Mensans,

 

Our Pretoria SiG coordinator will soon be sending out this notice to our membership. You are welcome to engage via the detail on this post as well.

 

Dear Members,

 

Please indicate if you are interested in any of the underneath ideas for SIG’s (Special Interest Group).

There are three options.

1.       Member – if you are interested but do not have the time to contact other SIG members and a venue.

2.       Organizer – depending of the size of the SIG, this position will also be the Chair. To organize SIG members and Venue.

3.       Chair - depending of the size of the SIG, this position will also be the Chair. To run the meeting (if needed) and keep SIG members within the rules of Mensa.

 

Please feel free to include any SIG’s you think might also be viable in the blank space under “Charity SIG” and I will update in the next newsletter.

 

Name	Description	Member	Organizer	Chair	Comment
Hiking	Hiking and mountain climbing
Fly-fishing	When fishing becomes an art form
Invention	Formal SIG where the best ideas will be made a reality
Social	different events, lots fun
LAN	Computer Gaming and Freeware exchange
Wine tasting	For the refined alcoholic with an intellectual problem
Philosophy	Anything goes - not for the easily offended
Board games	From Zombies to Risk, Chess to Coinage
Public speaking	Based on the toastmasters club
Vampire SIG	Play the victim! Donate your blood to the blood bank
007 SIG	Build up to the new 007 movie
Charity SIG	Use your time to help those in need

 

Best regards
Kolver Kruger 
Nokia Ops Co - Southern Africa+27 79 490 6219

Please note that I will be on leave from the 12th of December 2014 until the 7th of January 2015

 

 

 

 

LONDON, September 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Sanity and reason are still best weapons against cyberthreats but people act against them too often 

Kaspersky Lab and Mensa are inviting Internet users to a very special challenge over the summer. The Global Think Testis made up of a series of online brain games meant to challenge the combination and calculation skills of participants. On the 'Global Think Test Day' on September 6, 2014, a global competition will be held, with the chance for those demonstrating the best combination skills to win US $25,000. The organisations are trying to make people aware of the fact that sanity and reason are still the best weapons against many cyberthreats, psychologists say that as humans, our behaviour is often geared towards being social and shaped by limited cognitive resources. So we need to train our alertness.

Playing games is in our DNA - but it's also an Internet phenomenon. According to a recent Kaspersky Lab survey, 29 per cent of Internet users worldwide play online games. We love it because it changes our perspective. Prof. Frank Schwab, media psychologist at University of Wuerzburg comments: "Being in some sort of 'gaming mode' means triple impact: cognitive and emotional processes are affected, leading to behavioural effects. Gaming may elicit strong emotions that may influence cognitions and finally behaviours within and even beyond the game." So playing can help us train for unusual situations.

Still our brains are not used to interaction with digital devices, which makes it easy for criminals to create situations in which we might make wrong decisions. As social beings we are led by basic principles: trust, authority, diffusion, helpfulness, curiosity and reciprocation, all of which can be misused by criminals. Threats are evolving and it becomes more and more difficult even for experienced users to quickly decide if a website is fake or real. So we have to train our alertness - to be able to quickly decide if a situation is dangerous or not.

Psychologists would say there are two general aspects that make us fall prey to cybercriminals when they use social engineering strategies. Besides the 'issues' of social beings, the limitation of our cognitive resources plays an important role. "We are not godlike creatures. Thus, we are not able to discern and evaluate every detailed piece of information in a complex situation. If the amount of information we have to process simultaneously is too high, the possibility of making mistakes and performing worse increases", says Schwab. "We are simply not able to consider all the information given and to reflect about all the possible outcomes, especially under time pressure. And no one lives forever. As a result, we have to tend to mental shortcuts."

Focus and alertness need to be trained

We need to train our brains to quickly take the right decisions. The Global Think Test was designed to give participants challenges which require decision making under time pressure.

"The brain games which were developed together with Mensa are designed to make us aware of the fact that we are often not paying enough attention to detail," says Alexander Erofeev, Chief Marketing Officer, Kaspersky Lab. "In today's online world it is getting more and more important to develop a kind of digital risk literacy. Part of this is to be alert and recognise threats when we encounter them. Training this in a playful way is one of the aims of this Global Think Test Challenge, because developing these skills is as important for staying safe as installing security software."

The Global Think Test 

Kaspersky Lab teamed up with Mensa to develop a series of challenging combinatory online games and riddles. Partners like Scuderia Ferrari and cricket-legend Sachin Tendulkar are running special contests in which you can win a signed pair of racing gloves from Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen or a signed Sachin cricket bat.

The Global Think Test website is packed with all sorts of brain-training games, puzzles and IQ tests to help participants flex their mental muscles. And it also gives everyone the chance to register for the competition - Global Think Test Day - and win the main prize.

September 6, 2014 is Global Think Test Day, when a worldwide online challenge invites all participants to put their brainpower to the ultimate test and go head-to-head with some of the best brains in the world. The winner of this challenge - whoever gets the highest score in the quickest time - will become the Kaspersky Global Think Test Champion and win the grand prize worth US $25,000 in cash. The name of the winner will be announced on September 9, 2014.

All Global Think Test content is in English, but the competition is open to participants from all over the world.

You can find more information about the Global Think Test on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and share your best moments with the hashtag #GTT.

To register for the Global Think Test Day visit the website - http://www.globalthinktest.com

About Kaspersky Lab 

Kaspersky Lab is the world's largest privately held vendor of endpoint protection solutions. The company is ranked among the world's top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users*. Throughout its more than 17-year history Kaspersky Lab has remained an innovator in IT security and provides effective digital security solutions for large enterprises, SMBs and consumers. Kaspersky Lab, with its holding company registered in the United Kingdom, currently operates in almost 200 countries and territories across the globe, providing protection for over 300 million users worldwide. Learn more at http://www.kaspersky.com.

* The company was rated fourth in the IDC rating Worldwide Endpoint Security Revenue by Vendor, 2012. The rating was published in the IDC report "Worldwide Endpoint Security 2013-2017 Forecast and 2012 Vendor Shares (IDC #242618, August 2013). The report ranked ftware vendors according to earnings from sales of endpoint security solutions in 2012. 

 

 

Please take note that our Annual General Meeting has been set down, the details of which are as follows:

Event Title:  Annual General Meeting 2014

Date/Time: Wednesday, 8 October 2014 at 19:00 for 19:30

Venue: Pretoria Boys High School Old Boys Club, 378 Queens Crescent (c/o Queens Crescent and Kings Highway), Lynnwood, Pretoria, South Africa (see bottom of the email for a map to the venue)

 

The once very popular hiking SiG is making a comeback. We've found a nature reserve in the Magaliesburg region that will afford us the opportunity to go on a wonderful hike with skilled guides. The reserve offers both easy and challenging hikes to suit your experience. We are looking to schedule the first hike in October. If you are interested in joining us, please email simi.deyzel@gmail.com so that we can get an idea of the size of interest.

 

Come on. You know you want you, especially if winter included an insulation phase where you told yourself eating this wonderful ciabatta with another bowl of soup was to protect you from the savage cold outside of your otherwise first world Domicilium citandi et executandi.

We have Mensa Jackets and T-shirts available for sale at our monthly Speaker Evenings.  The jackets are selling for R280.00 and the T-shirts for R165.00.  This year’s T-shirt designs sport the phrases “I’m Not Stupid, I Was Tested” and “If I Agreed With You, We’d Both Be Wrong”.  If you are interested in purchasing  these limited edition T-shirts, or very popular jackets, remember to bring your cash to our next Speaker Evening.

 

  

 
If you have not yet made your booking for this year’s Annual Gathering, please do so as soon as possible.  Our Johannesburg Region will be hosting, and it promises to be a terrific event.  For ease of reference, herewith a recap of the details for the AG:

2014 MENSA SA ANNUAL GATHERING
Friday 19 Sep 2014 - Sunday 21 Sep 2014
Magalies Manor (one hour from JHB and PTA)
 
Executive Summary
 
The Mensa South Africa Annual Gathering 2014 hosted by Mensa Johannesburg will take place from Friday, 19 September to Sunday, 21 September 2014.
 
Accommodation will be provided at the Magalies Manor,, an elegant and exclusive country establishment for leisure or business functions, and only one hour’s journey from Johannesburg and Pretoria.
 
For those flying in from other regions, please keep in mind that Lanseria Airport is nearby so arranging lifts shouldn't be a problem.
 
Finer Details
 
The Mensa 2014 Annual Gathering, organized by Mensa Johannesburg will be a fun-filled affair. Some of the activities will be interesting speakers, “fun in the sun”, chillaxing by the pool(bar), hikes, cable car ride with a meal on top of a mountain (No Cape Town! You’re not the only ones who have that :)), and many more.
 
We are aiming to strike a good balance between “organized activities” and “free time”. During “free time” members could engage in different activities, e.g. Horse Rides, Balloon Safaris, Pub crawls, or anything that tickles your fancy. You are welcome to arrange any of these activities, or relax at the venue, with its many on-site options at your leisure.
 
Facilities
 
Magalies Manor is an elegant and exclusive country establishment for leisure or business functions, and only one hour’s journey from Johannesburg and Pretoria.
 
The 32 luxury individually decorated rooms are hidden among the exquisite landscaped
gardens on 16 acres. There are more than five dedicated conference rooms, including air conditioning and lighting control.
 
GPS co-ordinates: 25° 57′ 10” S | 27° 32′ 32”
Address: Magalies Manor, R98 Road
Tel: 014 577 1827
 
Experience an idyllic valley on the banks of the Magalies River, lined with trees and home to many bird species. Toast the sunset from the poolside or La Plume ladies bar. Dine by candle-light on our irresistible continental cuisine and have breakfast to views of the mountains.
 
Retire in peace, privacy and personal touch indulgence in one of the 32 double elegant luxury rooms.
 
There is a thatched conference centre, professionally equipped, including smaller
rooms and breakaway areas in the gardens. Swimming pool, river walks, bird watching. Fly fishing. Possible Activities: Hot Air Ballooning, Game Drives, Paint Ball, Drumming, Gladiantics, Murder Dinners, etc.
 
The “Smokey Quartz” outdoor swimming pool bar can seat 24 in a casual format.
It is the unwinding area after a long day spent conferencing If you feel tired of working in the city and want to get a change of surroundings, then call a conference at Magalies Manor. In this tranquil and serene country setting “Minds meet and souls renew”.
 
Now What?
 
The cost for the whole weekend (2 nights and all meals) is R 2 000.00 pps.
 
Bookings close 31 August 2014.
 
We only have 60 spots, which will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
 
You can book here..
 
If you have any issues with the online form, or for more details or any questions, please contact us at mensaza_committee@googlegroups.com
 
We hope we can all meet and have a great time at this year's annual gathering!

We are happy to announce the first meeting of our new Wine Tasting SIG and hope that there will be many more to follow.
 
The SIG Kick-Off will be presented by the friendly folk from “Time for Wine”  on Saturday 13 September, at the Restaurant at the Pretoria High School Old Boys Club (our regular venue for the Speaker Evenings).  Time is set 18:00 for 19:00, and the dress code is casual.  Snacks will also be served.
 
The costs are R100.00 per person, which includes the tasting of 6 wines, as well as the snacks.  Please note that there are limited spaces available, so kindly contact Schalkwyk van der Merwe on schalkwykvdm@hotmail.com to book.

Mensans, apologies for the absence - our Blogger has been away but has now returned and will soon post an aside with wonderful photos of new adventures had.

Now for catching up!

In February we had a very interesting evening filled with fun debate afterward. Our guest speaker, Yoke, spoke about Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and it's applications in relationships whether they be professional or personal.

We had a very good turnout and around 40 Mensans made new friends, met old friends and shared a beer in good spirit.

For feedback on our March event, where we had a guest speaker regal us on the in's and out's of Air Traffic Control - I'd like to invite a fellow Mensan to email me a paragraph or two on your experience at the event. If we haven't had any volunteers by end of April, I'll ask one of the other committee members to jump in with a review.

You are free to email me at simi.deyzel@gmail.com if you would like to submit something. Also please feel free to submit any stories of note or even just write-ups of interest to the greater group. We'd be happy to publish your articles here.

On to the T-Shirts, the following two slogans were chosen:

“If I agreed with you we will both be wrong”.

“I’m not stupid – I’ve been tested”.

We are currently having a test batch be printed and will open up orders soon. Please remember that you can order Jackets, Beanies, Cooler Bags and Shirts locally and also remember that you have the international online shop at your disposal as well. Schalkwyk van der Merwe can be contacted regarding merchandise: schalkwykvdm@hotmail.com

Lastly, due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to move up the bi-annual games
evening to April, as our scheduled Speaker couldn't make it.

Everyone had an awesome time and if Beverley's comments are anything to go by, you
should try your best to make it to the next one:

"Let's just say that Nesquick, 94.7, Jan van Riebeeck and Ground Zero will never be the

same again..."

 

Our very own Kevin Mulligan managed to outsmart the Muggles to take top prize in the recently launched Toshiba Tablet Race.

I'll include a shamelessly copied excerpt from the game's website for you here:

At one stage or another we have all dreamed about living the life of a spy. Living a life of mystery, traveling to exotic locations to meet contacts and lets not forget the love interest. As a company with a long history of firsts in the technology industry, the spy genre is pretty close to the heart. Spies and technology have travelled hand in hand over the decades, gracing the silver screen and beyond.

Well, we’ve taken everything you love about the spy genre and we’ve developed an action packed adventure just for you. Now you can be a part of the “movie” by making a 30 second pitch video. We want to know who you are and why you should be chosen as the Toshiba Tablet Race spy. If we like you and think you’ve got what it takes, you’ll be selected as one of the 8 contestants. If you’re one of the lucky 8 you’re already a winner, because we’re giving you a Toshiba Tablet just for participating in the race.

If you’re in it for the grand prize, you’ll need to beat the other teams through a process of time elimination. In the end only one team will remain and that team will win an island holiday, R10 000 in cash and a Toshiba Tablet.

 

If all of this sounds like too much for you, there is always the option to enter our weekly competition. For the first 8 weeks, we’re giving away a Toshiba Satellite Pro and then another 4 weeks of tablet giveaways. So join the Facebook page or follow on Twitter This adventure is for everyone.

Sounds great right? What are the challenges? Well... a spy never knows...

Perhaps if enough of us ask Kevin nicely enough he'll share his 30 sec pitch video with us - let us know on the Facebook page or leave a comment.

Below is a link to the playlist of the entire season's episodes. Now that you've all read the spoiler, you might as well watch it to see if you'd have made the cut.

Happy hunting bunnies...

Mensans! What a wonderful year kick-off event we had at the Smuts-Huis museum on the 26th of January. This year we chose a venue which we hoped our members would find central as well as child-friendly, and looking at the turnout, we certainly believe this paid off. We had about 75 members and partners confirmed to attend and it certainly was a full house when we got the presentation.

We had a presenter from the South African Defence Force who has made it his life's work to uncover every but of information available that tells the story of the late Jan Christiaan Smuts. We were regaled with war-stories and political insight from the time during which Smuts was a Prime Minister, military officer and scholar. Unfortunately we are not able to share the presentation we were shown as the presenter has been approached by a documentary channel to discuss the possibility of turning his work into a filmed series. All the more reason why you should join us when possible! You never know what you will be exposed to.

Everyone had a wonderful time and we certainly set the tone for an involved 2014 yet to come. We would like to thank everyone who helped to make this day possible, to all the committee members, the Smuts-family for allowing us to host the function and to everyone who attended. Thank you all for helping us to launch 2014 in the spirit of renewed friendship.

Please feel free to view the slideshow below - a free Mensa cooler bag to the one who spots Waldo first.

Mensa Pretoria 2014 Kick-Off