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Palm-Mensa©
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Palm Beach County Mensa January, 2002
most recently updated Monday, January 21st, 2002 |
Happy New Year, watch those cold fronts ! |
Contents
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News and Notices * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mensa Education & Research Foundation (MERF) Scholarship essays are due January 18, 2002. Judging will be done by a group in the north Palm Beach county area headed by Janice Johnson. Thanks, Janice, for volunteering to gather a judging team together! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Last month's AMC meeting at the Airport Hilton in West Palm Beach was, according to Chairman Jean Becker, extremely successful. Maybe it was our extremely amenable weather. Hospitality was generous; foodstuffs and beverages were gathered by hosts Merrell and Jerry Fortner of Broward Mensa who stayed the weekend to make sure snacks were always available. Thanks, guys! Thanks also to Mark McCarthy and friend, Pauline, and Kay Skoog for assisting. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Regional Gatherings January 25-27, 2002 - Heart of Florida's "Smarti Gras" in Orlando, FL. Registrar: Eddie Trulove, 3333 Honeysuckle Lane, Orlando, FL 32812; 407.855.9078; truluvs@cfl.rr.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Positions still to be filled.... Scholarship Chair-to distribute information to schools about Mensa's scholarship program that last year awarded over $50,000 to deserving students. Please contact Barry or Elissa if interested. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To Ponder... David Whyte in "The Heart Aroused" relates a telling story about our relationships with one another. He writes, "An Irish friend of mine, who, in the nature of his race, combines the priesthood, a great love of talk, and a formidable doctorate in German philosophy, turned to me once over a pint of Guinness, looked me right in the eye and said, 'Do you know, that if we human beings really knew how alone we were, we would know a terror we had never even begun to experience before?' ...(I)nspired by the moment, I offered him more of the same, 'My God, yes, and if we knew how joined at the hip we were, we would be terrified too.'" Whyte's book is subtitled, "Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
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Elissa Rudolph January is named for the Roman god, Janus, who had two faces. Although there may be many opinions as to how or why Janus came to have two faces, the general view is that his double feature(s) lend him the ability to look to the future while remembering the past. And so we wave a nostalgic goodbye to the initial year of the 21st century and welcome year two. We cannot forget the past, especially the latter few months when our innocence was shattered; but because we are made of strong stuff we look ahead to better days in 2002. In the beginning of December the AMC held its winter meeting in West Palm Beach, hosted by Palm Beach County Mensa. Hospitality was outstanding under the expert direction of Jerry and Merrell Fortner of Broward Mensa. Local members came out to meet AMC members, finally putting faces to the names in the Bulletin. Actions taken at the meeting that might be of interest to you include the recognition of local group websites as electronic extensions of the group's newsletter; the establishment of an election committee for the next go round; the adoption of a policy that respects the privacy of the individual member and restricts the dissemination of member information (these actions codify and clarify what has been normal practice); and several appointments to positions. Ed Gordon is the new Publications Recognition Program chair. Bob Cox is the new National SIGHT Coordinator following the resignation of Tanya Hsu.. Tyger Gilbert is the new Chair of the Cyberspace Committee. Ted Elzinga is the new chair of the Publications Committee. There was also a long and interesting discussion about celebrating Mensa's 60th anniversary in 2006 in the U.S. and how it could be either a separate event or part of that year's Annual Gathering. British Mensa might also consider a big event since Oxford was really the geographic birthplace of Mensa. Several directions were suggested including considering a Florida location for its reputation as the most sought after vacation destination in the world. By the time you read this column the minutes of the December 1 meeting should be on the American Mensa web site in their final form. Please go to www.us.mensa.org , then "Member Resources" and "Committee Reports" for the agenda, mini and full minutes for complete information. Spotlight on Manasota Mensa and their newsletter, The 4M. This group is based around Sarasota on the west coast of Florida. Their November newsletter boasts "A Tale of Two Beaches" (St Simon, GA & Miami's South Beach), a lovely article about the joys of gardening, and a decent calendar for a group with a little more than 200 members. A nice personal touch is an appropriate seal on the center page graphical calendar; November's was the U.S. eagle. Manasota artists are encouraged to post their art works for display or sale on the group's web site-and it is a beautiful collection (www.manasota.us.mensa.org). Keep up the good work, Manasota! Coming Events: February 1-3, Destin, FL, Northwest Mensa's Ungathering, little structure, lots of opportunity, Holiday Inn. Contact: John Mochan, 850-863-3599, jmochan@home.com May 24-27, Tampa Bay Bash, same hotel as last year; Barbara Loewe, 813-968-3343, bloewe@juno.com. Elissa Rudolph 561-272-0475 |
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Barry Karas OVER. The holiday season is over. No doubt many of you are tired from attending all of the parties and holiday events. Now you can volunteer to host a PBC Mensa event - including a discussion group - or volunteer for an Office, like Program Director. Contact Elissa or me for details. OUT-AND-ABOUT. After the Executive Committee Meeting of November 16th, I fell hard, and was concerned that I broke my left hip that I broke 61/2 years ago. Two x-ray sessions (the hip is notorious for being difficult to x-ray) showed that it wasn't broken, although the intense pain and the fact that I couldn't stand indicated a bad bruise and a long recovery time. I was relieved that nothing was broken. After almost a month of not getting out I went out for the first time last Friday (Dec. 14th) to our dinner at No Anchovies. This is "funny," because the first time I was out after I was incapacitated for about 11/2 months 21/2 years ago, was at a Mensa dinner also. Maybe PBC Mensa events are a little healing? NEW & MOVING IN MEMBERS. As you might know, PBC Mensa has a very large territory that includes Martin, Okeechobee, St. Lucie, and Palm Beach Counties. (This is the reason why we want to change our name from Palm Beach County Mensa to Palm Beach AREA Mensa.) Now we have our first member from Okeechobee County, Robert Rieffel. Other new members are Ronald Capute (Jupiter), Keith Goffin (Boca Raton), Kathy Hickok (Delray Beach), Robert Klar (West Palm Beach), Clark Marks (Boca Raton), and Craig Smith (Boca Raton). Members moving into our territory are Fred Bohle, Michael Grossfeld, Theodore Hout, Dr. Sydney Hudspith, Carole Seuling, and Thomas Zarate. CULTURE QUEST XII. This year (2002) it's going to be on Sunday, April 28. Ed Gross has again volunteered to be our team captain. Please contact Ed if you are interested in participating (561-477-0090 (Boca) or by e-mail <MISTERED3600@cs.com>.) RENEWALS. It's getting to be that time of year when renewal dues are due - March 31st. Since March 31 falls on a Sunday, the last on-time date that payments can be accepted is Friday, March 29, 2002. This date is especially important to procrastinators like me who wait until the last minute to pay. Renewal bills should be going out to you this month. Renewals can be made either online (http://www.us.mensa.org/member_resources/prerenewalform.php3) or by phone (817) 607-0060 x 199). If you renew online, you'll need your membership number, and the username & password for the site. Your membership number can be found on your membership card or in the address section of the Bulletin. The username & password can be found in the then current Bulletin. SAVE FENWAY. |
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Glen Moulder and Elissa Rudolph As of 11/30/01, we have 308 (!) members, 7 brand new, 6 who moved in, including Carole Seuling, snowbird from the frozen North. Welcome back! See "Notes from the Underground" for names. Welcome to all-we look forward to meeting you for the first time, or renewing our acquaintance! At the end of November, American Mensa has 46,007 members (44,913 in November of last year). National Testing Day has had a positive effect and will probably boost numbers til the end of 2001. 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. |
Happy January MensAnniversary (year and persons) to:
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No information received from the National Office this month. |
Happy January Birthday (day and persons) to:
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No information received from the National Office this month. |
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Northern Exposure Bill Whitesell December's North County Gathering was held at Donna Bognar's home. Those attending were Donna & David Bognar, Bobbie & Julius Kadlecz, Janice Johnson, Alan Posner, Ann & Bob Abbott, Mike Purcell and Bill Whitesell. As usual we had ten times the amount of scrumptious food than we needed. The January NCG will be a party for new and inactive members, held on Sunday January 20 at 3 PM at the home of Janice Johnson and Alan Posner. See calendar for contact numbers. |
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Crab House Breakfast Glen Moulder The December breakfast was well-attended. Conversation mostly centered around the U. S. action in Afghanistan and donations made by American citizens to charitable organizations. There were some very divergent opinions expressed. I encourage all of us to remember that they are just opinions and that everyone is permitted to have and express theirs. The breakfast is basically a discussion group and sometimes we will have to agree that various participants will disagree with our viewpoint. Enough lecturing -- come on out to the breakfast and enjoy the stimulation! |
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First Friday - at Chesterfield's Elissa Rudolph The last First Friday of 2001 was attended by Roy Fischler, Tom and Allicyn Winchester, Glen Moulder, Pamela Berteau, Peg and Bob Payton, Balu Vandor, and Bob Dolson, host. This restaurant continues to welcome us and provide outstanding service. We just wish the menu had as much variety as the groups of Mensans who attend.... |
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No Anchovies - Barry Karas At the December dinner, more people came than made reservations. Seven people made RSVPs, yet there were about a dozen. I guess I should have taken names there, but I was so happy to be out (and not "kill" myself) that I didn't. The food was excellent and the service was very good. Although the restaurant's name is "No Anchovies," I made sure that anchovies were, in fact available. They're sooo good. And the ones the restaurant served were just right...not too salty. |
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Perkophiles - Glen Moulder December Perkophiles was held on a morning of very bright sunshine. We are lucky to be warm and dry while our northern friends are cold and wet! Come on out and join us, we always have fun and the food is good, prices moderate. |
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Sample CultureQuest questions (from past CQs) Elissa Rudolph and Ed Gross 1. Two of the best-known dramas of 1950s TV were "Requiem for a Heavyweight" and "Marty." Provide the writer/author, the star, and the anthology show on which each appeared. 2. Which two famous men died on April 23, 1616? 3. Express the decimal number 429 in (a) binary, and (b) hexadecimal. 4. To what city would you go to see the major collection of works by each of the following artists: (a) Hieronymous Bosch; (b) Salvador Dali; (c) Vincent Van Gogh; (d) Maurits Escher; and (e) James McNeil Whistler? If you get 3 out of 4 correct, Palm Beach Mensa will pay for your dinner when you attend a First Friday. Email Elissa (elissa12@bellsouth.net) with your answers. And if you get them all correct, you not only get a free dinner, you get to be on the next CultureQuest team! Actually you can be on the team no matter what, even if you don't know any answers. Just let Ed Gross (mistered3600@cs.com) know you want to be part of CultureQuest XIII. |
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Dusty Recommends Miss Dustinea Jacquette Miss Dusty's Picks or Not...,. |
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Remember the soggy "Bridges of Madison County"? I admit I read it in one sitting and had a good cry. "Spencerville," by Nelson Demille takes a similar pair of star-crossed lovers and pits them against much more formidable odds than Robert and Francesca ever faced. You won't need a Kleenex but you'll be wishing you could pound the head of the lovers' foe with a shovel or some such weapon. Demille has written an extremely readable novel-it's not great literature, but you will be rooting for the lovers and hoping they elude her psychopathic husband, who's also the town sheriff. Tiny criticism....You must suspend disbelief. What has kept Keith Landry, a worldly retired special agent, captivated about his college sweetheart? Annie Prentiss married a husband-jailer and has stayed with him 20 years. He even has a bug in her car so he always knows where she is. How could such a woman retain enough of her spirit to rekindle the flames of love with Keith? When they have sex after 20 years how could the passion be so ready, how Annie be so wanton and creative? Where has all that been for two decades?? And, Keith, what could a mid-America small town housewife offer you? Oh, well, it was a great beach book! |
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The title attracted me-"Beachcombing for a Shipwrecked God"-and then the story captivated me. Written in the first person of a new widow Charlotte, searching for answers, the story throws her together with another widow, blue-haired Grace, and an emotional 17-year old Chloe. They all live together on Grace's wooden motor yacht somewhere in New England. Then there's the ugly dog, Pinky, who's mastered the art of defecation over the side of the boat-hard to picture but I hear that you can train dogs, even cats to use the toilet. The most difficult part is getting them to put the seat down.... But I digress. Charlotte's an archaeologist and finds comfort in an excavation on shore. The dig reveals past history and helps Charlotte construct a future for herself. Author Joe Coomer writes as if he knows women almost better than they know themselves. Charlotte, Grace, and Chloe all seem very real and vulnerable. How does a man go about learning the inner fears and flaws of a widow, an octogenarian, and a teen?? Amazing.... |
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In "Valhalla Rising," a luxury ocean liner on her maiden voyage, the Emerald Dolphin, sinks in the south Pacific Ocean, miles from anything. And that's in the first 50 pages. Clive Cussler's newest thriller-adventure-mystery does not disappoint. After the ocean liner's sinking, a research ship is hijacked and taken to a remote area, then thrillingly rescued amid gunfire and the real possibility of total disaster. Later there's a dogfight over Manhattan between a couple of antique airplanes and the sinking of a luxury (?) submarine. And now you're only halfway through the book. Dirk Pitt, hero, in all of these adventures, is impossibly bright and lucky (and dry). There's high stakes: a scientist-engineer, who died in the Emerald Dolphin catastrophe, Elmore Egan, invented a new kind of fuel that can be distilled from seawater. The bad guys want the formula, but neither Egan's daughter nor his working associate know where it is. Thus the driving force behind the story and behind the disasters. This was my first Cussler thriller. I was pleased that it was so readable, but find the adventures really too, too far-fetched. |
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'Til next month, use your library card! |
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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.