You’re reading MensaMag, the award-winning newsletter of Mensa Calgary. And Mensa Calgary itself is a double award-winner.

Find our events for February right Here. And talk to us on Facebook . Or read further for feasts of reason and flows of soul.

Interested in joining Mensa? The next scheduled testing is 1:30 pm, on Saturday, January 21, 2011, at the University of Calgary. Please feel welcome to share this information, and contact Marie Wildenborg directly for further details: mensa.proctor@shaw.ca.

Renew your Mensa Membership online at Mensa Canada.

Quote of the Month: “The charm of elegant manners, simplicity, and apparent candour was almost magical. It could never have occurred to him that all that candour and nobility, wit and lofty personal dignity, was perhaps only a magnificent artistic veneer. “ Dostoyevsky, The Idiot

For a great 3d game in which puzzle pieces must be shifted and unstuck, try
http://deadwhale.com/play.php?game=1752 [with thanks to Robert Conn]

How Old is Someone Born on February 29
Consider the position of the Registrar of Vital Statistics: if a birth takes place on February 29th, there’s no difficulty recording that date. From the passport angle, when a child applies for a passport, the birth date simply reads February 29 plus the birth year. In statutes that refer to age, usually the language is “has attained the age of” 16 years, or 18 years, as the case may be; for example the Age of Majority Act. Someone born on February 29 attains the age of one year on the following March 1st, two years on the following March 1, three years on the next March 1, and four years on the next February 29. Every industry in which age is a factor has a well-established means to deal with people born on February 29, because the question can’t be left to individual discretion. The only sensible uniformity exists if February 29 is the birth anniversary in a leap year, pushed forward nominally to March 1st in all other years, because this method counts the years after birth. On the other hand, irrational conduct is the staff of human life…

The following thoughts aren’t necessarily serious. Nor are they the views of Mensa Calgary or any affiliated persons or groups:
If incarceration were reduced in the US, the country’s unemployment numbers would soar, because so many of the imprisoned fall towards the bottom of the nation’s training and education ladders, and because the prison industry employs so many people. A similar principle applies to the defence sector. Simply expressed, following economic models, a modern society has to put people in cages and kill overseas to create jobs. On the other hand, others might argue that many in prison for minor property offences would volunteer to fight in the armed forces to escape a custodial term. If the latter is true, we could – as it were – kill two birds with one stone, and indirectly resurrect the death penalty for minor crimes… Or not.

Canada’s National Resources Minister said on January 9, 2012, that environmental radicals are subverting democracy. But perhaps, in reality, large oil and pipeline interests have bought the ear of our government and are threatening democracy from within, a kind of (could it be true?) quiet and subtle terrorism. A more charitable perspective perhaps is that our Prime Minister has grown too enamored of power and needs a holiday. He may be inadvertently selling the next two generations’ standards of living to fulfill an illusion that comforts can improve indefinitely. What kind of legacy will our Prime Minister leave? He could choose to thrash out with the provinces the mechanism for a national securities regulator, but he isn’t inclined to attempt this worthy effort. He might try to control in advance the inevitable fallout when the Vancouver housing bubble bursts, devastating the banks that have bent to the ground to support it, but he seems willing to allow the taxpayer to foot the bill. He could promote a national debate on soil and air contamination versus growth, acknowledging the need to prevent the first and promote the second, but he won’t lift a finger. Perhaps he is correct to perceive that we want our leaders to be omniscient. Woe is us.

Neil Macdonald of CBC news, a commentator whose photo seems to reflect constipation more than considered reflection, is getting tired and needs a break. His analyses are shopworn. They often weave back and forth between current events and potential conclusion, which is odd – if you care to study his writing – but he rarely touches the nerve at the centre of a debate. An example was January 9, 2012, when he discussed whether there was too much democracy in the US. I think it was John Jay who said it best, around 1793. Jay was the President of the Continental Congress at the time, and became the first Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, though I may have the sequence wrong. He said that the people who own the country ought to run it. And his wish has been fulfilled. Macdonald doesn’t have to lose sleep about too much democracy in the US, or Canada for that matter. The parameters of debate are set by large corporations, banks and financial institutions, which advertise in our newspapers and guide their content. They make the political contributions that make victory possible for a political party. And they’re largely excluded from control by the Courts (for example, misrepresentation and deception by financial advisors are rampant but rarely punished). No, we needn’t fret. Democracy is in safe hands.

You’re reading MensaMag, the award winning newsletter of Mensa Calgary, which itself won two Alberta tourism awards in the past twelve months.

Find our events for January right Here. And talk to us on Facebook . Or read further for feasts of reason and flows of soul.

Interested in joining Mensa? The next scheduled testing is 1:30 pm, on Saturday, January 21, 2011, at the University of Calgary. Please feel welcome to share this information, and contact Marie Wildenborg directly for further details: mensa.proctor@shaw.ca.

Renew your Mensa membership online at http://www.mensacanada.org/renewalpublicstarten.php.

There is something deeply wrong with Canadian diplomacy these days. Our Environment Minister in Durban (early December) made some deeply offensive remarks about countries including India, to which India had the audacity to respond. Should we be surprised at this? And yet our Minister immediately rebuked India in reply. We started the chain of insult. But Canada’s posture, even before the talks began, had been more truculent and negative than we’d expect. Perhaps amateurs have taken charge of a segment of Canada’s international presence. You can make a point in many ways, but courtesy is the lubricant best framed to gain us friends when we need them in the future. Antagonizing other countries is childish and counterproductive. But also note the repeated attacks launched by our Finance Minister recently against European nations. Does he really believe that those countries don’t understand the importance of a financial accord, an accord that works, in the short and long term, that voters will support, that markets will take in a positive light? Does he think that devising such an accord is easy, or that Europe needs Canada’s long-distance criticism? No. There has been a directive from a higher source, likely the PMO, that signals a new voice for Canada. Pity that it’s a savage simple-minded uncivilized voice. We deserve better.

I used to strongly support the Kyoto accords and similar efforts to reduce emissions. I still endorse the complex science that has uncovered our warming impact on the environment, and that considers recovery will grow more and more difficult as time passes. The loss of the ozone layer is another factor, which this science has uncovered. The trend seems clear; Canada borrows to improve its standard of living, and prays that its future citizens will become more sober-minded or realistic. At the same time, the developing world has to share the burden if it wants countries such as Canada to reduce emissions. It isn’t enough to argue that China must burn coal to catch up to Canada. Why should China suddenly reverse course once most of its population lives on a par with Canadians? That is a premise difficult to swallow; we’d be naive to believe it. Reluctantly, I adhere to a tough line on Kyoto and its sister endeavours.

Canada’s job market is shrinking, and the employed are working harder and harder for less pay. Attawapiskat received ten visits from federal civil servants over the last year, yet Ottawa claims the town’s terrible conditions are a complete surprise. Women in Afghanistan, where our soldiers have died to defend freedom, are forced to marry their rapists. Enough. We need the NDP to get its act together and become a respectable government in waiting. The opposition must create national policies that appeal to the majority of Canadians and lift us out of the circle of deceit and PR hacks that define or confine our federal leadership. That would be a great service to Canada. It doesn’t matter what the NDP was. Let the past rest in peace. The NDP must hammer the current government and offer us a real choice at the polls. That’s what we need most, a real choice.

Analysis of how the rich pay less tax is interesting, but becomes more sinister when linked to the failure of justice to tackle their misdeeds, in particular the misdeeds by way of fraud and deceit that caused the 2008 crisis. I’m thinking, for example, of mortgages granted on the basis of stated income without proof (also called liar loans) in exchange for a few percent higher interest. The analysis is needed, because it documents the impression held by so many that our political system fails to provide even-handed justice. In a nutshell, it’s corrupt. This isn’t an impartiality issue, but rather whether we should all be held to the same ethical standard. The awfulness of our system was shown when democratically elected leaders used the money of the majority to rescue the deceitful few. But the subtext of such analysis is even more trenchant, that nothing has been done – in either the regulatory or enforcement fields – to prevent similar frauds in the future. Neither Canada nor the US have set in place anything of the kind. And if that’s not bad enough, both governments currently criticize Europe, pretending that the 2008 crisis wasn’t caused by the financial sector in North America, and by deliberate decisions by consecutive governments in Canada and the US to ignore the problem, hoping the present financial disaster won’t endure. Wouldn’t it be entertaining to live an extra 50 years, and see the excuses our leaders will parade to excuse themselves from the next crisis? No wonder young people don’t vote.

We’re getting good at lying. When the roof of Vancouver’s stadium leaked before the Gray Cup game, the response from management was: the leak is good. Better now than during the game. Besides, it isn’t a serious leak. Presumably, a serious leak has a frown and lines across its forehead. Presumably also, it’s good that the economy is dreadful and young people can’t find jobs. A prerequisite to influence these days is the ability to tell lies with a straight face. Maybe it has always been thus, and we’ve just noticed. But one day we’ll grow tired of lies. How do the husbands and wives of these people live with them? Don’t they say, when their spouses come home at night, did you believe the trash that spilled from your lips on television today? A few angry wives and husbands might improve public life in this country.

You’re reading MensaMag, the award winning newsletter of Mensa Calgary, which itself won two Alberta tourism awards in the past twelve months.

Find our events for December right Here. And talk to us on Facebook . Or read further for feasts of reason and flows of soul.

Interested in joining Mensa? The next scheduled testing is 1:30 pm, on Saturday, January 21, 2011, at the University of Calgary. Please feel welcome to share this information, and contact Marie Wildenborg directly for further details: mensa.proctor@shaw.ca.

Renew your Mensa membership online at http://www.mensacanada.org/renewalpublicstarten.php.

BC and Ontario can’t continue negotiations for a new RCMP contract. Don’t they see what’s in the offing? Suppose that BC reaches agreement with the RCMP. Three years from now, allegations arise that the RCMP is sexually harassing members of the public and its own staff. The abused persons will have a legitimate claim against BC as well as the RCMP. The claim against BC will be that the province knew or ought to have known that the RCMP engaged in sexual assault and abuse, that BC knew or ought to have known that it was exposing BC residents to these practices when it signed the new contract with the force, and that BC is jointly and severally liable in negligence for the injury and damage caused by this abuse. I don’t mean that any particular allegations will be true, but only a blind and indifferent government would place the public in risk of such harm. Blind, indifferent, or careless because its not the Minister’s personal savings that are at risk but the tax dollars of the public.

The G20 meeting of early November was a signal failure. Harper is correct that the Greek crisis hijacked the agenda. What he didn’t say was that the economic outlook for the world is grim if a minor player such as Greece (about 2% of European business) can shake the European financial system and cause world markets to tremble. This isn’t a slur against Greeks, but an observation that we’re tied together in ways previously unforeseen. Moreover, the political climate seems to be in permanent dyspepsia. Obama can’t persuade his own country to adopt his agenda. Italy and Spain are lined up next to suffer crises. Merkel’s hands are tied by her countrymen’s recollection of Weimar. Sarkozy’s approval ratings are in the basement with an election approaching, and China is a massive stew that seems attractive only if a tight lid is kept on the pot; one false step and the disappointed majority or throttled minorities or empoverished educated urban elite may surprise the west and threaten the Asian tiger. Who would have predicted that the Ming, or Qing for that matter, would fall when they did, or even that Mao would succeed? There were no solutions to unemployment at the G20. Not even progress. The same is true for the crisis of aging populations and pollution’s impact two decades from now that will make public health of 2011 look like a paradise. No progress, no solutions. I’d say the meeting was a failure. The wonder is that capable persons still want to enter the political arena. They aren’t exactly thick on the ground, but they’re there. A miracle suitable for Christmas.

Hot Off the Press: Mensa Calgary has collected two 2011 Alberta Tourism Awards. On October 24, we learned that we won the Friends of Tourism Award, and the Award for Marketing Excellence under $5,000. These arise from our AGM, a glittering celebration which we produced in Banff. Congratulations to everyone who devoted so much time and energy to the award-winning weekend. A job well done. And for those interested in fun the Mensa Way, you have another chance to enjoy the frolics. Come to the Regional Meeting which we’re planning for Banff in 2013!

This is MensaMag, a journal whose goal is to delight the eye and stimulate the brain. Contribute your thoughts in an article or column. Send us your views. Meanwhile, in this issue, let your heart soar to love poetry, read about current events, try a new recipe, and enjoy the ninth episode of our thriller, CampaignScape.

Find our events this month right Here. And talk to us on Facebook .

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich have published a paper that argues just 147 companies account for a large chunk of the total economic value of all the transnational companies around the world. Find this document in our Articles section. There’s a Film Review of The Damned Don’t Cry, a portrait of the hypocrisy that shouts Make Money and then whispers But Not If You’re A Woman. We outline the major myths about Afghanistan, Canada’s apparently shameful waste of lives and blood. And we explore our government’s clampdown on scientists speaking in public; it’s OK if the government knows, but research mustn’t escape political control. We also feature a recurrent note in our war on drugs, namely that it’s as futile as prohibition, and we should control and tax rather than criminalize the beast. Whatever the truth, satire would be more effective, but satire seems to demand more time and talent than the pundits possess. Enjoy the fun.

AND FINALLY. HERE ARE HOT SPOTS OF INTELLECTUAL MERIT

Math Challenged SIGHTING:
My daughter and I went through the McDonald’s take-out window and I gave the clerk a $5 bill. Our total was $4.25, so I also handed her a quarter.
She said, “You gave me too much money.”
I said, “Yes I know, but this way you can just give me a loonie back.”
She sighed and went to get the manager who asked me to repeat my request.
I did so, and he handed me back the quarter, and said “We’re sorry but we cannot do that kind of thing.” The clerk then proceeded to give me back 75 cents in change.

Do not confuse the clerks at MacD‘s.

Math Challenged SIGHTING:
We had to have the garage door repaired. The Sears repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a “large” enough motor on the opener.
I thought for a minute, and said that we had the largest one Sears made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower.
He shook his head and said, “Lady, you need a 1/4 horsepower.”
I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4 and he said,
“NOOO, it‘s not. Four is larger than two…”

We haven’t used Sears repair since. Happened in Ottawa

What???:
I live in a semi rural area. We recently had a new neighbour call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the DEER CROSSING sign on our road. The reason: “Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! I don’t think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.”

Story from Collingwood, Ontario.

Excuse me???:
My daughter went to a local Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for “minimal lettuce.”
He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg lettuce…

From Winnipeg, Manitoba .

Where’s the logic?:
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, and “Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?”
To which I replied, “If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?”
He smiled knowingly and nodded, “That‘s why we ask. “

Happened in Toronto, Ontario.

IDIOT SIGHTING: The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it‘s safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged co-worker of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red.
Appalled, she responded, “What on earth are blind people doing driving?”

She is a government employee in Montreal, P.Q.

HUH?:
When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it.
We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver’s side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked.
“Hey,” I announced to the technician, “it‘s open!”
His reply, “I know. I already got that side.”

This was at the Ford dealership in Guelph, Ontario

STAY ALERT! They walk among us…

Mensa Calgary is a finalist for two major awards in 2011. Travel Alberta will announce the winners of the prizes at an Awards Gala on October 24th. The prizes are for organizations or individuals who have inspired others and demonstrated how working together can attract visitors to Alberta.

Our 2011 Annual Gathering “Majesty in the Mountains” is a finalist in the categories of Friends of Tourism and Marketing Excellence (up to $5,000).

This is what we said in our Friends of Tourism application.

And Here is our comment about Marketing Excellence.

Find our events this month right Here. And talk to us on Facebook .

Our AGM is Saturday, October 14th, at Vicki’s house. Be there and see how casual, bright folk handle their business. Speak your mind, unleash your heart, play a leadership role at the AGM.

Our military Chief Natynczyk trots out a bagful of excuses for special jet flights to holidays in the tropics and hockey games. But the oddest is that military pilots need extra hours, even on top of Natynczyk’s luxury flights. The Chief is no burden to the taxpayer, because we have to pay for the pilots to fly anyway; we might as well pay for him to be aboard. Strange that the extra hours aren’t offered to the public. I know we don’t count, but still… Isn’t this “we” the aristocrats and “they” the public somewhat outré? It’s also odd how naive and self-centred individuals, usually highly skilled at manipulative tasks, receive valuable benefits but forget to pay tax on them. Do we agree that our Chief likely forgets to list on his tax return the fair market value of his special flights? CRA wouldn’t agree that a regular fare is the true value. But perhaps these trips by the Natynczyk give fair return to the taxpayer as entertainment when he tries to explain them and ties himself in knots, like the rabbit in the tar baby of Uncle Remus.

Finance Minister Flaherty has asked Europe to solve its financial problems. He appears able to focus on anything that’s outside his power. For example, he could insist that Natynczyk pay the full cost of government aircraft when flying for personal reasons, instead of flying free or for the cost of a commercial airline ticket. Who pays the difference? The taxpayer of course. But the taxpayer also paid the millions that flowed into Haiti and disappeared, and we grovel to grant the US what it wishes on border security when the US erects trade barriers with its “buy US” legislation. Mr Flaherty is mum on these matters. We build new prisons when the crime rate is going down. He’s mum on this too. What’s the point of calculating deficits when they support the ethically unconscionable? But the worst effect is the sinkhole in public confidence regarding the integrity of politicians. There’s talk about why young people riot and destroy property. In the public arena, we see riot in slow motion and destruction of property that takes place behind closed doors by smarmy folk in white collars. Both are deplorable, which begs the question of which does more harm: the damage caused by youth is measured in thousands, maybe millions; the damage caused by middle-aged politicians is measured in hundreds of millions or more.

“He [King Arthur] had been bled the previous day. With him in the privacy of his chambers were only five hundred barons of his household; the king had never before in any season been so alone, and he was greatly distressed that he did not have more people at his court.” [from Chretian de Troyes’ Eric and Enide] Every listener knew from the context that “five hundred” didn’t mean a number. It meant a relative few. It meant that the King was rich and powerful, so could command a great many important people, but that only a handful were prowling the corridors that day. There are fashions in what we pay attention to. In de Troyes’ epic, it’s the social meaning. In 21st century news bulletins, it’s harbingers of doom. The trouble with the stock markets isn’t susceptible to economic remedy, but rather a shift in our attention to other issues.

This month we retool after a gorgeous summer. Check the calendar for our events, and email us if you want to try something different.

The Mensa Canada Society…In conjunction with the Mensa International Intelligence Day…Presents…Friends & Family Testing Day

It’s been said that “birds of a feather flock together”, and the same is true of Mensa. Bring your flock to the Mensa testing session on Saturday, October 1, 2011, 1:30 p.m., at the University of Calgary, and take advantage of the “Friends & Family” discount in celebration of Mensa International Intelligence Day.

A special fee of $25 covers the testing session, and those who pass are eligible to become Mensa members. If you are interested in attending this session, please let me know and I will reserve a spot for you.

Please feel welcome to share this invitation with anyone else you know who may be interested in joining Mensa.

Warm regards,
Marie Wildenborg
Proctor, Mensa Calgary

Mensans, who want to express an idea or create a column, can contact us to make arrangements. You may be in light or somber mood. Your ideas may roam from travel to technology, advice to the lovelorn, kids, sci fi, the stock market, hockey, or health. Your thoughts may occupy a paragraph or a couple of pages. Reach the public through us. Contact our editor: aronrynd@telus.net.

The Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational asks readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are the 2009 winners:

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus : A person who’s both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxication : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

6. Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

7. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

8. Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.

9. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteopornosis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon : It’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a serious bummer, right?

12. Decafalon (n.): The gruelling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido : All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you’ve accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you’re eating.

The Washington Post also publishes the winning submissions to a yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words. Here are some winners:

1. Coffee, n. The person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3. Abdicate, v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach. – Ahmen!!!!!!!!!!

4. Esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.

6. Negligent, adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7. Lymph, v. To walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle, n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence, n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash, n. A rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle, n. A humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude, n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon, n. A Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster, n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism, n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent, n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

Find our events this month right Here. And talk to us on Facebook .

Mensans who want to express an idea or create a column on any subject: contact us. You may be in light or somber mood. The topic can range from travel to technology, advice to the lovelorn, kids, sci fi, the stock market, hockey, or health. Your thoughts may occupy a paragraph or a couple of pages. Reach the public. Contact our editor: aronrynd@telus.net.

For the immediate future, there’s:
August 5 – Book Club at Marie’s (7:00)
August 9 – Second Tuesday at Vicki’s (7:30)
More dates – check our calendar

If you want to organize a group or event, we can get the word out. Contact us.

Diarize Mensa Calgary’s AGM for October 16th at 1pm; we’ll have fun fun fun plus elections and whatnot all day, or your daddy takes your T-Bird… Turn out and let your thoughts ring loud and clear. Word is that we’ll meet amidst works of art (and food). Imagine talking to people as bright as you are in cultured and gustatory surroundings.

Congratulations to all the organizers and volunteers of the AG in Banff.

Will the US default on its debt payments and cast the world into a depression worse than the dirty thirties? Read our articles and find out. Here’s part of an answer by Michael Babad from the Globe and Mail of 26 July 2011:

Just five years ago, who would have believed that:

•The global economy would plunge into its worst slump since the Great Depression.
•The global financial system would be brought to the brink of collapse.
•Bear Stearns Cos. would disappear from the Street, Lehman Bros. would fail, and Merill Lynch & Co. (the banker with the bull logo) would be sold to Bank of America.
•The American dream would be shattered as the U.S. housing market melted down and foreclosure became an oft-heard word.
•Countries such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal would be deadbeats, and the 17-member euro zone in tatters.
•The U.S. dollar would become an also-ran, and the Canadian dollar, then just above 88 cents, closing in on its modern-era high of $1.10 U.S.
•GM and Chrysler would file for bankruptcy protection.
•More than 200 million people would be unemployed globally, according to the International Labour Organization.
•Global interest rates would remain so low – near zero in the United States – for so long.
•”Bailout” would become a household term.

Find our events this month right Here. And talk to us on Facebook .

Calling Mensans everywhere who want to express an idea or create a column on any subject. The tone may be light or sober; the topic anything from travel to technology, advice to the lovelorn, kids, sci fi, the stock market, hockey, or health. Your thoughts might occupy a paragraph or a couple of pages. It’s up to you. Get your thoughts out to the public. Contact our editor: aronrynd@telus.net.

For the immediate future, there’s:
July 2 – LobsterFest at Laura’s (yum)
July 8 – Book Club at Jeff’s.
July 9 and10 – Overnight Field Trip with (Jeff)

The overnight trip (as all of Jeff’s trips are) should be great. A few days ago, we did the Alberta Absurdities tour and wrapped up a great day interlaced with jumping buffaloes, stuffed gophers, and 5,999 year old dinosaurs with bbq’d steaks and beer. For those who missed out…there’s July 9 and 10 to catch up.

There is also the cowboy/rodeo thingy starting on the 8th. If you haven’t been to the Stampede parade for awhile, take in the surge of emotion that races through the crowd. And the bands are great. The amygdala and hippocampus sectors of the brain are not to be neglected. Don’t forget the cutting horses for brains and courage. Then there’s the carving and weaving competition, elevated by the artists into jaw-dropping displays.

If you want to organize a group or event, we can get the word out. Contact us.

Wing Night coming in late July!

In the immediate past, we hosted the Canadian AG in May, upon which the following reports are the best I’ve seen, reprinted with permission from Edmonton’s Gemini Newsletter of June/July 2011:

Majesty in the Mountains
by Maggie Davidson

The AG in Banff was a huge success. I had a fantastic time, and I believe that everyone else attending did as well. It was an action packed weekend with so much going on you could not possibly attend everything. The weekend started off with hiking and outings to the hot springs on Friday during the day then the royalty themed cocktail party that night. The Edmonton group looked fabulous decked out in our Princess bling (thanks to Skylar for loaning it to us). After the cocktail party we were divided into royal houses for a building challenge and a trivia challenge. Try to imagine a room full of Mensans being given a roll of tinfoil and some duct tape and told to build a castle. The results were interesting to say the least, some groups more interesting than others.

On Saturday and Sunday there were a range of very interesting speakers. I particularly enjoyed the session on pharmaceutical alkaloid metabolism in
opium poppies (i.e. “the morphine guy”) and the session on mental preparation for high stress events, but I heard good things about all the sessions. Most people were having a hard time choosing which session to attend. The geology tour from the RG was also repeated. I was not able to go, it was full, but I heard it was great and that the tour guide talked about “rocks and things”. Saturday night there was the banquet and keynote speaker. The keynote speaker was Laval St. Germain, the first Canadian to summit Everest without oxygen. Following the keynote speaker was the “Mr. Mensa Canada” contest. It featured a brave group of male Mensans doing such typically Canadian things as wearing a plaid shirt, shovelling snow, eating a Tim Horton’s donut, and drinking a beer, before stripping down to jump in the hot tub. It was very entertaining and I commend the contestants for being brave (or insane) enough to participate.

Sunday morning we had the AGM and the awards. Our esteemed editor, Roger Merriott, once again cleaned up on the newsletter awards, winning for “best use of colour in a local newsletter”, “best use of graphics in a local newsletter”, “best use of humour in a local newsletter”, and “best overall small circulation local newsletter”. Congratulation to Roger and thanks for your hard work on our behalf. Sunday night there was supposed to be someone with a telescope for star gazing; we never found him (apparently he left because it was too cloudy) but we had an entertaining time wandering around the hotel in the dark looking for him.

On Monday there was a choice of activities including a tour to Lake Louise, shopping in Banff, or an all day hike up Cascade Mountain. I went on the hike and it was fantastic.

At registration everyone was assigned a royal identity and given a crown. Many of us wore the crown all weekend and it was very interesting to see the reactions from other guests at the hotel (and in downtown Banff for that matter). We were all amused by each other’s attempts to explain what conference we were at without saying the “M” word. Throughout the weekend there were ongoing puzzle challenges, a trivia contest, and a “Paparazzi challenge” scavenger hunt. Kerri Tulloch and I won the Paparazzi challenge. The credit for this victory goes entirely to Kerri; she did all the work and my main contribution was being willing to wear a plastic crown on the main street of Banff.

The major complaint I heard about the AG was that it was too hard to choose between sessions. I would suggest that the next AG be a weeklong so that every session could run twice, but I suspect that we would all die from sleep deprivation and exhaustion after that much partying. It is rumoured that the hospitality suite was in full party mode till 6am Saturday night (or rather Sunday morning) and the toga party on Sunday night featured a range of very interesting outfits and was still in full swing when I bailed at 1am.

All in all it was a typical AG; more information than a sleep deprived brain could possibly absorb, more beverages and junk food than is good for you, more activities than you could possibly fit into four days, and many, many, interesting people to talk to, new friends, and jokes that had us laughing till we cried. I extend my sympathy to all those who missed it.

Another Excerpt from Edmonton’s Gemini Newsletter:

National Board updates from the Annual Gathering in Banff 2011, by Patrick Dunnigan

The Annual Gathering and Annual General Meeting were both held this past May 24 weekend. I must say that the event was extremely well organized and not one person had a bad thing to say about the AG. However I did hear a few people complaining on Sunday morning that the hospitality suite closed too late at 6:00 AM and that they were unable (for whatever reason) to attend sessions on Sunday. Boo-Hoo.

The AGM went off without a hitch starting at 10:00 AM. It took longer this year than in past years as the new board members were introduced and the President gave a speech. I admit my Treasurer’s report was longer too.

Some of the highlights from the AGM were:
· treasurer’s report
· discussion of new board members and the new positions
. Brenda van Kats Membership director is charged with attracting and retaining members and providing them with more benefits in being a Mensan

· presentation of awards
. As always – our Gemini editor Roger Merriott – won multiple awards for his work on the Edmonton newsletter – Including best use of humor and best newsletter for a chapter with less than 150 people! Congratulations Roger – you deserve it! (Aw shucks, thanks – Editor)

After the AGM the board went into non-stop meetings to make Mensa Canada a better organization for you. Some of the things discussed and planned include:
1. A new website! Planning on an update for a National website, and maybe with local chapters having pages in it. Asking for someone to build and or run the website as well.
2. New logo or look and feel / rebranding for Mensa Canada. Including going out to run a contest for a new Mensa Canada logo and a look and feel or theme for our new website.
3. Re-assessing how local chapter rebates are determined. Currently each chapter automatically receives 20% of membership revenue from its members. I suggested that be reduced to 15% automatically and thenadd in another 1 – 10% depending on what the local chapter does to attract and retain members.
4. Only one national board face to face meeting in 2012 to save money. On a total budget of approximately $121,000, $7,000 for a face to face meeting is a lot of money.
5. Testing – currently there is only one test given and we need to give another one. This might be a reason why testing of new members is down. We are looking for new tests and ways to increase testing numbers.
6. New bylaws and strategic plan. Barry Schmidl has been working very hard on these programs and the new bylaws are now in place and the board is working on implementing its long term strategic plan and goals.
7. Need for chapters / areas to host AGs. There is no AG planned for 2012 but there is a regional meeting planned for Halifax so the AGM will be in Halifax Nova Scotia sometime in the summer of 2012.

If you have any ideas on how Mensa Canada can be a better organization or can provide better benefits to you, please let me know and I will bring these to the national board for discussion.

And here are extracted testimonials from various attendees:

I must say that the Banff AG is the “Gold Standard” of all of the AG’s that I have been to. You did an amazing job of organizing it. The speakers were outstanding, the activities stellar, and the hospitality was just great. Selfishly, I hope that you organize many more, because your AG was the best.

I enjoyed it thoroughly and was impressed with all your speakers and activities. Everyone seemed to relish the experience!

This was supremely well organized – many thanks. It was well worth my trip from San Diego. The highlight for me was the opportunities arranged to interact with other Mensans from the Hospitality Suite to the “royal houses” games to the common meal times.

I enjoyed every lecture I went to: James Harbeck on Language, Gail Taylor on Getting Published, Larry McNish on Astrophysics, plus Jeff Pugh’s Geology tour.

To me the Hotel Staff was great. Even the Security man who jinxed our ghost tour was only doing his job, he met with Leslie and took her away for a private chat. IF YOU had complained to Security and nothing was done, then next time something happened you wouldn’t have reported it. I felt that I was well looked after in The Castle Pantry, Jenny the little Irish Monarchist became Queen of The Pantry and kept her underlings in line with her sword!!

I was impressed with all the service that I received. The swimming / relaxing in the large outdoor hot pool was good for my body, skin, mental health etc. etc. …

I’m still in a cloud of delight over the magnificent conference you put on.

Thank you, once again, for inviting me to speak. I really wish I could have stayed to enjoy other sessions. Robin’s was really terrific. Interesting, provocative and I learned a ton of good stuff. It is also fun to see Dave Fermor at your events.

And thank you for my little Einstein – perched next to Darwin where I see them every day…..

Firstly, thanks for a super fab time on the weekend. It was the best Mensa thing I’ve ever been to. I met so many lovely people and really had a wonderful time. I think the whole thing was splendidly planned and executed. Peter contacted me about membership and I will definitely be joining the Calgary chapter.

I wanted to thank you and the rest of the organizing committee for a wonderful AG in Banff. To have orchestrated and executed such a well-planned, thoughtful and fun weekend was no small feat …

You have raised the bar and as an events planner myself, I know how much work that can be. Thank you for a great job!

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed myself at the AG. I’ve never been to Banff, and the scenery there was breathtaking. The hotel was also amazing – passageways, spiral stone staircases, suits of armour, and of course the amazing mountain views. As much as I tried to explore the hotel, I’m sure that I missed major portions of it.

I was busy the entire time I was there – from Friday afternoon until Monday at noon (after the board meeting. I didn’t realize until after I got home that I forgot to participate in the A-Mensan Race. However, I did pack as much as I could into those three days, so it proves that you provided more than enough activities to keep everyone busy during the entire conference.

I liked that the Hospitality Room was open on Monday morning – at other AGs, they usually close on Sunday nights, which leaves many people scrambling to find something to eat on their departure day.

The lectures were very interesting, and the activities were a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed building the castles from a box of odds and ends. We Mensans are certainly a creative bunch, and I now realize the importance of using one’s imagination. Kids don’t really need expensive toys – just an adult who’s willing to sit down with them and help them play creatively.

I had a blast, and so did the boys, especially when they went “touring” and the cameras went non-stop.

That was a brilliant weekend! Thankyou so much to all the organisers you did such a fab job. I loved all the new people I met and had a blast. Just a wee bit tired now though! Looking forward to meeting lots of you again!

Find our events this month right Here. Talk to us on Facebook . And visit the Program of the Annual Gathering we recently held in Banff (May 20-23, 2011); plan to attend our next celebration.

Calling Mensans everywhere who want to express an idea or create a column on any subject. The tone may be light or sober; the topic anything from travel to technology, advice to the lovelorn, kids, sci fi, the stock market, hockey, or health care. Your thought or column might occupy a paragraph or a couple of pages. It’s up to you. Get your thoughts out to the public. Contact our editor for more info: aronrynd@telus.net.

And now our thanks to our great sponsors:
Migrate to PuzzleMaster and order a ring or box that takes your breath away. Opt for a difficult or easy challenge. Pick something inexpensive or choose the rare and costly. Shop at PuzzleMaster as thanks for supporting our recent AG.

Try Bernard Callebaut’s chocolates for a taste sensation, and a tip of the hat to Bernard Callebaut for supporting our AG. See their Locations and look for their products.

See the lovely gifts and collectibles at Harmony Ball. This company is a great supporter of Mensa and we know you’ll like what they offer. For figurines of every sort, they can’t be beat.

Click Here to see our events this month. Watch a great Video about our upcoming AG. Talk to us on Facebook .

See the Program of our Annual Gathering in Banff (May 20-23, 2011).

Migrate to PuzzleMaster and order a ring or box that takes your breath away. Is there someone you love? Show them. Opt for the difficult or easy. Pick something inexpensive or rare and costly. PuzzleMaster offers something for everyone. There are puzzles for kids or adults, items you could display in museums, rings made of precious metals, brainteasers that are straightforward, puzzles that you can hammer at and will keep you awake at night. They all have solutions (ta-ra!), though we can’t guarantee you’ll find the answer. PuzzleMaster supports Mensa, and we’d appreciate it if you shop there.

On Friday, May 6, 2011, you will have the opportunity to take part in a one-hour webinar offered free of charge by Veronica Palin of First Place Realty. View at your own home and ask any questions you like. This is a chance to learn how real estate agents work, about the current market and your options. Call or text (403) 819-1399 to register or obtain further information.

Calling Mensans who want to express ideas. Create a column on any subject. Make the tone light or serious; the subject anything from travel to technology, advice to the lovelorn, kids, sci fi, the stock market, hockey, or health care. Your column can be a paragraph or a couple of pages long. Get your thoughts out to the public. Contact our editor for more info: aronrynd@telus.net .

See the Program of our Annual Gathering in Banff (May 20-23, 2011).

Migrate to PuzzleMaster and order a ring or box that takes your breath away. Is there someone you love? Show them. Opt for the difficult or easy. Pick something inexpensive or rare and costly. PuzzleMaster offers something for everyone. There are puzzles for kids or adults, items you could display in museums, rings made of precious metals, brainteasers that are straightforward, puzzles that you can hammer at and will keep you awake at night. They all have solutions (ta-ra!), though we can’t guarantee you’ll find the answer. PuzzleMaster supports Mensa, and we’d appreciate it if you shop there.

On Friday, May 6, 2011, you will have the opportunity to take part in a one-hour webinar offered free of charge by Veronica Palin of First Place Realty. View at your own home and ask any questions you like. This is a chance to learn how real estate agents work, about the current market and your options. Call or text (403) 819-1399 to register or obtain further information.

Calling Mensans who want to express ideas. Create a column on any subject. Make the tone light or serious; the subject anything from travel to technology, advice to the lovelorn, kids, sci fi, the stock market, hockey, or health care. Your column can be a paragraph or a couple of pages long. Get your thoughts out to the public. Contact our editor for more info: aronrynd@telus.net .

And check out the doyen of challenging and beautiful puzzles. Migrate to PuzzleMaster and order a ring or box that will take your breath away with difficulty or charm. They have puzzles for kids and adults, some easy and others that will keep you awake at night. They all have solutions (ta-ra). PuzzleMaster supports Mensa, and we’d appreciate it if you shopped there.

Calling Mensans who want to express ideas. Create a column on any subject. Make the tone light or serious; the subject anything from travel to technology, advice to the lovelorn, kids, sci fi, the stock market, hockey, or health care. Your column can be a paragraph or a couple of pages long. Get your thoughts out to the public. Contact our editor for more info: aronrynd@telus.net .

Attend our Dim Sum, Mardi Gras, Book Club, Second Tuesday and Science SIG. For more info, check the Calendar.

Click here to see the Calendar for this month. Use it as a reference by rolling your mouse over the links or just as a reminder. Bookmark it today!

Take in the January presentation of Science Café on Tuesday, January 25, 2011 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm.

Topic: Social Media and Society – How is Facebook changing business, politics and society?

Guest Speakers: Marc Boivine, Instructor, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary. And Dr. Patrick Feng, Associate Professor, Department of Communication and Culture, Faculty of Arts, University of Calgary

Location: Ironwood Stage and Grill, 1229 – 9th Avenue SE
Sponsor: AJM Petroleum Consultants

No RSVP is required.

The University of Calgary & Telus World of Science – Calgary offer monthly Science Cafés. Every fourth Tuesday of the month from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

Science Café is a place where, for the price of a cup of coffee or pint of beer, anyone can join discussions that explore the latest ideas in science and technology. Come and enjoy. It’s FREE.

Click here to see the Calendar for this month. Use it as a reference by rolling your mouse over the links or just as a reminder. Bookmark it today!

What does this have to do with high intelligence? The most intelligent figures in history are notable for their modest lifestyles, and massive contributions to humanity, not for wealth or displays of opulence. Einstein, Newton, Darwin.

Notably, the Ambani family’s fortunes were built by the father, Dhirubai, yet it is an heir who is building the tower, which highlights the fact the tower has nothing to do with the merit (be it high intelligence or industriousness) of the individual building it. Being born rich doesn’t require, or indicate, high intelligence.

This tower is simply a Veblen good — conspicuous consumption intended to signal status to others.

A more appropriate article to be posting on the website of a high-IQ society would be a discussion about the relationship between intelligence and financial success (not a remotely perfect correlation — as Einstein/Darwin versus the Ambani heirs shows), or between intelligence and morality (no connection as Nobel-laureate William Shockley’s racist delusions show).

The deep moral flaws in a world of severe deprivation in which some of our most talented — and intelligent — citizens are forced to squander their gifts while languishing in brutal poverty are so clear that they should not need stating.

The website of a high-IQ society should be posting articles based in reason and/or values that are logically defensible — like the science-based morality Sam Harris promotes in The Moral Landscape. In that spirit, this site would be celebrating the innovative ways people are seeking to empower the world’s disadvantaged and decrying the waste of resources on childish vanities.

This article would more accurately be titled the “dream” of the individual who posted it. It is a nightmare for the poor of Mumbai, and would be an embarrassment for the city of Calgary.

Incidentally, why isn’t the source of the article credited? This article was written by Jim Yardley and printed in the New York Times. Crediting him and linking the article are appropriate uses of others’ content.

Click here to see the Calendar for this month. Use it as a reference by rolling your mouse over the links or just as a reminder. Bookmark it today!

And dinner night for October is the 18th at 6:30pm
Raw Bar at Hotel Arts.
119 – 12th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2R 0G8
Phone: 403.266.4611

Renew yourself with sumptuous, innovative cuisine—in Calgary’s most
cosmopolitan setting—at the Raw Bar. Allow award-winning Chef Duncan Ly and his team of culinary artists create an inspired and personalized dining experience. Begin with the signature Tuna Tataki and Crab and Mango Rolls, sip a hand-crafted cocktail made with fresh exotic fruits, then immerse yourself in a world of perfectly composed
entrees. Experience first-hand why the National Post named Raw Bar one of Alberta’s Ten Best Restaurants.

Check out the website for more details:
http://www.hotelarts.ca/raw-bar.html
Please RSVP to lacraig@ucalgary.ca by Oct. 15

And here’s special notice of Science Cafe on Tuesday, Sep. 28th

This is a venue for adults to hear about the latest scientific developments from local universities, held the last Tuesday of each month, nine months a year. Strong hint – arrive by 6 PM at the latest, or you won’t get a seat – standing room only!

Hope to see you there!

Jeff

Day/Time: Tuesday, September 28 · 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Location: Ironwood Stage and Grill
1229 – 9 Avenue SE, Calgary.

The Arctic: 50 Years from Now
How will global warming change the North? How will it affect the people and environment of the Canadian Arctic? What will the North look like 50 years from now? Join expert researchers in a discussion of the future of the top half of Canada.

This is the first of a series of monthly Science Cafés in our new 2010/2011 season, each co-presented by the TELUS World of Science and University of Calgary and sponsored by AJM Petroleum Consultants. Tonight’s topic is sponsored by The W. Garfield Weston Foundation.

Moderator:
Dr. Shawn Marshall
Canada Research Chair in Climate Change
Department of Geography, University of Calgary

Speakers:
Dr. Christian Haas
Alberta Ingenuity Scholar
Depts. Earth & Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysics
University of Alberta

Dr. Mark Nuttall
Canadian Circumpolar Institute
Professor and Henry Marshall Tory Chair of Anthropology
Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta

The Book Club on the 21st was again a great success, and the five of us offered our opinions on ‘The Prizewinner Of Defiance, Ohio’ – a great book and wonderful movie. Upcoming on the 18th is “Wolf Hall’, a monster of a book that is very long and takes a long time to devour. Better get it soon! Imagine my disappointment when I found that it was historical fiction about Henry VI’s divorce from Catherine, and the Roman Catholic Church, to marry Anne Boleyn, and was not about monsters! So much for that theme costume!. Probably should have read this first: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Hall Please come and visit with us! Bringing snacks is always appreciated. Please contact Vicki at vherd@shaw.ca for details.

Join us for monthly coffee! Monday, May 31st, and Wednesday, June 30th,at The Chocolate bar, 1431 17th Ave. SW – see the calendar for details.

Field Trips season is well on the way, and there are three trips left on the agenda: This is the season for getting out and about and enjoying Alberta’s geology and history! I’ve planned six trips over two months, and you, family, and friends are welcome to join us on any or all. Please RSVP to each field trip, as details may change. Dates are included on the on-line calendar of events, too. If no-one RSVPs, then the trip will be cancelled, as I won’t be going by myself! Trips are also weather dependant, and may be rescheduled.

Sat., June 12/13 Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, Frank Slide, Waterton Lakes (overnight) – rooms are @ $150/night
Sat., June 19th Athabaska Glacier: @ 12 hr. day, $50 to ride the glacier bus
Sat., June 26th Red Deer River Valley – best trip of the season! Bleriot Ferry, Horsethief Canyon, Hoodoos, Rosedale Suspension Bridge, East Coulee Museum, ghost town of Dorothy, steaks at the Last Chance Saloon in Wayne!

Any other ideas? Please let me know!

Come see us Second Tuesday, on the 8th!

Finally, have a look on Facebook for our Calgary Mensa presence there. Thanks to Aaron for setting this up!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5041448982

This is the last LocSec’s Monthly Message until we kickstart the new season in September. Enjoy July and August!