Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

“Here is the great paradox of Cosmic Comic Consciousness: The world is in serious condition, and yet there is definitely something funny going on.” Swami Beyondananda, whose favorite yoga pose is tongue-in-cheek (and occasionally foot-in-mouth) is bringing his comedy disguised as wisdom—or is it wisdom disguised as comedy—to The Commonwealth Club. If you’ve never been to The Commonwealth Club, this is your opportunity to not be there again—this is a virtual event! Seriously and humorously, in these way-too-serious times, this is the perfect opportunity to take humor more seriously and seriousness more humorously. Noted author Marianne Williamson has called the Swami “the Mark Twain of our times,” and as such Swami has a “one-twack mind”—that’s the laugh twack. And he has one “loco motive”—to keep you laughing till the sacred cows come home. Now the Swami is not one of those gurus who expects people to accept his teachings without questioning. If you have an answerable question for the Swami, the Swami will have a questionable answer for you. As the Swami tells us, there are two kinds of people in the world—the kind who divide people into two kinds and the kind who don’t. If you’re part of the former group, there are two other kinds of people in the world. The ones who love to laugh, and the ones who need to. If you fit either category, come laugh with (or at, he doesn’t care) the Swami. And invite your friends, because when it comes to laughter, the more the merrier. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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When Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris assumes her new office in January, she will leave a safe Democratic U.S. Senate seat in one of the bluest states in the country. The parlor game has begun of trying to figure out who Governor Gavin Newsom will appoint to replace Harris in the Senate. Should he choose a woman? Man? Asian-American? African-American? Latinx? European-American? LGBTQ? Rich? Poor? The Coalition of Black Women, composed of hundreds of Black women and organizations, hopes to influence the governor to replace Harris with another female African-American. Join us for a conversation with coalition supporters and Black women leaders who are emphasizing the need for diversity in our nation's leaders, pointing to the deficit in the representation of women and African-Americans in the U.S. Senate.

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It’s been in a challenging year, so we want to end the year on a high note (literally) with a very special virtual holiday party! We are thrilled to join with our friends at the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) to celebrate a Bay Area tradition: "A Christmas Carol." This year, for the first time in its 44-year history, the Bay Area’s favorite holiday theater performance comes to life as a fantastical immersive audio event—"A Christmas Carol: On Air." The Club’s annual holiday party will take you behind the scenes of the world premiere of this timeless story of optimism and humbugs, memories and redemptions, spooky presents and hopeful futures. During the party, we’ll hear from A.C.T.’s TONY Award-winning artistic director, Pam MacKinnon, "A Christmas Carol On Air" Director Peter J. Kuo, and A.C.T. Audio Engineer Jake Rodriguez about this year’s virtual effort and how they created this entirely new experience. We’ll even hear a special excerpt from this year’s all-audio performance. Please join us for this special event to kick off the holiday season . . .

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This presentation will introduce what light medicine is, how it works, and review the medical literature as well as their extensive clinical experience in treating neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injuries, strokes, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease, peripheral neuropathies, as well as nearly all painful conditions. Proponents say that the beauty of this safe and cost-effective technology is that it is available today and results are usually seen in just one or two 15- to 30-minute treatments. Len Saputo, M.D., is board certified in internal medicine and has pioneered the development of an integrative, holistic, person-centered, preventative health-care model called Health Medicine. He founded the Health Medicine Forum and has 20 years of experience working with light therapy and more than 50 years practicing medicine. Maurice Bales is an electrical engineer who holds the first U.S. patent and FDA clearance for a light machine. He was awarded five grants from NASA while working on the space shuttle, and has been employed by UC Berkeley to mentor Ph.D. students in fusion physics for two decades. MLF ORGANIZER Robert Lee Kilpatrick NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

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As our country faces the worst economic downturn in a century due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans are experiencing financial strain, leading to food insecurity and rising homelessness. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by both the coronavirus and the resulting economic crisis, creating multiple barriers to health. The health-care industry has long recognized the awful truth that race and economic status are linked and both are social predictors of health. The difference in life expectancy between the richest 1 percent and poorest 1 percent of Americans is about 12 years, and between Black and white people there is a 4-year gap on average, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, research shows that underrepresented populations tend to receive lower quality of care and experience greater morbidity and mortality from various chronic diseases. The renewed focus on race amid the COVID-19 pandemic and protests over societal bias provide an opportunity for structural change. In the United States, we spend more on health care and less on the social services that support healthier communities than most industrialized nations. Today’s pandemic continues to highlight how this mismatch in spending is driving some of our poor health-care outcomes. The potential for a significant rise in homelessness, food insecurity and other social issues amid COVID-19 will have drastic effects on health. We already know, for example, that chronic homelessness can cut 27 years from a person’s life. We cannot keep people healthy if they cannot keep a roof over their head and food on the table. Our country’s health-care system is already facing a massive challenge as it cares for those infected with the coronavirus. How can we address the physical, psychological, economic and social impacts of inequity and systematic racism to foster more equitable and healthier communities? Join a panel of experts as we explore opportunities to drive health equity.

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Amid dire news of increasing COVID-19 deaths and strict lockdowns this winter, we see vaccines being approved in record time. How and when will these vaccines be rolled out to hundreds of millions of Americans? Who will be offered them first, and when will the rest of us gain access? Will we take them when offered—and if not, will they be mandated? As these vaccines are dosed in unprecedented volumes here and around the world, how fast can they slow the spread of the coronavirus? Most of all, when can we get back to the activities we’ve been missing? Will vaccines ever allow life to return to normal? In the Club's final COVID program of the year, two experts will tell us what to expect, and when.

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At times it seemed that 2020 would never end, but here comes December, right on schedule, and we're holding our annual "Michelle Meow Show" year-end special. We'll relive a bit of the past year, we'll have some celebrity video cameos, and our featured speaker for the night is Sarah McBride, whom Delaware voters elected in November as the nation's first transgender state senator. McBride's career is steeped in politics. She worked on campaigns, including Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden's 2010 campaign and Governor Jack Markell's 2008 race. In 2012, she interned at the White House, becoming the first transgender woman to work there in any role. In 2016, she became the first openly transgender person to speak at a national party convention when she addressed the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Join us for fun program of looking back and forward, as we celebrate the end of this momentous year and we consider what's in store in 2021.

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Years before Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Colonel Patsy Thompson was forced to expel Army hero Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer for being a lesbian. What no one knew was that Thompson was as well. The way Thompson handled the military trial, however, led to Cammermeyer’s re-instatement via federal court and eventual change in military policy. While Cammermeyer’s memoir was adapted as a 1995 television movie by Barbra Streisand, Thompson’s story remained a secret . . . until now. Join us for a screening of the new documentary Surviving the Silence followed by a discussion with the principals involved. In addition to revealing history, Surviving the Silence explores Thompson’s life with now-wife Barbara Brass. They candidly share how they wrestled with heartwrenching choices in public and in private, hiding their relationship, and struggling to protect their love while preserving Patsy's career—and, how they emerged to become vibrant activists later in life.

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Join us for a conversation with the director and the stars of the new indie drama Take Out Girl. Writer, director, actor, cinematographer and creator Hisonni Mustafa Johnson is a rising star in the film world, garnering accolades and nominations for his television pilots (Fight Night Legacy, Olympia and Grayson: Earth One). Hedy Wong is an actress and writer known for Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks, Chinatown Squad, and the new Take Out Girl. And Alex Pham—better known by his stage name $tupid Young—is a Cambodian-American rapper, lyricist, entrepreneur and actor, who portrays an LAPD officer in Take Out Girl. His YouTube channel has garnered 34 million views; he also runs his own label, Afficials, which he founded in 2017. Johnson, Wong and Young will join us to discuss Asian-American experiences, diaspora, race relations, violence, and poverty. They will be in conversation with "Michelle Meow Show" co-hosts Michelle Meow and John Zipperer. NOTES: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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David Kennedy is one of America’s preeminent historians, having been awarded both the Pulitzer and Bancroft Prizes, among others. His scholarship is notable for its integration of economic and cultural analysis with social and political history, and for its attention to the concept of the American national character. Professor Kennedy is the inaugural speaker in the Club’s new series, The Future of Democracy. This series will explore challenges and threats to democracy in the United States, drawing on historical evidence and relating it to the current political and social landscape. Come for an engaging discussion of America’s past and current leaders and what they may portend for the direction of the country. NOTES This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s Future of Democracy Series, supported by Betsy and Roy Eisenhardt.

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