Mid-Mensan The Newsletter of Mid-Hudson Mensa

November 1998

Somehow the changing seasons and our wonderful autumn colors have put me in an introspective mood, so pardon me while I babble on paper. There's been a lot of change in my life lately, and I need to vent.

Professionally, last May I had to make a major life decision. The school district for which I work offered an early retirement incentive, and I've decided to take it. The only problem is that I had to sign up last May to retire in June of 2001. It's difficult dealing with this fact. I find myself counting the work days until I retire. In fact, it's something of a joke with some of my friends. I'm not counting the days or anything - I only have 518 working days until retirement. Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy teaching, and this year I have one of the nicest classes I've had in years, but signing up for something this far in advance is strange.

Have you ever had the opportunity to mentor someone? Now that I know the end is in sight for my teaching career, I've decided to make sure that I pass along some of my philosophy of education and methods to someone else. A young man named Brian joined my class last semester for a course New Paltz calls the Professional Semester. In the way of all bureaucracies I had volunteered to take a sophomore into my class, but instead a senior was assigned to me. This year Brian is back as a full fledged student-teacher. What fun! It has really been an exciting time for me to watch someone blossom and become more sure of himself both personally and professionally. Some of the routines I take for granted take on a new look when someone else views them and begins to ask why I do things the way I do. Sometimes I can even give logical explanations. Anyway, the entire gist of this babbling is that mentoring has been a very rewarding task. In fact, if you have the opportunity to help someone in this way then please consider doing it. You might be surprised at how much you grow through this experience.

Personally, there are two people in my family called Jack. Neither of them has that for a real name. Uncle Jack's real name is Charles William. The family only found this out when Uncle Jack retired from his job as a grave digger. We thought his name was William Charles. Little Jack's real name is John. Little Jack is Uncle Jack's great-great nephew.

Recently my family was faced with the decision of what to do with Uncle Jack. He's 87 and had lived with my mother until she died 6 years ago. He's an interesting person but has some difficulty with people outside of the immediate family. Upon meeting Ron McMurdy he asked the question, "Who the @@@ are you?", and upon meeting my step-son he asked rather more discreetly, "Am I supposed to know who he is?" Anyhow, Uncle Jack was just placed in a nursing home. I guess in some ways I've been blessed. Everyone in my family who meant a lot to me died suddenly (without lingering). Never have I had to make a decision as when to take someone out of their own home and choose someplace else for them to live. I know we've made the right decision, but it's been a painful one emotionally for me. When I visited Uncle Jack several days ago, the nurses had decided he needed a walker to help him get around. Uncle Jack seems ok but confused at what he is doing and where he is.

Little Jack started kindergarten this September, and he's enrolled in the school where I teach. It was fun watching him the first two days of school as he got off the school bus and went to his room. Then the family discovered he has a major orthopedic problem. Little Jack spent several days getting tested at a hospital in Springfield, and as a result he now is using a walker to help him maneuver. In addition, he's in traction every night. I find it intriguing watching him move with his walker. He certainly hasn't slowed down! He also doesn't object to the traction as it relieves some pain. I guess when you are 5 you just take things in stride and don't question as much. Naturally, I find the parallel of the two Jacks in my life using walkers somewhat heart wrenching.

On a more pleasant note Mid-Hudson Mensa welcomes two new members this month. Kevin Dunn and Jacqueline Ferrara. Jacqueline will live in my memory as a very eager member. She called me two weeks after she sent in her check to national asking why she hadn't heard anything yet. Our new office is efficient, but she certainly put them to the test. Jacqueline has also been in contact with our editor with some drawings and has expressed interest in attending events. Welcome to the group Jacqueline! Kevin I'm sure you'll enjoy being a member as well and we hope to see you at an event sometime soon.

Let me continue where Betsy left off. I have also met Jacqueline - or Jackie, as I have come to know her - through e-mail. She has indeed sent artwork. Let's put it this way: It's impressive. Jackie's artwork will be on our December cover. Jackie has also adopted the nickname "Aunt Mensa" in her correspondences with me. As I write this, I haven't yet met her in person, but I expect she will be at some future event(s). Now, on to this issue...

After putting out several "hectic" and "busy" issues - the July/August issue of which I distributed copies at the AG, the September full-mailing issue with the Shakespeare theme, and the October "Inside Joke" issue - it's somewhat relaxing to put out a relatively "normal" issue again. Though normal just doesn't seem to be quite the right word when discussing the sanity of a Mensa newsletter editor.
 
As I started putting this issue together, it became obvious that much of the material would reflect some of the more serious activities going on in Mensa right now, so I decided to use that as somewhat of a theme for this issue; hence the "Contemplating Mensa" cover art from Artemus Klipt. (Note: Artemus obtained the Mensa logo graphic from the US Mensa web site. The graphic was rendered by Colin MacKenzie, who maintains the International Mensa web site and the Mensa Canada site.) One article I've included as a result is on Mensa's Community Service Program, written by Bob Beatty, 1st Vice-Chairman of American Mensa. I attended Bob's presentation on the CSP at this year's AG, and I thought it was information worth sharing. This is a volunteer activity, and not everyone in our chapter is going to be interested - some have already said so to me - but the only way you can make a decision about whether to participate is to know of its existence. I also hope you all took the time to read about The Copper Black Award for Creative Achievement, as mentioned on page 4 of the October Mensa Bulletin. Unfortunately, due to the size of some of the other articles in this month's issue, I had to give a couple of our regular columns a month's vacation, but they'll be back.

Speaking of the Bulletin, another item which will affect everyone in American Mensa is the sudden and untimely passing of Marjorie Mandelblatt, the editor of the Mensa Bulletin, on Thursday, September 10, 1998. As there was an AMC meeting that weekend, the AMC acted swiftly to recognize Marjorie's contributions and to fill the void. There is a significant amount of discussion going on over whether the decisions that were made were the right ones, and there are many, many opinions being voiced over e-mail, on the Mensa Forum on CompuServe, and elsewhere. However, for the majority of Mensans, their opinions will be made or changed by whether or not they like the content of future Mensa Bulletin issues. If you would like to know more on what's going on, or if you have any feedback you would like to share, please contact RVC Gerry Riley, as he is our most direct line into American Mensa.

Thank You Helen! Regrettably, I have come to the end of the material Helen Schimpf submitted for the newsletter quite some time ago. I saved what I consider her swansong, "Two Great Musicians of Osterode", as the last piece. Helen's contributions were of a wide and interesting variety, and many pieces seemed very appropriate to the mood or theme each newsletter took. Thank you again, Helen. Be sure to let us know when the Muses visit again.

Notice of Membership Directory - Last Chance for updates: The December issue of Mid-Mensan will feature a membership directory. The directory will include your name and mailing address, your phone number if included on the membership roster, and your e-mail address if it is already printed in the newsletter or is on our web page. If you would like your phone number suppressed from the directory or if you would like to include your e-mail address in the directory, please contact me before November 15th.

Gracias to our proofreaders this month: Christian Bauernfeind, Betsy Burke, Ron McMurdy and Bibi Sandstrom, who managed to all find time to proof the draft while at the Liberty Bell RG, and Alan Hauck, who stopped by on Sunday evening.

This one is from Tom Rankin:

A man is waiting for his wife to give birth. The doctor comes in and informs the dad that his son was born without a torso, arms or legs. The son is just a head! But the dad loves his son and raises him as well as he can, with love and compassion.

After 21 years, the son is old enough for his first drink. Dad takes him to the bar and tearfully tells the son he is proud of him. Dad orders the biggest, strongest drink for his boy. With all the bar patrons looking on curiously and the bartender shaking his head in disbelief, the boy takes his first sip of alcohol. Swooop! A torso pops out!

The bar is dead silent; then bursts into a whoop of joy. The father, shocked, begs his son to drink again. The patrons chant "Take another drink!" The bartender still shakes his head in dismay. Swooop! Two arms pop out!

The bar goes wild. The father, crying and wailing, begs his son to drink again. The patrons chant "Take another drink!" The bartender ignores the whole affair. By now the boy is getting tipsy, and with his new hands, he reaches down, grabs his drink and guzzles the last of it. Swooop! Two legs pop out. The bar is in chaos. The father thanks God.

The boy stands up on his new legs and stumbles to the left... then to the right... right through the front door and into the street, where a truck runs into him and kills him.

The bar falls silent. The father moans in grief. The bartender cleans his glasses and whistles an old Irish tune. The father looks at the bartender in disbelief and asks, "How can you be so cold and callous?"

The bartender says, "That boy should have quit while he was a head."

Send your favorite groaner to PUNS c/o Jim Jelacic.

Holiday season is coming up, and Mensa Mom has been quite busy in the Nebraska local primary. (I ran for County Attorney in my County. We had a contested primary, but since I won the Republican nomination, I get to run against a blank box this month, which is significantly easier!) I have had some time to think about this Thanksgiving thing.

With this in mind, I have been pondering those things for which I should be thankful. When one tries to instill in their children the values of simply being thankful for those things which we have, one probably also should put those thoughts into one's own mind. With that, this is what I have determined.

1. I'm thankful that my son actually used the potty this year. Of course, I'll be more thankful when he does it all the time, and I'll be especially thankful to end the diaper bills. I am pretty sure the landfills will also be thankful. However, I am exceedingly thankful for disposable diapers (sorry, environmentalists).

2. I am thankful both of my children are healthy. This is one that most parents don't think enough about, but both of my children were born premature and were quite sick at birth. Thus, I am also thankful for the lung drug surfactin and for the great advances in neonatology. I would also be thankful if I knew for certain how to spell the name of the drug itself.

3. I am thankful for grandparents. Grandparents save Mensa Mom lots of trouble and give me a break once in a while. I would be more thankful if my former-race-car-champion father would stop encouraging my children to enjoy the thrill of such dangerous things as sliding down banisters and climbing up ladders. It is his fault that they seem to have this genetic need for speed.

4. I am both thankful for and not thankful for my children's innate stubbornness. When they are not taken advantage of, it is a great thing. When they insist on wearing their Halloween costume to bed, I am not quite so thankful.

5. I am thankful that my daughter likes haircuts. This would not be an issue except for the fact that my son hates them. I would like you to imagine two parents holding down a screaming four year old while the barber tries to create a haircut that makes him look like he is not a ragamuffin.

6. I am thankful that my children love PBS and books. I am thankful that Kyle loves to count. I am thankful that he is reading words. I am thankful that one day we may be able to share opinions on books with words in them.

And to my readers, I'm thankful that you let me write my column. I'd be more thankful if somebody would tell me whether any of it is entertaining to you.

We tried something new this month. I passed this month's submissions by a group of individuals I will now call "Our Panel of (Secret) Skeptics" for their feedback. I will try to include comments from one or more skeptics for each submission. I hope you enjoy this new twist to the column. Here are this month's submissions:

L Several news groups on the Internet were recently posted with the following:

We are developing and selling devices that neutralize the poisonous effects of bacteria, viruses and other pathogenes found in food. In *your* food. What can you do to protect yourself from food poisoning? Use our Polarizers. These are pipes of rock-crystal glass. Simple devices, easy to use, functional, effective, unobtrusive. No more, no less. Just dip one in your food on the plate for a couple of minutes; that's it.

When you come to our site http://www.cleanfood.com . . .

Skeptic #1, who goes by the name "Dr. Mischief", had this to say:

"The thing that impresses me the most about this glass tube is its ability to distinguish between various organisms, correctly predict which will be harmful, and kill them, while leaving pets, humans, and symbiotic micro-organisms unharmed."

Upon seeing the commercial for this product the first time, Skeptic #2, who I'll call "Dr. Bob", had this to say:

"You morons! Boxed cereal already IS a convenience food! How much more convenience do you require? If you can't find a bowl, a spoon, and a container of milk, it's time to let evolution take its course!"

The Jacobskirche in Osterode was huge.
          The organist said he would play Buxtehude for us.
          For Buxtehude had visited once in this town.
Soon music engulfed the great church in a gushing deluge:
          Notes fell in rapid cascades down the scale in the chorus;
          Life's heartaches and fears in this maelstrom could easily drown.
Rivers of tremolos wound through the song here and there;
          Morden's bubbled as music poured forth in the hall.
          When it was done, with a right-angled, stiff, Prussian bow
The master, accepting my thanks, said he had but one prayer;
          That his name be the one that I somehow would always recall.
          I remember, his name was Herr Sprung -- I recall even now.

The Marionkirche out in the country was small.
          The organist, humble, said he was merely a teacher
          And could not do justice to the old instrument there.
He played with great reverence in the miniature hall,
          Although playing with speed and ease was not his best feature.
          He played the organ as though he were saying a prayer;
The soft, simple hymn that he played gave me a deep feeling
          Of closeness to God, that I had not experienced before.
          The organist here would never come into great fame.
Nor, as Herr Sprung did, could he set my senses to reeling.
          But his holy music has moved me to ask him for more--
          And try as I may, I cannot remember his name.

FAROOK™, © Stewart Lamie, 1993, Patent Pending (as of then, don't know what's happened since I bought the game), bills itself as "The ULTIMATE Tic-tac-toe". It is an impressive abstract strategy game, having been selected as a Mensa Mind Game and been on the Games 100 list.

FAROOK is for two players. The game is contained in a small felt pouch. The pouch, when opened, reveals the playing board, a grid of 4 by 4 squares, with decorative spots around it for the playing pieces. The playing pieces are 14 small polished stones: 6 dark, 6 light, and 2 smaller wild stones, which are neutral. The object of the game is to get 4 of your stones into a winning pattern. A winning pattern can be made up of stones entirely of your color, OR it can include wild stones. But the catch here is that a wild stone can also be used by your opponent at the same time.

Players begin by taking turns each placing one of their stones, or a wild stone, onto the playing board. Eventually all 14 stones will be played. At this point, each player in turn must move a stone into one of the empty squares. A stone may be moved to an adjacent empty square, or there are rules for jumping over another stone to an empty square. A player may also move a wild stone in some instances. The rules state that you have only 1 minute in which to make your move. To win, you must get 4 of your/wild stones into a row, square or corners. If no player wins after 50 moves, the game is declared a draw.

While it is not discussed in the instructions, I believe it is possible to create a situation where one player moves a wild stone in a way that creates a winning combination for each player. I assume this would also be considered a tie.

I brought FAROOK to and played it at one RG several years ago. My first opponent beat me in less than 5 minutes. My second opponent and I played to a draw and declared ourselves brain dead afterwards. I have not played FAROOK since, though my enjoyment of the game has not diminished.

As you might expect, there is a computer version of FAROOK. I have never seen it sold commercially, but I do remember seeing it advertised in shareware catalogs several years ago. The original FAROOK computer game had 7 levels of mastery. One company in New York City, AMUSE INC., offered a $1000 prize to anyone who could beat their computer playing FAROOK at the Champion level. I wonder if they ever had to pay the money?

How many of you, after having a friend find out you're in Mensa, have had that friend say, "I've always wondered if I could get in" or "I thought I was smart enough, but I don't know my IQ"? Just about every Mensan I've talked to over the past 10 years has had that happen to them at least once. People heard of us, wondered about it and just never knew what to do to join. American Mensa is doing something about this by sponsoring a National Testing Day. All over the country on Saturday, 11/14, Mensa chapters will be offering the entrance tests in a nation-wide testing effort.

Here's your chance to tell those who are interested (or even vaguely curious) that they can take the Mensan qualification tests with thousands of others. They'll meet Mensans who can answer questions about the group, tell what we do both locally and nationally, and get a feeling of what it's like to be a member in an IQ society. Since the SATs haven't been considered an acceptable test since January of 1994, this is a low cost ($25) way of getting your IQ tested. The scores will be confidential and sent directly to the tester. If the person ranks in the upper 2%, he or she will be offered membership. No one will get on any mailing list. All it takes is 2 hours of their time.

Now's the time to get your friends, relatives and co-workers to have some fun, get their IQ tested and maybe even join Mensa. Bet them you think they can make the grade. That's how I took the test on a bet! Our chapter will test on Saturday, 11/14 at the Marlboro Free Library, between Highland and Newburgh on 9W, from noon to 2pm. Contact Bob Naborney to save a seat. Bring a check for $25 (made out to MENSA), 2 pencils and your smarts.

This month's theme: Recording Acts from the 1960's

1. (428) 366-6677
2. (464) 367-9884
3. 843-3224
4. (468) 737-7328
5. 773-3224
6. (727) 892-7937
7. (342) 622-6326
8. (437) 894-7833
9. (373) 266-3227
10. 832-5464

Answers near the end of this newsletter.

Easy:

G EURYTBTZQ DRIZQ YGZ BSRIXK QR TZLR

ERXTLTJB BR LSGL SM JGZ QR RZ

EURYTBTZQ ORU LSM UMBL RO STB XTOM.

URHMUL HDUZM

Hard - no punctuation, grouped in 5:

BXWSN ENGNB UNDBV BUCLW BXXYW BGLID

IOIYA XYWFS IVCNE LBUWX IUVWM ELBHS

BNDEI OIUDW U

Answers near the end of this newsletter.

Medical shows have been on TV from the very beginning. Apparently pain and suffering sell big. Or maybe the other programming makes you sick. Here are the doctors. Match them with where they work and give the name of the actor and the show.

Dr. Ben Casey Dr. James Kildare Dr. Michaela Quinn Dr. Mark Sloan Dr. Kelly Brackett Dr. Julian Bashir Dr. Victor Ehrlich Dr. Jeffrey Geiger Dr. Joe Gannon Dr. Joel Fleischman

Blair General Hospital St. Eligius Hospital Rampart Hospital Cicely, Alaska County General Hospital Medical Center Colorado Springs Chicago Hope Hospital Deep Space Nine infirmary Community General Hospital

Answers near the end of this newsletter.

Greetings, Fellow Trivians! The on-going problem with my errant computer rages on! Somewhere between setting up my final copy of September's Trivia to the actual file being sent to our humble yet lovable editor, Question Q57 disappeared from the list. I have no idea how it was lost other than juvenile revenge from my computer. Maybe I shouldn't be talking about upgrading to a newer, faster machine in front of it? Q57 will be in this month's questions. Now, here are the answers to September's questions:

Q47: The French started a canal between the Atlantic and Pacific in Panama in 1881. In 1901, the United States decided to put its own canal through what country?
A47: Nicaragua.

Q48: Which red-headed movie and TV comedian and patron of UNICEF is also the co-inventor of an artificial heart?
A48: Danny Kaye.

Q49: The son of an ironfounder in Niles, Ohio. Who defeated William Jennings Bryan for the Presidency in 1896 and was re-elected in 1900?
A49: William McKinley.

Q50: Which Scottish playwright and novelist of "The Admirable Crichton" and "What Every Woman Knows" is best known for his play "Peter Pan"?
A50: Sir James Matthew Barrie.

Q51: Here's a bone to chew on. What is cynology?
A51: The study of canines (dogs, not teeth)

Q52: True or false: A good sneeze can reach speeds up to 50 MPH.
A52: False - Sneezes have been officially clocked at up to 104 MPH.

Q53: What President started the custom of throwing out the first ball at the beginning of the major league baseball season?
A53: William Howard Taft.

Q54: What did Frank Lloyd Wright's son invent?
A54: Lincoln Logs.

Q55: Where is the world's largest passenger tramway?
A55: Gatlinburg, TN in the Smoky Mountains.

Q56: Who or what was the Bonhomme Richard?
A56: It was the ship commanded by John Paul Jones that defeated the H.M.S. Serapis in British North Sea waters on 23 September 1779.

Q37: What is the wing span of a U-2?
A37: 103 feet.

The winner is Ed Quinn with 9 correct answers. Bill Zigo had 8 correct answers. Les Herring, ineligible this year for winning last year, had a 7 correct answers.

And now, this month's questions:

Q57: Pluto comes the closest to which planet? (Submitted by Tom Rankin)

Q67: 721 miles long from north to south and 3 times the area of Ohio, what country was invaded by Russia in 1939 and joined Nazi Germany to fight the Russians in 1941?

Q68: Which Andy Griffith co-star went on to star in the movies "The Love God" and "The Incredible Mr. Limpet"?

Q69: Who was President when Alaska and Hawaii were admitted as the 49th and 50th states?

Q70: Although he made the films "Chelsea Girls" and "Lonesome Cowboys", which artist is better known for his "pop art" paintings of Marilyn Monroe and a can of soup?

Q71: Although it holds 340 megabytes of data, what did IBM recently shrink to the size of a thick credit card?

Q72: True or False: Grand Teton National Park means Big Breast National Park.

Q73: YIN and YANG... which is masculine? (Submitted by Dave Cardall)

Q74: In terms of number of fatalities, where does the Hindenberg rate in the list of lighter than air disasters? (Submitted by Dave Cardall)

Q75: According to the BBC, what is their most FINANCIALLY successful show of all time? (Submitted by Bill Zigo)

Send your answers and questions (with answers and references) to TRIVIA CONTEST c/o Jim Jelacic by November 30.

Last month, I mentioned the Orionid Meteor shower. Did anyone see it? Speaking of celestial events, Dawn Hamilton and I were married on October 10th! I say "were", but of course, as I write this, the event has not taken place yet, so this is sort of a statement of faith! I do! I did! (?)

November Planets: The planets put on a good show this month. In the evening, blazing-white Jupiter rises in the east and shines all night long. Even with binoculars you can see its moons. Saturn trails a few hours behind, yellowish, and not as bright. The pair of planetary giants can be found on either side of the bright asterism Pegasus, which looks like a large baseball diamond rising in the east in the early evening. Mars is a nice target in the East for early risers. The rest of the planets are too close to the sun to be seen this month.

Other November Events:

11/05 - The Moon will hide or pass very close to the star Aldebaran around 9 pm; The Moon will later hide or pass very close to asteroid Ceres around 11 pm
11/11 - The Moon is near Regulus
11/12 - The Taurid meteor shower occurs (usually not torrid)
11/13 - The Moon is near Mars
11/17 - The Leonid meteor shower (storm!?) occurs tonight. Be watching!
11/19 - The Moon will be very slim in the evening sky
11/21 - Comet Giocobini may be visible
11/21 - The Monocerotids meteor shower occurs
11/29 - The moon is near Jupiter.

Astro News:

Is something wrong with the theory of gravitation? Scientists who work with space ships far from the Earth, such as Voyager, have noticed for many years that they seem to be closer to the Sun than the Law of Gravity would dictate. They are so confident that they've accounted for every known influence, (e.g. radiation from the ship's batteries, the solar wind, etc.), that they are publishing a paper suggesting that there may be some force, as yet not understood, operating on the distant spacecrafts.

A series of radio telescopes, acting as one large instrument with an effective size larger than twice the Earth's diameter, has begun providing extremely detailed images of distant quasars. The images reveal large jets of gas streaming away from the quasars, possibly linking them to massive black holes.

I have longer articles on the above topics and more on request.

Upcoming MHAA Events (for Southeastern New York State):

11/13 - 7:30 PM Outdoor Meeting at Wilcox Park
11/17 - 7:30 PM Indoor Meeting at Vassar Observatory. Come and see the 32" scope!!!

Call (914) 473-7602 for the MHAA Hotline: Information, Astronomy News, and more! Would you like to borrow a telescope from the Club for a month? Let me know! We've got several 'loaner' scopes that are very easy to use. We have lots of other Astro stuff to lend as well.

Next Time: December brings the usually good Geminid Meteor Shower. Check it out!

Tom Rankin

MHAA Home Page: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/5679

Tele-Teaser Answers

1. (428) 366-6677 = Have No Moss = The Rolling Stones
2. (464) 367-9884 = I'm Henry 8th = Herman's Hermits
3. 843-3224 = The Fab 4 = The Beatles
4. (468) 737-7328 = Got Respect = Aretha Franklin
5. 773-3224 = Prefab 4 = The Monkees
6. (727) 892-7937 = Party Cryer = Lesley Gore
7. (342) 622-6326 = Diana and Co = The Supremes
8. (437) 894-7833 = He's Twisted = Chubby Checker
9. (373) 266-3227 = Dream of Cal. = The Mamas & The Papas
10. 832-5464 = The King = Elvis Presley

Cryptogram Answers:

Easy:
A promising young man should go into politics so that he can go on promising for the rest of his life. Robert Byrne

Hard:
A politician is a man who approaches every problem with an open mouth. Adlai Stevenson

"Is There A Doctor In The..." TV Trivia Answers: