Les Johnson

Stammtisch

This discussion group has been meeting in the Huntsville, Alabama area for over 20 years.  Les & Carol have been active in the group for about 15 years and currently host the twice-monthly meetings in their home.  Membership is by invitation only -- the house is only "so big!"

  • Upcoming Program: Civil Liberties Issues in Alabama

    Scheduled for January 11, 2009

    The Stammtisch will host a guest speaker from the Alabama Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to discuss "civil liberties issues in Alabama today."

  • Upcoming Program: Northeast Alabama Paranormal Society

    Now scheduled for January 18, 2009 

    The Stammtisch will host a guest speaker from the Northeast Alabama Paranormal Society -- something definitely outside the scope of what we usually discuss!

  • Understanding the Financial Crisis

    November 16, 2008
    Steve Dow and Les Johnson will lead a discussion on the origins and potential impacts of the current financial crisis.

  • Green Energy

    September 28, 2008
    Robert Kennedy, an engineer and green energy consultant from Oak Ridge, TN will join the group to discuss the reality and myths of "green" solutions to our nation's energy problems.  Robert is also an entrepreneur and the owner/founder of the Ultimax Group.

    Post Meeting Update

    Robert's presentation was enthusiastically received and prompted a discussion that lasted until after 10:30 pm -- a new Stammtisch record!  Below is a photo from the evening:

    Robert Kennedy describes "green energy" alternatives
     

  • Book Report Night

    September 7, 2008
    Everyone should bring a copy of whatever book they're reading (or have recently read) and be prepared to give a "capsule summary" to the rest of the group.  The book can be fiction or non-fiction.

    Post Meeting Update -- Some of the books discussed were:

    • Babi Yar: A document in the form of a novel, A. Anatoli (Kuznetsov), Translated by David Floyd, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1970
    • Cool It: The skeptical environmentalist's guide to global warming, Bjorn Lomborg, Knopf, 2007
    • Devil May Care, Sebastien Faulks writing as Ian Fleming, Doubleday, 2008
    • Casino Royale, Ian Fleming, Penguin, 1953/2006
    • America Alone: The end of the world as we know it, Mark Steyn, Regnery, 2006
    • Origins of the Bill of Rights by Leonard W. Levy
    • Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass by Theodore Dalrymple
    • 1632 by Eric Flint
    • The Alchemist by Paulo Coeloho
    • Man's search for meaning by Victor Frankl
    • With a great master in India by Julian P. Johnson
    • Sri Sarada Devi, the great wonder from Vedanta Press
    • The fire within by Carlos Castenada
    • Stranger in a strange land by Heinlien
    • Re: Stammtisch This Sunday, September 7Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
    • In Search of Reality by B. d'Espangnat
     

     

  • The History of the Conflict Between Science & Religion, Part 2

    August 17, 2008
    We will continue our discussion of the history and 'evolution' of the real and perceived conflicts between religion and science.

  • The History of the Conflict Between Science & Religion, Part 1

    May 4, 2008
    The history and 'evolution' of the real and perceived conflicts between religion and science.  The topic is motivated by the realization that Copernicus' promotion of the idea that Earth was not at the center of the motion of heavenly bodies did not directly result in a backlash from  religious faiths. The implication is that conflict between faith and science is more complicated and as it turns out more distantly rooted in the past than might be thought.

  • Plus 20 years worth of past programs

    Unfortunately, we haven't been good at documenting our past programs...

Potential Upcoming Programs

1) The too-often postponed continuation of our philosophy of science and religion discussion begun late last spring.

2) Speaker from the North-Eastern Alabama Paranormal Society (http://www.nealparasociety.com/)

3) Speaker from the World Transhumanist Association (http://www.transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/index/)

4) Speaker from the ACLU to discuss civil liberties issues in Alabama

5) Speaker from a local university to provide a "status of feminism"

6) Guest speaker on the topic of "Green Engineering" 
7) The rise of internet barter economies -- and how they work in good economic times and bad
8) Watch and discuss the movie, The Lives of Others, which may spark a discussion of what a "right to privacy" really means.

Look for "Big Questions Nights" during which we will discuss:
Big Bang Theory — how and why did the universe begin?
Time Travel — is time travel physically or logically possible?
Meaning of Life — what's the point of living? why are we here?
Creation vs. Evolution — are we descended from apes?
Artificial Intelligence — could a computer have a mind?
Life After Death — what is death and why should we fear it?
Extraterrestrial Life — are we alone in the universe?
Cultural Relativism — are moral values relative or absolute?
Ethical Dilemmas — how do we decide between right and wrong?
Social Justice — should the rich help the poor?

German; noun

"A table in a beer parlor reserved for a group of regulars taking part in social discussion; a group of people gathering at such a table"

Copyright by Les Johnson. All rights reserved.