CAM caught on Camer AM caught on Camer AM caught on Camera!

Cle
veland Ar
ea Mensa
Clev
Area
Sep
Septtember 2005
CAM caught on Camer
a!
Camera!
Having fun at the Columbus Col-M-alot RG
and Dining with De at the Melting Pot
Vince Conforte, Todd Prinkey, and
Greg Nicholson
Nancy Heller and Bob Osterman
Holly Heighberger and
Kathryn Kerber
CAM’s coat of arms, designed by Kevin
Kasday, won first place at the Columbus RG.
Alan Baltis came up with the “Cleveland, so
Superior, it’s Erie” motto.
This “coat of arms” created by
Pam Sawrey and modeled by Holly
Heighberger also won first
prize...for “best/worst pun.”
Jacob Kerber, also
modeling coat of arms
Lady Pam Sawrey
Maria Gorodetskova, Mary Ann Mucha,
and Cherie Dimmerling
Who
veland Ar
ea Mensa
Who’’s Who in Cle
Clev
Area
Executive Committee
LocSec
Asst. LocSec
Treasurer
Member-at-Large
Member-at-Large
Member-at-Large
Editor
Region 3 ViceChair
Emily Taylor
Tim Schifle
Pam Sawrey
Kevin Kasday
Jeff Smith
Lyn Byrd
Karen Bujak
Alan Baltis
440.639.5250
216.227.1042
216.739.1514
330.310.9045
216.267.4953
216.661.6563
330.334.2115
216.226.1907
Archivist
Calendar Editor
CAP Coordinator
Gifted Children
GC Activities Coord.
Mediator
Membership Officer
Ombudsman
Proctor Coordinator
Program Coordinator
Public Relations
Scholarship Chair
Scribe
S.I.G.H.T. Coordinator
Webmaster
Mary Ann Terrigno
Richard Broida
Lyn Byrd
Jim Szirony
Kathryn Kerber
Adelaide Jaffe
De Freshwater
Darryl Wright
Vikki Broida
Jim Vorell
Kevin Kasday
Tom Harmon
<your name here?>
Dick Hershbain
Bobbie Rooney
citygirlet@ncweb.com
hottimale@hotmail.com
psawrey@sbcglobal.net
kevink@kasday.org
jdsmith527@adelphia.net
lbyrd@penton.com
kbb@neo.rr.com
rvc3@us.mensa.org
Appointed Positions
440.235.2860
216.371.0589
216.661.6563
216.291.8628
216.731.1518
216.281.9538
440.779.8110
216.791.1318
216.371.0589
216.476.3957
330.310.9045
440.891.1138
mapterrigno@cox.net
rbroida@adelphia.net
lbyrd@penton.com
jimirons@lek.net
kathrynkerber@yahoo.com
jaffea@att.net
dfreshwater@sbcglobal.net
216.231.5673
440.235.0013
hershbain@hotmail.com
bobbie.rooney@laposte.net
vbroida@adelphia.net
jamesvorell@aol.com
kevink@kasday.org
turnkey@nacs.net
Area Coordinators
Near West
Lyn Byrd
216.281.6563
Blood Donor
Sherlock Holmes
J William Finkler
Dwight McDonald
440.585.0093
216.749.1506
lbyrd@penton.com
SIGs
jpjwetal@stratos.net
Web Sites
American Mensa...........................................................................www.us.mensa.org
Region 3..........................................................................www.region3.us.mensa.org
Cleveland Area Mensa................................................www.cleveland.us.mensa.org
East Central Ohio Mensa......................................................www.ecom.us.mensa.org
Subscribe to CAM news, email.................................................dfreshwater@sbcglobal.net
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
eGraffiti Extras!
Graffiti is available online at the CAM
website (www.cleveland.us.mensa.org).
You will need to use the same user name
and password you use to access the National
website.
Sign up now to get Graffiti emailed to
you before it is printed! Email the editor at
kbb@neo.rr.com. It saves postage and
printing, and if we save enough, maybe we
can expand to sixteen pages!
Also, you get to see all the pictures in
full color. You can’t fully appreciate Kevin
Kasday’s coat of arms until you see it in
page 2
color! Also, this month you have to look
online to see Tom Rankin’s What’s Up
astronomy column and Al Thomas’ The
Alchemist, and MORE PICTURES!
CAM Needs YOU!
Come to the next ExComm meeting
(6:30 PM, September 8, at the
Boneyard, Broadview Hts.) if you
are interested in being our scribe!
Any member of CAM can be the
scribe. Duties are attending each
ExComm meeting and writing up
the minutes. That’s all!
See the cute little clown? He’s new (as of
last month) on the CAM calendar. When
you see him, you know the event is kidfriendly or kid-welcome. Sometimes we
don’t know, though, and then you can check
with the organizer of the event. If you are
an event organizer, let Richard Broida know
if your event is to be noted as kid-friendly!
The eM FFact
act
or
actor
The Chaffing Dish, Mensa Member,
Striker of the Wooden Frog, Maker of the
Moose Face, Grand Pubah, Cursed of the
Evil Passat, Headhunter Extraordinaire,
Your Benevolent Despot, Enforcer of the
Wearing of Tissue Paper Crowns and Grand
Exalted Supreme Leader of All that is Wise
and Wonderful, aka Crabcakes, urges you
to vote!
CAM’s elections are coming up soon.
The NomComm has already announced its
slate. It’s a wonderful mix of old blood and
new blood, experience and enthusiasm, and
I know all of them have CAM’s best
interests at heart. Without the ExComm,
CAM wouldn’t function. Feel free to come
to one of our meetings. And, if nothing else,
please vote in the election in November. Get
to know the candidates by reading their
statements, and make your 2% heard.
I want to take a few inches of column
space to congratulate Karen Bujak on the
CLEVELAND AREA MENSA INVITES YOU TO:
AN RG CELEbRATING OppOSAbLE ThUMbS
September 30 - October 2, 2005
Don’t make us get out the thumbscrews Registration is just $70 for the entire weekend!
Day Rates: Friday $30, Saturday $45, Sunday $15 (includes Breakfast Buffet)
Child registration rate (12 and under): 1/2 adult registration price
Two Thumbs up for hospitality which includes all meals including Saturday dinner catered by
the hotel. Sunday morning hot Breakfast Buffet is available for $10 adult, $6 child.
Our Thumbnail Sketch of the RG includes a Fringe Festival, Quiz Bowl, Visitors from
the Cleveland Zoo, DJ Dance, Speakers, Games, Tournaments, Silliness and more!
Hotel Room Rate: $59.00 s/d/t/q, Holiday Inn Elyria – Lorain
1825 Lorain Blvd., Elyria, OH 44035, 440/324-5411
Be sure to mention “Cleveland Area Mensa” and to make your reservations by September 8
No need to thumb a ride to the RG – the Hotel provides a complimentary Airport Shuttle!
Registrar: Sandra Murphy , 2808 Tate Ave., Cleveland, OH 44109-4338
Email: funnypaper@1040.com - Please email to let us know you are coming even if you don’t preregister
Name_________________________________ Name for Badge________________________________
Name_________________________________ Name for Badge_________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________________________________
City__________________ State________ Zip_______________ Phone_____________________________
by Emily Taylor
LocSec
FOUR PRP awards
she shared as the
editor of the
Braegen. We’re
very lucky to have stolen her from ECOM.
We’re even luckier to have her running for
editor again in October. I look forward to
receiving my copy each month
(electronically now), and not just to see
what stupid thing I’m doing when Karen
had a camera at the ready. Well done Karen,
and thanks for the hard work.
I also want to congratulate Alan Baltis
on his election to Region 3 RVC. We’re
lucky to have a local member sitting on the
AMC. I’ve known Alan since he moved to
Cleveland, and it’s been a rare pleasure.
Alan is as kind as he is intelligent, and that’s
saying a lot.
This month, I’m keeping my column
short. I can’t think of anything else to say,
and Karen needs the space for more
submissions.
Inside tthis
his Issue
CAM Officers.........................2
The eM Factor ............3
CAM Kids ............................4
Save our Strippers?..............4
The CAMera ..........................5
ExComm Minutes...........5
Calendar.......................6-7
Penny University............8
RVC3 News.......................8
Birthdays / Anniversaries /
New Members....................9
Election News...................9
Plan Ahead...........................9
Death Came to Gotham.......10
Email____________________________ Volunteer to help? YES NO How? ______________________
Fringe Festival FAQ............11
# of Breakfast Buffet Adult @ $10.00 ________
Karen’s Korner............11
# of Breakfast Buffet Child 12 and under @ $6.00 ____
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED: $___________ (payable to “Cleveland Area Mensa RG”)
page 3
CAM Kids
© 2005 by Jim Szirony
Racetrack Riddle
Five local racers were among the participants in this year’s Intimidator 250 stock car race. To the
delight of the crowd, the local racers overwhelmed the competition and swept the top five positions.
Lynn, the only female entrant in the race, was among the local competitors. From this information and
the clues below, determine the full name of each local racer (one first name is Mario), his or her racing
nickname (one is “Roll Bar”) and their final race position.
1. The man who finished third is the only one whose first name and last name start with the same letter.
2. The one whose nickname is “Gearbox” is neither Elliot nor Mr. Roberts (whose first name isn’t Tom).
3. Elliot (whose nickname is not “Slicks”) finished somewhere ahead of Mr. Garlits and just behind the racer nicknamed
“Spoiler.”
4. Ms. Muldowney finished somewhere ahead of Mr. Martin who finished immediately ahead of Andy.
5. Tom, whose nickname is “Double-clutch,” is not Mr. Jones (who is not Andy).
WANTED!
Volunteers for moving items to
the RG on Thursday, September
29 from Solon to Elyria. Then
to return items to Solon on Sunday. Prefer candidate to have a
truck and a strong back, but will
accept just a strong back. Looking for more than one candidate. Whistling while you work
not a priority, but a positive attitude is a must. Contact Lyn
Byrd, RG Chair at lbyrd@
penton.com or (216) 661-6563.
(Grid to
help you
solve it)
Answers on page 10
RG Highlights!
⇒ Sunday morning visit from
⇒
⇒
⇒
⇒
⇒
⇒
⇒
the Cleveland Zoo (complete
with furry friends), and a
talk by the Animal Protective League.
David R. Jacquet Scholarship Fund Raffle - win hotel, restaurant gift certificates and more.
Beer tasting
Cribbage lessons
Texas Hold ‘Em, Hearts, and
Euchre tournaments
Quiz Bowl
Thumb Wrestling
Speakers on astrology/
tarot, ecology, astronomy
page 4
by Jim Vorell
Should w
tr
ipper
s?
wee Sa
Savve our S
Str
tripper
ippers?
Debate at the RG
In April, state lawmakers passed a bill
which would regulate Ohio’s $160 million
adult entertainment industry. Among other
rules, the bill would bar all stripping after
11 p.m. and would require that women stay
at least six feet away from customers.
Proponents say closing clubs early will
protect both dancers and patrons by cutting
down on violence and prostitution.
Opponents say it will put 11,000 people out
of work and serve no end but further erosion
of personal freedom and pushing
conservative religious agenda.
There will be a debate on the law,
which still has to pass the Ohio Senate, at
the Cleveland Mensa Regional Gathering on
Saturday, October 1 in
the 3 p.m. time slot. The
debate will have an
agreed upon format, an
impartial moderator,
and a question and answer session.
We expect a frank exchange and press
coverage so we will rate it as somewhere
between PG-13 and R. I will be serving as
moderator, and the debaters will be among
the leaders on both sides of the issue in
Northeast Ohio (including a working
stripper and a sponsor of the law). We look
forward to exploring this niche issue,
incredibly important to some people, and a
world apart for the remainder of us.
The CAMera
by Kathryn Kerber
A Snapshot of what’s new with local Mensans
Welcome to the CAMera! We have a
mixed bag this month: what's new with
members, some odd stuff from me, and some
member-suggested organizations and
events. But first, the most important news
of the month is that I am going to see the
band aha play in New York City. They
haven't had a concert in the US since 1986,
and I will be geeking out about this for many
months to come. Now, on with the "new"s!
Lyn Byrd and her nephew Eric
traveled to the National Poetry Slam Finals
in Albuquerque, New Mexico August 9-13.
Over 70 cities sent teams this year. "She
Who Hates Heat" drove across the desert in
August from Las Vegas (where Eric attends
college) to Albuquerque. That is a real
poetry lover! Hey, wait a minute, "college"
in "Las Vegas?" Lyn, are you sure that's what
he's doing out there?
Lyn also attended the AG in New
Orleans with Pam Sawrey, deftly arriving
the day after Cynthia stormed through and
leaving hours before the next hurricane
rained down. While their timing was good
in one way, it washed out their plans for a
"How Mensans Deal with Weather
Emergencies" book.
There is, however, still an opening for
a topic recently of greater importance in my
ExComm Minut
es
Minutes
by Pam Sawrey
Date: August 2, 2005
Location: Boneyard, Broadview Heights
ExComm members present: Emily
Taylor, Tim Schifle, Pam Sawrey, Jeff
Smith, Kevin Kasday, Karen Bujak.
Also present: Kathryn Kerber acting as
proxy for Lyn Byrd, Membership Officer
De Freshwater, and members Holly
Heighberger and John Harman
The meeting was called to order at
6:33 p.m. The July minutes had been
approved by the ExComm via email in order
to meet the August Graffiti deadline.
Business was kept brief in order to
concentrate on the proposed bylaws.
Pam Sawrey, treasurer, reported that
income for July was $401.17 and expenses
totaled $823.47. There is $2,771 in the
checking account, and $1,500 in a
certificate of deposit. Total assets are
life: "How Mensans Deal with a Blind Date
They Don't Want to See Again." My fear
of rejection is accompanied by a just as
powerful fear of rejecting others. I have
therefore compiled a list of alternative nonrejections. Feel free to clip this out and keep
it in your wallet for handy reference, and
let me know if you have any additions. I
didn't call you back this weekend because:
1) my coven was having a retreat; 2) I had
to take all 16 cats in for deworming; 3) I
finally got that Dyson sphere kit I ordered;
or 4) I was all "itchy."
And finally, here is a sampling of
organizations and events you may find
interesting:
Cool Cleveland is co-directing the
first annual Ingenuity Festival of Art and
Technology during Labor Day weekend.
The downtown event will feature
"performances and displays, which range
from cutting-edge computer-based
creations and multimedia events to classical
works and family fare." For more info and
FREE passes see www.coolcleveland.com
or www.ingenuity cleveland.com.
The Ohio Society for the Elevation
of Kites is sponsoring the Kite Festival at
Edgewater Park on September 10 and 11 this is also this month's All Ages Event.
$4,271. Of this, $1,346.55 is dedicated to
the scholarship fund.
Attendance is up at the Monthly
Gatherings. A new location for the
Gatherings is being sought, and Emily and
Jeff will be scouting out a possible new
restaurant located in the same vicinity as
the Ponderosa.
In other business, Karen Bujak
recently received her awards at ECOM’s
Final Friday, issued by the National Office
for her outstanding newsletter work.
Graffiti was submitted on time but was not
sent out by the post office until August 1,
because the person in charge of periodical
mailings was on vacation. One of the three
$500 scholarship checks was written to a
recipient who showed proof of enrollment.
Tom Harmon, scholarship chair, will
present it to the winner. Jeff Smith, who
recently volunteered to serve as a testing
proctor, will monitor his first testing session
on August 6. The RG 2005 plans are
OSEK organizes a
variety of kitemaking and flying
events throughout
the summer, and
memberships are
very reasonable.
Their website is at http://users.adelphia.net/
~osekcleve. The Kite Fest will feature a
sport kite flying competition to music, and
judges are chosen from the audience for part
of the contest. Sunday the 11th (National
Patriot Day) will feature lots of Red-WhiteBlue. See the calendar or send me an email
for more info.
Here's one for everyone into Ancient
Pastimes of the Nobility: Lawn Bowling.
You may have seen this in the Metro section
of the Plain Dealer: there's an organization
in East Cleveland called the Forest Hill
Lawn Bowling Club, and they sound like a
great group of people. They are trying to
drum up new members, so if you're
interested in finding out more about lawn
bowling, contact Wayne Crookshanks at
foresthillbowl @aol.com or (440) 3521978.
That's all for this month. I hope you
enjoyed the column, and be sure to let me
know what's new with you!
moving along well. Pam Sawrey will
display her paintings at the RG and will
donate 10% of any sales to the scholarship
fund. Tim Schifle also volunteered to
display his art work and also donate 10%
to the fund. Other artists willing to do the
same should contact Pam. The CAP
program’s focus on work at the women’s
shelter is proving successful, and there will
be future opportunities for volunteering.
A productive discussion of the
proposed bylaws brought about several
improvements,
suggestions,
and
modifications. De Freshwater will write in
the changes, and submit them to the
ExComm via email. The members will
review them, and additional discussion will
take place at the September meeting.
The next meeting will be held at 6:30
p.m. on Thursday, September 8, at the
Boneyard in Broadview Heights.
The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m.
page 5
by Richard Broida
Sep
Septtember Calendar
KEY:
CAM: Cleveland Area Mensa
ExComm: Executive Committee
ECOM: East Central Ohio Mensa
FMI: For more information
: Kid-oriented or kidfriendly events
SEP 2 – Friday 6:30 PM
FIRST FRIDAY
Dine with Bob at the Country Diner, 520
East Market Street, just east of downtown
Akron. New members particularly
welcome. FMI: Bob Crawford (866) 8666686 or A@att.net.
SEP 5 – Monday 12 Midnight
Deadline for the October Calendar. All
calendar submissions, changes, deletions,
corrections, should be submitted to Richard
Broida at rbroida@adelphia.net.
SEP 6 – Tuesday 6:30 PM
FARSIDE WEST
Meet at Sugar Creek Restaurant 5196
Detroit Rd. Sheffield Lake. (440) 934-5059,
Amish-type food, great desserts, separate
checks. FMI: Sue Taylor (440) 926-2973.
SEP 8 – Thursday 6:30 PM
EXCOMM MEETING
NOTE CHANGE IN DAY! At The
Boneyard, 101 E. Royalton Rd. Broadview
Heights (440) 717-WING. Private room
beyond the bar area. Come and join the
discussion!
SEP 9 – Friday 9 PM
Absolute final deadline for the October
Graffiti! Please make sure all materials have
been sent to GraffitiEditor@gmail.com
before 9 PM.
menu. Mid-month ECOM mixer. The
Wilsons turn the reins over to Jeanne Ebie
(330) 798-1194.
SEP 10 – Saturday 11 AM
ALL-AGES EVENT
The Cleveland Kite Festival at Edgewater
Park. Join us for kite-making workshops,
the Mass Ascension of Kites, kite races, and
flying demonstrations. This is a great event
for spectators and participants. The Festival
is Saturday and Sunday, so the rain/no wind
date is the 11th. RSVP to Kathryn at kathryn
kerber@yahoo.com or (216) 731-1518 for
more info and so we know to expect you.
SEP 10 – Saturday 2 PM
MENSA TESTING
Arrive early, test starts promptly at 2 at the
Cleveland Heights Community Center, One
Monticello Blvd., Cleveland Hgts just off
Mayfield Rd. between Superior and Lee, in
Activity Room 3. Email or call if you have
further questions. Contact Vikki Broida,
Proctor Coordinator, (216) 371-0589 or C:
(216) 548-3861. vbroida@adelphia.net.
SEP 10 – Saturday 6:30 PM
GAMES NIGHT
At Karen’s house in Wadsworth. Food,
friendly chat, and fun games! Some snacks
provided, but you may bring something to
share. Bring a favorite game, if you wish.
Join us at 8585 River Styx Road. RSVP to
Karen (330) 334-2115 or kbb@neo.rr.com.
SEP 11 – Sunday 2 PM
PENNY UNIVERSITY
NEW EVENT! (See article on page 8.) At
the home of Colleen and Alan Baltis, 1418
Lakeland Ave., Lakewood. It’s the first
house south of the intersection of Detroit
and Lakeland, on the west side. Email us
at alanbaltis@mac.com or call us at (216)
226-1907 to RSVP.
SEP 9 – Friday 6:30 PM
MENSA AT THE MOVIES
At the Cinemark at Valley View, 6001
Canal Road, Valley View, (216) 447-8820.
First showing of A Sound of Thunder after
6:30 PM. RSVP to Kevin Kasday at:
kevink@ kasday.org or (330) 310-9045.
SEP 14 – Wednesday 7 PM
E=MC3
Eating Out = Mexican Cuisine, McIntyres
and Merry Conversation at Mariachi Locos,
1870 Buchholzer Blvd., Akron. FMI: Jim/
Barbara McIntyre (330) 928-8079.
SEP 9 – Friday 6:30 PM
ECOM SECOND FRIDAY
Dakota Grille, 2727 Manchester Rd.,
Akron, Enjoy great food from a varied
page 6
SEP 14 – Wednesday 7:30 PM
CAM TRIVIA
Play NTNetwork Trivia! Hamburgers to full
meals, soft drinks, beer, etc. Instant Replay
at 6710 Smith Road, Middleburg Heights,
by the tracks, just
north of Southland. FMI: Terry
Durica (440)
888-0843.
SEP 15 – Thursday 6:30 PM
3RD THURSDAY THINKERS THING
At Emidio’s in Cuyahoga Falls, 3204 State
Road, at the corner of Bath Rd. FMI: Peter
Spearing (330) 376-8230 or pwspearing@
sbcglobal.net.
SEP 16 – Friday 7 PM
THIRD FRIDAY FUN FEST
Festivities are now at The Hong Kong
Buffet, 4770 Dressler Rd, Canton. Great
Buffet! Hosted by Ed Glomski and Jason
Cannon. FMI: highiqs@netzero.com.
SEP 17 – Saturday 11:30 AM
“ALL-TALLMADGE” ROAD RALLYE
Starts at the Autozone Parking lot on West
Avenue. $12/car in advance, $15 at the door.
Picnic follows the rallye at the Turner
residence, 889 Martindale, Tallmadge. Cost
for picnic only is $4/person or $10/family.
(Picnic is included in rallye registration.)
Send registrations, checks made payable to
ECOM, to Elizabeth Wilson, 791 N. Azalea,
Barberton, Ohio 44203. FMI: Dick Turner
(330) 633-6729.
SEP 18 – Sunday 11:30 AM
BRUNCH AT BORDERS
Meet in coffee area of Borders, SW corner
of Detroit and Crocker in Westlake, off I90. No agenda, no reservations, just
conversation, snacks and beverages. FMI:
Adelaide Jaffe (216) 281-9538.
SEP 22 – Thursday 7 PM
DINING WITH DE
DWD Dinner Group goes southeast to
Macedonia - Long-Yun’s Mongolian
Barbecue, 307 Highland Road, Macedonia.
(330) 908-3988. Separate checks.
Wheelchair accessible. RSVP a must by 9/
21 to De at dfreshwater@sbcglobal.net or
(440) 779-8110. ALSO, email De with your
restaurant suggestions.
SEP 24 – Saturday 3-6 PM
TAKE APART DAY
For young Mensans at the Connecting
Touch Community Room, 960 Graham Rd.,
Cuyahoga Falls. Bring safety goggles and
Sep
Septtember Calendar - cont.
tools for you and your child. Bring
something to take apart, or work on what
we already have here: a computer monitor,
a printer, tape player, TV, and CD players.
Pizza will be provided. FMI: Katie Hayes
at walfordgal @yahoo.com or (330) 9402210.
SEP 25 – Sunday 11:30 AM
KAFFEE KLATSCH
On the east side at Einstein Bros. Bagels,
36099 Euclid Ave. (Route 20) in
Willoughby, corner of Beidler & Euclid, ½
mile east of Rte. 91. FMI: Lynne Killgore/
Dave Michel (440) 951-6535 or JP
Thompson/JW Finkler (440) 585-0093 or
jpjwetal@ stratos.net.
SEP 25 – Sunday 6:15 PM
LAST SUNDAY IN WARREN
At the Stake-Out, 5115 YoungstownWarren Road (Rte 422) in Niles, 1.2 miles
west of the Rte. 46 intersection, next door
to Penne’s Restaurant. Len Sainato hosts.
Sunday
Monday
Special events include Fringe Festival
(Friday night), Rockin’ Dance (Saturday
night), and catered Breakfast Buffet
(Sunday morning - $10). Speakers, games,
tournaments and great hospitality (i.e. food)
all weekend. At the Holiday Inn, 1825
Lorain Blvd., Elyria, (440) 324-5411 or
(800) 321-7333. To register and make hotel
reservations see page 3, visit cleveland.us.
mensa.org/rg.html, or contact Sandy
Murphy, Registrar, funnypaper@1040.com.
FMI: (330) 399-8496 or LenLefLuv
@aol.com.
SEP 26 – Monday 6 PM
LICK ‘N STICK
Join the volunteers who tape and label each
issue of Graffiti. At Bobbie’s, 6787
Warrington Dr., N. Olmsted. (440) 2350013.
SEP 27 – Tuesday 6:30 PM
MANHATTAN DELI
Meet to eat and greet at the Manhattan Deli,
24180 Lorain, between Clague and
Columbia, North Olmsted. FMI: Charles
Grace (440) 899-7737 or chasgrace
@aol.com.
SEP 30 – Friday 6:30 PM
ECOM FINAL FRIDAY
ECOM’S monthly meeting will be at at Ni’s
Dynasty, 4054 Medina Rd, Akron. It’s on
the south side of Rte. 18, just east of I-77.
Linda Snowball will speak about books and
book collecting. Speaker rescheduled from
two months ago. Dinner is at 6:30, business
meeting at 7:45, and speaker at 8. FMI: Dale
Harding (330) 434-8444 or witchking
@core.com
SEP 30 – Friday 3 PM until
OCT 2 – Sunday 1 PM
CAM REGIONAL GATHERING
“Have Thumb Fun” with Mensans from all
over the Midwest and beyond for a threeday celebration of the opposable thumb.
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
4
5
Calendar
Deadline
Pittsburgh RG
11
6
12
13
E=MC3
7 PM
14
20
21
Brunch at Borders
Westlake
11:30 AM
25
Kaffee Klatsch
11:30 AM
Last Sunday in
Warren 6:15 PM
26
Lick’n Stick
N Olmsted
6 PM
27
Manhattan Deli
6:30 PM
15
ECOM 3rd Thursday
NTN Trivia
Middleburg Hts
7:30 PM
19
8
CAM ExComm
Broadview Hts
6:30 PM
Farside West
6:30 PM
Penny University
Lakewood
2 PM
18
7
28
2
3
ECOM First Friday
6:30 PM
Note there is no Monthly Gathering this month due to the RG
Labor Day
Saturday
6:30 PM
22
Dining with De
Long-Yun’s
Macedonia
7 PM
29
Pittsburgh RG
Mensa Movies
6:30 PM
9
Kite Festival
11 AM
10
ECOM 2nd Friday Mensa Testing 2 PM
6:30 PM
Games Night
Graffiti Deadline
6:30 PM
1166
17
3rd Fri Fun Fest ECOM Road Rallye
Hong Kong Buffet
11:30 AM
7 PM
23
30
CAM RG 3 PM
ECOM Final Fri.
6:30 PM
24
Kids Take-Apart
Day
Cuyahoga Falls
3-6 PM
CAM Regional
Gathering - All day
Sat, til 1 pm Sun
page 7
-Lit
er
ations:
AL-Lit
-Liter
erations:
Penny University AL
by Alan Baltis
WHO: Cleveland Area Mensans and their
guests who think that civilized, passionate,
interesting, learned conversation is a pretty
good way to spend a Sunday afternoon
once a month. To encourage a more
sophisticated exchange, no children,
please.
WHAT: A coached discussion on the
Issues of the Day, modeled after the Penny
University salons of Olde England (surely
you’ve heard the expression “a penny for
your thoughts”?) of which we modern
smarties wish to Einstein we could partake.
We’ll focus on a specific topic each month,
but like any Mensa discussion we suspect
we’ll digress maybe a little, just without
getting too lost to return. Cost of
admission? One penny placed in the jar as
you enter (exact change, please). Given the
date, our first topic of discussion will be
Terrorism.
WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 11, from 2-6 PM,
and every 2 nd Sunday of each month
through at least the end of 2005. That’ll
be Oct 9, Nov 13, and Dec 11, so mark
your calendars now!
WHERE: At the comfortable-forconversation home of Colleen and Alan
Baltis, 1418 Lakeland Ave., in lovely
Lakewood. It’s the first house south of the
intersection of Detroit and LakeLAND
(not to be confused with LakeWOOD
Ave.), on the west side. There’s plenty of
street and lot parking available.
WHY: Because it sure seems to us that
many of today’s discussions aren’t a
sharing of ideas, but yelling until someone
succumbs. Want to share some facts on
subjects in which you’re knowledgeable?
Join us. Want to voice an opinion? Join
us. Want to hear that opinion subjected to
intellectual rigor rather than “that’s crap”
or “I believe as you do?” Join us. Want to
learn and unlearn in equal measure? Join
us. Want to be enlightened as much as you
enlighten others? Join us. Want a monthly
taste of, maybe, what you always dreamed
Mensa could be? Join us. Join us. Join us.
HOW: Email us at alanbaltis@mac.com
or call us at (216) 226-1907 to RSVP, so
that we have an idea of how many chairs
to set up. Bring along some food or drink
to share, if you’d like. It’s not required,
but the breaking of bread builds
friendships and civility. Bring that big
brain and big heart of yours, and don’t
forget that penny!
page 8
News fr
om yyour
our R
VC
from
RV
by Alan Baltis
Regional Vice Chair
RVC3@us.mensa.org
“What I Did on My Summer Vacation”
My wife and I “did” the Annual
Gathering in New Orleans this year, and it
was an incredible amount of smart fun.
Please allow me to elaborate.
Colleen and I had decided we were
going to drive there and back, because (a)
we wanted to take a little longer vacation
to celebrate my being well again (I just
survived melanoma, which I’ll probably
talk about in a future column), and (b) to
give us an excuse to travel. We’re seeing as
many state capitals as we can, and this was
a great opportunity to capture 10 or so, and
(c) flying nowadays and especially the TSA
makes me feel that I no longer live in the
Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.
Colleen and I really enjoy each other’s
company, and what others have called “how
could you stand being trapped with each
other for 2 weeks?” was something to which
we were actually looking forward.
In preparation for the trip I had loaded
up on state maps of our route, both from
the various tourist bureaus and from AAA
(which is some of the best money I spend
each year). We also had many guidebooks
like “Road Trip America,” “Road Food
America,” and “Road Kill America” to help
us find the cool, quirky “biggest-ball-oftwine”-type places that we love to visit. I
hate getting home and finding out that we
were within 5 miles of the best mini-golf
course in Tennessee, and missed it!
I had also used www.priceline.com to
make sure that we had a decent place to stay
each night, while keeping costs down to an
average of $40/night. Priceline is a godsend
if you don’t know an area well enough to
care where you stay, but you do care about
a good bed, a good shower, and a good lock
on the door.
We started off out of Cleveland on the
Friday morning before “AG week” and
zoomed down through Ohio into West
Virginia. Along the way we stopped at a
place called Tamarack that a helpful clerk
at the Ohio border had recommended, a
place where hundreds of Appalachian
craftspeople and artisans ply their trades and
sell their wares, and it was much nicer and
less tourist-trappy than we expected. I
picked up a few handcrafted wood puzzles,
Colleen got a colorful sun-catcher for our
kitchen, and I got a few gifts for my brothers
for Christmas - candies that look just like
lumps of coal for their
stockings.
We stayed in
Charleston, West Virginia, spending the first 20 minutes or so in
town searching for our hotel, and, frustrated
by the confluence of rivers and bridges and
highway overpasses and one-way streets,
finally having to call them to guide us in. It
turns out that the Capital Ramada is actually
quite a bit away from the Capital.
The next morning we went back and
saw the capital building by daylight, which
to our chagrin, was actually undergoing
renovation and whose gold dome was all
wrapped in plastic! However, the inside of
the building was beautiful and loaded with
historical info, so a great first stop.
We then headed east to connect with
the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, which
I had been on before and wanted to share
with Colleen (and see again). Of course we
stopped at every roadside historical marker,
and slowed to take all kinds of pictures of
wildlife and scenic vistas, exercising our
new digital camera and determined to take
as many of the 1000 or so pictures for which
I had room on three Compact Flash cards,
each the size of one of those chocolate afterdinner mints. Technology is Good.
What wasn’t good was seeing the sign
for “Asheville, 280 miles” when it was
already 7 p.m. Asheville, North Carolina
held our next hotel, and even if we stopped
stopping at every little sign, if we continued
to average the 50 m.p.h. maximum speed
on the Parkway, we wouldn’t get in until 1
a.m. or so. So we hopped off the Parkway
and onto the interstate that parallels it along
that stretch, and worked on making up some
time. This took us west into Tennessee and
then down into North Carolina, and because
we stopped for dinner along the way before
everything shut down at 10 p.m., we still
didn’t get in until after midnight. And this
was the Renaissance Hotel, one of the nicer
ones in which we’d be staying. Aaargh.
By getting in so late on a Saturday
night we got the second-to-last room
available in the hotel, and the only
nonsmoking one left. It was a huge
conference room with a Murphy bed hidden
in one wall, which (though I feared the
worst) was actually quite comfortable.
. . .Continued on Page 11
Happ
y!
Happyy Bir
Birtthda
hday!
Election N
Neews
September Birthdays
Susannah Bradd
Theodore S. Wodoslawsky
Ann D. Makohon
Shawn Kenney
A. Malachi Mixon IV
James Dalton Saunders
Jacob Jay Boone
John Byrum
Ann L. Eurenius
John Alan Cundiff
Troy D. Piper
Sandra M. Jones
Milton D. Fritschle
Elisabeth K. Panec
Emily Taylor
Martin J. Slunski
Thomas M. Cooper
Christopher A Hartenstine
Jon McFarland
Beth Slejko
Jane Brewster
Quentin Alexander
Tim Schifle
Michael Lovas
Thomas R. Wyvill
John Sankovic
Matthew Limpach
Louise Anne Bene
Gretchen F. Markin
Edward Richard Karlovec
Gary J. Chester
1
1
2
6
6
6
8
9
9
10
12
12
13
17
18
19
19
20
21
21
21
22
22
23
24
24
25
25
28
29
30
Plan Ahead...
Sep 2 - 5 - Western Pennsylvania RG,
Pittsburgh
Sep 16-18 - Central Ind. Outdoor
Gathering
Sep 17 - ECOM Road Rallye, Tallmadge,
Ohio
Sept 30 - Oct 2 - Have Thumb Fun!,
Cleveland RG
Oct 22 - National Testing Day
Oct 28-30 - HalloweeM, Chicago RG
Nov 25 - ECOM Scholarship Auction
Dec 2 - 5 - DecadeDent RG, Cincinnati
Dec 10 - CAM Holiday Party
Check www.us.mensa.org or region3.us.
mensa.org for more information on these
and other events.
The Cleveland Area Mensa
Nominating/Election Committee is pleased
to announce its nominees for the 2005
election taking place in October.
There are three member-at-large
positions open for two-year terms. The
Committee nominates:
Katherine Kerber
Jeff Smith
Jim Vorell
Our nominee for editor, for a one year
term is:
Karen Bujak
All of these folks have been active
members in Mensa, and we believe that they
would be great additions to the ExComm.
Katherine is a new and very active member
of CAM; she is our new Gifted Children’s
Activities Coordinator. Jeff is serving on the
ExComm as a member-at-large and does a
great job. Jim Vorell was our vice president
several years ago, and arranged the Mixers
until a job transfer moved him away. Since
he has moved back to Cleveland he has
helped out by arranging the Monthly
Gatherings and speakers. Karen has been a
Hellos . . .
Welcome new member:
Kenneth Fribush
Brecksville
Reinstating (after lapse > 1 year):
Christopher M. Ernst Chagrin Falls
George C. Cooper Jr.
Mentor
Moving in (from):
George Clark
Elyria
(Marlborough, Mass.)
Dr. A. Patricia Humphrey
Oberlin
(Albany, Ohio)
And welcome back two members
who had recently lapsed.
and Goodb
Goodbyyes . . .
Moving out (to):
Scott A. Labuda
Shawn McClintic
Cleveland
(Stow, Ohio)
Lakewood
(Glenville, NY)
Cur
ship: 4
49
Currrent Member
Membership:
449
by Vikki Broida
Chair, Nominating &
Elections Committee
great editor of Graffiti
this past year. She
won four National
PRP awards for her
work on Braegen.
If anyone else is
interested in running for member-at-large
or editor, they may be nominated from the
floor, in person or in writing, with at least
one second, at the August Monthly
Gathering/Business Meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Vikki Broida, NomComm Chair,
Colleen Baltis, Richard Broida, Holly Jo
Heighberger, Sandy Murphy
Happ
er
sar
y!
Happyy Anniv
Anniver
ersar
sary!
(Years in Mensa)
Harold Kirkpatrick
Jane W. Burkey
Joseph F. Gitto
Michael Jay Jordan
James R. Michael
Harvey J. Bernstein
George E. Lasch Jr.
Ann L. Eurenius
Mary Eileen Fogarty
Gwendolyn Laura Miller
Dr. Mary A. Turzillo
Lois Ann Delozier
Ernest W. Nitschke
Lorraine Petitti
Rick Stalnaker
Matthew Limpach
Deric C. Payne
C. Reynolds Keller Jr.
Jill A. Ferguson
Robert Cireddu
Cable Steinemann
Thomas Corrigan
Ramona K. Boggins
Robert H. Warner
Shelly E. Gould Burgess
Christopher Pratt
Jesse Weiner
Elizabeth J. Haynes
40
28
28
28
27
26
26
24
21
20
18
16
13
10
7
6
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
page 9
by J.R. Simons
Death came to Gotham
Deat
h came tto
o Go
n
Death
Gottham on a clear blue cloudless mor
morn
In wing
ed missiles,
winged
Steel dr
agons guided bbyy madmen dr
unk on rreligious
eligious ffer
er
dragons
drunk
ervvor
or..
No one kno
ws wh
hat da
know
whyy he came tthat
dayy,
But come he did.
Steel dr
agons pier
ced twin tto
ower
s,
dragons
pierced
ers,
Pillar
osper
tr
opolis.
Pillarss of pr
prosper
osperity
Metr
tropolis.
ity in Me
Flames sho
om nos
tr
ils w
h rraging
aging fuel.
shott fr
from
nostr
trils
weet wit
with
Heat immeasur
able undid bloc
ks and mor
immeasurable
block
morttar
ar,,
Sinking tto
hat had ssttood ttall
all and def
iant ag
ains
he wind.
erss tthat
defiant
agains
ainstt tthe
ower
O, Go
our Dar
k Knight no
w?
Gottham, wher
wheree is yyour
Dark
now?
O, Me
tr
opolis, wh
he Caped Cr
usader ffor
or
sak
en yyou?
ou?
Metr
tropolis,
whyy has tthe
Crusader
orsak
saken
ak
en yyour
our ttoll.
oll.
O, Deat
h yyou
ou ha
Death
havve ttak
aken
O, Deat
h yyou
ou ar
or
ce tto
o be rrec
ec
koned wit
h.
Death
aree a ffor
orce
eck
with.
h, be no
oud,
But, Deat
Death,
nott pr
proud,
For ffear
ear has no po
wer oo’er
’er hear
ts ffilled
illed wit
h fr
eedom’
pow
hearts
with
freedom’
eedom’ss song.
Deat
h, yyou
ou can ttak
ak
ou
’ll ne
akee a body
body,, but yyou
ou’ll
nevver claim a soul.
Death,
Deat
h, yyou
ou can kill a symbol, but yyou
ou
’ll ne
Death,
ou’ll
nevver kill its meaning.
Deat
h, w
ou in tthe
he fface
ace and laugh.
Death,
wee ssttar
aree yyou
ance.
We defy yyou
ou wit
h our ar
with
arrrog
ogance.
What did yyou
ou ttak
ak
ou tthat
hat da
ou came tto
o Go
akee wit
with
dayy yyou
Gottham?
h yyou
eady died;
Nothing mor
han hollo
w souls tthat
hat had alr
moree tthan
hollow
already
Steel dr
agon pilo
ts whose souls yyou
ou alr
eady oowned.
wned.
dragon
pilots
already
I pity yyou,
ou, Deat
h.
Death.
You came tto
o Go
or some souls tto
o sstteal,
Gottham looking ffor
But onl
way wit
h dus
onlyy came aaw
with
dustt
our hands
In yyour
In yyour
our eeyyes
In yyour
our nos
tr
ils
nostr
trils
In yyour
our ear
earss
In yyour
our mout
h.
mouth.
We w
alk in yyour
our shado
w,
walk
shadow
But w
he light of da
wee see tthe
dayy.
Deat
h, go home.
Death,
Come no
o Go
ymor
e.
nott tto
Gottham an
anymor
ymore.
Me
opolis has no rroom
oom ffor
or yyou.
ou.
Metr
tropolis
tr
Photo © 2001 by Karen Bujak
Since she is the only female driver, Lynn’s last
name is Muldowney (clue 4). Clue 1 now tells
us Mario must be Mr. Martin (the third place finisher). Since she finished ahead of Mario (clue
4), Lynn could only end in first or second place
with Andy finishing fourth. From clue 3 we learn
Elliot did not finish first or last. This makes Elliot
the second place finisher leaving Lynn, whose
nickname is “Spoiler” the winner of the race and
page 10
Answers to CAM Kids
Tom placing fifth.
Clue 5 tells us Tom’s nickname is “Doubleclutch,” and his last name is not Jones. From clue
2 we know his last name is not Roberts, therefore Tom must be Mr. Garlits.
Mr. Jones is not Andy (clue 5) so his first name
must be Elliot, leaving Andy to be Mr. Roberts.
Elliot’s nickname is not “Gearbox” (clue 2), nor
“Slicks” (clue 3), so it must be “Roll Bar.” Since
Andy Roberts’ nickname is also not “Gearbox,”
(clue 2) his nickname must be “Slicks,” and
Mario Martin is “Gearbox.”
To summarize:
First: Lynn “Spoiler” Muldowney
Second: Elliot “Roll Bar” Jones
Third: Mario “Gearbox” Martin
Fourth: Andy “Slicks” Roberts
Fifth: Tom “Double-clutch” Garlits
Fring
es
tiv
al FFA
AQ
ingee FFes
estiv
tival
by Chris King
Q. When is the Mini-Fringe Festival®?
A. It will be held on the first evening of the
2005 CAM RG, September 30, from 7 p.m.
to 10 p.m. We will be hosting a Café where
you will find a mini version of a Fringe
Festival in progress.
Q. What is a Fringe Festival®?
A. Fringe Festivals have become one of the
most popular and most successful theater
events in the world in a short space of time.
They are unique in several ways, but in
particular because they continue to focus
on supporting new and emerging artists
presenting innovative performances to
wider audiences.
Q. What kind of performance is
acceptable?
A. Anything goes; poetry, storytelling,
theater, stand-up comedy, magic, juggling,
art, a work in progress, any performance,
whatever you want, not more than 15
minutes in length. Following the governing
principles of Fringe Festivals, “There must
be artistic freedom; no censorship is
allowed.”
Q. How will performances for the MiniFringe Festival be chosen?
A. Events must be non-juried, and entrants
must be chosen by a lottery, “first-come,
first-served basis” or similar random
process. We will choose by a lottery.
Q. What should I
submit?
A. To enter the lottery,
submit:
1. Your name, address,
phone, email,
2. Title of your 15-minute program,
3. Maximum 30-word description of the
program, and
4. Standard Content Warning (if
appropriate) for language, subject matter,
violence, nudity.
Q. What is the deadline? When will I
know if I have been accepted?
A. Deadline for submissions is September
5 (postmarked), or electronic submissions
received no later than 11 p.m. EST on
September 7. (Be sure to put “CAM MiniFringe Festival in subject line.”) Results of
the lottery will be announced by September
9, and those who will be performing will
be assigned a time slot (between 7 and 10
p.m.). More names will be drawn than slots,
so if there is any reason someone chosen
cannot attend the 2005 CAM RG, there will
be a waiting list.
Q. Where do I send my submission?
A. Send email submissions to:
chris@creativekeys.biz or mail your
submissions to Mini-Fringe Festival; Chris
King, P.O. Box 221255, Beachwood, OH
44122.
RVC Column continued from page 8 . . .
The next morning we had a great
breakfast (Colleen was by now hopelessly
addicted to grits), and headed over to the
Biltmore House. Built and maintained by
the Vanderbilt family, this is the place that
the US President should live if he really
wanted to impress foreign dignitaries.
Hundreds of rooms, all uniquely appointed
with international artifacts as well as local
crafts. Beautiful gardens, an extensive
winery, and working farm park added to the
delights. I actually saw, for the first time in
my 45 years, an egg pop out of a chicken!
We then…whoops, I see I’m already
over my 800 word limit for most
newsletters, so I’ll stop short here. Next
month - more on the trip, the AG, the
hurricanes we almost got to experience, etc.
Okay, an injection of Mensa business
for those hungry for such things. My first
AMC meeting as your RVC was
wonderfully smooth and cooperative
compared to some of the Tales of Terror I
had heard from past AMC members and
meeting attendees. Many appointees for the
2005-6 or 7 terms were approved, a number
of housekeeping-type motions were ratified,
and everyone got to know one another (7
out of 10 RVCs were new, so many new
faces and voices and minds). Minutes for
the meeting are available at the
www.us.mensa.org website.
One item of significance was the
rescinding of a motion at April’s meeting
to restrict the use of Mensa resources for
ride-sharing, roommate matching, etc. at
Mensa events, with the rescindation (like
that’s a word!) coming from the count that
passed it not agreeing with AMC members’
memories of how they voted. If you have
thoughts or feelings you’d like to share on
this or other Risk Management-based topics
or, heck, anything Mensa-related, please
email me at RVC3@us.mensa.org. Thanks!
Kar
en
aren
en’’s
K
or
ner
Kor
orner
by Karen Bujak
Editor
Again, I have
more “stuff” for the
Graffiti than room to
put it. I am going to push for more pages at
the next ExComm meeting. Please
subscribe to the electronic version so we
can save postage and printing, and so you
get the EXTRAS: more articles and more
pictures!
Speaking of pictures, notice the
picture on the front cover of Todd Prinkey?
At the time of the dining event, he had just
taken the Mensa test (at the urging of Mary
Ann Mucha, a coworker and CAM
member), and didn’t know if he had
qualified. I am pleased to report that he has,
and hope he will soon be a new member.
Do YOU know someone who you
think should be a member? Invite them to
take the test or submit other proof of
qualification (details on the national website
as to what constitutes “prior evidence”). It’s
probably too late now (unless you subscribe
to the email Graffiti - then you still have 2
weeks), but AML evaluated prior evidence
for FREE all during the month of August.
CAM offers testing monthly and is training
new proctors to be able to provide more
testing locations and dates. National
Testing Day is coming up October 22, and
CAM will be testing in at least two locations
that weekend. Watch for details in Graffiti.
RG Hospitality
Highlights!
Dim Thumb Buffet
Chicken ‘n Thumblings
Pierogies
Thumb print cookies
Thumby Gnocchi
Asian-themed dinner provided by hotel on Saturday
⇒ Rootbeer floats
⇒ Microbrewed beer
⇒ BBQ Pork buns
⇒ Thumbelina Salad
and what no RG is ever without:
⇒ Thumbthing chocolate!
⇒
⇒
⇒
⇒
⇒
⇒
page 11
AMERICAN MENSA, LTD.
1229 CORPORATE DRIVE WEST
ARLINGTON, TX 76006-6103
POSTMASTER: ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Graffiti
Newsletter of Cleveland Area Mensa
Have you
registered
for the RG yet?
Volume 39
PERIODICALS
POSTAGE PAID
at
North Olmsted, Ohio
- Mailing label -
Number 9
September 2005
GRAFFITI (ISSN 0746-5378) is published monthly by Cleveland Area Mensa; 6787 Warrington Dr. North Olmsted, Ohio 44070. Subscription price: members of
Cleveland Area Mensa included as part of annual dues; all other Mensans $10/year. Mailing labels are computer-generated and provided by American Mensa, Ltd.,
1229 Corporate Drive West, Arlington, Texas 76006-6103. Whenever you write to the National Office, include your membership number. When making an address
change, include your telephone number, even if it hasn’t changed, since the computer will drop your old number if the address change includes a ZIP code change. CAM
GRAFFITI IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF CLEVELAND AREA MENSA #440.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Opinions expressed in Graffiti are those of the individual authors and do not represent Mensa. Mensa, as a group, holds no opinion on any
subject. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month for the following month’s issue. The editor will consider for publication all
materials submitted. Anonymous submissions will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon request. The editor reserves the right to edit
any submission for length or clarity. Other Mensa publications are granted permission to reprint any material that does not contain a copyright
notice. Attribution to Graffiti and the author are required. A courtesy copy to the Graffiti editor is requested. Written permission to reprint must
accompany all copyrighted materials
Electronic format is preferred. Hard copy requiring typing may result in delays in publishing. Please submit items to GraffitiEditor@gmail.com,
or by mail to Karen Bujak, 8585 River Styx Rd., Wadsworth, Ohio 44281.
Graffiti accepts prepaid ads from CAM members. Rates per issue: $6/business card; $20/quarter page; $40/half page. Classified ads for positions wanted are free to members.
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Editor:
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Calendar
Editor:
Richard
Broida
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CAM Contributors:Alan Baltis
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Vikki Broida
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Kathryn Kerber
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Chris King
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Pam Sawrey
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J. R. Simons
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Jim Szirony
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Emily Taylor
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Jim Vorell
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Lick ‘n Stick
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Coordinator:
Bobbie Rooney
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Proofreader:
De Freshwater
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Photography:
Karen Bujak
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De Freshwater
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Graffiti Staff
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DISCREET EFFECTIVE REPRESENTATION
TERRENCE DURICA
ATTORNEY
(440) 888-0843
GENERAL LAW PRACTICE
INCLUDING PERSONAL INJURY, WILLS,
PROBATE AND BUSINESS ORGANIZATION
eGraffiti Extras!
September 2005
by Al Thomas
The Alc
hemis
Alchemis
hemistt
Jack and Jill
Your editor, receiving
the PRP awards
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch
a bucket of …money. Money? They are
continuing to fill their bucket with stocks
without any consideration to the value of
these equities. They are not worried at all
as they are buying “safe” mutual funds.
the best indicators is the
SP500 Index. Your broker compares everything
he does with the SP500
because it is a broad base of 500 stocks that
are widely traded.
Everyone knows mutual funds are
safe. Jack and Jill know they don’t know
how to pick good stocks so they leave that
to the fund manager. He is an expert. When
you look at the long term record of 99% of
the mutual funds you will see that expertise has been sadly lacking. I hate to remind
you of the 2000 to 2003 period, but I must.
In fact I must tell you it is going to happen
again. Now you want to know when….and
so do I.
The finest indicator is the SP500 Index. Draw a 40-week chart of the closing
prices. If you don’t know how ask your broker, he will tell you. Write it down and save
it. It is very simple. Have him set up a 40week Simple Moving Average to appear on
that chart. Look at 5 years worth of prices.
Immediately you will see that if you are in
the market while the 40-week MA is going
up you are making money, and if you are
out of all your positions while the index average is going down, you will not lose
money. It doesn’t get any easier than that.
And that is the problem with almost
every fund manager. As long as the market
is going up they can’t do much damage to
your account, but when it rolls over and
heads down they have no idea how to invest when a bear market is in progress. Not
a single one of them will acknowledge that
cash is a position.
Jeff, contemplating
his next move?
Kathryn and Jake,
tossing down a couple
of cold ones.
Cash is a position? They are in shock.
Of course they are. If brokerage customers
put their money in a money market account
while the market is falling it means they do
not make any commission at all and if they
recommend this to their customers the brokerage manager will fire them because he
won’t make any money
either. “Keep your customers fully invested or
I’ll show you the door” is
the manager’s comment.
Jack and Jill can fill their pail as the
market is going up and need not spill their
accumulation while they walk confidently
down the hill holding their bucket full of
cash
not equities.
Al
Thomas’
book, “If It Doesn’t Go Up, Don’t
Buy It!” has helped thousands of people make
money and keep their profits with his simple 2step method. Read the first chapter at
www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why
he’s the man that Wall Street does not want you
to know. Copyright 2005.
[Ed. Note: Al Thomas is a Mensa member in
Florida and writes a weekly syndicated financial
column that appears in more than 150
newspapers.]
You must learn
when to sell. Any fool can
buy, but it is the wise man
who knows when to sell.
To see the condition of
the overall market one of
Playing cards? or helping Jeff contemplate his next move?
page 13
What
What’’s up!
Current topics in Astronomy
by Tom Rankin
In July/August, we had 2 planets visible in the evening and 2 others in the morning. Did you see any of them?
This month, we have life and death in the
cosmos:
Hubble spies a zoo of galaxies - Gazing deep into the universe, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has spied a menagerie of
What is Mary doing to Alan? And why is Colleen surprised? galaxies. Located within the same tiny region of space, these numerous galaxies display an assortment of unique characteristics.
Some are big; some are small. A few are relatively nearby, but most
are far away. Hundreds of these faint galaxies have never been seen
before until their light was captured by Hubble.
Hubble pinpoints red supergiant that
exploded - A series of lucky breaks has allowed
two University of California, Berkeley, astronomers to track down the identity of a distant star
that exploded a month ago in the majestic
Whirlpool Galaxy. While astronomers can predict which stars will end their lives in a fiery
explosion, surprisingly only five supernovas
before now had been traced back to a known star. Most supernovas
are too distant, or their progenitor stars too faint or in too crowded
fields for astronomers to look back in historical sky photos in order
to pinpoint the location and type of star.
Naughty Tim. It’s not polite to read at the dinner table.
Your editor again...with daughter Karla.
Cassini Finds an Active, Watery World at Saturn's
Enceladus - Saturn's tiny icy moon Enceladus, which ought to be
cold and dead, instead displays evidence for active ice volcanism.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has found a huge cloud of water vapor
over the moon's south pole, and warm fractures where evaporating
ice probably supplies the vapor cloud. Cassini has also confirmed
Enceladus is the major source of Saturn's largest ring, the E-ring.
Spitzer Finds Life Components in Young Universe - NASA's
Spitzer Space Telescope has found the ingredients for life all the
way back to a time when the universe was a mere youngster. Using
Spitzer, scientists have detected organic molecules in galaxies when
our universe was one-fourth of its current age of about 14 billion
years. These large molecules, known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are comprised
of carbon and hydrogen. The molecules are
considered to be among the building blocks
of life.
If you want more information on any of
these stories, I can supply references. Just let
me know.
Meteors - September has no good
shower.
Yummy dessert!
page 14
Our Chaffing pot?
[Ed. note: Mensan Tom Rankin writes a regular
column for the Mid-Hudson (NY) Mensa
newsletter. His email address is trankin
@hvc.rr.com.]
Join us ffor
or Thumbt
hing FFun!
un!
Thumbthing
by Nancy Heller
I am Nancy Heller, Hospitality Chair for the 2001 and 2003
CAM RGs. I also was RG Chair in 1999, when we brought the RG
back after a six year hiatus. The last three biannual RGs each
brought over 150 Mensans together for a weekend of fun, food,
friends, and frolic.
This year, from September 30 through October 2, we’re going
to “Have Thumb Fun” at the Holiday Inn Elyria, 1825 Lorain Blvd.,
Elyria, OH 44035. Registration is $65 until September 1, when it
goes up to $70 (which will be the “at the door” price).
I’d like to tell you about what we are planning. Before I get
to the weekend of food and programs, I want to let you know about
a special program planned for Sunday morning. Many RGs have
no programming Sunday morning, but CAM has brought the
Cleveland Zoo to several RGs, and the response has been so positive
that we are doing it again! So make plans to join us for a fun family
program with the Zoo (which will include some “little friends”),
and a speaker from the Animal Protective League which will follow.
Registration for Sunday only is $15 and includes the hotel-catered
Hot Breakfast Buffet of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, hash browns,
sausage gravy, buttermilk biscuits, French Toast, bacon, orange
juice, coffee and tea. Those 12 and under may join us for
half that price!
OK, now to the whole weekend. As has become
customary at our RG, we will open up the buffet table on
Friday Night – we are calling it “Dim Thumb”. Dim Sum
is a Chinese phrase meaning “the heart’s little treasures” –
but our treasures are not all Chinese in origin! Though this buffet
will include Chinese dumplings (can’t pleat ‘em without thumbs)
and roast pork buns from Chinatown (can’t pick ‘em up to eat
them without thumbs), our buffet will also include: Bob
Osterman’s homemade Chicken ‘n Thumplings (can’t form the
dumplings without thumbs), Potato Pierogies direct from the
grandmas in Parma (can’t fold them closed without thumbs), Texas
style Queso for dipping chips (can’t dip a chip without a thumb),
and soups, salads, sweets and surprises, including Bob’s Home
Made Thumbprint Cookies.
Continental breakfast Saturday and Sunday is included in your
registration.
For Saturday lunch, we will continue to celebrate Thumbs
with that thumby Italian potato-based pasta treat: Gnocchi, with
homemade ricotta-marinara sauce and butter sauce, and meatballs,
Italian Chick Pea Soup and salad.
Dinner Saturday is provided by the Hotel (and included in
your registration), and will feature an Asian theme (can’t use
chopsticks without thumbs, though they will not be mandatory)
with several stir fry dishes, including beef, chicken, and vegetables,
rice, Thumb Rolls, Thumbelina Salad, and a surprise dessert. A
cash bar will be available for those of you who prefer a cocktail
before or during dinner.
The RG will of course have 24 hour hot dogs and snacks
(healthy and not), and all of the beverages you expect – including
beer, wine, and a keg of homebrewed rootbeer (and ice cream for
root beer floats on Saturday night)!
Sunday morning, we hope that
you choose to join us for the Hot
Breakfast Buffet provided by the Hotel
and described above for only $10 per
person ($6 for those 12 and under), so
I can finally sit down for a while!
There is more to do than just eat
and drink at the RG. Our game room is
huge, and will be stocked with everything you want to play (and
perhaps a few things you didn’t know you wanted to play). We
will also have programs to amuse and enlighten you, beginning
Friday night with the Mini-Fringe Festival®. Saturday afternoon,
we will host a debate concerning legislation pending in Columbus
to regulate Ohio’s $160 million adult entertainment industry. We
expect a frank exchange between two debaters, who are among
the leaders on both sides of the issue in NE Ohio (including a
working stripper and a sponsor of the legislation), and a lively
question and answer session.
We will also have a Saturday DJ Dance, a Quiz Bowl, Thumb
Wrestling, Beer Tasting, Meet the Artist, Cribbage lessons, speakers
on astrology/tarot, clowns and face painting, ecology, stars
and planets, and lots of other wonderful diversions.
Our gamesmeister, Robert Villarreal, is planning,
among other things, Texas Hold ‘Em, DDCH Hearts and
TWO Euchre Tournaments.
As noted, on Sunday we feature the visit from the
Cleveland Zoo and the Animal Protective League, so even if you
just come Sunday for a little Mensa socializing, your presence
would be welcome and your time well spent!
Since the RG is CAM’s primary fundraiser for a two year
period, we will have a raffle all weekend, to benefit the David R.
Jacquet Memorial Scholarship Fund. RG Chair Lyn Byrd has come
up with some wonderful prizes, including hotel accommodations,
and substantial restaurant and merchant gift certificates.
You can get more information and an RG registration flyer
on the Region 3 Website, www.region3.us.mensa.org/ or CAM’s
Website, www.cleveland.us.mensa.org.
Even without a flyer, you can register by sending your contact
information and check payable to “Cleveland Area Mensa RG” to
Sandra Murphy, Registrar, 2808 Tate Ave., Cleveland, OH 44109;
you may email the Registrar at funnypaper@1040.com. Please do
email the Registrar and let us know if you think you will attend all
or part of the RG, even if you don’t pre-register, so that we can
ensure a sufficient quantity of goodies! Day rates are $30 Friday,
$45 Saturday and $15 for Sunday only (which includes the Hot
Breakfast Buffet). Child rates (under 12) are half of the applicable
adult rates.
For a hotel room (recommended, but not required), call the
Holiday Inn Elyria – Lorain (a AAA Three Diamond Hotel) at
440/324-5411 or 800/321-7333; be sure to mention “Cleveland
Area Mensa” to get the $59/night room rate.
Its gonna be thumb fun!
page 15