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Palm-Mensa©
Palm Beach County Mensa Newsletter
for January, 2001
Last updated Friday, December 29th, 2000
Contents
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Karen Lary No report was received for January. |
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Barry Karas CONDOLENCES. Linda Hales, wife of Broward Mensa LocSec Phil Hales, died on December 20, 2000 after a bout with cancer. I'm sure that all of you will join me in expressing sympathy to Phil. CAMPAIGN 2001. No, this is not a joke about the recent election dispute or any of the personalities involved. We need an election committee, consisting of two members of PBC Mensa to handle the administrative details of the April 2001 election. I guarantee no butterfly ballots and no questionable voting machines (in fact I guarantee no voting machines at all). And I guarantee not much work for the members of the committee. Contact Glen or me if you wish to serve on our committee. If you are thinking of running for office - or have any questions about doing so - please contact one of the committee members (when they are known), Glen, or me. The elected offices are LocSec, Editor, Program Director, and Treasurer. We will use the same general election procedures as have been published by AML and are in another article in this edition. Printed copies of these procedures are available upon request. PARTY HEARTY (or as we said in Boston, " pahty hahty"). We had a very nice holiday party and we all had fun, especially during the gift exchange. And, as an added benefit that I mentioned last month, no one there gained any weight 'cause all of the goodies were both non-fattening and non-caloric. Thanks to Elissa and everybody who pitched-in to make the party a success. AMC MEETING. Next December, we are hosting the American Mensa Committee meeting. The meeting is a business meeting over one weekend, and doesn't require much effort on our part. There are approximately 25 members of the AMC. What we do need are some members who will pick up the AMC members at the airport and take them to the hotel (the Airport Hilton, so the drive is not long), and some members who will staff the hospitality room. FROSTY AND FLAKY. It is very cold up north, especially at Battle Creek, Michigan. That's where Kellogg's makes its raisin bran. Guess what greeted kids who read cereal box backs each morning? A Mensa quiz! Mensa, both locally and nationally, has been getting increasing amounts of publicity. This past year, we've had articles written about us in two local newspapers...and there'll probably be an article about us in an upcoming PB Post because a reporter took (and passed) the exam given on National Testing Day, and then she contacted me for more information about our organization. SPIDER MAN STRIKES AGAIN. One of my peeves with the previous American Mensa web site was that the pages loaded so slooooowly. Well, the new web site fixes that problem as well as adding an online version of the "Bulletin." (The online version WILL NOT replace the printed version.) The American Mensa web site can be accessed through this home page: http://www.us.mensa.org/. The AML web site has a members' only area that can be accessed ONLY through the User ID and the password PUBLISHED EACH MONTH in the "Bulletin." This section has information privy (the adjective not the noun) to members (we will soon have a members' only section on our own web site that will house such information as a continually updated membership directory). NATIONAL TESTING DAY. This year's NTD was on November 11, 2000. Over 1,100 tests were administered, and a record number of offers of membership were made. On a local basis, we administered 19 tests. Actually, there are two exams that each person takes to qualify - but I (and many others) refer to both exams as "the test." Kudos go to HANK COLMAN and ELISSA RUDOLPH for proctoring *and making all sorts of arrangements* for our NTD. GECKO. I don't think that Mensans are reptiles 'cause reptiles cannot and/or should not drive. Our national office has confirmed our non-reptilian status by making arrangements with GEICO Direct Preferred Auto Insurance to offer members auto insurance at a reduced cost. Details will be available shortly. |
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Glen Moulder At the end of November, our group's total membership rose to 282, up by 1 from October. The national office reports membership at 44,913 up by 467 from the previous month. We welcome Robert Levy and Carole Seuling, returning to our area for the season and reinstating members Russell Hopkinson and Richard Linett. Please note: If you don't see your birthday shown in this section when it should appear, you probably indicated to the national office that this information should be withheld. If so, and you do want it to appear, simply contact the national office and change your information withholding preferences. |
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Special Announcement! Dr. Lonnie Rattner would like to announce that his son, Ben Fader Rattner (a member of our group) has just transferred from Washington University in St. Louis to The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. |
Happy January MensAnniversary (year and persons) to:
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35! - D Hanway and James Wilson 26 - Elissa Rudolph 25 - Janice Johnson 24 - Arthur Cooper 23 - Charna Lazar 21 - Gayle Cherro 20 - Miss Sandra Thomas 18 - David Lustgarten 13 - Mohan Thampi 11 - D Moore 10 - Brooke Westover 08 - Miss Marty Akers 06 - Margaret Kiggins 05 - Donna Albert 02 - Robert Hailey and Elizabeth Kew 01 - Philip Bock, Art Charney, Jared Fishman, Michael Fishman and Michael Soutter |
Happy January Birthday (day and persons) to:
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1st - Judith Boudreau |
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MERF Scholarship Competition for 2000-2001 Ann Kasper Palm Beach County Mensa has launched our local participation in the Mensa Education and Research Foundation's (MERF) 2000-2001 National Scholarship Program! Awards from $200 to $1,000 will be awarded by participating chapters to recognize outstanding essays from graduating high school seniors and college students about their academic or career goals. The entries will be judged solely on the merit of the essay - grade point average, age, gender and financial need will not be considered. The only requirements are that the recipient be a U.S. citizen, or legal resident, studying at an accredited school, and that the entry be 550 words or less. Completed applications and essays must be sent to me postmarked before midnight January 31st, 2001 to be considered. Three judges will evaluate each essay and decide on the winner. Volunteers to serve as a judge and anyone with questions, please contact me at annkasper@psn.net. Please spread the word about this scholarship that will help make some talented student's life a bit easier! |
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NORTH COUNTY - Bill Whitesell No report was received for December. |
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SOUTH COUNTY This event has been temporarily suspended. |
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First Friday at Chesterfield's No report was received this month, but I heard that there was a great turnout again and a good time was had by all. See you in January? [Ed.] |
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Perkophiles - Glen Moulder The December Perkophiles was a blast! We took over the big table (there's only one at Einstein's) around 8:40 AM on the 16th and soon had a crowd consisting of me, Pam Berteau, Elissa Rudolph, Bob Dolson, Richard and Alexandra Linett, Dave Accetta and Linda Madison. Of course, the main topic of discussion was outrage at the results of the election, not because Bush received the vote, but because the whole thing was handled so poorly. The consensus seemed to be that the courts' interference in the process was the most unacceptable part. Perhaps there should be laws banning Supreme Court justices and their families from working in politics? Regardless, we were loud, raucous and filling up with Munchkins (yeah, I know they're only sold at Dunkin' Donuts, but you should see the line at 9:30 at Einstein's). We all congratulated Linda on her retirement, talked about war, education and upcoming holiday plans. Richard was inspired enough to hold a breakfast in Jupiter in January, so let's come on out and join him and maybe it'll become a regular event! See you there! |
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Holiday Party Redux - Elissa Rudolph We didn't consume a Plum Pudding, but we did make short work of jambalaya, baked ziti, scalloped potatoes, stuffed grape leaves, macaroni & cheese, sandwiches, crudités, nachos & salsa, fruit salad, sweet potato pie, watermelon, and "sex-in-a-pan." See what you missed? That last item is a delicious concoction of chocolate, nuts and whipped cream. Yum! Thirty-four people and a baby attended our Holiday Party and all seemed to have a great time. We played "Gimme Grabbag" in which a cherry-red portable TV and an Ansel Adams calendar were the most popular prizes. Other prizes included an automatic potato peeler, a large book of "Imponderables" (like, why is a dog's nose wet?), a Bahamian calendar, holiday dinnerware, collapsible umbrellas equipped with lights, and a neon green radio-cassette player. Much fun and much trading back and forth. No blood was shed and most everyone could make deals later if their gift did not suit. Attendees included: Don & Pat Spero, Tom & Allicyn Winchester, Lynn O'Dwyer, Mabel Mendel, John Swick, Blossom & Raymond Meyerson, Dorothy Mihalyfi, Tammy Tamir, husband Raz Galili and baby Yotam; Carole Seuling, Glen Moulder, Pamela Berteau, Tom Zerate, Ann Galletta, Lila Arango, Ed & Tessie Gross, Sean Zullo, Alan Posner & Janice Johnson, Evelyn & Ralph Levy, Barry Karas, Shirley & Buz Smuckler, Kay Skoog, David Accetta, Ann Kasper, Roy Canon, Bob Dolson, and Elissa Rudolph. Join us next year? |
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Book Box reviews from Miss Dustinea Jacquette, retired spinster librarian I must confess and you must listen, my friends, when I tell you the past month has been extremely hectic for this old lady. What with the presidential election farce and then the holidays hard upon the heels of that circus, there's been precious little time for a relaxing read. What I have for you this month is a lovely human mystery, a catly mystery, and a treatise on lipstick. |
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Cold Case by Stephen White is another of this author's tales involving Dr. Alan Gregory, clinical psychologist, and his wife Lauren Crowder, assistant district attorney for Boulder, Colorado. Two teenaged girls disappeared ten years ago, were found mutilated in the local snowfields, and now a decade later, the cold case is being opened by a quirky club of criminologists. This group entices Dr. G. to join them in this puzzle of a case-the murderer(s) were never found. Then there's another strange twist: another murder of a congressman's wife may be connected to the two girls' tragedy. White tells a credible story and if you have read any of his other books, this one will keep you interested in what happens to him during this case. And you will eagerly await White's next book because Dr. G.'s wife will have had the baby by then. The pregnancy adds a nice continuity-enhancing dimension to this book. |
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On to the cats. Tailchaser's Song by Tad Williams is a 15 year old book that I found in a crowded, musty bookshop in Melbourne. Great place!! The paperback book has been reissued in a fifteenth anniversary edition. The hardback is out of print. The story revolves around Fritti Tailchaser, a ginger tomcat of rare courage and curiosity, whose feline friend Hushpad disappears one day. He embarks on a quest to rescue her, because he thinks she needs rescuing. Where have we heard that before? His quest takes him beyond his familiar territory to the scary Ratleaf Forest, Vastnir Mound, and the eventual Bigwater. Poetic references head up each chapter-Wordsworth, Blake, Dante, Poe, and the like. The cats' names are intriguing-Stretchslow, Eatbugs, Pouncequick, Bitefast, Skydancer. Like the cats in "Cats," these felines have three names: the names their mothers' give them, the names bestowed on them when they are accepted into the cat community, and the names they discover for themselves. Tailchaser's search leads him to a hellhole of cats, where all comers are enslaved to dig tunnels for a Jabba the Hut-like creature. Of course, our hero escapes and with the help of the Fla-fa'az (birds) and the Rikchikchik (squirrels), which are tasty prey to cats, of course, the Vastnir Mound is eventually erased and the cat world is saved. Williams' fertile imagination gives interesting names to the animals cats encounter: Hlizza (snake), Growler (dog), Ruhu (owl), and Krauka (raven). Ma'an is referred to also as the furless ones; the cats sort of "diss" Ma'an. Don't worry-there's a glossary in the back of the book. And, yes, Tailchaser finds Hushpad. But you'll have to read the book to find out what happens. |
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Have you ever wondered why women wear lipstick? Wonder no more. Instead read Jessica Pallingston's tiny tome, Lipstick, on why we put those fish scales and wax on these very sensitive parts of our bodies. Women, are you passionate about your lipstick, won't go out without it? Men, do you notice the bee-stung varieties more easily than the pale varieties? This is a playful, affectionate look at an emotionally charged cosmetic that many women swear makes them feel good like nothing else can. Girls, read Lipstick and find out what your choice (or no choice) of lipstick says about you. There are recipes from ancient times for making your own lipstick, quotes from famous people about their lipstick, what lipstick shapes say about us (is it me, or is the shape always intriguingly phallic?), and how cosmetic companies name their colors |
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Til next time, read those books and keep your librarian happy!! |
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FLU SEASON Barry Karas The winter months are upon us, and so is the flu season, and vaccine is in short supply. Fortunately there's no shortage of anti-virus programs. Some people think that anti-virus ("a-v") program vendors are self-serving: the vendors are creating paranoia - the critics assert that viruses statistically strike few computer users. The critics may be right BUT if a virus attacks YOU and your computer, the paranoia is justified. Combating viruses is no big deal. Just configure you're a-v program properly, have it run in the background to have it scan all incoming files automatically, and use common sense. I have six "rules" for stopping viruses (viri?) and I will be glad to send them to anyone who asks. Here are the two most important: 1. Don't open up *any* file ATTACHMENTS without scanning them first. (Even those files from people you know should be scanned. Sometimes a virus is programmed to send itself to people in the attackee's e-mail address book - this was done by the ILOVEYOU virus which sent itself to users in the attacked person's computer address book.) 2. Update the virus signature (usually DAT files) at least twice per month. Over 1000 new viruses are created each month so you'd want you're a-v program to be up-to-date. Most recent a-v programs have automatic updating features. Older a-v programs can be updated manually. In either event, the updating just takes a few minutes. The updates are either free or very low cost. Some a-v programs are free. Others, including those from the "majors," of McAfee (Network Associates) and Norton (Symantec) are inexpensive. A-v programs and their publishers tend to be reactive instead of proactive. But that is the nature of the business. There are a-v programs that scan for programs that look "funny." However, these (heuristic) a-v programs are not perfected yet. Today, with much of the world of computer users online with the Internet with its billions of users (and some "crazies" out there) a-v programs are more important than ever. |
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OFFICER |
CANDIDATE(S) |
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Chairman |
Bob Beatty |
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1st Vice Chairman |
Jean Becker |
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2nd Vice Chairman |
Russ Bakke |
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Secretary |
Dan Burg |
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Treasurer |
Jim Werdell |
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RVC 1 |
Betsy Burke |
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RVC 2 |
Sallie Banko |
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RVC 3 |
Wil Huff |
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RVC 4 |
Stacey Kirsch |
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RVC 5 |
Ike Kullman |
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RVC 6 |
Ray O'Connor |
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RVC 7 |
Steve Burnham |
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RVC 8 |
Scott Rainey |
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RVC 9 |
Barbara Lytle |
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Advertisements Glen Moulder Wanted! We are looking for someone who can offer relevant educational commentary on a wide variety of subjects during normal daily after school activities for our 2 boys, Mensa members, aged 6 and 8. We are not looking for a 'tutor' in the classic sense of the word. Except on rare occasions, we do not wish to have specific didactic sessions. However, we would like for our children to learn science, literature, languages, history, math, etc. both in school and during their recreational activities. If you feel that you can assist us in accomplishing these goals, please contact Eric at 561.775.1950. |
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Glen Moulder Regardless of political affiliation, you were likely disappointed by the 2000 presidential election. The Palm Beach County ballot was confusing to many voters. TV networks declared winners before polls closed statewide. Antiquated and flawed voting machines could not produce reliable results from an extremely close contest. An accurate, complete count of votes in our state was defeated by legal impediments. We now have a president-elect who lost the popular vote, was losing the electoral vote and utilized special interests in the U.S. Supreme Court to secure Florida, thereby claiming the election. This is preposterous, but not surprising. From the day after the election, partisan Republican officials of every stripe denied voters their rightful say, meddled with county election officers and criticized Gore's right to challenge questionable results. Even if you're a Bush supporter, can you honestly say that this was a fair and accurate election? There are things about this election that just don't "feel" right. I'm certain that with time, aspects of this contest will be revealed that further the claims made about conspiracies and hidden agendas. Personally, I am pessimistic about the leadership we will experience during the next four years. Our new president ran on no discernible platform, has no mandate, little experience, and is unfamiliar with world affairs. He's adored by big business, unconcerned about the environment and is overly interested in how to spend "surplus" government funds that came out of our pockets. From a historical perspective, he will be perceived as less of a winner, more of a fortunate son. It's unfortunate for everyone that this person will represent the pinnacle of power in the United States. |
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Note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and DO NOT reflect opinions of Palm Beach County Mensa, its officers, or of American Mensa, Ltd., which holds NO opinions. |
© 2000-2007 Palm Beach County Mensa. The Mensa logo is a registered trademark of Mensa International Limited and American Mensa Limited, all rights reserved. Mensa does not hold any opinion or have, or express, any political or religious views.