Nikola Tesla

Welcome back to *No, Really: What Is to be Done?*, our deep-dive series on Lenin, Leninism, and the theory of the revolutionary party. You may be wondering when and if we're ever actually going to read WITBD itself, the actual text. Rest assured we will. For now, we're going to keep on psyching ourselves up with another one of the foundational documents of Leninism, one which feels grimly relevant right now: *Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism.* Find the text here: [https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/) Feel free to read as much as you like, but we'll focus on the **Preface and Chapters 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8. These are:** [I. CONCENTRATION OF PRODUCTION AND MONOPOLIES](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch01.htm) [III. FINANCE CAPITAL AND THE FINANCIAL OLIGARCHY](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch03.htm) [VI. DIVISION OF THE WORLD AMONG THE GREAT POWERS](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch06.htm) [VII. IMPERIALISM AS A SPECIAL STAGE OF CAPITALISM](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch07.htm) [VIII. PARASITISM AND DECAY OF CAPITALISM](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch08.htm) It's often claimed that Lenin's identification of imperialism as capitalism's "highest stage" is a textbook example of Marxist hubris. How can capitalism have reached its highest stage in the year 1916, when Lenin was writing? Surely technofeudalism, or neocolonialism, or monopoly corporatism - take your pick - represents a higher stage? Without giving too much away, let's say this much, at least by way of starting a debate: the confronting truth is that capitalism did indeed reach its highest stage with the exact kind of monopolist, oligarchic, feudalistic (when *Imperialism* was published, literal crowned heads still ruled much of Europe by decree), militarised imperialism Lenin describes in this work. If that suggests that nothing has really changed in the 100+ years since, except perhaps to get worse, it's because nothing has. A century of "progress" and we haven't progressed at all. Still wage slaves, still debt peons, still cattle for a rapist ruling class. And it all still runs on the blood and oil of the Global South. So let's not kid ourselves: *Imperialism* is as relevant today as when it was written. Don't believe me? Join us and see for yourself! We'll discuss Lenin's framework of analysis, his concrete conclusions and strategic recommendations and break down whether we think these insights are applicable to our times in all their brutality. Take care and happy reading! \-\-\-\- A bit about the *NRWITBD* series: [Fade in] The year is 2026. Picture this: industrial-scale war on multiple continents. Cities in ruins, millions dead and millions more made refugees - starvation, disease, mutilations, deportations, pogroms, genocides, dispossessions. Across every land, a working class on its knees before an ever-shrinking class of oligarchs with an ever-growing pile of treasure, weapons and slaves - determined to pit brother against brother in endless wars for resources that can only end when the whole earth is a toxic wasteland. And what they call "peace" is not much better. This is the brutal present, a [Second Gilded Age,](https://fortune.com/article/gilded-age-coming-back-layoffs-pay-inequality-labor-unions-ceos-billionaires-worker-pay/) but we could travel back a hundred years and describe more or less the exact same scene. In the century since Lenin lived and walked the earth, less has changed than the eternal optimists - Panglossian techno-liberals like Steven Pinker and the other intellectuals of the Epstein class - would like us to think. Really, we're back where it all began in the *First* Gilded Age of the late 19th and early 20th century: on the outside looking in, asking the age-old question: what is to be done? Things are really getting quite bad. No, really - what is to be done!!? In our gatherings of late, we've been tinkering around the edges of a few answers. Prior Lenin readings as well as our exploration of the Yan'an Forum and our whistle-stop tour through the last twenty years of street protests with Vincent Bevins have given us some things to chew on. Now there's been a clamour from plenty of regulars, as well as a few newcomers, that we continue to pull at the vital thread that seems to be running through all our discussions and see where it might lead us: namely, the revolutionary theories of Lenin. This will be a series of readings running every other Thursday night in Whitechapel. With *No, Really: What is to be done?,* we'll be taking a deep dive into revolutionary Marxism with a read-through of texts like Lars Lih's *Lenin rediscovered: what is to be done? in Context,* non-standard biographies like Carter Ellwood's *Non-Geometric Lenin: Essays on the Development of the Bolshevik Party 1910-1914* as well as some articles, essays and discussion prompts which most readers likely won't have encountered before.

'HOW TO FIND YOUR BASIC PURPOSE' A Life Improvement free workshop with Maria Bennett. In this a live in-venue workshop: \- Do you know your basic purpose? \- What makes a person's basic purpose? \- Practical drills to help you define your own basic purpose\. Pen and paper provided,so - let's get stuck in!! Using information taken from the book '*Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health*' by L. Ron Hubbard. *Testimonial:* *"Great seminar. I liked how you took us through step by step and we found our own basic purposes. It is a common basic purpose for all, I believe. I realised that the spiritual is more important to me than anything else. My purpose is to help others and the webinar validated things I do. I liked how the participants feel free to communicate their situations. My win was that I can use your method to help others find their basic purpose too. Thanks!" - VR* Maria: I have worked at the Scientology Life Improvement Centre helping and coaching others for over 20 years. I enjoy this a lot! I have access to tools that anyone can put to use in their life to make the positive improvements that they may be looking for. I look forward to meeting you. What can you do after the workshop? We have various other free services that you could do - such as the free personality test. We also have a lot of Life Improvement Courses. These focus on specific areas of life to help 'unblock' them, put your actual abilities to use!

Here is a recap of how the Club works: 1\. We meet every six weeks or so in or near the National Theatre\. 2\. We vote in advance and pick two articles from a short list to read before we meet\. Usually one relates to politics/current affairs and the other to history\, culture or science\. 3\. We talk about each one for around half an hour and the beauty of Article Club is that we can think more deeply about the broader themes of a topic\, and how well the article gets to grips with them\. 4\. We each give a score out of 10 for the articles that have been discussed\. 5\. We set the date for the next Article Club and sometimes adjourn to the pub\. I will post in the comments a Google form that you can use to vote for the articles you would like to read and discuss at this event. The point of Article Club is to challenge ourselves to read a diverse range of articles, share them with like-minded people and deal with our anxiety that we aren't reading books. Article Club was set up by Ross Bailey in 2015 who did a fantastic job at running it. Ross was followed by the equally fantastic Claire Ferraro and I (Alistair Baker) have been in the chair for the past seven years. OUR NEXT MEETUP: ARTICLE CLUB #75 Thursday 9th April 2026 - 7:30pm to around 9:15pm. We sit on the soft round seats in the Lyttelton Theatre bar on the first floor.

**Dead Product Society \| After Work Drinks** Come along, bring a friend/colleague or two and join us for a relaxed evening of informal product and tech chats over a few drinks and doughnuts. We aim to connect everyone without awkwardness or LinkedIn spiel, and value good conversation over boring presentations. **Who is welcome?** Product Managers, CEOs, UX/UI Designers, Developers, Scrum Masters etc. We welcome anyone who works in, with or wants to break into product. *Note: We intentionally keep our After Work Drinks on the smaller side to allow for more in-depth conversations.* **The Bike Shed** We'll be hanging out in the lounge area (behind the area with all the tables, next to the store). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Dead Product Society** Dead Product Society is a collective of like-minded professionals sharing real-talk and joining forces to navigate the twists and turns of the product world. Our down-to-earth community is for anyone who works in, with or wants to break into product teams regardless of their background or experience. **Our Sponsors** Shout out to our generous sponsors at Waggel Pet Insurance; Lifetime pet insurance, simplified. With their support we are able to host these events for you and create a space for those important, honest conversations.

We playtest all sorts of games - strategic, silly, creative, or whatever. Some games are almost done. Some are very early ideas. We test anything that will fit into 90 minutes. You don't need to bring a game - we always love to have new playtesters! Please let us know in the comments when you plan to arrive/leave and whether you are bringing a game or not. This helps us to plan the day better. The schedule is: 10am onwards - gathering, chatting 11am sharp - playing for 90 min ('slot 1') 12:30ish - break for food/chat 1pm sharp - playing for 90 min ('slot 2') 2:30ish - break for food/chat 3pm sharp - playing for 90 min ('slot 3') 4:30ish - finish up Often, we might hang around afterwards, to play some already-published games. We are strict on timings, so please try to arrive a few minutes before the session to limit disruption. You can just come for part of the day if you wish. The reason we have fixed timings for the 3 'slots' is to make it easier for folk to do so. Designers of all levels of experience are welcome! But if it's your first time, we ask that you don't bring a game and just spend some time learning how the group works. The group works based on reciprocation. If you expect to test your own game, make sure stay for long enough to play other games. As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to play one of your own games every third 90-minute session. So if you stay a whole day (3 sessions), you can expect to have one session to play your game(s). A good rule of thumb is that if you come all day, you will have one 90 minute session with two other playtesters in which to test your own games. It is sometimes possible to test games with more players. If your game requires 4 or more, please note that as standard you will be allocated half of a session (45 minutes). Pre-covid, we were getting unmanageable. As a result, we may have to limit attendees. This is a free-to-use venue, and we have to be mindful that other folk want to use the same space. Please note: This is an adults only event. We look forward to seeing you!

Meet out front at ten to 1pm (12:50) and go in together. Join Lester Hillman for a talk about John Harrison, master clockmaker. I have long been fascinated by historic issues with measuring longitude. Rather important for ships to know where they had sailed to! This problem couldn't be solved until clocks were accurate enough, and capable of functioning aboard ships. Please join me. RSVP as soon as you know, I still need to request more tickets. The attendance fee is £2.50, thank you.

**💗 Muslim Speed Dating from Home – Meet Croydon Singles Live on Zoom** This variant is designed to sound less templated by changing structure, emphasis, and energy level more aggressively. **⚠️ Your RSVP doesn't confirm a place.** Click your age group link below, register, and take the personality quiz to secure your spot. Limited places. **Register for your age group:** - 🌍 **Ages 18-32** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=409.0&productType=onlineSpeedDatingMuslim&city=Croydon&groupurlname=society-of-muslim-singles-meeting-daily&ar=18-32&face_v=7.0) - 💡 **Ages 30-46** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=409.0&productType=onlineSpeedDatingMuslim&city=Croydon&groupurlname=society-of-muslim-singles-meeting-daily&ar=30-46&face_v=7.0) - 🚀 **Ages 40-58** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=409.0&productType=onlineSpeedDatingMuslim&city=Croydon&groupurlname=society-of-muslim-singles-meeting-daily&ar=40-58&face_v=7.0) - 💡 **Ages 55+** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=409.0&productType=onlineSpeedDatingMuslim&city=Croydon&groupurlname=society-of-muslim-singles-meeting-daily&ar=55+&face_v=7.0) 🔄 **What to expect** 1. **Choose your age group** – Register through your link above. 2. **Take the personality quiz** – We use it to match you with compatible singles. 3. **Log in** – Join the Zoom session from home. The host runs everything. 4. **Speed date** – One-on-one rounds with personality-matched Muslim locals. 5. **See your matches** – Find out who you clicked with after the event. --- ✨ One Zoom call, genuine conversations, real matches. See you there. 💓 ✨ 👥 **Best for:** - People fed up with swiping who want actual conversation - Anyone curious about Muslim speed dating in a relaxed setting - Introverts who shine in one-on-one conversations - People re-entering the dating scene after a break - First-timers new to speed dating **At a glance** **Frequently Asked Questions** **What if I'm shy?** The virtual format and hosted rounds make it comfortable for everyone. **Do I need anything besides Zoom?** Nope. Zoom, a webcam, and Wi-Fi is all you need. **What's the personality quiz for?** It helps us pair you with compatible people. **Do I need experience?** No. The host guides you through everything. - **Duration:** Roughly 1–1.5 hours - **Rounds:** Several short one-on-one rounds - **Vibe:** Laid-back one-on-one chats with Muslim singles in Croydon - **Host:** Experienced host running the evening - **Tech:** Zoom, webcam, and decent Wi-Fi - **Location:** Your place – couch, desk, wherever works - **Format:** Hosted on Zoom – one-on-one video rounds --- Genuine conversations with real Muslim locals — all from your living room. It's simple: complete a short personality quiz, jump on Zoom, and meet Muslim singles in Croydon in guided one-on-one rounds. Matches shared afterwards.

\#\#\#\# Step 1: TAKE THE TEST The Oxford Capacity Analysis identifies 10 vital personality traits that influence your entire future. It is a factual, scientific analysis taken from your answers, and it takes about an hour to complete. \#\#\#\# Step 2: GET YOUR RESULTS After you complete the test, your personality analysis is generated and displayed. Within minutes your analysis will highlight your strengths and weaknesses—which personality traits to take advantage of and which need help. \#\#\#\# Step 3: CONSULTATION While the analysis graph shows distinct personality traits, it is the interrelationship of these traits that provides the greater picture of your personality. We provide a complimentary consultation with one of our trained staff, who will give a detailed evaluation of your personality analysis. In this one-on-one consultation, you gain a better understanding of your personality strengths and weaknesses, and establish the recommended path to your fast and lasting success.

Would you enjoy a relaxed evening with fellow Science Fiction and Fantasy fans? If so, we’d love to meet you. Our next gathering takes place on **Saturday 11th April from 6pm** at **The Mad Hatter**, just by Blackfriars Bridge. Drop in, say hello, and join us for a drink. We’re a long‑running group that’s been meeting since **1998**—long before meetup sites existed. Over the years we’ve hosted celebrity meet‑and‑greets, attended conventions together, run role‑playing games, organised cinema trips, LARPs, and plenty more. These pub meetups are all about socialising and connecting with other Sci‑Fi and Fantasy enthusiasts. To help break the ice, we’ll be running a fun **team quiz at 8.30pm**. There’s no fee to attend—just pay for whatever food or drink you order at the venue.

AI is changing how art is made. But when does it stop being your work and start being the machine’s? This month we're going to be doing a panel with with digital image, music, and written word artists, talking about at what point, while using AI in the creation process, does the work become not the artist creation? We encourage audience participation during this event that will be moderated by Chris Slee. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/55umjqta)

Interested in seeing what The Alliance has been working on in 2026? Come be our practice audience as we prepare to sing at JAD/CAR Preliminary Contest! We will be debuting our brand new contest set, and you won't want to miss it! Our chapter quartets, Intermission Quartet and Coffee Talk will also be performing! This is a free event!

Private Group. Closed to the Public Knowing ourselves and understanding our abilities is the first step toward wielding our gifts with control and accuracy. In subsequent classes we will verify and hone our talents with activities and discussion. These are hands-on workshops and participation is expected. The goal of our series will be to develop expertise in areas of particular interest such as mediumship, channeling, divination, healing and, etc.. Our ultimate directions will be determined by class members as we evolve. I look forward to sharing and discovering with you. - Cynthia

Pay attention! We’re delaying a week for those of you who may be on Spring break and/or celebrating the holiday. Ok, no pancakes, but waffles-a-plenty. Join the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. Look for us upstairs!

Over 50 Happy Hour – Liberty Tavern Polaris Join us for a fun and relaxed Over 50 Happy Hour on Friday, April 10th from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Liberty Tavern Polaris. This is a great opportunity to meet new people in our age group in a casual, comfortable setting. Whether you’re in your fifties, sixties, or seventies, everyone is welcome. Some people who attend are retired, while others are still working, but we all share one thing in common — enjoying good conversation and good company. If you’re new to the group, don’t worry. Many people attend solo and quickly find it easy to strike up conversations. The goal of this happy hour is simple: meet people, socialize, laugh, and enjoy the evening. We’ll be gathering at Liberty Tavern Polaris, a welcoming tavern with a warm atmosphere, great food, and a bar perfect for relaxed conversation. Feel free to come when you can and leave when you want. Some members arrive right at 4:00 PM, while others stop by later after work. There’s no formal agenda — just friendly people getting together to enjoy a Friday evening. Location: Liberty Tavern Polaris 2170 Polaris Parkway Columbus, Ohio Time: Friday, April 10 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM Come join us for a drink, good conversation, and the chance to meet some great people in the 50+ community.

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!