Sunday Nov 1

A New Case for Environmental Optimism.

Presenter: Richard Thiele 

For fifty years the message was: use less, want less, accept a smaller life. That has quietly ended — clean energy is the cheapest way to make power, changing everything. This talk traces the environmental movement from the first Earth Day in 1970 to today, then asks: what changes when the offer is cheaper power, cleaner air, and energy no one can hoard? For anyone tired of being asked to feel guilty rather than useful.

Richard Thiele (Eco-Rico) taught in American international schools on five continents for 25 years. Retired from the American School Foundation of Guadalajara, he lives at Lake Chapala, hosts The Green Elephant in the Room Podcast, and maintains A Call to Act, a database of environmental solutions.

Sunday Nov 8

A More Perfect Union and the Untold Story of the 28th Amendment.

Presenter:  Steven Nousen 

​One courageous man can change history. When the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution in 1787, they aimed only for "a more perfect Union." Article V allows amendments, and the Constitution has been amended 27 times, most recently in 1992. This is the story of Congress's failed push for a Balanced Budget Amendment — and the Senator whose courage stopped it.

Steven Nousen is best known to Open Circle as his alter ego, Benjamin Franklin. An award-winning teacher and lobbyist from Oregon, he served as Chief of Staff to Senator Mark Hatfield from 1991-1996. In 1995 he witnessed Hatfield's courage standing up to Republican colleagues, including Majority Leader Bob Dole. He and his wife KC have called Ajijic home for eight years.

Sunday Nov 15

The Hidden Star Beside Betelgeuse: A NASA Scientist's Journey.

Presenter: Steve B Howell 

​​You don't want to miss this one! Steven will talk about his discovery of a binary star companion to the supergiant star Betelgeuse.

Meet Dr. Steve B. Howell — NASA scientist and author. A senior research scientist at NASA Ames, Steve led the Space Science and Astrobiology Division and served as project scientist for Kepler and K2, where his pioneering photometry techniques helped discover over 2,600 exoplanets. In 2026, he received the Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal, one of astronomy's highest honors. A PhD astrophysicist from the University of Amsterdam, Steve pioneered CCD technology in astronomy and has authored over 800 publications and ten books, including two science fiction novels. He also explores the physics of food with chef Bill Yosses.

Sunday Nov 22

“QUAKE BY THE LAKE” Do We Have Free Will?.

A spirited debate by Phil Rylett and Rick Birkett 

​​Rich will argue that free will exists — we're free to pursue any goals we choose. Phil believes we only think free will exists; he compares it to a magician's rabbit, which works only because you're too distracted to see the trick. Richard Birkett, a Michigan native and pro-freedom activist, has won three First Amendment lawsuits and authored the successful Ann Arbor Medical Marijuana Initiative. A Chapala resident since 2009, he co-founded Lakeside Freethinkers and hosts the YouTube channel Free Skeptic. Philip Rylett didn't choose to be born in England, nor his parents, religion, politics, gender, time of birth, socio-economic circumstances, or life experiences — so where else could he have ended up but here, at Open Circle, this Sunday?

Sunday Nov 29

Welcoming Gratitude: A Path to Resiliency, Joy and a Good Night’s Sleep.

Presenter: Sonia Byrne 

​​Gratitude is more than a polite “thank you”—it’s a powerful practice that reshapes how we respond to life’s challenges. This talk explores how cultivating gratitude can strengthen resiliency, foster joy, and even improve the quality of your sleep. Through science-based insights and practical strategies, you’ll discover how small shifts in perspective can reduce stress, deepen relationships, and create a sense of calm that carries into the night. Whether you’re seeking greater emotional balance, a more positive outlook, or simply a better rest, this session offers tools to help you welcome gratitude into your daily routine and experience its transformative effects on mind, body, and spirit.

Sonia is a professor of International Business Communication and HR Law at Centennial College and a CHRL-certified HR leader. She holds degrees from the University of Toronto and Holmes Institute and is certified in five workplace personality assessment tools.