Twins and Multiples

NOTE: this is an **in-person event** in Amersfoort! We are a bunch of Clojure enthusiast who meet every month to discuss every thing Clojure. Today we'll have a presentation around SSR web development, with practical examples and experiments. Further, we don't have scheduled any special activity for tonight, so here's some ideas of what we would love to hear from you: * have you started new projects with Clojure(Script)? Tell us all about it! * did you author or started using cool new libraries? Plug your laptop to the projector and show us! * ever wanted to learn more about some topics or are you just anewcomer to the Clojure world? Just ask, we're happy to help you out! See you! p.s.: food is not offered tonight, make sure to come with a full stomach!

Hey Everyone! 👋 **Location:** \- On\-site: INDUSTRIEMUSEUM Minnemeers 10 9000 Gent \- Online: TBA **Practicalities for the evening on Tuesday, May 26th:** \- 18:00: Doors Open\, snacks & drinks \- 19:00: Speaker Talks \- 20:30: Networking & Drinks **Transport:** * **Parking:** Paid parking at Dok Noord * **Arriving by Train:** Minnemeers 10 in Gent is an easy **10 minute walk** from Dampoort Gent Station. **Note:** As this is an invite‑only event, you may be asked to show your calendar invite upon arrival. **Welcome to edition 15 of the Generative AI Belgium Meetup! 🚀** This time, we look at how AI is changing the Way We Work. For a long time, work was built around a simple exchange: time for money. You showed up, spent hours on tasks, and value was measured by effort, output, and expertise. Generative AI is starting to question that model. AI agents are no longer just tools for writing better emails. They are entering workflows, taking over tasks, writing code, coordinating information, and becoming part of how teams operate. Tools like Claude Cowork & Microsoft Copilot are already omnipresent in our daily work and expectations to use them are rising quickly. At the same time, robotics is making the story physical again. Machines are not only thinking with us behind a screen. They are starting to move through factories, labs, hospitals, warehouses, and most importantly homes. This raises a new question: what happens when AI becomes both a colleague in your browser and a body in the room? In this edition, we are inviting: * Startups building the tools, agents, and workflows that make this future happen * Researchers exploring human-machine interfaces and robotics * A broader discussion on what a “union of the future” could look like when work is shared between people, software agents, and machines Let's see what meaningful work, when intelligence becomes abundant. Join us on May 26th! **Line-up:** 🤙 Tom Pluym (Wonderful) — on why cracking enterprise AI demands a new type of engineer 🤖 Ruben Janssens (Ghent University) — on socially interactive robots as the next frontier of human-machine collaboration 🛡️Jarno Goossens (Aikido Security) - on what happens when security becomes the default and software starts securing itself Big thanks to Stad Gent for hosting us and to our sponsors: In The Pocket, BruCON, Red Hat, Collibra, Plainsight & Volta Ventures for supporting the community.

**Welcome to our May UX Beers in Mechelen!** This time, we will host our event on Tuesday the 26th of May at [Buffl](https://buffl.be) in Mechelen. [Ariad](https://www.ariadgroup.com/) and [Creative Skills](https://www.creativeskills.be/) sponsor our events. Follow the event online? We stream live via [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBqyTDAyQBw) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# UX TALKS **Talk 1: Research Reinvented** [Michiel Willekens](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michiel-willekens/), Productmanager @ BUFFL and [Seppe Stroo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seppe-stroo-843b82128/), Founding partner @ BUFFL In this presentation, BUFFL will demonstrate how rethinking research can drive real business results through a pragmatic case study. You’ll discover how to translate business objectives into the right customer questions and how to act on those insights immediately to accelerate growth and sales. By bringing the live voice of thousands of (potential) customers into the decision-making process, organizations can ask the right questions at the right time and turn insights into measurable business impact: from increased sales and customer loyalty/experience to stronger brand awareness and more effective activation strategies. **Talk 2: Synthetic Personas – real insights or digital illusions?** [Kate Foszcz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarzyna-foszcz/?locale=en), AI Product designer @ Ebay Can synthetic personas help us make better business decisions, or are we just interviewing very convincing imaginary friends? In this talk, Kate will explore where synthetic personas can actually bring value, from testing assumptions to speeding up research, and where they can quietly mislead us with biased, overconfident, or poorly grounded answers. Expect a practical look at how to design these systems responsibly, when to trust them, and when to go back to real humans. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# SCHEDULE 18:00 - Doors open. Drinks & snacks 19.00 - 19.15 - Introduction to UX Belgium Meetup, announcements 19.15 - 19:45 - Talk #1 19:45 -20:15 - BREAK 20:15 - 20:45 - Talk #2 20:45 - 21:30 - Socialize \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# SLACK CHANNEL We have our own UX Belgium slack channel. [Come join us and say hi!](https://join.slack.com/t/ux-belgium/shared_invite/zt-1bjpnuiog-T4Di4flXYPWgbT9KrZ53CA) \*\*\* \#\#\# YOUTUBE CHANNEL All our livestreams and talks are recorded and available on our [UX Belgium youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCno7V18T-EglYXprgrUZQ7A). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \#\#\# ABOUT UX BELGIUM UX Belgium is a growing community of User Experience (UX) professionals in and around Belgium. Look for these types of events: UX Beers Periodically, we gather at a different agency or venue to drink beers, network and listen to speakers on various themes in the world of UX and digital design. UX Antwerp: Each last Tuesday of the month UX Brussels: Each second Tuesday of the month, 4x per year UX Workshops Now and then we organize events to dive deeper into specific skills and techniques in UX. These are smaller, hands-on workshops designed to boost your UX toolbox. \*\*\* The UX Belgium Meetup Team

**3D Workshop** * **Ontwerpen met Fusion360** * **Scannen in 3D** * **Het gebruik van 3D printers** **Je bent nu welkom in de nieuwe locatie NewTechPark** Je kunt ook online aan deze fysieke bijeenkomst deelnemen. De bijeenkomst is dan op de locatie te volgen. Als je [hier](w.j.put@hccnet.nl) vooraf een mailtje stuurt kun je dinsdagavond tussen 19.00 en 20.00 uur inloggen met Jitsi voor vragen, of ter kennismaking met hcc!3D. Online neem je deel aan de bijeenkomst met [https://wij.hcc.nl/3D](https://wij.hcc.nl/3D) [(Alleen toegang als je zichtbaar bent met voor- en achternaam. )](https://wij.hcc.nl/3d)

**Wil jij impact maken als je voor een groep spreekt en tegelijkertijd stappen zetten in je carrière?** * Dan zijn **spreken in het openbaar, leiderschap en communicatie** dé belangrijkste vaardigheden die je moet beheersen. * Maar waar kun je deze vaardigheden leren en op een veilige manier oefenen? Bij ons! **Goudenraad Toastmasters van het Gooi**! In het prachtige **Huis van Eemnes**! * Verder over ons: * Met het bewezen en succesvolle **100-jarige Toastmasters-programma** van deze **wereldwijde organisatie** zet je stappen om zelfverzekerd voor een groep te staan en echte impact te maken. * Goudenraad is de **tweetalige club (Nederlands en Engels)** in het Gooi voor professionals, ondernemers, trainers, managers, docenten, technici en iedereen die op een leuke manier wil groeien en zijn communicatie- en leiderschapstalent verder wil ontwikkelen! * Wij komen **twee keer per maand** op een **maandag avond** samen in Het Huis van Eemnes, waar we uiteenlopende speeches in zowel het Nederlands als Engels horen en geven. Daarnaast ontvangen we **opbouwende feedback** die je van collega's misschien niet snel zou krijgen – en dat is **goud waard!** * Ook hebben wij regelmatig **mini-workshops en improvisaties** * Als Toastmaster kun je **wereldwijd netwerken** **met een internationale groep professionals,** deelnemen aan het **European Trainer's Network** en meedoen aan **Toastmasters-wedstrijden en conferenties.** En dat alles voor een **zeer betaalbare prijs!** Aarzel niet en meld je aan om **gratis en vrijblijvend als gast** een van onze bijeenkomsten bij te wonen. Email: goudenraadtoastmasters@gmail.com Adres: Huis van Eemnes, Noordersingel 4, 3755 EZ Eemnes

Every Tuesday, the group 024 Waalrunners go for a run at a distance of between 7km - 10km depending on the group. Everyone is welcome to join, you just need to turn up at 20:00 on Tuesday in front of Brouwerij De Hemel. There are different routes every time, and the group welcome all new people to join them. [https://www.facebook.com/024waalrunners-710731759317504](https://www.facebook.com/024waalrunners-710731759317504)

De 39ᵉ monthly meetup van [Nimma.codes](https://www.nimma.codes/). Elke laatste dinsdag van de maand. Een cross-language user group voor software developers in de regio Arnhem-Nijmegen. **Locatie** Arsenaalgas 8C, 6511 PE Nijmegen **Om 19:00 is de fietsenstalling van de parkeergarage gesloten** Let op: het eten is er om 17:30. We starten om 18:00 met de opening. *We houden er niet van om eten te verspillen. Ben je verhinderd? Geen probleem, maar meld je uiterlijk een dag voor de meetup af.* **Programma** * 17:30 - 18:00 Inloop + food/drinks * 18:00 - 18:45 **Agentic Coding bij Rakoo: wat werkt, wat niet, en wat nu? - Matthijs Hendriks & Koen Poelhekke** * 18:45 - 19:00 Pauze * 19:00 - 19:45 **Vector search is niet genoeg: waarom je RAG een graph nodig heeft - Ian FitzPatrick** * 20:00 - 21:00 Netwerken en gezelligheid **Agentic Coding bij Rakoo: wat werkt, wat niet, en wat nu? - Matthijs Hendriks & Koen Poelhekke** AI is alive and AI is here to stay. Ook binnen Rakoo speelt AI een steeds grotere rol. Waar het begon met tekstgeneratie en analyses, gebruiken we AI in steeds meer systemen, en worden LLMs nu ook steeds meer ingezet voor code-generatie. De yolo yolo vibe coding heeft nog een negatieve bijsmaak, maar dit is grotendeels opgelost met het professioneel inzetbare Agentic Coding. Hiermee kunnen agents zelfstandig taken uitvoeren: analyses, planning, én implementatie. Developers hoeven dan alleen nog de hoofdlijnen te bedenken en het resultaat te reviewen. Maar hoe past agentic coding in je proces? De eerder overzichtelijke situatie van issue -> code -> review -> mergen kan nogal op de schop gegooid te worden. Daarnaast zijn er de bekende security- en privacy risico's, en wil je ook rekening houden met zaken als code quality, code style, en maintainability, en is het veel lastiger om het overzicht te behouden. Hier zijn natuurlijk tools voor, maar welke van de 10001 kies je - en hoe kies je de juiste? En hoe meet je eigenlijk de waarde? Rakoo zit middenin dit proces en we vertellen je graag wat we hebben gebouwd, ingericht, teruggedraaid, en waar we uiteindelijk (lees: voorlopig) op uit zijn gekomen. We staan ook stil bij hoe je dit secure (sandboxed) houdt, en hoe we dit in het team en in onze sprints hebben geïntegreerd. Als laatste: waar gaan we naar toe? Wat zien wij als verdere mogelijkheden en hoe denken we daar te kunnen komen - of besluiten we dat we een bepaalde richting niet in slaan? **Vector search is niet genoeg: waarom je RAG een graph nodig heeft - Ian FitzPatrick** De belangrijkste uitdaging voor Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) AI systemen is om de LLM van de juiste context te voorzien om vragen te beantwoorden. Vector databases zijn een veel gebruikt middel om kennis (documenten) op te slaan en te doorzoeken op 'betekenis' en niet alleen letterlijke keyword match. Een groot nadeel hiervan is dat document structuur bij deze opslagmethode vaak verloren gaat. In deze talk laat ik zien dat cl-rdf, een open-core (IAM en HA zijn Enterprise features) database dat vectoropslag kombineert met een triple graph (RDF) een groter palet aan mogelijkheden biedt om kennis op te slaan en te doorzoeken. Trigger warning: in deze presentatie gaan veel haakjes voorkomen...

## 🎨**Activity for EXPATS & English Speakers** ☕ Are you an art enthusiast living in or around **Amersfoort, Hilversum, Utrecht, Nieuwegein, IJsseltein, De Bilt and the rest of cities of the Utrecht's province** who love painting or drawing? Maybe you've felt the joy of creating but struggled to find others who share your passion and speak **ENGLISH**? **You're not alone! 😉** ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ## 🖌️**About this event** You will meet other Art Lovers like you to Draw, Paint and have some drinks Together ! Our events are not just about sketching or creating art—they’re about building connections. Every two weeks, we meet at a café to have a relaxing time drawing a painting. Please keep on mind that **ENGLISH i**s the official language we will use to integrate everyone in our conversations. ⭕⭕⭕➡️ **IMPORTANT ⬅️** ⭕⭕⭕⭕ ### 👩🏻‍🎨**Book formally your Seat 🪑via [WHATSAPP](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f)** **If you want to confirm officially your attendance and separate your seat🪑. Book your seat in meet-up, and contact us via [WHATSAPP HERE](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f) to receive more information on the address of our activities.** **Thanks a lot for your understanding!** 💐🥰 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### 👩🏻‍🎨**How Does It Work?** This event is simple, this initiative takes 2 Hours. Most of the participants use pencils, water pencils or watercolours. Main aim is to socialize while we draw. There will be plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. We have to mention that this event is suitable for all levels. Many have started to draw in our event actually. Also it is very important that you **[JOIN US AT OUR WHATSAPP COMMUNITY](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f),** to stay up to date on our upcoming events and participate in our Drawing and Painting Contests! **👉: [https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f)** 🍀 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### ☕**Where?** We will meet in different cafes mainly in the *center of Amersfoort ( and some occasions in other cities around)*. I will inform you of the exact place some days in advance this event. The place will depend on the number of attendees. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### **🎟️ What is included?** 🟢 **2 HOURS TO HAVE FUN!** 🟢 **15 mins warming-up creative activity and paper material**🖌️🎨 🟢 New friendships and **conversations in ENGLISH** in a relaxed atmosphere 🟢 **Souvenir picture** with you and the rest of Art Lovers 📷 🟢 Exclusive **access to our Art Lovers Community** on which you will receive: ***\~\~\~ Drawing challenges,*** ***\~\~\~ Training content,*** ***\~\~\~ FREE Entries only to members*** ***\~\~\~ Drawing Competitions*** 🟢 Time to **create alongside fellow artists and amateurs** 🟢 The freedom to **work at your own pace** 💃🕺🎈 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ### 🖼️**Art Materials?** Bring your own practical art materials to be adaptable to sketch on a coffee table. Like your sketchbook, pencils, watercolor, markets, pencils, your Tablet..etc ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ ## **See you to Paint, Draw, and drink together!🌟☕🍷🍪🍰**

𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 🌱 On **Thursday, May 28**, we are proud to host a special **Data Thursday** edition at **B. Amsterdam**: **Cloud & Climate Pub Quiz** ☁️🌍 This will not be a classic sit-back-and-listen meetup. This is a **taste-of-tech game night** where #climate, #cloud, #AI, #CO₂, #costoptimisation and a bit of controlled chaos come together in one big interactive quiz. At **Data Tribes & EcoVerum,** we believe that climate impact, sustainability reporting and regenerative transformation all start with better data. This evening brings that belief to life in the most Data Thursday way possible: with sharp questions, practical insights, team play, pizza and drinks. Your personal quiz masters for the evening: 👷‍♂️ **Henk van der Valk** Platform & Intelligence Architect 👷‍♂️ **Marcel van der Kuil** Data & AI Impact Engineer Together, Henk and Marcel will join forces as **Buurman & Buurman for Cloud & Climate**, fixing things one quiz round at a time. Think climate science, cloud optimisation, AI-assisted answers, sharp questions, practical insights and probably a few moments of **“A je to!”** along the way. The evening includes three rounds: 🌍 **National Climate Quiz** 🌡️ **Climate Interactive EN-ROADS simulator** ☁️ **Cloud optimisation: cost, CO₂ and Scope 3** Bring your laptop. Teams will compete for points, prizes and eternal Data Thursday glory. AI is allowed, but beware: some answers need to be explained in your own words. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 **// 18:00** — Doors open + pizza **// 18:30 – 19:15** — First round **// 19:15 – 20:00** — Second round **// 20:00 – 20:45** — Third round **// 20:45 – 21:00** — Wrap-up / evaluation **// 21:00 – 21:30** — Drinks & networking **// 21:30** — End 📍 **The Henry, B. Amsterdam — B.1** Johan Huizingalaan 763a, Amsterdam A big thank you to **B. Amsterdam** for once again supporting the Data Thursday community. Because without reliable data, there is no reliable climate action. And this time, we are testing what grows when cloud, climate, AI and community come together. Greetings, Data Tribes Inc & EcoVerum

Are you an **expat** in **Utrecht** and do you want to **learn how to swim?** Look no further! Dive into **personalized swimming lessons** with **Your Personal Swim Coach**. Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn the basics or an advanced swimmer seeking to refine your technique, our expert coaches offer **tailored sessions** that fit your needs. **De Kwakel** is a great pool close to the city center, has free parking, and is easy to reach by bus. It's an **amazing learning environment!** **Don't wait any longer:** **[Sign up for a Try Out Lesson!](https://www.your-personal-swim-coach.nl/product/try-out-adult-swimming-lesson/)** Want to learn more first? Go to our **[website](https://www.your-personal-swim-coach.nl/)** or **[schedule a call!](https://calendly.com/ypsc/new-meeting)**

Every AI pipeline starts with one question: where does the data come from? In this hands-on workshop, we'll answer that question using Scrapy, one of Python's most powerful web scraping frameworks. You'll go from a blank project to a working spider that harvests structured data from the web, ready to feed into your next AI or data science project. We'll cover: • Scrapy vs. lighter tools (Requests & Beautiful Soup), and when each makes sense • Extracting data from HTML using CSS selectors • Following links and handling pagination at scale • Writing clean, structured output to a file • The ethical and legal side of web scraping Bonus (Gold Star): a chapter on scraping JavaScript-rendered pages for those who want to go further. 🐍 Python basics assumed — no prior scraping experience needed **Agenda** \- 18:00 Doors Open \- 18:30 Start of the Workshop \- 20:15 Workshop Closing & Announcements \- 20:30 Networking \- 21:00 Event Closing **GitHub Repo** [Scalable Data Harvesting for AI](https://github.com/pyladiesams/scalable-data-harvesting-for-ai-may2026) **Stream** [YouTube Stream](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wqXbShaAvU) ​**📧 Contact** Are you interested in speaking at one of our events? Have a good idea for a Meetup? Get in touch with us at [amsterdam@pyladies.com](mailto:amsterdam@pyladies.com) ​💬 Find us on the PyLadies Global workspace: 1. ​[https://slackin.pyladies.com](https://slackin.pyladies.com/) enter your email address. Accept the email invitation 2. ​Go to workspace [https://pyladies.slack.com](https://pyladies.slack.com/) 3. ​Join channel #city-amsterdam 4. **Scalable**

Let us meet, have a coffee and code together, or just discuss :)! This Meetup is everyone that considers himself "Techie", in the broad sense and wants to socialize :). Join us and chat, ask your questions, or work on your own projects. The choice is yours! There is no agenda, this is simply a gathering of interested folks :). We're meeting at Lebkov right inside the Utrecht Centraal station. We're typically sitting at the large table. Search for the folks with the laptops in the back! You are very welcome to join whether you are an experienced developer, or simply interested and want to chat!

🎟️ **[REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT HERE](https://www.ministryoftesting.com/chapters/mot-netherlands/events/mot-netherlands-280526)** 🎟️ **The MoaCM ... which sounds a bit like Mokum (nickname for Amsterdam).** Every tester knows there’s always more going on beneath the surface: the unspoken questions, the unexpected discoveries, the “wait… what just happened?” moments that shape our craft. Our next chapter meeting leans right into that spirit. We’re pulling back the curtain on the things we don’t always talk about, the stories that don’t make the slides, and the hidden agendas that quietly steer our testing journeys. We offer you an evening full of curiosity, connection, and a few delightful surprises. Two awesome speakers will take the stage with talks crafted especially for this event. Sorry, no spoilers, but trust me, you will want to be in the room when they drop their insights. Add great food, lightning talks, stroopwafels, and the kind of hallway conversations that only happen at Ministry of Testing gatherings, and you’ve got yourself a night worth marking in bold on your calendar. **PROGRAM:** **17:00 – Arrival & Grabbing a Seat** Ease in, find your spot, and enjoy your complimentary stroopwafel. Consider it the warm‑up round for your brain. **17:20 – Opening Remarks** A quick kickoff to set the tone and spark your curiosity. **17:30 – Talk 1: Sanne Visser** The wheel is spinning but the hamster is stuck. (Knowing Sanne, expect something sharp, thoughtful, and delightfully unexpected). **18:30 – Dinner** Fuel up with good food, because even testers need to keep their internal combustion engines running smoothly. **19:30 – Talk 2: Veerle Verhagen** tba… (And yes, Veerle will absolutely bring her ever-present energy, brilliant insight, and probably a twist we will not see coming). **20:30 – Closing & Lightning Talks** A few final thoughts from your chapter lead, followed by the community taking the mic. Share an idea, pitch a question, or drop a testing gem … lightning‑style. **Followed by – Networking Drinks** Stay, chat, unwind, and connect. No fixed end time; we leave when the energy fades or the building politely tells us it’s time to go. 🎟️ **[REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT HERE](https://www.ministryoftesting.com/chapters/mot-netherlands/events/mot-netherlands-280526)** 🎟️

This is the 50th Anniversary of the Judgment of Paris. Significantly, in 1976, California wines unexpectedly outperformed French wines in a blind tasting with nine French judges, challenging the perception that only French wines were of the highest quality. This event helped elevate the status of California wines on the global stage and is considered a pivotal moment in wine history. House Wine, in Worthington, modestly, recreates that moment in history with a tasting both American and French wines in a fun, casual atmosphere. Come at 6:45, pay your fee at the register and join your friends for this "Judgey" tasting. https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/wine/the-judgment-of-paris-turns-40/ Arrive when you can and we'll have a table for gathering. Feel free to bring your own food as it is welcomed at this local gem or order from the newly opened Worthington Inn, or local favorites such as Dewey's, Everest, Jet, Worthington Tavern and The Whitney. Each person pays their tasting fee, typically $15, and gets their wine glass, then approximately five pours of the wines being served. **Parking is tough**. Try the second lot behind House Wine accessed by the land by the back parking lot or the municipal lot one block north of House Wine. **Waiver and Liability and Attendance Policy.** Participation by you and your guests means you agree to the Waiver of Liability and Attendance Policies on our Group Page. People who have two more or Attendance policy violations are subject to removal from the group.

[Columbus library link to book](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3351321) Location: The Goat River South 219 S High St, Columbus, OH 43215 Street parking is free on Sundays [Menu](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/686d3ed16745133042482c5f/t/68ff654dbb03b96875430bde/1761568077220/all_brunch-20250311.pdf) Book summary: On a hot day in Bethlehem, a twelve-year-old Palestinian-American girl is yelled at by a group of men outside the Church of the Nativity. She has exposed her legs in a biblical city, an act they deem forbidden, and their judgement will echo on through her adolescence. When our narrator finally admits to her mother that she is queer, her mother's response only intensifies a sense of shame: 'You exist too much,' she tells her daughter. Told in vignettes that flash between the U.S. and the Middle East--from New York to Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine--Zaina Arafat's debut novel traces her protagonist's progress from blushing teen to sought-after DJ and aspiring writer.

This is "***New Members Night***." If you are one of the many folks on the fence about coming to your first wine tasting with the *Hilliard Wine Club*, this is the night to come. There will be many other new people, so you won't be alone. And the regulars will be there to help make you feel welcome. We're a relaxed and warm group. We hope to see you. **SIDE NOTE:** New members are welcome to ALL our Friday night wine tastings, but this night is a special overture to those who don't want to feel that they are the only new person in the room. Don't worry. You won't be. And don't hesitate to RSVP to other events. **OLD MEMBERS NOTE**: Hey Old Members! You're not excluded from this event. We expect to see you there to help make the new members feel welcome. **Sample 4 different wines** this Friday for $15 (*Cash or Venmo only please*). Glasses are provided. Bring a snack to share. Bring a bottle to share if you care to. See all the details below for the Hilliard Wine Club Wine Tasting. In Person. In Real Life. Actual Wine from glass bottles with corks and everything. **Wine**: Tastings will be $15 for four samples as always. And you are welcome to bring a bottle of your favorite wine to share with others. Participation in the wine tastings is optional. But since you’re going, I will buy enough wine to cover you. If you bring your own wine and do not participate in the tasting you will only pay $10 to cover the door charge. **Parking**: There are several public parking lots near the Alive614 hall. Please be careful to NOT park in private parking lots. They do tow. Check Google maps to scope out your space. Anyone who is early could easily find a parking space on the street nearby. **Glasses**: …will be provided. Please note that after the wine tasting, the glasses need to be returned to the boxes at the service table. Please be gentle, our glasses are fragile. Uh, they are made of glass! **Food**: You are welcome to bring a snack to share. It is not required. Most people do though. If no one brings anything, there will be nothing. **Code of Conduct**: Though mostly understood, it’s still worth mentioning. We don’t have rules per se, but we highly discourage the following topics of discussion because they are likely to incite anti-social responses - Sex, Politics, Religion. Please don’t mistake this as an attempt to limit your free speech rights but rather a guide to a place and time for appropriate discussions. **Extra Wine**: After everyone has had their samples, we remove the pouring spouts and any remaining wine is poured freely to whomever wants it. I hate having leftover wine. **Queen of Hearts**: The Queen of Hearts raffle is a fundraiser for the club and a Barnum and Bailey type extravaganza - minus the dancing ponies, clowns, and actual circus. Bring your ***cash*** as the Queen does not accept American Express or other plastic. **After the lights go out**: After the last sip of wine, when we clean up and turn the lights out, if you still haven’t had enough of us, it is typical for a group to get together and go to a local eatery for food and/or drinks or coffee. Again, We look forward to meeting new members and reuniting with old friends. Sincerely, ***Paul Uttermohlen***, **Red 1 Realty** *Your Hilliard Wine Club Host*

**Karaoke Night**: Bring your glee club friends. Enjoy a flashback to your choir days. No chorus line. It's all you baby. Sing. Shout. Scream. Lip sync if you need to. But do show up and do have a good time. **On Freestyle night** \- just bring a bottle to share\. There is NO formal wine tasting like on other weeks\. Door charge is $10 \(cash or Venmo only please\)\. We may have some left over wines to clear out\! Glasses are provided\. Take Care\. See you there\. **Parking**: There are several public parking lots near the Alive614 hall. Please be careful to NOT park in private parking lots. They do tow. Check Google maps to scope out your space. Anyone who is early could easily find a parking space on the street nearby. I am told that the Chase parking lot is safe after hours. **Glasses**: …will be provided. Please note that after the wine tasting, the EMPTY glasses need to be returned to the boxes at the service table. Please do not make me hunt down your empty glass. Please be gentle, our glasses are fragile. Uh, they are made of glass! **Food**: You are welcome to bring a snack to share. It is not required. Most people do though. If no one brings anything, there will be nothing. **Code of Conduct**: Though mostly understood, it’s still worth mentioning. We don’t have rules per se, but we highly discourage the following topics of discussion because they are likely to incite anti-social responses - Sex, Politics, Religion. Please don’t mistake this as an attempt to limit your free speech rights but rather a guide to a place and time for appropriate discussions. **After the lights go out**: After the last sip of wine, when we clean up and turn the lights out, if you still haven’t had enough of us, it is typical for a group to get together and go to a local eatery for food and/or drinks or coffee. Again, We look forward to meeting new members and reuniting with old friends. Sincerely, ***Paul Uttermohlen***, **Red 1 Realty** *Your Hilliard Wine Club Host*