Calendar of Events
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.
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.
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
CHILDREN UNDER 18 – Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
WEEKLY EVENT
Every Sunday
12n SPR (Sex, Politics, and Religion) Revival. Sex, Politics, and Religion – everything you are not supposed to discuss at the dinner table. This is for those people who would like to participate in a group that fosters considered, civil discussions, that is open regarding subject matter; i.e., this is not for those who want to “shock somebody” or “troll”. Optionally brown-bag for those who would like to pay homage to SPR’s history as a San Francisco dinner/restaurant discussion group. This is a Zoom event: Meeting ID: 996 5500 8587, Passcode: 279931. Hosted by James Monschke. PC (RSE Su)
End of June
June 23 – Sunday
7p Channing Club. See July 28. (RSE 4 Su)
25 – Tuesday
5:50p Dinner, Drinks, and Karl the Fog. Join us for drinks, dinner, and another great science-based Wonderfest presentation at the HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato 94945. We meet for drinks and dinner at 5:50p. At 6:50p we’ll move to the session room for the talk, “Karl the Fog” with Alicia Torregrosa, Program Officer at the U.S. Geological Survey. As poet Carl Sandburg observed: “The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches, and then moves on.” What is the nature of The City’s renowned “Karl the Fog”? Do those super-fine droplets consist of more than just water? Why does our beloved (?) Karl creep over the Bay Area so often, and will that creeping continue in light of climate change? Torregrosa is a physical scientist who led the USGS Pacific Coastal Fog Project, yielding an international and interdisciplinary expansion of coastal fog research. Complete details of this free event are at wonderfest.org/category/event/coming-events/. More information on HopMonk’s menu, etc. is here: www.hopmonk.com/novato. RSVP on the SFRM Meetup (preferred) or e-mail Valerie Taylor (northbay/a/t/sfmensa.org). PC, NMPCW, WCE, NS, NC, NXM
26 – Wednesday
5:30p Re-BORG. (NOTE ONE-TIME CHANGE OF WEEK.) See July 17. (RSE 3 W)
6p Dominion Discussion. We will be reading Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World by Tom Holland one chapter at a time. Join us for one, a few, or all chapters. This week we’re reading Chapter 13, Reformation 1520: Wittenberg. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)
27 – Thursday
11:45a South Bay Lunch. See July 11. (RSE 2,4 Th)
28 – Friday
6:30p Virtual Happy Hour. See July 26. (RSE 4 F)
29 – Saturday
6p Online Board Games. See July 15.
July 1-7
July 2 – 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)
3 – Wednesday
6p Dominion Discussion. We will be reading Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World by Tom Holland one chapter at a time. Join us for one, a few, or all chapters. This week we’re reading Chapter 14, Cosmos 1620: Leiden. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)
6 – Saturday
6p Start the Month Right is tentatively continuing at a new location at Karl Heuer’s home in San Jose. Come celebrate the 44th year and longest running monthly social event in all of American Mensa (formerly at Elna Tymes’ home from 1981 to 2024!). We’ll have a potluck dinner, unstructured socialization, games, and talk. Bring some food to share, or volunteer to assist in some other way (extra chairs, setup help, staying to help wash dishes, or vacuum carpet). Hamburgers and hot dogs available, or bring your own meat to grill. $1 donation requested. RSVP encouraged; use Meetup (preferred) or e-mail stmr/a/t/sfmensa.org or phone (650) 648-3594. Masks optional. PC, NMPCW, WBC, NS, WCD, LCR (RSE 1 Sa)
7 – Sunday
Albany Hill Hike is cancelled for July. We’ll return on August 4. PC (RSE 1 Su)
July 8-14
8 – 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)
9 – Tuesday
5:30p Apt To In Aptos Mensa Bar Group is held at Sevy’s Bar + Kitchen at Seacliff Inn, 7500 Old Dominion Court, Aptos 95003, www.seacliffinn.com/santa-cruz-restaurants on the second Tuesday of the month, running until about 7:30p. Come join Central Coast Mensans: Forget last month’s feces and anticipate this month’s blindsides. T(R)oast past friends, find new ones, and introduce current ones, all while contemplating how it all defaults to QM scaled. Courtesy e-mail to host Stew Gibson at LooseId/a/t/ix.netcom.com with subject “Sevy” for restaurant head count is appreciated, but not required. Tip 20% on the bill, with separate checks. PC, NMPCW (RSE 2 Tu)
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. If Game Control has arranged a pub, it’s probably in Sunnyvale or Mountain View, near Central Expressway. Otherwise, the event host will select a non-pub location in Milpitas or the Berryessa area of San Jose. 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
6p Dominion Discussion. We will be reading Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World by Tom Holland one chapter at a time. Join us for one, a few, or all chapters. This week we’re reading Chapter 15, Spirit 1649: St George’s Hill. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (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 scramblz-sj.com/. Sandra Anderson, (408) 997-3187. Vaccinated only, please. PC, NMPCW, WCE (RSE 2,4 Th)
Thursday Munchers will not meet in July. We’ll return on August 15. PC (RSE Th after 2 Tu)
13 – Saturday
4p Big Ideas Reading Group: The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect by Judea Pearl and Dana Mackenzie. The causal revolution, instigated by Judea Pearl and his colleagues, has cut through a century of confusion and established causality – the study of cause and effect – on a firm scientific basis. His work explains how we can know easy things, like whether it was rain or a sprinkler that made a sidewalk wet; and how to answer hard questions, like whether a drug cured an illness. Pearl’s work enables us to know not just whether one thing causes another: it lets us explore the world that is and the worlds that could have been. It shows us the essence of human thought and key to artificial intelligence. For August 10 on Zoom: Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense by Saul Perlmutter, John Campbell, and Robert MacCoun. 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)
July 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 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
16 – Tuesday
5:50p Dinner, Drinks, Scavengers, Dark Matter, and Biomolecules. Join us for drinks, dinner, and another great science-based Wonderfest presentation at the HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato 94945. We meet for drinks and dinner at 5:50p. At 6:50p we’ll move to the session room for three talks. First up, Stanford ecologist Chinmay Sonawane on “How Scavenging Animals Protect Human Health”. Wildlife is rapidly disappearing globally. But why should we care? The loss of scavengers (consumers of already-dead animals) provides an intriguing example of how biodiversity loss has had, and will continue to have, profound consequences for human health. Next, UC Berkeley physicist Bethany Suter on “Direct Detection of Dark Matter”. Ubiquitous, yet deeply mysterious, dark matter constitutes 85% (!) of the material universe. What do we know – and not know – of elusive dark matter particles? Novel laboratory materials may allow us to detect dark matter directly, shining light into the pervasive cosmic shadows. Finally, Stanford biophysicist Sean Waterton on “Making Biomolecules from Electricity”. Solar panels produce ever-more clean electricity. At the same time, human activity produces copious amounts of CO2. Modern research in synthetic biology allows us to use electricty and CO2 to create valuable molecules like fats and proteins – and, hopefully, more specialized molecules like medications. Complete details of this free event are at wonderfest.org/category/event/coming-events/. More information on HopMonk’s menu, etc. is here: www.hopmonk.com/novato. RSVP on the SFRM Meetup (preferred) or e-mail Valerie Taylor (northbay/a/t/sfmensa.org). PC, NMPCW, WCE, NS, NC, NXM
6p Reflections of a Vintner and Wine Tasting with Tor Kenward. Join me at the Commonwealth Club of California, 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco 94105, for a special program and wine tasting. During this event, vintner Tor Kenward shares a lifetime of great wines, famous friends, deep knowledge, and insider insights. Kenward draws from his book Reflections of a Vintner, which recounts the lessons learned, relationships forged, and observations made from an insider’s nearly 50-year journey through the burgeoning wine industry in Napa Valley. RSVP via Meetup at www.meetup.com/sfmensa/events/301429685. NOTE: This is a ticketed event, so please purchase your tickets at www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2024-07-16/tor-kenward-reflections-vintner-and-wine-tasting. Hosted by Katie To. PC
17 – 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, July 16. Roberta Maguire, robertamaguire/a/t/hotmail.com, (510) 292-6370. PC, NS, NMPCW, ACW (RSE 3 W)
6p Dominion Discussion. We will be reading Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World by Tom Holland one chapter at a time. Join us for one, a few, or all chapters. This week we’re reading Chapter 16, Enlightenment 1762: Toulouse. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)
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 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)
21 – Sunday
12n BBQ. Join RVC Michael Eager and Scribe Susan Heimlich for a traditional backyard barbecue. Bring something to grill and something to share. Family welcome. 1960 Park Blvd., Palo Alto 94306. RSVP to rvc8/a/t/eagerm.com. PC, SO, BYOB
2:30p Speaker Series: Testing Real Life Superpowers with James Underdown. On Zoom. Millions believe in the alleged ability to read minds, see into the future, move objects through mental processes, and more. But are these abilities real? That’s where Jim Underdown and the Center for Inquiry Investigations group come in. Jim’s team tests more paranormal claimants than anyone in the world. He’ll go over the processes and detail-specific methods he and the CFI Investigations Group employ when designing scientifically controlled tests for the CFIIG $500,000 Paranormal Challenge, which happens to be the largest such prize in the world. Underdown is executive director of Center for Inquiry West and the chair and founder of the CFI Investigations Group. He is also one of the host of CFI’s flagship podcast, Point of Inquiry, (available at pointofinquiry.org) and also hosts SkeptiLab:The Bunk Stops Here!, an online web series that can be found at skeptilab.tv. Please register early for this meeting at livepresentation.link/Register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail from Zoom containing the link that you will need to join. Hosted by Judy Unger. PC
July 22-31
24 – Wednesday
5:30p Trivia Night at the Patriot House gastropub in San Francisco. The contest is free, starts at 6p, and lasts about 2 hours, but please arrive about 5:30p, so that we don’t lose the table that I’ve reserved. If you’re a member of our SFRM Meetup group, RSVP on Meetup if you’re planning on coming, so that I can be sure to reserve a large enough table. If you’re not a member of our SFRM Meetup group, RSVP by e-mailing host Barry Krasner at bwkbwk/a/t/pacbell.net. Guests are allowed, so be sure to include the number of guests that you’re bringing when you RSVP. If you RSVP “Yes” and then find that you can’t attend after all, it’s very important that you change your RSVP to “No” as far in advance as possible. The Patriot House is located in Embarcadero Center #2, on the 3rd (top) floor. Enter from Sacramento St. between Front St. and Davis St. Take the inside escalator to the 2nd floor, then turn right twice and follow the sign to the stairs to the 3rd floor. The restaurant is near the top of those stairs. You’ll recognize our group by the Mensa logo that I will have on top of our table. If in doubt, ask the wait staff for “The Mensa Group”. PC, NC, NS, NMPCW (RSE 4 W)
6p Dominion Discussion. We will be reading Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World by Tom Holland one chapter at a time. Join us for one, a few, or all chapters. This week we’re reading Chapter 17, Religion 1825: Baroda. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)
25 – Thursday
11:45a South Bay Lunch. See July 11. (RSE 2,4 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. RSVP on Meetup for the Zoom Link. Hosted by Judy Unger, junger2040/a/t/gmail.com. PC (RSE 4 F)
27 – Saturday
11:30a SFRM Summer Picnic. Come join us for our annual Summer Picnic at Linda Vista Park, 11000 Linda Vista Dr., Cupertino 95014. At this family friendly (and dog friendly) event, people can relax over hamburgers, hot dogs, and snacks while enjoying the great weather in a socially distanced setting. This event is sponsored by SFRM so it is free for members, their guests, and their kids. Please note that RSVP at www.meetup.com/sfmensa/events/300456660/ is required for this event as I need to know the guest count for planning purposes. Hosted by Katie To, tiggr0272/a/t/hotmail.com. PC
6p Online Board Games. See July 15.
28 – 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)
29 – Monday
7p Palo Alto Dining Group goes to Bevri, a Georgian restaurant at 335 University Ave., Palo Alto 94301, (650) 600-0433. A tad pricey, but with the good food and good conversation, we’ll barely notice. Join us!! To reserve a seat, call/text Susan Heimlich at (650) 714-4972 or e-mail susan.heimlich/a/t/gmail.com by Saturday, July 27. Be sure to get a confirmation. For last minute changes, call/text (650) 714-4972. Ask for Susan, and please bring cash. PC, NMPCW
30 – Tuesday
5:50p Dinner, Drinks, and Black Hole Tech. Join us for drinks, dinner, and another great science-based Wonderfest presentation at the HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato 94945. We meet for drinks and dinner at 5:50p. At 6:50p we’ll move to the session room for the talk, “Black Holes, and the Tech to Find Them” with Dr. Jessica Lu, Astronomy Department Chair, UC Berkeley. The nearest black hole lurks 1,500 light-years from Earth (~ 10 quadrillion miles!), and it neither emits nor reflects light. How can we possibly detect – much less investigate – such wondrous holes in the fabric of space-time? High-precision astrometry is the key: adaptive optics allow ground-based telescopes to see through our turbulent atmosphere using ordinary light, and space telescopes provide high-resolution images in other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Today, high technology affords astronomers many ways to discover and explore the intriguing space around black hole singularities. Complete details of this free event are at wonderfest.org/category/event/coming-events/. More information on HopMonk’s menu, etc. is here: www.hopmonk.com/novato. RSVP on the SFRM Meetup (preferred) or e-mail Valerie Taylor (northbay/a/t/sfmensa.org). PC, NMPCW, WCE, NS, NC, NXM
31 – Wednesday
6p Dominion Discussion. We will be reading Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World by Tom Holland one chapter at a time. Join us for one, a few, or all chapters. This week we’re reading Chapter 18 Science 1876: The Judith River. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)
FUTURE FLASHES
August 3 – Saturday
6p Start the Month Right. See July 6. (RSE 1 Sa)