Calendar of Events

December 30 – Tuesday

7p The Loop Discussion. We will be reading The Loop: How AI Is Creating A World Without Choices And How To Fight Back by Jacob Ward, 20 to 40 pages per week (or however the chapters fall). Join us for one, a few, or all chapters. This week we’re reading Chapter 8: Collapsing Spiral. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE Tu)

January 3 – Saturday

10a God, Human, Animal, Machine Discussion. We will be reading God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning by Meghan O’Gieblyn, 20 to 40 pages per week (or however the chapters fall). Join us for one, a few, or all chapters. This week we’re reading Virality. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE Sa)

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 (RSE 1 Sa, 3 M)

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)

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)

7p The Loop Discussion. We will be reading The Loop: How AI Is Creating A World Without Choices And How To Fight Back by Jacob Ward, 20 to 40 pages per week (or however the chapters fall). Join us for one, a few, or all chapters. This week we’re reading Chapter 9: The Loop. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE 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

11:30p First Wednesday Lunch. Join old friends and meet new ones at West Park Bistro, 788 Laurel St., San Carlos 94070, www.westparkbistro.com/. There is ample parking available behind the restaurant. Hosted by Adele Satterfield, (650) 339-1431. PC, NMPCW, NS, WCE (RSE 1 W)

8 – Thursday

11:45a South Bay Lunch. Meet at Bill’s Cafe, 1401 Kooser Rd., San Jose 95118 (Off of Hwy 85 at the Camden Ave. exit at the corner of Kooser Rd. and Stanwood Dr. near Blossom Hill Rd.), (408) 264-1900. Cocktails available, large menu (online), friendly fast service, Breakfast and Lunch, closes at 2p. Sandra Anderson, (408) 997-3187. PC, NMPCW, WCE (RSE 2,4 Th)

9 – Friday

6:30p Peninsula Dining Group at Burma Love, a restaurant at 1302 El Camino Real, Menlo Park 94025 (next to a parking garage, on the east side). Ever had Burmese food??? Check out their menu at www.burmalove.co/burma-love-menlo-park. Sadly they would only allow a reservation for six. If many are interested, I will try to get a second table. To reserve, contact Susan Heimlich at (650) 714-4972 or susan.heimlich/a/t/gmail.com by January 7. Be sure to get a confirmation. For last minute changes, call/ text cell (650) 714-4972. Please bring cash. PC, NMPCW

10 – Saturday

10a Language Hoax Discussion. We will be reading The Language Hoax: Why the World Looks the Same in Any Language by John McWhorter, one chapter per week. Come to the discussion with your questions and observations. Join us for one, a few, or all meetings. This week we’re reading Chapter 1: Studies Have Shown. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE Sa)

2:30p M-Wisely’s Café provides thought provoking presentations to intelligent beings throughout the galaxy. The presentations focus on space science, speculative science, and science fiction. This month’s topic is “Why Everyone Should Read Science Fiction” with Robert J. Sawyer. Science fiction is not what you think. Since the dawn of the genre, SF has been at the forefront of social-justice debates. If you suppose you know what science fiction is all about because you’ve seen Star Wars, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning bestselling author Robert J. Sawyer will show that Star Wars isn’t science fiction, and introduce you to real SF. Please register at space-talk.link/JAN. You will receive a confirmation email with the login information. PC (RSE 2 Sa)

4p Big Ideas Reading Group. Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory’s Power to Hold on to What Matters by Charan Ranganath. On Zoom. Pioneering neuroscientist and psychologist Charan Ranganath radically reframes the way we think about the everyday act of remembering. He reveals the surprising ways our brains record the past and how we use that information to understand who we are in the present, and to imagine and plan for the future. When we understand memory power – and its quirks – we can cut through the clutter and remember the things we want to remember. We can make freer choices and plan a happier future. For February 14 on Zoom: The Story of the Human Mind by Paul Bloom. 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 – 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

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)

6:30p 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 on Shoreline Blvd. in Mountain View, or downtown San Jose. Otherwise, the event host will select a non-pub location, probably in Campbell. PC, NMPCW, NS, NXM (RSE 2 Tu)

7p The Loop Discussion. We will be reading The Loop: How AI Is Creating A World Without Choices And How To Fight Back by Jacob Ward, 20 to 40 pages per week (or however the chapters fall). Join us for one, a few, or all chapters. This week we’re reading Chapter 10: Mission Critical. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE Tu)

14 – Wednesday

5:30p Lafayette Trivia. Enjoy some delicious fare as we play against local teams in a fun-filled two-hour competition hosted by Head Games Trivia at Headlands Brewery, 3420 Mount Diablo Blvd., Lafayette 94549. An RSVP is required, as teams are limited to six players each. We meet at 5:30p for the 6p start time. Daniel Phillips, umpolung13/a/t/yahoo.com, (304) 975-0066. PC, NS, NMPCW, ACW, WCP, NXM (RSE 2W)

15 – Thursday

12n Thursday Munchers. A lunch group in Marin dedicated to trying different restaurants. This month we will visit Everest Curry & MoMo House, 1444 4th St., San Rafael 94901, 415-455-0444, everestcurrynmomohouse.com. RSVP by Sunday, January 11, to Elizabeth Calaway at (415) 456-9220 or elizterrycalaway/a/t/aol.com. PC (RSE Th after 2 Tu)

17 – Saturday

10a Language Hoax Discussion. We will be reading The Language Hoax: Why the World Looks the Same in Any Language by John McWhorter, one chapter per week. Come to the discussion with your questions and observations. Join us for one, a few, or all meetings. This week we’re reading Chapter 2: Having it Both Ways? This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE Sa)

12n Saturday Sizzle. Meet fellow Mensans for lunch at Sizzler restaurant, 1515 Fitzgerald Dr., Pinole 94564, sizzler.com/locations/sizzler-pinole/. Is their menu only for carnivores? No, they also have a large salad bar. RSVP to Lorna at lornagruber/a/t/yahoo.com by noon the day before so that we can put together a large enough table. Look for a Mensa sign on the table, in case you’re new. PC, NMPCW, NS (RSE 3 Sa)

18 – Sunday

2:30p Speaker Series: Plants Misbehaving with Sandy Masuo. On Zoom. Once upon a time, “weird” referred to the supernatural – anything eerie, fantastic, or mysterious. Today, most plants are viewed as anything but. They are conventionally perceived as passive organisms that serve us as ornamental components of gardens and homes or crops that yield food, textiles, medicines, and shelter. But even the most demure, thoroughly domesticated plant is capable of magical behaviors, and nature abounds with truly strange plants that defy our expectations of “vegetation.” Discover some of these weird and wonderful denizens of the plant kingdom. Please register at livepresentation.link/JAN. You will receive a confirmation e-mail from Zoom that will contain the link needed to join the presentation. Hosted by Judy Unger, junger2040/a/t/gmail.com. PC

19 – Monday

6p Online Board Games. See January 3. (RSE 1 Sa, 3 M)

20 – Tuesday

7p The Loop Discussion. We will be reading The Loop: How AI Is Creating A World Without Choices And How To Fight Back by Jacob Ward, 20 to 40 pages per week (or however the chapters fall). Join us for one, a few, or all chapters. This week we’re reading Chapter 11: Weak Perfection. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE 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, January 20. Roberta Maguire, robertamaguire/a/t/hotmail.com, (510) 292-6370. PC, NS, NMPCW, ACW (RSE 3 W)

22 – Thursday

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

24 – Saturday

10a Language Hoax Discussion. We will be reading The Language Hoax: Why the World Looks the Same in Any Language by John McWhorter, one chapter per week. Come to the discussion with your questions and observations. Join us for one, a few, or all meetings. This week we’re reading Chapter 3: An Interregnum: On Culture. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE Sa)

27 – Tuesday

7p The Loop Discussion. We will be reading The Loop: How AI Is Creating A World Without Choices And How To Fight Back by Jacob Ward, 20 to 40 pages per week (or however the chapters fall). Join us for one, a few, or all chapters. This week we’re reading Chapter 12: Higher Math. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE Tu)

28 – 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)

31 – Saturday

10a Language Hoax Discussion. We will be reading The Language Hoax: Why the World Looks the Same in Any Language by John McWhorter, one chapter per week. Come to the discussion with your questions and observations. Join us for one, a few, or all meetings. This week we’re reading Chapter 4: Dissing the Chinese. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE Sa)

7p East Bay Game Night. Join us for fun and games in the East Bay! We’re playing word games, card games, board games, all kinds of fast-action social games (not long strategy games). Choose from my shelves of games or bring your own fast-action social games. Please also bring a snack to share. The fun is in Oakland near Piedmont Ave. and Pleasant Valley Ave. No RSVP needed; just show up at 7p (when I unlock the door) or later. We have about 20 people every month, most of whom do not RSVP. For more information or directions, contact Alan at alan.winson/a/t/gmail.com or (510) 653-2685 (voice only). Please pull forward to park four cars in my driveway. Free street parking is available in the neighborhood; don’t give up! SUPER-SPREADER EVENT NOTICE: If you haven’t kept up your vaccinations, or don’t feel well or may have COVID, a cold, or anything else contagious, please stay home and join us next month! PC, NMPCW, NS, WCP (RSE last Sa)

February 1 – Sunday

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

2 – Monday

6:30p SFRM ExComm Meeting. See January 5.

3 – Tuesday

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

4 – Wednesday

11:30p First Wednesday Lunch. See January 7. (RSE 1 W)

7 – Saturday

10a Language Hoax Discussion. We will be reading The Language Hoax: Why the World Looks the Same in Any Language by John McWhorter, one chapter per week. Come to the discussion with your questions and observations. Join us for one, a few, or all meetings. This week we’re reading Chapter 5: What’s the World View from English? This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE Sa)

6p Online Board Games. See January 3. (RSE 1 Sa, 3 M)