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MEETING NOTICES NOVEMBER 2001 Balloon Pricked by Cactus Talk 'n' Tacos Is No More Due to the decision of the management of Cactus Annie's to close on Tuesday evenings, the first Tuesday of the month Talk 'n' Tacos conversation event has been cancelled for the foreseeable future. We are looking for a potential place to resurrect the idea, perhaps in an even better format. But due to the current congested calendar of the organizer, don't expect any news until after the first of the new year.... Speaker at General Meeting The Delaware Mensa General Meeting will be on November 8 at Dover’s Best Diner, on Rt. 113 right at the Rt. 13/ Rt. 113 split. Dinner is at 7:00 pm, open menu. (The easiest way to get there is take Rt. 1 to exit 104, turn left (south) onto Rt. 13, drive for about 3.5 miles, and bear left at the Rt. 13/ Rt. 113 split (take Rt. 113) The Diner will be about 200 feet on your right.) At 8:00 pm - a talk by David C. Warner, P.E., a Senior Test Engineer with Amtrak. The title is: ACELA EXPRESS: From Dreams to Reality Learn about how Amtrak’s Acela Express service between Washington and Boston became a reality after over 40 years of effort to bring high-speed rail to the United States. The presentation begins with a brief history of the Metroliners in the 1960s, and concludes with a description of the equipment testing performed and railroad improvements constructed for Amtrak’s new Acela Express service. Also featured are interior views of the trains. David C. Warner, P.E. is a Senior Test Engineer with Amtrak, in Wilmington, Del. He is responsible for performing ride quality tests of new and existing equipment to ensure compliance with federal safety standards. For the past two years he has been extensively involved in the high-speed qualification tests of the new Acela Express trainset. Dave was also the assistant program manager for the introduction of RoadRailer bi-modal equipment, as well as the Talgo trainsets in the Pacific Northwest Corridor. Dave joined Amtrak in October, 1996, following a 20-year career in the Navy where he helped win the Cold War as a nuclear-trained submarine officer. The Media in the New Millennium Meeting Report 11 October 2001 Salty Sam’s PIER 13 Restaurant. By Dee Richardson Allen Loudell, Program Manager and News Anchor at 1450 WILM NEWSRADIO WILM NEWSRADIO is a unique radio station. It is the only independently-owned all-news station in the country. And Allen is probably uniquely-qualified to maintain the high standards which keep the station in its niche. His international network of news contacts seems to be limitless and his zeal as a newscaster is obvious to listeners. Here are some of Allen’s comments: • The bias in the media is NOT political. There is NO conservative/liberal debate. The bias is towards tabloidism, trying to cater to a younger group. • USA TODAY is primarily responsible for creating and fostering this condition. • Young white females are the most disinterested in the media. Young people are devoid of ideological content. The weather is becoming a major focus! • Technological advances will lead to the demise of FM music stations. They are now promoting “40 minutes of uninterrupted music” which allows listeners to tune out the advertising. You can download music from cyberspace in your car – who needs the radio? • Concerning the current situation: o Modernism is associated primarily with America; it is repugnant to Middle Easterners o We are an “instant gratification” culture; short term vs long term o What would happen if half of our young men went to college and majored in Christianity or Judaism? With the Afghans, the Saudis and the Pakistanis, they have all these young men with religious educations and nothing else to do, which leads to xenophobic intolerance. • His thoughts on what might be next: o A hit on a major communications facility would affect the entire nation o A hit on a mid-size, Midwest city would erase any remaining comfort from the thought that, “It can’t happen here.” Our questions ranged from technical ones about the differences between various transmission methods to comparisons between NPR and WILM. (WILM is a close second, he feels.) (I agree – In addition to Allen’s input, their airing of Radio Netherlands, Deutsche Welle, Kim Komando’s computer show and the Commonwealth Club puts them right up there!) Allen’s schedule (he’s on the air at 5:30 am) and the restaurant closing time kept us from badgering him with questions late into the night, which we could have done! Of the 17 attendees, we had 10 members, 4 guests, 1 member each from Delaware Valley Mensa and Lonestar Mensa (!) and, of course, our fine speaker. Thank you, Allen! XCOM MEETING MINUTES Delaware Mensa Minutes of ExCom Meeting 18 September, 2001 The ExCom met at the home of Dee Richardson. Attending were: Maria Sawczuk, Loc Sec Ed Lombardi, 2nd Councilor Dee Richardson, Treasurer Fran Joseph, Recording Secretary Keith Johnson, Newsletter Editor Betty Ward, Downstate Coordinator Copies of the current bylaws of Delaware Mensa (adopted and approved by the AMC in 1989) were distributed. Members of the ExCom are to be prepared to suggest, and/or discuss any changes needed to bring these up to date. Judith Armstrong will be asked to serve as 1st Councilor (Programs). Dee will ask Allen Loudell, program director of radio station WILM, to speak at our next general meeting, which will be held at Salty Sam’s Pier 13 Restaurant on October 11. Mr. Loudell’s topic is, "The Media in the New Millennium.” November 8 has been set as an alternative date if he is not available in October. The December 13 meeting will be a holiday party, and the January meeting, a games night. Locations have not been decided. (see calendar, ed.) Members will be asked to send Ed Lombardi suggestions of games they’d like. Ed Lombardi reported that, as of tonight, he has 15 adult reservations for the visit to the exhibition on Syria. He will be waiting outside the museum at 11 A.M., and will be carrying a Mensa balloon. National Testing Day will be held on October 20 at 10 A.M. at Charis House, which is located on the Kennet Pike (Del. Rt. 52) between the Methodist Country House and the Delaware Museum of Natural History. Maria will send out a press release about this, and also will try to set up radio interviews on Stations WILM and WPLY. Fran reported that she has tested 4 prospects in the last month. Of these, two have joined and two have been offered membership. She will also be testing a candidate on September 29. The next ExCom meeting will be on October 16, at the home of Betty Lou Ward in Camden. Respectfully submitted, Fran Joseph, Secretary |
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