Mid-Mensan The Newsletter of Mid-Hudson Mensa	September 1999
Cover: Toon Testing (30Kb)

Greetings Everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful summer. Hopefully you'll get this before Labor Day weekend, and be able to enjoy a last barbecue of summer.

Locally, I'm happy to report that Rod Cowan has volunteered to serve on our Executive Committee. We can always use more people to help do the work of Mid-Hudson Mensa. So if you're interested in helping out with National Testing Day, the MERF Scholarship Essay Contest, or any of our other activities, please contact me. We can always use more help with planning, publicity, licking stamps, stuffing envelopes, and petting Bichons. For the Essay Contest we can always use someone who is willing to read and judge the essays.

Upcoming events include our Autumn in New York RG, followed by National Testing Day, then our Christmas Party. Then, as we cross the dreaded Y2K boundary, we'll celebrate the New Year, and work on judging the Essays for the MERF Scholarship Contest. Come on out and help make these events a success.

Since our theme this issue is "Cartoon Characters that should be in Mensa", I'd like to contribute a favorite character of my own: Mr. Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius. It says it right on his business card! And I certainly believe everything I read... Let me elaborate on why I think he is a good role model for us; It's not his ability to catch roadrunners - he'd be better off ordering cheeseburgers from Acme™! It's his perseverance! He never quits! He's always working on some new scheme or other, always trying, always pushing the envelope, so to speak! So let's take a lesson from him and keep trying to improve Mid-Hudson Mensa! And watch out for flying anvils!

We won some newsletter awards!

This year, we won two newsletter awards in related categories:

Entertainment - Puzzles & Games and Individual Achievement - Puzzles & Games

Jim Jelacic, for his “TV Trivia” and “Trivia” columns.

I’d like to thank Jim for all he contributes to our newsletter, which also includes the cryptograms, pun of the month, and his “serious” contribution as chapter secretary, the board meeting minutes.

J From a catalog ad, to receive a cash-back bonus on your order:
1. Browse through the catalog.
2. Select the item you want.
How can you select the item without browsing first? Do we really have to be told this?

J People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) recently created billboards and pamphlets which proclaimed, “Jesus was a vegetarian.” Besides not finding substantiating evidence of this in the Bible, if it were true, wouldn’t the pope also have to be a vegetarian?

The Rio Declaration from the 1992 U.N. Conference on Environment and Development, states “...Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.” To be 95% certain is the scientific standard, and it can’t always be met.

Now we have “risk assessment.” A price in dollars is put on everything, and the sum of the costs of the risks is compared to the sum of the costs of the benefits. This means that your health, any disability or death or birth defect is given a value in dollars. The question becomes: is a number of dollars equal to you or your loss?

Unfortunately it appears that it’s more convenient to price the costs of controlling or preventing possible harm than to enumerate every possible injury that might be caused, so that this method starts out skewed toward the polluter.

Folk wisdom says better safe than sorry. The precautionary principle shifts the burden of proof to those proposing an activity or chemical. Instead of scientists laboriously figuring out what damages are being done, those who will profit must prove to the satisfaction of public health officials and the general public that none will be seriously harmed.

The steps in taking precautionary action are: 1) Describe and understand the problem or threat. 2) Describe what is known and unknown. 3) Identify alternatives to the activity or product. 4) Determine what to do. 5) Monitor.

Apply these steps to polyvinyl chloride plastics (PVC). PVC is the culprit in the generation of dioxin from incineration of medical wastes and other plastic products. Dioxin in the air becomes attached to dust particles, drops to the ground and enters the food chain. PVC plastic can be made flexible by using phthalate esters. The phthalate most commonly used, DEHP, has been classified as a probable human carcinogen. Toys can contain up to 3% by weight of DEHP, and medical devices contain up to 81% by weight. There is evidence of harm to experimental animals but no consensus yet of the possible harm to humans.

Is the move to ban soft PVC in toys premature or overdue? Would banning PVC in medical devices where safer alternatives are available be unfair to the manufacturers or common sense help for public health? Should we do research on the patients exposed chronically to phthalates?

Quite frankly, I lost the name of the submitter of this pun. Maybe I'm doing him or her a favor... [Jim, I think it was Emily Gordon, of Greater New York Mensa - Ed.]

A guy is sitting at home reading the paper when there comes a knock at the door. When he answers, a huge cockroach attacks him, biting him, kicking him and leaving him gravely wounded on the floor. The man manages to call for help and is rushed to the hospital.

A few days later, his doctor comes into the room and the man relates his incredible story.

"Hmmm", the doctor replies, "I heard there was a nasty bug going around".

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

Dilbert™ joined several years ago - his garbage collector was already a member. Last May, Lisa Simpson of the TV show The Simpsons joined Mensa as well. After I watched the episode, I thought it might be interesting to poll members of Mid-Hudson Mensa to see which cartoon characters they thought should join.

This month’s cover art was supplied by Alan Hauck. If you’ve been a member for at least six years, you might recognize some of the characters from his “Animation Festival” cover in 1993. In fact, all but two of the characters on this cover were on the 1993 cover. The exceptions are proctor Jim Jelacic, and, of course, the obligatory marmot (marmots didn’t become popular until the next year).

I’d like to thank everyone who voted. The selections were incredibly varied. In some cases, people voted for characters not necessarily because they displayed signs of intelligence, but because they displayed traits we frequently see in Mensans. Hagar the Horrible received votes, for example, because he knows how to party. Beetle Bailey received votes because he shows great skill in knowing how to avoid strenuous work. And some characters got votes just because they had interesting personality traits. Anyway, here’s the results. I’ll break them down into categories: women, men, and non-humans:

Women received surprisingly few votes. The ones who did included Little Orphan Annie, Wonder Woman, Brenda Starr and Vicki the Biker (the alter-ego of Rose Gumbo of Rose Is Rose), and Velma of Scooby-Doo cartoons. The two top women in the survey were Cathy, from the popular comic of the same name, and Daria, whose cartoons can be seen on MTV.

A large number of men received a single vote. Vote-getters included Linus Van Pelt and Schroeder (both of Peanuts), Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman, Jon Arbuckle (owner of Garfield), Kyle from South Park, Bernie from Doonesbury, Calvin (companion of Hobbes), Joe Bftsplk from L’il Abner, Reed Richards (a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic of The Fantastic Four), Tennessee Tuxedo’s mentor Mr. Whoopee, and Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman. The runner-up was intellectual and philosopher Plato from Beetle Bailey. Our human male winner was young prodigy Jason Fox from the comic strip Foxtrot.

Besides women, another set of cartoon characters received fewer votes than I had expected. Villains, human or otherwise, including mad scientists, were neglected. The few villains who did receive votes included two of Superman’s enemies, Lex Luthor and Brainiac, and one of Crusader Rabbit’s enemies, Dudley Nightshade. Some of the equally evil geniuses who went unnoticed included Underdog’s enemy, Simon Bar Sinister, and Bart Simpson’s nemesis, Sideshow Bob.

The voting for non-human cartoon characters was diverse. There were votes for Pogo, Crusader Rabbit, Dogbert, Penfold from the Danger Mouse cartoons, Hobbes, Rocket J. Squirrel, Brainy Smurf, the Animaniacs, Piglet, Marvin the Martian, Bugs Bunny, and Dudley Do-Right’s horse.

Third place in this popular category was a tie between that time-traveling canine, Mr. Peabody, and a genetically altered lab mouse who, with his sidekick Pinky, tries to take over the world every so often. He is that popular Animaniacs spin-off, The Brain. Our runner-up was that self-proclaimed (though accident prone) super-genius, Wile E. Coyote. But our ultimate winner - receiving more votes than any character, human or not, may not be familiar to you unless you are a fan of classic animation. Even though he doesn’t actually talk, he can convey a wealth of emotion with just a raised eyebrow. It’s a dog who invents things, can fly an airplane, and reads classics by authors like Fido Dogstoyevsky. His owner is a British gentleman, also an inventor, named Wallace, who also received votes in our contest. But what’s our winner’s name? It’s Gromit, and he can be found on the Oscar-winning claymation classics The Wrong Trousers, and A Close Shave. If you’re not familiar with these, and their prequel, the Oscar™ nominated A Grand Day Out, why not consider coming to my animation night in October, to find out just why Gromit received so many votes.

This month’s column is a collection of tips sent to me by Jim Jelacic. I don’t know the original source(s) of these ideas, but they’re all good:

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream from dripping out the bottom.

Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle - perfect shaped pancakes every time.

To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.

Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies® treats in the pan - the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers.

To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.

To easily remove burnt-on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, and bring it to a boil on stove-top - the skillet will be much easier to clean.

Spray your Tupperware® with non-stick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces - no more stains.

When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead - no white mess on the outside of the cake.

If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato - it absorbs the excess salt for an instant "fix-me-up."

Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.

When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.

To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it’s fresh - if it rises to the surface, throw it away.

Don't throw out all that leftover wine: freeze it into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

To get rid of the itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area for instant relief.

Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march - see for yourself.

Use air-freshener to clean mirrors: It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.

Got a splinter? Reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers. Put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

Decode the phone numbers to determine the clues.

1	ABC  2	DEF  3
GHI  4	JKL  5	MNO  6
PRS  7	TUV  8	WXY  9

This month's theme: Cartoon Characters (what a shock)

1. (767) 597-4475
2. (527) 246-2228
3. (538) 766-6243
4. (758) 866-9637
5. (896) 624-7437
6. (942) 878-7362
7. (266) 266-7725
8. (225) 625-4323
9. (626) 246-4228
10. (244) 382-5868

Answers near the end of this newsletter.

Easy:

V KPJE LT SEROSPI. V UJBP J AVLO

MUJM EPMJVLI LTMUVLS. KPMMP AVOYPE

Hard - no punctuation, grouped in 5:

DGYRO ONXDX EIHRN YKYGN IADEB DHRDX

NSBDV YGGR

Answers near the end of this newsletter.

Knowing my interest in animation, our award-winning Trivia master, Jim Jelacic, let me provide this month’s TV Trivia questions:

1. What is the name of the absurdly violent cartoon-within-a-cartoon on The Simpsons?
2. What super hero fought against villains with names like Simon Bar Sinister and Riff Raff?
3. Until her death earlier this year, Jean Vander Pyl was the only person to ever provide the voice for the cartoon version of what famous leading lady?
4. True or False? The animated Star Trek cartoon, which ran on NBC for two years, featured the voices of all the original TV show characters, including that of Majel Barrett Roddenberry for the computer?
5. He was a funnel-headed boy who had his own five-minute cartoons on The Captain Kangaroo Show. What was his name?
6. What was Syncro-Vox, and what were the two most well-known cartoons which featured this (awful) style of animation?
7. What cartoon show featured a gang of six felines based on an updated version of the Bowery Boys?
8. Groucho Marx once said that this cartoon show, featuring a young boy and his pet sea serpent, was the only kid’s show that was “adult enough for my daughter Melinda to watch.” To what cartoon was Groucho referring?
9. Even though the cartoon The Wacky Races was only on the Saturday morning line-up for two years, it produced two spin-offs featuring three of the teams. Name the spin-offs and the racers.
10. What word can precede “Dodgers” and follow “Stupor” to instantly bring to mind two roles a famous cartoon character has played?
11. True or False? Only one Bugs Bunny cartoon has ever won the Oscar for best animated short.
12. Who was the “Boop-oop-a-doop” singer of the 1920's who was the inspiration for Betty Boop?
13. “Ruff and Reddy”, which debuted in 1957, was the first TV cartoon for what animation giant?

Answers near the end of this newsletter.

Greetings, Fellow Trivians! Here are the answers to June and July/August's questions:

Q29: Largely destroyed by changing hands many times during the Korean War, what city rebuilt itself and held the 1988 Summer Olympics?
A29: Seoul.

Q30: Although she played Tatum O'Neal's Oscar winning role on the TV version of Paper Moon, who won an Oscar in her own right in The Accused?
A30: Jodie Foster.

Q31: Second in importance only to General Ulysses S. Grant, which Union general fought at Bull Run, Shiloh and Vicksburg and became the U.S. Army Commander from 1869 - 1884?
A31: William Tecumseh Sherman.

Q32: Which poet wrote Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained?
A32: John Milton, who wrote the prequel Paradise Lost.

Q33: What was the name of the NASA space probe, launched May 1989, that made a detailed map by radar of Venus?
A33: Magellan.

Q34: True or False: A "baker's dozen" is thirteen because bakers used to toss in an extra loaf for legal reasons.
A34: True - bakers used to skimp on the size of the loaves. A law was passed against underweight bread. So to make sure they were within the law, the thirteenth loaf was added.

Q35: When was the 1st Boston Marathon held.
A35: 1897

Q36: Where was the 1st Boston Marathon held.
A36: Boston.

Q37: At what temperature is water densest? (+/- 1° Fahrenheit)
A37: 39.6° Fahrenheit or 4° Celsius.

Q38: Founded by English Puritans in 1630, from what city did Paul Revere start his famous ride?
A38: Boston.

Q39: What famous actor was miscast as Genghis Khan in the 1956 forgettable movie, The Conqueror?
A39: John Wayne.

Q40: What US general said, "Courage is fear holding on a minute longer?"
A40: George S Patton.

Q41: Arrange these Shakespeare's plays in chronological order of their composition: The First Part of King Henry the Fourth, King Henry the Fifth, and The First Part of King Henry the Sixth.
A41: Henry the Sixth, Henry the Fourth, Henry the Fifth.

Q42: In what constellation would you find the star Betelgeuse?
A42: Orion.

Q43: According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Driver's Manual, eight of ten accidents happen at speeds of less than which mph - 25, 40 or 55?
A43: 40 mph.

Q44: How long can a sperm whale hold its breath?
A44: Two hours

Q45: If chemistry follows its predictions, what will be the atomic number of the next noble (inert) gas?
A45: 118.

Q46: Who is oldest: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd or Porky Pig?
A46: Porky Pig. His first cartoon was in 1935; the others were all in 1937 or 1938.

The winner for June is Tom Rankin with 8 correct answers. Elizabeth McAllister, Frank Wolfe and Ed Quinn had 7, and Les Herring had 5 correct answers. Bill Zigo, ineligible this year for winning last year, had 9 out of 9 correct answers. The winner for July/August is Ed Quinn with 9 out of 9 correct answers. Tom Rankin and Les Herring had 7, Frank Wolfe had 5 and Elizabeth McAllister had 4 correct answers. Bill Zigo, ineligible this year for winning last year, had 8 correct answers.

And now, this month's questions:

Q47: Area 51, the secret base to study UFOs, is supposedly 90 miles north of what city?

Q48: What humorist, intellectual and former game show host wrote the music and words to Nat "King" Cole's famous song "Impossible"?

Q49: America's first turnpike, known as the Little River Turnpike, was authorized in 1785 by which state?

Q50: Who wrote the self-help book How to Win Friends and Influence People?

Q51: According to Greek mythology, who fell in love with himself when he saw his reflection in a pool of water?

Q52: True or False: Horace Greeley originated the expression "Go West, young man, go West."

Q53: Identify the order in which the 4 blood types appeared in human evolution. (Submitted by Dave Cardall)

Q54: Name the US space shuttles. (Submitted by Dave Cardall)

Q55: Who was the first federal official to be impeached? What was the result? (Submitted by Bill Zigo)

Q56: At 3,307 miles, what country has the world's longest wire-and-post fence? (Submitted by Kathie Vanleer)

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

Last time, I mentioned the planets and the Perseids. Did you see any?

This month, the sun again appears to pass through the Ecliptic plane from North to South, the definition of the beginning of Autumn. (Do I feel a chill in the air? Not at this writing; it's almost 100Eoutside!) Mars is still visible, but Venus is gone from the evening sky, returning soon as a morning object. Jupiter and Saturn are both visible by 11 pm in the East.

Other September Events:

09/02 The moon is near Aldebaran in Taurus
09/08 The moon is near Regulus in Leo
09/10 The moon is 25 hours old at sunset
09/27 The moon is near Jupiter
09/28 The moon is near Saturn
09/30 The moon is near Aldebaran

Astro News:

Astronomers have discovered two new moons around Uranus, giving it twenty, the most of any planet.

There are two comets in the sky right now that are visible in binoculars or a small telescope. Comet Lee is in the morning sky, and Comet Lynn is in the evening sky.

Astronomers reported last month that the recent discovery of the rare radioactive iron isotope Fe-60 in deep-sea sediments could be evidence of a killer supernova that may have caused a mini-extinction five million years ago.

Using a 2" telescope (yes that's right!) aboard the otherwise failed WIRE satellite, a Berkely astronomer has discovered “starquakes” on nearby stars.

Upcoming MHAA Events (for Southeastern New York State):

Sept. 03 - Wilcox Park - 8:00 PM
Jupiter and Saturn
Sept. 10 - Sam's Point - 8:00 PM
Jupiter and Saturn
Sept. 21- Members Present indoors at SUNY New Paltz - 7:30 PM

Call (914) 485-5669 for the MHAA Hotline: Information, Astronomy News, etc. 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: October’s Orionid meteor shower. Clear skies!

Tom Rankin

MHAA Home Page: http://jump.to/mhaa

Tele-Teaser Answers

1. (767) 597-4475 = Porky’s Girl = Petunia Pig
2. (527) 246-2228 = Lasagna Cat = Garfield
3. (538) 766-6243 = Jetson Maid = Rosie the Robot
4. (758) 866-9637 = Pluto Owner = Mickey Mouse
5. (896) 624-7437 = Two Magpies = Heckle and Jeckle
6. (942) 878-7362 = What’s Up Doc? = Bugs Bunny
7. (266) 266-7725 = Boo-Boo’s Pal = Yogi Bear
8. (225) 625-4323 = A Blockhead = Charlie Brown
9. (626) 246-4228 = Mancini Cat = The Pink Panther
10. (244) 382-5868 = Big Duck Tot = Baby Huey

Cryptogram Answers:

Easy:

I bear no grudges. I have a mind that retains nothing.
Bette Midler

Hard:

I really didn't say everything I said.
Yogi Berra

“Saturday Morning Cartoons” TV Trivia Answers:

1. Itchy and Scratchy.
2. There’s no need to fear, Underdog is here.
3. Wilma Flintstone
4. True
5. Tom Terrific
6. It was a process of superimposing moving lips on a (typically otherwise poorly) animated character. The two cartoons were Clutch Cargo, and Space Angel.
7. Top Cat
8. Beany and Cecil (the seasick sea serpent)
9. Dastardly and Muttley In Their Flying Machines featured villain Dick Dastardly and his dog Muttley, while The Perils of Penelope Pitstop featured Penelope and her guardians, The Ant Hill Mob.
10. “Duck” - as in Daffy.
11. True. It was Knighty Knight Bugs, which won the Oscar in 1958.
12. Helen Kane
13. Hanna-Barbera