Scotch

**Our April novel is: *The Hong Kong Widow* by Kristen Loesch** **This month’s novel blends gothic atmosphere with historical fiction and chilling horror, set against the haunting backdrop of China. The book is 368 pages in print and 10 hours and 42 minutes on audiobook.** In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei is a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation—to take part in a competition in one of the city's most notorious haunted houses, pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a single winner emerges—she has every reason to refuse. Except that the hostess, a former Shanghainese silent film star, is none other than the wife of the man who once destroyed Mei’s entire life. It is promised the winner will receive a fortune, but there is only one prize Mei wants: revenge. Decades later, the final night of that competition has become an infamous urban legend: The police were called to the scene of a brutal massacre but found no evidence, dismissing it as a collective hallucination. Mei knows what she saw, but now someone else is convinced they know what she did. She must uncover the truth about the last night she ever spent in that house—even if the ghosts of her past are waiting for her there. . . .

The Forge does have a full bar and kitchen. There is no cover charge but they do request all attendees to purchase a minimum of ~$20 per person. Soft drink refills are $1 each. Please support our hosts so we can continue to provide great events for the group! The Forge has a large library of games available for us to enjoy. Hosts and regulars will also provide numerous popular games but please bring any games you would like to teach and/or play. Doors open at 6, and we expect gaming to be rolling by around 630. Please promptly end your games and clear out the space at 10pm when the bar closes. We encourage socializing but do not permit disruptive behavior of any kind. Thank you for your continued commitment to providing a fun and welcoming space to veteran, newbie, and rookie gamers in the Columbus area. Parking can be challenging. There is a parking lot behind the neighboring Mexican restaurant that is free and easy to walk from but it's a bit hidden.

We are a real world Martial arts group. \ Called DO JUNG ISHU (the art of fighting) \ Based off of Jeet kune do we just continued where Bruce Lee left off. \ We have been around a while. \ We are donation based. Every week we get together and work technical skills and live pressure testing. \ Almost all of the instructors have been in everything from altercations in the real world to the ring and some still compete in the cage. \ If you want to take your skills up, improve your confidence, gain self defense skills, get in better shape, test yourself or just want to kill some time and possibly get hit a bit come on down. \ We will be located at 3923 N High St, Columbus, OH 43214 inside the whetstone rec center in the auditorium, upstairs in classroom B or outside in the grass between the playground and horseshoe area. our instructors are normally in a black and red art of fighting shirt \ if you can not find us call or text me at 6143570295 Saturday 1pm Wednesday 5:30pm From Age 16 and up. attendees under the age of 18 must have a guardian with them. \ \ You must have a free leisure card for the rec center and must be registered for our class specifically .\ Wear workout clothing \ Bring a MOUTHPIECE! \ WE HAVE GLOVES. \ Hope to see you soon :-).\ We are run off of donations. \ let me know if you have any questions :)

Curious about “vibe coding” but not sure what it actually means? This beginner-friendly talk is about how people are using AI to build websites, apps, automations, and small software projects by describing what they want in plain English. We’ll cover what vibe coding is, what AI is good at, where it falls short, and how to actually use it without getting lost. The goal is not to hype AI as magic — it’s to show how to use it as a practical tool. This session is designed for beginners, curious builders, non-programmers, and developers who want a clearer picture of how to build with AI today. Topics include: * What “vibe coding” means * What AI can help you build * Where AI is useful and where it is unreliable * A simple workflow for building with AI * Prompting tips for better results * Common beginner mistakes to avoid If you’ve ever thought, “I have an idea, but I don’t know how to build it,” this talk is for you. LOGISTICS AND PARKING: The talk starts at 7:00 PM. The first half hour is reserved for everyone to get set up and mingle. Free pizza and drinks! The cheapest parking option is to find street parking, which will only cost you a few bucks. Otherwise, park in the nearby veteran's museum lot for $8. It's highly recommended you avoid the nearby $15 garage parking.

Dinner and dancing

Join us for a tour of Brothers Drake Meadery in Grandview, hosted by the owner Oron Benary. He will explain the mead-making process and offer us generous samples of their fine meads. Mead is basically wine that is made from honey instead of grapes. There are many different flavors that range from dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, to sweet. They are best known for their Apple Pie Mead. Oron has offered us a special price of 5.00 each person for the tour and tasting, which is normally 25.00 per person. I've taken the tour several times, and it's always enlightening and fun. Rebecca will bring a tea that will pair well with the mead for a tea tasting afterwards. Park anywhere around the building. Please avoid parking in front of the houses in the neighborhood behind the Meadery. Please keep your RSVP current. Knowing how many will attend will help Brothers Drake plan accordingly to accommodate us.

We connect you with up to 30 Men or Women tennis partners close to your PLAYING REGION and skill level. This program is less competitive, no champions crowned, no league standings just dedicated tennis partners who want to meet up with you on the courts. Players will meet up to play a tennis match or just to hit around. Just go through the [Join Page](https://www.tenniscolumbus.com/partner-program) to enter this program. [https://www.tenniscolumbus.com/partner-program](https://www.tenniscolumbus.com/partner-program)

This month's prompt concerns the idea of the “warrior philosopher” (seemed appropriate in these times)--that is someone whose understanding of violence, power, and justice is forged through direct experience of war. We are looking at Major General Smedley D. Butler, a highly decorated U.S. Marine raised in a Quaker (pacifist) tradition who later became a prominent critic of American militarism (there is a wonderful biography of Gen. Butler called "Gangsters of Capitalism") Butler's argument in *War Is a Racket* (1935): that many U.S. interventions were driven less by national defense than by corporate and financial interests, with Butler portraying himself as an enforcer for business and Wall Street. We can consider the moral ambiguity of his insider critique—whether complicity strengthens or undermines credibility and also consider some of the concrete reforms he proposed (e.g., “conscript” capital before soldiers, restrict the military to coastal defense, and have only those who fight decide on war). Butler’s life arc clearly changed from pacifist upbringing to warrior to antiwar crusader—and asks whether true understanding of peace requires firsthand knowledge of war, and what that implies about the cost of suffering. So do we need to suffer to understand suffering? Do we have to experience war to appreciate peace? As one more question: in the movie "A Few Good Men" Jack Nicholson's character says that "you have the luxury of not knowing what I know" so do most of us go through life oblivious to real violence and suffering? See you at Drunken Philosophy!

Let’s get together for a relaxed Saturday brunch! This will be the very first event for our group. Whether you’re looking to meet new friends, get out more, or just enjoy good conversation over brunch, this is the perfect place to start. We’ll be meeting at The Goat Gahanna for great food, drinks, and a welcoming, no-pressure atmosphere.

Bring your work or your hobby, hang out, and code with us. Follow @buckeyecocoa for more information.

We have never until now featured Zinfandel, the ubiquitous California grape with the Dublin Wine MeetUp Group. At its best Zinfandel, is rich, voluptuous, with great depth of red and blue fruits. Jammy and hedonistic are common descriptions Each person should bring one bottle of an quality Zinfandel wine; be creative and quality conscious, with some bottle age if possible. Turley, Martinelli, Biale, Seghesio, Ridge, Hartford Bedrock, Carlisle, Klinker Brick, Frog's Leap, and anything from the Rockpile vineyard is likely to be very good to great. The Prisoner wines began as a Zinfandel blend. Also bring a protein based appetizer to share and **a wine glass for your personal use.** Cheese and meats are best with these wines. There will be a gas grill behind the clubhouse to grill. We’ll gather at the Oak Creek clubhouse, where the Dublin Wine Group, hosted by Thom and supported by Timothy, will take it from there. Come join us for a fantastic mix of great wine, food, and even better company! The evening wraps up at 10 PM. **Please pay $10 at the door per person to cover the cost of the room rental and for the tableware, napkins, water and cups.** 🍷 **6:46 PM – Dublin Wine Group Social** 📍 **Oak Creek Clubhouse** **9005 Oak Village Blvd, Lewis Center, OH 43035** View on Maps (https://maps.apple.com/place?address=9005%20Oak%20Village%20Blvd,%20Lewis%20Center,%20OH%20%2043035,%20United%20States&coordinate=40.158011,-83.003901&name=Oak%20Creek%20at%20Polaris&place-id=I8D83B59D441EDD9B&map=explore)

**Let’s catch up and take an afternoon break.** **Grab a coffee or snack and let’s chit chat! Gayle and I will bring adult coloring books and/or a simple craft if you’d like to unwind and relax.😊**

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

Over 50 CINCO de MAYO HAPPY HOUR - FLIGHTS N TACOS!!! Join us for a fun and relaxed Over 50 Happy Hour on Friday, May 1st from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Giant Eagle Grandview Yard Event Center! (upper level) **Plenty of free parking**. The event center is huge! Pics are in the comments. Over 50 CINCO de MAYO HAPPY HOUR!! – Flights n Tacos Let’s join together for a fiesta! (Invite friends - we have lots of room!) • Taco Bar • Margarita and Beer tasting • Complementary chips and salsa • Margs/cocktails at the bar for purchase • Festive Band/Music Margaritas/Mexican Beer Tasting + Taco Bar: Optional - For $15.00 per person you can also get 4 Margarita or beer) Get ready for a fun evening filled with live music, great conversation, and a lively crowd of 50+ singles and friends looking to mix, mingle, and enjoy the night. Whether you come solo or with friends, you’ll quickly feel the welcoming, social vibe. Enjoy happy hour at the bar until 6 PM, or take part in the special Cinco de Mayo experience featuring margarita flights and delicious Mexican bites. It’s the perfect setting to relax, meet new people, and celebrate in style. Our private upstairs space gives us plenty of room to connect, laugh, and enjoy the energy of the night. Come when you can, stay as long as you like — the best conversations (and the most fun!) tend to build as the evening goes on. No agenda — just great people, live music, and a Cinco de Mayo celebration you won’t want to miss!