ATTENTION SOUTHERN CT MENSANS

TEEN MENSANS

Danbury Dinner - Southern Connecticut and CT/Western MA Joint Dinner

Joint Dinner at a new venue: Mario's Pasta Garden, 174 Federal Rd, Brookfield CT 06804 (restaurant phone: (203) 775-0426). Interested Mensans should contact Ward Mazzucco at 203-744-1929, ext 25, wjm[at]danburylaw.com or Rev. Bill Loring at 203-794-1389, fr.bill[at]comcast.net for more info regarding location and/or reservations.

Directions are also available here:
http://www.mariospastagarden.com/ordereze/Directions.aspx.

THEATER: Picnic by William Inge

Performed by the Darien Players, DAC Weatherstone Studio, rear of Darien Town Hall, Post Road and Renshaw Road. Tickets $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $5 for children under 12. Contact Jim Mizera, jmizera[at]hotmail.com or (203) 522-1959.

SCM Monthly Dinner - Annual New Members Dinner

Eric Lehman, author of "BRIDGEPORT - TALES FROM THE PARK CITY (2009)", will talk about his book, which narrates the city's rich history of invention, beautiful parks, and eccentric characters. P.T. Barnum, Tom Thumb, Elias Howe, Abraham Lincoln, Joseph Frisbie, James Beardsley, Igor Sikorsky, Gustav Whitehead, Henry Mucci, Al Capp - they're all part of Bridgeport's story. Eric has taught literature and creative writing at the University of Bridgeport for over a decade, and is president of the Bridgeport chapter of Phi Kappa Phi. He has published essays, reviews, and stories in dozens of journals and magazines.

New members - come enjoy our 2010 kickoff dinner and meet members from all over the area.

Location: The Seelye Room at the Putnam House Restaurant & Tap Room, 12 Depot Place, Bethel CT (Downtown Bethel). Site: www.theputnamhouse.com. Phone: (203) 791-1852. Click here for a map. (The restaurant is less than a mile from our usual monthly dinner location, Tonelli's Restaurant.)

Dress is casual. Before the presentation, we will enjoy dinner. Choose what you like from the menu; restaurant adds tip onto the bill. You can bring a donation of money or food to benefit the Connecticut Food Bank. Contact Jim Mizera, jmizera[at]hotmail.com, 203-522-1959, for information and reservations. Guests are welcome.

POST ROAD Dinner

This month's Post Road Dinner will be held at Shiki Hana Japanese Bistro, 222 Post Rd., Fairfield, CT 06824. Contact Jim Mizera, jmizera[at]hotmail.com or (203) 522-1959, for reservations or info.

Jazz

Milford Performance Coffeehouse, 40 Railroad Avenue South, Milford, CT (at Railroad Station in downtown Milford), Connecticut musician Chris Coogan (http://www.cooganmusic.com) will be performing. Chris is a multi-talented entertainer who, as a composer, performer, teacher, choir director and producer, is rooted in the jazz and gospel traditions. Coogan performs original and traditional music as a pianist and singer. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or by calling the box office at (203) 878-6647. Contact Jim Mizera, jmizera@hotmail.com or (203) 522-1959, for information.

Hockey

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers (http://www.soundtigers.com) play the Norfolk Admirals at Harbor Yard Stadium, Bridgeport CT (I-95 Exit 27, near downtown Bridgeport). Contact Jim Mizera, jmizera[at]hotmail.com or (203) 522-1959, for reservations or info.

Danbury Dinner - Southern Connecticut and CT/Western MA Joint Dinner

See above for location details.

Billiards - West Haven

At U.S.1 Billiards, West Haven CT (I-95 Exit 42) - on the Post Road. Very close to the Orange/West Haven line. Play from 3pm to 8pm for a flat rate of $10. They have Brunswick Gold Crown tables and the cleanest billiard balls in CT. When you enter, look for the table with the Mensa logo.

SCM Monthly Dinner

Speaker to be announced. See above for location details.

New Years Day Brunch (YE)

at LocSec Ann Fitzgerald's home, 1 Essex Road in Old Saybrook, CT 06475. Finger food contributions welcome. The chapter will provide beverages, including a virgin fruit punch and a potent eggnog. We can all start on resolutions January 2nd. Contact annelly[at]comcast.net

West Hartford Lunch (WE)

Wednesday lunch will be held at the Hometown Buffet in the Shaw's shopping plaza off Prospect St. West Hartford. All you can eat, cheap, and the service time is as fast as you can pick up your food!

From 84West: take exit #44 (Prospect). Cross through the light right into the plaza. From 84East: take exit #44 (Prospect). Take left at the light then a left at the next light (you will have crossed over Rte 84) and then a right into the plaza.

There is a large selection of food for a modest cost. We will be seated at the front of the restaurant (away from the food counters). Contact: John Bentley, 860-644-0435

Open Mike Night (WE)

At Peaberry's Coffee Shop on Rte 10 in between Fitzgeralds Market and CVS, Simsbury, CT. This is a regular musician event. If you want to see MensaFran make a fool out of herself, this is the place. Great munchies, coffee, tea, freeziedrinks and stuff. No alcohol. Fun people. Fran Devevo 860-738-8488 leave a message, calls returned about 9 pm or weekends or email mensafran[at]yahoo.com

Scrabble (WE)

At Emmanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Drive, West Hartford. Ellen Leonard, 860-667-1966 (Please call first to make sure this is happening today).

Diner Dinner (semimonthly, 2nd and 4th Fridays)

At Olympia Diner, Rte 5, Newington, just north of the Berlin town line and North East Utilities. Menu ranges from toasted cheese sandwich to steak and fish dinners. Basic bar menu available, no happy hour prices, but the food is good and very reasonable. Questions? For info, contact Howard Brender at 860-635-5673 or howiebren[at]aol.com

Danbury Dinner - Southern Connecticut and Connecticut/Western Massachusetts Joint Dinner (ME, 2nd Friday)

See above for details. Interested Ms should contact Ward Mazzucco at 203-744-1929, ext 25, wjm[at]danburylaw.com or Rev. Bill Loring at 203-794-1389, fr.bill[at]comcast.net for more info and/or reservations.

Breakfast (ME, 2nd Saturday)

At Sal's Diner (formerly Oh Boy Diner / Rosie's Diner), 143 Gold Star Hwy, Rte 184, Groton, CT after Day's Inn, on your right. From New London, bear left on the bridge and exit Rte 184. From Rhode Island, exit 86 to CT 12 / CT 184, turn right on King's Hwy, continue to Gold Star Hwy, Rte 184. For details, call Roger Richards (860)572-1525 or email him at richardsrt[at]snet.net

Mensa Admissions Testing (ME, 2nd Saturday)

C&WM Mensa now holds regular testing in Newington, CT on the second Saturday of every month. Please preregister to attend by contacting the testing Proctor Coordinator, David B. Collier at Testing[at]CWM.US.Mensa.org for more details, including directions. In addition to the regular testing, additional tests will be made available around the region as candidate interest requires. To register for testing updates, go to http://www.us.mensa.org/directtesting and provide an email address. You can also save time at the site by paying for your testing session online at http://www.us.mensa.org/testingvoucher.

Musical Performance

Musical performance by Cece Borjeson and Ruth George at the Boars Head Festival at First Church in Winsted (shows at 4 and 7pm) and Sun. Jan 10 (4pm show). I am not sure how much tickets are but this is a most spectacular and well done show. for those that don't know what it is, it's the three Kings coming and finding baby Jesus and it's extremely well done. Info is at info[at]firstchurchofwinsted.org or call me, Fran Devevo at 860-738-8488 or mensafran[at]yahoo.com

Breakfast (ME, 2nd Sunday)

At the VFW Hall in Manchester. Sunday Brunch hosted by VFW Post 2046 in Manchester, CT from 9:30 AM to 11 am. Enjoy omelets made to order, scrambled eggs, pancakes, english muffins, coffee, tea, juices and more, all for $7.00 pp. Meet you at the Post (608 E. Center St.) around 9:30 am. Take Rtes. 44/6 east thru town until E. Center joins E. Middle Tpke. The Post is on the right side.

Need more info? Call Bill Vincent at 860-646-3007 or email w-vincent[at]sbcglobal.net for details.

Indian Lunch (ME, 2nd Sunday)

Meet us at Haveli India Restaurant for an all you can eat Indian buffet for only $9.95! The food is fabulous and the restaurant is conveniently located at 1300 South Main St., Rte 17 in South Middletown. Call Barb Holstein for a reservation, 860-632-7873 or BarbCPA[at]att.net. RSVP Required. To read about the restaurant, or get directions, check http://www.haveliindia.com

RG Team Meeting

Mensautumn 2009 was a smashing success, so come help plan and implement an even better Mensautumn for 2010. Join the team that brought us such a fabulous event: For meeting location and time, contact Nick Errede 860-229-2179 or NickErrede[at]aol.com

Shoreline Happy Hour (ME, 2nd Wednesday)

In Branford at The Donovan's Reef. Their web site at http://www.donovans-reef.com has a small map, and here are some directions with distances - from I-95 take exit 54/Cedar Street. Proceed south on Cedar Street, crossing Route 1 (North Main Street) for about 0.5 mi. to Rose Street. Take a left on Rose, pass the Post Office on your right and go 0.25 mi. to a driveway on the right where you will enter the parking lot for a number of businesses in a complex known as Lockworks Square. Donovan's Reef is partway through on the left. Locals can also enter Lockworks Square from the Ivy Street side just off of Main Street. Shoreline Foods faces Ivy.

The lounge is on the left inside. We usually reserve the round table in the corner (with potential to annex adjacent ones) and will likely have an "M" sign visible. We start around 5:30. There are free daily bar munchies and numerous tasty items in the comprehensive and modestly priced menu. Hope to see you there! Questions? Contact Mike Wilson at 203-481-2858 or MahoutMike[at]aol.com

Vernon Dinner (ME, 3rd Friday)

At Shea's American Grill on Tolland Turnpike in Manchester, adjacent to Kohl's Department Store. This location is on the overlapped section of routes 30 and 83 about halfway between I-84 exits 63 and 64. Turn at the traffic light into the main driveway to Kohl's. Turn to the right after passing the restaurant to enter their parking area. Contact is John Bentley, 860 644-0435.

Book Discussion

'Tis the season for self improvement resolutions, so in keeping with this modern obsession, join us at Pamela Guinan's home, 323 Griswold Road, Wethersfield, CT, for a discussion of Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health by Gary Taubes.

In 2002, science journalist Gary Taubes published an article entitled "What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?". He argued that reputable scientists were coming around to the idea, advanced by diet gurus like Dr. Robert Atkins, that carbohydrates, not fat, are the ultimate dietary villain. If so, he wrote, "the ongoing epidemic of obesity in America and elsewhere is not, as we are constantly told, due simply to a collective lack of will power and a failure to exercise. Rather it occurred . . . because the public health authorities told us unwittingly, but with the best of intentions, to eat precisely those foods that would make us fat, and we did."

Taubes, a writer for Science magazine, begins by showing how public health data has been misinterpreted to mark dietary fat and cholesterol as the primary causes of coronary heart disease. Deeper examination, he says, shows that heart disease and other diseases of civilization appear to result from increased consumption of refined carbohydrates: sugar, white flour and white rice. When researcher John Yudkin announced these results in the 1950s, however, he was drowned out by the [then new] conventional wisdom. Taubes cites clinical evidence showing that elevated triglyceride levels, rather than high total cholesterol, are associated with increased risk of heart disease-but measuring triglycerides is more difficult than measuring cholesterol. Taubes says that the current U.S. obesity epidemic actually consists of a very small increase in the average body mass index. Taube's arguments are lucid and well supported by lengthy notes and bibliography.

RSVP to Pam Guinan 860-563-5761 or Pamela.cwm[at]hotmail.com

CWM and RI Lady Mensans Meeting

CWM and RI Lady Mensans: Meeting at The Recovery Room Restaurant, 445 Ocean Avenue, New London, CT 860-443-2619. Contact person: Mindy Hoffer 860-447-2408.

SCM Monthly Dinner

Annual New Members dinner. See above for details.

Mystic Dinner (ME, 3rd Tuesday)

Come join CT (and RI) Mensans on the third Tuesday of every month for conversation. Meet at the Steak Loft Restaurant (in the bar area), Olde Mystic Village (Exit 90 off I-95 South). Look for the Mensa owl on the table. All are welcome. RSVP to Lori Norris at 401-781-3247 or lorijnorris[at]hotmail.com. RSVPs recommended throughout the winter, as bad weather may cancel.

Pioneer Valley Dinner (ME, 3rd Thursday)

At India House on State Street in Northampton, MA Questions? Ian Fraser ianfraser[at]usa.net

Happy Hour, (ME, 4th Friday)

At The Holiday Inn in North Haven, web site: http://www.holidayinn.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/nohct?rpb=hotel&crUrl=/h/d/hi/1/en/hotelsearchresults Come on down and join us this month, we'd love to see ya. Contact Gail Trowbridge 203-877-4472 or Gail.Trowbridge[at]att.net.

Diner Dinner (semimonthly, 2nd and 4th Fridays)

At Olympia Diner, Rte 5, Newington, just north of the Berlin town line and North East Utilities. Menu ranges from toasted cheese sandwich to steak and fish dinners. Basic bar menu available, no happy hour prices, but the food is good and very reasonable. Questions? For info, contact Barb Holstein at 860-632-7873 or 860-793-4410 or email BarbCPA[at]att.net, Subject: Diner Dinner

Musical Performance: Dog Star Blue

Dog Star Blue performs at the Granby Pub, Rte 20, Granby Center. This restaurant has full food dinners and drink available. Info, Fran Devevo at 860-738-8488 or mensafran[at]yahoo.com

Pot-Luck Dinner and Games Night

At the home of Lori and Ron Norris, 294 Parkside Drive, Warwick, Rhode Island. Dinner at 6:00 with games beginning shortly thereafter. As a result of some holiday shopping, we have enlarged our game selection. Anyone for Scattergories or Blokus? Trust us or bring your favorite game. RSVPs are appreciated. BYOB and something to share for dinner or snacking during the games. To RVSP or for directions contact Lori at lorijnorris[at]hotmail.com or (401) 781-3247.

Book Discussion

Join us at Pamela Guinan's home, 323 Griswold Road, Wethersfield, CT, for a discussion of Spy Dust: Two Masters of Disguise Reveal the Tools and Operations That Helped Win the Cold War by Antonio Mendez, Jonna Mendez, Bruce Henderson (nonfiction)

"Spy dust" is a chemical marking compound developed by the KGB (Soviet secret police) to help track targeted individuals. It is just one of the tools and techniques discussed by the authors, who headed up the Disguise and Documents Division of the CIA's Office of Technical Service and are now consultants for the CBS TV drama series The Agency. The authors met in the mid-1980s while helping to rebuild U.S. intelligence operations in the USSR, which had been severely crippled by American traitors selling secret information to the Soviets. Included here are fascinating tales of clandestine meetings, narrow escapes, missed clues, ingenious equipment, and various successes and failures, and the reader soon comes to realize that a lot of professional brain power goes into planning and carrying out this deadly game with the highest stakes imaginable.

RSVP to Pam Guinan 860-563-5761 or Pamela.cwm[at]hotmail.com