Official Minutes – HVBS Meeting on Wednesday, March 14, 2001
On this fine, Spring-like day the stout Upstate Contingent, chauffeured by PC Wiz, arrived at the Hoffman House in a timely, commendable fashion at 11:19 AM. They immediately began a count-down to the arrival of HVBS’ Southern bastion, the sage of Poughkeepsie. Geronimo jauntily appeared with a minute to spare at 11:29 AM (had to stop for goodies at Diesing’s, a local Polish bakery). Greetings were exchanged and the group proceeded indoors.
Official waitress and HVBS member Jen, being assigned to other duties, was not available so we were escorted to our familiar corner table by a former official waitress (Scribe regrets not asking her name, likely Diane). Upon taking our seats she explained the special board. The soup and sandwich offered black bean soup, a favorite of both Geronimo and Deliberator (who also favors pea soup).
Members toasted the New 21st Century and the first meeting of the new year. The meeting, leaving the agenda, started with general comments on the power situation in California. PC Wiz stated his view that deregulating the wholesale market and leaving retail (user) rates frozen was an insane recipe for disaster – although quite sane from Governor Wilson and Governor Davis’ viewpoint. PC Wiz had brought along scans from Tom Clancy’s latest book that were passed around. One quote from Nikita Kruschev: "Politicians are people who build bridges where there are no rivers" was found very apt, especially by the Shadow.
Geronimo regaled us with details of his and Kay’s planned trip to Greece on September 13. It will be a package tour including the islands of Crete and Rhodes with bus trips planned for the tour. Son Danny has generously provided the Lufthansa tickets for his parents. Geronimo also mentioned that he can listen to Greek radio on his computer although the announcers tend to talk "too fast". PC Wiz, lapsing into his philosophizing mood, commented he was amazed at the historic Greek intellectual achievements, literature studied to this day, by the people of such a rocky, barren land (religion, statues, literature and architecture stolen outright by the Romans). Members wished him a great trip (hopefully with outstanding photos for remembrance).
During lunch, amid much repressed laughter as he tried to read some of the stories, Geronimo entertained the meeting with "redneck" stories. Some were so funny the Shadow remarked that he was surprised to laugh outright at the meeting. Deliberator mentioned his grandson now has a license and can drive to work at McDonald’s. This led to a discussion of ramifications to the cost of auto insurance and Deliberator outlined the facts – a reduced rate for driver education and the actual increase in price. Shadow and PC Wiz inquired as to the health of Geronimo’s mother. She is now 92 years of age, in reasonable health but requires supervision. Also covered was the injury to Kay upon being struck by accident by Mandy’s head – sadly resulting in copious bleeding from her damaged nose. Luckily, all is now well.
Geronimo updated us in a special report on his recent upgrade to RoadRunner for his computer. Using NetMedic he found the 56K. telephone line performing at 28 Kps and the new RoadRunner flashing along at 400 Kps (Wow!). Deliberator asked the cost of the service. With "premium" cable subscription, Geronimo related that the cost was $40 per month. Consensus is that the rest of the group will toddle along as they have been, leaving Geronimo our leader in technology for the 21st Century. On this note, Deliberator was asked about his scanner (still not hooked up – he makes copies on the church copier). Geronimo and PC Wiz thought over a year was adequate time to get it into operation.
At the instigation of the Shadow, PC Wiz distributed copies of studies of methane hydrate deposits off our coasts by the Department of Energy and the Geodetic Survey. The implication ( in a Discovery telecast) is that the last Ice Age ended 8000 years ago with the release of 350 million tons of methane hydrate off the coast of Norway. This greenhouse gas, methane, raised the Earth’s temperature 12 degrees in 10 years! The deposits being in landslide prone areas brings the reduction of carbon dioxide ( also a greenhouse gas) campaign into question.
In a general discussion, Geronimo brought up the black Ranger berets for the Army which all commented on (general disapproval). Other topics included campaign finance reform and Hillary’s plurality in the Orthodox Jewish precinct of 1400-12 which allegedly hinged on Bill’s pardon power. Evidently SAT’s are being eliminated and the signs in New York City are now also in Spanish! Members were exhorted by Geronimo to watch an upcoming WMHT special on Poughkeepsie.
In sports all agreed the SuperBowl was a debacle for the Giants. The Yankee’s Knoblauch was "done" by consensus (today’s news – he is moving to left field due to his many errors in Spring training). Geronimo commented that Buffalo was "crazy" to let Flutie go. Shadow editorialized that the Knicks have a "Jekyll and Hyde" character, running hot and cold, and put a lot of pressure on the coach.
Deliberator, with his usual prescience of thought, presented the members with suitable dates for our next meeting. It was agreed, with possibility of change to the 16th, that our second meeting of the year is tentatively set for
Wednesday May 9, 2001. Jen, our Official Waitress and HVBS member, was put on probation because of not meeting the condition of serving the group. As mentioned earlier, she had been assigned elsewhere but promised to request our group for the May 9 meeting. On this note, Jen was absolved and this historic meeting adjourned at 2 PM.
Society