December Mini Courses   

**This class will be taught In-Person**

Suspended between a glorious past and a threatening present, Fez is 1200 years old, with a 9th-century university, 11th-century tanneries, 14th-century madrasas, and massive 15th-century fortifications. Postcard  picturesque, puzzling and seductive, its apparent irrationality conceals a deep functional logic. It is still  renowned as the spiritual capital of Morocco, and is striking by its sheer density of life. Split into a French New Town and ancient Arab medina, it became a center of anti-colonial resistance, and since independence in 1956, of opposition to government tyranny. Now its artisan- and women-led community organizations stand tenaciously against tourism-driven commercialization, ‘patrimonialisation’ and gentrification.

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

This mini course offers a concise introduction to the core teachings and practices of Buddhism. Explore the life of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and key concepts such as karma, rebirth, and mindfulness. Students will gain insight into the diverse traditions of Buddhism and their relevance today.  Ideal for beginners, this course encourages thoughtful exploration of Buddhist philosophy, ethics, and meditation practices.

The Middle East is changing before our eyes. Peace initiatives, ceasefire negotiations, shifting alliances, and regional rivalries are reshaping one of the world's most volatile regions. Following recent national elections in both Israel and the United States, this timely seminar examines how new or old political leadership and changing domestic priorities may influence diplomacy, military strategy, peace negotiations, and regional stability. Through the latest developments involving Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah, Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, you will gain a deeper understanding of the strategic forces, political decisions, and historical realities that may determine whether the region moves toward lasting peace or renewed conflict.

Ripped from the pages of his award-eligible “Funny: The Book / Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Comedy,” David Misch (“Mork and Mindy,” “The Muppets Take Manhattan,” “Saturday Night Live”) looks at laughter: what it is, where it comes from and what it means, including…

➢ Why most laughing doesn’t come from anything funny

➢ How chimpanzee urine proves that monkeys have a sense of humor

➢ Laughter’s complicated relationship to danger

➢ Exciting job opportunities in the field of rat-tickling (yes, there’s video)

➢ Why Man is the only animal who blushes. Or needs to.

With video clips ranging from Charlie Chaplin to Bo Burnham, “The Anthropology of Ha!” will reveal the cultural sources of your every chortle. 

David’s screenwriting credits include “Mork and Mindy,” “The Muppets Take Manhattan” and “Saturday Night Live,” he’s the author of “Funny: The Book,” and has spoken at the Smithsonian, Yale, Columbia, USC, UCLA, Oxford, American Film Institute, CineStudio Paris, University of Sydney, Trinity College Dublin, VIEW Cinema Conference (Torino, Italy), University of Sydney, Raindance Film Festival (London), Austin Film Festival, Second City, DreamWorks, Lucasfilm and 92Y (NYC). Too much more at davidmisch.com.

Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd’s original leader, was their lead guitarist, main singer, and chief songwriter for their classic 1967 psychedelic debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Soon afterward, he descended into mental illness, and retired from the music business in the early 1970s after a couple solo albums while Pink Floyd went on to superstardom without him. Author and rock historian Richie Unterberger tells the story of Barrett and Pink Floyd’s early psychedelic era with video clips, uncommon early Floyd recordings, and pictures.

Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd’s original leader, was their lead guitarist, main singer, and chief songwriter for their classic 1967 psychedelic debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Soon afterward, he descended into mental illness, and retired from the music business in the early 1970s after a couple solo albums while Pink Floyd went on to superstardom without him. Author and rock historian Richie Unterberger tells the story of Barrett and Pink Floyd’s early psychedelic era with video clips, uncommon early Floyd recordings, and pictures.

**This class will be taught In-Person**

To look around these days, it’s easy to think the end of the world is at hand; or at least the end of the United  States. This class will put our current predicament into context: what has happened to the great societies of  the past? How does their experience help us deal with the current apparent decline? Is the modern United  States truly exceptional? We will look at both what happened and how those societies thought of  themselves for some perspectives on ourselves. Sackcloth and ashes will be provided to all participants.

**This course will be held In-Person, two times in December and two times in January.**

We will analyze the major news stories of each week of the class as they pertain to international, national and local issues. We will debate what these events imply for the Republican and Democratic parties and the factions within each and how the political environment might be shaping up for 2028. During the four weeks of the class we will assess who are the losers and who are the winners and how the checks and balances of the US Government are coming into play or not. We will also review our role as citizens during this time of flux.

Participants will be expected to be up on the latest major issues covered by the media during the weeks of the course. If participants have a specific topic in the news that they would like to discuss, they will be expected to let the instructors know by email to OLLI at least four days before the next meeting. The facilitators will work with the results of these selections to choose the topics, identify discussion questions, and to facilitate the analysis of the class. 

There are two ground rules:
1. Any topic in the week’s news may be suggested; and
2. In the discussions, all opinions need to be respected.

While we may and should disagree, we must not become disagreeable!