May 2010 - Tampa Bay Mensa

Vol. 35, No. 4
May 2010
A Publication of Tampa Bay Mensa
Tampa Bay Sounding
MAY
Welcome to Tampa Bay Mensa!..........3
May Birthdays...................................3
LocSec Column.................................4
Letters to the Editor..........................5
RVC Column for Region 10................6
Financial Audit..................................7
Treasurer’s Report.............................8
Name the Event Contest....................9
Beach Bash Registration...................9
May Mensaversaries........................10
Urban Cowboy.................................11
Calendar of Events..........................12
May 2010 Calendar..........................14
Serial Fillers ...................................17
The Alchemist..................................18
Cryptopoem.....................................19
Suzaku........................................20
May 21-24
On the Beach!

A Publication of
Tampa Bay Mensa
Tampa Bay Sounding (USPS 305­830)
Tampa Bay Mensa
9091 St. Andrews Dr
Seminole, Fl 33777
Mensa is an international society whose sole
qualification for membership is a score at or
above the 98th percentile on a standard IQ
test. Mensa is a not­for­profit organization
whose main purpose is to serve as a means
of communication and assembly for its
members. All opinions expressed herein are
those of the individual authors, and not
necessarily those of the editors or officers of
Mensa. Mensa as an organization has no
opinions. Tampa Bay Mensa serves
Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, and
Sumter counties.
Visit American Mensa at:
http://www.us.mensa.org
For full instructions on
how to join tbm­gm and
tbm­discussion, our two
Yahoo! groups, visit
TBM at
Submission Guidelines
Tampa Bay Sounding encourages submissions
from all members. Submissions must be signed,
but names may be withheld or pseudonyms
used if requested. All letters to the editor will be
subject to publication unless the author
specifically requests otherwise. All material
submitted will be considered for publication, but
nothing can be guaranteed. Everything is
subject to editing. Please keep the following
guidelines in mind:
• Articles, casual essays, opinion pieces,
poems, short stories, puzzles, and artwork
are all encouraged.
• Personal attacks and bigoted, sexist, hateful,
or otherwise offensive material will not be
published.
• E­mail submissions are preferred, either
embedded or in Word­readable attachments.
Computer printouts and typewritten pages
are fine. If you submit hard copy, please
make sure your printer has enough toner or
your typewriter has a fresh­enough ribbon.
Legible handwritten submissions will be
considered (but not given preference).
You may send your submissions by either of the
following means:
E­mail: editor@tampa.us.mensa.org
(Please indicate “TBM” in the subject header.)
U.S. Mail: Ronan Heffernan, 27504 Breakers Dr,
Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
http://tampa.us.mensa.org Unless otherwise specified in the calendar,
the deadline for unsolicited contributions is
the fifth day of the month.
Tampa Bay Sounding is the official
newsletter of Tampa Bay Mensa, American
Mensa local group number 10­335. © 2010 Tampa Bay Mensa. All rights reserved. All material in
this issue not copyrighted by individual contributors may be reprinted in other Mensa publications,
provided that credit is given to the author or artist and to the Sounding. Prior written consent of the
editor is required for any other reproduction in any form. Any Mensa publication reprinting Tampa
Bay Sounding material is requested to send a copy to the editor.
SUBSCRIBE!: The subscription cost for local members is partially remitted from annual dues paid
to American Mensa Ltd. Tampa Bay Sounding is available to other Mensans and to non­Mensans
at an annual subscription cost of $12.00. To subscribe, send a check, payable to Tampa Bay
Mensa, to the Treasurer: Kathy Crum, 7164 Quail Hollow Blvd., Wesley Chapel, FL 33544­2525.
ADVERTISING POLICY: The Sounding offers free classified ads to Tampa Bay Mensa members for
services, items for sale, jobs wanted/available, personals, etc. Ads should be no longer than 50
words. Classified ads need to be renewed on a monthly basis if you wish them to appear in
consecutive issues. Tampa Bay Mensa and the Sounding are not responsible for the content of
ads. All commercial ads are subject to the following rates: Full page ­ $60; Half page ­ $30; Quarter
page ­ $15. Members of Mensa pay half these rates.
Page 2
Tampa Bay Sounding

Welcome to Tampa Bay Mensa!
Thomas P Carter Jr
David C Conn
* Ryan Ferguson
Randall F Greene
* Nicholas R Henriquez
Todd LeCuyer
* Michael Marez
* Joseph Mohr
Christopher O'Malley
Carl August Paleveda
John Wesley Parker
Joseph Robbio
Cassandra J Robertson
Arthur Robert Schwartz
Leo Sirois
* New member; others are moves in, preferences in, or reinstatements
May Birthdays
05/01/10 Jeremy Jackson
05/02/10 Pamela Denise Farnsworth
05/03/10 Eloise Riley Hurst
05/05/10 Thomas Andrew Timberlake Sr
05/06/10 John Charles Beaumont, Thomas Handcock, John Stanley Keeling Jr
05/08/10 Todd Tokish, Paul Wartenberg
05/10/10 Lewis Prichard
05/11/10 Mary Alice Collins
05/12/10 Allison Jirsa
05/14/10 Kenneth Maliq Louis
05/17/10 Sean Dobes, Paul Sutcliffe
05/21/10 Michael Cecil
05/22/10 Joseph Hudson Lucas
05/23/10 Jimmy Buford, Rebecca Sinnreich, John Stuart Turnbull
05/26/10 Mark Williams
05/28/10 Susan Gardner, Sheldon Livingston Jr, Elizabeth Anne Nace,
Christopher Orozco
05/29/10 Pamela Lynn Dodge
05/30/10 Jay Andrew Nelson
05/31/10 Kathleen Marie Cotter, Pete Rodney Stiles
May 2010 Page 3

LocSec Column
Sylvia Zadorozny
It’s Spring, and TBM events are “bustin’out all over!” In North Pinellas county,
we just held our Spring Picnic (thank you, Maxine Kushner). On Treasure
Island, our Regional Gathering—Return to Beach Bash—will be the weekend of
May 21­24. And in Tampa, we’re scheduling a PEP Rally for June 12.
Beach Bash is sure to be a lot of fun. Speaker topics include home brewing,
polygraphs, movie special effects, and a travelogue on France. We’ll make crafts
(weave palm fronds, dye silk), play games (beach games, assassins, casual table
games, tournaments), try our hands at a trivia contest, and enjoy an armchair
treasure hunt. The food will be delicious, the company charming. This is
Tampa Bay Mensa’s biggest event of the year—Mensans travel from all over Florida
to join us. (Thank you to Dana Groulx, Sandy Davanzo, and Barbara Loewe
for organizing Beach Bash.) See you there!
PEP Rally plans are progressing nicely. We’ve picked the date—June 12—and
Eloise Hurst has been checking out possible rental sites in Tampa. This is an
all­day event with fun workshops designed to help volunteers learn valuable
leadership skills. The National Office is funding it and helping with planning.
Participation is limited to 30 people. If you’re interested in attending, please
send an email to or call 813­855­4939 (leave a
message). Sign­ups will be first come­first served. (As an aside, I’m still getting
emails sent to my old email address. Please, if you email me, change my edress
in your records to , as I’ll be canceling the verizon
account soon. Thank you!)
The TBM Scholarship Committee has picked a winner for our local TBM $500
scholarship. Unfortunately we cannot announce that winner yet or we’d disqualify
our entrant from any scholarship at the national level. A few of us Loc­
Secs posted emails about this, and now the National Office is looking into the
timing of announcing scholarship awards.
American Mensa announced that membership for the 2009­2010 fiscal year
ended at an all­time high of 57,947. This is the 12th year in a row that membership
has grown, quite a feat considering the economy. For the full story,
plus others, check out www.community.us.mensa.org/journals.
Ever wonder what other local group newsletters look like Many newsletters are
now archived on the American Mensa website. Go to http://www.us.mensa.org/newsletters
and enter your member number and password. (If you don't
know your password, there are instructions on how to get it.) From there, use a
combination of the four drop­downs—Month, Region, Local Group, or Newsletter
Name—to select a newsletter in .pdf format; then click “search and filter”.
Be aware that many groups have not uploaded all (or perhaps any) of their
newsletters. Happy reading!
Page 4
Tampa Bay Sounding

Letters to the Editor
First,
Bravo Buck Beasom!
To Al Thomas RE: The Alchemist/
Borrowed Money:
What a wonderful explanation of the
benefits of leverage in the early paragraphs
of your article. What surprised
me Al is that you didn't recognize
that the same idea in fact applies
to government spending, in many of
the same ways but for different reasons.
Economies are not closed systems
like your personal checkbook or
a business's balance sheet, they are
in fact open systems that greatly benefit
from moderate debt with an economic
multiplier.
A dollar taxed and used for program
benefits or infrastructure investments
is not a dollar that vaporizes "un­productive",
it rather swirls many times
over as the funds are expended in the
form of jobs/paychecks that are then
further spent on local area goods and
services and utilized (and ultimately
leveraged) into local economies by an
economic multiplier (and yes, taxes
are collected on the very tax dollars
that were paid out, in most cases
many times over). It is not only possible
that the economy will grow from
the stimulus dollars spent, it is certain.
At a cost of course, but that too
has a consideration that the Washington
economists are willing to take
a gamble on. No doubt you understand
the time value of money ­ a dollar
today is worth more than a dollar
tomorrow. So theoretically the payback,
even with interest, which is
locked into today's dollars (so long as
the interest rate is not oppressive) will
in fact be lessened over the decades it
takes to pay it back.
Value is a tricky thing and confidence
has a good will factor to it that can
not be underestimated. With unemployment
where it is and the current
tentative nature of valuations on
some very large ticket items (real
estate), the risk of not pouring these
dollars into the economy could be
genuinely catastrophic. It's not about
the borrow and spend ­ it's not like a
personal loan or even a business loan
­ it's an economy. If you borrowed it
and burned it, then you might have a
problem; but otherwise, because it's
an economy, the money can not be
spent without creating economic
expansion. The payback is in the
productivity and innovation that provides
growth to the economy again.
We do all share the payback but it's
fractionalized. And because the stimulus
money stimulates, customers
come walking through the door of
your business or job related company
again ­ it keeps food on your family's
table (dollars you spent at a store,
which employed people who paid
taxes and ate too... and so on) Most of
us would be happy to pay the fractional
portion of something to Uncle
Sam rather than go without.
The alternative to the stimulus is
severe economic contraction in which
the wealthy get wealthier because
those who can not hold on at the level
of basic needs are forced to part with
anything of value at depressed numbers
to survive. Or worse, become
wards of the government (where do
you think that money comes from).
The wealthy don't have to survive,
they just pare down and buy up the
valuables of the desperate at substantially
lower prices knowing their
return will come in the future. The
stimulus package supports the "aver­
Continued on page 16
May 2010 Page 5

RVC Column for Region 10
May 2010 Mel Dahl
First of all, I want to extend my sincerest condolences to former Gainesville locsec
Anne Lambert on the loss of her husband, Robert. For years the Lamberts
effectively kept the Gainesville group alive; Anne retired from active officership a
few months ago to take care of Robert. Anne, thanks for all your hard work and
let us know if you need anything.
On another note, one thing that has occurred to me as I’ve traveled throughout
the Region is how many local groups aren’t that far from one another. I’ve
enjoyed getting to know people from all the local groups in Florida, and I would
encourage all members to check out the local group activities for other groups
than your own. Find a few members from your group and do a road trip to
somebody else’s First Friday. Go on­line to the national Website:
http://www.us.mensa.org/newsletters and see what other groups are up to.
It’s a great way to meet some new Mensans and have fun while you’re doing it.
(And I strongly encourage all editors to make sure that their local publications
are posted to national’s Web site for that reason.)
I hope to see many of you at Tampa’s RG May 21­24; they’re returning to the
beach this year and I’m hearing good things about it. My husband, who is a
playwright, has an opening night that weekend so I’ll be floating back and forth
between the two events, but I will be there and I look forward to catching up to
old friends and making new ones. As usual, I’ll be having an RVC rap to discuss
what’s going on nationally within Mensa.
Finally, I just finished sending my annual report on Region 10 for publication in
the Mensa Bulletin, and as I was writing it I was impressed with all of the hard
work that the local groups and their officers do. You’ve heard me say this
before, but it’s worth repeating: Most of the good stuff that happens in Mensa
happens at the local level. So thank you, one and all, for all of your efforts. I
may be biased, but I think I represent the best region in the country.
Dolores Puterbaugh, Ph.D, LMFT, LMHC, PA
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
801 West Bay Drive, Suite 436
Largo, Florida 33770
The Wachovia Bank Building
727-559-0863
puterbaugh@mindspring.com
balancedlifestylecoaching.com
Services Include:
• Individual counseling
• Family & couples counseling
• Anxiety, depression, grief, stress, anger
• Children’s behavior problems
• Personal growth/development
• Consulting/Coaching services
• Presentations for organizations
Memberships:
Clinical Member of American Association
for Marriage & Family Therapy; American
Counseling Association; Mensa; TNS
Page 6
Tampa Bay Sounding

Financial Audit
Jay Johnson
On January 31,2010 Brandy Robinson, Jay Johnson and Kathy Crum performed
an audit of the financial records of Tampa Bay Mensa for the years 2009
and 2008 in the following manner:
Process: Brandy took one year, Jay took the other, Kathy was at hand to answer
questions, or help us dig for paperwork. Brandy and Jay checked each bank
statement against check records, receipts, and reports previously submitted to
the ExComm. All data is entered via QuickBooks, all reporting is generated
from QuickBooks. This lent thoroughness and consistency throughout the
review process.
Results: No discrepancy was found in either year. Files are in perfect order.
Kathy is extremely knowledgeable and thoroughly understands the job and how
to handle QuickBooks. The reports generated bi­monthly for the ExComm are
complete with exceptions explained by Kathy and picked up in later reports,
usually having to do with time lags.
Further Action: Kathy will generate reports for inclusion in Sounding and web
site as requested by the ExComm. Next audit will be performed January 2011.
Recommendations: Keep Kathy as Treasurer. Try to find a volunteer she can
begin to train. No other recommendations, no suggested changes to the system.
Personal Observations: No one is doing inordinate spending. Many members are
spending their own money, gas being the most obvious, and not applying for
reimbursement from the treasury.
One additional report I would like to explore the possibility of adding would be
to have a final number in each bi­monthly report. Currently we know where we
are year­to­date, but I have no idea where we are this meeting vs. last meeting. I
understand that this figure is probably not relevant due to the aforementioned
time­lapses, but I always like to know are we up or are we down.
Jay Johnson, Performer of Audit, one of two. Signed March 29, 2010
xkcd.com – Spinal Tap Amps
May 2010 Page 7

Treasurer’ s Report
Kathy Crum, TBM Treasurer
Treasurer’s Report November 10, 2008 to April
1, 2010
This Treasurer’s report gives the general membership
a quick update on the finances of Tampa
Bay Mensa. Since my last report, it has been a
little busy in the Treasurer’s realm. We are looking
forward to a great time at the 2010 Back to
the Beach RG in May, and registrations have
been coming in since last June. TBM's finances
are still in good shape, as we continue to have a
large surplus held over from years past.
The TBM certificate of deposit matured in January 2010. The good interest
rates we saw in the past are just a memory in this economic climate. Therefore,
we moved the money from the CD account to the regular checking account,
where it gives us a little bit of interest, but is not tied up unnecessarily.
If you need reimbursement for an approved expense, please mail or email the
details of the expense, and don’t forget to attach your receipts!
Till next time…
ASSETS as of 11/10/08
Wachovia Checking...............$ 5185.18
Countrywide Bank CD.......$ 12112.50
Fifth Third Bank Checking.....$ 105.15
2nd Class Mailing Account .....$ 79.01
TOTAL.................................$ 17481.84
ASSETS as of 04/01/10
Wachovia Checking............$ 16905.53
Fifth Third Bank Checking.....$ 110.15
2nd Class Mailing Account ....$ 506.19
TOTAL.................................$ 17521.87
CASH FLOW 11/10/08 to 04/01/10
INCOME
Advertising Income.................$130.00
ARRR­G ‘09:
Registrations....................$ 7365.00
Misc Expenses.................­$ 3741.10
Food Expenses, Ice...........­$ 6151.94
TOTAL RG ‘09...................­$ 2528.04
Beach Bash ’10:
Registrations...................$ 2454.59
Food Expenses.................­$ 500.00
TOTAL Beach Bash ’10......$ 1954.59
Interest Income .................. $ 530.89
National Support............... $ 9897.95
Proctor Revenue..................$ 1215.00
Contributions ­ Scholarship. . .$ 45.00
Contributions ­ TBS...............$ 80.00
Contributions ­ Teen SIG........$ 70.00
Subscriptions.........................$ 36.00
Misc. Income..........................$ 56.30
TOTAL INCOME...................$ 11487.69
EXPENSES
Miscellaneous Expenses....... $ 338.51
Fees......................................$ 277.50
Postage­ Miscellaneous..........$ 850.63
Postage ­ TBS......................$ 1572.82
Printing ­ TBS.....................$ 5394.97
Office Supplies......................$ 210.64
Proctor Costs..........................$ 90.65
Scholarship...........................$ 500.00
Socials..................................$ 225.00
Refreshments......................$ 1986.94
TOTAL EXPENSES...............$ 11447.66
OVERALL GAIN .......................$ 40.03
Page 8
Tampa Bay Sounding

Name the Event Contest
Actual quote from member: “If we advertise ‘leadership development workshop’,
it’s guaranteed that nobody will show up.”
We can motivate and educate our volunteers so they will stick with us and perhaps,
take on more responsibility. The program exists but needs a catchy
name. Your fresh ideas are needed. What should we call this kind of free training
According to the Leadership Guidebook:
We provide free standardized courses to train a pool of Mensans from which
local group officers can be recruited.
Improve the skills and knowledge of local group officers, enabling them to better
serve the group.
NAME THE EVENT and WIN THE PRIZE! If you are the winner, you will receive
a $50.00 gift certificate good for merchandise of your choice from the Fox Imaging
Mensa gift store. PLUS your local group will receive up to $1,000.00 for
holding an event that you get to name. (One winner per region.)
Rules: Send the NAME OF THE EVENT, along with your name, address, e­mail,
phone and the name of your Local Group to: LDW@us.mensa.org with “NAME
THE EVENT” in the Subject Line, or by snail­mail to: PEGGY PANNKE­SMITH,
National LDW Chair, 1009 Alder Way, Longmont CO 80503. Deadline is June
15, 2010. PRIZES AWARDED at the Awards Luncheon in Dearborn Michigan
during the 2010 Annual Gathering.
Beach Bash Registration
Starting May 1st, registration is $100 per adult. Child and daily rates,
and online registration and payment via PayPal are available on our
website: http://tampa.us.mensa.org/ To register by mail, make checks
payable to “Tampa Bay Mensa”:
Kathy Crum, Registrar
7164 Quail Hollow Blvd.
Wesley Chapel, FL 33544.
Name:
Address:
Email:
Hotel Information
Bilmar Beach Resort, 10650 Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island, FL 33706. Ph: (877) 834-
0441 or (727) 360-5531. Mensa group rates:
$119 for a Gulf front room, $139 for a balcony efficiency.
May 2010 Page 9

May Mensaversaries
45 Years Cynthia de Berry Fisher
40 Years Dr Allen F Garber
33 Years John E Evan
32 Years Matthew Curtis Cooper
31 Years Marilyn Wolf
30 Years John W Woerner
29 Years Christopher J Clement, Michelle Stencel
27 Years Mildred Louise Satterfield
26 Years Capt Bruce Keith Bohnker MC USN
25 Years Dr Charles L Lardent Jr
24 Years Sandra Louise Sorenson, Sylvia Zadorozny
23 Years Joanna S Gili, Penny Ann Levin
21 Years Gerri Almand, Janet Carol Darmanin
20 Years Rudolph Frederick Trosin
19 Years Roland A St Marie Jr
18 Years James H Brower
16 Years Col Rick David Craig
15 Years Anne T Murray
12 Years Chris Hachey
11 Years Audrey W Silver, Ltc Jon R Smith
10 Years Piers Barnard, John D Cattel
9 Years James B Clack, Geoff LeCain, Elizabeth Jean Rafaloski
8 Years Charles Godfrey
7 Years Larry Paradis, Bob Wood
6 Years Catherine Hall, Keith Lussen
5 Years Laurel Moore
4 Years Mary Lou Clark, Dr John Khosh, Dr Mary S Khosh, Justin M Ponsor,
Alexa Swangler
3 Years Conor Cushing, Tyler House, Robert D Rhodes
1 Year Scott D Kurland, Thomas E Mooser, Alfred Paul Oliver
Note: Years are for continuous membership - members who let their
membership lapse start from the date of reinstatement.
ExComm Report
Minutes of the ExComm meetings will no longer be printed in the Sounding.
The entire Minutes Report can now be found on the website: www.tampa.us.­
mensa.org.
Page 10
Tampa Bay Sounding

Urban Cowboy
Bud Urban
The Death of Edna
...And all my days are trances.
And all my nightly dances
Are where thy gray eye glances
And where thy figure gleams
In what eternal dances
By what eternal streams.
­­Poe
Well, her eyes weren't gray, but the
rest seemed to fit, as did the year,
1984. I had thought that when I
would write this story of Edna's death,
it would be the conclusion of an
account of our 25½ years of marriage.
However, the current clamor over a
government health plan says I should
do it now.
Edna was in kidney failure. The treatment
was dialysis. The government
had a “gatekeeper” supervising such
cases in this area. I was still in practice
then, and the gatekeeper and I
were friends and colleagues. I'm sure
he didn't want to kill my wife, but the
government forced that outcome.
At that time, someone with cancer was
not eligible for dialysis. X­rays showed
that a tumor, in an area which had
cleared up years before, was apparently
recurring. Edna had had a hysterectomy
for cancer at age 18, years
before I met her. She was now sixty. I
felt that the government had things
backwards, and she needed kidney
function to throw off the toxins of cancer
or anything else.
The gatekeeper prescribed her
Demerol to die on, and sent her to the
hospital, where he thought she might
last one day. Mercifully, she was in a
coma by that time. The doctor at the
hospital preferred that his patients die
on morphine, so he switched her prescription.
In the hospital, she lingered
for days.
So that Edna wouldn't be alone, our
friends Izella and MaryElizabeth each
took an 8­hour shift each day to stay
with her. I took the other eight hours.
Finally, when every cell in her body
was bursting with fluid, Edna died.
The next year, the government decided
that Medicare would pay for dialysis.
Gatekeeping in that area was discontinued.
As if that weren't enough,
after Edna's death, also in the 1980's,
I was dating a girl named Maureen, no
marriage here, companionship. The
time period, it was when singers would
do “YMCA”, and contort their bodies to
form the letters.
Also in kidney failure, Maureen was on
dialysis. But her doctor said the dialysis
wasn't holding her – and recommended
that she be put on the list for
a kidney transplant. Enter another
gatekeeper. Maureen had had a heart
valve replaced, and this meant she
was not eligible for a kidney transplant.
That took her hope. “I think I'll give
up”, she told me. I thought she must
be in a lot of pain, or she wouldn't give
up. “You are one of my favorite people”,
I told her, “but I can't ask you to
stick around just for me.” She took
her cat, “Big Boy”, to the veterinarian.
Then she found a home for him. Then
Maureen died.
May 2010 Page 11

Calendar of Events
May 2010
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat
For calendar updates, check out the online calendar at:
http://tampa.us.mensa.org/cal
1
2 3 4 5
Reading
Group
6
Lunch
Bunch
7 8
Fossil Dig
Games
Night
9 10 11
12 13
14
15
TNT
(Tuesday
Night
Trivia)
Lunch
Bunch
Breakfast
Gathering
Buzztime
Trivia
Bagels on
the Beach
Gourmensans
16
17 18 19
20
21
22
FSM
Reading
Group
Lunch
Bunch
Beach Bash
Beach Bash
23
24
25 26 27
28
29
Beach Bash
Beach Bash
Lunch
Bunch
Fourth
Friday
Madness
30 31
Page 12
Tampa Bay Sounding

Beach Bash — May 21- 24, 2010
Tampa Bay Mensa returns to the beach for their 2010 RG at the Bilmar
Beach Resort on Treasure Island Beach (877) 843-0441. We will open at
noon on Friday. There will be sandwiches and such for you to munch on.
Dinner will be served from 6:00pm onward and will be Turkey Tetrazini.
Activities on Friday will have the start of the Assassins Tournament, a
Limbo Ice Breaker, a program on Home Brewing, a Wii Tournament and a
Hearts tournament.
Saturday morning, you will wake up to fresh crepes and omelets in
hospitality. After eating, we have programs by a local author and a
travelogue on France. Lunch in hospitality will be Welsh Rarebit and Plum
Cake. Following lunch there will be a movie trivia contest where you are
given the quotes but have to guess the film and a horror movie special
effects artist will speak and even bring a few props. We also have beach
games, with a greased watermelon relay, Volley Gator, and Gator vs. Whale
relay. Pool games follow with an octopus ring toss, turtle bean bag toss and
bucking whale contest. The hotel will start the dinner buffet at 6:00pm with
Roast Sirloin, Grilled Chicken Breast, and Penne Pasta with Vodka Sauce.
Following dinner, actor Jack Amos will speak about his experiences in the
horror movie genre. His film, 1000 Tears, will follow. For those not into
dismemberments, there will be a PJ Party just for girls. We also have a
poker tournament at midnight.
Sunday will have a light breakfast in hospitality for those who need food
before the hotel catered breakfast/brunch. You may want to grab something
before heading out for the sand castle building contest. The brunch starts at
10:30 and ends at noon, so you can eat at your leisure. We will give out
trophies and have an RVC chat during the brunch. Following brunch, a
detective will discuss polygraph forensics. But, don’t go home yet, at
2:00pm we will have Jack & Jacquie Brawner’s Armchair Treasure Hunt.
After the hunt, there will be dinner served in hospitality and the final trophy
presentations. After the early dinner, make a sand candle to take home with
you. The games room will remain open until Monday morning when we
break down.
Register on-line, or see the printed registration form on page 9.
May 2010 Page 13

May 2010 Calendar
Mensa events are open to all Mensans, their spouses, and accompanied
guests. A party at a private home is a private event, and who may or may not
attend is at the complete discretion of the host. While kitty amounts are
mandatory, hosts often spend far more than the specified amount. Donations
in excess of the kitty amount will be appreciated.
Please e­mail your calendar event notices to calendar@tampa.us.mensa.org,
or visit http://tampa.us.mensa.org/cal for complete instructions. To have
event announcements sent directly for your email, sign up for the tbm­gm
group at Yahoo! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tbm­gm/
Your deadline for the following month’s calendar is the 5th of the preceding
month. Hosts: Please remember to mention any special concerns about
your location, such as limited access for the handicapped, smoking restrictions,
or presence of pets.
Guests: If you have special needs or restrictions, it is prudent to discuss
them with your host before attending an event.
May 5 7:00pm Reading Group
Location: Perkins Restaurant, 612 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa
We meet twice per month (on the first and third Wednesday). Our meeting
location is Perkins on Dale Mabry, just north of Kennedy. Bring along books
you'd like to exchange or give away.
Ronan Heffernan (813) 732­2310 ronansan@gmail.com
May 6 12:30pm Lunch Bunch
Location: Piccadilly Cafeteria, 11810 North Dale Mabry, Tampa
We meet at Piccadilly Cafeteria (next to Barnes and Noble Bookstore) in
Tampa. For directions, descriptions, and/or encouragement to attend, call:
Jim Perry (813) 837­3473 philart@gte.net
May 8 8:30am Fossil Dig
Location: Vulcan Phosphate Mines, Brooksville
IMPORTANT: You MUST be on time. We will enter the mines at 9 am. Anyone
not there at that time will not be allowed in. Child members, or member's
children, must have a parent or legal guardian present to participate. I will
have waiver forms for everyone to sign before we go in. To reach Vulcan, take
I­75 north to Exit 301, Brooksville/ Rt 98. Go ten miles to Brooksville and
follow the signs for Rt. 98 north. Go another ten miles north of Brooksville
on 98 and watch for the CEMEX/ Vulcan signs on the left side. Wait by the
highway entrance. You will be driving in, so you will have access to any coolers
you may bring. I would suggest bringing snacks and PLENTY of water. It
gets hot, so dress appropriately. You might want to bring sunscreen. Please
RSVP by email by the Friday before so I can have a good idea of how many
are coming. I have scheduled this to coincide with the Tampa Bay Fossil
Page 14
Tampa Bay Sounding

Club dig so that we may have some experts there who can answer our questions.
I do not bring tools, but you may wish to bring a hand shovel. RSVP
to:
Theresa Hohmann (727) 942­7732 giftedchildren@tampa.us.mensa.org
May 8 7:00pm Games Night
Location: 20810 Nectarine Place Land O Lakes FL 34637
Barbara Loewe 813­968­3343
May 11 7:00pm TNT (Tuesday Night Trivia) in Brandon
Location: Buffalo Wild Wings, 2055 Badlands Drive, Brandon
Join us for Buzztime Trivia every second Tuesday at Buffalo Wild Wings.
Tuesday is when the rest of the national NTN­SIG plays (join the SIG at NTN­
SIG­subscribe@yahoogroups.com). Tuesday features Buzztime's Brainbuster,
Glory Daze, and Showdown games. Buffalo Wild Wings is a full restaurant
and bar, so you can socialize even if you don't play trivia.
Thomas Thomas (813) 994­3981 FardleBear@gmail.com
May 13 12:30pm Lunch Bunch
May 14 7:30am Breakfast Gathering
Location: Village Inn, Walsingham Road, Largo
Gather for food and conversation. Please call ahead for directions and so we
have a headcount.
Lori Puterbaugh (727) 399­2419
May 14 7:00pm Buzztime Trivia
Location: Prime Time Sports Grill, Carrollwood
Buzztime Trivia (formerly NTN Satellite Trivia) is a nationwide contest held in
assorted restaurants and bars in our region. Three short rounds of five questions
each are interspersed with breaks for conversation and socializing. We
meet in Carrollwood at Prime Time Sports Grill which puts the trivia games
on a BIG screen! Look for the table with our mascot, Owlgernon. Come join
the party!
Thomas Thomas (813) 994­3981 FardleBear@gmail.com
May 15 8:00am Bagels on the Beach
Location: Indian Rocks Beach
I'll bring the bagels and cream cheese, you bring your own beverage. There
is free public parking on 19th­27th Avenues. I will be set up near the 27th
Ave beach access. Look for a pinky­beige (laundering accident) oversized
beach towel and a rainbow beach umbrella. Join us for bagels, conversation,
swimming and shelling. RSVP
Therese Hohmann theresahohmann@yahoo.com 727­686­1880
May 15 7:00pm GourMensans
Location: Mi Bandera, 7748 W. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa
This month a double feature, cuisines of Colombia and Puerto Rico.
Papan Devani ­ 727 483 9552 ­ ikretikre@gmail.com
May 16 12:00pm FSM : Fold, Staple, Mail
Location: TBD
May 2010 Page 15

Once again it's time to Fold, Staple and Mail! Come join in to help get the
next issue of the Sounding out to all our members. And be one of the first to
see it for yourself!
Thomas Thomas (813) 994­3981 FardleBear@gmail.com
May 19 7:00pm Reading Group
May 20 12:30pm Lunch Bunch
May 27 12:30pm Lunch Bunch
May 28 6:00pm Fourth Friday Madness
Location: Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, 6700 U.S. 19 N., Pinellas Park, FL
Come party on down with us every fourth (not necessarily last) Friday at the
Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, 6700 U.S. 19 N. in Pinellas Park from 6pm
to whenever. This is just southeast of Gandy Boulevard. RSVP to
Phoebe McCann at (727) 546­4030 or theboogiewoman1@yahoo.com
Letters to the Editor (continued)
age American" by putting dollars into
programs that help us keep a balanced
economic system in place
empowering the working class citizens
to repair the economy. I am not a fan
of big government spending, fat and
unnecessary programs or large
national debt. But these are no ordinary
days. The government is there
like shock absorbers and if we ever
needed them, we need them now.
The debt for stimulus dollars will benefit
the majority of us and it will get
repaid through the natural course of
economic growth. I expostulate that
the debt created by the stimulus is not
"non­productive" and it is not the ominous
legacy you picture it to be. You
can not compare economic debt to personal
or business debt because those
are closed systems, an economy is not.
For many reasons, they are not
affected by a dollar of debt in the same
way. This is a common misnomer that
causes many to fear government
spending in a way that is actually
erroneous.
Natalie Feldman, CCIM, CIPS
xkcd.com – Honor Societies
Hey, why do YOU get to be the president of Tautology Clu­­ wait, I can guess.
Page 16
Tampa Bay Sounding

Serial Fillers
To round­out the page­count for publication, here is some not­quite­random
public domain content. If you would like to submit articles, stories, etc. for
publication, please see the Submission Guidelines on page 2.
ON THE DECAY OF THE ART OF
LYING
by Mark Twain [Samuel Clemens]
Observe, I do not mean to suggest
that the custom of lying has suffered
any decay or interruption­­no, for the
Lie, as a Virtue, A Principle, is eternal;
the Lie, as a recreation, a solace, a
refuge in time of need, the fourth
Grace, the tenth Muse, man's best
and surest friend, is immortal, and
cannot perish from the earth while
this club remains. My complaint simply
concerns the decay of the art of
lying. No high­minded man, no man
of right feeling, can contemplate the
lumbering and slovenly lying of the
present day without grieving to see a
noble art so prostituted. In this veteran
presence I naturally enter upon
this theme with diffidence; it is like an
old maid trying to teach nursery matters
to the mothers in Israel. It would
not become to me to criticise you, gentlemen­­who
are nearly all my elders­and
my superiors, in this thing­­if I
should here and there seem to do it, I
trust it will in most cases be more in a
spirit of admiration than fault­finding;
indeed if this finest of the fine arts
had everywhere received the attention,
the encouragement, and conscientious
practice and development which this
club has devoted to it, I should not
need to utter this lament, or shred a
single tear. I do not say this to flatter:
I say it in a spirit of just and appreciative
recognition. [It had been my
intention, at this point, to mention
names and to give illustrative specimens,
but indications observable
about me admonished me to beware of
the particulars and confine myself to
generalities.]
No fact is more firmly established
than that lying is a necessity of our
circumstances­­the deduction that it
is then a Virtue goes without saying.
No virtue can reach its highest usefulness
without careful and diligent cultivation­­therefore,
it goes without
saying that this one ought to be
taught in the public schools­­even in
the newspapers. What chance has the
ignorant uncultivated liar against the
educated expert What chance have I
against Mr. Per­­against a lawyer
Judicious lying is what the world
needs. I sometimes think it were even
better and safer not to lie at all than to
lie injudiciously. An awkward, unscientific
lie is often as ineffectual as the
truth.
Now let us see what the philosophers
say. Note that venerable
proverb: Children and fools always
speak the truth. The deduction is
plain ­­adults and wise persons never
speak it. Parkman, the historian, says,
"The principle of truth may itself be
carried into an absurdity." In another
place in the same chapters he says,
"The saying is old that truth should
not be spoken at all times; and those
whom a sick conscience worries into
habitual violation of the maxim are
imbeciles and nuisances." It is strong
language, but true. None of us could
live with an habitual truth­teller; but
thank goodness none of us has to. An
habitual truth­teller is simply an
impossible creature; he does not exist;
he never has existed. Of course there
Continued on page 22
May 2010 Page 17

The Alchemist
NEVER LOSE MONEY IN THE
STOCK MARKET
It lost money in the market, but you
might want to pass this article along to
a friend.
Way back in 1984 anyone could buy
AT&T at $5.00 per share and put it
away. It always went up for 15 years to
$60. It paid a nice dividend every year
too.
From the 1999 high of $60 it
dropped below $20, then rallied to $40
and now is trading around $25. The
woulda, coulda, shoulda guys said I
coulda bought it at $5 and coulda sold
it at $60 and shoulda never bought it
back at $40. Hind sight is always
20/20.
Everyone is looking for that stock
that skyrockets. Remember PMC
Sierra Started at $4 and in about a
year went to $250 and in one more
year was back at $30 and is now trading
at $9. YUK! Maybe you were smart
enough to buy it at 5 and sell it at 225.
There are a lot of folks that still have it
in their portfolio hoping it will .
The most expensive trading word in
the market is one called hope. It never
pays off. And almost every broker will
tell his clients to hang on because it
will . This is another portfolio breaker.
Remember Enron
Are there any stocks now getting
ready to take off like PMC Sierra
Sure, but you will have find them. As a
professional trader of many years I
can't. And neither can your broker.
Brokers are taught to get you to buy –
anything. They are not taught how to
protect your profits if you should be
lucky enough o ride one of those skyrockets.
You have to learn that.
Al Thomas
Many, many years ago I took a stock
market trading class with an old trader
from Detroit. It was expensive, but he
taught the single most important trading
method: HOW TO SELL.
The secret of the stock market is not
buying; it is selling. Every professional
trader I know always has one thought
in mind when he takes a new position:
How much will I allow myself to lose if I
am wrong. The pro thinks about
losses not profits. Limit losses; profits
take care of themselves.
Every individual position must stand
on its own. Just because there is a
profit in another stock do not let the
good one hold off selling the bad one.
Every position in a portfolio should
have some kind of exit strategy. The
best is a trailing stop loss of some kind
that the brokerage company will place
every day. A simple GTC (Good Til
Cancelled) order you follow up each
week or month will work very well.
Over the last decade the Buy N Hold
S&P Index funds lost (yes, lost) 25% of
the investors money. A simple timing
strategy made money.
Learn how to sell. Unless there is an
exit strategy investors never make
money in the stock market.
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 http://www.mutualfundmagic.com
and discover why he's the man
that Wall Street does not want you to
know.
Copyright 2010 Williamsburg Investment
Co. All rights reserved.
Page 18
Tampa Bay Sounding

Cryptopoem
Sylvia Zadorozny
GTO NGHTRTF DBOT ASHRTF DUA RT BOH EOOTA--
U NGHT EG U SGOE'A DRABRTF,
UKK ERTEOY RT YOKRWUEO SRTZA UTY FHOOTA--
NRAA LOAARO UTY R DOTE CRABRTF. ...
R DREB NJ HGY, NJ HOOK, UTY NJ BGGZA,
UTY U BUNSOH CGH KITWBRTF HOWOAAOA;
ABO DREB EBO LURE GC BOH WGNOKJ KGGZA,
UTY EBO AORTO GC BOH FGKYOT EHOAAOA. ...
UKK EBO TGGT R KUJ RT EBO KRFBE GC BOH OJOA,
UTY YHOUNRKJ DUEWBOY UTY DUREOY.
LIE EBO CRAB DOHO WITTRTF, UTY DGIKY TGE HRAO,
UTY EBO LUREOH UKGTO DUA LUREOY.
UTY DBOT EBO ERNO GC YOSUHEIHO WUNO,
NJ LUF BITF CKUE UA U CKGITYOH;
LIE LOAARO BUY TOUEKJ BGGZOY BOH FUNO--
U BITYHOY-UTY-CRCEJ SGITYOH.
--BUHSOH'A DOOZKJ
May 2010 Page 19

Suzaku
Thomas George Thomas
Suzaku (from Japanese sousaku: search) is a compound puzzle. The first
step is to solve it as a traditional sudoku puzzle, using letters instead of numbers.
The second step is to search for words in the solved sudoku. Start from
any letter, moving up, down, forward, backward or diagonally in any direction,
changing direction as needed without reusing the same square for a word.
Although there are nine letters in this puzzle, words can be longer if you can
find them. (There is a hint for this puzzle on page 21.) For extra credit, score
the words using their associated number values to try to find the highest word
points.
Page 20
Tampa Bay Sounding

The theme word for this month's Suzaku is 11 characters long, using all nine
letters for a total of 47 points. The shaded square is the starting position for
the theme word. Respond to FardleBear@gmail.com with the theme word (or a
word with a higher point count) to be entered into a drawing for a $5 gift card to
Barnes & Noble. Responses are due by May 15 and the winner will be
announced in the June Sounding.
There were no
responses for the March
contest, with the theme
word “APPROXIMATE”
for 54 points, so the gift
card will be added to
the April prize.
(Remember, if you can
find another word with
a higher point values
than the theme word,
you will qualify to win
the gift card! For the
April contest, I have
received two non­theme
word responses, and
they have qualified for
the drawing.)
Answer to the April Cryptopoem:
The April rain­drops tinkle
In cuckoo­cups of gold,
And warm south winds unwrinkle
The buds the peach­boughs hold. …
A rosy robe is wrapping
The early red­bud trees;
But still the haws are napping,
Nor heed the honey­bees. …
And yonder, gayly swinging
Upon the turning vane,
A robin redbreast singing
Makes merry at the rain!
"Showery Time" by Evaleen Stein
May 2010 Page 21

Serial Fillers (continued)
are people who think they never lie,
but it is not so­­and this ignorance is
one of the very things that shame our
so­called civilization. Everybody lies­every
day; every hour; awake; asleep;
in his dreams; in his joy; in his
mourning; if he keeps his tongue still,
his hands, his feet, his eyes, his attitude,
will convey deception­­and purposely.
Even in sermons­­but that is a
platitude.
In a far country where I once lived
the ladies used to go around paying
calls, under the humane and kindly
pretence of wanting to see each other;
and when they returned home, they
would cry out with a glad voice, saying,
"We made sixteen calls and found
fourteen of them out" ­­not meaning
that they found out anything important
against the fourteen­­no, that
was only a colloquial phrase to signify
that they were not at home­­and their
manner of saying it expressed their
lively satisfaction in that fact. Now
their pretence of wanting to see the
fourteen­­and the other two whom
they had been less lucky with­­was
that commonest and mildest form of
lying which is sufficiently described as
a deflection from the truth. Is it justifiable
Most certainly. It is beautiful, it
is noble; for its object is, not to reap
profit, but to convey a pleasure to the
sixteen. The iron­souled truth­monger
would plainly manifest, or even utter
the fact that he didn't want to see
those people­­and he would be an ass,
and inflict totally unnecessary pain.
And next, those ladies in that far
country­­but never mind, they had a
thousand pleasant ways of lying, that
grew out of gentle impulses, and were
a credit to their intelligence and an
honor to their hearts. Let the particulars
go.
The men in that far country were
liars, every one. Their mere howdy­do
was a lie, because they didn't care
how you did, except they were undertakers.
To the ordinary inquirer you
lied in return; for you made no conscientious
diagnostic of your case, but
answered at random, and usually
missed it considerably. You lied to the
undertaker, and said your health was
failing­­a wholly commendable lie,
since it cost you nothing and pleased
the other man. If a stranger called and
interrupted you, you said with your
hearty tongue, "I'm glad to see you,"
and said with your heartier soul, "I
wish you were with the cannibals and
it was dinner­time." When he went,
you said regretfully, "Must you go"
and followed it with a "Call again;" but
you did no harm, for you did not
deceive anybody nor inflict any hurt,
whereas the truth would have made
you both unhappy.
I think that all this courteous lying
is a sweet and loving art, and should
be cultivated. The highest perfection
of politeness is only a beautiful edifice,
built, from the base to the dome,
of graceful and gilded forms of charitable
and unselfish lying.
What I bemoan is the growing
prevalence of the brutal truth. Let us
do what we can to eradicate it. An
injurious truth has no merit over an
injurious lie. Neither should ever be
uttered. The man who speaks an injurious
truth lest his soul be not saved
if he do otherwise, should reflect that
that sort of a soul is not strictly worth
saving.
The rest of this essay, and thousands of
other public domain texts are available
from Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org
Page 22
Tampa Bay Sounding

Local Secretary
Sylvia Zadorozny
651 Timber Bay Cir. W.
Oldsmar, FL 34677
813-855-4939
locsec@tampa.us.mensa.org
2009­2010 Tampa Bay Mensa Officers
Executive Committee
Deputy LocSec
Barbara Loewe
20810 Nectarine Place
Land O’
Lakes, FL 34637
813-968-3343
asstlocsec@tampa.us.mensa.org
Treasurer
Kathy Crum
7164 Quail Hollow Blvd.
Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
813-907-0526
treasurer@tampa.us.mensa.org
Proctor Coordinator
Thomas George Thomas
27647 Sky Lake Circle
Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
813-994-3981
testing@tampa.us.mensa.org
Program Officer
Maran Fulvi
320 19th St.
Palm Harbor, FL 34683
727-421-4728
programs@tampa.us.mensa.org
Gifted Children’
s Coordinator
Theresa Hohmann
3460 Dryer Ave
Largo, FL 33770
727-686-1880
giftedchildren@tampa.us.mensa.org
Member-at-Large
Eloise Hurst
3615 W Renellie Cir
Tampa, FL 33629
813-839-2695
eloiserh@hotmail.com
Web Spinner
Ronan Heffernan
27504 Breakers Dr.
Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
813-732-2310
webmaster@tampa.us.mensa.org
Member-At-Large
Maxine Kushner
7442 Hollylake La.
New Port Richey, FL 34653
727-841-6043
maxine.kushner@verizon.net
RVC, Region 10
Mel Dahl
1503 E Marks St
Orlando, FL 32803
407-317-8570
mel.dahl@mindspring.com
Publicity & Gifted Children’
s
Co-Coordinator
Melissa Stephens
12202 N 22nd St, Apt 433
Tampa, FL 33612-4957
813-476-5405
melissalstephens@aol.com
Scholarship Chair
Marilyn Wolf
9452 Conservation Dr
New Port Richey, FL 34655
727-372-9825
wolfen25@ij.net
Other Contacts
Ombudsman
Frank Clarke
150 Colette Court
Oldsmar, FL 34677
727-452-7399
ombudsman@tampa.us.mensa.org
Publisher
Sylvester (Les) Milewski
9091 St Andrews Dr
Seminole Fl 33777
727-397-8483
LesMiles@aol.com
S.I.G.H.T. Coordinator
Susan Anderson
10733 Dowry Ave.
Tampa, FL 33615
813-494-6517
susiea1000@aol.com
Scribe
Jay Johnson
5051 Cardiff Dr
Holiday, FL 34690
727-934-9575
jayjohnson5295@yahoo.com
Proctors
Barbara Counts
Jay Johnson
Fran Orenstein
Thomas Thomas
Sylvia Zadorozny
Membership Officer
Sandy Davanzo
727-867-2119
membership@tampa.us.mensa.org
American Mensa Ltd. 1229 Corporate Dr. W. Arlington, TX 76006-6103 817-607-0060
Tampa Bay Sounding (USPS 305­830) is published monthly by Tampa Bay Mensa at 9091 St.
Andrews Dr., Seminole, FL 33777. Periodicals postage paid at St. Peresburg, FL
Postmaster: Send address changes to: Tampa Bay Sounding, c/o American Mensa Ltd. 1229
Corporate Dr. W., Arlington, TX 76006­6103.
May 2010 Page 23

Postmaster:
Send Address Changes to:
Tampa Bay Sounding
c/o American Mensa Ltd.
1229 Corporate Drive West
Arlington, TX 76006-6103
TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL
Periodicals Postage Paid
At St. Petersburg, Florida