Meet other local fans of author Ayn Rand and her philosophy of Objectivism -- a philosophy of Reason, Purpose and Self-Esteem that holds human life on this Earth as the standard of all values and *your* life as an end in itself.

ATTENTION: This Meetup.com group is just a placeholder.  Actual meetups are announced on the Bay Area Less Wrong mailing list: http://groups.google.com/group/bayarealesswrong.  Generally they happen Wednesday evenings at a private residence in Berkeley.  You can read the mailing list and email the organizers for more details. - - - This is a group targeted at readers of the rationality group blog LessWrong.com.  You're welcome to come if you don't read the blog, but you might want to spend an ho …

NOTICE: October 2012: This group has relocated from New York to San Francisco. Prior meetings were held in NY but future meetings are being held now in SF. **** The purpose of this group is to read a philosophical text and then have some great, engaging, thought-provoking discussion about it in an appropriate public or private venue. Please also check out our sister group: SF Film & Philosophy, where we watch and discuss films in light of a text: http://www.meetup.com/cinephile/ **** "To philoso …

Q:  If you had to declare a manifesto for this group, what would it be? A: That philosophy is for everybody.  That, while it uses abstraction, its value rests on its concrete utility in everyday life.  For example, you don't have to know how to program a computer to benefit from one (though of course you can do more with it if you know how it works). Q:  I'm very busy ‐ what preparation is involved? A:  We do not assign reading, because we are interested in your original thinking.  As the the …

Meet other singles who are intellectual yet physically active, who have a wide range of interests including but not limited to tea, coffee, food, drinks, conversation, politics, the arts, nature, outdoor sports, travel, books, dating, and people in general, and who are looking for ongoing friendship and relationship as well as just hanging out with a cool bunch of individuals. RUGFAINTS = Random Unfocused Group for Active Intellectual Not Too-geeky Singles

This group is an experiment, and partly a selfish one. I just finished grad school, moved out to the city, and finally have had some time to really explore what it is that I want out of life. And, shit! This stuff can be *difficult* to grapple with. For example, how do we achieve true happiness? What does "success" mean? What are the implications of mortality on daily life? Can we care more about the rest of the world than we currently do? Where the *hell* is Waldo? If you're in your twenties …

Poetry, short stories, plays, novels, history, philosophy, science, not necessarily in that order, classics that are worthy of discussion, current and past, western and non-western, these are the works we discuss. The discussion is what is most important. We discuss these works to enlarge our understanding of the ideas that shape our culture and gain a deeper appreciation for what it means to be human.

Today we're inundated with junk science from infomercials, politicians, television and radio shows. Remember when you loved science and you knew what it was? Or maybe science has left you in the dust since you finished school. Whatever the case may be, please join us and renew your relationship with science. This group is dedicated to the principals of the Science Cafe movement. Its purpose is to expose everyone to interesting new science, to get those burning questions answered, and to bring …

This group is for guys who are either new in town or just want to meet some cool people. I just moved to the Bay Area and am looking to meet some other guys to do some of the things I enjoy, such as drinking wine, talking about life, playing poker, hiking and playing sports. I've got a great girlfriend so I'm not as interested in going out to bars and scamming on hotties (but we can reminisce about that one time...). If you enjoy conversation and meeting new people, let's all grab a beer or a gl …

Macro-Description ... This group presents an opportunity to experience -- rather than think.A cursory definition of meditation is transcendence beyond the distracted, entropic meanderings of the 'mind' -- and resultant connection to Consciousness / Infinite Connectedness / One-ness. Restatement of the obvious - water represents the fathoms of our spiritual nature. Meditation is supported by the energetic fabric and rhythm of a body of water ... especially one as large and consummate as the Pacif …

Poetry, short stories, plays, novels, history, philosophy, science, not necessarily in that order, classics that are worthy of discussion, current and past, western and non-western, these are the works we discuss. The discussion is what is most important. We discuss these works to enlarge our understanding of the ideas that shape our culture and gain a deeper appreciation for what it means to be human.

Are you curious about Dianetics or Scientology or are you currently using these subjects and would like to meet others who want to socialize and attend a variety of activities pertaining to this growing applied philosophy? This meetup group hosts "Tea and Talk" get togethers, free lectures, seminars, Life Improvement Courses, study and communication courses and advanced studies of Scientology.

The Bay Area Open Sangha exists to allow people to practice and study the Buddhadharma, the teachings of the Buddha, without concern for sectarianism or the historical lines between traditions of Buddhism. This is not to say that these lines are ignored and traditions are mixed without reflection or regard to their conflicts. The Buddha taught many ways to practice the Dharma and his teachings have come down over two and half thousand years to this day. Many of the differences in doctrine and pr …

Ron Paul is the Thomas Jefferson of our time. We are fortunate to have a founding father in our midst and I think it would be wise to keep the Revolution alive. His goal is to instill a new passion for liberty in a generation of freedom fighters to restore America and the original intent of the Constitution. Our vision is to permanently establish a Ron Paul Revolution club for Napa Valley. We are laying the foundation for a political/cultural revolution established on the Philosophy of Liberty a …

You thought I was going to say "Because the bible says so"... NOPE!!! What is science? Good science includes evidence that is testable, demonstrable, observable, measurable, repeatable, etc. So why do we insist on holding onto hypothesis like evolution when all we ever observe or demonstrate prove evolution is impossible. You won't find anybody saying "because the bible says so" in this discussion unless it comes from an evolutionist! lol No, here Young Earth Creationists pose hard facts already …

The purpose of this meet-up group is to take a step out of the modern world, our modern stresses and to get out in nature's finest. This could be backpacking, hiking, camping, and the occasional happy hours as well as other various random activities we can come up with. This is low pressure discussion based group, meaning the intent is chill and easy going, collaborative and will grow organically. Discussion topics could include anything of interest (from philosophy, literature, to the cosmos an …

My name is Mary Liu and I am the Organizer of this Meetup and I welcome you to the Premier Women's Business Network.  I, like yourself, am an entrepreneur and have been for the past 28 years so I know the challenges of trying to balance it all.  From a business, to your children, your husband or partner and everything else in between. I own several businesses including Empowered Women Speakers, a visibility consulting firm that provides resources for speakers, coaches, trainers, and entrepreneu …

Does 19th-century French philosopher, Henri Bergson, haunt your dreams? If he were still alive (and ambulatory) would you be stalking him? If yes to either, check into a mental health facility immediately, or check out our group. Bergson rated immediate experience and intuition above rationalism and quantitative science. For this he won the Nobel Prize in 1924. Bergson was first and foremost a philosopher of Time and viewed time (motion) as something inherent to matter, not something added to it …

This group is for anyone interested in hiking, biking, outdoor adventure, and good wine. All skills levels are welcome and there will be activities geared for various fitness/skill/endurance levels.  Being an orgainser for several other groups I've decided to start my own, so we can combine more activities and have more fun.  I currently lead either a hike or bike ride most Saturdays, along with the occasional music event, summer white water rafting trip, house party, summer barbecue, or other a …

Napa can be a wonderful place to live. It's weather is perfect to a fault (there are no seasons!), which means you can do just about anything you want that doesn't involve snow. Unfortunately, many activities in Napa do involve either fancy -and expensive- dining and/or alcohol. The purpose of this group is to allow those of us who are in the beginning stages of life --either new family, new career and/or new business-- to get out and socialize or be active without spending so much. This group i …

We gather together to socialize and discuss the world of ideas, especially: psychology, neuroscience, Zen Buddhism, eastern thought, philosophy, mythology, religion, anthropology, sociology, history, the arts and humanities. Most of our events are "pot luck lectures"—gatherings where we are all welcome to bring ideas from books, articles, media programs, and other sources we've come across that relate to the topic of the day. While the topics are decidedly "intellectual" we also socialize and pr …

This is a new Wing Tsun/Escrima meetup group in Sonoma County – Class in Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa! Also check us out at bmmasc.com Wing Tsun, 詠春, is a Southern Chinese martial art originated over 300 years ago during the Qing dynasty. Wing Tusn is a "soft" style that does not counter force with force but instead recycles energy and employs a sophisticated method of response using trained reflexes. Chi-Sao ("sticky hands") training is used to develop and hone these reflexes to specific …

The goal of this meetup group is to develop an interesting community of web publishers Join this group if you like: Publishing websites (blogs, forums, wikis, etc.) Web programming Tech meetups Startups

(1 minute video) This group is for people who value and enjoy deeper discussions with amazing people and who are also willing to rise to the occasion by joining us to help make these discussion opportunities an ongoing reality. The events held in this group are all about having fun nights of great people and 'deeper' discussions over dinner in a charming restaurant. This Meetup group was created by Glen Brauer as part of a non-profit global initiative using practical philosophy to bring togeth …

Do you 'Live To Eat?' Are you always thinking about your 'next meal?' Do you believe in the philosophy that food and drink is best experienced with a group of people. Do you like to try different types of food from around the world, without actually leaving your city? Do you prefer artisanal, organic, homemade food- from desserts, crackers, bread, cheese, pasta etc, to packaged, frozen and canned food? If you answered yes, to these questions, then this group is for you! I started this group for …

This is a local/regional group established to focus on the similarities of the various styles of American Kenpo! The purpose is to bring representatives and seekers together in a non-judgmental environment where, through discourse and collaborative training, the Martial Arts and Kenpo enthusiast can find that which is similar between the various systems of Kenpo. THIS IS NOT A COMPETITIVE ARENA and is NOT focused on the SPORT aspect of Kenpo or the other Martial Arts. It is my hope to have an op …

The philosophical café movement began in Paris and has spread rapidly throughout Europe. Its purpose is to create an ongoing public solon in a friendly place where people can gather to carry on relaxed conversation and discuss important ideas. Topics for discussion will be chosen by the participants with a moderator present to direct traffic and insure that all present have an opportunity to take part in the dialogue. For the time being your moderators will be Sam Keen –a freelance philosopher—a …

Poetry, short stories, plays, novels, history, philosophy, science, not necessarily in that order, classics that are worthy of discussion, current and past, western and non-western, these are the works we discuss. The discussion is what is most important. We discuss these works to enlarge our understanding of the ideas that shape our culture and gain a deeper appreciation for what it means to be human.