CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Codes
ACW all children welcome; BYOB bring your own beverage; CO clothing optional; C/D cat/dog at residence; FE fictitious event; FFE fragrance-free event; FFO finger food only; LCR light carpet rules (no red wine or other staining substances; can also mean no shoes); MO members only; NC no children; NPC, PC no public calendar, public calendar; NMPCW new members, prospects, and candidates welcome; NS, S, S/NS, SO no smoking, smoking, provisions for both, smoking outside; NXM not exclusively Mensa event; RSE regularly scheduled event; WBC well behaved children; WCD, WCE, WCI, WCP wheelchairs difficult, easy, impossible, possible; RSEs are reprinted verbatim unless an update is received by the deadline for the issue in which a change is requested.
Note: Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Web Calendar Policy
Our policy is not to list events on the Web calendar unless requested to do so by inclusion of the “PC” (“public calendar”) code. If the PC code is not included, your event will default to NPC (no public calendar) and will not be included in the Web calendar. Home addresses (and directions to same) are not listed on the Web, but city and contact information such as telephone and e-mail are unless requested otherwise.
Meetup
SFRM maintains a MeetUp group for events announced on short notice. See meetup.com/SFMensa
To List Your Event
Length limit: 120 words. Submit items to the Calendar Editor at . Items must be received by the deadline listed in the calendar to guarantee inclusion. Items must include host’s name, date and time, location, and applicable codes (above), and should also include phone (including area code) or e-mail address. Notices are published on a space-available basis subject to the discretion of the Calendar Editor. The policy for inclusion in the calendar is based on the SFRM bylaws.
Note to Readers
While a few events are still on hiatus because of an abundance of caution surrounding COVID-19 (and are noted below as “cancelled for November”), most events have resumed meeting in person or are Zoom events. Please continue to check here for updates as well as join our Meetup group (www.meetup.com/SFMensa) where we have several impromptu virtual events happening.
WEEKLY EVENT
None at this time.
End of October
October 24 – Sunday
12n Cafe Discussion: Personality. See November 7. (RSE Su)
7p Channing Club. See November 28. (RSE 4 Su)
25 – Monday
8p Monterey County Mensa Monthly Meeting. See November 29. (RSE last M)
27 – Wednesday
Brainstormer Trivia Night is cancelled for October. PC (RSE last W)
6p Livewired Book Discussion: One chapter a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 4, Wrapping Around the Inputs. See November 3. (RSE W)
28 – Thursday
11:45a South Bay Lunch. See November 11. (RSE 2,4 Th)
6p The Network of Time Book Discussion: One chapter a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 7, The End of the Age of Certainty – Quantum Theory and the Measurement Problem. See November 4. (RSE Th)
30 – Saturday
6p Online Board Games. See November 15. (This event was rescheduled from October 23 to avoid a conflict.)
31 – Sunday
12n Cafe Discussion: Love, hate, and indifference. See November 7. (RSE Su)
7p Halloween Party. ‘Tis the season for spooks, goblins, and other creatures from the mystical realms to materialize. I understand that they sometimes have difficulty taking form in the physical world. However, it is much easier for them to appear as electronic phantasms. Our party this year will take advantage of this by using Zoom. Put on a costume and join us. There will be virtual prizes for the best costumes, one for those that wear a physical costume and one for the best virtual costume. To wear a virtual costume, visit Snap Camera at snapcamera.snapchat.com/. For the Zoom link please visit our Meetup site. Hosted by Judy Unger. PC
November 1-7
November 2 – Tuesday
5:30p Tuesday Tipplers. Due to the surge in COVID cases we have decided to meet on Zoom again. If you are not on our e-mail list please let me know and we will send you a link. Carole Taylor, caroleptaylor/a/t/sbcglobal.net or (415) 472-1207. PC (RSE 1 Tu)
3 – Wednesday
6p Livewired Book Discussion: One chapter a week. We’re reading Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain by David Eagleman one chapter a week. In Livewired, you will surf the leading edge of neuroscience atop the anecdotes and metaphors that have made David Eagleman one of the best scientific translators of our generation. Covering decades of research to the present day, Livewired also presents new discoveries from Eagleman’s own laboratory, from synesthesia to dreaming to wearable neurotech devices that revolutionize how we think about the senses. This week we’re reading Chapter 5, How to Get a Better Body. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Mickie Winkler and Maria Gomez. PC (RSE W)
4 – Thursday
6p The Network of Time Book Discussion: One chapter a week. We’re reading The Network of Time: Understanding Time & Reality through Philosophy, History and Physics by Alon Halperin one chapter a week. Whether you know nothing about the subject or are a professor of physics, Alon Halperin will tell you exactly what you need to know: from philosophical questions about the perception of reality, time travel, determinism, and free choice to the mysteries rooted in quantum theory, up to the complexity theory, and the strikingly fresh insights it gives rise to regarding us and the entire world. This week we’re reading Chapter 8, The Hidden Universe – Quantum Entanglement. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Larry Iwasaki and Maria Gomez. PC (RSE Th)
6 – Saturday
6p Start The Month Right. At Elna and Adrian Tymes’ home in Mountain View. Come celebrate the 41st 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)
7 – Sunday
12n Cafe Discussion: Influence. Who’s in charge of your decisions? In case you were wondering, the cafe discussions have so far been 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 Pia Smith. PC (RSE Su)
2p Speaker Series: “Keeping Your Photos and Documents Safe” with Karin Sorge Jones, a Mensan who is the keeper of seven generations of family photos. Keeping your photos and documents safe in a world of hacks and fine print can be a challenge. Compare various websites and their fine print, including who now owns it after uploading and what level of permanence is offered. This will extend to those sites that process old home movies and other sorts of outdated media. How do you keep your family memories, your creations, and your documents secured? Hosted by Judy Unger. This is a Zoom meeting; see Meetup for login details. PC
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)
November 8-14
8 – Monday
Monday Munchers is cancelled for November. PC (RSE 2 M)
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 3rd floor, then turn right. 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 discounted dinners from 4p until 6p, with the kitchen closing at 8p and the bar closing at 9p. 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. Don’t forget that you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and be able to prove it, in order to be inside of any public venue in San Francisco that serves food or drinks, including this venue. PC, NC, NS, NMPCW (RSE 2 M)
9 – Tuesday
6:45p Puzzled Pint. (NOTE: If Game Control has not chosen a pub, this will instead be a virtual event on Zoom. Contact Karl as below for instructions on how to connect.) 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)
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)
10 – Wednesday
5:55p Berkeley-Oakland Restaurant Group (BORG). Assimilate delicious food and interesting conversation at a good restaurant somewhere in the central East Bay. Please mask up when not eating and/or drinking. Limited seating. E-mail or call ahead for the location on or after November 3. RSVP by 5:55p on November 9. Fully vaccinated attendees only, please. Cathy Roha, catroha/a/t/gmail.com, (510) 207-2345. PC
6p Livewired Book Discussion: One chapter a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 6, Why Mattering Matters. See November 3. (RSE W)
11 – 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. PC, NMPCW, WCE (RSE 2,4 Th)
6p The Network of Time Book Discussion: One chapter a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 9, The Death Blow – The Concept of Time in the 20th Century. See November 4. (RSE Th)
7p Palo Alto Dining goes to distant lands. Bevri had the distinction of being the first Georgian restaurant in the Bay Area, and it’s hard to resist the khachapuri (bread shaped like a canoe and filled with melted cheese), let alone the plump khinkali dumplings. It is located at 530 Bryant St. in downtown Palo Alto, 94301. Good food. Good conversation. To reserve, contact Susan at (650) 714-4972 or susan.heimlich/a/t/gmail.com by Saturday, November 6. Be sure to get a confirmation. Please bring cash. For last minute changes, call/text phone (650) 714-4972. PC, NMPCW
12 – Friday
6:30p M Weisley’s Café. Ever wanted to hang out with all the space pilots at Mos Eisley’s Café (Star Wars 1977)? Unfortunately Tatooine is rather a long commute just for a Happy Hour so we wisely located M Weisley’s in hyperspace where it can easily be accessed instantly by Zoom. No matter where in the universe you are located, you will not experience any light speed delays in your communications. So now you can experience all the ambience of our seedy cantina crowded with numerous alien races in our virtual meet up. All aliens and humans are welcome at M Weisley’s. Mix up your favorite beverage, gather up some munchies and join in our out-of-this-world Happy Hour. To attend as an alien visit Snap Camera snapcamera.snapchat.com and download their software. Choose from hundreds of available avatars which will move and act with your movements in video conference. If you’re creative, you can use their software to create your own avatar. Or of course you could do it the old-fashioned way and actually put on a costume. Please RSVP on Meetup for the Zoom Link. Hosted by Judy Unger, junger2040/a/t/gmail.com. PC (RSE 2 F)
GenX Food and Movie Night is cancelled for November. PC (RSE 2 F)
13 – Saturday
4p Big Ideas Reading Group: The Seven Pillars of Statistical Wisdom by Stephen M. Stigler. (NOTE: We are meeting online via Zoom. E-mail host Chris Boyd as below if you might want to be included in the online meeting or to be updated on any changes in venue.) What gives statistics its unity as a science? Stigler sets forth the seven foundational ideas of statistics: 1-aggregation, exemplified by averaging – is counterintuitive; 2-information measurement, challenges the importance of “big data”; 3-likelihood, the calibration of inferences with the use of probability; 4-intercomparison; 5-regression, including Bayesian inference and causal reasoning; 6-experimental design; 7-residual, complicated phenomena can be simplified. The Seven Pillars of Statistical Wisdom presents an original, unified account of statistical science that will fascinate the interested layperson and engage the professional statistician. For December 11 on Zoom: Explaining Humans (the UK version) by Camilla Pang. You can instead read An Outsider’s Guide to Humans (the US version), the same book. We have a list of books read at www.bigideasreadinggroup.com/BIRG2.html. For questions and directions please contact Chris Boyd at snoboyd/a/t/sbcglobal.net. PC, NMPCW, NXM (RSE 2 Sa)
14 – Sunday
12n Cafe Discussion: Complain or Suck it Up. Which is the Better Lesson? See November 7. (RSE Su)
2p Speaker Series: “An Afternoon of Language and Laughter”. Mensa Bulletin language columnist Richard Lederer, author of Anguished English, will take you on a joy ride through the glories and oddities of our marvelous English language, in which you drive in a parkway and park in a driveway and your nose can run and your feet can smell. Dr. Lederer will also perform some of the greatest puns ever. Hosted by Pia Smith and Judy Unger. This is a Zoom meeting; see Meetup for login details. PC
November 15-21
15 – Monday
6p Online Board Games. Come explore some board games that can be played on the Web. If you’re new, please create an 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
17 – Wednesday
6p Livewired Book Discussion: One chapter a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 7, Why Love Knows Not Its Own Depth Until the Hour of Separation. See November 3. (RSE W)
18 – Thursday
6p The Network of Time Book Discussion: One chapter a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 10, Doctor Chaos and Mr. Order – Complexity Theory. See November 4. (RSE Th)
19 – Friday
6:30p Pub Trek. (NOTE ONE-TIME CHANGE OF TIME.) Join us for the resurrection of Pub Trek, where we can sample new beers at brew pubs, breweries, or tap houses each month. This month’s event is combined with our Brilliance by the Bay Regional Gathering, so we will plan to leave shortly after the Reception concludes from the RG hotel, via VTA Light Rail, for a dining experience. The Holiday Inn (1350 N. First St., San Jose 95112) is six Light Rail stops (Gish Station north to River Oaks) from our destination, Blast & Brew, 55 River Oaks Pl., Ste 60, San Jose 95134, blastandbrew.com/menu/san-jose/. With self-pour taps, you control and customize your drinking experience by pouring your beer by the ounce. Choose from more than 30 local and regional craft beers, wines and ciders. No bartenders means there’s no wait, so you’re free to enjoy exactly what you want, when you want it. Menu options include build-your-own fast-fired pizzas, sandwiches, salads, snacks, etc. Please check Meetup for any updates. RSVP and/or contact Rosemary Greenlaw with any questions or suggestions for future events at (408) 206-4905 or rbgreenlaw/a/t/gmail.com. PC, NMPCW, NXM, SO (RSE 3 F)
20 – 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 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)
21 – Sunday
12n Cafe Discussion: Where is humanity headed? See November 7. (RSE Su)
November 22-30
24 – Wednesday
Brainstormer Trivia Night is cancelled for November. PC (RSE last W)
Livewired Book Discussion is not meeting this week. (RSE W)
25 – Thursday
South Bay Lunch will not hold a second meeting this month. (RSE 2,4 Th)
The Network of Time Book Discussion is not meeting this week. (RSE Th)
26 – 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. Please RSVP on Meetup for the Zoom Link. Hosted by Judy Unger, junger2040/a/t/gmail.com. PC (RSE 4 F)
27 – Saturday
6p Online Board Games. See November 15.
28 – Sunday
12n Cafe Discussion: Gratitude around COVID-19. What have you learned? See November 7. (RSE Su)
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)
29 – Monday
8p Monterey County Mensa Monthly Meeting. MCM will hold a monthly Zoom meeting on the last Monday of the month. This will be a standing event, and we send out the link to our members the night before. We will plan presentations, speakers, and games nights via this online platform, so watch your e-mail for regular updates. If you wish to participate send e-mail to MCM LocSec Heidi Van der Veer at LocSec/a/t/monterey.us.mensa.org. PC (RSE last M)
FUTURE FLASHES
6p Livewired Book Discussion: One chapter a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 8, Balancing on the Edge of Change. See November 3. (RSE W)
2 – Thursday
6p The Network of Time Book Discussion: One chapter a week. This week we’re reading Chapter 11, Nothing but Net – Network Theory. See November 4. (RSE Th)
4 – Saturday
6p Start The Month Right. See November 6. (RSE 1 Sa)