussion

Liberal Hypocrisy and the Great Intergenerational Theft

Photo of Scott Galloway by Phil Whitehouse

11 a.m., November 10, 2024

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a video from New York Times Opinion, “Liberal Hypocrisy is Fueling American Inequality. Here’s How.”

For many Democrats, it’s easy to blame Republicans for thwarting progress.
But what happens when Republicans aren’t standing in the way?
In key respects, blue states are doing worse than red states, with scarce affordable housing, acute disparities in education funding, and increasing economic inequality.

Instead of asking, “What’s the matter with Kansas?” Democrats need to spend more time pondering, “What’s the matter with California?”
You can preview this video at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNDgcjVGHIw

We’ll also watch “How the US Is Destroying Young People’s Future” by Scott Galloway.
In a scorching talk, podcaster Galloway dissects the data showing that, by many measures, young people in the US are worse off financially than ever before.
He points out the causes and effects of this “great intergenerational theft,” asking why we let it continue and showing how we could make it end.
(Note: This talk contains mature language.)

Galloway is a marketing professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business.
He is the author of:
The Four,
The Algebra of Happiness,
Adrift: America in 100 Charts, and
The Algebra of Wealth.
He has served on the boards of The New York Times Company, Urban Outfitters and Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
You can preview this video at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEJ4hkpQW8E

Attend in Person:
This Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists in the Orchard Room at the Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94022. (On the first and third Sunday of the month, you can continue to attend our forum at the Mountain View Senior Center.)

If you would like, join us afterwards for lunch at Pompeii Ristorante, 100 State St, Los Altos, CA 94022, a five-minute walk from the library.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. COVID protocols will be followed. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

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Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Memes

Photo by StagiaireMGIMO – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36450702

11 a.m., October 27, 2024

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss two videos about memes.

In Dangerous Memes, philosopher Daniel Dennett shows how memes spread and modify our behavior.

In Memes and Temes, Susan Blackmore explains describes “temes,” memes that use technology to spread.

Daniel Clement Dennett III (1942 – 2024) was an American philosopher and cognitive scientist. His research centered on the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of consciousness. His research centered on the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of science, and the the philosophy of biology. He was the co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies and the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University and a co-founder of the Clergy Project.

Susan Jane Blackmore (born 29 July 1951) is a British writer, lecturer, sceptic, broadcaster, and a visiting professor at the University of Plymouth. Her fields of research include memetics, parapsychology, consciousness, and author of the book The Meme Machine. She has written or contributed to over 40 books and 60 scholarly articles and is a contributor to The Guardian Newspaper.

You can preview Daniel’s 15-minute talk, Dangerous Memes, at https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_dennett_dangerous_memes, and Susan’s 19-minute talk, Memes and Temes, at https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_blackmore_memes_and_temes.

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists to consider the propositions in Milpitas Library Group Study Room B, 160 N Main St, Milpitas, CA 95035.
Often after our meeting, we find a nearby inexpensive eatery for a luncheon.
If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

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Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
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Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Ron Reagan and Highlights of the Freedom from Religion Convention

Ron Reagan in Denver

11 a.m., October 20, 2024

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as members of the Atheist Community of San Jose and local chapters of the Freedom From Religion Foundation tell us about the annual FFRF meeting they attended last month.

This was a very popular event, and for myriad good reasons! FFRF members came from all over the nation to reconnect, celebrate our many successes in 2024, and continue to take the lead against the ongoing theocratic challenges we are facing.

Of course, we are all aware that this month and early next month will be deciding moments for our struggle against the scourge of white Christian nationalism in the U.S. Come learn what more you can do to save our secular democracy in these critical weeks. Much of the FFRF Convention enlightened us about the political incursions into the personal, secular, and religious lives of Americans.

We will review a recording of Ron Reagan’s session, the lifelong unabashed Atheist who, in his words, is “not afraid of burning in hell.” We will hear about FFRF Action, the political arm of FFRF, which is knee-deep in saving our secular Constitution this year.

Those of us who represented our secular organizations will chime in as to the most memorable and inspiring moments were at the Denver Convention. Attendees will convey the splendid panel discussions, authors, speakers, awardees, and the wonderful camaraderie throughout the three busy days.

Dana Treadwell and Judith Banister will lead our wide-ranging discussion. Bring your questions and input–via the in-person gathering in Mountain View or on the Zoom link–for a lively update and discussion.

10/20/2024 Highlights of the Freedom from Religion Convention from Humanist Community-Silicon Valley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:
On the first and third Sunday of the month, such as this Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation for lunch.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

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Like us on Facebook:
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Visit the Humanist Community web site:
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RSVP on Meetup:
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Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
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Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Screen Struggles and Screen Delight: Is Social Media Sabotaging or Saving Adolescent Mental Health?

Patti Valkenburg

11 a.m., September 29, 2024

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss Screen Struggles and Screen Delight: Is Social Media Sabotaging or Saving Adolescent Mental Health?

Social media can be a source of joy and happiness for some adolescents but a trigger for sadness and depression in others. Why is that?

In 2018, Patti Valkenburg and her team launched Project AWeSome–Adolescents, Well-being & Social Media–to explore the complex relationship between social media use and mental health. Pioneering a person-specific (or N=1) media effects approach, they combined qualitative in-depth interviews with large-scale longitudinal data analysis to understand how social media’s impact on well-being differs from adolescent to adolescent.

Both their qualitative and quantitative findings challenge common hypotheses about the impact of social media on well-being. In this seminar, Prof. Valkenburg will delve into these findings, discussing whose mental health is most likely affected by social media use and why.
Prof. Valkenburg is the Distinguished Professor of Communication at the University of Amsterdam, and founder and director of the Center for research on Children, Adolescents, and the Media.

You can preview this 59-minute video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GUwKCNPueQ

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists to watch it together in Milpitas Library Group Study Room B, 160 N Main St, Milpitas, CA 95035.
Often after our meeting, we find a nearby inexpensive eatery for a luncheon.
If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
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Like us on Facebook:
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Visit the Humanist Community web site:
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RSVP on Meetup:
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Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
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Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Whose religious freedom?

Sammi Lawrence

11 a.m., September 22, 2024

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a conversation on “religious freedom” and how the phrase has been co-opted and weaponized by the religious right. There have been several recent egregious examples of how this hyper-religious minority is acting to force American society into its image — to the detriment of the rest of us.

Sammi Lawrence joined the Freedom From Religion Foundation as the Anne Nicol Gaylor Legal Fellow in 2022, and is now a Staff Attorney. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, baking, and painting.

Christopher Line began working full-time for FFRF as a Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow and is now a Staff Attorney. He is an accomplished photographer whose work has appeared in The Humanist magazine, the Progressive, and FFRF’s own Freethought Today.

You can preview this 40-minute video at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNwHzDIBc_g

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists to watch it together in Milpitas Library Group Study Room B, 160 N Main St, Milpitas, CA 95035.
Often after our meeting, we find a nearby inexpensive eatery for a luncheon.
If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

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Like us on Facebook:
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Visit the Humanist Community web site:
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RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/303533408/

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1836901273758511461

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508