Upcoming Events: San Francisco
Tue 6/18
Sea Surge
Date: Tue, June 18, 2013Time: 12:00 PM
Brian Fagan, Author, The Attacking Ocean: The Past, Present and Future of Rising Sea Levels
Meg Caldwell, Senior Lecturer in Law, Stanford University; Executive Director, Center for Ocean Solutions, Woods Institute for the Environment
With more than 40 percent of the world’s population living in coastal areas, the impacts of climate change and human exploitation on the world’s oceans is becoming increasingly hard to ignore. Sea levels are rising and endangering important infrastructure and homes. Coral and shellfish are struggling to survive as the waters undergo acidification caused by increased levels of absorbed CO2. Hundreds of years of increasingly efficient fishing techniques have left the oceans’ natural biodiversity severely depleted. What role do oceans play in the world’s economy? How will the changes be felt and how will they be adapted to? Is there anything we can do to slow the tide? Join us for a conversation on the impact of a changing climate on the Earth’s oceans.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. networking reception
Cost: $20 non-members, $48 non-members with book, $12 members, $40 members with book, $7 students (with valid ID)
Also know: The speakers and audience will be videotaped for future broadcast on the Climate One TV show on KRCB TV 22 on Comcast and DirecTV.
Jonathan Alter: The Obama Presidency
Date: Tue, June 18, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Jonathan Alter, Columnist, Bloomberg View; Author, The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies; Twitter: @jonathanalter
Joe Tuman, Professor of Legal and Political Communications, San Francisco State University; Political Analyst, CBS 5 Television, San Francisco - Moderator
Alter uses his unmatched access and deep knowledge of politics and history to produce an unparalleled account of America at the crossroads. Peering behind the curtain at the White House and the presidential campaigns with exclusive reporting and rare historical insight, Alter reveals the twists, turns and high-stake political decisions of the Obama presidency. Alter also examines Obama's adversaries, providing fresh details about the Koch brothers, Grover Norquist, Roger Ailes and the online haters who suffer from what Alter calls “Obama Derangement Syndrome.” Alter takes us inside what he calls the GOP “clown car” primaries as well as Obama’s disastrous preparation for the first debate. We meet Obama's analytics geeks working out of "The Cave" and the man who secretly videotaped Mitt Romney's infamous comments on the "47 percent." Don't miss a chance to hear the famed journalist deepen our understanding of Obama’s presidency, the 2012 election stakes and the future of his second term.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. networking reception
Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Also know: Photo by Kristopher Long
Wed 6/19
Governors Ritter and Whitman: Risk and Resilience
Date: Wed, June 19, 2013Time: 12:00 PM
Bill Ritter Jr., Former Governor of Colorado
Christine Todd Whitman, Former Governor of New Jersey; Former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Hurricane Sandy and the devastating Colorado fires of 2012 underscore the idea that climate disruption is amplifying natural disasters, if not causing them. Sandy and other disasters last year caused more than $100 billion in damage. Politicians are grappling with who bears those costs and whether and how areas such as the Jersey Shore should be rebuilt.
What lessons do the fires and storms of 2012 present for other states? What does climate science say about the probability of similar disasters? Join a conversation with two former state chief executives about learning from recent disasters and marshaling political will to confront the climate reality.
Location: Montgomery Room, Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St., San Francisco
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. networking reception
Cost: $25 non-members, $15 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Also know: The speakers and audience will be videotaped for future broadcast on the Climate One TV show on KRCB TV 22 on Comcast and DirecTV.
Sir Ken Robinson: Revolutionizing You
Date: Wed, June 19, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Sir Ken Robinson, Speaker; Advisor on Education in the Arts; Author, The Element and Finding Your Element
Ninive Calegari, Co-founder, 826 Valencia; Co-author, Teachers Have it Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America’s Teachers; Producer, American Teacher
TED Talks rock star Robinson's 2006 talk about revolutionizing educationby having it nurture rather than undermine creativity is the most viewedin TED¹s history. He is an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources in education and in business. Robinson works with governments and educational systems in Europe, Asia and the United States, with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies and some of the world¹s leading cultural organizations. He was a professor of education at the University of Warwick in the UK and author of The Element and its new follow-up, Finding Your Element, a practical guide to self fulfillment by converging your natural talents and personal passions.
Time: 5:15 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: General admission: $25 non-members, $15 members, $7 students (with valid ID); Premium (priority seating with copy of Finding Your Element): $55 non-members, $40 members.
Also know: Photo by Cindy Gold
Your Network Is Your Net Worth
Date: Wed, June 19, 2013Time: 6:30 PM
Porter Gale, Author, Your Network Is Your Net Worth
In Conversation with Guy Kawasaki, Founder, Alltop.com; Author; Formerly Chief Evangelist, Apple
In today’s world, your network is your greatest asset. The most powerful currency in this interconnected new economy might not be money but connections. Relationships are key to success, wealth and happiness, and technology is further transforming the game of networking. In her new book, Your Network Is Your Net Worth, Gale lays out a how-to guide for increasing your net worth by strengthening those relationships and connections. Join us to learn the art of cultivating valuable relationships and how networking can help you meet your goals and beyond.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. reception and book signing
Cost: General: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID); Premium ( reserved seating and premium reception with speakers. Limited to 65 guests): $45 non-members, $30 members
Thu 6/20
North Beach Walking Tour #12
Date: Thu, June 20, 2013Time: 2:00 PM
This event is sold out. There is not a wait list.
Join another Commonwealth Club Neighborhood Adventure! Explore vibrant North Beach with Rick Evans during a two-hour walk through this neighborhood with a colorful past, where food, culture, history and unexpected views all intersect in an Italian “urban village.” In addition to learning about Beat generation hangouts, you’ll discover authentic Italian cathedrals and coffee shops.
Location: Meeting Spot is Washington Square Park at Saints Peter and Paul Church (Filbert & Powell). Transportation to Washington Square Park is either the 30 bus or the 41/45 - all of which stop right in front of the park. Our guide will be on the steps of the church. The official address is 666 Filbert, between Columbus and Stockton. Please meet at 1:45, depart by 2. Parking Lot option: North Beach Garage, 735 Vallejo Street (between Powell and Stockton)
Time: 2-4 p.m. tour
Cost: $45 non-members, $35 members
Also know: Limited to 20 people. Must pre-register. Tours operate rain or shine.. Photo by Flickr user Clemson.
Fri 6/21
Mineta National Policy Summit on Transportation Finance: Catching up with the Rest of the World
Date: Fri, June 21, 2013Time: 9:00 AM
Catching up with the Rest of the World
Keynote: Ray LaHood, U.S. Transportation Secretary
Introduced by Norman Y. Mineta, U.S. Secretary of Transportation (retired)
Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Ph.D., Director, Mineta Transportation Institute's National Transportation Finance Center
Flora Castillo, Chair, American Public Transportation Association
Malcolm Dougherty, Director, California Department of Transportation
Jeff Morales, CEO, California High Speed Rail Authority
Mortimer Downey, Former US Deputy Secretary of Transportation – Moderator
Time: 8:15 a.m. check-in and continental breakfast, 9-11 a.m. program
Cost: FREE
Also know: Underwritten by the Mineta Transportation Institute
Mon 6/24
Middle East Discussion Group
Date: Mon, June 24, 2013Time: 5:30 PM
Make your voice heard in an enriching, provocative and fun discussion with fellow Club members as you weigh in on events shaping the face of the Middle East. Each month, the Middle East Member-Led Forum hosts an informal roundtable discussion on a topic frequently suggested by recent headlines. After a brief introduction, the floor will be open for discussion. All interested members are encouraged to attend. There will also be a brief planning session
MLF: Middle East
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. program
Cost: FREE
Program Organizer: Celia Menczel
Anita Raghavan: The Billionaire's Apprentice
Date: Mon, June 24, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Raghavan crisscrosses the globe to uncover the story of Rajat Gupta¹s meteoric rise from Delhi¹s hyper-competitive Indian Institute of Technology to the inner sanctum of corporate America as head of McKinsey & Co., and his tragic fall in 2012, when he was convicted on insider trading charges connected with an investigation of one of the world¹s largest hedge funds, The Galleon Group. Raghavan peels back the curtain on the recent rise of Indian emigres (and children of emigres) up through the ranks of the United States' most influential companies.
MLF: Asia Pacific Affairs
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: D. Lai
Also know: Photo by Glen Davis
Brian Michael Jenkins: How Safe Is America Today?
Date: Mon, June 24, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Brian Michael Jenkins: How Safe is America Today?
Director, Mineta Transportation Institute’s Transportation Safety and Security Center; Author, When Armies Divide: The Security of Nuclear Arsenals During Revolts, Coups, and Civil Wars
Dr. Gloria Duffy, President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club - Moderator
One of the world’s foremost authorities on terrorism offers his take on current domestic challenges and on the latest developments in international terrorism, in Syria and other parts of the Middle East. What could and should the U.S. do to prevent further tragedies like the Boston Marathon bombing? How active are terrorist groups within the United States? What can both the government and citizens do to keep our country safe?
Location: Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Tue 6/25
How to Self-Insure for Long-Term Care
Date: Tue, June 25, 2013Time: 5:15 PM
Denise Michaud, Certified, Corporation for Long-Term Care; Independent Insurance Broker
Gene Pastula, Certified Financial Planner; President, Westland Financial Services, Inc.
With estimates indicating that two out of three older Americans eventually require convalescent care, paying for long-term care is a huge financial concern, with costs running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. With the cost of care in the Bay Area among the highest in the country and rapidly increasing, planning ahead is critical to managing out-of-pocket costs. How can people reject long-term care insurance and choose to self-insure? Learn how trends in legislation have resulted in creative options to leverage assets three to six times when they are needed most.
MLF: Grownups
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 4:45 p.m. networking reception, 5:15 p.m. program
Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: John Milford
Also know: In association with San Francisco Village and San Francisco Senior Center
The Future of Presidential Debates in the American Electoral Process
Date: Tue, June 25, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Wed 6/26
SF Pride Presents: Supervisors David Campos and Scott Wiener
Date: Wed, June 26, 2013Time: 5:15 PM
David Campos, San Francisco Supervisor, District 9
Scott Wiener, San Francisco Supervisor, District 8
Earl Plante, Executive Director, SF Pride
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 4:45 p.m. networking reception, 5:15 p.m. program
Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Julian Chang
Also know: In association with SF Pride
America's Cup Oracle Team USA: Racing on San Francisco Bay
Date: Wed, June 26, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Jimmy Spithill, Oracle Team USA Skipper
Norbert Bajurin, Commodore, Golden Gate Yacht Club
Julian Guthrie, Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle; Author, The Billionaire and the Mechanic: How Larry Ellison and a Car Mechanic Teamed Up to Win Sailing's Greatest Race, The America's Cup
Michael Krasny, Host, "Forum," KQED – Moderator
The danger and drama surrounding this summer's America's Cup race in San Francisco make this perhaps the most controversial event in the long history of the race. Defending champion Oracle Team USA is taking on challengers in its ultra-fast, aero-dynamically designed, 72-foot catamarans. Oracle owner and billionaire Larry Ellison has spent millions of dollars on the home team's sailing fleet and has united with some unlikely partners to bring the race to the city. Join us to meet the key players in Oracle Team USA and the journalist who has documented their journey as they share their behind-the-scenes insights into how these massive high-tech sailboats work and how the team has prepared to keep the oldest trophy in sports history – even sailing in the rough and unpredictable waters of San Francisco Bay.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Also know: Photo: ORACLE TEAM USA/Guilain Grenier
Thu 6/27
Walking the Way
Date: Thu, June 27, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Robert Rosenbaum, Ph.D., Neuropsychologist; Psychotherapist; Zen teacher; Credentialed mountaineer; Dayan QiGong instructor; Author, Walking the Way: 81 Zen Encounters with the Tao Te Ching
Rosenbaum combines his experience in neuropsychology, psychotherapy and Zen teaching with the Tao's ancient guidance to suggest that rather than always "pouring more and more into a vessel," we all need to also stop and cultivate stillness order to recover, revive and endure. Come hear a refreshing new interpretation of the Tao te Ching and glean insights into how to ensure a life well-lived.
MLF: Psychology
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Anne W. Smith
Clay Shirky: The Internet. Powered by Love.
Date: Thu, June 27, 2013Time: 6:30 PM
Clay Shirky, Social Media Theorist; Author, Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations and Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consumers into Collaborators; Adjunct Professor, NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program
Contrary to popular opinion, the Internet does not run on magic or a series of complex electronic and wireless signals. According to writer and big-thinker Clay Shirky, the Internet really runs on love – group love, that is. With decentralizing technologies, the Internet is facilitating new kinds of global cooperation via peer-to-peer sharing, wireless capability and open-source development. In his studies of the effects of the Internet on society, Shirky asserts that the actions of a group add up to something more than just the sum of individual actions, giving collaborative efforts online great potential for change. Join us as this leader among the digerati delves into how the production capacity of the Internet, plus the willingness of humans to share with one another, is allowing ordinary citizens to shape our culture in unprecedented ways.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. networking reception
Cost: General admission: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID). Premium (includes reserved seating and premium reception with speakers): $35 non-members, $25 members
Mon 7/1
Chango’s Beads and Two-Tone Shoes by William Kennedy
Date: Mon, July 01, 2013Time: 5:30 PM
When journalist Daniel Quinn meets Ernest Hemingway at the Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba, in 1957, he has no idea that his own affinity for simple, declarative sentences will change his life radically overnight. So begins William Kennedy’s novel, a tale of revolutionary intrigue, heroic journalism, crooked politicians, drug-running gangsters, Albany race riots, and the improbable rise of Fidel Castro. Come discuss this book with fellow lit lovers. As a reminder, the author will not be present.
MLF: SF Book Discussion
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. program
Cost: $5 non-members, MEMBERS FREE
Program Organizers: Barbara Massey and Howard Crane
Rendezvous with Destiny
Date: Mon, July 01, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
How Franklin D. Roosevelt and Five Extraordinary Men Took America into the War and into the World
Michael Fullilove, Author, Rendezvous with Destiny; Executive Director, the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia; Nonresident Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution
Fullilove tells the remarkable untold story of the five special envoys sent by Franklin Roosevelt on dramatic and often dangerous missions to Europe in the lead-up to the U.S. entry into WWII. Taken together, their missions plot the arc of our nation's transformation from a reluctant middle power into the global leader. Leading historian and foreign policy scholar Fullilove tells the story of these missions and their relevance for U.S. foreign policy today.
MLF: Humanities
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: George Hammond
Mon 7/8
Explore the World from The Commonwealth Club
Date: Mon, July 08, 2013Time: 5:30 PM
Explore the World from The Commonwealth Club
All interested Club members are welcome to attend bimonthly one-hour planning meetings of the International Relations Member-Led Forum. We focus on Europe, Latin America, Africa and worldwide topics. Join us to discuss current international issues and plan programs for the rest of 2013.
MLF: International Relations
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. planning meeting
Cost: FREE
Program Organizer: Norma Walden
The Alchemy of Humor
Date: Mon, July 08, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Steve Bhaerman, Author; Performer (as Swami Beyondanda)
Monday Night Philosophy laughs along with the enlightening philosophy of humor elucidated by Bhaerman (the man behind Swami Beyondananda). His hilarious and insightful talk will inspire you to use the magic of humor to gain wisdom, perspective and of course, joy. You'll laugh while you learn and learn while you laugh!
MLF: Humanities
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: George Hammond