Greater Los Angeles Area Mensa: Regional Gathering 2012

StaRGazing 2012 Schedule

(Please note that this Regional Gathering has concluded!)

Friday, February 17

3:00-10:00pm:	Registration Open

4:00pm:	Games Open	*Beverly Hills Room*
	Hospitality Open	*Calabasas Room*
	Snacks? Dinner? As people are still arriving throughout the start of this holiday weekend, Hospitality will serve substantial snacks throughout the evening without a set time for a dinner break. Catch some nosh between programs!

5:00pm:	Peter Paul Block, Spy vs. Spy: The Deadly Game of Deception Between British and German Intelligence in the Netherlands During World War II	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Sandra Smith, Titans: The Early Greek Gods	*Hollywood Room*
	Apples to Apples (no host, informal play)	*Beverly Hills Room*

6:30pm:	Robin Tyler, Marriage Equality	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Jack Leonard, Solar Power: The Locus of Change	*Hollywood Room*

7:00pm:	Generation X/Y Meet & Greet	*Warner Center Room*

7:30pm:	Ed You, Palabra	*Beverly Hills Room*

7:45pm:	Pub Crawl Departs (first wave)	*Lobby*

8:00pm:	Eric Lafayette, A Journey Celebrating the Wonders of The Early French-American Relationship Through The Lives of Franklin, Washington and the Lafayettes	*Ventura I/II Room*
	David Couper, Why Outsiders Are Key To Any Company's Success	*Hollywood Room*
	Alan Stillson, Sing-Along and Name That Tune	*Warner Center Room*
	Ed You, The Big Bang Theory Trivia Game	*Woodland Hills Room*
	Pub Crawl Departs (second wave)	*Lobby*

9:30pm:	Madeline Walker, Bunco	*Ventura III Room*
	BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) Wine Tasting	*StaRGazers Lounge*

Saturday, February 18

8:00-9:00am:	Breakfast served	*Calabasas Room*

8:00am-Noon:	Registration Open

9:00am:	Peter Paul Block, Oners: Extended Movie Shots That Challenged the Crew, Indulged the Director, and Gave the Cast Nightmares	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Orv Beach, What's New on the Internet?	*Hollywood Room*
	Kat Meredith, American Red Cross in Action: Disasters and Preparedness	*Warner Center Room*
	Noelle Carter, L.A. Times Test Kitchen	*Woodland Hills Room*
	Van Tour to the Getty Villa Departs	*Lobby*

9:30am	Scrabble (no host, informal play)	*Beverly Hills Room*

10:30am:	Sherwood Jones, The Illusion of Reality in Film: An Overview of the Past and New Trends of Today	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Chellie Campbell, Purpose, Passion, and Profits	*Hollywood Room*
	Harry Mallory and Jennifer Venola, Refuse To Be A Victim	*Warner Center Room*
	Jane Engle, Affordable Travel: What You Need to Know	*Woodland Hills Room*

11:00am	New Member Reception	*Calabasas Room*
	Jay Friedlander, Taboo	*Beverly Hills Room*

Noon-1:00pm:	Lunch served	*Calabasas Room*
	Van Tour to the Getty Villa Returns	*Lobby*

1:00-5:30pm:	Registration Open

1:00pm:	Jennifer Karp, Ghost in the Machine: How To Protect Your Identity Online	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Ed You, Werewolves and Villagers	*Ventura III Room*
	Barbara Schiffman, C.Ht., ARCT, Accessing the Akashic Records for Creativity and Conscious Evolution	*Hollywood Room*
	Robert L. Hecker, Renaissance Man — Does It Pay?	*Warner Center Room*
	Stewart Farquhar, Why They Toss Your Screenwriting Masterpiece	*Woodland Hills Room*
	Special offer: Mr. Farquhar will review the first page of each qualifying attendee for free (normally $75) with on-page notes for all those who commit to attending his course by Monday prior to the RG. Further, during class he will draw for five free on-site ten-page consultations. All attendees are encouraged to bring their first ten to class. To qualify for the first page review, send your name and phone number and attach your first and title page to: LAMensaRG@gmail.com by 6:00pm Monday, Feb 13.

2:30pm:	Max Coleman, Looking for Life on Mars and Other Places	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Rosemary The Celtic Lady, Heal Yourself	*Hollywood Room*
	Stephanie Alison Kagel, Exercise and Nutrition and How to Feel Better Now	*Warner Center Room*

2:45pm:	Ed You, Lawyer Games	*Ventura III Room*

3:00pm:	Bryan K. Willis, Whiskey Tasting	*Woodland Hills Room*
	Jonathan Elliott, Monopoly	*Beverly Hills Room*

4:00pm:	Jim Tanenbaum, C.A.S., Shooting James Cameron's Avatar on Location, on the Alien Moon Pandora	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Pamela Jaye Smith, Master Your Creative Process	*Hollywood Room*

4:30pm:	Jonathan Elliott, Carnelli	*Ventura III Room*

5:00pm:	Ray McElfish, Comedy in the Courtroom	*Warner Center Room*
	Rich Kapnick, Whoa! New Evidence that God Exists!	*Woodland Hills Room*

6:00-7:00pm:	Dinner served	*Calabasas Room*

7:00-9:00pm:	Registration Open for Cocktail Party Awards Reception	*Ventura Room*
	Stratton Lindenmeyer, Current Event Discussion	*Ventura III Room*
	Judith Claire & Frank Wiegers, How to Create a Lasting Sexual/Spiritual Relationship	*Hollywood Room*
	Bryan K. Willis, “Off the Wall ” Alcohol Tasting	*Woodland Hills Room*
	Jay Friedlander, Cranium	*Beverly Hills Room*

8:00pm:	Performance by Madeline Mann	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Boggle (no host, informal play)	*Beverly Hills Room*

9:00pm:	50^th Anniversary Kick-Off Cocktail Party and Awards Presentation	*Ventura Room*

11:00pm:	Brian Madsen, Penelope Salinger, Fishbowl	*Warner Center Room*

Sunday, February 19

8:00-9:00am:	Breakfast served	*Calabasas Room*

8:00am-Noon:	Registration Open

8:30-11:00am:	Mensa Testing	*Woodland Hills Room*

9:00am:	Bobbie Kirkhart, President of Atheists United, The A Word: My Life Behind The New Scarlet Letter	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Jana Bickel, A Travesty of Justice or Justified Conviction?	*Ventura III Room*
	Kate McCallum and Ed Lantz, Transmedia, Transformation and the Future of Story: What's on the Horizon in the Worlds of Entertainment and the Arts?	*Hollywood Room*

9:45am:	Jay Friedlander, Bananagrams	*Beverly Hills Room*

10:15am:	Jonathan Elliott, Chess	*Ventura III Room*

10:30am:	Van Snyder, Save the Planet: Eliminate CO₂ and Destroy Nuclear Waste	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Deborah Nourse Lattimore, The Story and the Pictures: Writing, Illustrating and Getting Books Out There for Young Readers	*Hollywood Room*

11:00am	Ronda Wood, Belly Dance for Every Body	*Warner Center Room*

11:15am:	Jennifer Karp, Science Time for Kids	*Woodland Hills Room*

11:00am-2:00pm:	Sunday brunch available at the hotel restaurant (separate charge)

Noon-1:00pm:	Lunch served	*Calabasas Room*

12:45pm:	Tim Griffin, Songs of Science!!!	*Woodland Hills Room*

1:00-3:00pm:	Registration Open

1:00pm:	Donald Prothero, The Holocaust Denier's Playbook: Science Denialism and the Threat it Poses to Society	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Bryan Michael Stoller, Filmmaking For Dummies	*Hollywood Room*
	Jay Friedlander, Carnelli	*Warner Center Room*
	Trivial Pursuit (no host, informal play)	*Beverly Hills Room*

1:30pm:	Michael Wong, Chocolate Tasting	*Ventura III Room*

2:00pm:	The Planetary Society, Is White Light Really White? How Does Understanding Light Help Us Explore Space? and What Are Comets Made Of?	*Woodland Hills Room*
	Backgammon (no host, informal play)	*Beverly Hills Room*

2:30pm:	Dennis Lynch, The Mad King and His Castle	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Elizabeth Oakes, Wedding Planning for Super-Smart People	*Hollywood Room*

3:00pm:	Steven Plaat, Cults, Constructs, Control, and Creativity: What Do Weird Fundamentalist Cultic Groups Tell Us About Human Evolution and Creative Genius?	*Warner Center Room*
	Danila Oder, Kids' Werewolves and Villagers – open to children 9 and up, and adults	*Woodland Hills Room*
	Apples to Apples (no host, informal play)	*Beverly Hills Room*

4:00pm:	Bryan Michael Stoller, First Dog Screening	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Michael Wong, Cheese Tasting	*Ventura III Room*
	Sarah Brin and Simon Wiscombe, Intelligent Designs: How Play and Games are Changing the Cultural Landscape	*Hollywood Room*

4:30pm:	Alan Stillson, Original Interactive Word Games	*Woodland Hills Room*

6:00-7:00pm:	Dinner served	*Calabasas Room*

7:00pm:	Mark Langill, Dodger Stadium: 50^th Anniversary Celebration in 2012	*Ventura I/II Room*
	Jay Friedlander, Time's Up/Colander	*Ventura III Room*
	Dani Kollin and Eytan Kollin, Economy of The Unincorporated Man	*Hollywood Room*
	Penelope Salinger, LCSW, Men & Women: Vive la Difference!	*Warner Center Room*
	Bryan K. Willis, Aperitifs Tasting	*Woodland Hills Room*

8:00pm:	Flashback to the 1960's Improv Games	*Ventura Room*

11:00pm:	Robert Berend, Ask the Sexologist	*Hollywood Room*

Monday, February 20

8:00-9:00am:	Breakfast served	*Calabasas Room*

9:00-9:30am:	GLAAM Annual Business Meeting	*Ventura III Room*
	Robert M. Triplett, Five Ways to Keep Yourself and Your Estate Out of Court	*Hollywood Room*

10:00am:	Ed You, Palabra	*Beverly Hills Room*

10:30am:	Steven A. Sokol, Opportunities and Pitfalls in Real Estate and Business Transactions	*Hollywood Room*

11:00am:	Food Sale	*Calabasas Room*