October 23 – Sunday

12n    Cafe Discussion: Dumbing down to fit in. To what degree do people “dumb down” to adapt, and in which contexts? See November 6. (RSE Su)

7p    Channing Club. See November 27. (RSE 4 Su)

26 – Wednesday

6:30p    The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe Book Discussion. This week we’re reading Chapter 8, Dunning-Kruger Effect. See November 2. PC (RSE W)

27 – Thursday

11:45a    South Bay Lunch. See November 10. (RSE 2,4 Th)

28 – Friday

6:30p    Virtual Happy Hour. See November 25. (RSE 4 F)

29 – Saturday

5:30p    Games Night in San Rafael. Join your fellow Mensans for dinner and games at Geri Randall’s home in San Rafael. Geri will provide the main entrée; please bring beverages and a salad, hors d’hoevres, side dish, or snack. Pente, Scrabble, and RummiKub are available, or bring your favorite game. Proof of vaccination is required, masks are optional. Space is limited so an RSVP is required; e-mail Geri at and she will send you directions. PC, NC, NMPCW, WCE

30 – Sunday

12n    Cafe Discussion: Scared vs. Prepared. In light of Halloween being tomorrow, the concept of “scaring people” surfaces. What are your views toward being scared by someone/something, being the one who does the scaring, limits of what may be acceptable behavior, etc? Have your views changed over time? See November 6. (RSE Su)

31 – Monday

6p    Online Board Games. See November 19.

November 1 – 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)

2 – Wednesday

6:30p    The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe Book Discussion. We are reading one chapter a week of The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe: How to Know What’s Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake by Dr. Steven Novella. This week we’re reading Chapter 9, Motivated Reasoning. Join us for one, a few, or all discussions. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Mickie Winkler. PC (RSE W)

3 – Thursday

7p    LGBT+ SIG. We’ll meet at Willkommen, 2198 Market Street, San Francisco 94114 (at Sanchez St.). Join fellow LGBT+ Mensans for food, drink, and relaxed conversation at this cool modern-day reinterpretation of a biergarten. There’s an interesting menu of drinks and food, with non-alcoholic and vegan options. Drop in any time after 7p and before 9p or so. Contact Gary Pedler with any questions at (415) 690-5731 or pedler/a/t/sbcglobal.net. Masks optional. Vaccinated only, please. PC, NMPCW (RSE 1 Th)

4 – Friday

6:30p    Palo Alto Dining. Join us for Burmese-Chinese cuisine at Green Elephant Gourmet at 3950 Middlefield Rd., 94303 (in the Charleston Shopping Center), www.greenelephantgourmet.com. They say about themselves, “Green Elephant Gourmet offers the most delicious, authentic Chinese and Burmese food near Palo Alto that makes us the finest of its kind in the surrounding San Jose area. We serve the most exquisite meals of its kind, using only the freshest ingredients. A charming location and exceptional service provide the ideal dining and cultural experience.” I really like the restaurant. (Think coconut milk and pumpkin.) To reserve, contact Susan Heimlich at susan.heimlich/a/t/gmail.com or call/text (650) 714-4972 by Wednesday, November 2. Be sure to get a confirmation. Please bring cash. For last-minute changes, call (650) 714-4972. Good food, good conversation. Vaccinated people only, please. PC, NMPCW

5 – Saturday

2p    Book Discussion: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. We will discuss psychiatrist Frankl’s timeless, influential work on life in Nazi concentration camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Ebooks and audio books are available to borrow from most public libraries and it can be found on apps and at Amazon. This event will be in person at Bazaar Café, 5927 California St., San Francisco (at 21st St. in the Richmond District). RSVP on Meetup at meetu.ps/e/Lw2xg/9Vhvz/i. For questions or directions, please contact Host Georgia Qiao at georgiaqiao/a/t/yahoo.com. PC

6p    Start the Month Right. At Elna and Adrian Tymes’ home in Mountain View. Come celebrate the 42nd 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)

6 – Sunday

12n    Cafe Discussion: Silver Linings. When bad things happen, how do you approach the situation? Do you tend to focus on the bad, look for solutions, recognize the little good parts (i.e., “silver linings”), etc? For example: This Zoom Cafe was born out of the pandemic. We have had the opportunity to have a variety of conversations that we never would have had in-person, and we don’t have to worry about geography or attire. 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)

8 – 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)

9 – Wednesday

6:30p    The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe Book Discussion. This week we’re reading Chapter 10, Arguments and Logical Fallacies. See November 2. PC (RSE W)

10 – 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)

12n    Thursday Munchers. Special note: Monday Munchers meets on the second Thursday 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 Sabor A Mexico, 1559 4th St., San Rafael 94901, (415) 306-9404, www.saboramex.com. RSVP by Monday, November 7, to Elizabeth Calaway at (415) 456-9220 or elizterrycalaway/a/t/aol.com. PC (RSE 2 Th)

12 – Saturday

4p    Big Ideas Reading Group: A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins. On Zoom. A bestselling author, neuroscientist, and computer engineer unveils a theory of intelligence that will revolutionize our understanding of the brain and the future of AI. Hawkins and his team discovered that the brain uses maplike structures to build a model of the world – not just one model, but hundreds of thousands of models of everything we know. This discovery allows Hawkins to answer important questions about how we perceive the world, why we have a sense of self, and the origin of high-level thought. A Thousand Brains heralds a revolution in the understanding of intelligence. For December 10 on Zoom: Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain by Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler. 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)

6:30p    Marin Drinks and Dinner. Join your fellow Marin Mensans at The Cantina, 651 East Blithedale Ave., Mill Valley 94941, thecantina.com. New and lurking members are particularly welcome. Bring ideas for future Mensa events in Marin! We will follow the restaurant’s COVID procedures, and will try to get an outside space (they have heaters). They will not do separate checks, so please bring cash in small bills to cover your drinks and dinner. RSVP through our SFMensa Meetup page so that we know how many to expect. Or you can email Valerie Taylor at northbay/a/t/sfmensa.org, subject “Marin Mensa”. PC, NC, NS, WCE

13 – Sunday

12n    Cafe Discussion: How Do You Define “Success”? Definition of success. How is it defined and how appropriate are the potential definitions? Is this based on your standards, societal expectations, or industry standards? Do you even need to define success? See November 6. (RSE Su)

14 – 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)

16 – 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, November 15. Roberta Maguire, robertamaguire/a/t/hotmail.com, (510) 292-6370. PC, NS, NMPCW, ACW (RSE 3 W)

6:30p    The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe Book Discussion. This week we’re reading Chapter 11, Cognitive Biases and Heuristics. See November 2. PC (RSE W)

18 – Friday

    Pub Trek has stopped meeting until further notice.

19 – 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)

20 – Sunday

12n    Cafe Discussion: Materialism. Possessions, stuff, clutter, shopping, Black Friday deals…. acquiring versus purging…. How do you see yourself today? How have your views (and actions) changed through the years? Why or why not? See November 6. (RSE Su)

23 – Wednesday

11:45a    South Bay Lunch. (NOTE ONE-TIME CHANGE OF DAY.) See November 10. (RSE 2,4 Th)

6:30p    The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe Book Discussion. This week we’re reading Chapter 12, Confirmation Bias. See November 2. PC (RSE W)

25 – 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)

27 – Sunday

12n    Cafe Discussion: TBD. See November 6. (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)

28 – Monday

6p    Online Board Games. See November 19.

30 – Wednesday

6:30p    The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe Book Discussion. This week we’re reading Chapter 13, Appeal to Antiquity. See November 2. PC (RSE W)

December 1 – Thursday

7p    LGBT+ SIG. See November 3. (RSE 1 Th) PC

3 – Saturday

6p    Start The Month Right. See November 5. (RSE 1 Sat) PC

17 – Saturday

5p    SFRM Holiday Party. Come join us at SFRM’s annual bash to start your holiday celebrations. This event will be held in the fabulous Diamond Heights neighborhood overlooking the gorgeous San Francisco skyline and will run until about 8p. Please bring your favorite hors d’oeuvres for our finger-food potluck and help us celebrate the season with drinks and plenty of good company. Mensans, family, and close friends are welcome. Capacity is limited to 50 so RSVP is REQUIRED. RSVP via Meetup at meetup.com/sfmensa/events/288957475 or by emailing host Katie To at tiggr0272/a/t/hotmail.com. Please indicate which potluck item(s) you plan to bring to help us manage the menu variety and let me know if you can help with setup before the party or cleanup afterwards. The address will be sent to attendees the week prior to the event. Please contact Katie if you have any questions. PC, NS, WCE, WBC