Official Minutes – HVBS Meeting on Wednesday April 22, 2009

  1. On a fine Spring day with the landscape turning a light green from Winter's somber brown, Shadow transported a diminished Northern Contingent to the Hoffman House arriving at a commendable 11:21 AM. Geronimo arrived promptly at 11:25 and we entered the premises with Geronimo in the lead. Greeted by the bartender, HVBS Official Waitress Erin noted the absence of Deliberator and asked how things were. "Not too good", replied Geronimo, noting that Deliberator was ailing and unable to attend. Members asked for our usual debating table and we took our seats, Geronimo noting that he was surprisingly seated on firm ground. He then tested Deliberator's usual position and easily rocked the chair to laughter.
  2. Members decided to order individual drinks: Shadow and PC Wiz opting for cabernets and Geronimo ordering a Coke and lemon. The drinks arrived with Waitress Nancy accompanying Erin to the table. She announced that she had offered to serve the wines but Erin would not let her, again to laughter as HVBS members remembered the previous occasion when Nancy had juggled the drink tray and spilled Deliberator's wine on the table. She then noted PC Wiz's white trousers as an inviting possible target. We then toasted to Deliberator's health and wished for his speedy return to our parleys. Geronimo said the diagnosis from an MRI is fibrosis - a diminished lung capacity for which he is on oxygen. We were also informed that son John had taken Deliberator to be admitted to Albany Medical Center for further tests.
  3. In the member updates review Shadow related the April 19th dinner celebrating Associate Member Shirley's birthday at the George Mann Tory Tavern in Schoharie. A special surprise guest was son Randy who transported the group to the restaurant in grand style in his new white Mercedes (managing to find a suitable parking spot for the car). Everyone had a grand time. Geronimo asked where the Tavern was situated and Shadow jogged his memory by reminding him, when he was visiting with Associate Member Kay, that he couldn't find a suitable tea for the dinner. Geronimo then remembered the place with the "cheap, crappy tea".
  4. Which led to Geronimo relating his automobile trip with his brother to Marblehead to celebrate Easter with Danny, Chaco and Max Keita. PC Wiz asked Geronimo what route he took and he mentioned going through the "big dig" in Boston to coastal Route 1A to Marblehead. PC Wiz thought the drive must have been spectacular, Geronimo spoke of the corruption and cost over-runs while Shadow stated that the original estimate of 5 Billion Dollars ended up costing a monumental 18 Billion Dollars! While the trip went well and they had a good time, Geronimo mentioned the extensive ice storm damage visible along the Massachusetts Turnpike. Shadow asked Geronimo about the projected trip to Japan by Dan and Chaco (Max Keita receiving a passport good for six years). We were informed that the trip has been postponed until the Fall. On the subject of tea, Geronimo informed us of Dan's new clear glass tea maker, one section of which has a pump which dispenses the finished tea. He thought it made excellent tea and re-iterated his belief that loose tea made a better beverage. PC Wiz agreed and Shadow mentioned his parents had a perforated metal ball that you filled with loose tea and brewed in the pot. Geronimo said Dan has one with a screen that he used before the new apparatus.
  5. Geronimo then told us he had only one story to tell; Shadow approved with a wish for a good laugh. He then told a very funny story about a woman buying a parrot that embarrassed her by loudly cursing in church. Returning to automobiles, Dan's lease on his present BMW 328 is running out and he is considering what car to replace it with. It is a two-door model and, with Max Keita, it is difficult to access the back seat for the car seat so a four-door is in order. While in Marblehead Geronimo visited a Greek import store - very authentic. Since he heard the proprietor speaking in Greek, Geronimo addressed him in Greek. The man asked Geronimo where "he came from" and he gave the reply, "America". No, I mean where your parents came from, he said. When Geronimo replied he said he was familiar with the city (unlikely, but possible, thought Geronimo). When it came to pay for the purchases (including rare square noodles) Geronimo asked if he took a credit card. No, he said, pointing to a sign demanding cash - no checks or credit cards. So Geronimo scraped up the sum and noticed the cash register amount was less than the bill! One result of the high taxes in Greece.
  6. Concerning sports, PC Wiz mentioned hearing a news item that Wang was being sent back to the minors for a "tune-up". Shadow quipped, with Wang's decline, he was eating "too much sushi". Shadow then stated that son Randy was going to be present at today's game in the new Yankee Stadium versus Oakland which the Yankees won 9-7. His boss at Medco invited him to, we assume, a company box seat. Geronimo told us he had given Deliberator a book for his pending 80th birthday: the story of the old Yankee Stadium. Shadow stated it is unlikely he will ever attend a game in the new stadium.
  7. PC Wiz raised the issue of General Electric's Jeff Immelt using their propaganda arms, NBC, MSNBC and CNBC to promote (for future large profits) the "green" agenda of discouraging coal and oil generation plants in favor of "green" wind-power and solar power. Closely questioned by Geronimo, PC Wiz maintained that these were only supplemental power sources and could not replace central power stations. Challenged by Shadow, PC Wiz stated his belief that the future lies with nuclear power - actually green with no "carbon footprint". Shadow brought up the disposal of nuclear waste and PC Wiz favored the French method (over 75% of their power is nuclear) of disposal with re-processing and vitrifying the waste for burial. Geronimo stated that the main problem is losses in transmission which PC Wiz verified with a story that he learned during his work on GE hydro generators. GE experimented with ultra-high voltage (750,000 volts) DC lines in Pittsfield, MA to reduce losses but he never heard of the use of the technology.
  8. Our HVBS Official Waitress Erin (whose husband has returned to full duty on the NY State Police force) arrived for coffee and possible dessert orders. PC Wiz and Geronimo ordered cheese cake (available this time) and Shadow demurred. Not to be denied, Geronimo badgered a somewhat reluctant Shadow to join the group and order the apple cobbler (with vanilla ice cream, he added). With the absence of our Official Scheduler Deliberator, Geronimo thought we should "play it by ear" for our next meeting in the first week of June. Shadow then made the motion to make the date Wednesday May 27 which was adopted. Our meeting then adjourned to the parking lot.

Thanks to Geronimo for his review and kind remarks.

HVBS Official Scribe Laureate PC Wiz

May 1, 2009