Weekly Free Speech Forum established Jan. 6, 1951
College of Complexes
The Playground for People Who Think
sustaining the academic tradition of “One Fool at a Time”
Every Saturday at 5:00 PM CT
Dapper's Restaurant
2901 W. Addison, Chicago Free Parking
Tuition $3.00 and food/drink purchase
All meetings open to the public, no membership is maintained
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1 312 626 6799, 8 121 646 7150# US (Chicago)
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Meeting ID: 812 1646 7150
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The 1st meeting of the CoC was on January 6, 1951
November 19th
Medicare Under Threat - Stealth Program
First Developed under the Trump Administration
Meetings # 3,693 -
Linda Phenix, Houston resident, grassroots activist for healthcare justice, member of Physicians for a National Health Program and National Single Payer, also arising from a career in the performing arts, will discuss how, for decades, commercial insurance companies have chipped away at our crucial public health programs and the profits they receive from Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care, which are both lucrative and unconscionable, But they have their eyes set on an even bigger prize, Traditional Medicare. Today, ACO REACH is a stealth program out of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), first developed under the Trump administration as Direct Contracting Entities (DCE’s) to ‘manage’ the care of seniors on Traditional Medicare. It allowed third-party middlemen to pocket up to 40% of the dollars dedicated to patients in their care. It was rebranded as ACO REACH by the Biden administration, but the ‘new’ program still maintains all the problems of DCE’s: for profit middlemen straight out of Wall Street. Medicare beneficiaries get assigned without their knowledge or consent, and no Congressional oversight. Linda argues and concludes that we need to take action to end this ruinous experiment and recommit to a humane. efficient, and truly public Medicare.
More Information at https://protectmedicare.net/
November 26th
How to Think Logically
Meetings #3,694 - Philosophy Professor Robert Lichtenbert, Ph.d
Speaker states that: “I will be drawing mostly from my 40 years of experience teaching logic. I will insist that the laws of logic are absolute and universal. Then I will introduce the basic unit of logical thinking and its two main types, deduction and induction. Avoiding the many fallacies or mistakes in thinking will be next. The logic of language then will mainly concern defining ambiguous terms and avoiding emotional language. The final topic will be the scientific method. This consists of causes (that argue strongly against free will). I will touch on creative thinking, although this is far from logical!”
Information on books published by speaker:
December 3rd
Why We Need New National Holidays, and a Plan for a US Dept of Celebrations
Meeting #3,695 - Charles Paidok, cultural historian
The U.S. is the only advanced country with no national vacation policy whatsoever, thus occasional holidays are of greater importance. With the upcoming Christmas –New Years holidays consuming almost all of our society’s time and attention, Charles Paidock takes a thorough looks at the development of celebrations around the world through the centuries, and suggests replacing current ones on the calendar with a number of more suitable, secular national events. He advocates establishing a government agency to choose and schedule new and different ones each year.
December 10
Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA)
Meeting #3,696 - Rose Gomez, organizer and educator
Mission and Values
The program promotes equitable access to the solar economy through program incentives that help make solar more affordable for income-eligible communities.
Overview and Goals
Illinois Solar for All increases participation in solar energy projects serving income-eligible and environmental justice communities. Incentives are made available for residential properties, properties that house non-profits and public facilities, and community solar projects.
Information: https://www.illinoissfa.com/
December 17th
In Progress
Meeting #3,697 - college regular Timothy Bolger
December 24 and 31
Closed No Programs
January 7th
Open Microphone / Summary of the Mid-term Election
College of Complexes Year in Review 2022
and Your Predictions for 2023
Meeting # 3,698 - John Bachtell
list of topics discussed, individuals or organizations that made presentations
January 14th
On Culture, Critical Thinking & Understanding China In Fresh Perspectives
Meeting #3,699 -
Jian Li, Ph.D in anthropology and a Mandarin teacher, will introduce anthropological perspectives on culture and some insights to critical thinking from some leading social scientists. In addition, she will provide different perspectives on some of the hot topics on China by American expats who have worked and lived in China for over ten years. To further our understanding of China, she will also give some demographic comparisons between the U.S and the PRC. Lastly, she will share her thoughts on global challenges as well as the opportunities for the collaborations for peace and prosperities for both American and Chinese peoples and beyond.
January 21, 28
Open
Meetings #3,700 + 01- contact the program coordinator Charles Paidock if you would like to speak at (312) 842-5036, (312) 714-7790 cell, or by email to cpaidock@hotmail.com
February 4th
Program on Abraham Lincoln in progress
Meeting #3,702 - Nancy Spannaus
February 11, 18, 25
Open
Meetings #3,703+ contact the program coordinator Charles Paidock if you would like to speak at (312) 842-5036, (312) 714-7790 cell, or by email to cpaidock@hotmail.com
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The next open dates are
January 21, 28
February 11, 18, 25
Contact the
Program Coordinator
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No Meetings
Dec 24 + 31
