Ockham's for Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockhamites:

We will meet this Wednesday (July 14th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

TOPIC: Is educating all American children the right approach? Should some children focus on learning a trade inside of wasting time on formal education? Is our current education system short changing the gifted? Should equal education be a goal?

 

Articles to generate discussion:

 

Initiative to Leave No Child Behind Leaves Out Gifted
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/Polk_Gifted.htm
 
Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (fictional essay on equality)
http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/harrison.html

 

(If you have a problem with the link, try cutting and pasting it into the browser's address bar.  If that doesn't work, please contact me.)

 

I HOPE THAT EVERYONE IS DOING WELL.  
 
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT WEDNESDAY!

---

 

Ockham's Cafe

http://www.meetup.com/Ockhams-Cafe/

Newk's Express Cafe

2200 Germantown Parkway

Cordova, Tennessee

Every Wednesday at 6:30 pm

Come, share, challenge, and discuss your views with fellow Ockhamites who may have a new or different outlook

 

Free and Open to the Public

---

Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. Learn more.

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockhamites:

We will meet this Wednesday (July 21st) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

TOPIC: American (or Other) Dialects: Do you speak American? Do you want a neurosurgeon with a Southern accent? Where did these dialects originate and how do the dialects change? 

 

Articles to generate discussion:
PBS Series: Do you speak American?

http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockhamites:

We will meet this Wednesday (July 28th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

TOPIC: Part 2--American (or Other) Dialects: Do you speak American?  Where did these dialects originate and how do the dialects change? 

 

Articles to generate discussion:
PBS Series: Do you speak American?

http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/

 

(If you have a problem with the link, try cutting and pasting it into the browser's address bar.  If that doesn't work, please contact me.)

 

I HOPE THAT EVERYONE IS DOING WELL.  
 
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT WEDNESDAY!

---

 

Ockham's Cafe

http://www.meetup.com/Ockhams-Cafe/

Newk's Express Cafe

2200 Germantown Parkway

Cordova, Tennessee

Every Wednesday at 6:30 pm

Come, share, challenge, and discuss your views with fellow Ockhamites who may have a new or different outlook

 

Free and Open to the Public

---

The New Busy is not the old busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. Get started.

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockhamites:

We will meet this Wednesday (August 4th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

TOPIC: Expressing One's Views on Religion

 

Articles to generate discussion:
Expressing One's Views on Religion by Ronald A. Lindsay

http://secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=fi&page=expressing_religion

 

(If you have a problem with the link, try cutting and pasting it into the browser's address bar.  If that doesn't work, please contact me.)

 

I HOPE THAT EVERYONE IS DOING WELL.   
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT WEDNESDAY!

---

 

Ockham's Cafe

http://www.meetup.com/Ockhams-Cafe/

Newk's Express Cafe

2200 Germantown Parkway

Cordova, Tennessee

Every Wednesday at 6:30 pm

Come, share, challenge, and discuss your views with fellow Ockhamites who may have a new or different outlook

 

Free and Open to the Public

---

Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. Learn more.

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockhamites:

We will meet this Wednesday (August 11th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

TOPIC: There is a difference in atheistic and theistic patriotism

 

Articles to generate discussion:

Right Wing's Perversion of Patriotism (Christian Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Walter-Rodgers/2010/0719/The-right-wing-s-perversion-of-patriotism

 

Godless Americans from About.com

http://atheism.about.com/od/godlessamericaamericans/p/GodlessPatriot.htm

 

What's Right About Patriotism from Christianity Today

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/july/4.48.html

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockhamites:

We will meet this Wednesday (August 18th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

TOPIC: There is a difference in atheistic and theistic patriotism...part 2

 

(Also, Phillip Pullman's new book "The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ" may be a good future discussion)

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockhamites:

We will meet this Wednesday (August 25th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

TOPIC: The Islamic Mosque Near Ground Zero: Pro & Con

 

Articles to generate discussion:

 

Sam Harris Debate about mosque near Ground Zero
http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2010/08/18/ground-zero-mosque/ (radio show)

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-08-13/ground-zero-mosque/ (article)

 

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (comedy)

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-16-2010/mosque-erade

 

Obama speech supporting the mosque

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZOIBEEvbO0

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (September 1st) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

Message about our topic on Intellectual Property (IP):
 
I think I'd like to talk about whether or not Intellectual Property (IP) should be regarded on the same level as tangible property, especially within the context of digital media. Some links that might help are from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_Property

A principal dispute regarding IP in a digital context arises from the fact that "owning" a digital file is the same as "owning" a number, which sounds absurd when stated in such a way. To illustrate this fact, people have written programs to find large prime numbers that, when interpreted as a computer file, trespass IP claims: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_prime

I hope this can generate an adequate amount of conversation and will be enjoyable to all.

Thanks,
Andrew D.

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (September 8th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

The topic is "With hindsight, was the Federalist win over the anti Federalists the best outcome for the US?"

 

Here's a link that gives a very brief outline: http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_faf.html or read the Federalist Papers (http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/18)

 

 

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (September 22nd) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

The topic is Federalists versus anti-Federalists (Part 2) with a focus on key court decisions
 

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (September 29th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

The topic is attitudes (NOT SPECIFIC LAWS) about guns and gun control 

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (October 6th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

The topic is The New World Order: Tribal ties—race, ethnicity, and religion—are becoming more important than borders
 
Article to generate discussion:  http://www.newsweek.com/2010/09/26/the-new-world-order-a-map.html
 
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (October 20 th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm.

The topic is The New World Order: Tribal ties—race, ethnicity, and religion—are becoming more important than borders (CONTINUED)

 
Article to generate discussion:  http://www.newsweek.com/2010/09/26/the-new-world-order-a-map.html

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (October 27 th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm. 

Our topic is 
 
How to Restore the American Dream (please RSVP on theOckham's Cafe MeetUp)

Article to generate discussion: 
 
"How to Restore the American Dream" by Fareed Zakaria
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2026776-1,00.html

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (November 3rd) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm. 

Our topic is 
 
In Group Love and Outgroup Hate? (please RSVP on the Ockham's Cafe MeetUp)

Article to generate discussion: 
 
"The Psychology of Prejudice: Ingroup Love and Outgroup Hate?" by Marilynn Brewer (Journal of Social Issues)
 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0341/is_3_55/ai_58549254/pg_3/?tag=content;col1

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (November 10th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm. 

Our topic is: 
 
Ayn Rand: Objectivism and Other Works  (please RSVP on the Ockham's Cafe MeetUp)

I will be sending links in a few days.
 

[Jason Grosser]

(Information included on Ayn Rand below)

Fellow Ockamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (November 10th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm. 

Our topic is: 
 
Ayn Rand: Objectivism and Other Works  (please RSVP on the Ockham's Cafe MeetUp)

For More Information:
 
1). The Virture of Selfishness (attached and linked)
http://marsexxx.com/ycnex/Ayn_Rand-The_Virtue_of_Selfishness.pdf 
 
2). There is also a documentary called "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life" that you might want to watch.  

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (November 17th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm. 

Our topic is: 
 
Why don't fundamentalist Muslims recognize parallels with fundamentalist Christians and vice versa  

(please RSVP on the Ockham's Cafe MeetUp)

For More Information:

 Fundamentalism - A type of cultural/revitalization movement in which members attempt to address perceived social problems or disadvantages by restoring the perceived “fundamentals” or oldest, most important, and most “genuine” elements of culture or religious doctrines.
 
Just think about fundamentalism and perhaps Google it.  The above definition is one of many definitions of fundamentalism.

[Jason Grosser]

Fellow Ockhamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (November 24th) at Newk's Express Cafe at 6:30 pm. 

Our topic is: 
 
The TSA pat downs and body scanners at the airport: PROS vs cons  

(please RSVP on the Ockham's Cafe MeetUp)

For More Information:
 Fundamentalism - A type of cultural/revitalization movement in which members attempt to address perceived social problems or disadvantages by restoring the perceived “fundamentals” or oldest, most important, and most “genuine” elements of culture or religious doctrines.
 
Just think about fundamentalism and perhaps Google it.  The above definition is one of many definitions of fundamentalism.

[Jason Grosser]

*******NOTE THE DIFFERENT LOCATION FOR DECEMBER 8TH ONLY**********

 
Fellow Ockhamites:
 
We will meet this Wednesday (December 8th) at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery at 1571 Sycamore View Rd, Memphis, TN 38134 at 6:30 pm. 

Our topic is: 
 
WikiLeaks and all the responsibility, security, consequences, accountability and so forth associated with disseminating confidential information

 
(please RSVP on the Ockham's Cafe MeetUp)