NOTE: Most of our meetings are on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, at 7:30 pm in
Mtn. View.
ASV Library at meetings: bring books & magazines; get books and magazines
Everyone is welcome at our meetings: members, non-members, Atheists, Agnostics, Pagans, Deists, Christians, Jews,
Muslims, ... You don't have to come out of the closet at the meeting or even give your real name. Our membership and
Yahoo lists are not public. We don't charge for atttendance, but do ask if people want to donate to help with
the small expenses of keeping us going and doing outreach.
Bad News about the Mt. Davidson Cross Suit
The US Supreme Court turned down Dave Kong’s case regarding the Mt. Davidson Cross, so it looks like that
issue is dead. The huge cross stands on a tiny sliver of private land surrounded by a big park on SF county
land. Well, at least they didn’t take the case and overturn it! Three cheers for Dave Kong and John Messina
for fighting a good fight. And let’s not forget that they still have one hell of a big legal bill to pay,
so Dave will be happy to take anything you’ve got.
To help, send a check to Dave at POB 1741, Pacifica, CA, 94044, call him at 415-771-9872, or
email him for more info.
For events in San Francisco, see the
San Francisco Atheists calendar.
For events in the East Bay, see the East Bay
Atheists calendar.
For Humanist Community Sunday events in Palo Alto, see their calendar.
Psychologist Marlene Winell Offers Weekend Retreat For Recovery From Religion
Marlene Winell, Ph.D., the author of a book on
recovering from the psychological scars resulting from a
fundamentalist upbringing, is planning a weekend retreat to focus on what that recovery means.
“The effects of authoritarian religious training can last a long time and run deep, seriously impacting your
ability to enjoy life. The process of leaving one’s faith often creates intense feelings of confusion, grief,
anxiety, and anger. Full recovery can be difficult if the issues are not clear and you feel alone in the struggle.
“This workshop is designed to support you in this process of healing and growth. The weekend is a powerful group
experience of sharing personal history, examining key issues, and exploring new liberating concepts. In addition
to discussion, we will use experiential methods including art, guided visualization, movement, and role-play.
There will also be time for shared meals, relaxation, and fun.”
To register, send an email to mwinell at gmail.com with your contact information.
» » » Upcoming Events « « «
Sun. 5/11, 11:00, A Conversation with Sunsara Taylor
- at The Humanist Community in Palo Alto
Sunsara Taylor is a writer for Revolution newspaper, a
co-host on the WBAI (Pacifica) radio program "Equal
Time for Freethought," and sits on the Advisory Board
of World Can't Wait - Drive Out the Bush Regime! She
has appeared frequently on/in the New York Times, "The
O'Reilly Factor," CNN's "Showbiz Tonight," "Hannity &
Colmes," "Fox & Friends," and the Alan Colmes Radio
Show. Her commentaries have appeared in Revolution
(revcom.us), TruthDig.com, TruthOut.org,
CounterPunch.org, OnlineJournal.com, OpEdNews.com, and
SmirkingChimp.com . Sunsara has covered important
national stories analyzing the development of the
Christian Right, including the death of Terri Schiavo,
and the teen mega-revival operation "Battlecry/Teen
Mania." Most recently, she is speaking on behalf of
Bob Avakian's new book, Away With All Gods! Unchaining
the Mind and Radically Changing the World, including
later this month in New York with Chris Hedges in "An
Exchange: Atheism, God and Morality in a Time of
Imperialism and Rising Fundamentalism." She believes
humanity is capable of a morality flowing from
principles which guide an ongoing struggle to uproot
all vestiges of male supremacy, to promote and base
ourselves on science and truth, to value people around
the world as much as ourselves, to overcome the brutal
history and present reality of racism, and to
construct a better world in the process. Come join the conversation.
Location:
Mitchell Park Community Center
3800 Middlefield Rd
Palo Alto
Wed. 5/14 7:30, Social Meeting
- in Mtn. View.
Fri, 5/16, 6:00 - Reagan’s Astrologer, Roswell, the “Face” on Mars, and a Young Universe:
A Skeptical Look at Fiction Science, with Andrew Fraknoi
Thanks to the popular media, an enormous amount of attention has been given to some pretty amazing claims on the fringes of astronomy. These include the idea that your life path and romantic destiny are determined by the position of objects in the sky at the moment of your birth; that extraterrestrial space-craft have regularly landed on our planet (and kidnapped innocent citizens without being noticed); that an ancient race left us a message on the planet Mars in the shape of a human face; and that the entire cosmos is less than 10,000 years old.
In this illustrated talk, astronomer and popular lecturer Andrew Fraknoi will discuss the most famous fiction science claims related to astronomy, and provide the background and analysis needed to appreciate them properly. He will unveil some recent detective work about these cases, and show how there is often a lot LESS to them than initially meets the eye. And he will show how a few skeptical questions and a bit of careful investigation can often help bring these extra-ordinary cosmic claims down to Earth.
Andrew Fraknoi is the Chair of the Astronomy Department at Foothill College and Senior Educator at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. He served as the Society’s Executive Director for 14 years, and has organized over 20 national workshops on teaching astronomy. Fraknoi is the lead author of Voyages Through the Universe, which has become one of the leading astronomy textbooks in the country and recently wrote a book for children, Disney’s Wonderful World of Space. He appears regularly on local and national radio explaining scientific developments in everyday language. In 2007, he was selected as the California Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Endowment for Higher Education and won the Gemant Prize of the American Institute of Physics for a lifetime of contributions to combining physics and culture. The International Astronomical Union has named asteroid 4859 Asteroid Fraknoi in recognition of his contributions to the public understanding of astronomy.
Location:
World Affairs Council Auditorium
312 Sutter, 2nd Floor
San Francisco
6:00 pm: Entrance
6:30 pm: Presentation
$10 General Admission
Free to 'Friends of the Center'
Sun. 5/18, 11:00, Can Meaning (Religion) and Knowledge (Science) Be Joined?
- at The Humanist Community in Palo Alto
The Humanists' President Arthur Jackson claims that most people
of the world would answer the title question with
their own question, "Why would you want to?" He
further asserts that the beliefs underlying their
question have trapped us in a blind alley where we see
impossible problems in every direction we look rather
than magnificent possibilities. Jackson will explore
how the insights permitted through the study of human
evolution provide answers for escaping the dilemmas
that have immobilized humanity, or at least
misdirected us for many centuries.
Location:
Mitchell Park Community Center
3800 Middlefield Rd
Palo Alto
Sun. 5/25, 11:00, Why We Need to Go from Protest to Resistance
- at The Humanist Community in Palo Alto
Stephanie Tang, a lifelong activist with strong
convictions, dedicates herself to issues such as
ending wars, protecting immigrant rights, and stopping
police brutality. She is a leader in local efforts of
The World Can't Wait - Drive Out The Bush Regime. (The
Nation magazine gave World Can't Wait the "Most
Valuable Crusade" award of 2007.) Stephanie's
presentation will challenge you to be involved.
Location:
Mitchell Park Community Center
3800 Middlefield Rd
Palo Alto
Wed. 5/28, 7:30, Regular Meeting
- in Mtn. View.
Sat 6/21, 11-3, Bay Area Atheists Solstice Picnic, in SF
Location:
Pine Lake Day Camp
San Francisco
6/19-22: The Amaz!ng Meeting 6
— I, Skeptic: Modern Skepticism in the Internet Age
You can’t stop James “The Amaz!ng” Randi, and he’s at it again with the Amaz!ng Meeting 6. Our theme this year — I, Skeptic: Modern Skepticism in the Internet Age.
Dr. Michael Shermer will once again be presenting as will many new speakers including our keynote, Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, PZ Myers, Matthew Chapman, and Sharon Begley. Many of our old friends will be joining us as well, including Phil Plait (the Bad Astronomer), Penn & Teller, Richard Saunders, Dr. Richard Wiseman, Adam Savage (from the Mythbusters), Steve Novella, and Christopher Hitchens. Discounts for students and for early registration!
Location:
Flamingo Resort
Las Vegas
READ MORE
about the event and REGISTER
