Level of Difficulty: 2 out of 5 (This nature walk was previously planned to take place at Rock Creek Trail but due to overcrowding there on weekends, we have changed the location.) We'll walk along the quiet, mostly shady trails in the woods next to the Gardens, looking at the variety of plants, watch for pollinators in the meadow and listen for birds in the woods. Walking poles are recommended if your balance is compromised as the trails are not paved. When we return to the parking lot, you are welcome to stay and walk around the beautiful gardens at Brookside. Walkers will leave promptly at 10:00 am, so plan to arrive and park before then. (See additional walks: #248, 349, 437)  

The heart of French existentialism is radical freedom, but for two of its leading figures Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre their hearts were less free, connected to each other. They considered the institution of marriage to be bourgeois construction designed to dehumanize, but love was a different matter. We will examine the life, love, and philosophy that emerged from their relationship.  (See related classes #365 and 435.)

This two-part class will examine the personalities and true talent that made marquee headliners such as Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Gwen Verdon, and Angela Lansbury into great legends. Learn about their feuds, their odd choices and their ambitions. From Merman and Martin to Verdon, Lansbury and many others, these grand dames set the tone for an industry. Steve Friedman will infuse his presentation with many examples of their music, sung in his classically-trained tenor voice!

2023 is the 300th anniversary of the birth of Devonian portrait painter Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792). Reynolds rose in his art world to become a founder of the Royal Academy and its first President. Reynolds was a portrait painter who worked for the highest echelons of British society including the royal family.  Admiring the ancients and the Old Masters, he seemed to have an endless variety in his repertoire. He made it his practice to allude to classical statuary in posing his sitters. He also “softened” the extremes of contemporary dress, putting his female sitters in classically-inspired chemises. Is it any wonder that his contemporary and rival, Thomas Gainsborough, declared “Damn him, how various he is!” We’ll look at Reynolds’ career, his classical allusions, his important Discourses for the Royal Academy (still read today) and the technical problems with his work.

It is said that all philosophy after Plato is “merely footnotes”—so formative is the work of this fifth century BCE Greek philosopher. Using his dead teacher Socrates as a character in nearly all of his dialogues, Plato (429-347 BCE) essentially invents the philosophic method while laying the foundation for Western philosophy across metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Even now we recognize our own philosophical curiosity and longing in his remarkable writing and incomparable influence. In our ongoing series on The Great Philosophers, Plato is not one to miss.

The Law of Confession creates challenges for defendants and police alike. Hear an expert review of the Miranda warning and other legal principles that impact the admissibility of confessions. Special emphasis will be given to the use of video to ensure police compliance with protecting the rights of an individual in custody while obtaining a statement. We'll discuss the Miranda decision, police tactics and dealing with juvenile offenders, among many topics. Special emphasis will be placed on new rules regarding the interrogation of youth under the age of 18.

In August 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette, a Frenchman and the last surviving major general of the American Revolution, triumphantly returned to the country he loved. Over the next year, Lafayette covered over 6000 miles by carriage, stagecoach, canal barge, and steamboat, traveling to all 24 exiting states and “Washington City.” This presentation will cover the details of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour of America, and how it will be celebrated in 2024 – 2025.

American television was all set to launch in the late 1930s, but its progress was interrupted by the start of World War II. Finally, by the end of the 1940s, NBC and CBS began broadcasting to their east coast affiliates. They offered viewers a wide variety of programs: situation comedies, vaudeville-style revues, and most impressively, live original dramas. But by the end of the 1950s, the era of live TV “theater” was over. This presentation will look at the forces that made this “golden age” such an intriguing chapter in TV history and why it was so short-lived.

In 1611 Emilia Bassano was one of the first women to publish a book of poetry in England.  She may or may not have been descended from secret Jews.  As a few scholars have posited, she may or may not have been William Shakespeare’s “Dark Lady” of sonnets 127 to 154.  Controversially, as a couple of scholars have posited, she may or may not have been an author of some of the work published under Shakespeare’s name.  Author Jodi Picoult takes the above “maybes’ and runs with them for an extraordinary work of both historical and modern fiction combining Emilia’s imagined story with a modern-day descendant aspiring female playwright.  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.) (See other book discussions: #322, 362, 440; see also related class #344)

Known best for his role as “The Little Tramp,” Charlie Chaplin brought laughs and tears to film audiences throughout the world through a brilliant series of films spanning the silent and sound eras. This class will explore Chaplin’s career beginning as a poor boy on the English stage in the 1890s to a beloved but highly controversial actor more than 60 years later. We’ll discuss Chaplin’s life and contributions to film, including his work as a composer. There will be many film clips and a discussion of how Chaplin’s work developed and was received over time.

Join historian Jennifer Paxton as she examines the evidence for and against the existence of a warrior leader named Arthur, who supposedly stemmed the tide of the Anglo-Saxon advance into Britain in the late 5th century in the chaotic aftermath of the collapse of Roman rule. How much can history tell us about "King" Arthur, and how has his legend developed in the past millennium and a half?

Join historian Jennifer Paxton as she examines the evidence for and against the existence of a warrior leader named Arthur, who supposedly stemmed the tide of the Anglo-Saxon advance into Britain in the late 5th century in the chaotic aftermath of the collapse of Roman rule. How much can history tell us about "King" Arthur, and how has his legend developed in the past millennium and a half?

This class has been converted to online-only. Examining four technologies that have great potential to play a major role in solving, mitigating or reversing earth’s big challenges: water desalination, carbon capture utilization and storage, and batteries for EV’s and grid energy storage. A discussion of the potential help that the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence can provide.

Generative AI is the new artificial intelligence that can create original content. Millions of people are already using programs like ChatGPT to write books, create art, and develop code. Many believe it’s a once-in-a-lifetime technological breakthrough that could impact virtually every aspect of society and disrupt industries from medicine to law. In this class, you’ll learn about ChatGPT, You.com, the new Bing, as well as other AI programs, and how they can be extremely helpful but also potentially harmful. You’ll see ChatGPT, the new Bing, and You.com in action and learn how you can try them out for yourself!

For nearly 160 years, the Almshouse at the Montgomery County Poor Farm was the last resort for poor people who were unable to take care of themselves due to physical, mental, and developmental disabilities. A look at some of their stories, including how they lived and died, sheds a light on conditions there. Despite the oversight of county officials and the efforts of reformers, the Almshouse was a place where the poor were neglected, abused, and exposed to unsafe conditions until it closed in 1948.  (Image Credit: Montgomery County Poor Farm, ca. 1912. Lewis Reed, photographer (Montgomery History)

(At the instructor's request, this class date has been changed from June 21 to July 26.) Wireless technologies like Wi-Fi version 6 have provided home Internet users with incredibly fast speeds to enhance browsing and improve the home streaming experience to replace cable TV.  In the past, cellular technologies have been associated primarily with phone calls. A new era of cellular technology, especially the arrival of 5G towers, has opened up new possibilities for accessing the Internet with better connectivity at lower pricing. In this presentation we will review the latest technologies associated with wireless networks and cellular innovations and suggest practical implementations that can benefit the non-technical technology consumer.

The Library of Congress, the most richly decorated public building in Washington, has been called “our national monument of art.” It is more than that. Completed in 1897 on Capitol Hill across from the US Capitol and adjacent to the Supreme Court Building, the Library embodies a late 19th century vision in architecture, painting, sculpture, and mosaic of the West’s rich cultural heritage and America’s place in forwarding that tradition. How many of us have visited, let alone savored the beauty and magnificence of the Thomas Jefferson Building? Join us for a virtual tour of the rich decorations and inspiring stories told in our country’s preeminent “Temple of Knowledge.”  (See related classes #375 and 423.)

The movies and dancing are a partnership born in heaven. From its very beginnings, the new medium of motion pictures turned toward dance as one of the best ways to showcase its unique ability to make movement come alive. And through the decades, it’s been dancing on the big screen that has provided some of the most ecstatic moments in film history—whether it’s Fred Astaire gliding on the ceiling in Royal Wedding, the Nicholas Brothers leaping down a staircase in Stormy Weather, Moira Shearer pirouetting through the dreamscape of The Red Shoes, or John Travolta burning up the dance floor in Saturday Night Fever. Illustrated with more than 75 video clips, this talk will survey 130 years of thrilling movie dance performances and demonstrate the extraordinary ways cinema brought dance to life.