Monthly Program

Sunday Events for October 2010

Informal Gathering at 12:30 p.m. – Event begins at 1:00 p.m.

October 3   “Immigrants in Kansas City”

Lynda Callon, Director Westside CAN Center (neighborhood improvement and community policing org.) www. westsidecan.org

Why are they here?  What do they do?  What is their impact on Kansas City Missouri?

October 10   “Can I Find You?:  Forensic DNA Testing”

Scott Hummel, DNA Section Supervisor Kansas City Police Crime Lab, 10 years.

A look at the intricacies of DNA science, its misconceptions and current practices.

October 17   “E Tax: Financial Fiasco or Fair Funding?”

Cindy Circo, Fifth District Councilwoman at Large:  Troy Schulte, City Manager, Randy Landes, Chief Financial Officer.

We’ll examine the importance of the earnings tax to city operations.


A zero-landfill potluck will follow the presentation at the first floor, Royal Hall


October 24   “Manny Fried:  Most Dangerous Radical”

Fred Whitehead,  Freethought Historian

A review of the memoirs of the 97-year-old Buffalo, New York writer, recently published by John Brown Press

October 31  “1800 Miles for Reproductive Justice”

Rev, Rebecca Turner, Executive Director, Faith Aloud.

How one baby boomer survived a 6-week bicycle tour with backroads terrain, bad drivers, scorching heat, aching joints, 13 mellenialists.

WEEKEND POTLUCKS AND RESTAURANT HOPPING – Call for time and location

Sunday Events for September 2010

Informal Gathering at 12:30 p.m. – Event begins at 1:00 p.m.

Sept 5    Labor Day: Challenging the Anti-Labor Agenda!”

Judy Ancel, Director of Institute for Labor Studies, UMKC & Longview Community College

Since the 1970s, working people in the U.S. and around the world have seen their standard of living and the quality of their jobs decline. Is there an agenda behind the off-shoring of jobs, the unfair tax system and the decline of unions? Who is pushing it and how do they convince us to support it? More importantly what are working people doing to challenge it?

Skeptical Religious Studies –   Haag Hall, Room 309
10:30 a.m. – Philosophy of Religion (Why Argue for the Existence of God?)
11:30 p.m. – Evolution of the God Concept (Introduction & The Primordial Faith)

Sept 12   ”Frankenstein’s Monster in America: The Astonishing History Behind the Citizens United Supreme Court Decision”

Mary Lindsay, MSW, President of ReclaimDemocracy.org/KC chapter, and Kansas City TIF Commissioner

This presentation explains the outrageous doctrine of corporate personhood and depicts its phenomenal development since 1886.

Skeptical Religious Studies –   Haag Hall, Room 309
10:30 a.m. – Philosophy of Religion (How Ontological Argument Works)
11:30 p.m. – Evolution of the God Concept (The Shaman)

Sept 19   “NAACP: One Nation, One Dream”

Anita L. Russell, President of Kansas City NAACP and Member of NAACP National Board of Directors

Ms. Russell looks at issues raised at the NAACP National Convention recently held here in Kansas City.

Skeptical Religious Studies –   Haag Hall, Room 309
10:30 a.m. – Philosophy of Religion (Why Ontological Argument is Said to Fail)
11:30 p.m. – Evolution of the God Concept (Religion in the Age of Chiefdoms)

Sept 26   ”Ireland- the Powder Keg”

Darrel Ray, Ed. D. Organizational Psychologist

Ireland is poised to break out of its theocratic past, but what dramatic changes will be required for joining the secular world?

Skeptical Religious Studies –   Haag Hall, Room 309
10:30 a.m. – Philosophy of Religion (How Cosmological Argument Works)
11:30 p.m. – Evolution of the God Concept (Gods of the Ancient States)

WEEKEND POTLUCKS AND RESTAURANT HOPPING – Call for time and location

Sunday Events forAugust 2010

Informal Gathering at 12:30 p.m. – All events begin at 1:00 p.m.


August 1  “Kansas Plant (Honeywell): Close It! Clean It! And Don’t Repeat It!”
Jane and Henry Stoever, Peace Works.
Kansas City plant operated by Honeywell for National Nuclear Security Administration makes or procures the nuclear parts for U.S. nukes.  The Stoevers lead the opposition to the current plant and its replacement.

August 8  “The State of Kansas City’s Housing Court”
Judge Wayne Kagle, Jr.

August 15  “Legislative Update and November Ballot Initiatives
Jolie Justus, Missouri State Senator.

Past session and preview of next session


August 22  “Who Made This Mortgage Mess and Where Are We Going With it?”

Ed Casey, Homebuyer Educator and Loan Consultant

August 28  “Restoring the SEC as a Regulatory Gem”

Prof. Bill Black of UMKC, Dept. of Economics and UMKC Law School

Once the nation’s top regulatory agency, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was neutered by the Clinton and Bush Administrations. They appointed opponents of effective regulation and removed those who were too effective. The collapse of the high tech bubble and the Enron/Worldcom era created a window for serious reform that was squandered by the misdirected Sarbanes-Oxley law. Obama appointed Schapiro, the leading proponent of self-regulation, to run the SEC.  Self-regulation failed.  Prof. Black focuses on how to restore the SEC as an effective regulator.

Skeptical Religious Studies Haag Hall, Room 309 10:30am – please see schedule

LOCATION:

UMKC’s Haag Hall
(northwest corner of 52nd & Rockhill Road)
University of Missouri at Kansas City

(Park on level 4 of the parking structure south, across the street; 3rd floor of Haag is accessed directly through overhead walkway.)

All are welcome!

Sunday Events for July 2010

Informal Gathering at 12:30 p.m. – All events begin at 1:00 p.m.


July 4   “Regional Homeland Security and You”
Alisha Griswold, Executive Vice-Chair of the Medical Reserve Corps of Greater KC
The nuts and bolts of preparing for disasters and what we as individuals can do.

July 11  ”Rationality: Economics’ Fatal Flaw??
W. Robert Brazelton, UMKC Economics Professor Emeritus
Economic theory is premised on human “rationality”in our observations and conclusions. But, economic history has much contrary evidence. The analysis focuses on those seeming non-rationalities and their importance in the present day economic/financial crisis and elsewhere.


July 18  “BP (Part I) Basic Principles”

Kenneth S. Schmitz, UMKC Physical Chemistry and Environmental Studies Professor

A look at the uniqueness of the Gulf of Mexico and its coast.



July 25 “BP: Big Profits, Bad Politics and Beguiled Public”

Kenneth S. Schmitz, UMKC Physical Chemistry and Environmental Studies Professor

Print and broadcast media summary of BP oil leak: “We have met the enemy and it is us.”

Skeptical Religious Studies Haag Hall, Room 309  10:30am – please see schedule

LOCATION:

UMKC’s Haag Hall
(northwest corner of 52nd & Rockhill Road)
University of Missouri at Kansas City

(Park on level 4 of the parking structure south, across the street; 3rd floor of Haag is accessed directly through overhead walkway.)

All are welcome!

Sunday Events for JUNE 2010

Informal Gathering at 12:30 p.m. – All events begin at 1:00 p.m.

June 6th “Walking Among the Wildflowers”

Barbara Van Vleck, Missouri Master Naturalist.

Barbara will lead us on a figurative wildlife walk identifying native and common flowering plants. A potluck picnic will follow.

Skeptical Religious Studies - TBA.

June 13th “The Kansas City Missouri School District Board: Where do we go from here?”

Arthur Benson, Civil rights attorney and board member of Kansas City, Missouri school district. Mr. Benson is the veteran civil rights activist that filed the original Kansas City school desegregation lawsuit in 1977. He will discuss the implications of the recent school closings and other issues.

June 20st “How does our brain evolve?”

Chi-Ming Huang, Professor of Biology, UMKC Does information provide selective pressure? If so, what challenges does this present to brain scientists and the rest of us?

June 27th “Mexico’s Changing Regime and the Ambiguous Relation Between Order and Progress.”

Peter Singlemann, Professor of Sociology, UMKC Dr. Singlemann will discuss the transformation of Mexico’s political regime, contradictions between subordination and democracy and challenges to moving beyond free elections and mobilizations.

LOCATION:

UMKC’s Haag Hall
(northwest corner of 52nd & Rockhill Road)
University of Missouri at Kansas City

(Park on level 4 of the parking structure south, across the street; 3rd floor of Haag is accessed directly through overhead walkway.)

All are welcome!

Sunday Events for October 2010

Informal Gathering at 12:30 p.m. – All events begin at 1:00 p.m.


October 3 “Regional Homeland Security and You”
Alisha Griswold, Executive Vice-Chair of the Medical Reserve Corps of Greater KC
The nuts and bolts of preparing for disasters and what we as individuals can do.

October 10 “Rationality: Economics’ Fatal Flaw??
W. Robert Brazelton, UMKC Economics Professor Emeritus
Economic theory is premised on human “rationality”in our observations and conclusions. But, economic history has much contrary evidence. The analysis focuses on those seeming non-rationalities and their importance in the present day economic/financial crisis and elsewhere.


October 17 “BP (Part I) Basic Principles”

Kenneth S. Schmitz, UMKC Physical Chemistry and Environmental Studies Professor

A look at the uniqueness of the Gulf of Mexico and its coast.


October 24 “Rationality: Economics’ Fatal Flaw??
W. Robert Brazelton, UMKC Economics Professor Emeritus
Economic theory is premised on human “rationality”in our observations and conclusions. But, economic history has much contrary evidence. The analysis focuses on those seeming non-rationalities and their importance in the present day economic/financial crisis and elsewhere.

October 31 “BP: Big Profits, Bad Politics and Beguiled Public”

Kenneth S. Schmitz, UMKC Physical Chemistry and Environmental Studies Professor

Print and broadcast media summary of BP oil leak: “We have met the enemy and it is us.”

Skeptical Religious Studies Haag Hall, Room 309 10:30am – please see schedule

LOCATION:

UMKC’s Haag Hall
(northwest corner of 52nd & Rockhill Road)
University of Missouri at Kansas City

(Park on level 4 of the parking structure south, across the street; 3rd floor of Haag is accessed directly through overhead walkway.)

All are welcome!