Palm-Mensa

Palm Beach County Mensa Newsletter
December, 2005

Next Newsletter
Notes from the Underground
Crypto Software Review by Andy Ritchason
Coming Attractions!!
The Tenth Story— (RVC Column)
Member News
Mensa Discount
The Nobel Prize
Simon Cowell Wants To Know If You've Got A Bright Idea Worth One Million Bucks!!

December 17^th is Underdog Day

Root for the little guy!

Next Newsletter

Next Newsletter Information due: December 15^th

Send newsletter items, e-mail address changes, updates and announcements to mensa@ritchason.net

Notes from the Underground
by Barry Karas

ELECTION. We will be having an election soon, and it is time to think of who'll you want for leadership of your chapter of Mensa. I thoroughly enjoy what I am doing and I intend to run again.

BYE BYE STEVARINO. Louis Nye, who made famous the phrase "Hi Ho Stevarino" on the old Steve Allen TV show just died. I usually don't pay attention to obits, but the phrase was so prevalent when I went to junior high school. Pity any guy of about 60-62 with the first name of Stephen or Steven -- the rest of us said, "Hi Ho..." when we ran into them.

E-MAIL. Many of us have e-mail. Some of us receive a lot of messages. I have a program, which lists the sender and the subject. The program also allows me to view the entire message if I am unsure of the sender [which it lists also] and/or the subject matter.

SPIES? There was a rumor in London during the blitz in 1940 that German spies were dressed as nuns. Can you imagine – normally reserved Brits looking askance at every nun? If this is true, someone somewhere had a sense of humour [the Brit way of spelling it] or that person was warped. I would believe the latter.

Crypto Software Review by Andy Ritchason

It you need a good encryption program in Microsoft Windows, please take a look at AxCrypt. This software is open-source (FREE), works great, and uses strong AES encryption. The software is simple to use and that is incredibly important for the user. Encryption software can be very complicated, so much so that many people pay for “good” encryption software, but never want to use it.

http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/

Coming Attractions!!

WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION, Dec 17^th at 7:30.

The biggest event in Palm Beach County this year, hosted by our own Elissa Rudolph.

Check the event calendar in this newsletter for details!

The Tenth Story— (RVC Column)
By Maggie Truelove

If Region 10's "new member" contest had been running for October, instead of August and September, the winner would have been . . . Tampa Bay Mensa! For the actual contest, they had 14 new members in two months. For October, they had 13 new members in one month. Congratulations to Tampa Bay again. You guys are doing something right.

The Region 10 website (region10.us.mensa.org) has been up and running since before November 1, as promised. On the website you can link to the websites of any of the other groups in the region. You will also find there each month the RVC column, which is in most, but not all, of the newsletters, notice of major upcoming events in the region (especially RGs, so don't forget to send me a PDF of your registration form), photos from events around the region (at this point, photos from Tampa Bay's and Broward's RGs during 2005), the newsletters for the groups who have sent them to me, and the first of, hopefully, many press reports within the region. Other things will be added as they come along, so if you have an idea of what you would like to see added, let me know.

Northwest Florida Mensa will be having their Gathering on the weekend of February 10-12, 2006. At the time of this writing, they have not sent me the information for the website. However, all the details are on their website - which you can access from the regional website. If you haven't been to the panhandle for a Gathering yet, you are infor a pleasant surprise. They are a small group, but they put on a terrific time!

If you haven't gone recently to the national website to see what's happening with the plans for the World Gathering, now might be the time to check it out. WG06.us.mensa.org You can check out the programs already booked, take a look at the Coronado Springs Resort - you can even register for the WG and book your room through the website.

If you are in one of our four south Florida groups, we hope you have all weathered the storm and are returning to normal.

I wish you all the warmest of holiday greetings, whatever your persuasion. For me, that means Christmas, my favorite time of year.

Maggie Truelove, RVC10
3333 Honeysuckle Lane
Orlando, Florida 32812
407-855-9078
truluvs@cfl.rr.com

Member News

Palm Beach County Mensa ended September with 324 members. We gained 6 brand new, renewing or moving into our area. Welcome to our new members. Come on out to an event (the First Friday is an event favorite), organize one yourself, or write an article for this newsletter.

Mensa Discount

AMC Membership Officer Heather Miller and her committee are proud to
announce American Mensa's newest member benefit. Get Popular Science for $10.00 Popular Science is the "what's new" magazine of science and technology. Each entertaining issue covers the latest developments in cars, electronics, communications, tools, energy, aviation, science, space exploration, and much more. Get the future now and enjoy a special Mensan annual subscription rate of $10 -- that's almost 80% off the cover price! Visit http://subs.timeinc.net/CampaignHandler/POmisc?source_id=5 to subscribe today!

The Nobel Prize

On December 10^th, the annual Nobel Prize will be awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind" in chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. If you know anyone who desires this prize, nominate him or her. Anybody can nominate anyone. Talk about a nice way to fluff up your resume... “Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize, 2006”. So far there have 776 prizes awarded. The winners are decided in October, so you missed out for this year. Get the facts at http://nobelprize.org/help/faq/

Simon Cowell Wants To Know If You've Got A Bright Idea Worth One Million Bucks!!

Inventors, tinkerers and entrepreneurs of America...

Have you come up with the greatest new product since the Post-It(r)? How about a floss-dispensing pen, or bubble gum with flavor that lasts forever? Well, Simon Cowell (American Idol) wants your brainchild for his new show, AMERICAN INVENTOR. Set to air on ABC, it will undertake the biggest search ever for America's best new invention. Open to people of all ages including kids! Casting calls begin November 14th all across America (cities and dates listed below).

With one million dollars at stake, AMERICAN INVENTOR will celebrate the best in homespun American ingenuity. From mothers with a notion for a better baby stroller to experienced engineers with several patented inventions, AMERICAN INVENTOR is open to anyone with a great idea. No invention is too big or small!

Prospective contestants can enter with a sketch, a prototype or even just a concept. The competition is open both to individuals and teams. The invention must be something that can be mass produced and sold to consumers in a retail outlet. Expert judges will narrow down the initial entries to a group of finalists, who will each be given $50,000 dollars to develop their product, refine it, and take it to the next level. But in the end, it will be up to America to call in and vote on which invention is worthy of the one million dollar prize.

For more information such as applications, eligibility requirements and addresses for the eight casting calls, please go to www.AmericanInventor.tv or call 877/255-8009. This competition is subject to applicable rules, which are subject to modification at any time in the producer's discretion.

For interested inventors, here is the current schedule for casting calls in the eight selected cities:

Los Angeles, November 14
San Francisco, November 17
Denver, December 1
Chicago, December 4
New York, December 7
Washington, DC, December 11
Atlanta, December 14

Andy Ritchason
mensa@ritchason.net
23053 Old Inlet Bridge Dr
Boca Raton. FL

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.