Libertarian Candidates

Los Lobos is one of my Top Favorite Bands. They have an eclectic mix of Rock, Folk and a Spectrum of Latino music. I’ve seen them live a bunch of times and the band and the crowd are a rousing lot of fun. I have a ticket for the April 19th. That show sold out and so the April 20th show was recently added. If anyone is in for the April 20th show, I will pick up a ticket for myself for that night, as well. I just might anyway. The Birchmere is the finest music venue I have ever been to, and since moving to Alexandria, I have been there about twenty times. The sound system is the finest I have ever heard at a venue. Even on my own, I find that it is easy to make friends at virtually every show. You can dine before or during the performance. The food is pretty good; the staff is outstanding. Here are videos representing the songs they played at their 2024 Birchmere show. I was there for that one and it was a blast! Skip around for a taste and/or give them all a listen. Lots of good stuff here, imho. [https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/los-lobos/2024/the-birchmere-alexandria-va-3babd068.html](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/los-lobos/2024/the-birchmere-alexandria-va-3babd068.html) The Birchmere is General Admission, all the time. I get there early on show nights so that I can choose my own table. There are six seats at every table. If you want to join me at my table on April 19th and/or April 20th (Providing that anyone else is going) I will grab the table for up to six people. If it is more than six, I will try and grab another table. If it’s more than that, then we will have quite a party. Tickets are on sale right now. They are GA. To get a $5-$10 break, purchase your ticket at the box office on any evening that they are having a show. Those nights, the box office is open from 5 to 9. Check The Birchmere FAQ for full info. [https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1500643CEFB1DBA0?brand=birchmere&camefrom=cfc_birchmere_website](https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1500643CEFB1DBA0?brand=birchmere&camefrom=cfc_birchmere_website) FAQs [https://www.birchmere.com/faq/](https://www.birchmere.com/faq/)

**ATTENDANCE POLICY:** To keep this group running smoothly and ensure that spots are available for those who genuinely want to attend, please RSVP only if you are confident you can make it. If you RSVP “Yes” and do not attend without updating your RSVP in advance, you may be restricted from attending future events for a period of time. We understand that things come up. If you can no longer attend, simply update your RSVP as soon as possible so your spot can be offered to someone on the waitlist. Repeated no-shows will result in removal from the group. Thank you for respecting everyone’s time and helping us maintain a reliable and engaged community. **SUPPORT THINKERS AND DRINKERS:** Thinkers and Drinkers International is a registered 501(c)7 nonprofit organization. We work hard to create an organization that adds value to our communities while keeping membership free for all. If you find value in what we’re doing, please consider donating through Patreon: [https://www.patreon.com/thinkers](https://www.patreon.com/thinkers) **CONNECT:** Instagram: @ThinkersDrinkersInternational Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/thinkersdrinkersinternational/](https://www.facebook.com/thinkersdrinkersinternational/) Podcast: [https://www.spreaker.com/user/thinkersdrinkersinternational](https://www.spreaker.com/user/thinkersdrinkersinternational) Email: [[[ThinkersDrinkersInternational@gmail.com](mailto:ThinkersDrinkersInternational@gmail.com)]

When it comes to cryptocurrency, are you skeptical because you know too little? Or because you know too much? Either way... EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU FOR MONEY is a documentary that asks a sobering question: Who benefits from the chaos, and who is left to clean up the damage? Join NCAS members at the AFI Silver in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, for special screenings on April 20 at 6:45 and April 25 at 6:15, both with Q&A with filmmaker Ben McKenzie. Tickets are available in advance: [https://silver.afi.com/movies/detail/0100005537/](https://silver.afi.com/movies/detail/0100005537/) Go to [ncas.org](https://ncas.org/) for more information and to sign up for a pre-show dinner get-together. This is a paid event.

NOTE: You MUST sign up and pay via our website to reserve your spot (https://flyingbuddhastudio.com/#Events). Simply responding yes to attend via Meetup does not hold your spot. Thank you for your understanding! #### Mondays, 5:30-6:30pm 4/20, 4/27, 5/4, 5/11, 5/18, 5/25, 6/1, 6/8 (performance 6/15, 5-6:30pm) In this series students will be taught an aerial dance routine over the course of 8 weeks, ending with a performance for family and friends on the ninth week. Students can expect to learn: * How different aerial moves and tricks link together to create a dance routine * How to dance with the aerial hammock * How to add in musicality and performance elements to the routine Prerequisite: Prior aerial experience and/or an Aerial Kids Foundations workshop. Class limited to 8 students. Ages 11+. Cost of workshop: $420 for the series (payment plans are available, please inquire at the Front Desk) Sign up: https://flyingbuddhastudio.com/#Events Please note: attendees under the age of 18 must be supervised by a parent or guardian.

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Facing Fascism,”** on the history, hallmarks, and lingering power of a deadly ideology, with Kevin Matthews, professor of history at George Mason University and teacher of courses on early 20th century European history. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-facing-fascism](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-facing-fascism) .] Few political movements have aroused as much anger and fear as fascism. But despite its legacy of violence, persecution, and genocide, fascism continues to hold a strange attraction to many. Join historian Kevin Matthews for an in-depth look at an ideology that brought death to millions in Europe and yet continues to deeply influence our politics and culture. Dr. Matthews will start by discussing how the ideology of fascism arose in the aftermath of the First World War and took hold in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. To give you a better grasp of what exactly fascism is, he’ll discuss its central themes: Anti-democracy. Extreme nationalism and anti-communism. The use, or threat, of violence in politics. Rejection of established values such as scientific objectivity. Denial of equal rights, especially for women. The assertion of power where a power vacuum exists. We’ll examine the rise and fall of two notorious fascist dictators, Adolf Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy. For a time it was believed that fascism died in the ashes of the Second World War, but it clearly didn’t, and we’ll look at where it remains a political force today. Finally, we’ll examine how fascism continues to permeate popular culture in ways that trivialize it, popping up in music from punk to Madonna, with its latent eroticism making it the subject of films such as *The Night Porter.* Having been called “the most self-consciously visual of all political forms,” it enlisted fashion leaders to produce uniforms and continues today to inspire a look known as “Nazi chic.” Dr. Matthews previously has given fantastic Profs and Pints talks on Ireland’s fight for independence and on World War II German submarine attacks off our coasts. He’s sure to leave you with a much better understanding of fascism and a recognition that is has hardly gone away. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler during Mussolini's 1940 visit in Munich (photographer unknown / public domain).

MDC DSA’s New Magazine Essays Discussion Club meets in person to discuss new essays from some of the Left’s most thought-provoking magazines. All are welcome to join the club’s meeting to discuss three essays from the latest issue of *[Parapraxis](https://www.parapraxismagazine.com/magazine)*. For more details and links to the readings, check out [the group’s info doc](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hgx8ZJgQSPUvtbnKRDt5OXZWPij3jVEuLAY-5usdv5o/edit?usp=sharing). Please RSVP on [Action Network](https://actionnetwork.org/events/new-magazine-essays-discussion-club-15/) to receive further updates on this event. \* \* \* This event is open to both DSA Members and supporters. Not a Member? Please consider [becoming a Member](https://dsausa.org/join?source=Metro%20DC). Fees are on a sliding scale according to what you feel you can afford.

If you love A Cappella Singing come check out the Harmonizers and Metro Voices...The lower voice and treble voice choruses- both part of the Alexandria A Cappella Collective. If you love 4-part harmony you'll want to visit us! We will be rehearsing on April 21st at Fairlington Presbyterian Church, 3846 King St., Alexandria, VA 22302. We pride ourselves on providing opportunities for everyone to sing. We welcome everyone to visit our rehearsal and enjoy the singing while learning more about us!

In America today, police enjoy unmatched power. On the streets, officers employ violence at their own discretion. Behind closed doors, they are even more powerful. In city halls, police strong-arm local leaders and nullify attempts at public oversight. And in state legislatures and Washington, DC, police lobbyists and union leaders zealously uphold a bipartisan consensus against even mild reform. Yet as recently as fifty years ago, police still served at the pleasure of democratically elected politicians, not the other way around. In *Blue Power: How Police Organized to Protect and Serve Themselves*, Stuart Schrader narrates the rise of a bottom-up movement of rank-and-file officers who lifted policing above the law. Organizers launched their campaign in the 1960s, courting a public backlash to urban uprisings and civil rights. City by city, county by county, they formed unions and other organizations and won control over working conditions, impunity from oversight, and insulation from lean budgets. By the 2000s, this movement had triumphed nationally, shoring up the power of the police to overrule the public interest in the name of law and order. Through deep archival detective work, *Blue Power* reveals how police forced American democracy to back the blue. Join us for a discussion of the book with the author at our next Socialist Night School. Stuart Schrader is an associate professor of history at Johns Hopkins University, where he is the director of the Chloe Center for the Critical Study of Racism, Immigration, and Colonialism. He is also the author of *Badges Without Borders: How Global Counterinsurgency Transformed American Policing*. Questions? Accessibility concerns? Email politicaleducation@mdcdsa.org Those wishing to attend virtually may [register for the event on Zoom](https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/rXfKMwaNR3S2x1puQWiahQ). Please RSVP on [Action Network](https://actionnetwork.org/events/blue-power-socialist-night-school) to receive further updates on this event. NOTE: This event will be recorded and may be shared on MDC DSA’s social media platforms for educational purposes. By participating, you acknowledge that you may be videotaped and livestreamed. If you wish to avoid being recorded, you should take efforts to avoid appearing on camera or speaking. \* \* \* This event is open to both DSA Members and supporters. Not a Member? Please consider [becoming a Member](https://dsausa.org/join?source=Metro%20DC). Fees are on a sliding scale according to what you feel you can afford.

If you have a travel chess set and/or clock, please bring them so we can be sure to accommodate everyone. If not, feel free to come anyway!

Cost: free Court Type: Outdoor Sand Level: Social (everyone is welcome) Transportation: Parking will be right in front of the courts. What to bring: a ball if you have one. This is a social volleyball which means as long as you played volleyball before and can keep some rally going you can attend. The point is to practice being a team player, have fun, be social, and make friends. We should try to have 2 passes before sending the ball over on most plays. Let's get everyone involved in the game.

Known as the book that turned millions of high school students off hot dogs, "The Jungle" was originally published in the socialist newspaper "Appeal to Reason" after muckraking journalist Upton Sinclair spent seven weeks working incognito in Chicago's infamous meatpacking plants. A realistic depiction of the struggles and harsh conditions of plan workers and the corruption of powerful people in charge, the descriptions of health issues and unsanitary practices prompted the passage of sanitary reforms such as the Meat Inspection Act. Sadly, the concerns of the book feel increasingly relevant today.

• What we'll do On https://blackecon101.podbean.com/ Thursdays at 6 pm. discussing the economy....

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Facing Fascism,”** on the history, hallmarks, and lingering power of a deadly ideology, with Kevin Matthews, professor of history at George Mason University and teacher of courses on early 20th century European history. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-facing-fascism](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-facing-fascism) .] Few political movements have aroused as much anger and fear as fascism. But despite its legacy of violence, persecution, and genocide, fascism continues to hold a strange attraction to many. Join historian Kevin Matthews for an in-depth look at an ideology that brought death to millions in Europe and yet continues to deeply influence our politics and culture. Dr. Matthews will start by discussing how the ideology of fascism arose in the aftermath of the First World War and took hold in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. To give you a better grasp of what exactly fascism is, he’ll discuss its central themes: Anti-democracy. Extreme nationalism and anti-communism. The use, or threat, of violence in politics. Rejection of established values such as scientific objectivity. Denial of equal rights, especially for women. The assertion of power where a power vacuum exists. We’ll examine the rise and fall of two notorious fascist dictators, Adolf Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy. For a time it was believed that fascism died in the ashes of the Second World War, but it clearly didn’t, and we’ll look at where it remains a political force today. Finally, we’ll examine how fascism continues to permeate popular culture in ways that trivialize it, popping up in music from punk to Madonna, with its latent eroticism making it the subject of films such as *The Night Porter.* Having been called “the most self-consciously visual of all political forms,” it enlisted fashion leaders to produce uniforms and continues today to inspire a look known as “Nazi chic.” Dr. Matthews previously has given fantastic Profs and Pints talks on Ireland’s fight for independence and on World War II German submarine attacks off our coasts. He’s sure to leave you with a much better understanding of fascism and a recognition that is has hardly gone away. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler during Mussolini's 1940 visit in Munich (photographer unknown / public domain).

If you are interested in selecting investment choices for your 401(k) or other workplace savings plan, minimizing your income tax liability, or identifying the most effective investments for your brokerage account, we are the group for you. We are a local chapter of Bogleheads, whose investment strategy can be found here: https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy Or you can peruse the Boglehead forum here: https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php I look forward to seeing you there. Mark Vonder Haar

Main Library, Meeting Room 2B Join us for a welcoming evening of reflection, gentle music, and meaningful conversation. We’ll begin with a short grounding moment, followed by a brief reading from spiritual or philosophical traditions, and an open reflection circle where participants can share (or simply listen). Libera Animae is an interfaith community focused on inner growth, creativity, and authentic connection. All backgrounds are welcome.

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is powerful, but what if you could scale from a solo AI assistant to an entire team of specialized agents working in parallel? This session introduces Squad: an open-source framework for multi-agent orchestration that lets you define teams of AI agents with specific roles, responsibilities, and expertise. We'll progress from Copilot basics to the Copilot CLI, explore how Agents add autonomy, and see how Instructions and Skills let you customize agent behavior. Then, the climax: a live demo where a Squad team of 3 agents (Lead, Developer, Tester) stands up and builds a working application in real-time, showcasing true multi-agent collaboration. Whether you're new to AI or exploring how to scale your use of Copilot, this session will show you what's possible when agents work as a team. **YouTube Link** TBD

ASH is Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists of First Unitarian Universalists of Columbus Ohio TBD Snacks are usually available, and you are welcome to bringing something to share!

Our next much-awaited **COLUMBUS** meetup is **Tuesday April 21 from 7-10 pm EST at ACE OF CUPS**. Meet patients, cultivators, processors, dispensary managers/staff, physicians, home growers, educators, activists, nonprofits, artists, attorneys, business owners, writers, students, and supporters to network, share our knowledge, collaborate, support each other and make new ones! Hope you will be there too! Save the date and pass the word. **Please RSVP** so we know who is coming and how many to expect. Find us to say hi and we will introduce you to others. We should be easy to spot. (The happy-looking group wearing cool nametags! See photos from our past events.) Sign in, grab a name tag, start your own bar/food tab, meet old friends and make new ones! Everyone is welcome. SEE YOU THERE!