tampa bay sounding - mensa internationaltampabay.us.mensa.org/soundings/sounding_2007_04.pdf ·...

ARRR-R G! 2007

Registration information inside

Tampa Bay Sounding A PUBLICATION OF TAMPA BAY MENSA

VOLUME 32, NO. 3

Call for Candidates 17

Cryptopoem 7

LocSec’s Report 6

Picture This 16

Sudoku 5

The Tenth Story 14

Wise Guy 15

Word Salad 4

Inside this issue:

2 Tampa Bay Sounding April 2007

Sounding Editor: Erica Rogers

Calendar Editor: Dana Groulx

Circulation Officer: Thomas Thomas

Publisher: Sylvester (Les) Milewski

April 2007 Contributors: Maxine Kushner, Thomas Thomas, Bob Topper, Maggie Truelove, Pat Tuley, Sylvia Zadorozny

Tampa Bay Sounding is the official newsletter of Tampa Bay Mensa, American Mensa local group number 10-335. © 2007 Tampa Bay Mensa. All rights reserved. All material in this issue not copyrighted by individual contributors may be reprinted in other Mensa publications, provided that credit is given to the author or artist and to the Sounding. Prior written consent of the editor is required for any other reproduction in any form. Any Mensa publication reprinting Tampa Bay Sounding material is requested to send a copy to the editor.

SUBSCRIBE: The subscription cost for local members is partially remitted from annual dues paid to American Mensa Ltd. Tampa Bay Sounding is available to other Mensans and to non-Mensans at an annual subscription cost of $12.00. To subscribe, send a check, payable to Tampa Bay Mensa, to the Treasurer: Kathy Crum, 7164 Quail Hollow Blvd., Wesley Chapel, FL 33544-2525.

ADVERTISE: The Sounding offers free classified ads to Tampa Bay Mensa members for services, items for sale, jobs wanted/available, personals, etc. Ads should be no longer than 50 words. Classified ads need to be renewed on a monthly basis if you wish them to appear in consecutive issues. Tampa Bay Mensa and the Sounding are not responsible for the content of ads. All commercial ads are subject to the following rates: Full page - $60; Half page - $30; Quarter page - $15. Members of Mensa pay half these rates.

Submission Guidelines

Tampa Bay Sounding encourages submissions from all members. Submissions must be signed, but names may be withheld or pseudonyms used if requested. All letters to the editor will be subject to publication unless the author specifically requests otherwise. All material submitted will be considered but publication of material and the editing thereof, shall be at the discretion of the Sounding Editor. Please keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Articles, casual essays, opinion pieces, poems, short stories, puzzles, and artwork are all encouraged.

• Personal attacks and bigoted, sexist, hateful, or otherwise offensive material will not be published.

• E-mail submissions are preferred, saved in a Word readable format. Computer printouts and typewritten pages are also acceptable. Hand written submissions will be considered.

You may send your submissions by either of the following means: 1. E-mail:[email protected]

Please reference Mensa in the header. 2. U.S. Mail: E. L. Rogers 520 11th Ave N. #4 St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Unless otherwise specified in the calendar, the deadline for unsolicited contributions is the tenth day of the month preceding the cover date.

A PUBLICATION OF

TAMPA BAY MENSA

Mensa is an international society whose sole qualification for membership is a score at or above the 98th percentile on a standard IQ test. Mensa is a not-for-profit organization whose main purpose is to serve as a means of communication and assembly for its members. All opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors, and not necessarily those of the editors or officers of Mensa. Mensa as an organization has no opinions.

Tampa Bay Sounding is the official newsletter of Tampa Bay Mensa. Tampa Bay Mensa serves Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, and Sumter counties.

Tampa Bay Sounding (USPS 305-830) Tampa Bay Mensa

9091 St. Andrews Dr Seminole, Fl 33777

April 2007 Tampa Bay Sounding 3

MENSAVERSARIES

34 Years Francis Wellman 33 Years Peter Profiro 31 Years Rush Miller 29 Years Federico Agnir 28 Years Keven Elizabeth McGinn 27 Years Gerald Lundquist 26 Years Jane Pattison 25 Years Phillip Grant Geisinger 24 Years Frank Clarke 22 Years Barbara Loewe 16 Years Robert Allyn Frary 15 Years Lawrence Jay 15 Years Rafael Mendez 13 Years John Alfred Crandall 10 Years John Kincaid 10 Years Bernard Joshua Spector 10 Years Erin Anne Wells 9 Years Donald Mihokovich 8 Years Frederick Raymond 8 Years Linda Raymond 7 Years Dhyan Appachu 7 Years MSgt Joseph J Welch 6 Years Robin Burngasser 5 Years Howard Berry 5 Years Patricia Tannuzzo Johnson Farnum 4 Years Robert Morris Ayres 4 Years Elizabeth Genevieve Maguire 3 Years James Browning 3 Years Richard Mitchell 3 Years Chris O'Connor 2 Years Robert Hupp 2 Years Robert Parrish Kellenberger 2 Years Diane Abrams Ross 1 Year Richard Averitt 1 Year Kimberly Ann Evans Campbell 1 Year Cathleen Dunn 1 Year Joan Barker Lambert 1 Year Lawrence Patrick Marlin 1 Year Thomas Merrifield 1 Year Kevin Miller 1 Year Kathy Robbins

1 Susan Tharp 2 Penny Ann Levin 3 Sally Buffum Marnell 4 Ted Carrier 4 Shoshana Shay 5 Thomas William Reesor 6 L. Gilman Hudgens 7 Sylvia Zadorozny 8 John Bailey 8 Bruce Keith Bohnker 9 Mary Lou Clark 9 Phoebe McCann 9 Bradley Price 10 Joseph Giffee 10 Gerald Thackham 11 Joyce Liberty 12 Peter Cohoon 12 Leigh Randall Freijo 14 Steve Van Kley 15 Thomas Buonomo 17 Timothy James Caddell 18 Ryan Boyle 18 Jim Hawkins 19 Michael Becker 20 Justin Ponsor 21 Catherine Dazevedo 21 John Khosh 21 Fred Wright Jr 22 Kerry Lawson 24 Mary Erwin 24 Talida Iancu 25 Gary Richard Blais 27 Barbara Stetzko 27 Lawrence Edward "Bud" Urban 30 Gerry Alex Morfesis

WELCOME TO TAMPA BAY MENSA!

APRIL BIRTHDAYS

* Aaron Dakoff * Hersel Davis Jr * Stephen Kazanovicz Jonathan Laurence Kessel * Joseph Koslowski * Edmund Marks * Zachary Allen McDargh

* Bo Moon * Aaron Munoz * Gregg Provda John C Roberts * Darrin Rosamond * = a new member; others are moves in, preferences in or reinstatements.


TOP 4 INTERVIEW INSIGHTS 4. When in doubt, do not give the phone numbers of your best references. Use a first and second string system. Asking your friends and past supervisors to wait by the phone and convince a potential employer that you are a prompt, respectful, creative, independent-team player, impervious to flu virus is an imposition. You are calling in a chit with every fresh ring. Don’t burn through these lifelines with a flood of calls from employers that are essentially the working world version of a “safety school”. Pearls before swine, my friends, pearls before swine. 3. Interviewers tell lies. They may even believe the lie at the time it’s told, but ultimately it’s still not true. This is your basic “We don’t work weekends here. We won’t ask you to stay late/come in early/work on Christmas Eve. We take care of our people here.” Think of the interview as a Match.com profile. Salt grain? Don’t mind if I do. 2. Sometimes the interviewer just wants to date you. We've all had the occasional creative interview, but if 7 out of 10 questions are centered around outside interests, for example, “So, how do you feel about Terentino films? “ This is probably not someone you want to work for unless you think being chased around the desk saves you the $40.00 a month you would spend at the gym. 1. If they keep in touch with you and yet do not extend the offer, there is another candidate. Basically, they are keeping you on the line while they find out if candidate #1 is going to be a no-show, axe murderer or someone who refuses to kick in three bucks for Nancy’s birthday cake.

Word Salad Erica Rogers

Hello TBM! As the new editor of the Sounding, I would like to thank Thomas Thomas for offering invaluable advice and support while I worked on my first issue, and also for serving us so well as past editor of the Sounding. Our local publication thrived under his editorship and fortunately, he plans to contribute articles on a regular basis. When I read that the Sounding was scouting for a new editor, I was thrilled to offer my services. I had moved into the Tampa Bay area over a year ago and was looking for a way to become more active in the group. The position of newsletter editor seemed like the perfect opportunity to get started as communications has always been of great interest to me. So after meeting a few members of the ExComm at a FSM and sending work samples to Thomas, I accepted the position and received a warm welcome from the group. I must say that I was also encouraged by the fact that there was no formal interview process. I was far into job search mode at the time and wasn’t sure if I could stomach one more of the “Where do you see yourself in five years?” questions. I learned much about the interview process and in the interest of charity, I’d like to share my top four insights with you here (because five wouldn’t fit). I’d also like to invite you to send me your humorous insights or worst interview moments to get the ball rolling. I want to hear from you! And not just on this subject! Get those fingers typing...send your “Letters to the Editor”, articles and items of interest to [email protected] by the 10th of the month. Please refer to the submission guidelines found on the inside cover page.


Letters Editor: For the record I categorically and emphatically deny calling teachers “cowards” as stated in last months Sounding. I believe the conversation at that point concerned academia and those college professors who choose to live off stipends and government grants rather then try and market their skills in the private sector. Ronnie Dubs Editor’s note: This letter refers to the March Sounding article “Fourth Friday Madness”.

It’s time for our annual spring picnic. We have held our last three picnics in different spots around our membership area, and this time is no different. For those of you in the Brandon/Lithia area who may have wondered when there would be an event in your vicin-ity, the answer is now. Tentative plans are to have the picnic at Alderman’s Ford Park on Saturday, April 14, begin-ning at noon. ExComm will bring bur-gers, dogs, condiments, and paper goods. You bring sides, desserts, and drinks. Everyone brings interesting conversation. More detailed informa-tion will arrive with your post card invitation and will also be posted to TBM’s online calendar (http://www.tampa.us.mensa.org).

Another way to stay informed regard-ing TBM’s events is to subscribe to our announcements list, tbm-gm. The only email you will receive from this list are events announcements. So, sign up

without fear of a cluttered mailbox. Subscription instructions can be found at our site.

Honcho Thomas Thomas and the rest of the RG gang have a long list of activi-ties planned for the ARRR-RG. Regis-tration for this four-day event is a bar-gain at $75. I hope you’ll join us this Memorial Day weekend for a great time. Online registration is available at: (http://www.tampa.us.mensa.org. You can see the hotel here: (http://www.stpetehilton.com).

Did you renew? Dues should have been paid by March 31. It’s easy to renew online (http://www.us.mensa.org). Don’t risk missing an issue of the Sounding.

Until next month, Maxine

LocSec’s Report Maxine Kushner

BULLETIN BOARD

Complete WINDOWS XP SYSTEM

Word 2000, etc. Intel Celeron 300Mhz

Monitor 256 colors. Includes printer.

One card slot for printer or internet, not both at same time. Best Offer.

727-461-4979 PMs

EPSON INK full set of 6

—color and black

Retails @$80+

New— factory sealed $40.

727-461-4979 PMs


March 2007 Sudoku Solution

Cryptopoem Sylvia Zadorozny

LS'D R BREZ BLOW, SAU BUDS BLOW, TNGG IT FLEWD' YELUD;

L OUQUE AURE SAU BUDS BLOW, FNS SURED REU LO ZP UPUD.

TIE LS YIZUD TEIZ SAU BUDS GROWD, SAU IGW FEIBO ALGGD,

ROW RXELG'D LO SAU BUDS BLOW, ROW WRTTIWLGD.

LS'D R TLOU GROW, SAU BUDS GROW, TIE AURESD RD SLEUW RD ZLOU;

RXXGU IEYAREWD FGIDDIZ SAUEU, ROW SAU RLE'D GLMU BLOU.

SAUEU LD YIIG VEUUO VERDD SAUEU, BAUEU ZUO ZRP GLU RS EUDS;

ROW SAU SAENDAUD REU LO DIOV SAUEU, TGNSLOV TEIZ SAU OUDS.

--CIAO ZRDUTLUGW, "SAU BUDS BLOW"

Answer to March's Cryptopoem: Bring out the rusty garden rake, hunt up the hoe and spade, For spring is here, and it is time to have the garden made. ... Don't waste your time in trying to tell the bulbs from worthless weeds, Dig them all up; that's easiest, and you'll need the room for seeds. ... Then when you've got the garden dug, the seeds all out of sight, You'd better hire a gardener to do it over right. --Somerville Journal, "A Song of the Season"

APRIL 2007

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

Reading

Group

7:00PM

5

Lunch

Bunch

12:30PM

6 7

8 9 10 11 12

Lunch

Bunch

12:30PM

13 14

15 16 17 18

Reading

Group

7:00PM

19

Lunch

Bunch

12:30PM

20

NTN

Trivia

7:00PM

21

22 23 24 25 26

Lunch

Bunch

12:30PM

27 28

29 30


All you Pirates and Wenches

We need you for the ARR-RG, May 25, Friday night to help

serve "Chocolate Treasures" to the captives. Wear your Pirate’s

clothing ! We also need chocolate donations, bring them in when you

register at the hotel. Help us make this event a delicious

success. Contact me at [email protected].

-Victoria Foust, Pirate Queen of Chocolate

Wednesday, April 4 7:00 PM Reading Group Perkins on South Dale Mabry We meet twice per month (on the first and third Wednesday). Our meeting location is Perkins on Dale Mabry, just north of Kennedy. Bring along books you'd like to exchange or give away. Ronan Heffernan - 813-732-2310 - [email protected] Perkins Restaurant - 612 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa Thursday, April 5 12:30 PM Lunch Bunch We meet at Piccadilly Cafeteria, on 11810 North Dale Mabry Highway (next to Bar-nes and Noble Bookstore), in Tampa. For directions, descriptions, and/or encour-agement to attend, call: Jim Perry - 813-837-3473 - [email protected]

Mensa events are open to all Mensans, their spouses, and accompanied guests.

A party at a private home is a private event, and who may or may not attend is

at the complete discretion of the host. While kitty amounts are mandatory,

hosts often spend far more than the specified amount. Donations in excess of

the kitty amount will be appreciated.

Dana Groulx (813-996-5552) is the Calendar Editor. Please e-mail your

calendar event notices to [email protected], or visit

www.tampa.us.mensa.org/cal for complete instructions. Your deadline

for the following month’s calendar is the 12th of the preceding month.

Hosts: Please remember to mention any special concerns about your location,

such as limited access for the handicapped, smoking restrictions, or presence

of pets.

Guests: If you have special needs or restrictions, it is prudent to discuss them

with your host before attending an event.

Calendar Events


Saturday, April 7 7:00 PM Card Night — Kitty $2 Either bring a card game that you like to play or we will play Hand and Foot (a type of Canasta, played with partners. It's great fun!) Please make sure that you RSVP at least two days in advance. NEW LOCATION & PHONE #: Bay Town Villas, off Philippe Parkway in Safety Harbor 1140 Thayer St, Safety Harbor, FL 34695 Phone: 727-726-1188 Saturday, April 7 7:30 PM Games Night — Kitty $2 As bunnies with Easter eggs hop far and near, Tonight I will celebrate aging a year. Yes, this is my birthday (I'm how old?? Oh dear!), But don't bring a present--play games with me here! I have one request: I must ask that you please Step outside to smoke so that all breathe with ease. Two cats share my home (be forewarned if you sneeze), And don't bother calling with RSVPs. Come join me for light-hearted games and great snacks. I've all sorts of games, all piled up in high stacks. A card will determine your team--reds or blacks. Then join in the fun as we play to relax. Sylvia Zadorozny - 813-855-4939 - [email protected] 651 Timber Bay Circle West - Oldsmar (call for directions) Monday, April 9 1:00 PM Second Monday Luncheon & Optional Movie Join us in Spring Hill every second Monday at 1p.m. for lunch at Perkins Restaurant, then optional Movie at Spring Hill 8 Cinema. Movie price $2.50 Reservations are not needed, ask for the "Mensa Table". Host Victoria Foust 352-596-8242 — [email protected] Perkins Restaurant, 4685 Commercial Way ,Spring Hill—352-596-2223 Spring Hill 8 Cinema, 2955 Commercial Way Spring Hill Thursday, April 12 7:30 AM Breakfast Gathering Breakfast Gathering, Village Inn at Walsingham Road in Largo, 2nd Thursday of every month. Gather for food and conversation. Please call Lori Puterbaugh at 727-399-2419 for directions and so we have a headcount. 12:30 PM Lunch Bunch We meet at Piccadilly Cafeteria, on 11810 North Dale Mabry Highway (next to Bar-nes and Noble Bookstore), in Tampa. For directions, descriptions, and/or encour-agement to attend, call: Jim Perry - 813-837-3473 - [email protected] 7:00 PM Reading Group Location: Perkins on South Dale Mabry We meet twice per month (on the first and third Wednesday) Our meeting location is Perkins on Dale Mabry, just north of Kennedy. Bring along books you'd like to exchange or give away. Ronan Heffernan - 813-732-2310 - [email protected] Perkins Restaurant - 612 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa


Thursday, April 19 12:30 PM Lunch Bunch We meet at Piccadilly Cafeteria, on 11810 North Dale Mabry Highway (next to Bar-nes and Noble Bookstore), in Tampa. For directions, descriptions, and/or encour-agement to attend, call: Jim Perry - 813-837-3473 - [email protected] Friday, April 20 7:00 PM NTN Trivia Location: Carrollwood NTN Satellite Trivia is a nationwide contest held in assorted restaurants and bars in our region. Three short rounds of five questions each are interspersed with breaks for conversation and socializing. We have moved to Carrollwood to yet another trivia-friendly sports bar, this one being Prime Time Sports Grill (this one puts the trivia games on a BIG screen!) Look for the table with our mascot, Owlbert. Come join the party! Thomas Thomas - 813-994-3981 - [email protected] Saturday, April 21 7:00 PM Card Night — Kitty $2 Location: Safety Harbor Either bring a card game that you like to play or we will play Hand and Foot (a type of Canasta, played with partners. It's great fun!) Please make sure that you RSVP at least two days in advance. NEW LOCATION & PHONE #: Bay Town Villas, off Philippe Parkway in Saftey Harbor 1140 Thayer St, Safety Harbor, FL 34695 Phone: 727-726-1188 Sunday, April 22 3:00 PM FSM Location: TBA. Check the website for updated information. Wednesday, April 25 1:15 PM MHUNCH in Brandon Location: Brandon MHUNCH (Mensa Humpday Lunch) will be at Buca de Beppo in Brandon. Your RSVP is important! Please either email ([email protected]) or call Merrell (863-701-7109) so we can save a seat the the table for you! MHUNCH events are subject to cancellation if there is a lack of interest. Thursday, April 26 12:30 PM Lunch Bunch Location: Tampa We meet at Piccadilly Cafeteria, on 11810 North Dale Mabry Highway (next to Bar-nes and Noble Bookstore), in Tampa. For directions, descriptions, and/or encour-agement to attend, call: Jim Perry - 813-837-3473 - [email protected] Friday, April 27 6:00 PM Fourth Friday Madness Location: St. Petersburg Come party on down with us every fourth (not necessarily last) Friday at the Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, 6700 U.S. 19 N. in Pinellas Park from 6pm to whenever. This is just southeast of Gandy Boulevard. RSVP to Phoebe McCann at (727) 546-4030 or [email protected]


Saturday, April 28 7:00 PM Last Saturday Rotating Games Night Location: Wesley Chapel, FL This month's rotating games night is at the home of Federico & Ruby Agnir. This is their first time hosting an event and they don't know how many people to expect, so they would appreciate an RSVP. The types of games we're planning to have are card games, including Hand-and-Foot and Scrabble. For those interested in learning new games, we would be happy to teach Mahjongg, the Chinese game of The Four Winds. We have at least two sets of Mahjongg, so we can have two tables for this -- for 8 players. House Rules: No Smoking. No Pets. Remove shoes before stepping on the carpet. (There are slippers provided for the ladies. The gents can just walk in their socks.) Handicap accessible. Park on the street, but carpool if you can because space is lim-ited. 6119 Weatherwood Circle, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544 Call us on the following numbers: 813-991-1924 (land line), 813-451-4267 (Fred's cell phone), 813-451-4262 (Ruby's cell phone) or contact us by e-mail at: [email protected] Wednesday, May 2 7:00 PM Reading Group Location: Perkins on South Dale Mabry We meet twice per month (on the first and third Wednesday) Our meeting location is Perkins on Dale Mabry, just north of Kennedy. Bring along books you'd like to ex-change or give away. Ronan Heffernan - 813-732-2310 - [email protected] Perkins Restaurant - 612 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa Thursday, May 3 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM Lunch Bunch We meet at Piccadilly Cafeteria, on 11810 North Dale Mabry Highway (next to Bar-nes and Noble Bookstore), in Tampa. For directions, descriptions, and/or encour-agement to attend, call: Jim Perry - 813-837-3473 or email– [email protected] Saturday, May 5 7:00 PM to 11:15 PM Card Night — Kitty $2 Either bring a card game that you like to play or we will play Hand and Foot (a type of Canasta, played with partners. It's great fun!) Please make sure that you RSVP at least two days in advance. NEW LOCATION & PHONE #: Bay Town Villas, off Philippe Parkway in Safety Harbor 1140 Thayer St, Safety Harbor, FL 34695 Phone: 727-726-1188 Thursday, May 10 7:30 AM Breakfast Gathering Notes: Breakfast Gathering, Village Inn at Walsingham Road in Largo, 2nd Thurs-day of every month. Gather for food and conversation. Please call Lori Puterbaugh at 727-399-2419 for directions and so we have a headcount. 12:30 PM Lunch Bunch We meet at Piccadilly Cafeteria, on 11810 North Dale Mabry Highway (next to Bar-nes and Noble Bookstore), in Tampa. For directions, descriptions, and/or encour-agement to attend, call: Jim Perry - 813-837-3473 - [email protected]


There has been a lot of reaction to my mentioning last month about the option o f r e c e i v i n g y o u r newsletters electronically rather than in print. I do wish to make a couple of comments regarding this issue. First, it is only intended to be an OPTION for members to CHOOSE to receive them that way. At no point is anyone going to be required to have anything other than their paper-in-hand. Second, I am rather pleased to note that some members are actually reading my column! Thank you! Both national and international Mensa elections are upon us, and I encourage you to vote! At the national level, there is strong competition for all but one (1st Vice Chair Elissa Rudolph) of the AMC ExComm positions. I urge you to take the time to read the candidates' information and vote for those you think will do the best jobs. At the international level, I know that many of us don't vote, probably because we don't know the candidates or much about them. Sad to say, American Mensa has more than twice as many members as UK Mensa, yet in the last heavily contested election (2003), UK had more votes cast than American Mensa. As an informational item for you, I am going to list those candidates for international office who were nominated or endorsed by the AMC, basically being given AML support. They are Jim Werdell for Chair, Stacey Kirsch for Director of Administration, Willem Bouwens for Director of Development, and Godwin Zwanenburg for Treasurer. Of those four, Jim And Stacey are members of American Mensa. Now, please join me in voting.

Much attention has been paid lately to an article being sent to various newsletters around the country, stating that Mensa was better in the good old days, and perhaps we should go back to the good old days. This was written by someone who could speak knowingly, having been a

member since the good old days. For myself, I have only been a member for 25 years, so my good old days aren't quite so far back. However, I did want to comment about this situation. For many of us beyond our GenX years, we can hark back to things that were great way back when, but we should also remember that the whole world is different now than it was back then. Rather than going on about things that have changed, I will just say that I truly do like Mensa administration better now than back in the good old days. I like receiving prompt attention from the national office in Texas rather than waiting forever for a response from an apartment in Brooklyn! I like the fact that our name and logo are being protected. I like the fact that hospitality people are being trained in food safety, to protect our health. And so on. If things at the national level were still being done the way they were in the good old days, I am not sure that Mensa would have survived at all! Remember the upcoming events - Tampa Bay's ARRR-G in May, the AG in Birmingham in July, and FloRanGe a Trois in Fort Lauderdale in September. See you there! Maggie Truelove RVC 10 [email protected]@cfl.rr.com

The Tenth Story Maggie Truelove


Wise Guy Thomas George Thomas

One of the first signs that I was different from other kids when I was

growing up was that I really enjoyed math. But I think that had as much to do with my teachers as any innate abili-ties I may have had. Sure, teachers vary in talent and imagi-nation, and I had my share of sadists who had us copy multiplication tables every day. Looking back I think they were having even less fun than the stu-dents. But I liked the teachers who taught us “tricks”. I don’t remember Cast Nines. Among other things, it was a trick we used as an aid to factor large numbers. You would take a number like 59042957490381, add up all the digits, and if the sum was a multiple of 3, then the whole number was also a multiple of 3. But Cast Nines was a shortcut—assume 9=0, and all combinations that add up to 9 also equal 0. By the time you cast out all the nines, the number above adds up to 3, and is therefore a multiple of 3. (Some of you might still find this use-ful. You know who you are.) This was also helpful in finding very large prime numbers. Another trick was knowing that every multiple of 6 precedes or is preceded by a prime number. So if you have a very large multiple of 3 that ends in a 4, the adja-cent number that ends in a 3 is prime, and if you have a very large multiple of 3 that ends in a 6, the adjacent number ending in 7 is prime. In fact, approximately one-sixth of all positive integers are prime.

There are other kinds of prime, of course. For example, one-sixth of the Tampa Bay membership are prime candidates to come to the ARRR-R G! (Come on, how long did you really think it would take me to get to that?) Everyone in Tampa Bay Mensa is a prime candidate for the ARRR-R G!, when you come down to it, but we generally get around 100 people, which is one-sixth of our membership size of 600. (Right now we’re at a membership high of 652 members, so maybe we’ll get 109 people…) This is your chance to get the best of your membership in Mensa. Our prime resource is our membership, and you’ll be able to spend quality time with them over Memorial Day weekend. With a hundred other Mensans around, what better place to make new friends, or spend time with old ones? I’d especially like to invite our newer members to join us; the ones who have-n’t had the experience of a Gathering yet. This is your first, best opportunity to make the most of your membership. While many are satisfied to have the newsletter, magazine and membership card, is it really all you wanted when you joined? Or did you want to meet other people like you? Who you could talk to as in-tellectual peers? Share more esoteric interests with? With a hundred or so other Mensan around, aren’t the odds pretty good that you’ll find your place in the group? Do the math!


I was a telephone repairman. I got to this apartment a little before five . It was a nice neighborhood, not Central Park West but just around the corner. I made a temporary repair so her phone worked and told her I’d be back in the morning to fix it properly. I need parts. “We’ll see”, she said. Next morning, I showed up with what I needed and she seemed surprised. She made friendly conversation and even offered me a cup of coffee. Now more conversation. “ Your married, you have a family?” she questioned. “Oh yeah, I have a wife and two daughters, all grown up.”” “What do your daughters do?” “One’s a teacher. The other’s a nurse.” “That’s nice. They’re married already?” “Yes, and the older one has a baby.” “That’s also nice. And what about your sons-in-law, what do they do?” “One works for AT&T and the other’s a travel agent.”

“They make a—” “Hold it lady” I interrupted smilingly, “That’s enough. Now, what about you? You have children?” “One daughter. She’s married and she’s a professor at American University.” “Wow! You must be proud of her.” “I am.” “And your son-in-law?” He’s also a professor?” Her reply was more than three little words. Even more than body language; she spoke to me with her soul, her heart, her life, and I understood. Her facial expression seemed to ask “Why? What’s the good of it all?” Her eyebrows raised a little, her head tilted slightly to the side. She had to look up at me over her glasses but she wasn’t wearing glasses. Elbows at her sides and her forearms extended forward, palms turned upwards as they moved slowly further apart. Another long deep breath in and an even longer out through her nose. “He’s a poet. You’re sure you don’t want coffee?”

Picture This Bob Topper

Licensed Mental Health Counselor Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

801 West Bay Drive, Suite 436 Largo, Florida 33770

The Wachovia Bank Building

727-559-0863 [email protected] balancedlifestylecoaching.com

Services Include:

• Individual counseling • Family & couples counseling • Anxiety, depression, grief, stress, anger

• Children’s behavior problems • Personal growth/development • Consulting/Coaching services

• Presentations for organizations

Memberships: Clinical Member of American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy; American Counseling Association;

Mensa; TNS


Our annual TBM elections are in June, and Tampa Bay Mensa invites members to pursue a term on the Executive Committee of our Chapter. In accordance with TBM bylaws, the terms of five members of the Executive Committee will expire in 2007. These positions are currently held by Dana Groulx, Ronan Heffernan, Maxine Kushner, Barbara Loewe, and Thomas Thomas. These openings are for two-year terms. Executive Committee meetings are held six times each year, and officers enjoy the satisfactions that come from being “in” on what is going on in the chapter, leaving their mark on these activities, and, of course, the great camaraderie that comes from associating with fellow members. Interested members should contact members of the Election Committee to clarify any details of the election process. Candidates are responsible for fulfilling all requirements as prescribed in the bylaws of Tampa Bay Mensa, contained in the Member Handbook, and this Call for Candidates. The Election Committee is composed of: Pat Tuley (Election Supervisor) 10912 Carnelian Lane Riverview, FL 33569 813-654-2259 [email protected] Carole Austin 2019 Nantucket Dr. Sun City Center, FL 33573 Kaye Ryan 2419 Gulf To Bay Blvd, Lot 923 Clearwater, FL 33765

Members in good standing of Tampa Bay Mensa seeking seats on the Executive Committee in the upcoming election must provide to the Election Supervisor no later than Sunday, April 15: 1) a nominating petition, and 2) a campaign statement. Nominating petitions must contain the printed name, address, telephone number, and signature of the candidate, plus the printed names and signatures of five (5) members in good standing as defined by the bylaws of Tampa Bay Mensa. Campaign statements must be limited to 250 words. Note that, since campaign statements will be printed in the Sounding, they must comply with current editorial policy. Petitions and campaign statements must be mailed to: Pat Tuley (Election Supervisor) 10912 Carnelian Lane Riverview, FL 33569

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE ELECTION:

Ballots will be counted at the June 2007 Election Committee Meeting. The exact time and location will be announced in the June issue of the Sounding. Ballots will be printed in the June issue of the Sounding. Mem-bers who do not normally receive the Sounding will be mailed ballots sepa-rately, or will be provided their own copy of the June Sounding. Complete details of the voting method will be published with the ballots.

Call For Candidates

Tampa Bay Mensa 2007 Elections Pat Tuley, Election Supervisor


S.I.G.H.T. Coordinator Susan Anderson

10733 Dowry Ave. Tampa, FL 33615 813-855-4020

[email protected]

Activities Coordinator Gina Boogher 717-887-8743

[email protected]

Ombudsman/ Membership Officer

Frank Clarke 150 Colette Court Oldsmar, FL 34677 727-452-7399

[email protected]

Testing Coordinator Barbara Counts

4610 Catalonia Way S. St. Petersburg, FL 33712

727-864-6796 [email protected]

Treasurer

ExComm Member Kathy Crum

7164 Quail Hollow Blvd. Wesley Chapel, FL 33544


Deputy LocSec

ExComm Member Sylvia Zadorozny

651 Timber Bay Cir. W. Oldsmar, FL 34677 813-855-4939

[email protected]

Calendar Editor ExComm Member

Dana Groulx 21416 Cypress Tree Ct. Land O’Lakes, FL 34639


Web Spinner ExComm Member Ronan Heffernan 27504 Breakers Dr.

Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 813-732-2310

[email protected]

Gifted Children’s Coordinator ExComm Member Theresa Hohmann 897 Crestridge Cir.

Tarpon Springs, FL 34688 727-942-7735

[email protected]

Scribe Jay Johnson

5051 Cardiff Dr Holiday, FL 34690 727-934-9575

[email protected]

Local Secretary ExComm Member Maxine Kushner 7442 Hollylake La.

New Port Richey, FL 34653 727-841-6043

[email protected]

Member At Large ExComm Member Barbara Loewe P.O. Box 764

Land O’Lakes, FL 34639 813-968-3343 [email protected]

Education Outreach

Coordinator ExComm Member Richard Manno

[email protected]

Publisher Sylvester (Les) Milewski

9091 St Andrews Dr Seminole Fl 33777


MENSA CONTACT INFORMATION

Sounding Editor Erica Rogers

520 11th Ave N. #4 St. Petersburg, FL 33701


Circulation Officer ExComm Member

Thomas George Thomas 27647 Sky Lake Circle

Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 813-994-3981

RVC, Region 10 Maggie Truelove

3333 Honeysuckle Lane Belle Isle, FL 32812 407-855-9078

[email protected]

Elections Officer Pat Tuley

10912 Carnelian Lane Riverview, FL 33569


Proctors

Barbara Counts Thomas George Thomas

Jay Johnson

Open Positions Election Committee ARRR-R G! volunteers

American Mensa Ltd. 1229 Corporate Dr. W.

Arlington, TX 76006-6103 817-607-0060

[email protected]

Visit American Mensa at www.us.mensa.org

For full instructions on how to join tbm-gm and tbm-

discussion, our two Yahoo groups, visit TBM at

www.tampa.us.mensa.org

Postmaster: Send Address Changes to:

Tampa Bay Sounding c/o American Mensa Ltd. 1229 Corporate Drive West Arlington TX 76006-6103

Periodicals Postage Paid At St. Petersburg, Florida

TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL

tampa bay sounding - mensa internationaltampabay.us.mensa.org/soundings/sounding_2007_04.pdf ·...

Documents