Drug Reform

'KAFKA ON THE SHORE' by Haruki Murakami 'The aging Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood affliction, finds his pleasantly simplified life suddenly turned upside down. There is a savage killing, but the identity of both victim and killer is a riddle. Kafka on the Shore follows the fortunes of two remarkable characters. Kafka Tamura runs away from home at fifteen, under the shadow of his father's dark prophesy. The aging Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood affliction, finds his pleasantly simplified life suddenly turned upside down. Their parallel odysseys are enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerising dramas. Cats converse with people; fish tumble from the sky; a ghostlike pimp deploys a Hegel-spouting girl of the night; a forest harbours soldiers apparently un-aged since WWII. There is a savage killing, but the identity of both victim and killer is a riddle. Murakami's new novel is at once a classic tale of quest, but it is also a bold exploration of mythic and contemporary taboos, of patricide, of mother-love, of sister-love. Above all it is an entertainment of a very high order.' ***Please read the book and join us for a lively discussion (in English) about the contents during our afternoon book club meeting.*** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **PLEASE NOTE:** This is an IN-PERSON event in Amersfoort, The Netherlands. Please cancel your attendance in advance if you are unable to join, so that those on the waitlist can participate. Looking forward to seeing you all IN REAL LIFE then! Best regards, Sandra

📍 Hilversum Station, 10:30 → finish at Baarn railway station (~17:30) We meet inside the station near piano. 🚶‍♂️ ~10 km total | ~6–7 hours | relaxed pace with sketching stops 🎯 Main destination: Kasteel Groeneveld We’ll walk together through nature from Hilversum to the castle (~7 km), making several short sketching stops (15–30 min), with a longer session near the castle. After that, we continue ~3 km to Baarn station. There’s a café at the castle (coffee, sweets, late lunch), but we’ll arrive later — bring your own food/snacks so you don’t get hungry. Bring along: * Sketching materials * Water * Foldable chair or blanket (there is no guaranteed seating in forest) * Comfortable walking clothes * Extra layer (it gets cold when sitting still) * Sandwich or snacks to keep energy going No pressure on skill level — all styles welcome. Come for the walk, the nature, and the sketches 🌿✏️

## Love is in the air…! After the crazy success of our first event, we're back with more connection games! This time, the games will be much shorter (15-20 mins each) to allow for easier rotation. For those who're new here, Affinitee hosts slow dating events focused on discovering relationships built on compatibility over superficiality! **No more swiping, skip the bad dates!** ### *This is how it works:* 1\. Before you arrive at the meetup\, you fill in a fun 5\-10 minute questionnaire before registration below \(if you haven't already\)\. We explore different aspects of relationship compatibility using this questionnaire\. To make use of the pre-matching facility, we recommend registering on the website as well. You may sign up here [https://affinitee.eu/au-event-3](https://affinitee.eu/au-event-3) 2\. A match will be automatically assigned \(if available\)\, based on your given criteria \(age range\, children\, location etc\.\) as well as the overall compatibility score based on your questionnaire answers\. 3\. At the event\, you will be able to try out a multitude of board/card games that are specifically chosen to explore various aspects of relationship compatibility \(moral values\, decision making etc\.\)\. 4\. After each game\, you can choose to switch partners\, or continue with the same person\, based on input from either parties\. 5\. At the end of the event\, IF you did indeed feel a spark with someone at the event \(and it is reciprocated\)\, we help you arrange a date with them\. You do not even have to exchange contacts\! **[!!IMPORTANT!!]** We recommend signing up through our website to guarantee a match as early as possible. But of course, even if no match isassigned to you due to late registration or gender imbalance, a majority of the games are still played as groups! *So nobody gets left out and everyone has a chance to meet and match with other singles.* We believe in conscious, compatibility based matchmaking. Don't waste your time dating the wrong people!

Join us for the XXL edition celebrating the 3rd anniversary of our (board) games meetup at our local community center! We’re doing things a little differently this time, so make sure to read everything below and we hope to see as many of you as possible on this special day! This event is part of an ongoing series organized through our Discord server [[discord.gg/utrecht](http://discord.gg/utrecht)] • Free entry for everyone, as always! • Bring your favorite (board) games • Meet new friends and fellow gaming enthusiasts • A night filled with exciting challenges and friendly competition • Warm food, snacks, and drinks will be provided for everyone! (e.g. fries, sauces, chips, fried snacks, sodas) There will also be a Nintendo Switch 2 available with games like Mario Party, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros and other party games, so feel free to bring a controller if you’d like to play! Whether you're a board game aficionado or a video game guru, this event is for you. Bring your friends, bring your favorite games, and let’s celebrate three years of gaming together! Note that due to limitations of the location, we cannot open the door for you after 19:00. Make sure to read the ''How to find us'' carefully and join the Discord if you have any questions.

Lieve leden, Vanaf 19:30 op onze oude vertrouwde locatie, MFA Safari Maarssen Dan nog een veel gevraagd onderwerp.. de entree! Vanaf deze post gaan we wel starten met de mogelijkheid tot doneren. Heb je het de afgelopen jaren naar je zin gehad? Overweeg dan te doneren, zo kunnen we blijven vernieuwen! Weet je niet hoeveel? Met 5,- kunnen we al een hoop. Bij binnenkomst op de club zullen we ook een QR-code plaatsen die je kunt gebruiken en natuurlijk.. de vertrouwde spaarpot. ## Tot de Gamenight! Board game fanatics and beginners, assemble! We host a GameNight every two weeks on a Friday. We have our own game collection that you can use, but we encourage you to bring some of your favourites as well! No entrance cost. We have coffee, tea and drinks from the fridge for low prices! Parking is free and there are over a hundred spaces in front of the building. Please use the stairs at the back of the MFA Safari building outside to get into the club.

Lieve leden, Vanaf 19:30 op onze oude vertrouwde locatie, MFA Safari Maarssen Dan nog een veel gevraagd onderwerp.. de entree! Vanaf deze post gaan we wel starten met de mogelijkheid tot doneren. Heb je het de afgelopen jaren naar je zin gehad? Overweeg dan te doneren, zo kunnen we blijven vernieuwen! Weet je niet hoeveel? Met 5,- kunnen we al een hoop. Bij binnenkomst op de club zullen we ook een QR-code plaatsen die je kunt gebruiken en natuurlijk.. de vertrouwde spaarpot. Tot de Gamenight!Spellenclub Maarssen --- Board game fanatics and beginners, assemble! We host a GameNight every two weeks on a Friday. We have our own game collection that you can use, but we encourage you to bring some of your favourites as well! No entrance cost. We have coffee, tea and drinks from the fridge for low prices! Parking is free and there are over a hundred spaces in front of the building. Please use the stairs at the back of the MFA Safari building outside to get into the club.

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Come and join us for an evening of Buddhist meditation with like-minded people. The doors open at 7:00 PM, and meditation begins promptly at 7:15 PM. The meditation will last between 30 to 40 minutes, followed by tea and biscuits for anyone who would like to stay and chat. On some evenings, there will also be a short Dharma talk to provide some Buddhist context. The meditation space is down at the canal. To get there, you can take the stairs down. The meditation is offered on a donation basis. See our [website](https://utrechtbuddhistcentre.nl/) for more information.

⚠️ **IMPORTANT: You must sign up and buy a ticket here to attend:** [https://groupvibe.com/](https://groupvibe.com/) **Join the Amsterdam** **Coffee Club and make new friends!** Each meetup brings together 4–6 people for casual conversations over coffee. We use the Groupvibe platform to facilitate the meetup and ensure everyone’s a good fit. 👉 **To attend, you’ll need to complete registration via this link:** [https://groupvibe.com/](https://groupvibe.com/) We’ll share the exact location of the upcoming meetup the night before only if you have bought a ticket or membership plan. **Why this works:** \* Smaller groups make real conversations easier. \* Discover new cafes in your city, together. \* Curated cafes with good coffee and vibe. \* If you hit it off with your group, there’s plenty of time to hang out afterwards. **Note:** RSVPs on Meetup don’t reflect total attendance. Many attendees register directly via our website. The event on [Meetup.com](http://meetup.com/) is only a placeholder. This meetup is organized by Groupvibe, a small team passionate about helping people form meaningful friendships offline.

You’re invited to join us for a cycling trip from Utrecht to Amsterdam, following the historic [Dutch Waterline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Waterline). As we cycle through green polders and along quiet waterways, you’ll discover how the Dutch once used water as a powerful defense system, by flooding the land in order to stop enemies from invading Holland and taking all our cheese and bicycles :) We’ll pass old forts and scenic Dutch landscapes, where history and nature are coming together. Come along and experience the beautiful nature and the story of this unique Dutch landscape. All you need is to bring a bicycle, good mood and hopefully some sunscreen! The meeting point is at Utrecht Central Station and from here it is about 55 km cycling to Amsterdam, and we will have some lunch on the way. Hope to see you then!

**We have limited space at the café, so if you've RSVPd and can't make it, please cancel as early as possible so another person can join!** Join in for a morning of crafting & chatting over a drink. Just bring your own project and payment for drinks. Meet fellow crafting enthusiasts, whether it's knitting, crocheting, stitching, origami, or something more unique! We talk about our projects, exchange tipps, but also just get to know each other and enjoy a relaxed Sunday morning in good company. We now also have a WhatsApp group, where we want to organise get-togethers and other events. Ask one of the organisers at the next Meetup you join for more information and access.

The Humanist Monthly Program is our longest running event and still a community favorite. In the old days it used to be called "Going to HCCO" and we still like to think of it as our flagship event. We will be hearing from Becca Powell, Director of Advocacy and Outreach at Unchained At Last, an organization whose mission is dedication to ending forced and child marriage in the United States through direct services and systems change. Unchained At Last's mission clearly meshes and addresses several of our Humanist Ten Commitments. Becca will educate us about an issue many of us may not be familiar with--but should be. Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

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!

Join us as we get together to get together to help those in need at this CMG Gives Back event! We have a great little community of Movie Group friends so rather than see a movie this time, we’ll help “create a better world” by helping serve those in need. Here are complete details and our plan for this event: FAITH MISSION – GRANT KITCHEN: The Faith Mission kitchen and dining room serves residents 3 meals a day, every day of the year. For this event, our group will help prepare food, serve meals, assist residents in the dining room, wash dishes, and clean surfaces. PLAN: We will be preparing / serving / cleaning for BRUNCH from 10:30am to 12:30pm and have space for a total of 7 volunteers. Please arrive at 10:20am and wear closed-toe shoes and long pants. LOCATION: Faith Mission – Grant Kitchen is located at 245 N. Grant Ave. Enter the kitchen at Dock 1 (in the back of the building), indicated in the attached map. On-site parking in the adjacent lot and street parking is available in the surrounding area. Below are some links / attachments with additional info/details: IMPORTANT REMINDER: Our group will be providing all of the volunteers on this day so a firm RSVP count is essential. Please only sign up if you are certain you’ll be able to attend. If something unavoidable comes up, please try to update your RSVP no later than one week prior to the event. With few exceptions, no shows or cancelations within 1 week of the event will not be eligible for future CMG Gives Back events. I appreciate your understanding as we try to ensure the agencies have the volunteers needed to provide the essential services they provide to the vulnerable population they serve. Our Partner Agency for this event is Lutheran Social Services! A huge THANK YOU to all of YOU for volunteering at this (and any of our previous) CMG Gives Back events! Should be a good/fun/meaningful time together, Dan

Join us again this Saturday for drinks and sweets at this delicious Vegan co-op bakery. Mingle with likeminded Columbus Vegans. We will aim to sit outside after purchasing items and hopefully taking in cooperative weather. Special note on parking: Please try to park along Acton, Richards and/or Chatham streets so as to free up the lot at the back of the building for pick-up orders. Thank you. 😊 Patty Cake offers everything from cupcakes, cookies, cakes, muffins, whoopie pies, as well as gluten free goodies. They also have coffee, oat milk and cold brew

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