January 10
College of Complexes Special Program
75th Anniversary on January 6th, 2026
"The Playground for People Who Think"
Meeting # 3,850 - established in 1951, an oral history by Charles Paidock
An Eclectic Look at the Assorted College Regulars
who Attended, and Memorable Moments at, the
College of Complexes over the Years
followed by an
Open Microphone
on has the college improved, or diminished,
the general level of conversation, and
solved all the world's problems?
Sustaining the academic tradition of
"One Fool at a Time"
College of Complexes meeting # 1
was on January 6, 1951
January 17
Lack of Regulation of Medical Marketing of Supplements –
what do terms “treats, prevents, or supports” really mean?
Meeting # 3,851 - Dr. Daniel Herlihy, family practice physician, medical coach and educator, author of 3 books
Website: www.thebestpossiblebrain.com
The speaker states that: "Look at the label for example of a supplement, “Viadin H.” What do you think this supplement does? What is it good for?
It would be very reasonable for you to assume that Viadin H prevents cardiovascular disease. After all, it says it right there on the label: “supports heart function.” But of course, if we put our close-reading glasses on, we recognize that “supports heart function” is very much not the same as “prevents myocardial infarction” or “treats heart failure.” In fact, upon closer examination, we may even realize that “supports heart function” is devoid of any real semantic quality. What does it even mean? Could it mean… nothing?
There’s plenty to complain about in the vitamin and supplement industry: the lack of real regulation, lack of tight manufacturing controls, adulteration, influencers. But deceptive marketing practices, the use of weasel terms like “supports heart function,” really steams my kettle.
But do these weasel terms actually work? Are they fooling anyone? It turns out, yeah, they are, and now we have proof. "
January 3rd
Open Microphone: What is Going to Happen to the World
in 2026?
Everyone will have 5 minutes each to Present their Predictions
Meeting # 3,849 - please contact the Program Coordinator Charles Paidock if you wish to be one of the three (3) keynote speakers to get the conversation going, with 15 to 20 minutes to speak at (312) 714-7790 or cpaidock@hotmail.com
January 24
Demi Palecek, Candidate for IL State Representative, Democrat
“Doesn’t just talk about change, she gets to work and makes it happen”
Meetings # 3,852 -
Progressive veteran, community activist, and Democrat running for State Representative in the 13th District (district includes parts of Northside Chicago and the lakefront, such as Uptown, Andersonville, and Lake View.)
Demi Palecek has dedicated her life to service. A member of the Illinois National Guard, she protected our U.S. Capitol - and our democracy - in the wake of the January 6th insurrection. An advocate for our community, she is an IWIL alum and has held leadership roles with the 46th Ward Democrats & Illinois Veterans for Change. With experience in advocacy, policy, organizing, and communications, she will bring ethics, discipline, empathy, and real-world insight to our legislature.
Demi Palecek is a lifelong advocate for working families, education, and reproductive freedom.
January 31
US Threats to Overthrow the Venezuelan Revolution
Meetings # 3,853 - Stansfield Smith - expert on central and South American affairs
;
Since September 2025, the U.S. military has conducted several missile strikes on vessels in international waters near Venezuela. U.S. officials assert these attacks target "narco-terrorists" and are part of a counter-narcotics campaign.
The Trump administration has designated the Venezuela-based gang Tren de Aragua as a "foreign terrorist organization" and has repeatedly accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of being involved in drug trafficking.
For 26 years the US government has been trying to overthrow the democratically elected government of Venezuela, put an end to its popular revolution, and take control of its oil, the largest reserves in the world. The US has tried coups, assassination attempts, economic blockade, even inventing their own president, but nothing has worked. Now Washington accuses Venezuela of flooding the US with cocaine, even though the 2025 reports of both the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the US Drug Enforcement Agency 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment do not even mention Venezuelan involvement. Now, every few days Washington seeks to provoke incidents in order to justify a military invasion, creating a new US war for oil. Provocations include CIA activity and bombing Venezuelan origin boats without justification, heinously murdering their occupants in international waters.
Stansfield Smith has been publishing the Venezuela & ALBA Weekly News since May 2014 (on ChicagoALBASolidarity.org). He has written in a variety of publications and has been active in the movements in defense of Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and other Latin American countries since about 1978.
