Star Trek

# Happy Birthday, You’re Dead Written and Directed by Terry Smith Produced by Jerri Wiseman ***You are invited to a surprise birthday party for Candy Crush, a D-list actor. She’s the hottest ticket in town. But her birthday party isn’t the only surprise she will get tonight! Someone’s about to be murdered. Only you can prevent this from happening before it’s game over. To miss this would be a crime.*** January 24 at Ono Offshore in Chantilly (with dinner) ONO Offshore, 4515 Daly Drive, Suite N, Chantilly, VA 20151 5:30pm Doors and Beverage Tabs open 6:00pm Dinner starts 6:45pm Show starts There will be a 15-20-minute intermission. Tickets: $57 plus ticketing fee and sales tax includes the show, catered dinner and dessert by Odd BBQ. Menu: Choice of smoked pulled pork or smoked chicken thighs and bun. Assemble your own sandwich with choice of BBQ sauce. (A Beyond Brat will be available for those who select a Vegetarian/Vegan Meal.) Macaroni and cheese. Grilled Vegetables. Baked Beans. Cookies for dessert. Beverages are not included in the ticket price. Guests will be able to open a tab for the self-serve beer wall with 4 craft beer options from Ono Brewing Company. There will also be hard seltzer available for purchase in addition to assorted sodas, tea, and bottled water. ### **[Buy tickets for ONO Offshore.](https://www.stagecoachtc.com/happy-birthday-youre-dead/)** You must buy a ticket to attend. An RSVP here will not save you a seat. This venue sells out quickly!

\zz (https://aooxplofgo.com/fa) \zz\ (https://aooxplofgo.com/fa)\\zz\ (https://aooxplofgo.com/fa)\\zz\ (https://aooxplofgo.com/fa)\\zz\ (https://aooxplofgo.com/fa)\\zz\ (https://aooxplofgo.com/fa)\\zz\ (https://aooxplofgo.com/fa)\

Come join us, practice your tarot and oracle card reading in a safe environment while making new friends. Bring your favorite deck(s) or a new one you’re wanting to break in and read for your peers while they practice their skills on you. After everyone has had a reading we will go out for lunch and get to know each other better outside of tarot. This month we will go to Benny Capolago’s Pizza https://www.bennysva.com/locations/bennycapolagos/ **Rules**: - You must play if you want to stay! This is not an opportunity to get a free reading. If you show up you are expected to read. - We practice radical inclusion. Everyone of every faith is welcome. Bullying or harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. - We’re all here to learn. Whether you’ve been reading for 15 minutes or for 15 years you can always learn something new. Be openminded and keep any critiques constructive. - No one is required to attend the social hour, If you need to leave, you may do so at any time. - Masks will not be required, but are encouraged and will be provided. Thank you, thank you, thank you. See you soon!

NOTE that we've changed from Zoom to Google Meet! Please see updated link! Join your DTs friends and family online Fridays from 7:00–9:00 PM for a virtual happy hour via Google Meet! Join in via Google Meet: [https://meet.google.com/jvc-ajhk-vci](https://meet.google.com/jvc-ajhk-vci)

**Alpine stile, North Fork Mountain, WV - Winter Traverse** 2 days backpacking - 24 mile **IMPORTANT:** All the time we will be traveling on or next to the ridge line and we will be expose to the wind, this will make this trip an Alpine experience, be protected with the right layers of cloths is essential. **Gear required:** 1.) Backpack 2.) Tent 3.) Sleeping bag (20F or better if 0F) 4.) Sleeping pad 5.) 3-4 lt. of water, there is no water supply on North Fork (Do not use camelback, the hose will totally froze in no time) 6.) Micro-spikes 7.) Hiking shoes /boots 8.) 3 pair of extra socks 9.) 2 piece rain suit (top & bottom) 10.) Legging gaiters 11.) Hat, gloves 12.) Extra warm layers, jacket 13.) Head lamp with extra batteries 14.) Small garbage bag 15.) Cooking hardware (backpacking stove-gas cannister-pot-dish-spoon) 16.) Dehydrate food and plenty of snacks This is a one way shuttle trek, the general plan is to head over the end of the trail (point B on description bellow) leave a car there and proceed to star of trail head (point A on description bellow) **Friday night car camp:** Redman Run Trail Parking 38.912332, -79.261841 **Hike start - Point A** Trail head parking 38.710801, -79.401991 **Hike end - Point B** Trail head parking 38.981855, -79.230984 **North Fork Mountain detailed trail map** [http://www.hikingupward.com/MNF/NorthForkMountain/](http://www.hikingupward.com/MNF/NorthForkMountain/) **North Fork Mountain general area trail map** [http://www.wvhighlands.org/Pages/Maps_NFM.html](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wvhighlands.org%2FPages%2FMaps_NFM.html&h=ATMoIFAapg0J-A94Uf3uxzP2hkGk8GuLff1m46dNaA-GFcsAly-sjAvBsLoLN_f6OF3nzm3suPpBtUVh3jIx766vk4oh1g8eBOZF7Qqna5PO6aoBNLZnR84Xo7BJr9JopFXhvEEled48O64VSpRxiObLa7qC2PfjQbpPUg4SA7-1TbkqkMUzTvxyfA) [24K full trail detail map](https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/01eV6w6mnZdtLzcFS-K7-1QEw#North-Fork-Mt-24K) **Google driving directions:** [https://goo.gl/maps/yJBVKK1Quim](https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2Fmaps%2FyJBVKK1Quim&h=ATNNTfluXFEa85nhBMXaxU9qEfkLC0nWYX8nADC9hFYAufd44Fo3I_NgsZfAH7Lu0wkbw7l0O4nkRYkKwt0SJzwGHyIroHxafqxUepYEYu3js4adD_JJGL5wiFSpWtryhK9piMGG38r5cEGjgMxtch7A5a4Acz34GQWR0xP5Q-xDGiD5Ah-G7i88Vg)

Per Collective: Ooooh party people. LISTEN UP: we're doing something fun yet again. It's the only way we know how! On Friday Jan 23 Collective is holding a "Dark of Night" event at Rai's Rendezvous. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?!?!? Come in black - your fanciest, your most emo, your most badass black leather...it ALL goes. And we're pulling a bunch of older Collective songs out of the shadows and putting them back on stage for ONE NIGHT ONLY. We can't wait to see you!

Get ready to step into a magical evening of festive cheer! Join us for the Dulles Triangles Winter Wonderland Holiday Party, where we'll come together to celebrate friendship, community, and the joy of the season. Let’s toast to another wonderful year with great food, music, and laughter! *And a quick note:* This year, we’ve shifted our Holiday Party from December to January to help everyone breathe a little easier. December fills up fast with travel, office parties, family obligations, and general holiday chaos — so we’re giving you a celebration you can actually relax into. Think of it as the festive encore you *wanted* but didn’t have space for. **🎉 What to expect:** **🌟** A magical winter wonderland setting with cozy holiday decor 🍽️ Full Buffet Dinner to satisfy every taste 🎧 DJ Ted Glinsky spinning all your favorite hits from the '70s, '80s, and beyond Ted will also take requests, so get ready to dance to your favorite tracks! 🥂 BYOB: Bring your favorite drinks to share with friends **✨ Attire:** Festive casual – think cozy sweaters, stylish winter attire, or whatever makes you feel fabulous and festive! **Menu Highlights 🍽️** * **Bread & Appetizers**: Antipasto Display, Piero’s Meatballs, Mozzarella Croccante, Fresh Rolls * **Salad:** Classic Caesar Salad * **Entrées:** Baked Ham, Chicken Marsala, Roast Beef, Cheese Ravioli with Pomodoro Sauce * **Sides:** Garlic Truffle Mashed Potatoes, Glazed Carrot Medley * **Desserts:** Mini Cannoli, Tiramisu, Limoncello Cake ## 🧾 RSVP Required 🧾 Because this is a catered affair, **RSVPs are necessary** so we have enough for everyone. Please reserve your spot by purchasing a ticket. Tickets are non-refundable. • **$25 for paid members** • **$50 for non-members and guests** 👉 **RSVP & purchase your ticket here: [Get My Ticket](https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2025-dts-winter-wonderland-holiday-party)** **🎊 Celebrate with Us 🎊** Whether you're here for the music, the food, or just the good company, this night is all about embracing the spirit of community and joy. We can’t wait to share this special evening with you—let’s make it a night to remember!

Learn to manage stress and achieve self-growth through simple relaxation and Meditation. Heartfulness Meditation is a simple, modern, methodical approach to meditation. Rather than homing in on your breath or repeating a mantra, you simply focus inward, on your heart, to cultivate inner strength and serenity. Heartfulness meditation is gaining traction in recent years. It focuses on the heart, allowing individuals to connect with themselves on a deeper level, and ultimately achieve peace, relaxation, and clarity. It is a practice that encourages patience, self-compassion, and acceptance, helping cultivate a deeper appreciation for the present moment. This practice is offered with love and at no cost

**In response to inclement weather this talk has been rescheduled for March 1st, with tickets for that date available at** [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-satanic-panics2 ](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-satanic-panics2). **Anyone who purchased tickets to attend this talk on January 25th will be getting a refund in the next week to ten days.** [Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Satanic Panics,”** a look at waves of fear of demonic activity as an American tradition, with Luxx Mishou, cultural historian and former instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy and area community colleges. The 1980s found the United States gripped by fear of Satanic cults targeting children. They were believed to be corrupting young ones in daycare centers and tempting teens through subliminal messages on heavy metal albums or through the quiet inclusion of demonic rituals in role-playing games. Satanic serial killers supposedly stalked the suburbs. Doctors helped patients uncover what were claimed to be repressed memories of ritualistic satanic abuse. Parents, police, and politicians were urged to protect impressionable youths from both moral and physical danger. With Satanic cults deemed to be a real and material threat, it was a frightening time for everyone, including those who suddenly came under suspicion for doing evil deeds. Then, suddenly, it all faded from public consciousness, just as surely as did eighties fads such mullet haircuts, leg warmers, and Cabbage Patch Kids. Why did it all start? Why did it stop? And has this happened before or since? Hear such questions tackled by Luxx Mishou, a cultural historian and media specialist who has long researched the devious and villainous in cultural artifacts. She’ll discuss moral panics as a longstanding cultural tradition, with each new one stemming from fear of cultural shifts and shaped by the time and place where it occurred. Among the panics we’ll look into are the Red Scare of the 1950s and the public response to the gruesome 1969 murders committed by the Manson Family. Delving into the 1980s panic, Mishou will describe how it began with the 1980 publication of psychiatrist Lawrence Pazder’s memoir *Michelle Remembers*, detailing the suppressed memories of ritualistic abuse reportedly suffered by a patient. As that book quickly became a best seller, its ideas saturated American culture. A California daycare center became the focus of a three-year investigation, followed by three years of trials, based on allegations that its owner had engaged in secret ritualistic abuse of the children in its care. Mishou will lead you through the media that convinced the public that devil worshipers were among them, and she’ll talk about how reactions to imagined threats can have very real social costs. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image by Canva.

If you're looking for something to do before the snow starts, join us for the 5th Annual Gary Ryan Chili CookOff at Lost Rhino 2-5PM with Live Music from Something's Brewing. Proceeds benefit Loudoun Hunger Relief. Gregory said there will be a line, so get there early! Something's Brewing will be hitting the stage 4-7pm to support our great friends at Lost Rhino for their annual Chili Cookoff! Join us inside and warm up with some tasty tunes and tasty brews and tasty chili! Chili Tasting tickets are $10 each at the door and can be paid via cash or our POS system for credit card. Tasters will use a ticket to vote for their favorite chili. This year, ALL Tasting Ticket sales will be donated to Loudoun Hunger Relief! Lost Rhino will be collecting non-perishable food donations for Loudoun Hunger Relief during the event.

aeveav

In times like these, we can see more clearly the potential for humanity when it works together in unison – as well as the challenges if we don’t and continue to operate as we have been before. If you could design the world of the future, what spiritual values would you want to see in it to help realize those potentialities? All of us hope for a better future for ourselves and for our children, but how do we get there? What sort of ideas and behaviors will we need to leave behind – and what values will we need to build the foundation of the future on? And how can we work together to build a future that works for all of us, where each of our fullest potentials as human beings can be realized? Come join a different kind of conversation – one that welcomes every perspective in a search for the truths that unite us all – as we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’í Teachings on what a future society might look like and the role each of us can play in creating it. Join us for a lively discussion as we explore the role of spirituality in the unification, peace, and progress of all. *“The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct.*” – Bahá’í Teachings \*\*\* This event is free and open to all regardless of background or belief. Donations will not be accepted.

A Star Trek convention

**\*\*\*This group is filled. Check out our next departure on Feb 20, 2026:** **https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/310787716/\*\*\*** Gaze at the Northern Lights, enjoy a sleigh ride, be a reindeer herder for a day, learn about the Sámi culture, visit an ice hotel, catch a fish (or two) through a hole in the ice, taste some good Scandinavian delicacies, visit the ABBA museum...My, oh my! These are just some of the fun activities we are planning to do during this once-in-a-life time adventure! Like all our adventures, this one is crafted from the ground up with the true spirit of Meetup in mind. We handle every little detail before and during the trip, accompany and guide the group, creating a stress-free journey with a laid-back, friendly vibe. No big tour operators, no inflated prices — we work directly with locals to give you authentic experiences and unbeatable value. Come as strangers, leave as lifelong friends — and make memories that stick forever! ***We visit:*** * Stockholm * Kiruna (Lapland) * Helsinki * Copenhagen (optional extension) ***The trip includes:*** \* 2 nights in Stockholm \* A night train from Stockholm to Lapland in a private sleeping compartment \* 4 nights in Kiruna \* 3 nights in Helsinki \* Airfare from Kiruna to Helsinki \* Arrival and departure transfers \* Sightseeing tours in Stockholm and Helsinki \* Boat ride in Stockholm \* Food tasting in Helsinki \* Breakfast daily \* 2 dinners and 3 lunches \* Northern Lights Tour \* Jukkasjärvi Icehotel Half-Day Tour \* Full-Day Reindeer Tour \* Ice Fishing or Husky Sleigh Ride **Price per person, double occupancy: $4770** (we match roommates for those wishing to share) **Price for single room: $6320** ***Not Included:*** x Transatlantic Airfare (we can help you arrange that) x Meals not listed above x Tips and any personal and incidental expenses x Optional extension to Copenhagen The only way to secure your spot is a $500 deposit **\*\*\*Deposit link removed as this date is sold out. You can reserve your spot for our next departure on Feb 20, 2026 [HERE](https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/310787716/) \*\*\*** Deposit is refundable up to 90 days before the departure (less PayPal fees).\*\*\* Final payment due 60 days before departure\*\*\* ***[Click Here](https://forms.gle/MqXy8zWAB6pv2dW37)***[ and Fill out this Form if you are making a Deposit](https://forms.gle/MqXy8zWAB6pv2dW37) For a detailed Day By Day itinerary: **[Click Here](https://forms.gle/cQdqYw74gAYqphXX8)**[ to fill out our info request form](https://forms.gle/cQdqYw74gAYqphXX8) Limited capacity of 14 total. This trip will fill up extremely quickly. \*\*\*Airfare from/to the US not included\*\*\* **OPTIONAL EXTENSION TO COPENHAGEN offered at $590 per person/double or $785 solo occupancy (air from Helsinki to Copenhagen not included)** ***[Click Here](https://secure.meetup.com/messages/?new_convo=true&member_id=131297062)***[ to Message Direct to Anna with any questions including airfare quotes.](https://secure.meetup.com/messages/?new_convo=true&member_id=131297062) She can help you arrange the airfare and answer any logistics questions. [Click Here to see all our other fun events](https://www.meetup.com/CulturalArts/Events) SOT 2000318-10

We'll be celebrating our friend, Genise's birthday

(2024) by Christof Koch, 288 pages [Psychology] • Hardcover • Kindle • Audiobook • Library: https://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1&pos=1&cn=613100 Check the How To Find Us section for Zoom Link **(Remember, the Zoom Link is different each month, do not bookmark)** ### Review "A wonderful book."―Sam Harris, Making Sense with Sam Harris “a fun introduction to a number of debates… Mr. Koch’s book provokes questions… and counterarguments, but that’s what gives it life.” ―The Wall Street Journal “Easily the most current, thorough, and helpful exploration of consciousness available. Koch’s light, simple, yet authoritative writing style will appeal to general audiences as well as scientists and researchers. An essential, highly recommended purchase.”―Library Journal “magisterial… charming, sometimes beautiful, and almost always illuminating” ―Science Magazine “an impressive and sometimes exuberant work, showcasing decades of [Koch’s] research”―New Scientist “Koch’s adept use of analogies and entertaining anecdotes — complete with his own near-death experience and psychedelic drug trips — make the book a compelling and surprisingly light read.” ―Science News “undeniably compelling… a smoothly written must-read for anyone interested in a detailed introduction to the relationship between the brain, consciousness, and transformative experiences” ―Ars Technica “Expertly weaving in personal experience with science that few, if any, can speak more authoritatively about, Koch leads us on an amazing journey of consciousness—from birth to death. Deeply personal and infinitely digestible, Then I Am Myself the World is a remarkable must read for anyone interested in knowing their mind.”―Judson Brewer MD, PhD, New York Times–bestselling author of Unwinding Anxiety “Koch’s latest book brilliantly navigates the intricate landscape of our mind and our brain, offering insightful perspectives on the nature of conscious experiences, both ordinary as well as extraordinary ones.”―Hartmut Neven, founder and lead of Google’s quantum AI lab “Then I Am Myself the World is the new record of note for the scientific understanding of consciousness. This is an elegant tableau, a travelogue of subjective experience grounded in the latest neuroscience and philosophy traversing religion, science, and a life dedicated to the biggest questions. Filled with crystalline prose, lucid explanation, and revelatory honesty, this book will continue to be read centuries from now.”―Patrick House, author of Nineteen Ways of Looking at Consciousness “What would happen if a hardcore neuroscientist, with encyclopedic knowledge and four decades of experience in his field, were personally confronted with transformative mystical experiences carrying inevitable metaphysical implications? What would happen if the neuroscientist in question were open-minded, humble, but remained rigorously grounded in reason, evidence, and his hard-earned understanding of how consciousness relates to brain structures and function? What would he, the most preeminent professional of his generation, make of his extraordinary experiences? And what if, in addition, the neuroscientist was a modern renaissance man versed in physics, philosophy, the arts, the classics, and could pluck irresistibly evocative metaphors from the Western literary and artistic canon as if leisurely picking apples in early fall? This is what you will find in this treasured book, a whirlwind ride of insight after insight—so many they can’t possibly be all documented in footnotes—that will surprise and delight you from the get-go. ‘Primacy goes to consciousness, not to the objective world,’ he boldly states already on page two, in a prelude of things to come. ‘Everything else follows from there, including the realist assumption of the existence of objects, out ‘there,’ independent of my experiencing them.’ The book embodies the ever-evolving wisdom of a man whose intellectual prowess is only matched by his intellectual honesty. And this man, in the seventh decade of his scintillatingly productive life, has a lifetime of learning to share with you.”―Bernardo Kastrup, executive director, Essentia Foundation “Koch’s first book was entitled The Quest for Consciousness. And such has been Koch’s life, an adventurer’s pursuit of a distant goal, undeterred by the prevailing winds. The reader will learn where this quest has led and, like the author, will be enriched by it. Koch, one of the most accomplished scientists of our time, a mind singularly open to learning and changing, here opens his soul, revealing his vast, scintillating appreciation of nature in all its forms. It is a touching, profound book. Which is as it should be, since consciousness touches everything and is everything we touch.”―Giulio Tononi, University of Wisconsin-Madison ### About the Author Christof Koch is a neuroscientist at the Allen Institute and at the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation, the former president of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and a former professor at the California Institute of Technology. Author of four previous titles, Koch writes regularly for a range of media, including Scientific American. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.

We get together to rescue trees from invasive plants twice a month, moving from place to place around Greater Clifton, wherever we spot a problem and have the landowners' permission. RSVP using [this sign-up form.](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeasjEcOQm5v8afwJdriU65Wj8-Q0DetQy4HRKiFNwgwFPy7Q/viewform?usp%3Ddialog&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw1cfet73DRGhpOU4ltw9MoF) This time we will work in the Clifton Betterment Association property in the floodplain of Pope's Head Creek. (Set GPS for 7137 Main Streeet but cross the creek and turn into the big parking lot)

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Venezuela’s Future—and Ours,”** an analysis of how the Trump administration’s intervention in Venezuela will affect that nation, the U.S., and the rest of the world, with Ernesto Castañeda, Director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies and the Immigration Lab at American University. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-venezuela-future](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-venezuela-future) .] On January 3rd, after a long military buildup, the United States used special forces to seize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence in Caracas, Venezuela to stand trial here on criminal charges. The development marked a major turning point in our relationship with Venezuela and the rest of Latin America and raised a host of complex questions, not just for Venezuelans living inside and outside that country but for American citizens and other nations of the world. Coming to the stage to break down what all of this means is Ernesto Castañeda, a scholar of Latin America who has given several excellent Profs and Pints talks on immigration policy and has given dozens of interviews to media outlets around the world in the wake of the U.S. raid. In a talk offering informed perspective on the latest news developments, Professor Castañeda will discuss various theories about why the U.S. conducted the operation to get Maduro out of Venezuela. He’s put our nation’s current plans for Venezuela into context by touching on previous U.S. military interventions in Latin America and beyond. Professor Castañeda will look at the implications of recent events for U.S. politics and U.S. citizens and what such developments tell us about the balance of power in the United States. He’ll examine the distance between decisions made by the White House and public priorities, touching on how it all relates to our immigration policies and our views about peaceful protest and democracy. He’ll consider how the Venezuela raid and our actions since have altered relations between the U.S. and other nations and provide scenarios about what the future might hold. (Door: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image by Canva.