Philosophy-in-LA Discussion group topic decided

Hello Philosophy Fans!

I want to remind you that the April '09 Philosophy-in-LA Discussion group (http://philosophy-in-LA.tribe.net) is happening this Sunday, April 19, 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM. New participants from all backgrounds, points of view and religious belief (or non-belief) are most welcome. We'll be at our usual venue, the Community Room of the Yahoo Center, 2500 Broadway, between Cloverfield & 26th, Santa Monica, 90404. Driving/ walking directions are at the end of this email.

After the meeting, feel free to join us for dinner and more conversation at Monte Alban, an inexpensive and tasty Mexican/ Oaxacan eatery about a mile from where we meet. Location and directions are at the end of this email.

If you belong to MyPC, or our Meetup site, please update your RSVP on those websites! FYI, mark your calendar with the dates of our next two meetings: May 17 at 5 PM (the usual 3rd Sunday) and either June 21 or 28 at 5 PM (to be determined).

The winner of the vote and this Sunday's topic of discussion is:


THE boundaries between things: What is a "boundary" and in what sense is it real? What demarcates or separates a thing from its surroundings? Do the boundaries we talk about exist in nature and reflect the structure of the world, or do our minds or languages create the boundaries we seem to perceive?
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OPTIONAL READING: I've located only one optional reading for you this month, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/boundary/
Read what philosophers have been thinking and debating about in this Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article on Boundaries, one of the shortest entries of theirs I've seen. Unlike nearly all the previous questions we’ve talked about, this one is very abstract, and one which most people do not have many clear ideas about. Thus, you would do well to check out this article so you can participate in the discussion, rather than simply observe. Inspire and clarify your thinking on the ideas by reading or at least skimming it!

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OUR WEBSITE-- I've posted all of this info on our club's website, as usual, and I urge you to post your ideas and reflections on the issue to the site, and read what others say (either before or after Sunday's meeting). Use this link, "What’s a BOUNDARY, & is it real or mind-created?" (Or http://philosophy-in-la.tribe.net/thread/d20f1d89-9a7d-428b-b15c-e9e4ea419e64). The discussion thread by that name can also be found near the top of our home page, http://philosophy-in-LA.tribe.net

Most importantly, whether or not you post your ideas online, jot a few down and bring them to our discussion Sunday! Please bring a printout of this email (of the topic, at least) with you to the meeting.

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FYI, here are the full vote-by-email results for the month:
1) The Boundaries Between Things: What Is A "Boundary"…? (27.25 Votes)
2) Trust: What Is It, When Is It Worth It, And How Valuable Is It? (24.0 Votes)
3) Do We Have Moral Obligations To Dead People? (8.0 Votes)
2) Should We Restrict/ Discourage The Number Of Children People Have? (24.5 Votes)
5) Torture and Interrogation: How Do You Define Torture…? (8.0 Votes)
Each topic stays on the list until it wins or consistently receives a paltry number of votes. You may have noticed that the votes do not come in whole numbers. This is not because fractions of a person turn in votes, but because you receive one vote for your top choice, a half vote for your 2nd choice (if you had one), a quarter vote for your 3rd choice, and so on. Recent, regular participants at our gatherings have their vote doubled.

See you there!
Brian
angelonapinhead@gmail.com

Ps. Apart from my emailing list and word-of-mouth, the people you meet at our gatherings typically hear about us from one of these good websites that you might want to check out: www.hala.org, www.mypeopleconnection.com, www.readerscircle.org, and www.meetup.com

Pps. DIRECTIONS to the Community Room of the Yahoo! Center (formerly the Colorado Center), 2500 Broadway, at 25th St, between Cloverfield & 26th, Santa Monica, 90404-3065, 310-453-0333. From the 405, take the I-10 West, towards Santa Monica - go 2.2 mi. Take the CLOVERFIELD BLVD exit and turn Right on CLOVERFIELD BLVD. Go a half mile; turn Right on BROADWAY, go a quarter mile, park near 25th St. Parking is free on Sundays on Broadway & nearby streets, but much of 25th St is off limits; they will ticket you!

The Community Room is directly on Broadway at 25th St, at the corner of the building, a few feet from the "HBO Symantec" sign. It is directly across the street from the LA Art Institute and a bicycle shop. The room is not labeled, but you will notice its glass doors and plenty of windows with blinds on them. If you have trouble finding parking on the street, ample free parking is available in the parking garage beneath the building. The garage entrance is on the other side of the Colorado Center, so take Broadway to 26th St, turn right, take your first right (Colorado Ave); the garage entrance is at 2401 Colorado, on your right, just before Cloverfield. When you enter the garage, go straight as far as you can, turn right, go as far as you can and park near the 2500 building, where the "HBO" sign is. Walk up the stairs or take the elevator to "G" (the ground level), exit the building, take the short pathway until you can take a left (tennis courts will be in front of you), stop when you reach Broadway. The Community Room is a few feet to your left.

DIRECTIONS to Monte Alban restaurant, 1.17 mi. / 4 minutes from our meeting. They're an inexpensive and tasty Mexican/ Oaxacan eatery that's open till midnight, 11927 Santa Monica Blvd, West LA, 90025 (310-444-7736). Take Broadway to 26th st, go left, then a quick right on Santa Monica Blvd and you're there in 0.98 mi, just past Bundy and Brockton.