May 28 – Sunday

6:30p Marin Movie Night & Potluck. Let’s eat, drink, and watch a movie! We’ll gather at Geri Randall’s home in San Rafael to watch Top Gun: Maverick. From IMDB: “After thirty years, Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads TOP GUN’s elite graduates on a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.” The IMDB viewer score is 8.3, and Rotten Tomatoes gives it 96%. If you liked the 1986 original, you will love this sequel. This is a potluck dinner – Geri will provide the main entrée. Please bring hors d’oeuvres, beverages, a salad, a side dish, or dessert. Space is limited, so this gathering is capped at 12 guests. To RSVP (required) and to get exact directions, e-mail Geri at gerirandall/a/t/hotmail.com. After confirming with Geri through e-mail, PLEASE also RSVP on SFRM Meetup at meetup.com/sfmensa/events/292707077/, so that we can track attendance. Valerie Taylor, northbay/a/t/sfmensa.org. PC

7p Channing Club. See June 25. (RSE 4 Su)

30 – Tuesday

5:45p Dinner, Drinks, and Geochronology. Wonderfest is having another science-based event at the HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato 94945. May’s presentation is on Geochronology. We’ll meet for drinks and dinner at 5:45p. At 6:45p we’ll move to the session room for a talk by Dr. Owen Anfinson, an Associate Professor of Geology at the Sonoma County campus of California State University. “By some measures, modern geology has pushed our knowledge of Earth’s birthdate backward in time by a factor of a million: from 4,000 BCE to 4,000,000,000 BCE! Detrital zircon geochronology is a geological dating technique that affords insights into the structure and origin of planet Earth’s diverse components. Even locally, including on Mount Tamalpais, the rocks are speaking to us. Can we really see a world in a grain of sand?” Complete details of this free event are here: wonderfest.org/category/event/. More information on HopMonk’s menu, etc. is here: www.hopmonk.com/novato. Hosted by Valerie Taylor, northbay/a/t/sfmensa.org. PC, NMPCW, WCE, NS, NC, NXM (RSE last Tu)

31 – Wednesday

6p This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends Book Discussion. Join us for a discussion of This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race by Nicole Perlroth, two chapters a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 9, The Rubicon and Chapter 10, The Factory. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

June 3 – Saturday

6p Start the Month Right. It’s barbecue time! 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. Bring bread, salad, or dessert to share, and YOB; hamburgers and hot dogs available or bring your own meat to grill. $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)

6p In-Person Teton Tea. In addition to the Zoom Teton Tea Party we are having an in-person Teton Tea on the first Saturday of each month, from 6p to 9p. We are meeting at the home of Annie Hallatt, phone (510) 548-8252. She writes: “I will have a bonfire in the brick fireplace and chairs to sit around and sing. We can also go inside of Annie’s Hall if the weather gets wet or windy. We will have Teton Tea (wine, tea, raspberries, lemons, and sugar, served hot) and would love you to bring treats to share. I also have a wood stove to keep the space warm if we need it. I will put a sign out to let you know you have arrived at the house. I have a piano if someone wants to play it. I look forward to sharing our songs. Bring songs and music to share.” Please be fully vaxxed and boosted and bring a mask for when we’re not eating or singing. Hosted by Kevin Langdon. PC (RSE 1 Sa)

4 – Sunday

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)

5 – Monday

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

6 – Tuesday

5p Tuesday Tipplers will meet at San Rafael Joe’s, 931 4th St., San Rafael 94901, at 5p for drinks in the bar and then move on to dinner in the dining room after an hour. Park on the street or in the city garage behind the restaurant. If you have questions e-mail Ed Sabrack at edsabrack/a/t/comcast.net or call (415) 472-3725. 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)

7 – Wednesday

6p This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends Book Discussion. Join us for a discussion of This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race by Nicole Perlroth, two chapters a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 11, The Kurd and Chapter 12, Dirty Business. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

8 – 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 – Saturday

4p Big Ideas Reading Group: The Biggest Ideas in the Universe by Sean Carroll. On Zoom. Physics offers deep insights into the workings of the universe but those insights come in the form of equations that often look like gobbledygook. Sean Carroll shows that they are really like meaningful poems that can help us fly over sierras to discover a miraculous multidimensional landscape alive with radiant giants, warped space-time, and bewilderingly powerful forces. In the tradition of the legendary Richard Feynman lectures presented sixty years ago, this book is an inspiring, dazzling introduction to a way of seeing that will resonate across cultural and generational boundaries for many years to come. For July 15 (note one-time change of week because of the Annual Gathering) on Zoom: Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. 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)

11 – Sunday

2:30p Speaker Series: Virtual Reality with Tammie Hyde. VR is more than just a gaming platform; it has significant potential for improving healthcare delivery. VR can promote patient engagement, improve patient experience, and enhance clinical outcomes. Join us in discovering the innovative ways in which VR is being utilized to improve healthcare delivery. Tammie Hyde is a highly skilled nurse anesthetist and nurse practitioner based in Florida. She currently serves as the medical lead for Studio Bahia, where she is committed to the development of virtual reality therapies, education, and research for underserved populations across the globe. Hyde’s research interests focus on the use of virtual reality to alleviate procedural pain and anxiety, with a particular emphasis on understanding the patient’s experience within the virtual environment. This is a Zoom event, hosted by Judy Unger, junger2040/a/t/gmail.com. RSVP on SFRM Meetup to get the link. PC

12 – 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)

13 – Tuesday

6:45p Puzzled Pint. 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)

14 – Wednesday

6p This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends Book Discussion. Join us for a discussion of This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race by Nicole Perlroth, two chapters a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 13, Guns for Hire (one chapter only). This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

15 – Thursday

12n Thursday Munchers. A lunch group in Marin dedicated to trying different restaurants. We meet on the second Thursday from now on except when the second Thursday is in the same week as Tuesday Tipplers. This month we will visit Speakeasy Novato/Board Room Restaurant, 504 Alameda del Prado, Novato 94949, (415) 883-7793, www.thespeakeasynovato.com. RSVP by Monday, June 12, to Elizabeth Calaway at (415) 456-9220 or elizterrycalaway/a/t/aol.com. PC (RSE Th after 2 Tu)

17 – Saturday

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 3rd Saturday 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)

June 20 – Tuesday

5:45p Dinner, Drinks, and Wonderfest: Astronomy for Planet Earth. (NOTE ONE-TIME CHANGE OF WEEK.) Wonderfest is back at the HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato 94945! We meet for drinks and dinner at 5:45p. At 6:45p we’ll move to the session room for a talk by Dr. Adrienne Cool, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at San Francisco State University and co-founder of Astronomers for Planet Earth, an international organization working to address climate change from a cosmic perspective. “The past few decades of astronomical discovery have been breathtaking. What is the value of all of these discoveries? Can learning about our place in the Universe inspire us, as Carl Sagan put it, to preserve and cherish the Pale Blue Dot?” Complete details of this free event are here: http://wonderfest.org/category/event/. More information on HopMonk’s menu, etc. is here: www.hopmonk.com/novato. RSVP on the SFRM Meetup (preferred) or email host Valerie Taylor at northbay/a/t/mensa.org. PC, NMPCW, WCE, NS, NC, NXM (RSE last Tu)

21 – Wednesday

5:30p Re-BORG. 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 Tuesday, June 20. Roberta Maguire, robertamaguire/a/t/hotmail.com, (510) 292-6370. PC, NS, NMPCW, ACW (RSE 3 W)

6p This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends Book Discussion. Join us for a discussion of This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race by Nicole Perlroth, two chapters a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 14, Aurora and Chapter 15, Bounty Hunters. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

22 – Thursday

11:45a South Bay Lunch. See June 8. (RSE 2,4 Th)

23 – 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)

24 – Saturday

11:30a SFRM Spring Picnic. Come join us at Portal Park in Cupertino for our annual Spring Picnic. At this family friendly event, people can relax over hamburgers, hot dogs, and various beverages while enjoying the spring weather in a socially distanced setting. This event is sponsored by SFRM so it is free for members, their guests, and their kids. RSVP at www.meetup.com/sfmensa/events/292986073 or e-mail host Katie To at tiggr0272/a/t/hotmail.com. PC, WBC, WCP

6p Online Board Games. See June 5.

25 – Sunday

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)

28 – Wednesday

6p This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends Book Discussion. Join us for a discussion of This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race by Nicole Perlroth, two chapters a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 16, Going Dark and Chapter 17, Cyber Gauchos. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

30 – Friday

7p Palo Alto Dining at INDO Restaurant and Lounge, a Southeast Asian restaurant at 3295 El Camino Real, Palo Alto 94306 (south of Page Mill Rd., on the east side). The entrance is actually on Lambert Ave. (with a parking lot). Their website is at www.indorestaurant.com. Check out their tasty menu. As always, good food and good conversation. Entrees are mostly $10 to $30. To reserve, contact Susan at Susan.Heimlich/a/t/gmail.com or at cell (650) 714-4972 by Wednesday, June 28. Be sure to get a confirmation. For last minute changes call (650) 714-4972. Vaccinated diners only please, and please bring cash. PC, NMPCW

July 1– Saturday

6p Start The Month Right. See June 3. (RSE 1 Sa)

6p In-Person Teton Tea. See June 3. (RSE 1 Sa)

2 – Sunday

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

4 – Tuesday

5p Tuesday Tipplers. See June 6. (RSE 1 Tu)

Intelligencer Deadline. See June 6. (RSE Tu after 1 Sa)

5 – Wednesday

6p This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends Book Discussion. Join us for a discussion of This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race by Nicole Perlroth, two chapters a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 18, Perfect Storm and Chapter 19, The Grid. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)