This was a barnburner of a talk, and we could have listened longer. However, there were some preceding events, which should be chronicled, as follows: We started with an almost-miss, since the Pledge only survived when we all reminded Proxy STEVE that it really does start every meeting. HARLAN LEWIS led us through in good order. Next, JACK HARRIS combined with PP JIM DOWNIE on God Bless America, and we do seem to know that tune! JACK pointed out that he had brought along a small choral group, from Thief River, Minnesota, and these helpers could perform only by humming - it they stick our their tongues in that climate, they freeze! Invocation by RALPH SMITH - and when he suggested we sit down, everyone was willing. His theme was Selfishness, and how we can do a lot better, ending up with a plea for forgiveness for not doing better in the things we know we should be doing.

GUESTS and MORE GUESTS -
DENNIS CORNWELL introduced our Visiting Rotarian, Randy Ayers from Carlyle, PA. The city was founded in 1750, and the most important graduate of their well-known Indian School was Jim Thorpe. Randy was accompanied by his wife, Judy. SALLY BRANT introduced the parents of our speaker, Pat and Dr.. Jim Maloney. PP HOMER NEWMAN brought along his bride of eight months, Sally - and YOE just wondered if there is something significant in that period of time - are they expecting? HENRY TSENG had a Special Guest, Burleigh Arnold, an attorney who splits his time between offices in Jefferson City, MO, and Century Park East, nearby. LEO TSENG was there with Marian. DENNIS CORNWELL brought a long time friend and client, Alfred Neuman, now retired from UCLA. BERT KREISBERG introduced his wife, Vera, who was also present last week, and YOE apologizes for missing her then. KEN KILPO brought Shelly Mastian, from the WLA C of C, and song leader JACK was accompanied not only by his wife, Pauline, but his daughter, Elizabeth (his choral group, as noted above). And we want to wish DICK LITTLESTONE well as he transfers his Rotary membership to the Pacific Palisades Club. DICK was a WVRC member since 1973, so he has a long association with Westwood.

FIRE STATION # 37 -
YOE was called upon for double duty, first showing off the Fireman's hat and plaque, which was inscribed to WVRC from the firefighters of Fire Station #37. This was the scene of our recent Board Meeting, which was followed by a tour so we could see what the $40 plus thousand dollars we have raised was used for. Remember, our fire personnel LIVE at the station, and they often are called on to carry over 100 lb. of equipment upstairs to reach a fire. Thus, they need, and use, many pieces of aerobic equipment to keep in shape. We will soon be sending out a letter thanking all those who helped in donating money for this Adopt Fire Station #37 project.

And another PAUL HARRIS FELLOW -
JACK and Pauline were pleased to present their daughter, Elizabeth Thompson, with a Paul Harris Fellowship. Elizabeth went to that well-known local Methodist church school with both my kids, so it was my pleasure to welcome her aboard. She is a Signer - that is, she stands with the speaker and provides those in the audience who are deaf with the message being given, in the local public schools in Clearbrook, Minn. Since I have your ear anyway, YOE cannot resist reminding everyone that the money raised for Paul Harris Fellowships provides vital funds for our Polio Eradication Program, as just one example of the specific value of your donation.

COMPUTER AWARENESS
Was outlined by PP DAVE WHITEHEAD. First responding to a question from the audience as to the whereabouts of his necktie, he replied that the real question of the day was whether Prexy STEVE really had an Agenda…DAVE pointed out that we have several members who have been instrumental in making our Website the envy of the District - specifically BOB YOUNKER, PP RON LYSTER, and PETER MORE. He explained that the questionnaire on the tables was designed to gather information on whether we should try having an introductory class for beginning computer jocks, with the caveat that only IBM users could apply - we ain't got no Mac authorities, since all such are already members of Kiwanis! There was general interest, but an apparent reluctance to pay for this needed service. Anyway, please do fill in the form and get it to DAVE WHITEHEAD, OK?

OUR ROTARY AUXILIARY
Visited the Huntington Library yesterday, and DAN PRICE reported that ART HENRY did his usual excellent job of showing the 15 members and guests around. If you haven't seen it with ART as your guide, he will be doing this again when the GSE group is here later this month --stay tuned, please. SALLY BRANT is hosting the Welcome Party for the GSE (and you all remember that that stands for Group Study Exchange, right?). This will be Sunday the 22nd - ten days away - starting at 5 p.m. and everyone is invited. We would particularly encourage members to attend who will be helping show our visitors from Slovakia around. We will need a head count for dinner - may we ask you to RSVP to YOE by next Tuesday, the 17th, please?

SANDY SANDERSON knows our Speaker,
Robert Maloney, and SANDY gave an excellent introduction. Dr. Maloney graduated from Harvard, Summa Cum Laude in Mathematics, was chosen as a Rhodes Scholar Attending Magdalen College at Oxford, and then graduated from the University of California, San Francisco with his medical degree in 1985. He was a Research Fellow at Cambridge, did his Internship at UCLA, and his Residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. This was followed as the Head Fellow in Cornea and Refractive Surgery at Emory University - and in 1991 came to UCLA. His list of awards is extensive.

Dr. Maloney trained over 700 surgeons in the use of the excimer laser while at UCLA, and has personally performed 19,000 vision correction surgeries. He illustrated the various surgical techniques with some amazing slides taken from his laptop - and even though we had just finished lunch, no one's sensibilities were offended. These surgeries are performed under a microscope, usually last less than ten minutes, and the results are immediate, and wonderful to behold. He pointed out that he and Sandy had spent more time together during this lunch than during the entire eight years he had previously treated him!

What is Lasik Surgery? It is performed with a laser, of course, and the slang term sometimes applied is flap & zap! As noted above, it is done quickly, and obviously the skill of the surgeon is vital to its success. It always improves your vision, and the one downside is that nighttime glare can be a problem. Note that 2.5 billion people worldwide need vision correction, with 1.4 million in the U.S. having had the procedure already. Experimentally they are now doing Contact Lens implants, and now that they have been renamed Artisan Lens, they seem to be more in demand…

He related the true story of the skin diver who speared a person in the leg, since without his glasses, he thought what he saw was a large FISH! The good new here is that you seldom make this mistake twice… The operation is safe, and age is not a problem - he has operated on an 8 year old, and a man of 84, so all of us fit in there somewhere.

Dr. Maloney predicts that glasses will be unknown 30 years from now - everyone will have surgically corrected vision by then! A fascinating vision of what we can do already, and we thank you, SANDY and Dr. Maloney, for sharing this information with us.

Thought for the Day - When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion - Dale Carnegie.