27 – Friday

6:30p Virtual Happy Hour. Mix up your favorite beverage. Bring out some happy-hour munchies and join us for a virtual relaxing time. RSVP on Meetup for the Zoom Link. Hosted by Judy Unger, junger2040/a/t/gmail.com. PC (RSE 4 F)

28 – Saturday

6p Online Board Games. See January 16.

January 29 – Sunday

12n Cafe Discussion: Ethics of the privatization of the public good, e.g. public utilities. How does it relate to “the theft of the commons”? When is it a good or bad thing and why? To what degree is it inherently or in implementation linked to public corruption? See February 5. (RSE Su)

31 – Tuesday

5:45p Drinks, Dinner, and Neuroplasticity at Hopmonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way (Vintage Oaks Shopping Center), Novato 94945, www.hopmonk.com/novato. Wonderfest is coming back to the Hopmonk Tavern in Novato! January’s presentation is on Neuroplasticity. We’ll meet for dinner at 5:45p, then at 6:45p we’ll move to the session room for a talk by Dr. Linda Wilbrecht, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at UC Berkeley, who will discuss “sensitive-period brain plasticity” and its implications for education. Complete details of this free event are at wl.seetickets.us/event/Wonderfest-Neuroplasticity/516601?afflky=HopMonkNovato. RSVPs are helpful to get a right-sized table, but are not required. RSVP on the SFRM Meetup group. You can also e-mail Valerie at northbay/a/t/sfmensa.org, subject “Marin Mensa”. PC, NMPCW, WCE, NS, NC, NXM

February 1 – Wednesday

6p Atlas of AI Book Discussion. We are reading Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence by Kate Crawford, one chapter a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 5, Affect. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup (meetup.com/sfmensa/events/290197760/). Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

4 – Saturday

6p Start the Month Right. At Elna and Adrian Tymes’ home in Mountain View. Come celebrate the 43rd year and longest running monthly social event in all of American Mensa (at Elna’s home every month since 1981)! Potluck dinner, unstructured socializing, games, and talk. We provide the main dish; you bring salad, bread, or dessert to share and YOB. $1 donation requested. No reservations needed. Info (650) 969-6650. Guests of Mensans must be accompanied by the member. Masks optional. PC, SO, WBC, WCD, C/D (RSE 1 Sat)

5 – Sunday

12n Cafe Discussion: Mindfulness. What is your personal view toward mindfulness? Do you dedicate time toward being mindful? Can you be too mindful? Cafe Discussions are lively, interesting, and you always come away with something to think about in the week to come. Drop in and stay for as long as you like. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by James Monschke. PC (RSE Su)

4p Albany Hill Hike. Join us for a one-hour scenic and historic hike up and around Albany Hill. The trail is steep in spots, but the views are expansive. Special bonus: We have scheduled the Sather Tower Solar Beacon to shine directly upon us as we arrive at the top of the hill. Meet under Pacific East Mall Jumbotron just behind the bus stop on the east side of Pierce St. between Central Ave. in El Cerrito and Washington Ave. in Albany. Free parking is available in the mall lot, which is seven tenths of a mile from the El Cerrito Plaza BART station. Please contact Roberta Maguire to make sure she is in town at robertamaguire/a/t/hotmail.com or (510) 292-6370. PC, ACW, NMPCW, NS, WCI, NXM (RSE 1 Su)

6 – Monday

5:30p Re-BORG. (NOTE ONE-TIME CHANGE OF DAY AND WEEK.) Berkeley-Oakland Restaurant Group is reborn and revived in honor of the incomparable Cathy Roha, who initiated this event and hosted it for many years. Assimilate delicious food and interesting conversation at a good restaurant somewhere in the central East Bay. Bring cash, your vaccination card, and a mask. Limited seating. E-mail or call ahead for location up to a week ahead. RSVP by 3p on Sunday, February 5. Roberta Maguire, robertamaguire/a/t/hotmail.com, (510) 292-6370. PC, NS, NMPCW, ACW (RSE 3 W)

7 – Tuesday

5:30p Tuesday Tipplers will meet at San Rafael Joe’s, 931 4th St., San Rafael 94901, at 5:30p for drinks in the bar and then move on to dinner in the dining room after an hour or so. Park on the street or in the city garage behind the restaurant. If you have questions e-mail Carole at caroleptaylor/a/t/gmail.com or call (415) 472-1207. PC (RSE 1 Tu)

Intelligencer Deadline. Deadline for calendar events, advertising, members’ free ads, and all other content. See above for information on submitting events. PC (RSE Tu after 1 Sa)

8 – Wednesday

6p Atlas of AI Book Discussion. We are reading Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence by Kate Crawford, one chapter a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 6, State. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup (meetup.com/sfmensa/events/290197763/). Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

9 – Thursday

11:45a South Bay Lunch. Meet at Scrambl’z, 5055 Almaden Expressway, San Jose 95118 (near Hwys. 85 & 87), (408) 269-2900. Voted one of the best breakfast restaurants around. Extensive menu online at www.scramblzalmaden.com. Sandra Anderson, (408) 997-3187. Vaccinated only, please. PC, NMPCW, WCE (RSE 2,4 Th)

10 – Friday

7p Palo Alto Dining at Tamarine Restaurant. About one-half mile from the Palo Alto (University Ave.) Caltrain station, Tamarine Restaurant features Vietnamese cuisine. It is located at 546 University Ave., Palo Alto 94301. Dishes include shrimp spring rolls, tea leaf beef, green papaya salad, lemongrass sea bass, and more. See their menu at tamarinerestaurant.com. Join us for good food and good conversation. To reserve, contact Susan Heimlich at susan.heimlich/a/t/gmail.com or call/text (650) 714-4972 by Wednesday, February 8. Be sure to get a confirmation. Please be vaccinated and bring cash. For last minute changes, call (650) 714-4972. PC, NMPCW

11 – Saturday

4p Big Ideas Reading Group: What Is Life?: Five Great Ideas in Biology by Paul Nurse. On Zoom. Step-by-step Nurse illuminates five great ideas that underpin biology – the Cell, the Gene, Evolution by Natural Selection, Life as Chemistry, and Life as Information. Nurse writes with delight at life’s richness and with a sense of the urgent role of biology in our time. To survive the challenges that face us all today – climate change, pandemic, loss of biodiversity and food security – it is vital that we all understand what life is. For March 11 on Zoom: Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Daniel Kahneman. We have a list of books read at www.bigideasreadinggroup.com/BIRG2.html. For questions and invitations to our Zoom meetings please contact Chris Boyd at snoboyd/a/t/sbcglobal.net. PC, NMPCW, NXM (RSE 2 Sa)

12 – Sunday

12n Cafe Discussion: Context of Color. In language, “color” is used in a variety of non-visual contexts. How might you use the word “color”? Why do you choose that metaphor? Examples: The song “I see your true colors”; Coloring your thoughts; Backstage, there is often a “green room”; “Feeling blue”; “Black list”; “In the red,” (even in discussion, or where parentheses or negative signs are used rather than actual red ink); “Green with envy”. Also: Synesthesia (musicians perceiving a color when hearing a note, or other sensory crossover). See February 5. (RSE Su)

13 – Monday

4p San Francisco Pub Get-Together. Stop by after work or, if you don’t work downtown, just come anyway. All Mensans and their guests are welcome, provided that they are at least 21, at Patriot House in 2 Embarcadero Center (Sacramento St. between Front St. and Davis St.), SF 94111. Take the inside escalator to the 2nd floor, turn right twice, and then follow the sign to the stairs to the 3rd floor. The restaurant’s entrance is near the top of those stairs on the 3rd floor. Look for the Mensa logo on our table or ask one of the waitresses to find us. Starting at 4p, but arrive when you can and leave when you’re ready. We will be there for several hours. They have a Happy Hour from 4p until 6p, with the kitchen closing at 9p and the bar closing at 10p. RSVP preferred on Mensa’s Meetup site at www.meetup.com/SFMensa, less preferred by e-mail to Barry Krasner at bwkbwk/a/t/pacbell.net. If you find that you can’t come after RSVPing “Yes”, please change your RSVP to “No” before the event takes place. PC, NC, NS, NMPCW (RSE 2 M)

14 – Tuesday

6:45p Puzzled Pint. (NOTE: This is a live event again, rather than on Zoom.) Who likes PUZZLES? The kind where part of the game is to figure out what you need to be doing in the first place? Want to do it as part of a team, so you can bounce ideas off each other, and let someone else do the parts that you find uninteresting? This is a monthly event held in the Bay Area (and simultaneously elsewhere in the world), at a convenient pub where we might order food and drink before or during the game. RSVP to Karl Heuer at puzzles/a/t/sfmensa.org or (650) 648-3594 (voice or text) to reserve your spot and learn the address; it’s almost always either Sunnyvale or Mountain View, near Central Expressway. PC, NMPCW, NS, NXM (RSE 2 Tu)

15 – Wednesday

6p Atlas of AI Book Discussion. We are reading Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence by Kate Crawford, one chapter a week. This week we’re reading Chapter Conclusion, Power. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup (meetup.com/sfmensa/events/290197772/). Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

16 – Thursday

12n Thursday Munchers meets on the Thursday after the second Tuesday from now on. Rising up from the old Ethnic Dinner, a lunch group in Marin dedicated to trying different restaurants. This month we will visit Mamita Cocina Mexicana, 340 Ignacio Blvd., Novato 94949, www.mamitamarin.com. RSVP by Monday, February 13, to Elizabeth Calaway at (415) 456-9220 or elizterrycalaway/a/t/aol.com. PC (RSE Th after 2 Tu)

18 – Saturday

6p Online Board Games. Come explore some board games that can be played on the Web. If you’re new, please create a (free) account at boardgamearena.com and follow the setup instructions. We’ll meet online with Zoom to establish voice contact, and then we’ll decide on a game to try out. RSVP on the Meetup calendar if possible, otherwise contact Karl Heuer at puzzles/a/t/sfmensa.org or (650) 648-3594. PC, NMPCW, ACW

7p Teton Tea. Teton Tea Parties are folk-singing parties going back to the 1950s. We welcome both traditional folk singing and singer/songwriters. Our meetings are currently on Zoom. Join the Zoom meeting: us02web.zoom.us/j/6912937135?pwd=WVlpMEs1SCs0c1FoZk5seUhoREVaZz09. Meeting ID: 691 293 7135. Password: berkeley. Hosted by Kevin Langdon, kevinlangdon86/a/t/yahoo.com. PC (RSE 3 Sa)

19 – Sunday

12n Cafe Discussion: Misquoted quotes. There are many commonly used quotes to express a sentiment that are excerpted or originate from quotes that originally meant the opposite. Examples: “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back.”; “Jack of all trades, master of none. But better than a master of one.” Do you have any personally favorite examples, or thoughts regarding the quotes? See February 5. (RSE Su)

22 – Wednesday

6p Atlas of AI Book Discussion. We are reading Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence by Kate Crawford, one chapter a week. This week we’re reading Chapter Coda, Space. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup (meetup.com/sfmensa/events/290197784/). Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

23 – Thursday

11:45a South Bay Lunch. See February 9. (RSE 2,4 Th)

24 – Friday

6:30p Virtual Happy Hour. Mix up your favorite beverage. Bring out some happy-hour munchies and join us for a virtual relaxing time. RSVP on Meetup for the Zoom Link. Hosted by Judy Unger, junger2040/a/t/gmail.com. PC (RSE 4 F)

26 – Sunday

12n Cafe Discussion: Time Travel (vacation?). When would you want to “land”? Temporarily or permanently? Why? Fun with Paradoxes? Changing History? See February 5. (RSE Su)

12:30p Theodore Talk: Comedy is a Funny Business. We all like to laugh (or at least most of us do). From class clown to comedy kingpin, Dustin Kauffman has been making people laugh, one way or another, for most of his life. He first appeared in front of a crowd at an open mic night in 1999. Within six months he was performing professionally. He started touring in 2003, appearing in clubs in New York, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles. Tired of the life on the road, he returned to Kansas City in 2014, where he … sold flooring. Which he was very good at. But still, it didn’t carry the same thrill as entertaining people. So he began thinking about his own comedy club. In the summer of 2018 he signed a five-year lease on what used to be a Waid’s Diner, and before that a small four-screen movie theatre. In April 2019 the Comedy Club of Kansas City opened. At least for a while, until Covid shut it down. Dustin will talk about what is like to run a comedy club. Check out more details about this event at www.meetup.com/sfmensa/events/290721968. PC

7p Channing Club is a wide-ranging discussion group which has been meeting, in one form or another, for over half a century. There are no assigned topics; we discuss whatever is on participants’ minds. Our meetings are currently on Zoom. Join the Zoom meeting: us02web.zoom.us/j/6912937135?pwd=WVlpMEs1SCs0c1FoZk5seUhoREVaZz09. Meeting ID: 691 293 7135. Password: berkeley. Hosted by Kevin Langdon, kevinlangdon86/a/t/yahoo.com. PC (RSE 4 Su)

27 – Monday

6p Online Board Games. See February 18.

March 4 – Saturday

6p Start The Month Right. See February 4. (RSE 1 Sat)

5 – Sunday

12n Cafe Discussion: Topic TBD. See February 5. (RSE Su)

4p Albany Hill Hike. See February 5. (RSE 1 Su)

7 – Tuesday

5:30p Tuesday Tipplers. See February 7. (RSE 1 Tu)

Intelligencer Deadline. See February 7. (RSE Tu after 1 Sa)

9 – Thursday

11:45a South Bay Lunch. See February 9. (RSE 2,4 Th)

11 – Saturday

4p Big Ideas Reading Group. See February 11. (RSE 2 Sa)