Volume 37, Issue 5, May 2013

Neva-Mind, Northern Nevada Mensa

2

Northern Nevada Mensa Volunteers

Executive Committee

LOCAL SECRETARY TREASURER

Robert McAllister Carole Preisach

LocSec@northernnevada.us.mensa.org Treasurer@northernnevada.us.mensa.org

FIRST VICE-SECRETARY PAST LOCAL SECRETARY

Ken Wright Ed Hanley

SECOND VICE-SECRETARY NEVA-MIND EDITOR

Gerald Lockhart Anna Wright

Editor@northernnevada.us.mensa.org

Appointed Officers

PROGRAM CHAIR AREA COORDINATORS

Richard Arbib Churchill County

Calendar@northernnevada.us.mensa.org Ken Wright

GIFTED CHILDREN COORDINATOR

Volunteer needed Other Areas Volunteers needed

WEBMASTER NEVA-MIND DISTRIBUTION

Mindy Hsu Robert McAllister

Webmaster@northernnevada.us.mensa.org

TESTING COORDINATOR MEMBERSHIP CHAIR

Mindy Hsu Sandra Lackovic

Testing@northernnevada.us.mensa.org

TEST PROCTORS RECRUITMENT

Fallon Don MacGregor

Anna Wright

REGIONAL VICE-CHAIR

Reno/Sparks Debra Reiger

Annemarie McTaggart rvc8@us.mensa.org

Mindy Hsu

Volunteers Needed:

SCHOLARSHIP CHAIR S.I.G.H.T. COORDINATOR

Anna Wright TEST PROCTORS

HISTORIAN

OMBUDSMAN UNR PROCTOR

Gloria Dondero Pedro Welcome!

3

Mexican history is filled with negotiations, interventions and more negotiations

with countries like the United States of America, Spain and France. Nevertheless,

some of our commemorated dates are subject to confusion outside of the country,

and I believe this may be the case with the 5th of May. Therefore I present to you a

very short review of what happened in this area prior to this famous date and after-

wards I will explain what happened with this battle.

Before Christopher Columbus discovered America (from the European point of

view) in 1492, the Mexican territory was split in two areas: Aridoamerica and

Mesoamerica. Aridoamerica was the north area, dry and mostly nomadic. The

strongest group living there was the Chichimecas (which is a náhuatl word for bar-

barian or uncivilized). Mesoamerica in contrast, had a very rich pre-Columbian his-

tory featuring famous sedentary and developed groups like the Aztecs (also named

Mexicas — it sounds sort of like mechjias) and Mayans. And yes, if you are guess-

ing “Mexican” and “Mexico” comes from “Mexicas,” you are right!

One important detail that is questioned sometimes is why weren’t the Spanish

attacked when they first arrived this continent? One hypothesis says they looked

like Vikings, who had been long time visitors to the continent. Another hypothesis

considers a prophecy of the return of Quetzalcóatl (also known as Kukulkan by cer-

tain groups), a man-shaped god represented as tall, white and bearded, who is said

to have taught science to Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs and others.

Hernán Cortés, was a Spanish conqueror who led in the fall of the Aztec

Empire. The Aztec Empire was ruling the Mexicas area and also had other enemies,

some of which became allies with Spain to take them down. Unfortunately for every-

one in this area, the Spanish indeed vanquished the Aztecs and took the cultural

and astronomical legacy of Mesoamerica down as well. Much of the written material

was destroyed. Although, Europe gained some fancy things from Mesoamerica: like

the sewage system idea (which was pretty well implemented here), cocoa, corn,

potatoes and tomatoes.

(Continued on page 4)

“Cinco de Mayo” in Mexico Cinthia Reyes (www.cinthiareyes.com)

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce one of my favor-

ite friends from Mensa Mexico, Cinthia Reyes. I met Cinthia

three years ago at the Denver AG. She is a delightful, energetic

young woman, and a chemical engineer who has chosen to

become a teacher. She has also been Chair of Mensa Mexico

for two terms and served as our International Liaison during

Reno’s 2012 AG. I asked her to write a few words to help us

understand the Cinco de Mayo celebration and, hopefully, clear

up some of our misunderstandings.

Thank you, Cinthia! — Anna Wright Cinthia Reyes

4

The Spanish rule over the now Latin America and part of the United States ter-

ritory lasted long. They imposed language, religion and brought cows, bulls, horses,

rice and Mediterranean products. It is said that Brazil was given to Portuguese as a

mandate of a Catholic Pope (Alejandro VI) who “cut” the map in two parts to give

each of the Empires a geographic part.

The Mexican territory was the first one to begin a war “of Independence” (16th

of September, 1810).

This concept has been

debatable, though.

Mexicans are taught in

school that the war

was meant to make an

independent country

from Spain. Although,

the first intention was

actually meant to

change the political

organization but re-

main at the service of

Spain, and not just for

internal reasons.

Napoleon Bonaparte

had invaded Spain,

forcing King Carlos IV

and his son to abdi-

cate the throne in fa-

vor of Napoleon. The

official independence

date of Mexico is considered to be the 27th of September, 1821. Our country was

then named: Estados Unidos Mexicanos and became independent from Spain.

(Mexico is actually not the real name of the country, it’s just for short and to avoid

confusion with the U.S.A.)

During the time of the dictator Mexican President Santa Anna, the people living

in Texas expressed their desire to become independent from Mexico. The U.S. also

wished to expand its territory and invaded Mexico, taking the very president as pris-

oner to force him to accept Texas as non-Mexican territory. Several years and

struggles later between the U.S. and Mexico (in 1848), Mexico accepted the territo-

rial conditions of its northern neighbor in exchange for peace. The U.S. gained

more than half of the Mexican territory and paid a symbolic amount to Mexico to

recover from war.

(Cinco de Mayo continued from page 3)

An extra bonus detail in my story: this is the original Mexican territory as in 1821. The current Mexican territory is delimited by the black-segmented line which unites at the east of Paseo del Norte with the red one.

5

And at last we get to the 5th of May event. Mexico had been in internal and ex-

ternal battle since 1810, and at that time was still split in two main groups: those in

favor that Mexico should be driven by an external country (the conservatives) and

those against that idea (the liberals). This struggle required money. Earlier, Santa

Anna’s period was not peaceful, and he left a bankrupt state with external debt to

France, England and Spain. Benito Juárez, as president, declared that Mexico could

not continue to pay them back. This caused a new military invasion from England,

Spain and France. The four countries signed a treaty in hope that Mexico could af-

ford paying them back again as soon as possible. But, France had clear intentions

of establishing a French empire in Mexico (or what was left of it!). According to

French Wikipedia, once order could be restored to this land, they (France) could

help it develop and become the first industrialized region of Latin America as well as

a Catholic empire allied to France — capable of competing against the U.S. and

stopping the Anglo-Saxon and protestant expansion along the American continent.

The French military forces arrived at Port of Veracruz and headed towards the

capital city, breaking the treaty, and with clear intention of taking over the country.

On the 5th of May, the Mexican General, Ignacio Zaragoza, faced the French in

Puebla. The French, one of the most glorious armies of the time (hardly defeated

besides Waterloo), were not alone. Conservatives supported and accompanied

them.

Porfirio Díaz, who would become president eventually (and a new dictator), led

the right wing. Mexico was outnumbered and had fewer resources. Yet the French

were defeated that day in that battle.

The story doesn’t end there. Mexico lost the war against France anyway and we

had a French Emperor: Maximiliano I. He actually was Austrian but represented

France, and by the way, was kind of liberal and tried to help Mexicans.

The 5th of May is commemorated in Mexico probably because it’s inspiring to

recognize the Mexican army’s capacity to defeat one of the most dreadful armies of

the time. It should not be confused with our independency and it is not the most im-

portant date in our civic calendar. It’s a kind of “David and Goliath” symbol where

the weakest faces and defeats (temporarily) the strongest. We do have a military

parade in Puebla that day and it’s an official day off in the whole country. But, it is

almost certain that it has become far more celebrated as a party outside of the

Mexican territory.

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intervention_française_au_Mexique

Image with Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license by Sodro

Cedeño, Reynaldo; Sierra Moncayo, María Julia (2010) Atlas conmemorativo 1810, 1910,

2010; ed.Siglo XXI Editores, México; ISBN 978-607-03-0141-4; pp.84-85. Basado en

Zorrilla, Luis G. (1977) Historia de las relaciones entre México y los Estados Unidos de

América 1800-1958, ed. Porrúa, México pp-208-209.

6

Northern Nevada Mensa wishes to thank

Grassroots Books 660 East Grove Street

Reno, NV 89502

(775) 828-2665

For donating their space for

Mensa Admissions Testing.

Thanks!

Show this paragraph

for a free unstickered

book. More than

10,000 to choose

from, any genre. Limit

one/person from any

promotion in a

calendar year.

May

1 Heather Dorsey-Hirt Reno

5 Mary Weber Reno

8 Joseph Van Alstyne Reno

8 Kevin Foley Reno

20 Ellen Hendricks Reno

23 Howard Beckerman Incline Village

23 Karin Dixson Reno

24 Frank Baird, Jr. Reno

27 Constance Black Carson City

29 Jo Sherwood Spring Creek

30 Kelly Smith Sparks

¡Feliz Cumpleaños!

¡Hola!

Bien Venidos.

John Scanlon Incline Village

Jerri Campbell Reno

Gary Campbell Reno

Elizabeth Hecklin Reno

George Johnson Yerington

Welcome and Welcome Back!

Happy Birthday!

7

Meet a Mensan by Ashley Cullins

Meet Annemarie McTaggart, a Mensa member since 1966.

Favorite quote: “It's only when we truly know and un-

derstand that we have a limited time on earth — and that

we have no way of knowing when our time is up — that we

will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only

one we had.” — Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

What talent would you most like to have?

I wish that my voice had been larger so that I could

have been an opera singer. I did have a good career as a

singer of German Lieder and French songs and am now

quite happy playing the piano, but I do love opera.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would

it be?

Paris, if I could afford to live there.

What is always in your refrigerator?

Yogurt.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what’s the one thing you would

bring?

My volume of the complete works of Shakespeare and a Bible.

Who is your real-life hero?

My mother. She was a doctor, graduating from medical school in the late

1920s. Because she was a woman, she couldn't get a residency at any other

hospital so they had to give her one at Marquette University in Milwaukee,

Wisconsin. This was sad, as my father was able to get a residency in Seattle,

where we eventually lived. When we moved to Seattle, she could get no work as

a doctor because she was a woman. So she had her five children, and when the

war came in the 40s she was able to find employment with the Seattle Health

Department. They normally had three doctors but all three were in the service, so

she ended up doing all the work while holding my father's practice together (he

was in the service) and raising her children. After the war, she ended up as

Superintendent of Medicine for the Seattle Public High Schools and served on

many boards and in many helping capacities in several organizations. She did an

excellent job in everything she was involved in, was a wonderful and caring

mother, and she is my ideal.

Annemarie

McTaggart

8

Puzzle Page by Travis McCord

Science, the final frontier. Whoops, wait...

Below are 10 interesting little science stories... but not all of them are true. (Well, read

“in line with current theory” for “true” — these may be all false by the time you read

this. Ain’t science fun?)

Can you spot the fake stories?

1. In the middle of our galaxy is a massive cloud of organic compounds which has

scientists very excited. And not just because it’s mainly alcohol. It also has traces

of a compound called ethyl formate — which happens to be what gives raspber-

ries their flavor. Which would mean the center of our galaxy includes about

10 billion billion billion liters of something close to raspberry rum.

2. According to extensive genetic research, 200,000 years ago in Kenya there lived

“Mitochondrial Eve,” a woman... well, female whose mitochondria we all carry,

making her the “mother of us all.” And yet, we’re even closer related... it was only

3000 (that’s right, three thousand) years ago there lived the Most Recent

Common Ancestor, one ancestor of every single person on earth — this despite

the fact that he had about 50 million contemporaries.

3. If you get scared by stories of things hitting the earth, brace yourself: the current

theory of where the moon came from is that somewhere around 4.5 billion years

ago the proto-earth was hit by a planet the size of Mars. Needless to say this left

a huge mess, part of which coalesced via gravity into our satellite.

4. In 1997, researchers for the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration) recorded a mysterious sound. They were using a hydrophone

setup derived from equipment used to detect Soviet submarines. The noise in

question rose rapidly in frequency over a minute while being “of sufficient ampli-

tude” (i.e., loud enough) to be heard by hydrophones 5000 km apart. Best guess

says it was from a remote part of the South Pacific. A scientist at NOAA said he

believed it was from some sort of animal, despite it being much, much louder

than the loudest noise any animal has been known to make.

5. Olbers’ paradox — the one that says the sky should not be dark, because if the

universe is infinite any point in the night sky should have the light of a star — is

part of what prompted the theory of “dark matter.” Something out there has to be

absorbing light energy, hence the name.

6. The GPS system has to adjust itself for the Theory of Relativity. Because the

satellites that make up the system are in orbit, and therefore subject to much less

gravity, they run a tiny bit faster than clocks on earth... by about 38 microseconds

per day. Without that adjustment, your location would be about 10 km off each

day.

9

7. You may have heard that uranium is so volatile that you just need to get enough

of it together to get a reaction — that's how atom bombs work. You may also

have heard of the Tunguska Blast, which flattened forests in Siberia in 1908. Cur-

rent theory says those two facts are related... radiation levels measured immedi-

ately after the blast are consistent with a uranium blast, which leads to specula-

tion that something — say, the seismic event measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale

measured at about the same time — somehow brought two uranium-rich rocks

together, and that it was enough to achieve critical mass, and boom. Either that,

or someone was doing atomic theory many years before anyone we've heard of...

8. Climate scientists go down to Antarctica to drill holes in the ice. They take the ice

from those holes and go over them millimeter by millimeter to check out the tem-

peratures and air composition in the past — since the ice down there never

melts, they can go very far back. Among other things, their studies show that the

amount of CO2 in the air is not just at a recent high, but is in fact the highest it’s

been in over 100,000 years.

9. A team of astronomers from Johns Hopkins university has determined the

“average color” of the universe. After surveying over 200,000 galaxies, and add-

ing the light gathered together, they came up with an average color that is a very

light beige. After jokingly saying they were looking for a name for the color, they

got several suggestions mailed in, and eventually settled on “Cosmic Latte.”

10. The tallest wave ever recorded on earth was a tsunami (boosted by a big chunk

of a mountain falling into the water) that hit Alaska in July of 1958. Its height was

recorded as 1720 feet — the height of the Empire State Building, plus 40 stories.

There were 5 deaths. Answers on page 26

Membership by Sandra Lackovic The Mensa membership year begins April 1 and ends

March 31. If you haven’t already done so you can renew

your Mensa membership online at

www.us.mensa.org/renew.

Join your Mensa friends at our newest event:

Let’s Tango!

Have you ever wanted to learn this beautiful and sen-

sual dance? Then join us for a beginning tango lesson at

The Ballroom of Reno on Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m. Cost

is $10. No partner is necessary. Wear comfortable clothing that does not inhibit your

movements. Try to avoid sneakers and shoes with rubber soles. Wear shoes that will

stay on your feet and pivot easily: thin leather soles are ideal for this. If you have a

pair of tango shoes, wear them, but they are not necessary.

Any questions, concerns, suggestions, brilliant ideas, or just want to say hi,

please feel free to contact me at , NNM Facebook group, NNM Yahoo group. I look

forward to hearing from you!

10

Along with the new Irish (Scoti) visits came the incur-

sions of the Vikings.

The Vikings from Norway were able to occupy the

Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, work their way down

the Scottish west coast and take over the Hebrides Islands

and make incursions into the Kintyre Peninsula.

One confrontation between the Scots at the northern end

of the Kintyre Peninsula, resulted in a bargain struck to avoid a battle that promised

much bloodshed. The Vikings would be allowed to lay claim to an area that they could

circumnavigate with one of their boats in a day’s time. A Norwegian king, Viking,

named Magnus Barelegs (sometimes called Magnus Barefoot) had a surprise in

store. (History has it that he was called Barefoot because he emulated the Irish prac-

tice of riding barefoot. Another has it that he adopted the Celtic form of dress favored

by the Scots and Irish of wearing a short tunic that left his legs bare. Thus, Magnus

Barelegs. He sailed a boat up Loch Tarbert, a long inlet that cut almost all the way

across the peninsula to a very short isthmus (less than a thousand yards) that led to

the Firth of Clyde, a part of the Irish Sea. He had one of his hardy crews portage a

boat across the narrow isthmus and laid claim to the entire peninsula. The isthmus is

located at a place called Tarbert. The etymology of the word means, roughly, “carry/

drag-boat.” Eventually the Vikings had made incursions as far as the Isle of Man

where Magnus became King of Man.

As the Scots had their harbors fortified against direct attacks of Vikings boldly

sailing their longboats directly into the Scottish harbors, the Vikings took the tactic of

beaching their boats a few miles away from protected harbors and conducted sneak

attacks from behind the unsuspecting villages. The Vikings soon discovered that the

Scots had planted plots a half mile thick of Scotch thistle. The barelegged warriors

approached the death of a thousand cuts to their exposed legs well before making

any headway. The national flower of Scotland isn’t observed as such merely because

of its attractive purple color.

The eleventh and twelfth centuries in Scotland came to be known as Scotland’s

Golden Age. There was little strife in an otherwise harsh place. Farming became ver-

dant. A black stone was discovered that actually burned, giving the Scots warmth dur-

ing winters. Coal was a primary source of energy there for a long time afterward. King

Alexander III approached the Norwegian King Haakon (also Haco) and offered to buy

the Hebrides (the Western Isles) from Viking occupation. Haakon refused just as he

had refused when Alexander II previously had offered. One of Alexander III’s nobles,

the Earl of Ross launched an attack on the Isle of Skye. This infuriated Haakon and

he began to amass an invading army. He brought more than 150 longships from

(Continued on page 21)

From the LocSec by Bob McAllister

Conclusion of “The Celts”

11

Events and Activities:

May 2. New Event: Lets Tango! Join us for a beginning tango lesson at The Ballroom of Reno, 2540 Sutro St #1,

Reno, on Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m. Cost is $10. No partner is necessary. Wear

comfortable clothing that does not inhibit your movements.

Contact Sandra at , NNM Facebook group, NNM Yahoo group.

Mensa Admissions Testing: First Saturday from 3-5 p.m.

May 4. at Grassroots Books, 660 E. Grove St., Reno

June 1. New Location: the Clubhouse at Skyline Villas.

Contact Mindy Hsu: Testing@northernnevada.us.mensa.org

Mensa Programs: by Richard Arbib Second Saturday at 6 p.m.

May 11. Potluck at 6:30 p.m., speaker at 7:30 p.m.

at the Reno home of Loren. RSVP (helpful but not required) at .

Speaker: Loren MacArthur worked for five summers as a seasonal ranger for the

U.S. Forest Service aboard the Alaska Marine Highway ferry the Columbia. She told

passengers stories about Alaska’s fascinating history and its bears, ravens, whales,

glaciers, volcanoes, and disasters. Along the way she took or collected photos of

America’s wild and stunningly beautiful state. She’ll show the slides and tell you some

of the best stories after the potluck.

Directions: .

June 15. Pot Luck dinner, 7 p.m. speaker at the Washoe Valley home of Bob.

Our speaker will be from the Audubon Society.

Contact Richard Arbib Calendar@northernnevada.us.mensa.org

May 19. Multi-Dimensional Physics Practical Exercise (Involving

Shotguns and Clay Targets) 11 a.m. until ? Sage Hill Clay Sports, 7370

Desert Way, Reno. (775) 851-1123. http://www.sagehillclays.com/ We are all smart

people, but can we apply our knowledge of ballistic trajectories and time in a

real-world setting? You simply say “Pull!” and a clay target is thrown into the

air. Your goal is to quickly evaluate the speed, distance and direction of the target

and intercept it with a stream of pellets from a shotgun.

Directions: From U.S. 395, exit at Damonte Ranch Parkway and drive EAST. Turn

LEFT onto Steamboat Parkway. Turn LEFT onto Rio Wrangler. Follow Rio Wrangler

onto the access road and into the shooting facility (We're up on the hill above you).

Your contact is John .

(Trap or Skeet: $8/25 targets, Sporting Clays: $45/100 targets, Gun rental $25)

12

More Events and Activities:

Dinner and the Opera: Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m.

May 15. Last opera of the season, Handel’s Giulio Cesare, new production.

The opera that conquered London in Handel’s time comes to the Met in David

McVicar’s lively production. The world’s leading countertenor, David Daniels,

sings the title role opposite Natalie Dessay as Cleopatra. Baroque specialist

Harry Bicket conducts. 5 p.m. Dinner at the Chocolate Bar, 95 N. Sierra St,

Reno. 6:30 p.m. Opera, Century Riverside, 11 N. Sierra St, Reno

Contact Barbara or Sandra,

or NNM Facebook group.

Supper Club: Third Tuesday at 6 p.m.

May 21. Oceano at the Peppermill Reno Hotel Casino, Reno,

(866) 821-9996. www.peppermillreno.com/dining/casual-dining/oceano/

Voted Reno's Best Seafood by the Reno Gazette Journal. Extensive seafood

menu set in a dramatic undersea environment.

June 18. Wild River Grille, Reno

For more information or to offer suggestions for future dinners

contact Sandra.

Sushi Lovers — Not Just Sushi! Everyone is Welcome!

May 21. 6 p.m. Oceano at the Peppermill Reno Hotel Casino, Reno, 2707 S.

Virginia Street, Reno. Combined with Supper Club this month.

June 29. 6 p.m. Sushi Pier 2

Contact Sandra or NNM Facebook group.

Games at Tahoe: Saturday 4 p.m.

May 25. Join us for games at Sandy's place in Incline Village. Bring food and/or

drinks to share. Space is limited so please RSVP for address and driving instruc-

tions to NNM Facebook group.

June 22.

Lunch Bunch: Fourth Tuesday at 11:45 a.m.

May 28. B.J.'s Brewhouse, 13999 S. Virginia, Reno, 853-7575 was picked by

Natalie Sera. It will be held on May 28 and, in keeping with the Hispanic theme

of this Neva-Mind, you could select a spicy Cinco de Mayo lunch.

June 25. Let's head to Hi Point Coffee and Café, Reno

Contact Don or Laura .

13

May 2013

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

May Day

2

New

Event:

Let’s

Tango!

3 4

Game

Night at

Joe’s &

Mensa

Testing

5

Cinco de

Mayo

6

7 8 9 10 11

Mensa

Program

&

National

Train Day

12

Mother’s

Day

13 14 15

Dinner

and the

Opera

16 17 18

19

Skeet/

Trap

Shooting

20 21

Supper

Club &

Sushi

Lovers

22 23 24 25

Games

at

Tahoe

26 27

Memorial

Day

28

Lunch

Bunch

29 30 31 June 1

Game

Night at

Joe’s &

Mensa

Testing

Game Night at Joe's Place: First Saturdays, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Potluck. May 4.

June 1. Contact: Joe .

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T Q H O O S E G O W A O N A G E R O L B

O O L I S F L D T N A I C R Z F B C Y A

T M G S E T A L A O M R R K A O T T O R

N C U T N Y B K T J D F M E N N Y J T R

E H E A O K I F O D F A K A T P C G A A

M O R M L R N V P E D R N R D E R H M C

I C R P A E N S N C K Z O R M I F D O U

P O I E B J A A O M A T Q U O O L A T D

L L L D A V C C W I A D S Q G T N L C A

A A L E V I K E I G T T V R V N G N O V

T T A Y R R O G I G A A A G V P L A Z A

I E W R O N K L Y N A B P E T O Y O C L

N X U A A L L E G M M R O C C A B O T M

U H C C B A H B Y E L L A P A C H E T L

M H M N C A N Y O N T O C N O R B L L L

Copyright © 2008 Anna Wright. www.WordSearchMaker.com

Spanish to English by Anna M. Wright Everyone knows a few Spanish words (fiesta, taco, sombrero, etc.) But, the hidden words below are so commonly used in the English language that we sometimes forget that they came originally from Spanish too. Use the clues to identify these words first, then find them in the puzzle. Spellings can go in any straight line direction and overlap too.

1 Also called cherry pepper

2 American animal that takes it's fortress with it.

3 Biscayne is one.

4 Clever and wise

5 Crawling bug that infests homes

6 Desert canine

7 Diner who eats not with the neighbors, but the neighbors

8 Do you remember when Dan Quayle had trouble spelling this

vegetable?

9 Dried meat treat

10 Favorite food espoused especially by Mensans

11 Freshmen often line up for meals here

12 Gold rush exclamation. (Also a popular 60's TV show.)

Answers on page 26

15

13 Grain storage location

14 Green gemstone

15 Herb that's usually associated with Italian cuisine.

16 Horse that needs to be tamed.

17 Huge storm from the Atlantic

18 It's a small boat

19 It's cousin is a crocodile.

20 Metal with atomic number 78, often mistaken for silver

21 Narrow space between mountains

22 Not a cigarette or a Tiparillo ®

23 Partial or complete prohibition of trade

24 Pipe filler

25 Red vegetable that's actually a fruit

26 Southwest Indian tribe famed for it's fierce warriors

27 Tasty mollusk that's larger than a clam

28 That large slab of concrete in your yard.

29 The slammer

30 This fish has a long jaw with powerful teeth.

31 Town square (or 5-star NY hotel)

32 Twister

33 Warrior who uses stealth and surprise as main tactics

34 When the cattle go wild

35 Where the hands tend the “dogies”

36 Wild horse native to Nevada

Cover Credits: Loren MacArthur

On the cover: The Don Quijote school in Guanajuato, where I studied

Spanish, blazed with the colors of Mexico — bright yellows, blues, oranges, greens and shades of rust. The alcove I photographed was bright yellow and blue softened by the green shades of the foliage. If you receive the Neva-Mind in black and white, you can check out the colors on the net version. I miss the bright colors of the houses I passed every day walking to school there. If I were a house, I’d be bright blue trimmed in bright green living in a beige neighborhood. — Loren MacArthur

16

Parade as part of a celebration of

the many native cultures, Matias

Romero, 2011

Postcards from Oaxaca by Sandra Lackovic

I traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, in October 2011, as

part of a “Witness for Peace” delegation funded by the

Hagedorn Foundation. Witness for Peace is an organiza-

tion that supports peace, justice, and sustainable econo-

mies in the Americas. My group was sent to study the

issues surrounding migration because of the hostile cli-

mate for migrants on Long Island. Our mission on return

was to share the experience and knowledge we gained

with our communities in an effort to increase understand-

ing and ease tensions. It was an amazing life-changing

experience!

17

View from Paulina

hostel, Oaxaca,

2011

Mural in support of migrants,

Oaxaca 2011

18

Imagine an entire room full of con men whose only job

is to convince their victims to write them big checks. These

are the boiler-room scammers — those well-organized,

fast-talking, and often personable individuals who commit

fraud for a living. What they sell varies — for example, oil

and gas leases, mutual funds, vending-machine routes, or

cell phone kiosks. What they want is always the same —

your money! And they know how to get it. Here are the four

stages of their frauds:

The Front: Things typically begin with an advertisement

in a newspaper or an infomercial on TV, extolling the

virtues of whatever product they’re selling —see the ad-

vertisement for gold included here. If you call that 800

number, you’ll talk to one of these con artists, who will

explain in general terms how terrific his product is and

how lucky you are to have called today — they have only

one or two memberships left. He will also ask personal questions about you and re-

veal personal facts about himself. But tucked into this exchange will be one critical

question: “can you write him a big check?” For a gold scam, for example, he might

casually say “Mr. Smith, we have a minimum investment requirement of $10,000. Is

that a problem for you?” If you say “yes,” he’ll hang up as quickly as possible. If you

say “no,” he’ll ask for your address and send you an amazingly slick, four-color bro-

chure that cost in excess of $75,000 to print. He’ll also ask for your phone number so

that he can call you back after you’ve read it.

The Drive: Sure enough, the brochure arrives quickly and the con man calls back.

For most scams, he’ll enthusiastically reinforce some of his earlier points, and attempt

to tailor his pitch to your particular interests. For example, if you tell him you think gold

is a safer investment than stocks, he’ll say “No one has ever lost money buying gold.

It’s better than money!” Widows are particularly susceptible to such pitches because

their husbands made all their investment decisions, and “safety” is important to them.

But even single males are susceptible to such tactics — for example, because they’ve

lost money in the stock market and are seeking better returns elsewhere.

The scam artist will also ask you if you are ready to buy now, completely glossing

over the fact that he might be selling gold coins, not gold bullion. If you ask yet addi-

tional questions, he may even act a little rude, indicating, for example, that such ques-

tions are trivial or that he’s already answered them. He’s especially likely to wonder

out loud why you are not jumping at the chance to buy this amazing investment

today — what’s the matter with you?

Buy Gold

The Safest Investment

on Earth!

Call now for a free

brochure.

1-800-123-4567

The Boiler Room Scammers by Mark G. Simkin

19

The Singer: The one question that a scammer cannot easily deflect is a request to

speak to other customers. This would probably be important to you, for example, if

the scam involved franchising. When asked, the scammer will act as though he is

delighted to fulfill the request, and will appear to randomly pick the names of other

customers for you to call. But the individuals you’ll get to speak to are all “singers”

who work for the scammer’s organization. They aren’t the customers they pretend to

be, and they’ll carefully read from a script, singing the praises of the company and

bragging about all the money they’ve made since signing up with it.

The Close: This final phase of the fraud occurs when the victim agrees to invest with

the company. Often, this requires him or her to liquidate 401k plans or other assets,

or even to take out a second mortgage — tasks for which the organization has in-

house specialists. And once they receive your check or wire transfer, there is a good

chance you’ll never hear from them again. The gold coins or vending machines never

quite get delivered, and repetitive calls to the company are deflected or never an-

swered. Before you can hire a lawyer and file a law suit, the company is out of busi-

ness. But even if it’s still in operation, your lawyer may discover fine print in your con-

tract that says, for example, that you agree to buy gold coins at huge markups and or

that you realize some of the coins may not even be authentic. In short, you’ve been

scammed — big time!

For further reading: Doug Shadel,

Outsmarting the Scam Artists (New Jersey: John

Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2012).

Mark G. Simkin is a Professor of Information

Systems at the University of Nevada, Reno.

We were all saddened by the news of the loss of Mensa member and dear

friend, Maurice Pollack. Mauri was great at sharing unusual tidbits of information

and always had a cheerful thing to say to everyone. He helped us create the

Mensa for Kids! pages and contributed the always inquisitive character,

Geronimo Jones. Mauri will be sorely missed.

We dedicate this issue to Maurice Pollack (1929 - 2013).

Anna M. Wright, friend and editor

20

Question: I know you are trained in the art and science

of acupuncture. What are some ailments acupuncture

can ameliorate? Does it hurt?

Answer:

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a system of thera-

peutic modalities that were first developed over five thou-

sand years ago. Branches of TCM include Acupuncture and

Moxibustion, Herbal Medicine, Massage, and Bone setting.

Up until the last century, when Western Allopathic Medicine

became the standard of medicine throughout the world, the modalities of TCM func-

tioned as the sole primary and specialty medical care for Asian populations through-

out the Orient. In the Western hemisphere, practitioners of TCM generally practice

Acupuncture and Moxibustion, as well as Chinese Herbal Medicine.

Today, due to its traditional use as primary and specialty medicine, the various

branches of TCM are together able to treat most common medical conditions. For

instance, on any given day, patients in my acupuncture clinic are seen for conditions

such as low back, neck and joint pains, migraine headaches, anxiety / depression /

stress, digestive disorders, peripheral neuropathy, allergies and respiratory issues,

tobacco and substance abuse, infertility, and the common cold or flu. Acupuncture

can also be effective in treating many other chronic systemic conditions, such as mul-

tiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

For the sake of completeness, both the American Academy of Medical

Acupuncture as well as the World Health Organization have developed lists of condi-

tions treatable by acupuncture.

http://medicalacupuncture.com/acu_info/faqs.html

The training of acupuncturists is worth understanding. There are two broad cate-

gories of acupuncturists: Non-physicians trained in TCM and Acupuncture as well as

physicians trained in Medical Acupuncture. In the United States, non-physician acu-

puncturists attend 3 - 4 years of graduate level studies at a facility accredited by the

Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM), and are

generally designated with the title of Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac), Oriental Medical

Doctor (OMD), or Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM). While they

cannot prescribe Western medications or make Western Diagnoses, non-physician

acupuncturists are trained to understand Western Allopathic Medicine. In addition,

they are, of course, well trained in all aspects of TCM, including both Acupuncture

and Chinese Herbology.

Physician acupuncturists, on the other hand, generally undergo a 300 hour

course in addition to their medical school and residency training. This initial course

enables them to practice Medical Acupuncture, but not the full range of TCM, which

requires additional studies in Chinese Herbology, Chinese Massage, etc. Physician

Ask the Doctor by Dr. Howard Chen

21

Norway and stopped briefly at an Orkney island where he had hoped to recruit more.

Haakon wasn’t all that successful and, as they set sail, the would-be invaders unnerv-

ingly experienced a total solar eclipse. Alexander III stalled Haakon’s forces with ne-

gotiations that were engaged so that Haakon’s fleet, vulnerable while still at sea,

would be caught in the eventual onslaught of early winter storms. This succeeded and

Haakon, feeling defeated by the fates, retreated to Norway and his son, King of Man

Magnus Barefoot, negotiated a payment for the territories of Man, Kintyre and the

Hebrides and then joined Haakon back in Norway.

Alexander III’s wife and two sons died unexpectedly, leaving him with no heir to

his kingdom. He briefly married a French princess, Yolande, with whom he hoped an

heir might be gained. One night during a storm, Alexander III found himself at the

Edinburgh Castle after conducting business of state and found that an exceptionally

wild storm had arrived. Against counsel of his advisors, he and two bodyguards sad-

dled up and rode to a ferry to cross the very large Firth of Forth. Against all odds, they

did not drown. They galloped on, but Alexander III became separated from his guards

in the storm. His horse arrived home the next morning, rider less. His body later was

found at the foot of cliff. The Scots’ council of nobles found themselves without a

ruler. They turned for assistance and direction to their trusted southern cousins and

friends, the English. The English promptly turned on the Scots. And that’s a whole

bunch more of history. A lot of it is even good. Some, anyway.

I’ve written about this to show that an incredible amount of effort has gone into

history, not just in Europe, but worldwide. Thousands of years have passed and hu-

manity has fought its way to the here and now. What has gone on before is in large

part forgotten. Much of what we do today will be forgotten tomorrow. People have

lived their lives at the edge. There has been almost continual strife. And all that we

know is what the victors of those strivings have recorded for us to believe.

(LocSec continued from page 10)

acupuncturists generally achieve medical board certification through the American

Board of Medical Acupuncture.

In selecting an acupuncturist, both categories of practitioner are acceptable. For

those patients who have multiple medical problems and who take multiple medica-

tions, I recommend seeing a Medical Acupuncturist. For healthier patients who are

more interested in general wellness and Chinese herbs, I recommend seeking a non-

physician acupuncturist. Http://www.acpuncture.com maintains a list of acupunctur-

ists in the U.S.

An acupuncture treatment generally lasts between 30 and 90 minutes and is usu-

ally done in a relaxing environment where you may rest or sleep. Pain from acupunc-

ture needling is generally minimal, but is dependent on needle location, insertion

technique, and type of needle used. If needle pain develops after needle insertion,

please inform your acupuncturist.

Ask the Doctor yourself: Email editor@northennevada.us.mensa.org

Dr. Howard Chen is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, a

fellow of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, and Medical Director of

Preventive and Integrative Medicine Services at Renown Health, Reno.

22

Mensa for Kids! (and kids at heart)

by Maurice Pollack and Anna Wright

Back to the Future? Build your own “hoverboard” with

plywood and a leaf blower. http://youtu.be/0yFMF1sSb2E

Bugging the bugs. How much do we really know

about the Mormon cricket?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy3dQJYquoY

Computer Zone

All links are from National Geographic.

Mexico, an introduction

especially for kids. http://

kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/

places/find/mexico/

Dining Out

Mexican Style:

Rearrange the letters

to spell these foods.

Then use the

numbered letters

To decode the

message below.

23

Bluff King Hal was full of beans

He married half a dozen queens

For three called Kate they cried the banns

And one called Jane, and a couple of Annes.

The first he asked to share his reign

Was Kate of Aragon, straight from Spain

But when his love for her was spent

He got a divorce, and out she went.

Anne Boleyn was his second wife.

He swore to cherish her all his life,

But seeing a third, he wished instead

He chopped off poor Anne Boleyn’s head.

He married the next afternoon

Jane Seymour, which was rather soon,

But after one year as his bride

She crept into her bed and died.

Anne of Cleves was number four.

Her portrait thrilled him to the core,

But when he met her face to face

Another royal divorce took place.

Catherine Howard, number five,

Billed and cooed to keep alive.

But one day Henry felt depressed,

The executioner did the rest.

Sixth and last was Catherine Parr

Sixth and last and luckiest far

For this time it was Henry who

Hopped the twig, and a good job too.

Henry the VIII (by Eleanor Farjeon, 1881 - 1965)

Research project:.

1. In the first line, what does “Bluff” King Hal mean? (Hint: It’s not the same as

in today’s English language.)

2. And, in the last line, what do you think is meant by the phrase “Hopped the

twig”? How does that relate to the poem’s theme?

Hi,

I did not learn this poem in

elementary school. Maybe you

did. I think that it is very funny.

Geronimo Jones

Answers on page 25

Rock, paper, scissors.

Piedra, papel, tijeras.

24

Notes from Your ExComm: April 14, 2013

Minutes of 08-893 April ExComm meeting:

Present were LocSec: Bob McAllister, Past LocSec: Ed Hanley, 1st Vice-Secretary:

Ken Wright, 2nd Vice-Secretary: Gerry Lockhart, Treasurer: Carole Preisach,

Neva-Mind Editor: Anna Wright. Also present were Membership Chair: Sandra

Lackovic, Program Chair: Richard Arbib and Member John Preisach.

Meeting convened 8:56 p.m.at Bangkok Cuisine South.

Preisach, C.:

Discussion regarding $25 testing payment received from American Mensa na-

tional office.

Wright, A.: Move to pay Grassroots Books $25 (one time only) as a gift for allow-

ing NNM to use their facility for testing.

McAllister: Second

Unanimous approval

McAllister:

Appointment of Gloria Dondero Pedro as NNM Ombudsman

(AKA Mediator/Arbitrator)

Discussion of position responsibilities.

No motion necessary. Appointment stands.

Lackovic:

Request permission to publish calendar events in community calendars accessi-

ble by the general public (where appropriate) in order to facilitate public inter-

est and recruitment.

Wright, A.: Motion to approve, with condition of protecting all members personal

data.

Wright, K.: Seconded

Unanimous approval

Member Preisach, J.:

Request calendar entry for skeet shooting event date to be decided.

Wright, A.: Will coordinate for open dates and publish when scheduled.

Preisach, C.:

Motion to make payment for guest speaker meal when meeting is held in a res-

taurant, standard operating procedure.

Wright, A.: Seconded

Unanimous approval

Lockhart:

Motion to adjourn

Wright, A.: Seconded

Unanimous approval 9:12 p.m. — Kenneth Wright

25

From the RVC by Debra Reiger

What does your Mensa membership mean to you?

Opportunities to meet and socialize with other smart

people? Access to games, articles, and member

discounts via the American Mensa website

(www.us.mensa.org)? The Bulletin and local newslet-

ter? RGs and AGs? The Mensa Foundation (MERF)

and its research and scholarship programs?

My membership means a lot to me, and on several

levels. When I joined Mensa in the 1980s, it was because I had read a magazine

article about Mensa which listed test scores that would provide “prior evidence”

to qualify. Wow. So I dusted off my old ACT scores, sent them in, and was de-

lighted to join, just because I could. Then I sat back and lurked, enjoying the

Bulletin and my local newsletter, a little shy about actually participating. Eventu-

ally I took a deep breath and went to a local event — wow. Everyone was

friendly. Some were shy; some were talkative, but there was so much interesting

conversation!

So I started going to events, and then I volunteered to organize some events,

and along the line I made friends, met the man who is now my spouse, and have

had many years of fun, good conversation, and intellectual stimulation.

Active or observing, I hope your Mensa experience is a good one. Keep an

eye out for social networking opportunities being developed by our national or-

ganization, which may provide some good ways for the tech-loving crowd to

reach out and stay in touch.

Have a great month.

Debra Reiger, rvc8@us.mensa.org

Research:

“Bluff” means

portly or fat.

“Hopped the

twig” means to

die, which is

the information

related about

the queens

in the poem.

Mensa for Kids!

answers:

Dining

Out

26

T Q H O O S E G O W A O N A G E R O L B

O O L I S F L D T N A I C R Z F B C Y A

T M G S E T A L A O M R R K A O T T O R

N C U T N Y B K T J D F M E N N Y J T R

E H E A O K I F O D F A K A T P C G A A

M O R M L R N V P E D R N R D E R H M C

I C R P A E N S N C K Z O R M I F D O U

P O I E B J A A O M A T Q U O O L A T D

L L L D A V C C W I A D S Q G T N L C A

A A L E V I K E I G T T V R V N G N O V

T T A Y R R O G I G A A A G V P L A Z A

I E W R O N K L Y N A B P E T O Y O C L

N X U A A L L E G M M R O C C A B O T M

U H C C B A H B Y E L L A P A C H E T L

M H M N C A N Y O N T O C N O R B L L L

pimento alligator tomato bronco cigar plaza patio stampede

armadillo platinum Apache hurricane embargo tornado hoosegow ranch

key canyon abalone canoe tobacco guerrilla barracuda mustang

savvy

cockroach

coyote

cannibal

potato

jerky

chocolate

cafeteria

bonanza

silo

jade

oregano

Puzzle Page answers:

Many, many thanks to the “Font of All

Human Knowledge” (i.e., Wikipedia) for

nice basic articles on these concepts.

1: True, strangely enough: http://

www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/apr/21/

space-raspberries-amino-acids-

astrobiology

2: True. Mitochondrial Eve: Wikipedia:

Mitochondrial Eve. Most recent common

ancestor: http://www.stat.yale.edu/~jtc5/

papers/CommonAncestors/

NatureAncestorsPressRelease.html

3: True. The other planet has been

named Theia. Wikipedia: Giant impact

hypothesis

4: True. The sound known as “The Bloop”

is now believed to have been Antarctic

ice calving. Wikipedia: Bloop

5: False. Olbers’ paradox is real, but it’s

explained by the universe still expanding,

which means light tends to red-shift and

then go out of the visible range. The exis-

tence of Dark Matter is speculated be-

cause of gravitational effects; one of its

hallmarks is that it doesn’t interact with

light at all. Wikipedia: Olbers’ paradox

6: True. Wikipedia: Error Analysis for the

Global Positioning System

7: False. Current theory blames the

Tunguska blast on a comet impact.

Wikipedia: Tunguska event

8: True. Some records go back as far as

400,000 years. (Desert Research Institute

here in town does some of this research.)

Wikipedia: Ice core

9: True. Wikipedia: Cosmic Latte

10: True, including the numbers.

Wikipedia:1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami

Spanish to English answers:

27

DISCLAIMER

Mensa as an organization holds no opinions. All views and opinions expressed in the

Neva-Mind are those of the individual writer or the editor. All material published in the

Neva-Mind, with the exception of expressly copyrighted material, may be reprinted in

other official Mensa publications, including the newsletters of recognized local chapters.

Proper credit to the author and publication must be included in any reprints.

All statements of fact contained herein, as well as legal or medical advice, are

neither confirmed nor denied by Mensa, and should not be relied upon without

consultation with and confirmation from other appropriate and reliable sources.

Mensa-Speak What are we saying?

AG Annual Gathering (Conference)

AMC American Mensa Committee

(National Elected or Appointed Officers)

AML American Mensa Ltd. (National Office Employees)

ExComm Executive Committee (Local Elected Officers)

LDW Leadership Development Workshop

LocSec Local Secretary (Local President)

M/Ms Mensans

MERF Mensa Education & Research Foundation

MIL Mensa International Ltd.

NNM Northern Nevada Mensa

PRP Publication Recognition Program

RG Regional Gathering (Conference)

RVC Regional Vice-Chair

SIG Special Interest Group

SIGHT Service of Information, Guidance

and Hospitality to Travelers

WG World Gathering (Conference)

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