films / tv

The suggested topics for our meeting on Monday, January 26, '08, are:

1. Recent films, film festivals and award shows.
   
2. Current TV shows

Regarding item 1: 

2009 Palm Springs International Film Festival: official site, Desert Sun (active pages)

Sundance Film Festival: official site, NY Times article

Golden Globes, People's Choice, Critic's Choice, SAGs, Spirit Awards, Oscars

Regarding item 2: 

NY Times: Awash in a Stream of Movies - Netflix on TV

SCPD Forum Club

I attended our neighboring Sun City discussion club meeting tonight. Their meetings are monthly from 7 to 9 p.m., like ours. Because they have some upwards of 50 people attending, their discussion takes place at round tables of about 8 people. First, they have a speaker who presents the topic; tonight's speaker spoke for some 45 minutes. Discussion is led by a moderator at each table who afterward summarizes the discussion to the group as a whole.

Tonight's speaker was Marvin Epstein (with rather impressive bio) and the topic was:

The U.N., NATO & American Global Domination.

Upcoming meetings & topics are:

• Feb. 11 - Capital Punishment - D.A. vs. Public Defender
  
• Mar. 11 - Euthanasia
  
• April 15 - 100 day status of Obama administration - Morris Beschloss (see his DS column & blog)
  
• May 13 - Decriminilizing Drugs
  
• June 10 - Topical subjects, finger foods and dessert
  
• July, Aug. & Sept. - dark
  

SCPD Forum Club meetings are held in the Oasis Room at the second clubhouse, Sunset View. Guests are allowed.

Note the use of the word 'topical' for their June 10 meeting. See Jon Meacham's recent use of the term in Newsweek, to wit:

there is often a disconnect between the topical and the truly long--lasting

Getting older / medical ethics

The topics selected for our meeting on Monday, January 12, '08, are:

1. Getting older
   
2. medical ethics

Regarding item 1, update:

Savvy Senior , AARP

Regarding item 2:

NY Magazine: Six medical-ethics dilemmas examined