Doors will open at 6 pm. Hope to see you all there!

The weather started out pretty nice, so we took advantage of their deck and beautiful views of the surrounding open desert.

The deck also provided a spot for members to enjoy a pipe of their favorite tobacco. Left to right: Dan, Diann, Ron, Scott, and Dave.

As the weather cooled we moved inside. Left to right: Peggy and Bob, Julie, and Barb (our gracious host).

Jay had this cool cake made up for us. Note the two stars exchanging mass in the upper left Orion Arm of the Milky Way. Or maybe that was just dribbled frosting?

Host Jay cuts and serves, as Dan offers thanks for the cake we are about to receive.

It was a great Holiday Social. With 10 members in attendance we had lots to talk about and enjoyed each other's company. Thanks again to Jay and Barb for making this possible!

Item 2: And yet another copy and paste from last month. In fact, expect to see this here every month until we get some action. VP Jim Renn will not be continuing as VP next year. He'll still be a member, but time constraints dictate his decision not to run. So we're looking for a member to step up and run for VP, to be voted on at our May 2011 Business Meeting. Here's the job description from our Constitution:

ARTICLE 2: Officers and Duties

b. Vice President: The Vice President shall assist the President in the performance of all duties, and assume responsibility for those duties should the President be unable to do so. The Vice President will maintain and a list of potential speakers for our Lecture Series, contact and schedule those speakers, and coordinate stipends as needed with the Treasurer.

If you think you can fill this position, please let me know. A few things to be aware of ... first, we maintain a "speaker contact list" with both phone numbers and emails for some 24 potential speakers to make the job of scheduling easier (not that you can't add to the list, which grows yearly). Second, as #1 for the President, your attendance at meetings is crucial. Should the President, for whatever reason, be unable to preside, you will need to be there. And third, should you become our new VP, you'll get an unlimited supply of these cool DFAC business cards:

I count on our membership to help make DFAC work. I appreciate the support of those who do step up, and encourage those who haven't to consider it. Bottom line is, none of the Officer positions really dominate your schedule, and you have considerable flexibility in choosing how to make it work. So please consider this, and I appreciate your thinking about it.

Thanks for reading Quid Novi. If you have feedback, you know where to reach me. Until next we meet, clear skies!

— Arthur C. Clarke's First Law

Here's just one example from Walt Whitman I'm sure many of you are already familiar with:

WHEN I HEARD THE LEARN'D ASTRONOMER

When I heard the learn'd astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired, and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars.

Walt Whitman, 1865 (TOAOAL-II, PP 821-822)

There are many other poems by lesser authors, but it's a nice collection to browse. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!