Upcoming Events: San Francisco
Wed 1/30
Iran: Is There Still Time For A Diplomatic Solution?
Date: Wed, January 30, 2013Time: 12:00 PM
Iran: Is there still time for a diplomatic solution?
Ambassador William H. Luers, Director, The Iran Project; Former U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia and Venezuela; Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe
Ambassador James Dobbins, Director, RAND International Security and Defense Policy Center; Former Assistant Secretary of State for Europe; Former Clinton and George W. Bush Administration Special Envoy to Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia, Haiti and Somalia.
Lieutenant General Frank Kearney (Ret.), Former Deputy Director, Strategic Operational Planning, National Counter-Terrorism Center; Former Deputy Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command
Philip Yun, Executive Director, Ploughshares Fund – Moderator
Former U.S. ambassadors Luers and Dobbins, along with Lieutenant General Kearney, all members of The Iran Project, will provide unique insight into the prospects of reaching a diplomatic solution with Iran regarding its nuclear program, especially in this time of renewed negotiations and a belief on the part of the Obama administration that there is still time for a political solution. Drawing from decades of experience working with both Iranian and U.S. officials, The Iran Project recently released the second of three reports, “Weighing Benefits and Costs of International Sanctions Against Iran.” The first report, “Weighing Benefits and Costs of Military Action Against Iran,” was released earlier this fall; the third is anticipated early in 2013. These reports present objective, nonpartisan, fact-based analyses designed to serve as a basis for an informed public discussion and have received prominent coverage. The Iran Project is composed of seven core members and an impressive and unprecedented list of 50 "validators," including military leaders, national security and foreign-policy experts, and former officials, who are working together to bring a nonpartisan perspective to this critical issue.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program
Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Also know: In association with Ploughshares Fund
Thu 1/31
Adventures in Cross-Cultural Etiquette: How to Avoid Faux Pas in Social and Business Situations
Date: Thu, January 31, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Adventures in Cross-Cultural Etiquette: How to Avoid Faux Pas in Social and Business Situations
Syndi Seid, Founder, Advanced Etiquette
Come gain tips on how to feel confident meeting anyone from anywhere in the world – advice that can help you win friends, influence people and close deals. Seid is a world-leading expert on international business and social etiquette and protocol. She travels the world to present her unique learning experiences that offer her audiences new skills they can put into action immediately.
MLF: International Relations
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Norma Walden
Also know: In association with the Northern California Peace Corps Association
Mon 2/4
Book Discussion: Consuelo by George Sand
Date: Mon, February 04, 2013Time: 5:30 PM
Consuelo
George Sand, famous for her many lovers, wrote more than 60 novels during her career. Written in 1842, Consuelo portrays the triumph of moral purity over manifold temptations. This Romantic novel of the musical life of a gypsy singer is noted for its rich depiction of Venice. The characters in Sand’s novels are enthusiastic and outspoken, with a bold manifesto of women's independence and a legitimate claim to emotional and sexual fulfillment. The title character is modeled on a well-known soprano of that age, Pauline Viardot. If you encounter the serialized volumes entitled “Consuelo,” the story we are reading is Volume I.
MLF: SF Book Discussion
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. program
Cost: $5 standard, MEMBERS FREE
Program Organizers: Barbara Massey and Howard Crane
Driving Growth
Date: Mon, February 04, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Driving Growth
Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund
Rhonda Zygocki, Vice President of Policy and Planning, Chevron
A flood of natural gas released by hydraulic fracturing is turning energy markets upside down. How will that affect the way the country powers its economy and moves around people and goods? Many countries are investing in clean fuels and putting a price on carbon emissions. Will the United States also start to price fuels to include their full costs? How will that impact the economy? Join us for a broad conversation with leaders of one of the country’s biggest energy companies and one of the world’s largest environmental organizations.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. networking reception
Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Tue 2/5
Solar Flares
Date: Tue, February 05, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Solar Flares
Lynn Jurich, President and Co-founder, Sunrun
Danny Kennedy, President and Founder, Sungevity
Marco Krapels, Executive Vice President, Rabobank
Lyndon Rive, Co-founder and CEO, SolarCity
Through all the growing pains and political attacks, the U.S. solar industry is still moving ahead. Costs are down, new financing models are removing capital barriers for residential and commercial buyers, and sun energy is no longer just for hippies. What is the solar forecast for 2013? How will the trade spat with China impact the sector? The glut of cheap natural gas promises to undercut renewable energy, yet at the same time it can be a ready complement for when the sun is not shining and the wind isn’t blowing. Join us for a spin around the sun.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. networking reception
Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Also know: Underwritten by Orrick
Leonard Susskind: The Theoretical Minimum - What You Need to Know to Start Doing Physics
Date: Tue, February 05, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Leonard Susskind: The Theoretical Minimum – What You Need to Know to Start Doing Physics
Felix Bloch Professor in Theoretical Physics, Stanford University; Director, Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics
Ever wish you knew more about physics? Want to know how to think like a physicist? Here is your chance. Come listen to world-class physicist Susskind, a father of string theory, to discuss the Theoretical Minimum – an alternative to the conventional go-to-college method. Susskind will discuss what you need to know to start doing physics and provide a tool kit for amateur scientists to learn physics at their own pace.
MLF: Science & Technology
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students
Program Organizers: Chisako Ress and Earl Ruby
Also know: Photo by Anne Warren
Fri 2/8
Week to Week 2/8/13
Date: Fri, February 08, 2013Time: 12:00 PM
Week to Week
Gina Baleria, Assistant News and Social Media Director, KGO; Lecturer, Beginning Radio and Multimedia Content Delivery, San Francisco State University
Debra J. Saunders, Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle; "Token Conservative" Blogger, SFGate.com
John Zipperer, Vice President, Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California -- Host
Additional panelists TBA
Our political discussion series returns in the new year to help try to make sense of the new Congress, Obama's second term, and all of the local, state and national issues that have the world vexed. Come enjoy the company of other informed citizens as our panel discusses (and occasionally disses) the current affairs. Throw in our popular news quiz, and you've got a program that's intelligent, informative and fun.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program
Cost: $10 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Mon 2/11
Fred Coleman: The Marcel Network - Saving Children from the Holocaust
Date: Mon, February 11, 2013Time: 12:00 PM
The Marcel Network: Saving Children from the Holocaust
Fred Coleman, Former Paris Bureau Chief, Newsweek; Author, The Marcel Network
Coleman presents an inspiring story of adventure, betrayal, imprisonment and survival. He’ll discuss the true story of a young couple in Nazi-occupied France who risked their lives against overwhelming odds to save 527 children from the gas chambers. An example of what only two people can accomplish in the face of crimes against humanity, their story is a lesson for today’s world.
MLF: Business & Leadership
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Kevin O’Malley
Seth Rosenfeld: Subversives
Date: Mon, February 11, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Subversives
Seth Rosenfeld, Author, Subversives: The FBI's War on Student Radicals, and Reagan's Rise to Power
Monday Night Philosophy explores some until-now secret details about the history of Berkeley in the 1960s : How the FBI disrupted and infiltrated student groups, the faculty and the UC administration; how that influenced California state politics; and how Governor Reagan worked with the FBI to develop one leg of his national political power base.
MLF: Humanities
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: George Hammond
Also know: Photo: Heidi Elise Benson.
Tue 2/12
Trade in Your Rights: Russia's Circuitous March to Democracy
Date: Tue, February 12, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Trade in Your Rights: Russia’s Circuitous March to Democracy
Pavel Khodorkovsky, President, Institute of Modern Russia
Khodorkovsky asserts that supporting civil society is critical in Russia’s current human rights and political environment. The son of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, well-known political prisoner, businessman and author, Pavel can’t return to Russia for fear of endangering his father. Pavel Khodorkovsky maintains close relationships with many Russian opposition leaders and will relay his thoughts on the current political situation and how Americans can support the democratic process.
MLF:INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Norma Walden
Also know: Photo: Marshall Troy Photography
Individual Matter
Date: Tue, February 12, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Individual Matter
Gernot Wagner, Ph.D., Author, But Will the Planet Notice?; Economist, Environmental Defense Fund
Christopher Jones, Researcher, CoolClimate Network
Environmental advocates urge individuals to start reducing their carbon footprint by taking one simple action such as changing light bulbs or going meatless one day a week. If everyone did that the carbon savings would be substantial, the thinking goes. Are such starter steps the beginning of a lifelong journey or actually deceptive, even counterproductive? Wagner argues that individual action is trivial and policy is what ultimately matters. Others contend technology (including nuclear power and genetically engineered crops) are vital to crafting a secure future. If the answer is individual and collective action – “all of the above” – what area should receive most public attention and resources? Proponents argue that it is not a question of "or" but of emphasis and priority. Come join in a conversation about markets, individuals, technology and how to bend the carbon curves in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m networking reception
Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Wed 2/13
Craft to Table: A Two Part Event with Restaurants State Bird Provisions and Bar Tartine
Date: Wed, February 13, 2013Time: 6:30 PM
Craft to Table: A Two-Part Event with Restaurants State Bird Provisions and Bar Tartine
Stuart Brioza, Chef and Owner, State Bird Provisions
Nicole Krazinski, Pastry Chef and Owner, State Bird Provisions
Nicolaus Balla, Executive Chef, Bar Tartine
Cortney Burns, Production Manager, Bar Tartine
Sara Deseran, Deputy Editor, San Francisco Magazine; Co-founder, Chefs Feed – Moderator
From dried spices to salumi, from kimchi to pickles, the most precious ingredients in today’s kitchens are made in-house. Some chefs are even busting out pottery wheels to make their own plates. It’s not really a surprise that San Francisco's progressive cooks have taken the sustainable and local ethos to the next level, but can and should chefs do it all? Do creativity and craftsmanship outweigh the high costs of an all-DIY operation? We’re on a mission to find out with this two-part event.
Part 1 Panel - February 13th: On Wednesday, February 13th, join us for a panel discussion with the dynamic duos behind two of San Francisco's top restaurants, State Bird Provisions and Bar Tartine. They’ll spill on the pros and cons of building your dishes (and your business) entirely from scratch.
Part 2 Party - February 17th: The following Sunday come see the super chefs in action at a cocktail party at State Bird Provisions. Brioza, Krazinski, Balla and Burns will be there to chat and demo all things pickling, smoking and pulverizing, while we snack on 10 of their best in-house creations. Tickets to the party (Part 2) are limited and include admission to the Part 1 (February 13th) panel and the party, filled with food, wine and entertainment.
Part 1 Panel Location: SF Club Office
Part 1 Panel Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. networking reception
Part 1 Panel Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Part 2 Party Location: State Bird Provisions, 1529 Fillmore St.
Part 2 PartyTime: 6 p.m. check-in, 6-8 p.m. party and demos
Part 2 Party Cost: $95 standard, $80 members (includes admission to the Part 1 panel on February 13th)
Fri 2/15
President Truman and Israel
Date: Fri, February 15, 2013Time: 12:00 PM
President Truman and Israel
Riva Gambert, Director, The Partnership for Israel of the Jewish Federation of the East Bay
Joe Epstein, President, Sierra Steel Trading LLP; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors - Moderator
Gambert will tell the fascinating story of how President Truman came to support the creation of the state of Israel on the heels of World War II despite the long-standing objection by the U.S. State Department.
MLF: Middle East
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program
Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, students free (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Celia Menczel
Jeffrey Frank, Senior Editor of The New Yorker and Author of "Ike and Dick"
Date: Fri, February 15, 2013Time: 12:00 PM
Jeffrey Frank
Senior Editor, The New Yorker; Deputy Editor, Outlook section, The Washington Post; Author, Ike and Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage
Joe Tuman, Professor of Legal and Political Communications, San Francisco State University; Political Analyst, CBS 5 Television, San Francisco - Moderator
Veteran journalist Frank presents groundbreaking narrative of the relationship between Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon – from the politics that divided them to the marriage that united their families. Frank’s book Ike and Dick relates much that occurred out of public view, such as the sensitive discussions among senior staffers concerned about Nixon’s proper role when Eisenhower suffered illnesses that might have incapacitated him. Based on deep archival research and interviews with dozens of men and women who knew and worked with both men, including family members, it offers fresh views of Nixon, the striving tactician, and Eisenhower, the legendary general, a distant man with a warm smile, who could, and did, make Nixon’s life miserable.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE
Also know: Part of the Good Lit Series, underwritten by The Bernard Osher Foundation. Photo: Jon Reis .
Tue 2/19
John Taylor: Rules for America's Road to Recovery
Date: Tue, February 19, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
John Taylor: Rules for America’s Road to Recovery
Professor of Economics, Stanford University; George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Economics, Hoover Institution; Author, First Principles: Five Keys to Restoring America's Prosperity
Leading economist Taylor will detail his plan to rebuild the country's economic future by returning to founding principles of economic and political freedom – limited government, rule of law, strong incentives, reliance on markets, a predictable policy framework – and reconstruct its economic foundation from these elements. Channeling his high-level experience as both a policymaker and researcher, Taylor will focus on current policy issues – the budget, monetary policy, government regulation, tax reform – and lay out bold strategies designed to place the country on sound footing in each of these areas.
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
How to Keep All the Important Balls in the Air
Date: Tue, February 19, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
How to Keep All the Important Balls in the Air
Linda Hawes Clever, M.D., Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF; Associate Dean of Alumni Affairs, Stanford University School of Medicine; Member, Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences; Author, The Fatigue Prescription: Four Steps to Renewing Your Energy, Health and Life
Juggling can be exhilarating and exhausting – and dangerous. Many of us have become adept at keeping several balls in the air at once. What can you do, however, to adjust when new balls get tossed into the picture, or when life throws you a curve or when you just want to rest a bit? How can you set priorities, assemble help and helpers, or, frankly, let go? This program's give-and-take could add spice, skills and wisdom to your lives. We will explore practical and powerful ways to refresh, build effectiveness and enthusiasm, and work toward finding or re-finding your sense of purpose. We’ll discuss values, how best to say “No” and “Yes” at the right times in your career and life, and the pluses and minuses of being “driven.”
MLF: Health & Medicine
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: William Grant
Science & Technology Planning Meeting
Date: Tue, February 19, 2013Time: 6:15 PM
Science & Technology Planning Meeting
Join fellow Club members with similar interests and brainstorm upcoming Science & Technology programs. All Commonwealth Club members are welcome. We explore visions for the future through science and technology. Discuss current issues and share your insights with fellow Club members to shape and plan programs for the months ahead.
MLF: Science & Technology
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 6:15 p.m. planning meeting
Cost: FREE
Program Organizer: Chisako Ress
Also know: Photo: Sapperlott/Flickr
Thu 2/21
Applying the Wisdom of Mr. Rogers to the Workplace
Date: Thu, February 21, 2013Time: 12:00 PM
Applying the Wisdom of Mister Rogers to the Workplace
Donna D. Mitroff , Independent Children's Media Consultant and Critic; Author, Fables and the Art of Leadership: Applying the Wisdom of Mister Rogers to the Workplace
Ian I. Mitroff, Adjunct Professor, UC Berkeley; Author, Swan, Swine and Swindlers
David Newell, Actor, Mr. McFeely on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood"
Fred Rogers is one of the great icons of American culture. The values and philosophy for which he is famous have endured for multiple generations. This panel brings those same values and philosophy to the workplace, where they are needed more than ever. Ian and Donna Mitroff have created a work applying carefully curated fables and stories that Mr. Rogers told, and bringing them with a unique application into business and to everyday life.
MLF: Business & Leadership
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Kevin O'Malley
Aphra Behn: Restoration Spy, Poet, Dramatist, Novelist, Abolitionist
Date: Thu, February 21, 2013Time: 6:00 PM
Aphra Behn
Patricia Lundberg, Emerita Professor of English and Women's Studies, Indiana University Northwest; Executive Director, Humanities West
Aphra Behn was the earliest known British woman to have earned her living as a writer. Born in 1640, she traversed the rowdy literary and political landscape of the Restoration era in England and dedicated her life to pleasure and poetry, as well as a bit of intelligence work for the government. She wrote plays, novels and poems in the same bawdy vein as her male peers, using her spy moniker, Astrea. Nearly 300 years later, Virginia Woolf credited Behn with earning women the right to speak their minds. Lundberg will discuss the literary works and personality that made this writer at once famous and infamous.
MLF: Humanities
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: George Hammond
Also know: In association with Humanities West