Outcasts Rebels and Introverts

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!

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Inside the World Cup,”** a scholarly look at preparation for the upcoming soccer tournament and at the likely impact of major global sports events soon to be staged in the United States, with Matt Winkler, founder of American University’s online master’s program in sports analytics and management and former sports executive. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-world-cup](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-world-cup) .] The FIFA World Cup 2026 will soon take place in several cities throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Come to Profs and Pints to get an industry insider’s perspective on it and other global sports events being hosted by American cities, including the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Learn about the preparation for these events, about their projected economic and cultural impact, and about remaining uncertainties surrounding them with Matt Winkler, a scholar and teacher of sports management and business with years of experience working with the World Cup, the Olympics, and various professional sports leagues. He’ll discuss issues related to the FIFA World Cup’s governance, site preparation, security, fan management, and tourist visas, and he’ll weigh how the $13 billion dollars in revenue projected to be generated by the tournament compares to the costs of staging 104 games between 48 countries. He’ll delve into how the tournament symbolizes a pivotal moment in the evolution of soccer in America, with global games broadcast all over American television channels and streaming services. You’ll learn how the 1994 World Cup in the United States significantly boosted soccer’s popularity—leading to increased youth participation and the establishment of Major League Soccer—and how the sport has continued to rapidly gain traction here in recent years. We’ll consider how the World Cup marks the beginning of an unprecedented run of major global sports events in the U.S., including not just summer and winter Olympics but, in 2031, the U.S.-hosted FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2033 men’s and women’s rugby World Cups. Among the questions Winkler will tackle: How will the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran affect the World Cup? How will tickets sell, and at what price? (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Soccer being played in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, one of the venues hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Follow the madcap antics of a nervous, excited, and daft bride-to-be over the two days prior to her wedding. With her fiancé off on a bachelor trip with his best man, she’s left to ponder the approaching ceremony with intoxicated glee. Yes, she indulges in several kinds of smoked or swallowed recreation, which only increases her nervousness about the dress. Is it the right one? Does it fit properly? Her mother advises her by phone to wear it around the house to get comfortable in it (probably the opposite of what most real mothers would recommend), so the bride is wearing it when her two bridesmaids arrive for some rude and raunchy partying. Engaged women may get a kick out of the ensuing action; engaged men… maybe not so much. ■ Title — *Hot Mess in a Wedding Dress* ■ Director — Stefanie Davis ■ Cast — Yvelisse Cedrez, Sean Michael Gloria, Chelsea Wolf ■ Unrated, suitable for teens and adults ■ ©2019 \| 1h 31m \| Comedy\, Drama\, Romance ■ Watch it free with ads on Fawesome: https://fawesome.tv/movies/10541243/hot-mess-in-a-wedding-dress ■ Watch it free with ads on Filmzie: https://filmzie.com/content/hot-mess-in-a-wedding-dress-2019 ■ Watch it free with ads on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/513256/hot-mess-in-a-wedding-dress ■ Available free without ads to Hoopla subscribers: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/13621862 ■ As with most of our online features, you can watch this one whenever you like. Members who watch at the scheduled time may enjoy exchanging comments with other members on this page. If you post a comment before the show, please avoid spoilers. Comments posted after the show may contain any content, but Oddball Cinema encourages members to always avoid spoilers unless there’s some particularly important details you need to mention. ■ Many of the movies on our online events from as far back as March 2020 are still available for viewing. However, titles sometimes move from one streaming service to another. If you find that the links on an old event no longer work, you can search for the current providers of any title here: https://justwatch.com

This popular and accomplished Toastmasters club (#4787) is open to everyone, with an average of 25 people per meeting, mainly business professionals from the Reston/Herndon area. Meetings are held on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesdays of the month from 6pm to 7:15pm at Conference Room #2 of the Reston Community Center: 2310 Colts Neck Rd, Reston, VA 20191. Some of the group's members are accomplished professional speakers, while others are just starting down their path of improved public speaking, including many non-native English speakers. Whether you're just starting out and looking to improve your speaking or overcome some nervousness...or looking to gain connections and sharpen your skills, you'll feel connected with the members of Reston Town Center Toastmasters. Stop by. Check us out! Chances are you'll like us so much that you'll be back! For more information: http://towncentertoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org/

### Build with blocks! Are you interested in building with LEGO® bricks? Aurora Hills Library is the place for it! Whether you're reclaiming a favorite activity from childhood, love visiting the LEGO® store, or wanting to see what the fuss is all about - you're welcome to join us! We have LEGO® bricks you can free build with, and plenty of space for you to work on an existing project. *Attendees can bring their own LEGO® sets if they want to work on a specific set, but we will have plenty of LEGO® bricks to arrange in any way you wish. For adult patrons only.* **REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED: By registering, you will receive event updates. Register at https://arlingtonva.libcal.com/event/16340428** *For more information, contact 703-228-5715.*

Standard rally scoring to 15. Skill level should BB and up. See you out there! Only 1 court 135 Crescent Rd greenbelt Md Use St. Hughes Churches parking lot Bring a ball if you have one and water to stay hydrated.

I try to arrive by 6:45! Arrive before me? There will be a reservation under Connor L. You can either ask the host in Sonny's or look for the silver table tent with my name written in green tape. -- Join us for some focused writing time. All writers and all experience levels are welcome and don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. This session is about getting your writing done and meeting other writers in your area. Bring your writing materials (such as a notebook or a charged laptop - outlets are limited.) And if you'd like to tune out other patrons at Sonny's or any overhead music, we recommend bringing headphones or earplugs. -- BEING LATE IS OKAY: Just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! When you show up, I will be sitting at a table with folded "Shut Up & Write" table cards. Say hello to everyone, grab a drink, and get your writing tools ready. Once you’re all settled, take some time to chat with your fellow writers. Once everyone’s arrived, I will lead quick introductions and then set the timer for our quiet and focused writing session. Afterward, we’ll have time to chat and get to know each other. We often talk about our successes and challenges as writers. If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries! -- **A note about the format** We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://www.shutupwrite.com). -- **Other Important Details:** **WiFi name/password:** Name - Sonny's/Doubles Guest; Password - pingpong **Travel / Parking info:** Sonny's is on the D40/D4X bus line and about a 15 minute walk from either the Columbia Heights or Georgia Ave/Petworth metro lines. There is limited on-street parking. **Venue Guidelines:** Please thank our hosts by purchasing something.

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Understanding Honor Violence,”** on recognizing and responding to harmful traditional practices that exert control over others, with Sasha K. Taylor, visiting lecturer at Ohio State University’s Global Fellowship Program and advisor and trainer in honor violence prevention. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-honor-violence](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-honor-violence) .] People claiming to enforce traditional honor codes are responsible for a significant share of murders and other violent or abusive acts within immigrant and refugee communities. Honor-based violence and abuse often play a role in human trafficking, forced marriage, child marriage, visa-based coercion, and in the abandonment of families across international borders. Yet too often it is underreported, misunderstood, or overlooked by people and institutions with the power to help its victims. Learn how to spot and deal with honor-based violence with Sasha K. Taylor, a former FBI Intelligence official who provides training to law enforcement, non-profit organizations, and private companies and also is extensively involved with regional organizations that combat human trafficking. She’ll start by discussing how honor codes that have governed community life since the dawn of human civilization gave rise to the use of honor-related abuse, oppression, shame, and violence to exert control and perpetuate inequality. Although boys and men can be victims of honor-based violence, the perpetrators of it are predominantly male and the survivors predominantly female, lending support to the idea that honor violence is a form of gender-based violence. The forms that such violence can take include genital mutilation and honor killings. She’ll discuss state and federal data related to the prevalence of various forms of honor violence and describe how complex forms of abuse are often underreported, misunderstood, or overlooked. You’ll learn about cultural and systemic barriers to disclosure, warning signs and risk factors, the intersection of immigration vulnerabilities and abuse, and the challenges that survivors face when seeking protection and services. We’ll also look at policy responses to honor violence and how gaps within current federal immigration frameworks may unintentionally contribute to vulnerability and exploitation. Her talk will be especially helpful for first responders, victim advocates, educators, healthcare professionals, social workers, and law enforcement personnel who are often the first point of contact during a crisis. She’ll emphasize trauma-informed engagement, emotional intelligence, cultural competency, and empathetic response strategies that treat survivors with dignity and sensitivity. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: The main illustration for “Rasminah The Last Victim,” a series on child marriage on the Indonesian podcast station KBR (Creative Commons).

**Click** [here ](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/patio-social-for-neurodivergent-adults-tickets-1990579924138)**for non-members to register and submit your info for the activity.** **[Constellations ](https://www.harringtonmatchmaking.com/constellations-membership)Patio Social + community lore activity** in Arlington, Virginia. This will be a relaxed patio social for neurodivergent adults (most will be 20s/30s) focused on conversation and meeting new people through a low-key activity. Participate in our “Community Lore” activity — a social scavenger hunt-style game designed to make mingling feel easier and spark better conversation. Before the event, attendees will submit a few fun facts, unusual skills, niche interests, and/or random details about themselves. We use these anonymous submissions to create the activity cards. When guests arrive, anyone who wants to participate will receive a card featuring fun facts submitted by other attendees. As you mingle throughout the evening, you’ll try to figure out which person matches each item on your card. We’ll have reserved patio seating, casual games, complimentary appetizers, and drinks available for the group. Alcoholic beverages and additional food or entrees can be purchased individually. While we do have reserved patio seating, this may not be the best fit for individuals who are highly sensitive to noise or busy environments. **Click [here](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/patio-social-for-neurodivergent-adults-tickets-1990579924138 ) for non-members to register and submit your info for the activity.**

Let’s meet and share discussion of the James Baldwin short story collection, Going to Meet The Man.

Join us for this free, in person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships. Do you want more motivation and confidence to build lasting relationships? Are you burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival, while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. We look forward to having you join us! This class is held at the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

[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.

Join us for a free in-person seminar where you will get knowledge and tools to build your confidence. Do you ever: -Feel isolated -Can't express yourself openly -Get nervous or anxious in front of people -Run out of things to say or feel tongue-tied -Feel introverted -Don't feel comfortable in any social setting -Can't make more friends -Are shy and miss opportunities to connect in a meaningful way At this workshop we will cover what you can do about any one, some or all of the above. This seminar is the weapon against loneliness, isolation and boredom, come join us! COME TO THIS SEMINAR AND LEARN THE SECRETS TODAY This seminar is brought to you by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center. 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio 43215

Come attend a free in-person seminar where you will find out why you: -Feel isolated -Can't express yourself openly -Get nervous or anxious in front of people -Run out of things to say or feel tongue-tied -Feel introverted -Don't feel comfortable in any social setting -Can't make more friends -Are shy and miss opportunities to connect in a meaningful way And we cover what you can do about any one, some or all of the above. This seminar is the weapon against loneliness, isolation and boredom, come join us! COME TO THIS SEMINAR AND LEARN THE SECRETS TODAY This seminar is brought to you by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center. 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio 43215

**Our June novel is: *The Eights* by Joanna Miller** **This month’s novel is set during World War I. It’s a 20th-century historical fiction story about friendship and war, with coming-of-age elements and a slightly haunted tone. The book is 384 pages in print and 10 hours and 9 minutes on audiobook.** Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its one-thousand-year history, Oxford University officially admits female students. Burning with dreams of equality, four young women move into neighboring rooms in Corridor 8. Beatrice, Dora, Marianne, and Otto—collectively known as The Eights—come from all walks of life, each driven by their own motives, each holding tight to their secrets, and are thrown into an unlikely, unshakable friendship. Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Politically-minded Beatrice, daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way - and some friends her own age. Otto was a nurse during the war but is excited to return to her socialite lifestyle in Oxford where she hopes to find distraction from the memories that haunt her. And finally Marianne, the quiet, clever daughter of a village pastor, who has a shocking secret she must hide from everyone, even her new friends, if she is to succeed. Among the historic spires, and in the long shadow of the Great War, the four women must navigate and support one another in a turbulent world in which misogyny is rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War don’t always remain dead.