COVER: - Mensa International



|If you have moved, please send your changes to the |Editor |

|National Mensa address listed inside |Polar Expressions |

| |PO Box 143174 |

| |Anchorage, AK 99514-3174 |

| |First Class Mail |

| |Forward or Return Requested |

Polar Expressions

A Monthly Publication of Alaska Mensa

”Autumn is a season followed immediately by looking forward to Spring."

Anonymous

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

Albert Camus

"October is nature's funeral month.  Nature glories in death more than in life.  The month of departure is more beautiful than the month of coming - October than May.  Every green thing loves to die in bright colors."

Henry Ward Beecher

“There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!”  

Percy Bysshe Shelley

VOL. 35 NO. 10 October 2009

OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS of ALASKA MENSA

|President |Denise Yancey |(907) 243-7504 |

| |yancey@ |

|Vice President |Dan Gilman |(907) 333-7311 |

| |dangchilly@ |

|Sec-Treasurer |Norma Gertson |(907) 338-5950 |

| |nlg@ |

|Member-at-Large |Nancy Welch |(907) 743-9883 |

| |mal@.org |

|Program Chair |Betsy Campbell |(907) 677-7616 |

| |program@ |

|Scholarship Chair |Carol Schlitte | |

| |cschlitte@ |

|Gifted Children’s |Position available |-- |

|Coordinator | |

|Main Proctor |CarolAnne Mocarski |-- |

| |proctor@ |

|North Proctor |Joe Nava |(907) 479-2340 |

| | |

|Webmaster |Dan Gilman |(907) 333-7311 |

| |dangchilly@ |

|SIGHT Coordinator |Dana Spinney |907-317-5028 |

| |sight@ |

| |hummingbrdhrt@ |

|Newsletter Editor |By Committee |

The Mailing Address for Alaska Mensa Is:

(Individual’s name or committee name)

Alaska Mensa

PO Box 143174

Anchorage, AK 99514-3174

PLEASE NOTE:

For security reasons, Mensa Alaska uses your address on file with American Mensa. If you have changes to your address or to your other contact information please mail them directly to:

AMERICAN MENSA

1229 CORPORATE DRIVE WEST

ARLINGTON, TX 76006

or, you can go online at us.profile and make your changes there.

Polar Expressions is the monthly publication of Alaska Mensa. We highly encourage all members to submit news, announcements, articles, puzzles, pictures and letters to the Editor for inclusion! We do, however, reserve the right to edit for purposes of clarity and space, and to decide if or when a submission will be published. All submissions should be sent to the editor at the mailing address on this publication. Please limit your letters/articles to not more than 250 words. Preferred media for contribution to Polar Expressions is via email, in MS Word or WordPerfect. Legible hard copy is also accepted. Material not bearing a specific copyright may be reprinted by other Mensa publications, providing that it is credited to Polar Expressions. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are the opinions of individual writers.

Great websites:

: Librarian’s Internet Index – what librarians use when you ask them a question. Reliable and interesting.



See where the ash from Alaska’s Mt. Redoubt volcano would fly if it happened right now – takes into account the effect of wind direction, speed and the volcano’s explosive force.

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Congratulations to Joe Nava, North Proctor. He was inducted into the UAF Athletic Hall of Fame in a ceremony on September 26, 2009. He was inducted along with his rifle coach, who is now deceased. A total of 10 people in that Hall of Fame are from the sport of shooting. Way to go, Joe!!

Regional action: Our own Eugenia Aadland, Anchorage member, will be attending the Reno-ssance October 2nd to October 4th in Reno, Nevada. We will be printing her report in the next Polar Expressions.

We will soon have a more permanent home for a games night as Betsy Campbell is in the process of purchasing a home. She has an area just right for a couple of game tables, and has volunteered to host this event. Check back next month for further details.

Announcements

Book Exchange: Every Saturday at breakfast, we have a book exchange. Members bring books they are done with and offer them to the group. Lately, popular selections have included science fiction, fantasy and mysteries. It is not necessary to bring a book to walk away with one – we know that Mensans can be particularly attached to their libraries!

National Mensa Testing Day 2009 is officially Saturday, Oct. 17, but test sessions are being scheduled around the country throughout the month of October and into early November. More then 1,300 people took the challenge last year; don't miss the chance to pit your wits against the Mensa Admission Test! If you know someone who is interested in joining and would like to take the test, contact CarolAnne Mocarski or Joe Nava.

In Anchorage, there will be testing on October 17, 2009, at 4300 B Street, Suite 505 beginning at 11:00 am. As the lobby of this building is locked on weekends, someone will meet prospective testers in the lobby and escort them to the test sight. Please plan to arrive by 10:30 am. The cost is $30.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Note: Please always check for all the latest information and times, or call our program chairman, Betsy Campbell, at 677-7616.

Board Meeting: 1st Wednesday of every month at 5:30 p.m. at the Village Inn, 4403 Spenard Road, Anchorage.

Saturday Morning Breakfasts:

Every Saturday morning from 9:00 to 11:00am at Doriolas, 510 W. Tudor, between C and Arctic Streets. We have a room in the back.

Eagle River Dinners: 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month at 7:00 pm Location to change regularly – contact MaryRose Clark at (907) 355-6688.

ALASKA M’s FACEBOOK SITE

If you are interested in being added to our Facebook site, please contact Matt at: matt-i@. This group is for Alaskan M's and other M's interested in Alaska and Mensans living there. This group is not affiliated with or representative of Alaska Mensa or American Mensa limited other than the fact you must be a Mensan to join the group. (For more information about American Mensa or Alaska Mensa please visit their Websites at us. and ) Please provide you name and the name of the local group you are a member to verify you membership. This is a secret group. The group will not appear in search results or in the profiles of its members. Membership is by invitation only, and only members can see the group information and content.

Halloween Quote

After eating chocolate you feel godlike, as though you can conquer enemies, lead armies, entice lovers.  ~Emily Luchetti

To: All members of Mensa Alaska

Subject: Nominations for office

In accordance with the bylaws of Mensa Alaska, the nominating committee is now accepting names of individuals who wish to run for the offices of Treasurer and Member-as-Large. You may submit your name or that of another, providing that the proposed individual has been contacted by you, and has given his/her consent to run for the office in question and is willing and able to serve in the particular capacity if elected. The term of office is two years, beginning on January 1, 2010.

All proposed names must be submitted to and received by the nominating committee prior to October 15, 2009.

Your submission must include both the individual’s name and the office for which he/she is being nominated.

Thank you for your submissions. The ballots for the election will be mailed to the membership in November and tallied in December. Results will be published in the January newsletter.

Alaska Mensa Nominating Committee

Dana Spinney, Chairman

Nominations are to be mailed to the PO Box address shown on the first page, inside cover of this issue.

SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

The winner of the local scholarship for 2009 is Elizabeth Anne Phillips, of Anchorage. Her essay was judged by local members to be the best submitted. She was also awarded the Karen Cooper Scholarship on the National level.

A check for $500 has been issued along with a certificate and given to the young lady.

Congratulations, Elizabeth. We wish you well.

This is Punny!

1.The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whisky maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie. 10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization..

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here, I'll go on a head.'

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then, it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said, 'Keep off the Grass.'

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'

17. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects. 18. It's not that the man did not know how to juggle, he just didn't have the balls to do it.

19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

20. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

21. A backward poet writes inverse.

22. In democracy, it's your vote that counts. In feudalism, it's your count that votes.

Simple Living Part 2 Home ownership - Living within your means

by Betsy Campbell

Part of my approach to simple living is to keep my expenses low. I choose to shop at thrift stores and WalMart. I shop loss leaders at the food stores. I recycle, reuse, reduce and repair. I do without. I live below my means so I have money to use on things I value – travel, charitable giving, cultural activities, my dogs, among others. The problem is, I have chosen to purchase a home in Anchorage and this has thrown my previous conservative financial life into a tailspin.

I moved here just over a year ago and have been renting since then. I have two dogs, so my options were limited. Despite the obvious love for pets here in Alaska, no one wants to rent to pet owners. I found a townhouse owned by a pet lover. It fit the bill for what I needed at the time perfectly, although the rent is $1600/month (plus utilities). This is much more than the mortgage on my last house! Having not rented for 25 years, I have not been entirely comfortable living in someone else’s home. That, and the low mortgage interest rates and a small lull in the Alaska real estate market led me to look for a house to buy.

The first step was to get preapproved for a mortgage. The housing market across the US has really taken a hit and Alaska is suffering for it. For instance, if 20% or more isn’t put down on the home, private mortgage insurance (PMI) is required until 22% of the home equity has been paid. Because of the financing mess, PMI is not available for those who have less than 10% to put down. Only 3.5% down is required for an FHA loan and the government guarantees the loan (although there is a charge that corresponds to PMI), but their guidelines have become stricter. Consequently, without great credit and a hefty down payment, it is nearly impossible to get financing.

Because my credit score is over 800, I wasn’t worried about qualifying for a mortgage. What shocked me was that I qualified for a mortgage of $330,000! For Anchorage real estate, this doesn’t seem like a great deal of money. For me, at more than three times my annual income, it is loads more than I was looking to spend. Perhaps this is one reason the mortgage industry is in such a mess. If people are told they are qualified for certain dollar amount, they look for that upper limit. It is the same mentality as some of those with credit card debt – you have a $10,000 limit on a credit card, so that means you have $10,000 to spend. I can tell you, that if I bought a house for $330,000 and had a $3500/month mortgage, I would be bankrupted in a matter of months.

The question becomes, how much house can I afford verses how much house do I need? I have purchased a home for quite a bit less than the amount I approved for. However, it will still represent a hefty monthly payment. Dave Ramsey, a radio personality and author with a financial advice program believes that homes should be paid for with cash. If that is not possible, a 15-year mortgage with 20% down would work. I personally would NEVER have enough cash to buy a home if I followed his advice. The house I am purchasing is quite a bit more than I need. It is just me and my two dogs (small ones, at that), so our needs are minimal. However, the problem I ran into was that a very small, basic house tended to be older, in worse shape and in less desirable neighborhoods. So, with weighing all the factors, my decision was made.

I have chosen, despite the huge hit my budget will take, to buy my own home. I will have some tax benefits as well as building equity. Buying versus renting is a personal choice and dependent on many factors. The difference in my rent and mortgage is so little that it seems like a good move to me. I am fortunate that I can afford to choose. I also suspect that I will die before my house is paid off. So what are they going to do, kick me out?

Halloween Facts

Halloween, or more correctly, Hallowe’en, is always celebrated on October 31st. Halloween is also known by other names, including: All Hallows Eve, All Hallowstide, the Feast of the Dead, the Day of the Dead. The tradition started a couple of thousand years ago in the British Isles by the Celts. The Celts celebrated the end of the growing season and harvest and the beginning of the cold, dark months with a festival called Shamhain. The druids believed in the spirits of the dead and thought that they mingled with the living at this time of year. The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.

All Saints Day became November 1st when Christianity came to Europe. Consequently, the evening before became All Hallows E’en, eventually becoming Halloween. The following are Halloween facts:

• Legendary magician Harry Houdini died in Detroit from a ruptured appendix on Halloween in 1926.

• Trick-or-treating is thought to have its origins in a European custom called souling where people would beg for "soul cakes."

• Halloween also is recognized as the 3rd biggest party day after New Year's and Super Bowl Sunday.

• Pumpkins are a fruit that originated in Central America.

• The largest pumpkin grown was recorded on October 2, 2004 weighing 1,446 lbs.

• Pumpkins, and their seeds, were a celebrated food of the Native American Indians who treasured them both for their dietary and medicinal properties.

• Illinois grows more pumpkins than any other state in the country. It harvests nearly 12,300 acres of fruit.

• Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.

• Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.

• Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.

• Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the roman harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.

• Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first.

• Chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters with Snickers #1.

• In 1921, Anoka, Minn., held the first official, citywide observance of Halloween in the U.S.

• On Halloween, Irish peasants would beg the rich for food. For those that refused, they would play a practical joke. So, in an effort to avoid being tricked, the rich would hand out cookies, candy, and fruit – a practice that morphed into trick-or-treating today.

• Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America

• The U.S. consumer spends upwards of $1.5 billion on Halloween costumes annually and more than $2.5 billion on other Halloween paraphernalia, such as decorations, crafts, etc. More than $100,000 of that is said to be spent online

• In the movie “Halloween” the mask worn by Michael Meyers is actually the mask of William Shatner painted white

• 'Halloween" was made in only 21 days in 1978 on a very limited budget.

• The movie was shot in the Spring and used fake autumn leaves.

• While the setting for the story is in Illinois, the license plates on the vehicles have California plates.

Compiled from:

halloween_facts.asp





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