Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

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Whose Country Is It Anyway? Featuring Miko Marks and Tookta Topline Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

“Country music is the people’s music. It just speaks about real life and about truth and it tells things how they really are.” —Faith Hill

Miko Marks and Tookta Topline are two women who have both embraced and recoiled from the major music scenes in Nashville and Thailand before finding their true voices in San Francisco. Join us for a night of musical performance and conversation about how race and sexuality challenge what we think about country music. Revel in their musical talent while exploring each of their journeys as immensely talented musicians who don’t fit the industry mold.

This immersive experience will make use of The Commonwealth Club as an intimate, limited-capacity music venue for one night only! Delicious bites and drinks will be served as you mingle and engage directly with our artists.

About the Artists

Miko deftly blends country, blues, southern rock and even gospel to create a sound and experience that has literally brought every audience to its feet. Miko’s life as a Black woman in country and roots music is only a small part of the story. After living what seems to be multiple lives over, Miko has finally come into the life she was born to live—one of truth, authenticity, vulnerability, joy and honesty. Recent EPs include: "Our Country," described by The Wall Street Journal as a “genre and industry-defying mission”; "Race Records," which shined a light on the arbitrary divisions forced upon artists and audiences in the early days of music marketing in the 1940s; and the critically-acclaimed "Feel Like Going Home." Miko debuted at the renowned country music venue the Grand Ole Opry in 2022.

Tookta is a famous Thai Molam (folk, country) singer. She started singing at the tender age of 12 years old. Her sound and genre is specific to the Isaan region of Thailand. She has performed for an audience of over 100,000 on Mother’s Day for Thailand’s Queen. In addition to a successful career as a Molam singer, Tookta has also performed as a popular stand up comedian. Tookta’s latest release elevates the music style to expand beyond traditional narrative themes, inspired by LGBTQ+ activists and their own lived experience and has been embraced by millions pursuing a more inclusive Thailand during a tumultuous political period this year.

NOTES

Produced by The Commonwealth Club of California, World Affairs, and Michelle Meow.

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Stuart Stevens: The Conspiracy to End America Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

Will 2024 be America's last free and fair election?

That ominous warning comes from Stuart Stevens, a former chief Republican strategist whose clients included President George W. Bush; Senators Chuck Grassley, Dick Lugar and Dan Coats; and Governors Haley Barbour, John Kyl, Bill Weld and many others. He says the GOP is dragging our country toward autocracy, and the party is no longer a "normal" political party in the American tradition. Rather, he says it is an autocratic movement masquerading as a political party.

As the Republican party changed, Stevens exited his role in one of the country's most influential political strategy firms and joined the Lincoln Project, where he is currently an advisor.

Stevens wrote about his fear for the country in his provocative new book, The Conspiracy to End America. In it, he reviews the elements that are necessary for democracies to slide into autocracy, and he examines each of these forces on the modern American right and how they are working together.

Are these the last days of the old republic? Or can there be a renewed commitment to democratic governance? Don't miss this talk as Stevens flashes a blinking red distress alert as well as a rallying cry to beat back this threat.

Note: This podcast contains explicit language.

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Oldest San Francisco/Secret California Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

Think you know San Francisco and the rest of California? Think again. Two new books, Oldest San Francisco, and Secret California: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure, will inspire you to seek out spots even locals will be surprised to learn about and inspired to visit.

Oldest San Francisco, by Alec Scott, draws a picture of the sudden city that exploded in the Gold Rush. It tells the stories of the longtime institutions that have made the City by the Bay distinctive, visiting the oldest: bakery (Boudin), bike shop (American Cyclery). and brewery (Anchor, whose struggle to survive will be discussed). Scott speaks of civic fabrics―the oldest blue jeans and first rainbow flag―and even the oldest public affairs forum in the country (yes, The Commonwealth Club). Together the stories distill the ebullient, entrepreneurial spirit of San Francisco.

Secret California: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure, by Ruth Carlson, invites you to enter a live fairytale with aerial dancers, opera singers and a huge rabbit, to visit The Institute of Abnormal Arts―if you dare―and to watch silent movies in the East Bay theater where Charlie Chaplin premiered The Tramp. She sniffed out the country's only perfume museum, discovered an ancient society's crypt, and visited a second city underneath the state's capital.

Don't miss this enjoyable evening, which will include a trivia contest, selected readings from the authors’ books, and an audience Q&A. Everyone will leave with a deeper appreciation of what makes San Francisco San Francisco.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

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Making Big Bets with Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah Oct 30, 2023

Show notes

Throughout his career, Rajiv J. Shah has tackled some of the world’s most intractable challenges head on. At the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Shah played an integral role in the colossal effort to vaccinate 900 million children. At the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under President Obama, he led the U.S. response to the Haiti earthquake and the West African Ebola pandemic, served on the National Security Council, and elevated the role of development as part of our nation’s foreign policy. Now, as president of the Rockefeller Foundation, Shah oversees the global institution in its mission to promote the well-being of humanity around the world.

His approach to tackling some of the biggest humanitarian efforts of the 21st century? A "big bets" philosophy—the idea that seeking ambitious solutions rather than making incremental improvements can attract the unlikely partners with the power and know-how to achieve results.

His debut book, Big Bets, offers a masterclass in approaching challenges—regardless of magnitude—through decision-making, leadership and, of course, a willingness to make bets.

Come hear Shah as he illuminates his "big bets" philosophy on creating transformational and lasting change—in our own lives and well beyond.

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CLIMATE ONE: Is This a Joke? Comedy and Climate Communication Oct 27, 2023

Show notes

Laughter can be good medicine, but when is it okay to laugh at something as deadly serious as the climate crisis? Jokes help us remember information that otherwise might not be retained. A snappy punchline can be a powerful way to get a message through to an audience. Comedy can also be a way for performers and audiences alike to cope with a shared societal problem, like climate or social justice. Humor has a way of slipping through our perceived biases and giving us a new way of looking at challenges. How can we all learn to use humor both as a coping tool and a tool for change?

Guests:

Rollie Williams, Comedian, Host, Climate Town

Caty Borum, Provost Assoc. Professor, American University

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Jim Al-Khalili: The Joy of Science Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

It's a challenge to make the best decisions in a world that is unpredictable and full of contradictions. Help is now available in the form of advice from quantum physicist Jim Al-Khalili, who shares 8 lessons from the heart of science that he says can help people get the most out of life.

As he writes in The Joy of Science, Al-Khalili invites people to engage with the world as scientists have been trained to do. The scientific method has served mankind well in its quest to see things as they really are. Underpinning the scientific method are core principles that can be deployed outside of the laboratory too, in our own lives. Knowing the nature of truth and uncertainty, the role of doubt, the pros and cons of simplification, the value of guarding against bias, the importance of evidence-based thinking and more—Al-Khalili says these are all deeply relevant to everyday lives.

Jim Al-Khalili is distinguished professor of theoretical physics at the University of Surrey and is one of Britain’s best-known science communicators. His other books include The World According to Physics, Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed, and Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology.

MLF ORGANIZER: Gerald Harris

A Technology & Society Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

In Association with Wonderfest.

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CNN's Jake Tapper: All the Demons Are Here Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

As CNN’s anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper is one of the most respected journalists in news today. He is also a best-selling author, and his heart-pounding new thriller All the Demons Are Here takes us back to the 1970s, with two unforgettable characters encountering many of the real-life figures and events that defined one of the wildest and most dangerous decades in American history.

Hear more about his latest work and his take on the current political landscape.

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Matthew Davenport: The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 Oct 21, 2023

Show notes

At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck San Francisco, catching most of the city asleep. For approximately one minute, shockwaves buckled streets, shattered water mains, collapsed buildings, crushed hundreds of residents to death and trapped many alive. For the next three days, fires ignited and nearly destroyed what was then the largest city in the American West.

Join us in-person as Matthew Davenport describes the massive devastation and combines history and science to tell the dramatic true story of one of the greatest disasters in American history.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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CLIMATE ONE: Community Resilience: Knowing Your Neighbor Could Save Your Life Oct 20, 2023

Show notes

Disasters caused by burning fossil fuels are becoming more frequent, and in the aftermath of hurricanes, floods and wildfires, federal and state responses are often slow or insufficient. There is a growing body of research showing that neighborhood ties can be the difference between life and death: Socially connected neighbors are less likely to die from excessive heat or other extreme weather events. Community-based action, like mutual aid, can bring resources to people overlooked by overburdened governments. What tools can a community use to prepare for fossil fueled disasters?

Guests:

Tanya Gulliver Garcia, Director of learning and partnerships, Center for Disaster Philanthropy

Chenier “Klie” Kliebert, Executive Director, Imagine Water Works

Amee Raval, Research and Policy Director, Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)

Justin Hollander, Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy Planning, Tufts University

Reverend Vernon K. Walker, Climate Justice Program Director, Clean Water Action

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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It’s Not Just the Genome—AI Can Transform Primary Care Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

Join us for the 13th annual Lundberg Institute Lecture, featuring Bob Matthews of MediSync discussing the advances artificial intelligence is making in health care.

AI’s advances into various health-care fields have recently burst into public consciousness—generating excitement, concern and confusion among lay and professional observers. AI has already been relied upon in genomic medicine and in the automated analysis of diagnostic studies, but ChatGPT and Bard have liberated imaginations to consider many more potential applications. The task at hand, though, is determining whether those liberated imaginations are being realistic or unrealistic.

Medical news tends to focus on the newest and most technically glitzy innovations. even though they sometimes perform less well than advertised. Matthews will explore the immediate opportunities AI has for affecting the care of the most prevalent and important medical conditions, like chronic diseases, as that could quickly influence both the quality and the total cost of such care for the largest number of patients.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

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