Technology User Group (TUG) Discussions for all users at all levels via hybrid meetings (in-person and Zoom) after the plenary meeting, at about 11:45 a.m. (first and fourth Tuesdays of the month).
- Mar 3 – All about Edge & Fog Computing.
Timely Topics Discussion in-person and via Zoom, with participation encouraged from all in attendance. Around 11:45 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month.
- Mar 10 – The topic will be “Who Should Decide What Books, Videos, and Other Resources Are in Your Public School Classrooms, Libraries, and Required Reading Lists? How Should Those Decisions Be Made?”
Trips Scheduled (For Old Guard members and their guests)
Chair - Pete Bolton.
Walkers Group walks or hikes are once again feasible. Chair - Tom Leane
March Program Chair - David Bondy
- Mar 3 - Perspectives on the Middle East from a Former U.S. Ambassador – Recently retired Steven Bondy had been a U.S. ambassador to Bahrain. Steve will speak about the role of the Foreign Service in advancing U.S. policies internationally, describe his 34-year career with the State Department, and, as a career Middle East specialist, will discuss topics, conflicts, and trends that are strategic to interests of the United States in the region. Among other achievements, he led 6,000 employees and contractors as COO at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, worked to reconcile armed militias fighting U.S. and local forces in Iraq, assisted Jordan and Israel to negotiate their 1994 peace agreement, created the 2023 U.S. – Bahrain Comprehensive Security Integration andProsperity Agreement, and confronted Iranian interference and aggression throughout the region. [video to appear]
- Mar 10 - Bridge: A Fun Card Game for Players of All Ages –local bridge teacher and author Rick Hartley will talk about the many facets of bridge. He’ll describe his own journey into the land of bridge, highlight celebrities who play bridge with some interesting quotes, discuss the many personal benefits to playing bridge, describe a scandal in an otherwise honorable game, provide an overview of how to play the game, explain why it might be the only “perfect” card game, and where you can learn to play it. [video to appear]
- Mar 17 - Life in the Soviet Union - Author Anat Shmulovich will be interviewed about her book "Where the Night Train Ends: How I Survived Ukraine, Russia and the Loss of the Man I Loved". The Book is a personal memoir of her youth in the Soviet Union describing her passion for advancing her education in music, as well as the personal challenges and sacrifices she and her family made along the way. It also describes the experience of life in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and the repression and anti semitism experienced by Anat and her family. She will discuss issues raised in the book and read passages that highlight important milestones in her life. [in-person and on Zoom -- for access: [email protected]]
- Mar 24 - Investment Strategies for the Retired Investor – Our guests Matthew Wunder and Samantha (Sam) Keane will speak on several investment, tax, and estate planning topics for the retired investor. Matthew is a partner at Park Avenue Capital, an investment advisory firm associated with Northwestern Mutual, and Sam is an account manager and certified financial planner. They will discuss investment strategies deployed by Park Avenue Capital that are designed to produceattractive after-tax returns with reduced risk for their clients, as well as providing insightful tax, retirement, and estate management strategies. [in-person and on Zoom]
- Mar 31 - The Intersection of Art and Science: Art by Humans and Machines – Speaker Larry O’Gorman will describe how technology has contributed to the creation of visual art from the time of Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) in the 1960s to today’s era of generative AI (artificial intelligence). Over this period, the artist’s role has evolved from solitary creator to orchestrator of immersive viewer experiences to one where the “brushwork” has been ceded to artificial intelligence. Larry, a Fellow at Nokia Bell Labs who has personally collaborated with artists in this type of art, will show a sampling of the interactive artworks starting with the Experiments in Art and Technology that involved New York artists working with Bell Labs engineers in the 1960s and up to the present day.With this increasing use of AI technologies, we will ask the question: whose creation is this—human or machine? [in-person and on Zoom]
April Birthday emcee: John Tomaszewski
April Program Chair - Frank Souder
- Apr 7 - Imagine, a Resource to Help People Coping with Loss – Imagine is a center based in Mountainside and Newark, dedicated to supporting families and children coping with loss. Lindsay Schambach, the executive director, informed by her own personal losses, will describe Imagine’s programs, including in-person support groups and virtual support for children and adults all over the country. Lindsay’s background is in education, having previously worked as a classroom teacher and more recently at KIPP, a network of charter schools, in leadership roles. [in-person and on Zoom]
- Apr 14 - The Role Zoos Play in Preserving Species in Natural Habitats – Pat Thomas, recently retired as vice president and general curator of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS, formerly the Bronx Zoo). Throughout his career he has participated in numerous species conservation programs. He traveled extensively for WCS conducting various species conservation and reintroduction programs in Africa, Asia, and South America. He will talk about his experiences and conservation efforts in general. [in-person and on Zoom]
- Apr 21 - Senior Living Communities in the Northeast – Nick Rossiello is the sales director at the Lantern Hill Senior Living Community in New Providence. He will explain just what a senior living community is and describe offerings and facilities throughout the Northeast. [in-person and on Zoom]
- Apr 28 - Donating Stem Cells to Fight Blood Cancer – Peter Hanson is the donor recruitment coordinator for the U.S. branch of DKMS. (The initials stand for the German Bone Marrow Donor Center.) In 2016, Peter became a blood stem cell donor through DKMS. It was that rewarding experience that led him to advocate for DKMS. He will speak about its mission to provide every patient searching for a bone marrow match a second chance for life. [in-person and on Zoom]
May Birthday emcee: Joe Geist
