It reads like a thriller; yet the story of an almost ten-billion dollar disaster is all too true and a harbinger of times to come. Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada used to be America’s biggest foreign supplier of oil. Then came May 2016, and the usual cyclic fire in the adjacent northern-climate forest burned until August 2017. Charles Darwin credited the development of human society to both the development of language and the control of fire; in a hotter world, the control of fire is evolving. The book was a finalist for the National Book Award, was named on multiple Best Books of 2023 lists, and won the Baillie Gifford Prize. Please read the book so you can participate in our structured, facilitated, Zoom discussion. (Note: Please join the meeting at 3 pm if you would like some assistance using the features of Zoom. Otherwise, join us at 3:15 pm for the start of our discussion.)

The U.S. Census, taken every ten years, offers historical snapshots of a given time and place.  We’ll discuss the census from 1790 to 1950 and the history it reveals.

In 1792, President George Washington announced America’s first official architectural design competition – for the future U.S. Capitol Building. He rejected a series of uninspired and even bizarre proposed designs before enthusiastically embracing William Thornton’s distinctive submission. That competition effectively established an official neoclassical style for public buildings in Washington and across the country that lasted well into the 20th century, and inaugurated a practice of design competitions for public buildings and national memorials that continues to this day. In this talk, we’ll review the legacy of the Capitol competition and consider whether public competitions are still relevant.  (See related classes #403 and 423.)

In 1792, President George Washington announced America’s first official architectural design competition – for the future U.S. Capitol Building. He rejected a series of uninspired and even bizarre proposed designs before enthusiastically embracing William Thornton’s distinctive submission. That competition effectively established an official neoclassical style for public buildings in Washington and across the country that lasted well into the 20th century, and inaugurated a practice of design competitions for public buildings and national memorials that continues to this day. In this talk, we’ll review the legacy of the Capitol competition and consider whether public competitions are still relevant.  (See related classes #403 and 423.)

(At the instructor's request, this class date has been changed from June 7 to June 29.) The new age of computing means we barely ever store things on our devices anymore.  Instead, we keep our beloved photos, documents, and videos in the ubiquitous "cloud." However, cloud computing takes many forms and it can become confusing to figure out how to get the most of each service. This class covers the major providers such as Microsoft, Apple and Google and the applications that are most commonly cloud-based, such as streaming, file storage and office applications.  

Please join us for Oasis Volunteer Day at Comfort Cases. Comfort Cases serves children being placed in foster care.  Most are removed from their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs.  Through Comfort Cases, these children receive a special bag containing a cozy new pair of pajamas, a brand new warm blanket, and a new stuffed animal to hug during the traumatic transition into foster care. Volunteers will meet at the Comfort Cases National Center to help with processing donations, counting inventory, assembling Comfort Cases, and other miscellaneous tasks. Volunteers are responsible for their own transportation.  Meet no later than 2 pm at 9300 Gaither Road, Gaithersburg, MD  20877 (note new location). Please wear comfortable clothes that you can move in and closed-toe shoes for standing. Limit:  10

Ambassador Rubin will highlight challenges and opportunities to the U.S. foreign service in the modern world. He will stress the importance of strengthening U.S. diplomacy as we compete for economic and political influence on the global stage.

(changed to online only) JCA's mission is to help older adults in the greater Washington, DC region thrive.  Learn about JCA’s information and referral programs. We provide personalized guidance on everything from housing to transportation and more.

The French Revolution inspired painter Jacques Louis David’s sublime Death of Marat and Eugene Delacroix’s heroic Liberty Leading the People. These paintings are powerful statements about the ideals, the sacrifice, and the moral conflict associated with the revolution and its aftermath. In this talk, we’ll consider how artists including David, Goya, Delacroix, and Delaroche interpreted the shifting sands of revolutionary politics and their own changing allegiances – themes that resonate today in the toppling of Confederate statues and other contested chapters of American history.

“The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it,” Dylan Thomas once remarked. By that measure, this celebrated Welsh poet changed the world many times over, becoming famous not only for his lyrical, soul-stirring poetry, but also his turbulent, hard-drinking lifestyle. Join us as we “burn and rage at close of day” in celebration of this incandescent spirit. Author Daniel Stashower explores Thomas’s life and legacy, and actor Scott Sedar offers dramatic readings of his most acclaimed poems.