Dystopia

Hi all, Sorry im late posting. Completely forgot. Now we have an unwritten nova group rule, we see all Melbourne films. Plus its comedy festival time, so Ive pick Hands Up Who'd like a Hug. NOTE this screening is a special event but there are lots of tickets left. Its in cinema 9 one of the regular/standard cinemas....no tips for this one, but you would want to be towards the back. We'll be in the usual meeting place [read on for details] from 6:45pm 'ish. If there's something else on your film wish list that you want to catch instead (still recommending I swear), then please feel free to do so and catch us in the Nova bar afterwards for a chat. Looking forward to seeing you there. Cheers, Alicia **--=>+ Meeting Spot +<=--** Outside the clothing store Black Orange. It is inside Lygon Court next to Brunettis. Join the group at the meeting spot 10 minutes before the start time or see us in the movie. **--=>+ The Film +<=--** Produced on iPhone13, featuring a brilliant young comic cast, made on the smell of an oily rag, a Melbourne-made, hilarious, heart-warming comedy is coming to Cinema Nova as part of a very special Melbourne Comedy Festival presentation. Thomas, a young oddball millionaire without any friends, sobers up a homeless drunk, Deacon, in an effort to make his very first friend. Meanwhile Thomas’s neighbour, Blake, discovers his girlfriend once had a ‘Three-Day Life-Changing Sex Marathon’ with his best mate, Logan. Although this happened years before Blake and his girlfriend got together, Blake is so intimidated, he decides to end the friendship with Logan – only Logan won’t let him. These four guys become entangled when Blake and Logan start competing to be Thomas’s best mate just to annoy each other. Thomas, oblivious to the real reason for their sudden interest, is ecstatic about new friend prospects but Deacon becomes homicidally possessive. **--=>+ Tickets +<=--** Everyone will need to buy their own ticket online and in advance. If you want to sit with other group members, there's a tendency for us to pick seats in the back two rows. Those who feel comfortable can catch up in Nova's bar afterward. **--=>+ Afterwards+<=--** We meet in Nova's bar after the movie. Look for us in the area to the left as you go down the steps. Share your thoughts about the film with the group over a drink of your choice. If the bar is closed we typically head across the road to the Wolf's Lair which is out the back of Jimmy Watson's.

I don't know how many times we walked in the Grampians, but I do remember every time is different and always gives us a great experience. MT STURGEON hike Distance: 7 km return Time: 2.5- 3 hours Elevation change: 343m Grade: hard MT ABRUPT and Signal Peak hike Distance: 10.8km return Time: 4 - 5 hours Elevation change: 634m Grade: hard 【Itinerary】 Day 1: Meet up at Melbourne by each car around 8:30am. Drive to the campground near grampians (Dunkeld caravan park), arrive around 11:30 am. Set up tents and have a quick lunch. Do the Mount Sturgeon hike and have sunset if possible. Go back to campsite and cook the dinner. Day 2: Cook breakfast and prepare lunch. Do the Mt Abrupt hike. Drive back to Melbourne. 【Cost】 $26 including camping fee, group management fee, and firewood. After the bank transfer, I will add you to the Facebook Messenger group for this trip. 【Car Pooling 】 Carpooling, the total distance around 640km, $45 per person if 4 ppl in a car. Please give the car cost to your driver directly. https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/ur2yfa 【What to bring?】: Sufficient water per day (2 litres min.); Sunscreen; A hat and suitable shoes; A first-aid kit; Camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, and mattress) 【Risks and Waiver of Liability】 By attending the OZ Adventurers event, I represent that I am in good physical health and capable of participating in the event. I understand that risks of Injuries and Damages are involved in hiking and other adventure travel, and I appreciate that I may have to exercise extra care for my own person and for others around me. I agree to WAIVE, DISCHARGE CLAIMS, AND RELEASE FROM LIABILITY OZ Adventurers, Its organisers, leaders, volunteers, members and attendees from any and all liability on account of, or in any way resulting from Injuries and Damages. 【Facebook Group】 You can also visit our Facebook group or Facebook page for more events. [https://www.facebook.com/groups/ozadventurers](https://www.facebook.com/groups/ozadventurers) [https://www.facebook.com/OZadventurers](https://www.facebook.com/OZadventurers)

Hi Radiant Ladies, Join us for a refreshing Saturday walk at Ruffey Lake Park. 👭 Walk at your own pace 🐕 Dogs welcome ☕ Coffee after 🌦️ We walk every Saturday (unless it’s pouring) New ladies welcome. See you! 
Leanne & Lyn 💕

Hi all Fortnightly dinner and movie at Pentridge Palace cinema in Coburg. Generally get dinner at Jacky Jones then see a fick around 7-7.30pm screening slot. Hope you can make it

We'll meet at the spot where Fed Square meets the Princes Bridge over the Yarra (near the pedestrian crossing closest to the river from Flinders St, on the Fed Square side). We'll walk for about 6km along the Yarra River, through the Botanic Gardens and back along the river to Federation Square for a coffee after the walk. This month, we're reading and talking about 'I'd Rather Not' by Robert Skinner. The blurb: 'From one of Australia’s most wryly funny writers comes an original and utterly hilarious memoir of reaching for the stars while lying in a ditch *I was sleeping in what might reasonably be described as a ditch, though I tried not to think of it in those terms for morale reasons . . .* Robert Skinner arrives in the city, searching for a richer life. Things begin badly and then, surprisingly, get slightly worse. Pretty soon he's sleeping rough and trying to run a literary magazine out of a dog park. His quest for meaning keeps being thwarted, by endless jobs, beagles, house parties, ill-advised love affairs, camel trips and bureaucratic entanglements. Sometimes a book catches the spirit of the times. *I'd Rather Not* is about work, escape and that something more we all need. 'I was told this man came from the Adelaide Plains and so commenced to read his work. By the time I realised I'd been viciously misled and he actually grew up in Magill, it was too late. I was already completely in love with the book. It's an absolute bag of lollies.' —Annabel Crabb 'Robert Skinner writes with humour, intelligence and heart. Pick up this book and you may never put it down.' —Tony Birch 'This book is like a big, properly made gin and tonic drunk outside in a garden on a perfect Saturday afternoon.' —Cate Kennedy '…no other book brought me as much joy as this hilarious and deceptively artful collection, and in these uncertain times that is worth plenty.' —Michael Winkler 'No one writes better when the stakes are lower.' —Sam Vincent 'My heart leaps whenever I see Robert Skinner's by-line; I know I am in for a hilarious literary treat complete with wry pearlers, gallows truths and wicked timing. People will say he is Australia's Sedaris, but he's not. He's Robert Skinner and he's a bloody marvel.' —Anna Krien 'Brevity may be the soul of wit, but the nimble economy of this slim volume will make readers pine for more. A decidedly skewed, hilarious collection of life reflections and colorful storytelling.' —*Kirkus* 'Seriously the funniest book I've read all year. I can't stop thinking about Robert Skinner's forays into the most mundane and frustrating aspects of life - Centrelink, being a tour guide, applying for arts funding - and the shameless truths he not only reveals about himself but about us as a society. Read this book with a bottle of wine, and be alarmed and enlightened!' —Alice Pung 'If only all books were as funny, human and true as *I'd Rather Not*. I raced through it, marvelling and envious all the way.' —Michelle de Kretser 'Skinner has been compared to Oscar Wilde, but his book is as self-effacing as it is quip-witted.' —Beejay Silcox, *The Guardian* 'The best Australian books of 2023' 'Skinner has been called the Australian David Sedaris and it's easy to see why. Both have the same droll, self-deprecating humour and both mine their own lives for maximum mirth-making potential. [...] a book with a several-laughs-a-page quotient.' –Thuy On, *Arts Hub* 'The funniest book I have read for a long time' —Andy Griffiths, author of *The Treehouse* series" Goodreads rating: 3.71 How does a walking bookclub work? Like a normal bookclub, we talk about the book, what else we're reading, have read, or want to read (as well as a few tangents into life outside literature!) but we do it while walking around Melbourne and then over a coffee. We often split into smaller groups as we walk, but we also regroup through the walk. Should I read the book beforehand? The conversation will be more interesting if you do, but you can still come along if you haven't finished it yet! Do I need to bring anything? **Comfy** walking shoes, drinking water, some money for coffee or a bite to eat after if you wish. No need to bring the book unless you want to. No shows No shows (RSVPing yes and not attending) mean the group waits unnecessarily for those who are not coming, thinking you are running a little late. It’s absolutely fine to change your rsvp for any reason up until the walk begins, and you don’t need to leave a comment, send a message or give a reason, but if you don't click that 'change rsvp' button, you may be removed from the group. Membership Fee Did you know that while it is free to attend most events, Meetup charges organisers about $600 a year to organise a group? Members of the Walking Book Club are asked to pay a membership fee of $10 per year (not per event) to help cover this cost. When you join the group, you'll be automatically given a three month trial so you can see what the group is like, without needing to make any payment. If you would like to continue attending events after this, please follow Meetup's instructions to pay the $6.50US/approx $10AUD fee once per year (or contact group organisers if you would prefer to make payment using paypal, payID, cash or bank transfer).

Please join us this Sunday. It is an open social session where we will discuss any topics attendees are keen to discuss. I will also prepare some philosophical prompts for us. **We will meet at the Captain Melville at 2pm for a 2:15pm start sharp.** **We kindly ask attendees to pay $5 to attend to help with MeetUp costs & venue costs. This is not mandatory, but if you are a regular member it would be appreciated. Any extra moneys will go towards buying food and drinks for the table. The venue also expects us to spend money as a group, so grateful if everyone could buy a drink from the venue.** There is no pre-requisite preparation necessary, nor a philosophical background, all that is required is a curious mind. These discussions are both a Socrates Cafe style discussion and lively metaphysical dojo, in the spirit of learning and friendly debate, so please feel free to challenge assumptions and be prepared to have your own assumptions challenged. This event is also posted in the Philosophy Circle group. Hope to see you there!

Hi all, Welcome to the April Paranormal Book Club and our book club birthday meetup!! We are going to meet at the seats inside the foyer near the ticket booths, before going into Melbourne Museum. After book club, we will go to the Rome: Empire, Power, People exhibition. To find out more about the exhibition and ticket prices, check out the website here: [ROME: Empire, Power, People | What's on | Melbourne Museum](https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/whats-on/rome-empire-power-people/). If you would like to pre-book your tickets, I would book the 12:00pm or 12:15pm session. Adult tickets are $35.00. Otherwise you can just get an Adult entry ticket for $18.00. The books for Sunday 19 April 2026 are: Fangs for Nothing by Steffanie Holmes [Fangs for Nothing by Steffanie Holmes | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/215963754-fangs-for-nothing) What Comes of Attending the Commoners Ball by Elisabeth Aimee Brown [What Comes of Attending the Commoners Ball by Elisabeth Aimee Brown | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/215353471-what-comes-of-attending-the-commoners-ball) Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson [Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60531416-yumi-and-the-nightmare-painter) If you would like to look at all the books that we have read so far, click [here](https://1drv.ms/x/s!Am2wjNpl1c1ijCNvt-hrWM8gPaem?e=riV48x). Finally, if you can't make it, please change your RSVP to a NO. Happy reading until then!! 🤓

Hi everyone! Our next event will be the week after Greek Easter at the Olympia rooftop bar in Oakleigh (from 3.00-5.30pm, Sunday 19th April). Please RSVP if you are sure you will attend (and update if you can no longer attend) so I can advise the venue of attendee numbers. The venue will be covered/is no issue in case of bad weather. Look forward to seeing you there! Kind regards, Peter

Everyone says “use AI.” But use it for what? How? Why? What does it actually mean to use AI in your personal and professional life that is practical, valuable, and easy to understand? **That is exactly what this group is for.** We’re a free Melbourne AI community helping people understand and actually use the latest tools from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, OpenClaw, Grok, and leading open-source models. Most people know AI matters, but are still overwhelmed by the pace, confused by the hype, or unsure how to apply it in real life. This group is designed to fix that. We focus on the practical side of modern AI: agents, automation, coding, web development, research workflows, business use cases, personal productivity, and multimodal tools across text, image, audio, video, and music. Our sessions are led by people with backgrounds in AI, computer science, engineering, product building, and entrepreneurship. We break down cutting-edge tools and workflows in a way that is clear, exciting, and easy to follow, whether you’re a complete beginner or already technical. Every event is a live real-time walkthrough demonstrations, and hands-on workshop, so you can see exactly how these tools work in practice. We cover platforms and models like ChatGPT, Codex, Claude Code, Gemini, Copilot, OpenClaw, Qwen, Gemma, Kimi, GLM, Veo, Suno, GPT-Image, and more, with a strong focus on what is actually useful right now. The goal is simple: help you stop wasting time, get up to speed on the frontier, and leave with practical knowledge and workflows you can use immediately in your work, projects, and everyday life. **Agenda:** 4:00pm \~ 4:30pm: Networking and refreshments 4:30pm \~ 6:00pm: Presentations and Q&A 6:00pm \~ 7:00pm: Networking and refreshments

Hello book lovers, Our book for April is *The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie* by Muriel Spark. Romantic, heroic, comic and tragic, unconventional schoolmistress Jean Brodie has become an iconic figure in post-war fiction. Her glamour, freethinking ideas and manipulative charm hold dangerous sway over her girls at the Marcia Blaine Academy - the ‘creme de la creme’ - who become the Brodie Set, introduced to a world of adult games they will never forget.

By popular demand, D is for Dumplings + Donuts! Now that we're in autumn and the weather is getting cooler, what's better than a plate of steaming hot dumplings to start with? **ITINERARY** 11.30am - Meet at JUICY BAO in Chinatown. That's the time it opens, so it's our best opportunity to find a big table to ourselves before the crowd arrives. I recommend that we order separately: the xiaolongbao (steamed pork dumplings with soup filling) is a popular choice - do watch out for the hot soup squirting if it's your first encounter! Preview the menu here: https://restaurantguru.com/Juicy-Bao-Melbourne/menu After lunch, we'll meander along Lt Bourke and Elizabeth St past St Francis Catholic Church and more restaurants to our second destination, SHORTSTOP COFFEE AND DONUTS. Around the corner from Shortstop is GUILDFORD LANE, a charming laneway some of us explored on a previous outing. It's one of my favourite hidden laneways in the CBD - less touristy than AC/DC but no less loved. You'll see what I mean. 1pm - SHORTSTOP COFFEE AND DONUTS Get your caffeine fix and enjoy choosing from the range of fancy flavours: https://www.short-stop.com.au/product-category/melbourne/ The event ends at 1.30pm. P.S. There is an organizer fee of $10 per person for this event. Feel free to pay in cash on the day or PayID me at 0403 413 056 (Serena Low). **GETTING THERE** The closest train station to Chinatown is Melbourne Central.

Please arrive early (no later than 7:30) to stretch out and warm up. Wear a black jersey and bring a pair of shin guards.

What's better than brunch? Brunch with the LGBTQ+ community, of course! Join the Dulles Triangles at 11:00 AM for a dazzling brunch at **[Amphora Diner](http://amphoragroup.com/amphoras-diner-deluxe/)**, located at **1151 Elden St, Herndon, VA 20170**. This is your chance to catch up with old pals, make some new ones, and bask in the glory of a Sunday well-brunched! Amphora’s menu is as diverse as our community, offering everything from omelets and pancakes to divine bakery treats. Seriously, their pastries are more irresistible than a shirtless Ryan Gosling holding a puppy! **RSVP Required!** Amphora needs a headcount beforehand, and adding seats at the last minute is like trying to squeeze into last year’s pride outfit—tricky! To ensure you get a seat at the brunch extravaganza, RSVP on Meetup or in the Dulles Triangles Facebook group by the day before. Those who RSVP get priority seating, and we promise not to judge if you show up in sequins. Remember to ask for Dulles Triangles when you arrive. Use the links below to RSVP and secure your spot faster than you can say "mimosas." This event is usually held on the first Sunday of each month, but check for updates because we like to keep things as flexible as our dance moves. Keep an eye on the current schedule so you don't miss out!

This training is designed for real estate agents who want to learn how to play the Agent Investor game. The goal of this training is to help you flip your income into ownership. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **Inventory is the lifeblood of every market.** **And whoever controls inventory controls the opportunities, the buyers, and the leverage.** How to Generate a Steady Stream of Motivated Sellers teaches you a focused, repeatable system to consistently find and serve motivated sellers—without chasing random lead-gen tactics or relying on luck. Motivated sellers create multiple pathways: traditional listings, cash offers, creative solutions, rental opportunities, and investor deals. When you know how to help people in distress, you create impact and income at the same time. In this session, you’ll learn the core framework for building predictable motivated seller opportunities using ZONE: * Zero in on your target * Own the mindshare * Nurture the list * Expand your influence You’ll also learn the highest-probability seller funnels, including: * Pre-foreclosures (homeowners who need real help and clear options) * Absentee owners / tired landlords (10+ years ownership, deferred maintenance, vacancies, tax pressure) We’ll walk through the exact steps to build your first seller ZONE: get the list, segment it, create messaging, call the list, market weekly, build relationships—and control inventory. You’ll also get a proven seller message that converts because it offers real options: * 24-hour cash offer (speed + convenience) * traditional listing (maximum price) * renovate now, pay at settlement (maximize equity with zero upfront cost) This positions you as a problem solver, not a salesperson—and one strong seller ZONE can feed your business for years. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **Did you miss it?** [Watch all GRID Reston event playback on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOTh5kxLLJI1G3VH6Pqhlhu0uTA8yrdpi) ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **Join the GRID Facebook Community** [Join the online GRID community here](https://www.facebook.com/groups/gridinvestor) to post deals, ask questions, and connect with other investors across the globe.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Doom and Dinosaurs,”** a look at how mass extinctions shaped the dinosaurs and what research on these events tells us about Earth life’s long-term prospects, with Ian Wilenzik, paleontologist and visiting assistant professor of biology at George Washington University. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-dino-doom](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-dino-doom) .] Pity the poor dinosaurs. They lacked both scientific research to help deal with potential environmental catastrophes and places where they could have a beer and discuss it. You, on the other hand, have the opportunity to come to Profs and Pints to hear a fascinating talk on the impact of mass extinctions on dinosaur evolution and what research on dinosaurs tells us about biodiversity and Earth’s current biodiversity crisis. Dr. Ian Wilenzik, who has studied and taught courses on dinosaur evolution, population spread, and extinction, will leave you with a greater appreciation of the resilience of life on earth and how we’re both the product and source of biologically catastrophic events. Many of us are familiar with how a big meteor impact about 66 million years ago wiped out the Earth’s dinosaur population, leaving us only with their feathered descendants, birds. Less well known is how the Earth actually has undergone five periods of mass extinction that wiped out nearly all life, and how dinosaurs arose from one and endured another—both caused by volcanic activity—before meeting their match in the third. To ground his discussion, Dr. Wilenzik will talk about how we study mass extinctions by looking for geologic evidence of volcanic activity, meteoric blasts, and other catastrophic activity and of gaps in the fossil record after them. He’ll also discuss what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur, describing their distinct anatomical features. He’ll talk about how they and other forms of life evolved over long periods of time and were affected by extinction events. We’ll look at how the meteor-caused mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous paved the way for the rise of mammals and the emergence of primates, and, eventually, us. Looking ahead to future mass extinctions and what might survive them, we’ll talk about how that plant you forget to water might have the last laugh, as well as why crocodiles might be around a while. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: A *Triceratops* mounted skeleton at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History (Photo by Allie Caulfield / Wikimedia Commons).

The **Reston-Herndon Toastmasters club** is the place to be if you want to improve your public speaking, communication, listening, and leadership skills in a friendly, supportive environment. By joining Toastmasters, you'll learn to relax, plan, and present great speeches, whether you have ten days to prepare or just 10 seconds. Our club meetings are held every **2nd and 4th Wednesday from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM** at Herndon Fortnightly Library located at 768 Center St, Herndon, VA 20170. The library will be closed, so please contact us for directions. Guests are always welcome at our club meetings! If you are interested in joining the club or would like to attend as a visitor, please fill out the form at [https://3550.toastmastersclubs.org/?contactus](https://3550.toastmastersclubs.org/?contactus). We will reply with directions.

Our May book will be Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Book summary: In a tiny cafe where time travel is possible under strict rules, customers revisit pivotal moments they can't quite change.