e-chron - scmscm66.org/nl/mensa echron 2019_08.pdf · 2019. 8. 1. · puzzles & questions ......

Table of Contents

Welcome New Members ........................................................................................................................... 1

SCM Chapter Events–August 2019 ........................................................................................................ 2

CT & Western MA Mensa Chapter—Upcoming Events .................................................................... 4

Region 1 RVC Roundup ........................................................................................................................... 5

Upcoming Region 1 Regional Gatherings/Events ............................................................................... 6

2019 Chapter Business Meetings............................................................................................................ 9

The May Dinner ..................................................................................................................................... 10

Word Check ............................................................................................................................................. 14

Puzzles & Questions ............................................................................................................................... 16

Answers to Some of the July Chronicle Questions ........................................................................... 17

Noted & Quoted ...................................................................................................................................... 19

Southern CT Mensa Treasury Report ................................................................................................ 22

More Ways to Reach Out to Your Fellow SC Mensans ................................................................... 23

SIG News – Mensa Special Interest Groups ...................................................................................... 24

Announcements & Notices ................................................................................................................... 26

SCM Chronicle - Advertising Rates .................................................................................................... 29

Mensa Chapter #066 - Officers 2018–2019 ....................................................................................... 30

Welcome New Members

Preston Bealle Darien Maxwell Taylor Newtown

E-ChronThe Digital Newsletter of Southern CT Mensa

Vol. 28, No. 8 August 2019

Southern Connecticut Mensa eChron Vol. 28, No 8 – August 2019

SCM Chapter Events–August 2019 Sunday, July 14, 2:00–5:00 pm Mensa Game Day Cosi Restaurant, 1209 High Ridge Road, Stamford 06905 (Next to the Merritt Parkway exit 35) "We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing."

–Benjamin Franklin Well, we won't be growing old on Sunday, August 4, because we'll have a Mensa playdate from 2–5 at our usual hangout of Cosi in Stamford. C'mon out for a cool drink, cool people, and some cool competition! Bring your favorite game or games and look forward to having a fun afternoon. Look for host Larry Roberg, wearing a large-brimmed hat.

Info: Call Larry Roberg at (203) 247-4123 or email him at [email protected] Tuesday, August 13, 7:00 pm Southern Connecticut Mensa Board Meeting–Teleconference Contact Joan Coprio at [email protected] for info or to add something to the agenda.

Sunday, August 18, 1:30 pm–4:00 pm Mensa Summer Picnic Rain date, August 25 Winslow Park, Corner of Compo Rd North & Post Rd, Westport (Next to Westport Playhouse) Games–Lawn Darts, Corn Hole, Frisbee, Giant Yahtzee, and more!

mailto:[email protected]


Youth members are encouraged to attend! Bring a blanket or a chair. Please bring a side dish, dessert, or fruit to share. Dog-friendly, but please only socialized dogs on leashes. Wedges and drinks will be provided. Please RSVP by August 10, 2019 (specify if vegan/vegetarian). Email Larry Schwartz at [email protected] to RSVP or for more info. Saturday, August 24, 8:00 pm Theater: Elm Shakespeare Company's Comedy of Errors Outdoors Edgerton Park, 75 Cliff St., New Haven (Hamden border) (https://www.elmshakespeare.org/shakespeare-in-the-park). Music begins at 7:30 pm. It is a tale of wild mishaps in a Greek city when identical twins separated at birth reunite. Tickets: Donation. Seating is open on the grass of the great lawn. Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets. Contact Jim Mizera at [email protected] or text or call (203) 522-1959.


https://www.elmshakespeare.org/shakespeare-in-the-park



CT & Western MA Mensa Chapter—Upcoming Events For event listings in the Media, please contact Tom Galanis by the 10th of the previous month at [email protected] or 413 244 5750. Thursday, August 1, 5:30 pm First Thursday Happy Hour and Dinner Aunt Chilada’s, 3931 Whitney Ave., Hamden (Route 10) Two-for-one appetizers, reasonably priced drinks. Contact Ann P.: (203) 269-4565. Sunday, August 4, 12:00 pm Book Club (Cheshire) 50 Rumberg Rd., Cheshire, CT We'll meet at the Community Room of the ever gracious Kinlochs, Barbara and Bill to discuss Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. RSVP to the Kinlochs at [email protected] or (203) 271-2058. Directions: I-84W Exit 26, left off exit onto Rte 70. Go 3.6 miles, left into Rumberg Rd (the left after Grove St.). OR I-91 to 691W Exit 3, left off exit onto Rte 10S. Go 3 miles, right onto Highland Ave/Maple Ave, right on W. Main St., right onto Rumberg Rd. The community room is the building off the driveway with the flag in the front. Park in visitor parking spaces, marked with a V. To be included in our advance-notice email list; or to receive a copy of the more than 100 books we’ve read over the years, just email to Barb Holstein at [email protected]. Sunday, August 11, 12:00 pm Central CT Cuisine (Cromwell) 3413 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT In our ongoing sample of restaurants, this month we go back to a nostalgic place once known to many of us – The Olympia Diner. Diner is owned by a Greek family. You can see the entire menu here: www.olympiadiner.net/. The Diner is really easy to find. If you are heading up the Berlin Turnpike toward Hartford, it’s just past Stew Leonard’s & Modern Tire on the Left. In fact, for everyone, plan a “field trip” to Stew’s after lunch. If you are heading down the Berlin Turnpike toward Meriden, it’s just past Best Buy on your Right. When you enter the restaurant, head to the main dining room (go in the side door), we’ll be at the long table in the rear. For all of these summer selections, I will need your RSVP a lot earlier in the week since group seating is limited Call Barb for a reservation: (860) 632-7873 or email [email protected] Wednesday, August 28, 4:30 pm Happy Hour Moves to Wednesday (Hamden) Playwright Irish Pub, 1232 Whitney Ave, Hamden, CT The Playwright, http://www.playwrightirishpub.com Same time, same location; different and quieter day for libations, dinner, and good conversation. Come between 4:30 and 6:30. Hosted by Ann Polanski: cell (860) 817-9910



http://www.olympiadiner.net/


http://www.playwrightirishpub.com/


Region 1 RVC Roundup

I’m writing this a little bit late (sorry, editors), from the Annual Gathering in Phoenix, Arizona. This is actually the early hours of Wednesday morning; registration opens at noon, and then there will be nearly five full days of Mensans talking, laughing, learning, playing, meeting, enjoying, dancing, doing, eating, drinking… well, I expect it to be a fantastic time! And I urge you, if you’ve never been to an AG, to try to get to one (next year in Kansas City, again the July 4 weekend; 2021 in Houston in August [so it can do double duty as a World Gathering]; 2022 in Reno). And if you haven’t experienced a Mensa gathering, maybe you want to start a little smaller, with a Regional Gathering. They’re like mini-Annual Gatherings, and closer to home (though they do have them—and you’re welcome at them—all over the country). Coming up near us, we have Mensa of Northeastern New York’s RechaRGe over Labor Day weekend in Albany, New York, and Boston’s Wicked Good in October. I’ll also be going to Metropolitan Washington Mensa’s Pandemic in the middle of August (they, too, throw a good party, though it is a bit more of a trip). Speaking of Gatherings, June started, for me, in Maine, at their fourth (four! It’s getting to be a regular event) Best Fun & Games mini RG evah. It was a lower-key version of a Gathering; no programming, just games and socializing. I met several new Mensans, talked Mensa business with several more, and had a wonderful time. And in response to a comment I had this past month: the reason I keep talking about Gatherings in my column is because they’re a very important part of my Mensa experience, and if you start experiencing them, I imagine you’ll be hooked, too! Also (ulterior motive): the more you love Mensa, the more likely you are to keep renewing your membership, which is good for the organization, and good for those who haven’t met yet you but really want to. A bit of heavier business from the past month: On Saturday, June 29, the AMC held an emergency teleconference to consider a report from the Hearings Committee. The AMC concurred with the report and recommendation, expelling a member from Mensa (details are available at https://www.us.mensa.org/lead/amc/meeting-reports/). It’s a sad and serious thing we do, when Mensa has to remove a member from the society. The process is onerous and deliberate, because it is an action fraught with import, but ultimately, done for the good of Mensa. A bit of upbeat thinking: I had a conversation with another RVC yesterday (the business discussions begin at the AG even before the AG begins), who had a good suggestion. We frequently talk about the next generation of Mensa, encouraging our young members to be more active. And in most groups, that’s difficult because it’s hard to form a critical mass of young members to interact with each other. At the same time, as members mature and start families, they frequently become less active because they’re spending time with their spouses and children. So here’s a thought: there’s no reason we have to segment and separate all these subgroups. Why not try planning a family-friendly event: good for young Mensans to attend with their families, good for adult Mensans to attend with their children. Mensa qualification frequently runs in families: in my family, both my father and sister are also members (my mother just doesn’t do tests, but she’s always welcome to participate). It’s quite possible that the parents of our young Mensans are Mensa-eligible, and the children of our adult members. So include them all, see what happens. (And let me know of your good experiences, so I can share them with others!)

https://www.us.mensa.org/lead/amc/meeting-reports/


If you’re looking for Mensa events a little closer to home, remember that the newsletters and calendars from your nearby local groups are available to you on the Mensa web site (from the main us.mensa.org web site, pull down the “Read” tab and click on “Local Group Newsletters”). And I urge you to share your events with those surrounding groups’ calendar editors. Keep up to date with the latest goings on in the region in Region 1’s Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/188180494045/ Ian Randal Strock (917) 755-6935 [email protected] Glossary: AMC: American Mensa Committee, the national board of directors. AG: American Mensa’s once-a-year five-day Annual Gathering, featuring the Annual Business Meeting, more than a hundred speakers, and more than a thousand Mensans. ExCom: Executive Committee, in some groups known as Board of Directors: the members who have volunteered and been elected to take care of the day-to-day business of operation a local group. This is the local group version of the AMC. LocSec: Local Secretary, aka president, the elected leader of a local group (the name comes from our British roots). Region 1: The northeast region of American Mensa, comprising New England, Northern New Jersey, and most of New York. RG: Regional Gathering: a weekend-long get-together hosted by a local group featuring speakers, games, events, and more with 100–400 of your closest friends you haven’t met yet. RVC: Regional Vice Chairman, a member of the AMC with responsibility for a specific region of American Mensa. YM: Young Mensan: teenaged members and those younger. YAM: Young Adult Mensan: members in their twenties and thirties.

Upcoming Region 1 Regional Gatherings/Events Mensa of Northeast New York’s RechaRGe: (August 30–September 2) in Albany, New York. For more info, see https://mensaofnortheasternny.wordpress.com/ Boston Mensa’s Wicked Good RG: (October 25–27) in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. For more info, see https://rg.bostonmensa.org/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/188180494045/


https://mensaofnortheasternny.wordpress.com/

https://rg.bostonmensa.org/


Fall Mensa Hiking Weekend North Conway, N.H.

September 6–8, 2019

New England has wonderful mountains, enjoyable lakes, and lively cities. New England also has Mensa! This fall (late summer), come on up and enjoy both hiking and Mensa, at that wonderful time when the bugs have gone, the weather is wonderful, and the leaves are beginning to change. We will be once again at David Heimann’s ski club lodge, the Skiwheelers Ski Club in North Conway, NH (see www.skiwheelers.org for further information on the club). The lodge is a lovely nineteenth-century building, originally built as an inn. In the 1970s it was used as the location for the movie Return of the Secaucus Seven. It is close enough to the center of North Conway to be easily accessible to all the shops and activities there, yet far enough away to enjoy the peace and quiet of the woods, trees, and country roads. The weekend is low-key and unstructured. The one planned activity is you guessed it, hiking! Depending on preference, we can go to a mountain peak or other significant destination, or take a couple of hours over easy terrain to reach a scenic viewpoint, waterfall, or other point of interest (or have a choice of two hikes, one of each type). Of course, you can also do more relaxing activities such as a short walk or drive, some shopping (North Conway has a few places!), or hanging around the lodge (there's a TV, pool table, piano, books, games, and videos). The weekend includes two nights' accommodations, two full breakfasts, Saturday dinner, and snacks and soft drinks (BYOB for anything stronger), for $80 per person. Registrations without accommodations are $40 (North Conway has various hotels and lodgings, as well as some good nightspots). We all do the cooking and housekeeping cooperatively, which definitely increases the feeling of closeness and camaraderie. We generally pick out the hikes on Friday night, and leave right after Saturday breakfast (around 9:30 or so), stopping at a store on the way to the trail for people to buy sandwiches and the like for lunch. To sign up and reserve a place, send a check for $80 per person to David Heimann, 65 Cornwall St. #206, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, or send an e-mail pledging that amount ([email protected]). You'll receive confirmation and directions to the lodge by return mail, e-mail, or phone call. If you have questions or need more information, contact David by e-mail or phone (617) 524-4531, or call Bob and Brendy Horn at (781) 843-5581. So here it is: wonderful weather, wonderful mountains and forests, invigorating countryside, great people, and of course Mensa, all in one wonderful weekend!

http://www.skiwheelers.org/



PHOTOS from CT and Western Massachusetts Spring Hiking Weekend

Photo 1: At trailhead

Photo 2: At Artist's Peak

Photo 3: North Conway

Photo 4: The White Mountains


2019 Chapter Business Meetings All meetings are on the second Tuesday of every other month at 7:00 pm.

No July 2019 meeting minutes July So. CT MENSA MEMBERSHIP COUNT 7/23/2019: 268 members

2019 Chapter Business Meetings August – 8/13 – Teleconference October – 10/8 – In person December – 12/10 – Teleconference


The May Dinner

ADVENTURES OF A PROFESSIONAL GAMBLER

Gambling has been in the headlines the last few years as new casinos have opened in New England and various groups try to bring more of them to Connecticut. But local Mensan Larry Schwartz was a professional gambler before New England became a gambling haven. He and a team of friends used their knowledge of probability and strategy to win money at casinos across the country. At our May dinner, he told us how they prepared and executed their strategies and dodged some dangers along the way.

Larry knows probabilities and also loves games. He earned a Master’s degree in statistics and worked as a statistician for a major pharmaceutical company before retiring last year. As a member of Southern CT Mensa for three decades, he’s hosted or participated in Southern CT Mensa’s Game Days, where members sample or play new or interesting games (many of which have won awards at Mensa’s annual Mind Games event). Larry also serves on our chapter’s Youth Coordinator and local SIGHT (Service of Information, Guidance and Hospitality to Travelers) Coordinator (https://www.us.mensa.org/connect/sight/).

.

RULES, STRATEGY, AND COUNTING YOUR CARDS

Larry’s main game was Blackjack, a card game also known as 21 which his team played in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and other casino places. The rules are fairly simple: the object of the game is to collect cards whose point values total 21 or as close to 21 as possible without exceeding it. The cards 2 to 10 count as their face value, while jacks, queens, and kings count as 10. Aces can be either 1 or 11.

To start the game, the dealer deals each player two cards, face up, and then deals himself two

cards, one face up and one face down. The dealer must take another card if his cards total less than 17 points and must stand pat when he has 17 or higher. Larry emphasized that you play against the house, not against the other players. If you go over 21 and the dealer goes over 21, you lose — a big advantage for the house. If you get 21 (“Blackjack”) with two cards, you win. (In this case, most casinos will pay you $3 for every $2 you bet.)

How do you profit at Blackjack? “If you want to go to the casino and play Blackjack,” Larry

advised, “learn basic strategy.” Basic strategy involves playing based on the dealer’s up card. “If you do this, you'll minimize your losses,” Larry stated. “But if you want to do better, use card counting.” Card counting is really a misnomer because it doesn’t mean memorizing every card; it means keeping a running plus-minus count of low and high cards. “We counted low cards as pluses and high cards as minuses,” Larry explained. “When there were a lot more high cards left in the deck, there

https://www.us.mensa.org/connect/sight/


were more blackjacks available. We would raise our bet when the count was high.” Simply put, when the odds move in your favor, you bet more.

Card counting doesn't give you a giant edge. “You get only a small advantage — but you do

win in the long run. If you don’t card count, the house edge is small, and they win in the long run.” It has to be so: as Larry put it, “Someone has to pay for the flashing lights.”

THE CASINOS vs. THE COUNTERS Because gambling houses are in business to make money, “They’ve outlawed or discouraged

card counting. People who work for casino security have eyes in the sky. They watch bet variations by the players. If they see someone raising their bet with the card count, they watch them more closely.” Larry added that gaming houses today have new tactics and technology to combat card counters. Nowadays, when they see a big bet, many dealers reshuffle the deck. They also use facial recognition software to identify card counters. The penalties, though, are much the same: “They can pull you away from the table, and they can kick you out. And if you got kicked out, you got kicked out for life.”

Typically, players on Larry’s team played Blackjack for about an hour at a time and safeguarded themselves by tracking the casino’s different pit bosses, who kept an eye on each area. But despite precautions, they sometimes got caught. Larry considered himself fortunate: "I only got kicked out 5 times. After we got kicked out a few times, we learned. We adopted signaling systems, one which required a non-playing team member to sit with his chin resting in both hands to signal team members to bet the max.” Things occasionally went awry, though. “Once,” Larry said, “a teammate was just sitting there, not playing, with his chin in both hands, I bet the max. I talked with him later though and found out he wasn’t signaling at all; he was simply relaxing. That time, I won just by luck.”

WINNING AND WORRYING

Larry and his gambling comrades put in various amounts of money and got money from outside investors such as friends and family. The investments paid off handsomely. “We made about $325 an hour,” Larry said. “Counters got paid twice as much as big players.” And there were other benefits. “Casinos gave us comps —complimentary gifts for frequent or big players.” For high rollers, these often included impressive freebies: rooms, meals at fine restaurants, airfare, shows, and entry to luxury lounges. One Mensan asked why Larry stopped playing. He replied, “Because we didn't like walking out with all that cash. I was walking around with $40,000 sometimes. I quit because I was worried about becoming a victim.” Besides fearing robbery, the players felt the nagging dread that the casinos would catch them. Larry vividly recalled one unnerving episode caused by a slipup. “We were supposed to play at Dune's Casino on the Las Vegas Strip and to meet first on the fifth floor of the hotel. But we had never played there before and didn’t realize that there were two towers and two fifth floors. I went to one, and no one was there. I started running, sweating, and got stopped by a security guard. Fortunately, he let me go.” Along with fear, there was fatigue. Larry gambled professionally on weekends while working at a demanding job. The team also had to practice their strategies and signals on weekends. Traveling and being away from family and friends all added to the stress. They had seen a lot: glitz, glamour,


and people betting $10,000 hand after hand, but easy money was hard work. After three to four years of success, they retired at their peak. GAMING QUESTIONS The audience had many questions for Larry about other types of gambling and about contemporary betting trends. For sports betting, now legal nationally, “How can you make money betting against bookies?” Larry commented, “I did some sports betting and betting on horse and dog tracks . Bookies are good at it. They make a “vig” [short for “vigorish”] — a commission, typically 5 percent. It’s hard to overcome that commission.” But Larry recalled one famous game that cost most bookies dearly — the 1979 Super Bowl. The Pittsburgh Steelers were 4-point favorites versus the Dallas Cowboys, but the bookmakers quoted spreads between 3.5 and 4.5 based on the fan sentiment in Texas and Pennsylvania. The Steelers had a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, and the bookies were feeling comfortable. Then Dallas scored two touchdowns late in the game, leaving Pittsburgh with a 35–31 win, the exact spread. The bookies suffered huge losses. As for racing, Larry said, “Things are somewhat different with bets at horse and dog, tracks that have growing jackpots. At some point, those jackpots do get big enough to make it profitable to play.” He mentioned the Pick 6, where you must get 6 winners in a row, as an example. He said, “I've been working on this recently, with modest success.”

A Connecticut and Western Massachusetts Mensan asked, “Have you ever considered games where you’re playing not against the house but against other players?” “Yes,” Larry replied, “Craps tournaments — the prize can reach $100,000. When the hour time limit is almost up, you can make last-minute bets to advance to the next round. You're not winning house money, so the house doesn't care about that.” Online betting is getting bigger and bigger as well, and someone asked Larry if he tried it, particularly online poker. “I haven't played online poker,” he said. “You could win against poor players.” Someone in the audience wryly noted, “You can't read other players in online poker.” Roulette is seemingly one game where you play against the house but can’t win in the long run; but some people are trying to figure out how to beat the wheel through technology. Larry agreed that it is possible, though it hasn’t happened yet, and it would be illegal. “If you can watch and place a bet late, you might be able to win. If you could simply eliminate five numbers on the wheel, you would have an edge.”

JEOPARDY!

Larry, like many other Mensans, likes the Jeopardy! game show, and a Mensan asked him what he thought about “Jeopardy James” Holzhauer’s recent success on the show. Holzhauer has followed an unusual strategy of selecting the highest dollar questions first, which has garnered him single-game-record earnings. “He's a professional sports gambler,” Larry noted. “He bets big on the Daily Double. He knows when to bet big. He's legendary. There’s no sign of him stopping anytime soon. Alex Trebek likes it when people go in order, but there is no rule requiring it. But you must have great buzzer-beating skill to win at Jeopardy!”


A BET TO AVOID

As he promised, Larry told us the one bet he would never make: buying a lottery ticket.

Focusing on the popular multistate Powerball Lottery, he said, “You can simulate a 1 in 50 bet by taking a roll of pennies with one of the pennies having a red dot on Lincoln's nose. For the Powerball Lottery, a 1-in-196 million bet, the roll of pennies would stretch from here to Washington, DC.”

Some people believe all betting should be avoided, and Larry closed with some brief

comments. Acknowledging the danger of addiction, he said, “There are people who question whether gambling should be legal. I think Utah bans it. It's one of those vices, like alcohol, that tempts many. I'm not interested in it at all. You could say I'm addicted to positive-expectation gambling.”

******

You can meet Larry at Southern CT Mensa coffee hours, game days, and many of our dinners. He will be glad to talk with you about stats, probability, games, sports, and other topics. You can also discuss with him his new team, the Silver Steel Band, an 18-piece steel pan band that he and his wife Sharyn play in. They play at various locales in the area such as Captain’s Cove in Bridgeport and Saugatuck Sweets in Fairfield. To see their schedule, go to their website at www.silversteelband.com or their Facebook page facebook.com/SilverSteelSteelPan. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEXT DINNER: The next Southern CT Mensa Monthly Diner will be on Saturday, September 21. Enjoy your summer!


Word Check Define these exotic or unusual forms of therapy. 1. apitherapy – 2. halotherapy – 3. moxibustion – 4. myotherapy – 5. Pilates – 6. sonopuncture – 7. speleotherapy – 8. thalassotherapy –

Southern Connecticut Mensa eChron Vol. 28, No.8–August 2019

Answers 1. apitherapy – the medical use of honeybee products. 2. halotherapy – the use of salt vapor to treat respiratory ailments, skin irritations, and lethargy. 3. moxibustion – a traditional Chinese medicine therapy which consists of burning dried

mugwort (wikt: moxa) on particular points on the body. 4. myotherapy – a form of physical therapy which focuses on diagnosing, treating, and

rehabilitating musculoskeletal pain. 5. Pilates – a physical fitness system developed in the early twentieth century by Joseph Pilates

to alleviate lower back pain or improve balance. Efficacy has primarily been shown in elderly patients.

6. sonopuncture – the stimulation of the body by ultrasound beams or tuning forks at acupuncture

meridian points in order to promote healing. 7. speleotherapy – the use of conditions in caves to treat respiratory and skin problems. 8. thalassotherapy – the use of seawater, sea products, and shore climate as a form of therapy.


Puzzles & Questions

(Answers may be in next month’s Chronicle newsletter) 1. Does emotional intelligence exist? 2. About how many craft breweries are there in Connecticut? 3. True or false: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. 4. If you roll 2 green dice and 3 red dice, what is the chance that the sum of the 2 green dice will

a) equal the sum of the 3 red dice; b) will exceed the sum of the red dice? 5. How does multitasking differ from juggling objects? 6. Who invented the digital camera? 7. If William Shakespeare had written The Wizard of Oz, what would it have been like? 8. Which Apollo astronauts spent the most time on the moon? 9. What is chance? 10. Who invented gambling on point spreads in sports? 11. How many glances are sideways or peripheral glances? 12. In Major League Baseball history since 1876, what percentage of the pitchers has thrown a)

right-handed; b) left-handed? What percentage of the batters have batted c) right-handed; d) left-handed?


Answers to Some of the July Chronicle Questions

2. Who wrote these songs about summer? A) “The Summer Wind” (circa 1966, sung by Frank Sinatra and others); B) Theme from A Summer Place (1959 film); C) “Summertime” (1934 aria).

A: A) In 1965, Heinz Meier, a German songwriter, composed the "Die Sommerwind," and Hans Bradtke wrote the German lyrics. The famed American songwriter Johnny Mercer wrote English lyrics for the tune. Wayne Newton, Bobby Vinton, and Perry Como recorded U.S. versions in 1965, but it didn’t become a big hit until Frank Sinatra recorded it in 1966 for his Strangers in the Night album. B) Max Steiner wrote the music and Max Discant wrote the lyrics for the theme for the 1959 film A Summer Place. Percy Faith and his orchestra recorded a version without the lyrics in 1959. It hit number 1 on the Billboard singles chart in 1960 and stayed there for nine weeks, a record that was not eclipsed until 1977. c) George Gershwin composed the song “Summertime” for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. Dubose Heyward, who wrote the 1925 novel Porgy that was the basis for the opera, wrote the lyrics for “Summertime.”

4. List synonyms for the word “ponder” beginning with each of the following letters: I) c; II) c; III) d; IV) e; V) e; VI) m; VII) m; VIII) r; IX) r; X) r; XI) s; XII) st; XIII) tu; XIV) w

A: I) contemplate; II) consider or cogitate; III) deliberate or dwell on; IV) evaluate; V) examine; VI) mull; VII) muse; VIII) reflect; IX) reason; X) ruminate; XI) speculate; XII) study; XIII) turn over; XIV) weigh

6. Who were the first European settlers in Connecticut?

A: Dutch fur traders were the first European settlers, setting up a fort in 1614 near what became Hartford.

8. Which U.S. general served in that position the longest?

A: Gen. Winfield Scott (1786 – 1866) was a general from 1814 – 1861, nearly 48 years.

10. What following distance does AAA recommend for cars?

A: At 55 miles per hour in good weather, you should remain at least 3 seconds or about 250 feet behind the car in front of you. If following trucks, you should add 50 feet.

12. What was the age of the oldest person to make a skydive jump?

A: In July 2017, 102-year-old New Jersey resident Kenneth Meyer became the oldest person to skydive. The record has not been officially confirmed yet. There are a few other centenarians who have completed a skydiving jump.


14. In the 2018 major league baseball season, what percentage of the pitches thrown were

sliders? Sinkers?

A: Last year, 17% of pitches were sliders and 17.1% were sinkers. This was the first time since pitch tracking began in 2008 that more sinkers than sliders were thrown.


Noted & Quoted

Do what we can, summer will have its flies.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), U.S. essayist

Oh, the summer night has a smile of light and she sits on a sapphire throne, by the firelight.

— Barry Cornwall (1787–1874), English poet

We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.

— Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), U.S. essayist

Actors and burglars work better at night.

— Cedric Hardwicke (1893–1964), English actor

Acting is the ability to dream on cue.

— Ralph Richardson (1902–1983), English actor

You must lose everything in order to gain anything.

— Brad Pitt (1963–), U.S. actor

Everyone wants to eat but few are willing to hunt.

— Anonymous

The most important questions of life are indeed, for the most part, really only problems of probability.

— Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749–1827), French mathematician

European lotteries are the tax on fools.

— Count Cavour, (1810–1861), Italian statesman

Those who ignore Statistics are condemned to reinvent it.

— Bradley Efron (1938–), U.S. statistician


Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.

— George Eastman (1854–1932), U.S. inventor

If you want something to look interesting, don’t light all of it.

— John Loengard (1934–), U.S. photographer

A lion runs fastest when he is hungry.

— Salman Khan (1965–), Indian film actor

The lion cares less about being king of the beasts than about finding his dinner.

— Mason Cooley (1927–2002), U.S. aphorist

I never thought much of the courage of a lion tamer. Inside the cage he is at least safe from people.

— George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950), Irish playwright

A good fighter usually knows, to within a very few seconds, when a three-minute round is going to end.

— Jack Dempsey (1895–1983), U.S. heavyweight boxer

Faith, Sir, we are here today and gone tomorrow. — Aphra Behn, The Lucky Chance (1686)

People think I'm disciplined. It is not discipline. It is devotion. There is a great difference. — Luciano Pavarotti (1935–2007), Italian operatic tenor

There are a million things in music I know nothing about. I just want to narrow down that figure. — Andre Previn (1929 - 2019), German-American pianist

Look down, look down that lonesome road / Before you travel on … — Gene Austin, “The Lonesome Road” (1927)

The road was new to me, as roads always are going back.

— Sarah Orne Jewett, The Country Road of Pointed Firs (1896)


Cost is more important than quality but quality is the best way to reduce cost.

— Genichi Taguchi (1924–2012), Japanese statistician Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it.

— Peter Drucker (1909–2005), U.S. economist Quality is not act. It is a habit. — Aristotle (384–322 B.C.E.) I start where the last man left off. — Thomas A. Edison (1847–1931)


Southern CT Mensa Treasury Report Southern Connecticut Mensa Treasury

Fiscal Year 4/1/2019 – 3/31/2020 1

Opening treasury balance at 4/1/2018 $12,735.89

INFLOWS

American Mensa Member support:

Current members @ $0.85 (Mar = 303 members) 257.55

Current members @ $0.85 (Apr = 257) 218.45

Current members @ $0.85 (May = 262) 222.70

New members: 4 @ $1 each 4.00

Reinstated members: 2 @$1 each 2.00

Testing Rate: @$15

Testing Stipend: @$25

Lapsed Member contacts @$.50

TOTAL INFLOWS $ 704.70

OUTFLOWS

Chronicle postage (1 month) 83.19

Chronicle printing/supplies (1 month) 78.80

Speakers, dinners

CultureQuest fee

Picnic mailer

December Holiday party

Lapsed Member contacts postage

TOTAL OUTFLOWS $ 161.99

First Qtr Treasury Balance at 6/30/2019 $ 13,278.60

o/s checks: #1252 $ 32.00

#1262 $ 161.99

First Qtr Bank Balance at 6/30/2019 $ 13,472.59


More Ways to Reach Out to Your Fellow SC Mensans

The Southern Connecticut Mensa Blog https://scm66.wordpress.com/ The Southern Connecticut Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/SCM066/ The Southern Connecticut Twitter Feed https://twitter.com/scmensa66 If you would like to post any last-minute events or information on the blog, email Joe Lee at [email protected]. Anything posted on the blog will be mirrored on the Facebook page and Twitter feed unless otherwise requested. If you hit the “Follow” button on the blog and add your email address, you will be automatically notified of all new updates.

https://scm66.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SCM066/



SIG News – Mensa Special Interest Groups American Mensa has 130+ Special Interest Groups (SIGs), clubs for members to discuss hobbies or interests. You can see a listing and short description of these groups at https://www.us.mensa.org/connect/sigs/. Each group has a link to its website and contact person. Here is a listing of some SIGs that some Connecticut Mensans participate in: Haiku SIG Members enjoy writing and reading brief, personal poems about the world around them using the haiku genre. Educational features are also included. Newsletter: Pebbles (6/yr.). Holmesian Studies SIG Discusses Sherlock Holmes. Publishes the Norbury Chronicles newsletter. Old-Time Detection Mensa SIG by Mail This SIG celebrates such detectives as Charlie Chan, Jane Marple, Nero Wolfe and their methods, explores the history of the genre, and studies individual stories, characters, and authors. 32-page newsletter, Give Me That Old-Time Detection (3 issues/yr.) $15 Mensans, $18 others Arthur Vidro Old-Time Detection 2 Ellery St Claremont, NH 03743 Mensa Postcard Pals SIG Meet Mensans throughout the world by mail. We exchange postcards and have informal gatherings. Write or call to get on the group roster. Membership is free. Joe Dobson 2400 Council Bluff Cheyenne, WY 82009 (307) 214-8073 [email protected]

Sports SIG M-SportsFans provides a forum for discussion about all things related to major amateur/ collegiate/ professional sports, including statistical trends and analytics advances, innovative ways to improve the fairness and excitement of the sports we love, and sophisticated (or unsophisticated) water-cooler talk about recent/upcoming games and current events in sports. It also offers the opportunity to participate in fantasy leagues and prediction pools. Website: https://msportsfans.org/. Twitter account (@MSportsFans). Travel SIG British Mensa SIG; publishes VISA magazine. Writers SIG The Writers' SIG has been active for over thirty years and welcomes anyone who has an interest in writing, no matter their level or experience. CALLIOPE is our official publication and offers information on marketing and the art, craft, and business of writing, as well as an opportunity for members to publish their works. Website: http://www.CalliopeOnTheWeb.org

https://www.us.mensa.org/connect/sigs/

https://msportsfans.org/


Letters, Stories, Travel Misadventures, and More! Isolated M SIG monthly newsletter serves as a communication forum for Mensa members around the world—currently eighty countries. Electronic issues free! Visit IsolatedM.com for more information.


Announcements & Notices House to Share in Ridgefield Mensa member Paul Levine is looking for a housemate to share his beautiful place in Ridgefield. Call (203) 438-4951

The Curious Guide to Things That Aren’t, by John D. Fixx and James F. Fixx, illustrated by Abby Carter The Curious Guide to Things That Aren't features thoughtful riddles—one for each letter of the alphabet—paired with engaging illustrations that reveal and explain the answer. Each spread features a riddle with several clues about an intangible item, such as air, breath, or jokes. Kids then have to figure out the answers through detective work and a little creative reasoning. The clues on each page progress from challenging, more abstract clues to a simple, final clue that encourages the reader to turn the page to discover the answer. The book covers a broad range of themes, including science, language, social studies, math, music, and art. The Curious Guide to Things That Aren't teaches creative thinking through deductive reasoning, listening skills, and imagination. https://www.amazon.com/Curious-Guide-Things-That-Arent/dp/1633221768

Games for the Superintelligent Those who thrill to a mind-bending challenge have met their match in this one-of-a-kind collection. Readers can match wits with an elite class of master problem-solvers in a wide variety of math, logic, and word games. These games are inspired by members of MENSA, the organization made up of people with an I.Q. of 140 or more. Puzzle addict James Fixx invites readers to sharpen their pencils and their wits. https://books.google.com/books/about/Games_for_the_Superintelligent.html?id=tyNAPgAACAAJ

https://www.amazon.com/Curious-Guide-Things-That-Arent/dp/1633221768

https://books.google.com/books/about/Games_for_the_Superintelligent.html?id=tyNAPgAACAAJ


Books by Eric Lehman, Amy Nawrocki Prof. Eric Lehman of the University of Bridgeport, the speaker at our January 2010 and September 2016 monthly dinners, has 12 books available on www.amazon.com, including fiction, poetry, and nonfiction works about history, literary history, travel, nature, and food. His most recent book is his novel Shadows of Paris (Homebound Publications, August 2016). He published four books in 2015, including his acclaimed history Homegrown Terror: Benedict Arnold and the Burning of New London. Eric has also coauthored 3 books about Connecticut with his wife, Prof. Amy Nawrocki, including Literary Connecticut: The Hartford Wits, Mark Twain and the New Millennium (History Press, 2014). You can view these books and Prof. Nawrocki’s books of poetry at https://www.amazon.com/Amy-Nawrocki/e/B00IXP5MZC/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1.

Copyright and Permissions: What Every Writer and Editor Should Know Do I need permission to reproduce something I found on the Internet? If so, how do I go about it? How long does copyright last? What if I want to copyright something I created? In her brief book, Mensan Elsa Peterson (Obuchowski) provides an engaging, accessible guide to the basics of copyright and permissions as they apply to writing, editing, and publishing. Available as an e-book or in print on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Copyright-permissions-Elsa-Peterson/dp/188040723X) and Lulu

(http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/elsa-peterson/copyright-and-permissions/paperback/product-20563038.html)

Announcing New Baseball Website Young Southern Connecticut Mensan Benjamin Stransky has just launched his baseball website www.ratatatstats.com. It’s got videos, stats, and team news. Get ready for the season and stay informed.

Classic Cars Patrick Foster, the speaker at the February 2016 Southern CT Mensa Monthly Dinner, has written 21 books about classic cars. To see a selection of Pat’s books, search www.amazon.com/patrick+foster .

https://www.amazon.com/Amy-Nawrocki/e/B00IXP5MZC/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1

https://www.amazon.com/Amy-Nawrocki/e/B00IXP5MZC/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1

https://www.amazon.com/Copyright-permissions-Elsa-Peterson/dp/188040723X)

http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/elsa-peterson/copyright-and-permissions/paperback/product-20563038.html

http://www.ratatatstats.com/

http://www.amazon.com/patrick+foster


Structural Integrations Sessions http://structuraltransformations.com/ Yonathan Hormadaly - Mensan and advanced practitioner of the Rolf Method of Structural Integration with offices in Stamford, CT and Redding, CT. In practice since 2002. For new clients, I am offering a free first session at my office in Connecticut ($150 value). No strings attached; no commitments necessary. Structural Integration is something that must be experienced as words so often do it no justice, and there is no better way to experience it than to have a session. Call to schedule an appointment or for a free phone consultation, 203-550-6888 or [email protected]

“CONNECTICUT ROCKS” ALL BOOKS ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE AUTHOR! BOOK #1: “Connecticut Rocks! The History of Connecticut Rock ‘N’ Roll©” (over 900 artists, 150 record labels, 444 pages, 1157 footnotes, price guide of Connecticut’s rarest records) BOOK #2: “Supplement to Connecticut Rocks! ©” (over 600 artists, 100 labels, 257 pages, 1085 footnotes) & 16-pg. “Addendum©” BOOK #3: “Connecticut Record Labels & Picture Sleeve Price Guide! ©” (full-color scans of 502 record labels, price guide of 200+ picture sleeves, 54 pages). Contact the author via email ([email protected]) or via mail (see address on Order Form) with any questins about the books. PRICES MAIL TO BOOK #1 BOOK #2 BOOK #3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. addresses $89.95 $54.95 $49.95 Canada $109.95 $64.95 $54.95

Overseas $119.95 $74.95 $64.95

ORDER FORM: � BOOK #1: “Connecticut Rocks! The History of Connecticut Rock n’ Roll©” � BOOK #2: “Supplement to Connecticut Rocks!” & “Addendum©” � BOOK #3: “Connecticut Record Labels & Picture Sleeve Price Guide! ©” Check books you want. PRINT your name and mailing (“SHIP TO”) address, complete and mail this sheet (or a copy) with your check or money order (U.S. Dollars only) payable to: PAUL BEZANKER and mail to: Paul E. Bezanker 1708 N.E. 4th St., #201 Boynton Beach, FL 33435-2501 PRINT NAME: __________________________________________ PRINT ADDRESS: __________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Books are sent via Media Mail to U.S. addresses, First Class elsewhere.


SCM Chronicle - Advertising Rates

Short Classified Ads: free to Mensa members and subscribers, $2.00 per month and $20.00 per year for others. Send copy to the editor. Display Ads: Full Page, $50; half page, $30; quarter page or business card, $15. Discounts for Display Ads: 10% for three issues, 20% for six issues, 30% for 12 issues. All ads must be paid in advance, checks payable to Southern Connecticut Mensa.

The Chronicle is the official publication of Southern Connecticut Mensa The views expressed in this publication are the views of the individuals submitting items for publication, and do not represent the opinions of American Mensa, Ltd., the Chapter Executive Committee, or the newsletter editor (unless so stated in the article). Unless otherwise noted, material is not copyrighted and may be used in other publications, subject to notification of the Chronicle editor, and receipt of two copies to the editor (one for the editor, one for the author).

Change of Address To change your address on the web, login at https://www.us.mensa.org and select the “Edit Profile” link. You may also email, or write to: American Mensa, Ltd. Membership Department 1229 Corporate Dr. West Arlington, TX 76006-6103


Mensa Chapter #066 - Officers 2018–2019 Southern Connecticut Mensa Officers

TITLE NAME E-MAIL

President Joan Coprio [email protected]

Vice President Jim Mizera [email protected]

Secretary Yonathan Hormadaly [email protected]

Treasurer Elizabeth Cortright [email protected]

Membership Officer Bruce Miller [email protected]

Gifted Youth Coordinator Local SIGHT Coordinator

Lawrence Schwartz [email protected]

Web Master Thomas O'Neill [email protected]

Member-at-Large Erin Davis [email protected]

Proctor, Testing & Recruiting Debra Jennings [email protected]

Young Adult Mensan (YAM) Coordinator

Open

Scholarship Chair Darcy Sledge [email protected]

Editor Jim Mizera [email protected]

Publications Officer Joe Lee [email protected]

Region 1 Vice Chairman Ian Randal Strock [email protected]

American Mensa, Ltd. 1229 Corporate Drive West Arlington, TX 76006-6103 Phone: (817) 607-0060 Fax: (817) 649-5232 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.us.mensa.org










http://www.us.mensa.org/

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