Active Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning - Lifelong Doing - Lifelong Friends
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WELCOME TO CLUB NEWS & NOTES – SEPTEMBER 2021
Editor: Ellen Breazeale – breazeales@comcast.net
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CLUB NEWS
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I'm A Rocket Man
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Comic strips from the 1930's saw into the future and had heroes traveling to far away planets in space ships.
If you're interested in learning about current day scientific developments, think about starting a new ESCOM club, the Science Salon.
The club will discuss articles in the monthly issues of 'Scientific American' magazine .
If this sounds like your kind of intellectual fun,
contact the ESCOM Club Chair, Ellen Breazeale.
She can help you get this club off the ground.
Contact Ellen Breazeale breazeales@comcast.net
Photo Caption: This playing card depicts the main character from the Flash Gordon comic strip
which follows the adventures of a handsome polo player and Yale University graduate and his companions Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov. In the strip, the Earth is threatened by a collision with the planet Mongo. Dr. Zarkov invents a rocket ship to fly into space in an attempt to stop the disaster. Half mad, he kidnaps Flash and Dale. Landing on the planet, and halting the collision, they come into conflict with Ming the Merciless, Mongo's evil ruler..
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CLUB LEADER NOTES
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No matter what your interest, there’s an ESCOM club that’s ‘right’ for you.
Review the list below. See what’s being offered and contact
a club leader to join the group!
With the onslaught of COVID, the ESCOM Centers at Kentfield and IVC have been closed for the last 17 months. Consequently, most of the clubs are meeting via ZOOM. Some are on hiatus but will return once these Centers open again.
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Arlene Stark
Philosophy of the Mind Club – Zoom
1st & 3rd Monday 10:00 am - noon
This club continues as a tribute to its esteemed late leader, Arlene Stark.
Discussions focus on Science and Philosophy. Our current area of interest
is on consciousness. We are currently viewing YouTube videos on the subject
and reading a recent book,
by Annaka Harris.
All interested are invited to participate and contribute.
Photo Caption: According to Alison Gopnik, a professor at the Cognitive Development
and Learning Lab at UC Berkeley, Lewis Carroll’s book, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ explores memory, language, and consciousness. "Long before we had the technology to map the brain’s Wonderland. Carroll was already charting its contours with his playful thought experiments. It explores so many ideas about whether there’s a continuous self, how we remember things from the past and think about the future – there’s lots of richness there about what we know about cognition and cognitive science.”
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Astronomy Club – Zoom
2nd Monday 10:00 am - Noon
The Astronomy Club is engaged in learning and discussing about the (non-mathematical) current knowledge of the structure of the universe and its components.
This includes the different kinds and lives of stars, planets and planetary systems, asteroids and comets, galaxies and galaxy clusters.
In addition, we follow the contemporary discoveries of numerous active spacecraft and earth-based and space-based telescopes which use the range of the
electro-magnetic spectrum.
We learn and discuss the hunt for exo-planets and the conditions for and against the possibility of life existing elsewhere, black holes, white dwarfs, neutron stars, dark matter and dark energy, the expansion of the universe, the cycles of our Sun and
how life on Earth might be affected.
Our format is roughly an hour of discussion and presentations of book reviews, contemporary space exploration events, and what to look for in the current night sky.
This is followed by a lecture from the Great Courses Series on Astronomy fundamentals and eventually on Cosmology, after which we discuss the material covered and
any contemporary discoveries that provide insights to the lecture.
Contact: Michael Patrick mdpatric@pacbell.net 415-456-2778
Photo Caption: M 16 – Eagle Nebula - Distance 5,700 light years
Constellation: Serpens Cauda
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Book Banter Book Club – Zoom
2nd Wednesday 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Biographies, Autobiographies and semi-fictional biographies of lives before and after WWI
September 8: "Cleopatra" by Stacy Schiff
October 13: "Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister" by Jane Chang
(The story of the three Soong sisters)
November 10: Rosalind Franklin (no book yet)
415-897-4844
Photo Caption: A publicity photo from the 1997 Hong Kong movie, 'The Soong Sisters', three women who married the most important historical figures – Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek and
the focal point of every major decision made in modern Chinese history.
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Book Club Forum – Zoom
4th Monday 1:00 - 3:00 pm
415-883-2823
Photo Caption: Dick and Jane books were the predominant readers in public schools from the 1940’s through the early 1960’s. The books were created by educator Williams S. Gray and former teacher and reading consultant, Zerna Sharp, who believed that the “whole word” method was the ideal way to teach reading.
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Book Club Marin County – Zoom
4th Tuesday 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Note: While all meetings are scheduled to end at 3:00 pm, the ending time is flexible.
Planned reading-always subject to change!
If anyone wishes to attend and purchase any of the selected books, they should feel free to contact Julio Burroughs to obtain book(s) via Book Passage
(to avoid shipping cost).
Of course, if you prefer not to purchase, try the Marin Library (they have curbside service).
If you are a library member, you also have access to Hoopla which has many audio books.
As in the past, we welcome suggestions
for future readings!
September 28: Shirley Jackson, short story:“The Lottery” and Ursula Leguin, short piece: “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”. All to be e-mailed.
October 26: William Faulkner, two short stories: "A Rose for Emily" and "Dry September; and Poem by T.S. Eliot "Aunt Helen".
All to be e-mailed.
November 23: Benito Mussolini:1933 essay from the Italian Encyclopedia:
"The Doctrine of Fascism". To be mailed.
Julio Burroughs Julioburroughs@gmail.com 415-927-1488
Photo Caption: Shirley Hardie Jackson, a native of San Francicso, was known primarily for her works
of horror and mystery. Over the duration of her writing career, which spanned over two decades,
she composed six novels, two memoirs, and more than 200 short stories.
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Chess Club
Online play on Chess.Com
Every Friday - 2:00 pm
All levels of players welcome.
Contact: Bob Phillips
bob.phillips3@gmail
415-301-1906
Photo Caption: The Sicilian Defense is one of the more common openings for black against
white playing e4. To counter this, white usually tries to take away the initiative from black.
The Rossolimo Attack does just that by bringing the bishop to b5 if black plays Nc6.
This move was envisioned by Nikolai Rossolimo, a Russian-born grandmaster, who moved to
New York in 1952 where he worked as a waiter and taxi driver and ran the Rossolimo Chess Studio
in Greenwich Village. Members of the public could come and play chess with each other and occasionally play Rossolimo himself for a fee.(Rossolimo would have his dog, Bobby Fisher, move the chess pieces in these games.) Rossolimo died of head injuries following a fall down a flight of
stairs, just after finishing third in his final event, the 1975 World Open. He was 65.
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Current Events and Issues – Zoom
2nd & 4th Thursday 10:00 am - noon
After more than 20 years, we are still actively engaged in discussing current events.
Through participation, ESCOM club members experience teaching and learning opportunities.
We welcome new participants and topics that interest you.
Come, join us. Sit in on one session, no obligation - you may like the experience.
Many have! Hope to see you soon.
Photo Caption: 'Calvin and Hobbes' is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Bill Watterson. It was syndicated from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995. Commonly cited as "the last great newspaper comic". 'Calvin and Hobbes' enjoyed broad and enduring popularity, influence, and
academic and philosophical interest.
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Digital Camera Club – Zoom
1st Monday - Field Outing
3rd Monday Virtual Club Meeting
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Open to anyone who would like to expand their photographic capabilities by learning from others on how to capture images.
Our monthly camera club photo outings are currently scheduled outdoors with social distancing protocols and our virtual meetings are held via Zoom.
Contact: Harvey Abernathy
Photo Caption: In July 1969, Astronaut Edwin F. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, faced the camera as he walks on the Moon during Apollo 11 extravehicular activity. The visor of his helmet reflects the scene in front of him, such as the Lunar Module and the astronaut Armstrong taking his picture.
Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, Apollo 11 commander, took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera. The astronaut footprints are clearly visible in the foreground.
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The Encouragement Writing Club – Zoom
Every Other Wednesday 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
The objective of this club is to share what you've written -- short story, essay, poem -- with the group which will review and critique your work..
honestly but gently.
Contact: Bernie Cookson cooksonlaw@comcast.net 508-864-6367
Photo Caption: An observation from E.B. White, the author of several highly popular children's books, including ‘Stuart Little’ and ‘ Charlotte's Web’, and a renowned editor for the ‘New Yorker’ .
'An editor is a person who knows more about writing than writers do but who has
escaped the terrible desire to write'' .
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Exploring the Relationship Between
Theology & Society – Zoom
2nd Friday 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
The relationship between theology and society includes how people deal with this topic in both their
personal and professional life.
For some people their place of worship is a primary source of theological information.
As a part of our discussion, we will be sharing different life experiences of worship both positive and negative and how these experiences have affected our perspective.
Contact: Ken Kaprelian (415) 819-7180
Photo Caption: A mosaic of the Empress Theodora and her retinue. It's found in the Bascilica San Vitale, one of the most important churches during the sixth-century (Byzantine Era). The church was
built outside of Constantinople in Ravenna, Italy.
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Food Glorious Food! – Zoom
4th Tuesday 1:00 - 3:00 pm
September 28: One pot simple recipes for dinner,
lunch or dessert.
October 26 - Topic Selection Meeting for 2021-22
November 23 - To Be Announced
Photo Caption: A contemporary legend holds that pizza Margherita - a favorite one-dish meal -- was invented in 1889,
honor of the visiting Queen Margherita. Of the three pizzas he created, the Queen strongly preferred a pizza swathed in the colors of the Italian flag — red (tomato), green (basil), and white (mozzarella). This kind of pizza was then named after her.
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Great Courses Group – Zoom
Every Thursday 1:00 - 2:00 pm
The Earth’s ocean is its most significant feature. Taking up more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, our ocean is essential for life on this planet.
It provides approximately 2/3 of the oxygen we breathe, and it helps control
and regulate our climate.
Life on this planet evolved in our ocean almost 4 billion years ago. The ocean has nurtured life ever since, to the point today that 25% of all species on this planet currently lives in the ocean, although scientists believe that we may have only discovered 10% of the ocean’s species diversity.
Join us for this fifteen-week series.
Our meetings are fun and filled with lively discussions.
Photo Caption: What is the highest ocean wave ever recorded? An earthquake followed by a
landslide in 1958 in Alaska's Lituya Bay generated a wave 100 feet high, the tallest tsunami ever documented. When the wave ran ashore, it snapped trees 1,700 feet upslope.
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Moral and Ethical,
Legal Roundtable – Zoom
1st and 3rd Tuesday
10:00 am – noon
The Roundtable is a long running ESCOM Club for discussions, explorations, and issues in our
contemporary world.
Stimulating discussions among and between the attendees and the facilitator
are the primary mode of participation.
Join us with your ideas and opinions.
Photo Caption: Discussion groups sometimes set guidelines, including these six which are commonly used: allow everyone a chance to speak; listen respectfully and actively; criticize ideas, not individuals; commit to learning, not debating; avoid blame, speculation, inflammatory language; and avoid assumptions about others, especially based on their perceived social group.
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Opera and Beyond Club – Zoom
2nd Tuesday 1:00 - 4:00 pm
This session presents full opera recording
Last Wednesday 1:00 - 3:00 pm
This session is a gathering to share the glories of opera. You do not have to know a lot about opera.
Your enthusiasm and desire to participate
is what counts.
Everyone may contribute by selecting their
favorite opera aria.
The club leader will access it on YouTube and talk about it during the session.
Also, you can share an article about opera, music, composer, an anecdote, your life experiences, etc.
We are all enthusiasts!
* If you would like to suggest an opera or have access to any operas,
please contact the club leader.
Photo Caption: "Don Giovanni", an opera in two acts, was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It is based on the legend of Don Juan, a fictional libertine and seducer. The San Francisco Opera's 2021-2022 Season will stage performances of this opera
beginning on June 4th and ending on July 2.
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Spanish Club – Zoom
Every Friday 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Club Leader: Lucy Wait
Intermediate level conversation in Spanish
on various topics, including the
Netflix 60-episode series, Bolívar,
which is done in the telenovela style.
Contact: Roberta Schwarz, reschwarz@sbcglobal.net 415-435-3540
or Paula Hammons paulahammons@yahoo.com 415-948-8451
Photo Caption: Flamenco, commonly associated with the Andalusian Roma (Gypsies) of southern Spain, has its roots in the Roma migration from Rajasthan (in northwest India) to Spain between the 9th and 14th centuries. These migrants brought with them musical instruments, such as tambourines, bells, and wooden castanets, and an extensive repertoire of songs and dances.
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Reading Great Plays - Zoom
3rd Tuesday 1:00 - 4:00 pm
We'll be reading a play each month and
attempt to release its magic to reveal
the author's main objective -- storytelling.
There is no memorization, no accents, no ego and no stress... just the joy of bringing the play alive!!!
September 21: Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz
October 19:The Clean House by Sara Ruhl
November 17: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
by Christopher Durang
Contact: Gary Gonser ggonser3@gmail.com
Photo Caption: 'Anna in the Tropics' is a poignant and poetic play set in Florida in 1929 in a Cuban–American cigar factory, where cigars are still rolled by hand and “lectors” are employed to educate and entertain the workers. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003.
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Reflections on WWII Club – Zoom
Fridays 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Fifty-five million people died in the Second World War, the greatest conflict in human history.
To better understand all aspects of this conflict and to share our own experiences,
we'll be watching two video series from the Great Courses group:
WWII: Battlefield Europe, which deals with the 20th century’s defining conflict.
Designed in partnership with HISTORY® and using a distinctly European perspective
(in which the United States is a supporting player instead of a main character),
this course provides a fresh lens through which to study the European Theater’s
major battles, larger-than-life personalities, twists of fate, and tales of intrigue.
Unsung Heroes of World War II, which features men and women
of courage and conscience who helped change the course of history
but who, for various reasons, have slipped into history’s shadows.
Photo Caption: Although widely known for his children’s books, Theodor Seuss Geisel, or Dr. Seuss, was also the chief political cartoonist for the New York newspaper 'PM' from 1941 to 1943. He created approximately 400 cartoons about World War II. Over the course of the war, 85 million Americans purchased bonds worth a total of more than $180 billion. Children participated
by buying stamps in small denominations.
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Trivia Quiz
Calling All Smarty Pants - Zoom
4th Sunday - 7:00 p.m.
Hosted by Janis Luft, longtime Mistress of Trivia for the Belvedere-Tiburon Library.
General knowledge questions.
Interactive team contest (teams assigned).
September 26 - Hope to see you
for another round of Bear with Me Trivia.
As always, you’ll get 4 rounds of 5 questions, many with multiple answers.
You’ll jot down your own answers and at the end of each round of questions, the club leader will randomly sort you into Zoom rooms where you will decide on a team name (funny, punny names encouraged) and confer with your teammates before presenting
your group’s answers.
The winning team gets bragging rights for a whole month!!!
Photo Caption: Little known facts about Yosmite: At 2,425 feet, Yosemite Falls is one of tallest on the planet; Yosemite’s granite rock formations glow like fire at sunset; and the park’s diverse landscape supports more than 400 species, including the rare Sierra Nevada red fox, which was spotted for the first time in nearly 100 years on a wildlife cam.
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"Who Done It?" Book Club – Zoom
3rd Wednesday 1:00 - 3:00 pm
We’re a Mystery Book Club
September 15: "The Case of the Missing Servant"
by Tarwuin Hall
October 20: "The Red Knife"
by William Kent Kreuger
November 17: "The Shaman Sings"
by James D. Doss
Please contact the club leader for a list of books selected for 2021.
415-897-4844
Photo Caption: No one is too young to solve a crime! 'The Deductive Detective’ provides
readers aged 4+ a chance to practice their subtraction skill. Someone stole a cake from the cake contest -- who could it be? Twelve animal bakers are potential suspects but Detective Duck
uses his deductive reasoning skills to "quack" the case.
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For the complete ESCOM Club List, Click Here
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ESCOM | Telephone: 415-485-9652 | email: escom@marin.edu
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