Open Circle
Sunday, June 11, Dr. Morris Schwarzblat will present “Exponential Technologies: A Road to Nirvana or to the Disappearance of the Human Race?” at the Open Circle in the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) Sala, 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Previous technological revolutions have allowed us to adapt gradually over a period of years. Industry 4.0 is changing things at lightning speed. What will be the changes that Artificial Intelligence, 3D printing, synthetic biology and robotics, e.g., will bring to our lives? What are the social, economic and ethical issues we will need to face? Will playing God end the human race as we know it?
Dr. Schwarzblat is a nuclear physicist with ample experience in academia, research and industry. He has worked in Mexico and Canada, where he lived for 16 years. Morris represented Canada as a member of the Co-ordinated Research Program on Artificial Intelligence at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. He is currently Director General of Science and Technology Development at the Jalisco Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
For more information, see opencircleajijic.org.
Democrats Abroad
The next meeting of the Democrats Abroad Lake Chapala Chapter will be held Monday, June 12, 4 p.m. at La Bodega Restaurant in Ajijic. Henri Loridans, a local lawyer and longtime resident of Mexico, will speak on “Flaws in Existing Health Care Systems” and “Single-Payer Health Insurance,” with particular reference to the expensive health care system in the United States compared to other countries. The U.S. system is the costliest among the ten wealthiest nations in the world, yet the general health of U.S. citizens is the worst among these countries. In addition, news on upcoming meetings and the July 4th Independence Day party sponsored by Democrats Abroad will be announced. Social gathering and botanas at La Bodega start at 3:30 p.m.
Lakeside Progressives
John de Waal will lead a discussion and critique on a Republican proposal to combat environmental pollution at the next meeting of the Lakeside Progressives, Tuesday, June 13, 4 p.m.
Believe it or not, it does seem to make sense.
The Lakeside Progressives is a group of like-minded people looking for progressive solutions to political problems. They meet on the second Tuesday of each month at the Peacock Garden Restaurant on Colon in Ajijic. The group’s Facebook page is Lakeside Progressives.
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Lost "At Sea" memorial
Chapala Mayor Javier Degollado and Harbormaster Luis Jorge Ochoa stand at the bow of a tourist launch ready to cast a memorial wreath into water to local boatsmen lost “at sea” in Mexico’s largest lake.
LCS seminar
Lake Chapala Society members are invited to attend a TED seminar, hosted by Susan Weeks, on “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown, on Tuesday, June 13, noon to 1:15 p.m. in the LCS Sala.
Brown studies human connection — our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity.
Buddhists
The Heart of Awareness Buddhist Sangha offers several opportunities for meditation practice each week. On Wednesdays the center opens at 3:30 p.m. with a formal meditation period, from 4-6 p.m. The one hour sitting and walking meditation is followed by a talk (live or recorded) and an opportunity for discussion. The sangha is open for silent sitting and walking meditation on Sundays and Mondays from 9-10 a.m. and on Thursdays from 11 a.m. - noon.
The Heart of Awareness is grounded in the teachings of the Buddha as preserved in the Theravada/Vipassana tradition. Prior experience or affiliation is not required. The sangha’s location is at Guadalupe Victoria 101 in Ajijic. For more information, visit heartofawareness.org, or call Janet Reichert, (331) 043-4669.
Aero Fest
A skydiver unfurled a giant Mexican flag as he dropped from the heavens, landing at the edge of Lake Chapala to kick off last Sunday’s action-packed Aero Fest. The second annual air show and collateral happenings drew thousands of spectators to La Cristiania Park for a full day of family fun and entertainment.
U.S. Flag Day
If you have an unserviceable U.S. flag that needs to be properly disposed of, you can drop it off at American Legion Post 7, Morelos 114 in Chapala, before U.S. Flag Day on June 14.
Tennis Championship
Junior tennis players from all corners of Mexico will compete in a national tournament June 15 through 19 at Chapala’s Cristiania Park, organized under the auspices of the Jalisco Tennis Association, and hosted by Chapala’s Academia de Tenis.
Competition will be open to male and female players aged 10 to 21 who are affiliated with the National Tennis Federation and divided into six age divisions for singles and doubles games, scheduled daily between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Spectators are welcome to attend and watch the young athletes vie for trophies and the accumulation of points to advance in the national amateur rankings. At least a half dozen of the local academy’s most promising trainees will be entering the tournament.
LCS picnic
The second annual Lake Chapala Society Picnic and Beer Fest is slated for Saturday, June 17, 2-6 p.m.
Music will be by the Ajijic Jamm Band. Various microbreweries, including Fortuna, Corazon Malta and Naipe, will offer their most recent brews for sale. The menu features hamburgers, hot dogs, corn-on-the-cob with all the fixings and scrumptious pies and cakes.
A raffle for a luxurious two-night stay at the oceanfront Villa La Estancia Beach Resort & Spa, Riviera Nayarit is scheduled.
Tickets are 100 pesos for members, 150 pesos for non-members, 180 pesos on the day at the gate (if not sold out) and are available at the Lake Chapala Society.
American Legion
American Legion Post 7 is sponsoring a presentation about all aspects of the Mexican Jalisco Chapala department of motor vehicles, Tuesday, June 20, 11 a.m. The class covers driver’s licenses to vehicle plates and more.
LCS Bus Trip
The Lake Chapala Society hosts a bus trip to Guadalajara’s Galerias Mall, with its adjacent Costco, Sam’s and Super Walmart stores, Wednesday, June 28. Major retailers include Best Buy, Sears and H&M, while restaurant choices include Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang and Applebee’s.
Cost is 350 pesos for members and 450 pesos for non-members. The bus departs promptly at 9:30 a.m. from the sculpture in La Floresta.