https://www.timestelegram.com/story/news/history/2023/06/08/mohawk-valley-history-lafayette-owed-life-to-augustas-amos-parke70299078007/
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1825, 198 years ago
A tearful reunion
You can't miss Amos Parker. He is well over six feet tall. Some say closer to seven. Many say he was the tallest soldier in the American army during the Revolutionary War.
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This week, the now 63-year-old Parker enters Shepard's Hotel on Bagg's Square in Utica (really the Bagg's Hotel, but the name was changed while Abraham Shepard owned it from 1825 to 1828). Parker is determined to meet the hotel's distinguished guest, the Marquis de Lafayette.
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In 1777, while the Revolutionary War was raging, the then 19-year-old, tall, red-haired Lafayette left his home in France and joined the American army in its fight to win for the American colonies their independence from Great Britain. He fought in many battles and, in 1781, commanded troops in Yorktown, Virginia, when British Gen. Charles Cornwallis surrendered his army to Gen. George Washington, just about ensuring an end to the war and an American victory.
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On the night of January 30, 1948, Utica firefighters fought one of the most spectacular fires in the city’s history. Flames roared through “The Long Block” on the west side of Lower Genesee Street, between Oriskany and Whitesboro streets. The 3-alarm blaze was fought in temperatures 30 below zero. Seventeen firefighters were injured and 11 businesses damaged. Losses were estimated at $400,000.
Now, 44 years later, the 68-year-old Lafayette is back in America, touring the country as a guest of its grateful citizens. This week, after visits in Rome, Oriskany and Whitesboro, he enters Utica triumphantly via the Rome Road (today Lafayette Street). After a big celebration, he is in his hotel room, resting before continuing his journey east.
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Suddenly, there is a knock on the door and in walks the very tall Amos Parker. At first, Lafayette is puzzled, but then Parker begins to relate an incident that occurred at the Battle of Yorktown.
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As the fighting there raged, Lafayette ordered 25 of his men — including Parker — to remove a fence so that Lafayette could lead his soldiers through the breach. "Once you remove the fence," Lafayette shouted, "allow me and my men to ride through the opening. Do not fire your weapons!"
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More:Utica's Conkling leading figure at 1880 Republican convention: Mohawk Valley history
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More:Utica Independent Infantry Company prepares for war: This week in Mohawk Valley history
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More:Later known for illustrations, Saturday Globe began without: Mohawk Valley history
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The fence was removed and Lafayette and his men began to ride through. Suddenly, Parker spotted a British sniper aiming his rifle at Lafayette. Before the sniper could fire, though, Parker raised his musket and shot him.
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Unbelievingly, an aide to Lafayette had Parker court-martialed for disobeying Lafayette's "don't fire your weapon" order. He, of course, was acquitted when it was learned that by disobeying the order, he had saved Lafayette's life.
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Now, in a hotel room 44 years later, Parker and Lafayette relive the incident. They embrace and (a historian later wrote) enjoy "a heart-tugging event and weep" in each other's arms. (After the war, Parker settled in the town of Augusta in southwestern Oneida County and died there in 1842 at age 80. He was buried at the Parker (Augusta) Cemetery at the intersection of Augusta-Solsville Road and Anderson Road. A blue and yellow state marker there reads: AMOS PARKER, TALLEST MAN IN AMERICAN ARMY. SAVED GEN. LAFAYETTE'S LIFE. PRESENT AT THE SURRENDER OF CORNWALLIS. BURIED HERE.
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1923, 100 years ago
Record at UFA
A class of 210 students receive diplomas at Utica Free Academy (UFA), the largest class ever graduated in the school's more than 100-year history. The Right Reverend Charles Fiske, bishop coadjutor of the Central New York Episcopal Diocese, addresses the students: "Why has the city of Utica paid for your education? … It expects to receive from you a return for its investment. You owe the community repayment for this debt. Not in money, but in service. You are expected to exercise a high standard of living, put forth an honest effort to make your neighborhood a better place to live and accept public calls of duty to serve your community with its charities and efforts to improve the public well-being."
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1948, 75 years ago
Utica in novel
Carl Sandburg, noted poet and historian, completes a novel that contains a chapter on Utica and the Erie Canal. He was in Utica a year ago to collect material for the novel: "Remembrance Rock."
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1973, 50 years ago
GE contract
The General Electric Aircraft Equipment Division in Utica is awarded a $1.3 million contract for a computer system for the Viking Orbiter, which will explore Mars in 1975.
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1998, 25 years ago
Morrisville celebrates
The village of Morrisville celebrates its 150th anniversary. It was incorporated in 1848 and named for its founder, Thomas Morris. He settled in the area in 1797 and built a house on the corner of today's Main and Cedar streets. His father, Robert, was a Founding Father from Pennsylvania, who signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
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Civita M. Allard, a registered nurse and an associate professor in the Health Services Department at Mohawk Valley Community College, receives the college's "alumna of merit" award.
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In American Legion baseball, Utica Post defeats Parkhurst Post, 13 to 3, behind the pitching of Chris Donalty (a four hitter) and the hitting of Eric Miller (3 hits, 2 RBIs). Meanwhile, Whitestown beats Lee, 6 to 4, behind the hitting of Jason Englehart, Mike Antanavige, Bernie Martin, Brent Wengert and Matt Maine. Steve Rice has two hits for Lee.
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The Genetaska Club of New Hartford elects Ellen Boerger as its president. Other officers include: Peg Mullin, vice president; Barbara Reinshagen, recording secretary; Sue Maher, corresponding secretary; Joyce Ebensperger, treasurer; and directors Joyce Goggin, Ada Ruhm, Ellie Lampert and Barbara Weaver.
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2013, 10 years ago
Pro hockey returns
Utica, after many years without a professional hockey team, has one again. The Utica Comets are in the American Hockey League, a minor league affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League. They will play in the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Robert Esche, a former goalie in the National Hockey League and president of the Mohawk Valley Garden, will operate the team. Mayor Robert Palmieri says the move fits in with his vision for a revitalized Bagg's Square and Harbor Point development. "What a great day for the city!" he says. "The emotion is overwhelming."
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The Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame inducts Stan "Buddy" Evans, longtime baseball coach at Rome Free Academy and college football official; Bill Holowaty, originally from Mohawk, longtime baseball coach at Eastern Connecticut State University; Ed Wadas, a "super" supporter of local athletics and called the "candy man" for giving out candy at local games, especially in Whitesboro, Oriskany and New York Mills; and Tom Wells, multi-sport coach at New Hartford schools, especially known for his highly successful swim teams.
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Bobbi Jo Kahl is approved by the town board in Remsen as as the town justice.
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In American Legion baseball, Roberts Post defeats Whitestown, 3 to 1. Nate Palmer, a senior at Holland Patent High, strikes out 18 and gets the win. He is supported by the hitting of Kinsey Williams, Nico Ramos and Austin Mann. Whitestown's Jared Muraca pitches well, allowing only five hits.
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Trivia quiz
Next Sunday is Father's Day. Let's celebrate with a tough question. Name the man who was the son of a U.S. president and also the father of a U.S. president. If you can't name him, at least name the two presidents. (Answer will appear here next week.)
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Answer to last week's question: Richard Nixon was president when, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin first walked on the surface of the moon after landing in the Apollo 11 lunar module.
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This Week in History is researched and written by Frank Tomaino. E-mail him at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).

Join some people on a bike tour around town and have some drinks while you do it! It'll start around noon at Trivedi and go to LBC West, 23rd St, F&I, LBC East, Gaslight Gardens, Black Stag, and Free State. There are no set rules, we can add or subtract places as we see fit. I almost never actually make it to the end because I stop at too many other places. We stay away from main roads as best we can. You don't have to be a good cyclist to join, most of us are very casual riders.
Here's the general idea Map.

specifically east south street, like using 4th and south as the starting base. Looking for something casual and not too pricy. Any recs?

• Glactus The Origin, Guardians of the Galaxy - $30
  
• Justice League Last Ride #1-7 Zdarsky - $30
  
• Flash Rebirth #1-6 - $30
  
• Flashpoint Beyond #0-6 - $30
  
• FF by Hickman #1-23 - $75
  
• Captain America White #1-5 - $20
  
• Eternals by Gaiman #1-7 - $35
  
• Wonder Woman The Hiketea One Shot - $12
  
• Animal Castle Vol 1 #1-5 - $35
  
• Secret War #1, 2, 4 - $35
  
• Strange Skies Over East Berlin - $15
  
• The Me You Love in the Dark - #1-5 - $35
  
• Klaus #1-7 + Advent Calendar - $45
  
• Fuhrer and the Tramp #1-4 - $15
  
• Blade Runner 2019 #1-12 - $30
  
• Blade Runner 2029 #1-12 - $30
  
• Blade Runner Origins #1-9 - $25
  
• JLA #43-46 (Tower of Babel story) - $15
  
• Infinity War #1-6 - $30
  
• Hawkeye Freefall #1-6 - $20
  
• Ghost Rider (by Brisson) #1-7 - $30
  
• Doomsday Clock #1-12 - $40
  
• Hickman Secret Warriors #1-28 - $55
  
• Amazing Spider-Man #797-801 (Red Goblin Story and first appearance) - $OLD
  
• Maestro #1-5 - $20
  
• Maestro War and Pax #1-5 - $20
  
• Maestro World War M #1-5 - $20
  
• X Men House of X #1-6 - $50
  
• X Men Powers of X #1-6 - $50
  
• Superman #29-32 & Action Comics #1029-1047 (Phillip Kennedy Johnson / full world war run)- $55
  
• Ghost Rider Fear Itself (first Alejandra Jones) - $30
  
• Ghost Rider Heavens on Fire #1-6 - $30
  
• Big Hard Sex Criminals Vol 1 & 2 HC SEALED - $45
  
• Justice League Jim Lee Sketch Covers #1, 4, 7 - $40
  
• Wolverine #212, 213 and 17 (iconic cover and first saver tooth fight) - $80
  
• Batman White Knight Deluxe & Curse of the White Knight HC - $40
  
• Batman Beyond the White Knight #1-7 - $40
  
• What If? Lot of 3 - $30
  
• Batman #125-130 (current) - $25
  
• Captain America Remarked Covers (2) - $35
  
• Ghost Cage #1-3 - $10
  

Shipping depends on how many books // please let me know if you need any additional pictures.
https://imgur.com/a/DJvFPui

Posting it here since nobody either interested in this info (history) or don't allow it in their sub rules.
51 years ago, an underground nuclear explosion was planned in the densely populated Kharkiv region to extinguish a burning gas borehole.
Today, only a few people know that in 1972, a nuclear explosion was arranged near Kharkov. Its explosive power was only three times less than that of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Fortunately, none of the people then died. And Soviet scientists used a nuclear charge to put out a huge "torch" of gas. The attempt ended in failure. The fiery gas geyser burned for another year, and the radioactive cloud spread over half of Ukraine. All this was swept under the rug and kept a strict secret. In order to lift the veil over this mystery, we went to the village of Pervomaiskoye, Krasnograd district, Kharkov region, a kilometer away from where, back in 1972, a nuclear explosion occurred.
ACCIDENT
In 1970, geologists found the largest gas field in these places. According to early estimates alone, its reserves were 300 billion cubic meters of gas. A year later, there were already 17 boreholes. And suddenly an emergency happened - on one of the drilling rigs, at a depth of 20 meters, gas condensate caught fire. In a moment, the column of fire was already rising several tens of meters. The torch hummed louder than a jet plane or space rocket during launch. The gas spread throughout the neighborhood and began to poison the inhabitants of nearby villages. "We were forbidden to use matches, turn on the light, or turn on all electrical appliances. They said there was a gas accident. And if we light a match, everything will explode. My family and I were very scared, we cried. And something was making a terrible, loud noise. It’s impossible to describe," recalls a resident of the village of Pervomaiskoye, Ekaterina Yatsenko. According to her, on the outskirts of the village at night, it was as bright as during the day.
SOLUTION
They tried to put out the burning fountain with everything that science was then capable of. For example, they threw multi-ton concrete slabs from cranes, but they were blown away like fluff hundreds of meters away. "They tried to inject concrete there under high pressure. But it didn’t help either," recalls Leonid Chernogor, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of Kharkov National University, a native of those places. Finally, Moscow decided to use an underground nuclear charge to create a local earthquake. The explosion was supposed to move the soil and create an artificial seal that would close the gas flow. Back in 1963, at the Urta-Bulak gas field in Uzbekistan, in exactly the same way, exactly the same burning fountain was put out. But… that accident happened in the desert, the area was uninhabited for hundreds of kilometers. And here is the densely populated Kharkiv region. Near the city of Krasnograd, with a population of about 50,000 inhabitants.
By all calculations, the probability of failure was only 1%
This was to be the 28th nuclear explosion for peaceful purposes in the Soviet Union and the first in Ukraine. Not a drop of radiation should have escaped to the surface - Soviet scientists did everything for the safety of the population. All radiation, according to their calculations, was supposed to remain underground.
"There was no other way to put it out and inflict less damage to the state. The likelihood that this torch would extinguish is 99%. The probability that it could not have been possible is only 1%. Was it worth the risk? Definitely, "says Leonid Cherogor, who was an eyewitness to these events. "I remember when the torch was burning, it was very beautiful and scary at the same time. Such an unprecedented, natural rocket. My parents lived 12 kilometers from the well. I saw and heard it all, "the scientist recalls. According to him, the gas torch produced acoustic fluctuations, in particular an inaudible infrasound for a person, which affects the nervous system and human psyche. "Some become aggressive, others lose their minds. And most importantly - the infrasound from this fire spread hundreds and thousands of kilometers without weakening! This is one of the astonishing factors of this fire," says Leonid Cherogor, who immediately adds that no one studied this problem seriously, and if any studies were conducted, then everything was "completely secret."
The second time a nuclear charge was used for peaceful purposes in Ukraine was in 1979. On September 16, in the city of Yenakiyevo, Donetsk region, at the mine "Yuniy Communar," the secret operation "Clivazh" was successfully implemented. Rocks were shaken with a nuclear charge so that methane came out of the mines, which often exploded and led to the deaths of people. The second explosion was successful.
Explosion: "The authorities began to flee in their cars"
A nuclear charge was delivered from Moscow to the village of Pervomaiskskoye. The highest leadership of the Soviet Union arrived. The fiery torch was encircled: the first row was police officers - they were on duty only a kilometer away from the accident, the second was the military. And the third were the KGB officers. "We stood in an encinrclement one row every 20 meters. We were not given weapons, but they told us to stand to death and not let anyone approach," recalls the local resident Nikolai Taran, who worked in those years as a policeman. " Near the torch was the T-34 tank, but instead of a gun, it has a huge fan, with which the gas stream was directed in the right direction. Two helicopters were parked nearby: a white Mi-8 and a green Mi-2. There were still many black cars called "Volga". Rumors had already spread that they would use a nuclear charge. We knew nothing more," he adds. The inhabitants of Pervomaisky—about 450 people—were evacuated five kilometers into the neighboring village of Krestische. " They were taken out in an organized manner by buses, and buses were evacuating up to five families each. We went by car ourselves," says Nadezhda Diabur, chairman of the village council of Krest, who was then only 15 years old. People only took documents with them. "All pets were left at home. Only food cans were brought to the gardens so that the glass would not break. We were told that they would extinguish the explosion, and we did not know anything else," recalls the paramedic of the village of Natalya Taran. The locals remember that day perfectly. "It was Sunday. It was warm and good on the street after the rain. A sunny day. A light breeze blew. Just your good summer day. I remember when they left Pervomaisky village, the soldiers cleaned the territory- they checked every house for people," says Nadezhda Diabur.
At 10 a.m. on July 9, 1972, the charge was detonated. "The authorities ordered us to stand on tiptoes so that our spines would not break from the shockwave. I felt an underground impetus, and then an unnatural silence came, as if suddenly I became deaf. I don’t know how long it lasted—a minute or two—but suddenly an explosion sounded: stones, dirt, and water flew up. A heavy brown-black, mushroom-like figure was formed. Leadership immediately fled away on their helicopters and cars," recalls Nikolai Taran.
The torch went out.. for a while, and everyone applauded. But then a fiery geyser appeared again. According to Leonid Chernogora, a radioactive trace stretched through the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. "Of course, the first secretaries in Kyiv sniffed about this, and they have already begun to import food from Moscow instead of the Kiev regions. They fed the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine with food that was imported from uninfected regions. "The top officials were very frightened, but they did not know the numbers and facts," says Leonid Chernogor. According to the scientist, the products of this nuclear explosion would break up in a maximum of two months. " In Ukraine, radiation was more or less distributed, and its level was relatively low," says Leonid Chernogor. " It’s also impossible to tell what exactly killed locals (either after months or ten years later)."
Pervomaiskoye: returned, as if after the war
Residents of the tiny Pervomaiskoye village, which was only a kilometer from the epicenter of the explosion, naturally weren't told that their territory was infected. They learned the truth only after the collapse of the USSR. The only bad sign was the sudden death of all bees within a radius of several kilometers. But five hours later, the locals had already calmly dined at home and drank water from the wells. Because of the explosion, the doors and windows in some houses were scattered, and the walls cracked. " This is a normal phenomenon - the consequences of the shock wave, albeit an underground explosion. All the specialists foresaw this, "explains Leonid Chernogor. The old buildings even completely collapsed. " The barn collapsed, one of the walls in it disappeared. It was scary to enter. I had a feeling as if the war had broken out," recalls Ekaterina Yatsenko, a resident of the village of Pervomaisky, with tears in her eyes. There were some devastations in every house. In our barn, the roof collapsed and the walls cracked. And those who lived closer to the explosion were shaken up by the shockwave," says the chairman of the village council, Nadezhda Diabur. Building materials were brought only to those whose homes had serious damage, the inhabitants of Pervomaisky said.
"My dad wanted to go home immediately after the explosion because the farm was abandoned. We went in a roundabout way - but were not allowed into the village, which was encircled before the explosion. After 2 p.m. in the afternoon, they brought us back by buses. Only after 30 years did we learn that it was a nuclear explosion. But there were rumors before, too. On the radio, someone heard, according to the American station, that it was a nuclear explosion. At that time, nobody paid much attention to this," continues Nadezhda Diabur. According to the former paramedic of the village of Natalia Taran, a quarter of the population will die from cancer in the next 30 years. " Now about 250 people live in Pervomaisky. These are mostly old people. The rural school was closed when we were still under the Soviet regime," says the paramedic.
People recall the first months after the explosion with a shudder. When a gas torch still burned. The height of the flame reached 150 meters. "White nights came to our village. My friends then lived on the outskirts. When I came to visit them, we could not hear each other even from one meter away. I had to scream," recalls local resident Lidia Pisareva. Someone abandoned their homes a few days after the gas fountain was set on fire, and someone did not want to leave even after months. People recall that chickens did not want to carry eggs in the evening because it was so bright, like it was daytime. The cows did not want to give milk because it was very loud. "People could not live in their homes for a prolonged time - they would go mad. They could not fall asleep for the first few weeks - it was like a nightmare. I once came to visit them in the evening. It was very bright in the room, and an unusual look opened from the window - a burning fountain in the sky. I will never forget this sight. A month later, they had to leave their house. They took the most valuable things, their animals, and moved to the neighboring village of Krestische to live with their relatives," says Lidia Pisareva.
They managed to put out the fiery torch only in the summer of 1973. They had to dig out this well and close it with liquid concrete under high pressure. For 21 months of gas burning, as much energy has been produced as the whole of humanity consumes per day. Ukraine would have had enough of it for 10 years. And the smoke from the burning fountain was thrown into the atmosphere as much as Ukraine is out as a result of its industrial activity in two years.
Now scientists say that the terrain has suffered more from the fire than from the discarded radiation. Acid rains fell around this well within a radius of several hundred kilometers." In the summer, trees were without leaves. And in winter, there was no snow. Green grass grew around the well within a radius of 200 meters," recalls Nadezhda Diabur.

We planned out a trip to the midwest to do hiking, camping, etc. We're from the east coast so we drove because she wanted to bring her dog. We drove my car and I'm letting her use it to go into the city to go into the office (apparently she needs to cuz of badge reports). We've been here about a week but I'm already kind of sick of her and I don't really want to talk to her anymore after we get back.
She is always hyper-critical of things anyone does and she always has to be right. I think she is super picky about food, she only wants to eat at places that are 4.5+ stars on yelp, local only, no chains and non american food (We're both american). I don't like to eat a ton of exotic foods but she does so I've been going to her restaurants without complaining and this past weekend, we were at a korean place but I couldn't find anything on the menu I wanted so I just got rice and noodles which wasn't good enough for her. On the way back in the car she was telling me how I never eat anything and I don't want to try things, etc. She asked if I wanted her opinion but it might be mean, I was kind of fed up with her at this point so I told her "No, I don't want your opinion, it's always rude and mean, I can eat whatever I want" She was silent the rest of the drive and didn't say a word at the airbnb. It's been like that since Saturday, when we drive somewhere she'll just read her kindle and not talk at all, even on like 30-40 minute drives which is just uncomfortable.
She did blow up on me at one point and threw back in my face about how she doesn't want my opinion, etc while we were on the way to go to a food hall and when we got there she was just like don't hang out with me, meet me when you're done. Other than that everything has been quick short responses to my any attempts to make conversation and she's very aggressive/angry with her tone/actions. She claims she never asked if "Do you want my opinion" but I'm like 95% sure she did. Anyways, the entire week has been so uncomfortable and toxic and we still have another 9 days left on our trip.
I don't want to put up with this kind of attitude, and I told her I might just leave early if this continues (told her this a few days ago). We're a 20-25 hour drive from our home city, I'm highly considering just leaving this weekend and going home, I told her that we should just call the trip early but she is refusing to leave because "we paid for the airbnb for another week or so". So I told her well maybe I'll just leave and she can get a rental car if she wants to stay and drive back later. Obviously she's like if you leave, our friendship is over but I don't know if I care enough to keep this going. I've realized we're just incompatible, even though we've been friends for like two years now and we've done a different 10 day trip before. I'm aware our friendship will be over, and people in my friend group may think badly of me for leaving.
How big of a dick am I if I just leave and go home, and she stays (her choice). Shes like "you can't just abandon me here across the country, i'm a woman, etc" but I mean we're adults, she can make her own decisions. She is refusing to communicate with me, like am I supposed to just spend the next 10 days and waste my PTO with someone who doesn't want to speak with me just because she refuses to end the trip early?

OK, time to sit up straight because I am going to spill some tough love on the men in the community.
This is regarding online dating. This is supposed to serve as a compass for you to navigate yourself correctly through the journey.
This piece is based on three things:
- My own experience with online dating.
- Insights uncovered while helping three cis-gendered, male friends with their dating-app profiles to understand the 'why'(s) and 'how'(s) of Communication and Perception in dating.
- Over a decade of being a Communication and Strategy professional in the corporate sector.
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(However, if you use dating apps for one-night stands and casual relationships, you can stop here. This post may end up wasting your time.)
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1) First of all — treat yourself like a 'product' and position yourself accordingly in the market.
Take time to:
- Understand your SWOT.
- Understand your competitor (it is not who you think it is).
- Understand your consumer.
I will elaborate on each one of these later.
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2) Understand your SWOT:
SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat.
Map it out for yourself, and then...
Work on actually having a personality.
What does not count as 'Personality'?
Going to the gym is not your whole personality.
Your bike/car, or your love for them cannot be your whole personality.
Your height, colour of your eyes etc are not your personality.
BladerunneRPG is not your whole personality.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S. cannot be your whole personality.
And your job, definitely, is not your whole personality.
Therefore, when you put 3 out of 5 pictures from your gym, it puts you in a very crowded room that is jam-packed with other gym-goers, lumping your whole personality as a 'Gym Bro'.
When you lack personality, then it is not that you aren't 6'3" tall and hence women aren't choosing you. Learn to see things for what they are.
Ok, but what is Personality then?
Personality is a combination of goals, fears, aspirations, dreams, hopes, likes, dislikes, beliefs etc — attributes that make you 'you'.
Capitalize on each one of these.
Learn to leverage even your weakness by leaning into it.
For example, if you are a guy who is not a fan of English language, and can't for the life of you understand why people don't speak in Hindi, then why are you writing your profile in English, and slogging your posterior off to attract a Starbucks-sipping chica who may not value what you bring to the table?
Instead, channel your inner Harishankar Parsai and write your profile in Hindi.
When you do that, you will have automatically sifted out anyone who is judgmental about your preferred language, and in fact, you may end up attracting someone who will help you paint the town red over this shared interest!
So, keeping everything aside, understand who you are. The better you understand yourself, the easier the dynamics are going to be.
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3) Learn. To. Write. Sentences.
Complete sentences. With commas, em dashes, and colons.
Do not put five pictures on your profile with one or two words answers to prompts. Learn to put together coherent thoughts.
It shows your ability to express yourself.
Also, expressing yourself is cool.
Stoicism is fine but Zeno of Citium and Marcus Aurelius did not have to spend their life getting left-swiped in the era that is striving to ensure gender equality. Nor were they fighting battles in a hyper-individualistic world.
They had armies to keep them together. Remember this.
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Language was invented for one reason, boys--- to woo women---and in that endeavor, laziness will not do.
Dead Poet Society

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4) Re-evaluate your brand-messaging. (Understand your consumer)
Do all/most of your pictures have you posing next to a Merc/BMW etc, and then you cry about attracting gold-diggers?
If you are not looking to attract gold-diggers, tell us what do you bring to the table? Do you have skills required for 'adulting' like keeping a house, planning a meal and ordering for grocery? Do you know basic cooking? If your mom (or someone else) does it all for you, pause dating for a while and contribute to unpaid efforts that go in keeping you alive.
What does it do, you ask?
It softens rough edges of your personality, develops emotional maturity and an ability to estimate and take on the impact of silent mental load. It gives you something real to talk about. It gives the other person something relatable to benchmark you against.
Relationships are much more than booking OYO for a few hours.
(There is a reason your cool collection of Legos cannot be a part of this 'what you bring to the table' exercise. I will explain it later.) Assess if you actually have a personality or are you a humanoid who can code (or whatever else it is that you do), and otherwise bring very little to the table.
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5) Speaking of Gold Diggers...
Some of you men disintegrate and combust into flames the minute a girl tells you that she is looking for someone who is better off financially (or has a benchmark that requires money).
Why?
Do you not switch your job for better prospects?
Do you not look for someone way hotteprettie smarter than you are?
How are women not allowed to have a richer partner? Please explain.
(I am not asking whether she is a student, banking on dad's money, or hustling at work herself in this case. It does not matter. If you have a wishlist, she too has one. Can you match up? No? Move on then. What is the logic behind becoming bitter about it?)
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6) To attract the right mate, you need to become the right mate.
For some weird reason, one of the friends I was helping said something that meant something like he will straighten up for the right girl.
Bro, what.
This is not how it works. It, in fact, works the other way round.
You focus on becoming the right person and that takes you one step closer to finding 'the one'. If you are a mess when the right one comes along, they are likely to walk right past you.
You dress up and then go to the bus-stop, wait for the right bus, and board it when it reaches the bus-stop you are at. You don't show up at the bus stop nude and start dressing up the minute your bus pulls up.
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7) "bUt dOn't wOMEn waNt eQuality?"
They do.
Plus, nobody is trying to rip you off of the four pennies you have saved after 5 years of grind and hustle. Last of all women who have worked their *ss off and fought centuries of patriarchy to get a seat at the table.
Women like to pay for their meals happily, at least the ones I know. However, there will be some who will expect you to foot the bill. It is possible that she is looking for a mate who can afford to take her out for dates totally on his own. She is well within her rights to have this expectation. And you are well within yours to refuse to meet it.
If such is the case, do not let this make you salty and call her a 'gold-digger'.
It is indicative of a poverty-mindset towards money. Instead, use it as marker to understand your relationship with money.
But that aside, if you cannot afford to take both of you out for a coffee/desserts date, take a break from dating and work on your financial health first, because it will keep you stressed and while you cry about having to pay for coffee, another dude would sweep her off her feet because...
...most women may not be looking for you to have 10 billion dollars in your bank account, but in case you both intend on getting married and having a family together, they have a right to assess if you can afford the fact that she can take some time off her work and look after herself (after the delivery) and the baby without your family getting driven to poverty. I understand Maternity leaves and all, but women's brains are prepared to deal with the worst, and they factor in everything and more, even if subconsciously. It contributes to them feeling 'safe' regarding the future. (Not all women, but many. And this is no sin.)
(I am talking about an average scenario. If you are a person whose dynamics worked out in a circumstance different from this, good for you. I have approximated this basis what my guy friends came across in the dating pool. This depends on the privileges, level of education, upbringing, mindset etc, and sometimes varies from person to person within the same family.)
​
8) Speaking of Equality...
... I hope your house-keeping, care-taking, and cooking skills are in alignment with the kind of contribution you are expecting from your partner in terms of finances.
Equality is not a one-way street. And no, I 'let her' drink is not Equality.
​
9) If you are looking for a one-night-stand, state it upfront, the first thing. For some weird reason, the max amount of respect is garnered by guys who mention this right in the beginning. Or, better still, mention it on your profile itself, saves everyone the hassle.
​
10) Emotional Intelligence
There will be m-a-n-y things, in life and on the internet, that you may not like. If at all, this is where you need to practice Stoicism.
Don't believe that there should be more genders than two? Cool, keep scrolling.
Don't understand what is this 'they/them' business in pronouns of individuals? No problem. Put forth your point in a civilized manner and move on. You don't have to dunk on people.
See a 43-year-old unmarried woman asking for advice regarding her love-life? Do you have something constructive to contribute? No? Keep scrolling.
Some lady wore sleeveless to the office? Unless you have something positive to say, keep your opinion to yourself.
See a 63 YO 'aunty' on a dating app? Are you interested? No? Keep Swiping.
Understand that the world does not need your permission exist. (Yes! I know! I am equally baffled!)
​
Your inherent need to straighten the World does two horrible things to you:

• You end up focusing on things that should be none of your business, thereby adding no value to your own life. At worst, you become an outdated version of your parents (who, by the way, might have still been relevant in their times) in a world that needs you to be hyper-agile in your mindset (and regarding your ability to change your opinion and understand the other person's perspective). But I understand that this may be quite a tall order for the majority of the people.

​

• Every time you hyper-fixate on fixing things outside of you, you lose the opportunity that could have either given you a better understanding of something you don't have the first-hand understanding of, or helped you focus on yourself.

​
There is no magic wand to becoming an emotionally intelligent person. In the era of tech and ChatGPTs, your EQ is what will make you stand out. Period.
​
11) Self-worth.
Pause, and understand your worth, (or the lack of it). Don't just randomly hope to be swiped right by anyone. If you are marred by low self-worth, it reflects in every aspect of your life, including how you talk. Take a break from dating and work on your self-worth.
Building self-worth is an inside job.
There is a friend I have who is a Coder by the day and a Baker by the night. Once or twice every month, he invites us over for an evening of chilling around where we also get to sample the latest recipes of cake, quiches, pizzas, and breads he has tried.
The dude is 35YO, the most zen person I know, has never had to be on dating apps because his hobby has everyone chasing him for recipes, 'let's bake together?' (s), ingredients etc. Not a one-night-stand sort of guy, so the street-cred works in his favor. When he dates, he sticks to a lady until things don't work out for whatever genuine reason there is. Once he and the lady part ways, both of them never bad-mouth each other.
Take from that what you will.
Working on your self-worth is stacking up of favorable actions, one after the other. There is no abra-ca-dabra to this.
Also,

• Refrain from becoming someone because of whom women have to close their DMs. Over time, you will lose respect for yourself, and that happens very silently.

​

• There is a difference between speaking the truth and being harsh. Your ability to learn the difference and the art will single-handedly be responsible for success in your profession as well as your personal life.

​

• For some weird reason, a 25 YO man from a Western country is far more emotionally evolved as compared to an Indian man. That is one part of it. The other part of it is that most Indian men are so surrounded by their own type, that they r-e-a-l-l-y will have to break a lot of cycles to even fathom what is expected of them. To break this cycle, educate yourself ruthlessly. Accounts like this may help you break the mould to some extent, but you will still need to break the cycle with respect to your surroundings. Hangout with men who see women in positive light.

​

• The women you are trying to woo, have their standards constantly reset by content from all over the world. You have to understand what you are up against.

​
12) Understand how Reticular Activating System works regarding attracting the right mate.
Reticular Activating System is explained the best here.
And how to hack it is explained here.
From Marketing and Communication stand-point, no brand spends h-o-u-r-s ridiculing and hating on the prospective consumer. Instead, they spare no efforts in getting to know their consumer and then tailoring their offerings to ensure that the consumer sticks around.
This is what I mean when I say know your Comsumer.
(Anyway, what is the point of hating on women throughout the day, and then crying here in the group at night asking for feedback on your dating profile to woo, drumrolls, those same women?)
When it comes to women, your competition is not another man. It is her peace of mind. This is what I mean when I say 'know your Competitor'.
​
13) What makes dating difficult?
Not the process.
It is you hoping that it was easier.
But this is one aspect that demands ruthless growth. Just embrace the pain and hardships of getting left-swiped on and use it to upgrade your mindset and mentality. But all the while, be kind to yourself and know that you are doing your best.
​
14) One last thing...
Analyze if any part of your childhood/teenage was chaotic or traumatic. What we experience in our childhood, if left untreated, goes on to become our 'normal' in adulthood.
So, if you grew up in chaos, peace would seem boring to you. You will constantly look for 'spark' instead of comfort and end up attracting damaged goods.
If your childhood was not peaceful, it may be worthwhile to consider therapy. Therapy is good, it brings out the gunk of the soul that you did not know you were carrying around, all the while stinking because of it.
If you are interested in understanding this better, read Letting Go and Attached.
The thing is, you attract your tribe.
If you are attracted to someone, something in them must have resonated with you. Surprisingly, many times, it is the toxity that binds two people together.
And toxity in oneself is the most difficult to accept.
To stop attracting damaged goods, you will have to heal yourself.
You will be surprised what a therapist can do. You may have to look around for a while before you chance upon a good one though. Twitter has two crowd-sourced list, in case you need: List 1, List 2.
​
Notice how I haven't touched upon topics like what you should write in your bio/profile or what you should message her because these things are a direct manifestation of who you are. They can be 'manufactured' but only to some extent. The mind games last only for so long. After that, you will have to work on yourself.
I hope this makes sense to some extent and someone. Take time to read this. I don't expect anyone of you to get all of it in one go.
If you disagree, happy to hear your point of view.
Thank you for reading!
Have a lovely dating journey.

Hello all - not sure if this would be acceptable or not - but I'm doing a Goodreads challenge of 100 books this year and I'm on book 29 now. As part of this - I've been on a tear reading books about the Trump presidency and what was going on behind the scenes from major political reporters, Whitehouse staff, etc. Below are some of the recommendations if anyone wants to see just how really fucked up things were beyond what you find in the news and online:
American Resistance: The Inside Story of How the Deep State Saved the Nation - Great read on some of the actions taken by regular federal employees during the administration to run counter to some of the insane stuff Trump was up to, especially his flagrant disregard of established laws, policies, and procedures within the federal government. This book honestly should have been like 200-300 pages longer in my opinion – fairly quick read but very insightful to see just how the “normal” government employees were doing what they could to deal with Trump’s idiocy.
Fear: Trump in the White House, Rage, and Peril – Authored by veteran reporter Bob Woodward, this trilogy of books covers the Trump presidency from beginning into the first little bit of Biden’s presidency. He pulls information from a ton of sources – many who remain anonymous to protect their identities/jobs from across all parts of the Trump presidency to open a lens into Trump’s decision-making and behavior when he’s not putting on a show for the cameras. Worth the time it takes to read these – I had never personally heard of Woodward or his work until I got off down the “Trump” rabbithole and I also have his three books on Bush on the way to the house right now.
Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost – From the senior white house reporter for the Wall Street Journal, this book goes into detail about Trump’s loss of the 2020 election and the elements that helped foment what eventually led to January 6th. Great read in conjunction with pulling out the January 6th report listed below.
The Big Lie: Election Chaos, Political Opportunism, and the State of American Politics After 2020 – This book – from the White House Bureau Chief of Politico – covers the “big lie” – or rather – Trump’s claims that the elections were “rigged.” In fact, he goes into detail to show that this effort to cast doubt on the election actually started before he ever won the 2016 election. Another good read to go in conjunction with the Jan 6 report.
The January 6th Report: Select Committe to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol – The New Yorker’s edition of the Jan 6th report. It looks like it’s a massive fucking tome, but the narrative portions are actually probably close to approximately “halfish” of the pages – the rest are long lists of references and notes between each major narrative section. I appreciated the way the Jan 6 report was authored by the committee because it read more like a true narrative rather than the Mueller Report, which was basically just a straight-up investigative report and probably not as easy a read for the general public as this is. This should be required reading for everyone interested in keeping this dude out of office, as well as getting insight into all of the facts behind what occurred from multiple angles – which conclusively proved that Trump was directly responsible not only for the insurrection, but had run several attempts to directly influence and overturn the 2020 election through fake electors, fake electoral slates, and a pressure campaign across the board.
This all culminated from reading a battery of books on QAnon, The Proud Boys, The Oath Keepers, and Chief Sund’s book on the attack on the Capitol, which is an honorable mention – in fact, I have the other officer’s book here as well, but it’s a few rungs down on the reading list until I get through the remaining books on Trump I have.
Those remaining major books are:
A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America - About 3/4 of the way through this one - great read so far.
The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021
I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year
Front Row at the Trump Show
Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show
Donald Trump v. The United States: Inside the Struggle to Stop a President
Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy
Breaking History: A White House Memoir
Of the many, many negative impacts of social media and being in an “always-connected” world is that we have started to collectively move away from taking the time to disconnect and actually read and research topics. One of the axioms I’ve always stuck to is that knowledge is power – and – you should always find out as much information as you can about “the enemy.” It’s one thing to hate Trump because of what you see in the news or his policies or the stupid shit he says online – it’s another to hate him because of the research and realize just how dangerous this person is and exactly why it’s imperative that he never be allowed to be in any kind of position of power ever again.
I have a library here of some several hundred books and am currently finishing up my second undergrad – this one in history (just joined Phi Alpha Theta) and am also working on my Masters through Virginia Tech. As I’ve gotten older, I have stopped engaging in “serious” arguments with people – especially online – because 9 times out of 10, it’s readily apparent within a few moments that they are either uneducated on a topic or ignorant of the facts. I hope that some of you find use in this book list. Trust me – it’s well worth the time to read through at least some of these to get a clearer picture of what was happening in the White House from 2017-2021.
Cheers.

I am currently staying on the property because we use the property pretty regularly ourselves. We have a booking checking in on Sunday for a week.
Yesterday, my direct neighbor started a construction project (which they didn’t mention to me) on their roof and today the noise was extremely annoying. They’re re-doing their whole roof and I doubt it will be finished by Sunday. They started around 9 AM and were going for half the day.
Also, one of our other neighbors (across the street) is doing some huge gardening project that involves cutting stones and it’s been pretty loud, though they weren’t here today.
I’m usually pretty “I can’t control what my neighbors do” but this is a week long booking for a beach house and I know while I might not complain to an owner if it were me (since it’s out of their control) I would definitely be annoyed.
What would you do? Should I contact them and offer some kind of discount or at least give them a heads up? Or just say nothing because it’s not my choice/it’s out of my control and neighbors do construction? They’re flying in to visit family based on their message so I don’t think cancelling or offering an alternate week is an option.
I want to do the right thing but also am not sure if I’m overthinking it. Thank you for your advice.

With my update after latest reads...
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https://fanfiaddict.com/benders-top-litrpg-gamelit-progression-cultivation-reads/
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With not much “standard” sub-genres in this genre, I’ve went with my own! If you are new to the genre, here’s something that may help you make sense and pick up books to your liking.
What the heck do these sub-genres indicate?
GameLit is in general books which have elements which you might have seen or played in a game e.g skill trees, stat sheets etc. These elements may feature to varying extents, but present they will be! Now there are various permutations and combinations on how this will occur in a game and I’ll try to elaborate on some here
LitRPG is a sub-genre of GamLit and probably the catch all. Technically it is to capture books which feature the Role Playing (RPG) elements, but in practical use, LitRPG and GameLit are being used interchangeably.
But then, genres and titles are what we deem it to be. So pay less attention to the classifications and let’s get down to the books themselves.
Post/Apocalyptic Earth
Now, this is my favourite sub-genre! As the name indicates, books in this sub-genre takes place in relatively modern Earth. In most books, Earth has been assimilated into a bigger multi-planet universe is ruled by a “system” that implements game elements on all acquired worlds. Now this assimilation is mostly a forced takeover which usually results in death of vast swaths of humanity with the rest forced to adapt and fight for survival. Though the books start off with a ‘apocalypse’, being end of earth as we know now, the stories are post-apocalyptic survival in new Earth.
These are sweeping books which span over multiple geographies of current Earth and often venture out to space and include alien planets and species as Earth-people come to grasp with the macro “System”. It’s closest to epic fantasy and one which would include multiple game genres. You get the RPG elements of MC being forced into a leader of survivors leading them to salvation, RTS elements of MC forced to re-build towns/cities which were destroyed by the apocalypse and First Person Action elements where MC leads the fight against the ‘minions’ one vs one!

• Defiance of the Fall by Thefirstdefier – 9.5/10
• Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman – 9.5/10
• System Apocalypse by Tao Wong – 8.0/10
• Shadow Sun by Dave Willmarth – 8.0/10
• Phase Shift by Kyle Johnson – 8.0/10
• The Legend of Randidly Ghosthound – 7.5/10
• Primal Hunter by Zogarth – 7.5/10
• Advent Red Mage by Xander Boyce – 7.0/10

Set in Game World
These are books where
– Much of the plot happens in a world that has game elements, and/or– Where the MC is from Earth but are transported to the above said magical world having game elements where they have their adventures, trials and tribunals.
Now, these are a [very] close second favourite of mine as they might have many of the features listed in earlier sub-genre, i.e. having RPG elements of MC being forced into a leader leading them to safety, RTS elements of MC forced to re-build towns/cities and First Person Action elements of MC leads the fight against the ‘minions’ one vs one!
Fantasy:

• He who Fights with Monsters by Shirtaloon – 9.5/10
• Azarinth Healer by Rhaegar – 8.5/10
• How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps by Andrew Rowe – 8.0/10
• Dragon Mage Saga by Rohan Vider – 8.0/10
• This Trilogy is Broken by J.P. Valentine – 7.5/10
• Portal to Nova Roma by J.R. Mathews – 7.5/10
• Ten Realms by Michael Chatfield – 7.5/10
  • [Books 1-4 are a must read and 9/10 brilliant]
• Crystal Shards Online by Rick Scott – 7.5/10
  • [All books are unique and different. Last book is nowhere in sight]

Science Fiction:

• Drone Ensign by Kyle Johnson – 7.0/10

Other notable series:
Chaos Seeds by Aleron Kong
Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games [VRMMORPG]
This is a set ins current/post-modern earth Earth where MC has access to ‘Total Immersion’ Virtual reality modules which connect directly to MC body/brain and provide a fully real life experience but in-game.I love this because this not only has full fantasy world experience, but may also include a side story of the game AI trying to gain sentience through in-game experiences, which adds a whole new dimension to the story.

• Awaken Online by Travis Bagwell – 8.0/10
• Ascend Online by Luke Chmilenko – 8.0/10
• Way of the Shaman by Vasily Mahanenko – 8.0/10
• The Completionist Chronicles by Dakota Krout – 7.0/10

Other Notable series:
Good Guys by Eric UglandThe Gam3 by Cosimo YapLimitless Lands by Dean HengarNew Era Online by Shemer KuznitsRipple System by Kyle Kirrin
Progression & Cultivation Fantasy
Straight from the words of Andrew Rowe:“Progression Fantasy is a fantasy subgenre term for the purpose of describing a category of fiction that focuses on characters increasing in power and skill over time. These are stories where characters are often seen training to learn new techniques, finding ways to improve their existing skills, analyzing the skills of opponents, and/or gaining literal or figurative “levels” of power.
Progression in the subgenre title specifically refers to character power progression, not other types of progression (e.g. increasing wealth, noble rank, etc.) that occur in stories.”
You’d ideally see defined power levels that a character will have to progress as he travels to his objective.
Fantasy:

• Cradle by Will Wight – 9.5/10
• Mark of the Fool by J M Clarke – 9.25/10
• Warformed Stormweaver by Luke Chmilenko and Bryce O’connor – 9.0/10
• Immortal Great Souls by Phil Tucker – 8.0/10
• Arcane Ascension by Andrew Rowe – 8.0/10
• Mage Errant by John Bierce – 8.0/10 *
• The Weirkey Chronicles by Sarah Lin – 7.0/10

\ Mage Errant in my humble opinion is more of mainstream fantasy rather than Progression, but is often listed in here.*
Science Fiction:

• The Way of Etherforging by R.J. Shoke – 9.5/10

Cultivation:
Cultivation Books is very similar to Progression, but we see higher degree of influence of Martial Arts where characters progressively get stronger by “cultivating” their own body. Most books are based on or have inspirations from concepts from Wuxia, Xianxia etc, though there are good books which port the same into a western Setting.

• Desolate Era by Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi – 9.0/10 *
• A Will Eternal by Er Gen – 9.0/10 *
• Coiling Dragon by Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi – 8.5/10 *
• I Shall Seal The Heavens by Er Gen – 8.5/10 *
• A Thousand Li by Tao Wong – 8.0/10
• Street Cultivation by Sarah Lin – 8.0/10
• Forge of Destiny by Yrsillar – 8.0/10
• Quantum Cultivation by Jace Kang – 7.5/10
• The Weirkey Chronicles by Sarah Lin – 7/10

\ The books are translated from Chinese and available for free at freewebnovel.com. It certainly is a good translation, but there may be slight awkwardness to the prose, dialogue and naming conventions which takes some getting used to. But give it time and get past it and you’ll get treated to a the ultimate OP MC + epic battles progression fantasy of all time!*
Slice of Life Fantasy
Books in this genre are set in a fantasy world and may have added elements of fantasy, GameLit, Progression or Cultivation but the focus is on a contemporary skill/job. e.g. the MC is a farmer or a cook and the plot focus is one day-to-day aspects of the job spiced up with game/fantasy elements. It’s a loveable niche genre that is the epitome of comfort reads guaranteed to put you in a blissful state of mind!

• Morcster Chef by Actus – 8.5/10
• Beware of Chicken by casualfarmer – 8.5/10
• Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree – 8.0/10
• Battle Mage Farmer by Seth Ring – 8.0/10

GameLit – Time Travel / Tower Ascension
I’m actually clubbing two distinct sub-genres in here. Most of these books involve either time travel and/or climbing a tower with levels of different difficulty to achieve a objective. Each level features varying challenges and difficulty, making this close the game but very interesting nevertheless!

• Reborn Apocalypse by LM Kerr – 8.0/10
• Towers of Heaven by Cameron Milan – 8.0/10

GameLit – Dungeon Core
This sub-genre has books where the MC has become/reincarnated as a core controlling a dungeon and has to protect it’s inhabitants against people who want to invade/clear it. Fascinating sub-genre as we have a MC who’s a Dungeon Core and can’t interact with his subjects through normal means and provides a completely different perspective to people-management.

• God of Gnomes by Demi Harper – 8.0/10
• Divine Dungeon by Dakota Krout – 8.0/10

Other Notable Series

• Derelict by Dean Hengar

Special shout-out to God of Gnomes to it’s scintillating prose making it one of the best in genre!
GameLit – Crafting Based
Now these are books purely focused on rafting elements. These are people who create stuff and not directly involved in fights like most other genres. This is a niche genre as these elements are usually included partly in other genres described above, but for enthusiasts, below are books which concentrate purely on crafting and intrigue associated with that (believe me, they are interesting!)

• Fair Quest by Kit Falbo – 8.0/10
  • [Book 2 goes on a tangent, but Book 1 is a class self contained read]

Alhambra (Mid-East) Belly Dance and Events - North Bridge Rd, High Street Centre, Singapore 179094
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https://mapgrey.com/sg/alhambra-mid-east-belly-dance-and-events-42283

https://www.reuters.com/world/china-post-spy-facility-cuba-off-southeastern-us-wsj-2023-06-08/
WASHINGTON, June 8 (Reuters) - China has reached a secret deal with Cuba to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island roughly 100 miles (160 km) from Florida, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing U.S. officials familiar with classified intelligence.
Such a spy installation would allow Beijing to gather electronic communications from the southeastern U.S., which houses many U.S. military bases, as well as monitor ship traffic, the newspaper reported.
The U.S. Central Command headquarters is based in Tampa. Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, the largest U.S. military base, is based in North Carolina.
The countries have reached an agreement in principle, the officials said, with China to pay Cuba "several billion dollars" to allow the eavesdropping station, according to the Journal.
“I cannot speak to this specific report, but we are well aware of – and have spoken many times to – the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to invest in infrastructure around the world that may have military purposes, including in this hemisphere," John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said in a statement.
"We monitor it closely, take steps to counter it, and remain confident that we are able to meet all our security commitments at home, in the region, and around the world," he said.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said: "We are not aware of the case and as a result we can't give a comment right now."
The Cuban government did not respond to a request for comment. But veteran Cuban diplomat Jose Cabanas, former ambassador to the U.S., wrote in a tweet that Washington was “trying to demonize Cuba again." He did not elaborate.
The agreement between the two U.S. rivals, both ruled by communist governments, has caused alarm in President Joe Biden's administration, the newspaper said, posing a new threat close to America's shores. The Journal said U.S. officials declined to provide more details about the proposed location of the listening station or whether construction had begun. I
The reported deal comes as Washington and Beijing are taking tentative steps to soothe tensions that spiked after a suspected Chinese high-altitude spy balloon crossed the United States before the U.S. military shot it down off the East Coast in February.
It could also raise questions about a trip to China that U.S. officials say Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning in coming weeks. Washington's top diplomat had earlier scrapped the visit over the spy balloon incident.
Ties have deteriorated over disputes ranging from military activity in the South China Sea and near Taiwan, Beijing's human rights record, and technology competition.
'DIRECT ASSAULT'
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a Cuba hawk, said if the report is true, it would be “a direct assault upon the United States.”
“So I hope the administration will think about how they'll react, if it’s true," he told reporters.
A former U.S. intelligence official said on condition of anonymity that a Chinese listening post would be a “big deal,” marking an expansion of Beijing's spying capabilities and giving it access to signals intelligence as far north as Washington.
If such a facility is built, the Chinese will use Cuba "as a beachhead for collection against the United States," said
Daniel Hoffman, a former senior CIA undercover officer.
However, the U.S. has a long history of spying on China in its own neighborhood. It is widely reported to have used Taiwan as a listening post for the mainland and regularly flies spy planes in the South China Sea, angering Beijing.
The head of Taiwan’s National Security Bureau told the island’s parliament in April that Taiwan was conducting real-time encrypted intelligence sharing with Five Eyes partners, which includes the U.S.
A cash infusion would likely be welcomed in Cuba, where the economy is sputtering and inflation, fuel shortages, plunging farm production and a cash crunch continue to fan discontent.
Relations between Washington and Havana remain strained. The Biden administration last year partially rolled back some Trump-era restrictions on remittances and travel to the island, but Cuban officials called the steps insufficient.
The intelligence on the agreement was gathered in recent weeks and was convincing, the Journal reported. The officials said it would allow China to conduct signals intelligence, including emails, phone calls and satellite transmission.
Cuba, an old Cold War foe of the United States, has long been a hotbed of espionage and spy games.
The Cuban missile crisis in 1962 began after Moscow began placing Soviet nuclear weapons on the island. It backed down and removed the missiles, but it is widely regarded as the moment when the United States and the Soviet Union came closest to a nuclear confrontation.
The Soviets installed a spy base on the island at Lourdes, just south of Havana, in the mid-1960s, with parabolic antennas aimed at Cuba´s northern neighbor. Russian President Vladimir Putin closed the facility in the early 2000s.

 Division Project Description Labor man days Labor cost Subcontactor Materials Markup Total Division 1 General Conditions General Site cleaning 5 $2,500 $0 $0 $0 $2,500 Division 1 General Conditions General porta potty — $0 $2,000 $0 $200 $2,200 Division 1 General Conditions General disposal — $0 $0 2000 $200 $2,200 Division 1 General Conditions General temp power, heat — $0 $0 500 $50 $550 Division 1 General Conditions General lift rental — $0 $0 2500 $250 $2,750 Division 1 General Conditions General estimating, planning 3 $1,500 $0 $0 $0 $1,500 Division 1 General Conditions General project management 10 $5,000 $0 $0 $0 $5,000 Division 1 General Conditions General scaffolding setup, moving 3 $1,500 $0 $0 $0 $1,500 $18,200 Subtotal Division 2 Site Work Site Work Driveway rough in, buried electrical, septic system, cellar hole, drainage, backfill, general site work — $0 $60,000 $0 $6,000 $66,000 Division 2 Site Work Site Work landscaping/finish driveway — $0 $20,000 $0 $2,000 $22,000 Division 2 Site Work Site Work well — $0 $10,000 $0 $1,000 $11,000 $99,000 Subtotal Division 3 Concrete Concrete porch and deck piers 1 $250 $800 500 $130 $1,680 Division 3 Concrete Concrete foundation footings, walls, cellar floor 2 $500 $64,750 $0 $6,475 $71,725 Division 3 Concrete Concrete foundation insulation, sealing, vapor barrier 5 $2,500 $0 13800 $1,380 $17,680 $91,085 Subtotal Division 4 Masonry Masonry none — $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Subtotal Division 5 Metals Metals fire place — $0 $10,000 $0 $1,000 $11,000 Division 5 Metals Metals framing, tile work 5 $2,500 $0 3000 $300 $5,800 $16,800 Subtotal Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites Rough framing first floor - TGIs, subfloor, exterior walls, sheathing 20 $10,000 $0 13000 $1,300 $24,300 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites Rough framing cedar breather 2 $1,000 $0 2000 $200 $3,200 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites Rough framing roof trusses, sheathing 9 $4,500 $0 32000 $3,200 $39,700 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites Rough framing jetwork, soffits, vents 6 $3,000 $0 5000 $500 $8,500 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites Rough framing exterior trim and siding 20 $10,000 $0 19000 $1,900 $30,900 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites Rough framing door and window trim 4 $2,000 $0 $0 $0 $2,000 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites Rough framing rear deck.porch, framing, decking, ceiling 14 $7,000 $0 6550 $655 $14,205 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites Rough framing front porch framing, decking, ceiling 5 $2,500 $0 6650 $665 $9,815 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites Garage frame walls, trusses 6 $3,000 $0 $0 $0 $3,000 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites Garage sheathing 2 $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites interior trim baseboard, window jamb extensions, window and door molding 15 $7,500 $0 8000 $800 $16,300 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites basement stairs basement stairs 1 $500 $0 400 $40 $940 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites closets shelf and rod kits for bedroom closets 4 $2,000 $0 2000 $200 $4,200 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites bath (5) vanities 2 $1,000 $0 3000 $300 $4,300 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites bath (5) ??? — $0 $2,500 $0 $250 $2,750 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites bath (5) ??? 1 $500 $0 1000 $100 $1,600 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites kitchen cabinets 4 $2,000 $0 30000 $3,000 $35,000 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites kitchen countertops — $0 $6,000 0 $600 $6,600 Division 6 Wood, plastics, composites kitchen hardware 1 $500 $0 300 $30 $830 $209,140 Subtotal Division 7 Thermal & Moisture blower door test State energy code — $0 $1,100 $0 $110 $1,210 Division 7 Thermal & Moisture Roofing standing seam, assume stock color — $0 $43,900 $0 $4,390 $48,290 Division 7 Thermal & Moisture insulation dense pack walls — $0 $10,000 $0 $1,000 $11,000 Division 7 Thermal & Moisture insulation loose cellulose in attic — $0 $3,000 $0 $300 $3,300 Division 7 Thermal & Moisture insulation air sealing, tape, foam 6 $3,000 $0 500 $50 $3,550 $67,350 Subtotal Division 8 Openings exterior doors and windows pella impervia - for triple pane 4 $2,000 $0 39050 $3,905 $44,955 Division 8 Openings exterior doors and windows window and door sealing 2 $1,000 $0 500 $50 $1,550 Division 8 Openings front door front door 1 $500 $0 5000 $500 $6,000 Division 8 Openings garage door garage door — $0 $3,000 $0 $300 $3,300 Division 8 Openings garage to house door garage to house door 1 $250 $0 1000 $100 $1,350 Division 8 Openings interior doors wood interior doors (8) 2 $1,000 $0 3500 $350 $4,850 Division 8 Openings interior doors door hardware 1 $250 $0 2200 $220 $2,670 Division 8 Openings shower doors glass indoor installs (2) — $0 $2,500 $0 $250 $2,750 $67,425 Subtotal Division 9 Finishes drywall install, tape and finish — $0 $19,500 $0 $1,950 $21,450 Division 9 Finishes painting prime walls and ceiling — $0 $1,000 200 $120 $1,320 Division 9 Finishes painting interior walls paint — $0 $5,000 $0 $500 $5,500 Division 9 Finishes painting interior trim and doors, window jambs — $0 $5,000 $0 $500 $5,500 Division 9 Finishes painting exterior body and trim — $0 $12,000 $0 $1,200 $13,200 Division 9 Flooring Flooring wood first floor 8 $4,000 $0 9000 $900 $13,900 Division 9 Flooring Flooring mudroom tile 4 $2,000 $0 1600 $160 $3,760 Division 9 Flooring Flooring bath tile 4 $2,000 $0 2340 $234 $4,574 Division 9 Flooring Flooring kitchen tile backsplash 3 $1,500 $0 700 $70 $2,270 Division 9 shower tile shower tile master 9 $4,500 $0 2000 $200 $6,700 Division 9 shower tile shower tile powder room 4 $2,000 $0 500 $50 $2,550 Division 9 shower tile shower tile guest 4 $2,000 $0 500 $50 $2,550 $83,274 Subtotal Division 10 Equipment kitchen stove, cooktop, hood venting 2 $1,000 $0 5000 $500 $6,500 Division 10 Equipment kitchen refrigerator — $0 $0 3000 $300 $3,300 Division 10 Equipment kitchen dishwasher 1 $250 $0 1000 $100 $1,350 Division 10 Equipment laundry washer dryer, venting 1 $500 $0 3000 $300 $3,800 $14,950 Subtotal Division 11 mechanical heat/AC Fujitsu ducted mini split system with air handlers and back up heat — $0 $50,000 $0 $5,000 $55,000 Division 11 mechanical heat/AC ERV air exchange system — $0 $15,000 $0 $1,500 $16,500 Division 11 mechanical plumbing plumbing with mid grade fixtures — $0 $20,000 $0 $2,000 $22,000 Division 11 mechanical plumbing heat pump hot water tank — $0 $4,000 $0 $400 $4,400 Division 11 mechanical electrical service, underground — $0 $5,000 $0 $500 $5,500 Division 11 mechanical panel, rough in panel, rough in — $0 $20,000 $0 $2,000 $22,000 Division 11 mechanical fixtures, switches, dimmers, controls fixtures, switches, dimmers, controls — $0 $10,000 $0 $1,000 $11,000 Division 11 mechanical materials 70000 $7,000 $77,000 Division 11 mechanical labor $30,000 $0 $30,000 $243,400 Subtotal Totals $132,000 $406,050 $301,790 $70,784 $910,624 Tax? 18,107.40 Total $928,731 

Check out our full Durham events calendar.
If you'd like to add an event to our calendar, submit an event here. Please check with the event organizers to see if events change due to weather. Have a great weekend!

American Dance Festival

BODYTRAFFIC at Reynolds Industries Theater

• Widely acclaimed for its “peerless dancers” who “can do it all from hip-hop to ballet” (LA Dance Chronicle), the company is composed of artists who received their training at some of the finest schools throughout the world, and its smashing repertory includes the works of renowned contemporary choreographers.
• Thu, Jun 8 at 7:00 p.m.
• Sat, Jun 10 at 7:30 p.m.
• $27-43

2023 ADF Fête at Parizäde

• Dance the night away with BODYTRAFFIC and enjoy delicious food and drinks.
• Thu, Jun 8 at 9:00 p.m.
• $150

Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater at Page Auditorium

• The acclaimed work Nuttin’ But A Word by Rennie Harris pushes the boundaries of street dance vocabulary and forces its audience to view street dance through a different lens. Challenging the viewer’s perspective of street dance or Hip-hop dance and its culture, Nuttin’ But A Word takes you on a dramatic and abstract journey while twisting, matching, juxtaposing, and pulling vocabulary and music in ways unimaginable. Harris chooses to end this work in a traditional Hip-hop celebration, which Africanists may refer to as the Bantaba.
• Friday, Jun 9 at 7:30 p.m. ($30-45)
• Saturday, Jun 10 at 1:00 p.m. (Children’s Matinee - $12)

Multi-Day Event

Triangle Restaurant Week

• A week-long celebration of culinary excellence designed to incorporate the premier Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and surrounding area restaurants
• Participating restaurants offer special three-course menu options and fixed pricing
• No reservations, tickets, or passes are required
• Today - Jun 11
• $20-50

Venue Weekend Schedules

Events at DPAC

• Thu, Jun 8 at 7:30 p.m. - Indigo Girls with Full Band
• Fri, Jun 9 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. - Shane Gillis

Events at The Carolina Theatre

• Fri, Jun 8 at 8:00 p.m. - The Monti: Freak
• Sat, Jun 10 at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. - Dancing Through the Decades

Events at The Pinhook

• Fri, Jun 9 at 9:00 p.m. - Severed Fingers / Austin Lucas / DJ Melanoma
• Sat, Jun 10 at 8:00 p.m. - Burlesque: The Rainbow Connection – Boom Boom’s Big Gay B-day Review
• Sat, Jun 10 at 10:00 p.m. - No Visa X The Conjure
• Sun, Jun 11 at 8:00 p.m. - Kym Register + Meltdown Rodeo / Tami Hart / Dunums

Events at Motorco Music hall

• Thu, Jun 8 at 6:00 p.m. - Drag Trivia

Events at The Fruit

• Fri, Jun 9 from 2:00am - Sat, 10 2:00am - SUB: Terranean
• Fri, Jun 9 from 10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. - HOUSE OF HER : An All Girls Pride Party
• Sat, Jun 10 from 9:00pm - 2:00 a.m. - Cosmic Gate

Live Music at Blue Note Grill

• Fri, Jun 9 at 6:00 p.m. - The Duke Street Dogs
• Fri, Jun 9 at 9:15 p.m. - Crones of Anarchy
• Sat, Jun 10 at 7:30 p.m. - Addison's Playworld / Durham High Get-Together

Events at Moon Dog Meadery

• Thursdays - Free Board Games
• Thu, Jun 8 at 7:00 p.m. - Trivia
• Fri, Jun 9 at 8:00 p.m. - 2nd Friday Blues Dance Night
• Sat, Jun 10 at 8:00 p.m. - An Offering to Bragi

Live Music at Sharp 9 Gallery

• Fri, Jun 9 at 8:00 p.m. - Angela Bingham w/Jim Ketch Quintet
• Sat, Jun 10 at 8:00 p.m. - Frankie Alexander Quartet

Events at Arcana

• Thu, Jun 8 - Pridechata and Tarot with Rene
• Fri, Jun 9 - Queer Joy: A Party and Fundraiser for Bodily Autonomy and Tarot with Virginia
• Sat, Jun 10 - Tarot with Heiltje
• Sun, Jun 11 - Jay Hammond & Quran Karriem and Tarot with Emily

Events at Rubies on Five Points

• Thu, Jun 8 at 8:30 p.m. - Step Friends with Gentle Junior, Megabitch
• Fri, Jun 9 at 10:00 p.m. - Renaissance Disko Presents: Body Tempo
• Sat, Jun 10 at 9:00 p.m. - Shallow Cuts: Mad Mix Beyond Thunderpop!

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Company

• Thu, Jun 1
  • 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Food Truck: Tacos Mama Chava
  • 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Thursday Trivia with Nick
• Fri, Jun 2
  • 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Food Truck: Tacos Paradise
  • 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. - Open Mic Stand-up Comedy
• Sat, Jun 3
  • 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Food Truck: My Taste of Caribbean
  • 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Durty Dog Day
  • 4:00 p.m - 6:00 p.m. - Live Music: Peridot Sun
  • 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. - Bull Durham Screening Series
• Sun, Jun 4
  • 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - MotoGP Watch Party
  • 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Hammered Trivia with Thor

Live Comedy at Mettlesome

• Thu, Jun 8 at 7:30 p.m. - The Uproar, a sketch comedy show
• Thu, Jun 8 at 9:00 p.m. - Standup Comedy Open Mic
• Fri, Jun 9 at 7:30 p.m. - The Uproar, a sketch comedy show
• Fri, Jun 9 at 9:00 p.m. - Well Seasoned
• Sat, Jun 10 at 6:00 p.m. - Improv 101 Graduation Showcase
• Sat, Jun 10 at 8:00 p.m. - The Racket - Pride Edition!
• Sat, Jun 10 at 9:00 p.m. - Sounds Gay, I'm In
• Sat, Jun 10 at 10:00 p.m. - The Alphabet Hour

Events at Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP

• Thu, Jun 8 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Beer Garden Jam Sessions
• Fr, Jun 9 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - RTP Food Truck Fridays
• Sat, Jun 10 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Beer Garden Jam Sessions

Events at Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham

• Thu, Jun 8 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. - Live Music in the Taproom
• Jun 8-11 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Weekend Food Trucks

Thursday, Jun 8

Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi

• Each month Dashi's Thirsty Thursday drink specials revolve around a monthly theme – spirits, cocktails, special ingredients, brand, location, etc. – with new sips every Thursday. Learn more about upcoming themes on their website or visit them in person – there's always something new to try from their expansive bar!
• 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works

• Enjoy fresh vibes on the patio with DJ Deckades. Bring your own vinyl to share or just listen to what the DJ is spinning.
• 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham

• Show up and climb at TRC Durham, then head over to Hi-Wire for some brews. Don't worry if it's your first time or haven't bouldered before; everyone's welcome.
• Your first visit to the gym with the Meetup includes free admission and gear rental, and subsequent visits with the meetup are $15 and include harness rental (outside of meetups, day pass rates of $19 apply and do not include rentals).
• 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Trivia Night w/Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square

• Join Clouds Durham for Big Slow Tom's Trivia Night, every Thursday. Win some prizes, drink some beer, and show your smarts.
• Enjoy $4 select draft and $5 rotating bartender's choice all night.
• 7:30 p.m.
• Free admission

Friday, Jun 9

Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee

• Every Friday morning at 10 am, Counter Culture Coffee opens their Training Centers to coffee lovers who want to learn more about Counter Culture Coffee’s high-quality, sustainably sourced menu.
• 10:00 a.m.
• Free, but donations accepted

Saturday, Jun 10

Durham Farmers’ Market at Durham Central Park

• The Durham Farmers’ Market offers locally grown fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, cut flowers, artisanal cheeses and breads, home-baked pies, honey, handmade chocolates, preserves, local wines, handmade soaps, fresh pasta, and artwork of all sorts!
• 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Free admission

South Durham Farmers' Market at Greenwood Commons Shopping Center

• The market strives to support new and growing farms and vendors in the greater Durham area, and they are also home to some of the most iconic Durham brands around.
• 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Free admission

parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park

• A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer, or spectate. It's up to you!
• 8:00 a.m.
• Free admission

Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works

• Free pint with purchase of craft box. Choose from a variety of craft packages available for all ages.
• 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, Jun 11

Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch at Alley Twenty Six

• Al Strong, the Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter, composer and recording artist, will bring a rotating lineup of musicians to perform during Sunday brunch at Durham's Alley Twenty Six. Weather permitting the band will perform in the bar’s namesake alley.
• Brunch from 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Music 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Food Truck Rodeo at Durham Central Park

• Most trucks accept credit cards but an ATM machine is on site as well. Free parking is available in nearby lots. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair so you can enjoy a relaxing and enjoyable Durham afternoon with friends and family.
• 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Public Tour at Duke Chapel

• Learn about the history, architecture, and life of Duke Chapel in this tour, which is free and open to the public. The tour begins at 12:15 p.m., or immediately following the conclusion of the Sunday morning service, and lasts approximately forty-five minutes.
• No reservation is required but if you plan to bring a large group please notify us in advance. Meet the docent on the front steps of the Chapel.
• Paid parking is available on a first come, first served basis in the Bryan Center Parking Lot at 125 Science Drive. ADA parking is available in the Bryan Center Surface Lot at the same address.
• 12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Trivia at Navigator Beverage Co.

• Hosted by the Triangle’s Trivia team, Hammered Trivia, gather your team and post up to compete for prizes and enjoy an afternoon of great drinks, great friends, and great games.
• 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Running Art Exhibits

upstART Gallery: A Jim Lee Project at Pop Box Gallery

• upstART Gallery will host its first group show at Pop Box Gallery & The Art Chose Me’s residency in Old East Durham. The show features 27 artists who were selected through an open call review process. Artists were challenged to create work especially for this unique space, scaled 1:12 (one inch = one foot).
• Wed-Sat from 12:00 p.m - 6:00 p.m.
• Runs through Jul 1

Exhibit at 21c Museum Hotel

• Truth or Dare: A Reality Show
  • Runs through March 2024
• Open 24 hours
• Free admission

“Extra-Spectral” at the Durham Art Guild Truist Gallery

• This exhibit highlights several NC-based artists that, on the surface, use colors that are “extra” (which is where their commonality ends) to evoke their intent through a combination of this color with forms and imagery as well as the concepts embedded in color’s many identities. Artists Jane Cheek, Jerstin Crosby, Zach Storm, Tonya Solley Thornton and Leif Zikade all require color to play a primary role in their work and their relationship to an audience.
• Mon–Sat from 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sun from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Runs through June 4
• Free admission

Donna Stubbs, Featured Artist at 5 Points Gallery

• 5 Points Gallery in downtown Durham introduces a new exhibit featuring the work of our member artist, Donna Stubbs. Donna uses an archaeological approach to painting, as she lovingly photographs her surroundings and unearths discarded items in thrift stores to create abstract mixed media works.
• Free admission

Chieko Murasugi & Renzo Ortega at Craven Allen Gallery

• An exhibition featuring both abstract and figurative works by two artists with international backgrounds. The SEQUENTIAL exhibition invites the observer on a visual journey, generating an organic relationship between the artworks and the gallery's visitors. Through the dynamics of color, form, ideas, and narratives, Chieko Murasugi and Renzo Ortega seek to generate a dialogue and the experience of art appreciation with the audience.
• Sat, May 20 at 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - opening reception
• Runs through July 8

Spirit in the Land at the Nasher

• Spirit in the Land is a contemporary art exhibition that examines today’s urgent ecological concerns from a cultural perspective, demonstrating how intricately our identities and natural environments are intertwined. Through their artwork, 30 artists show us how rooted in the earth our most cherished cultural traditions are, how our relationship to land and water shapes us as individuals and communities
• Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Runs through Jul 9
• Free admission

Andy Warhol: You Look Good in Pictures at the Nasher

• Andy Warhol: You Look Good in Pictures explores the breadth of the artist’s relationship with photography through several distinct bodies of work including screenprints of celebrities, all of which were taken from photographs, a group of Polaroids and black and white snapshots illustrating his social circles, and an early silent film of the curator Henry Geldzahler from 1964.
• Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Runs through Aug 27
• Free admission

Art of Peru at the Nasher

• This gallery features ceramics, textiles, metalwork and carvings produced by ancient cultures across what is known as present-day Peru.
• Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Runs through Dec 2
• Free admission

A magnetic force pulled me against the wall as you leaned your body towards me; I can still smell your sweet cologne. Our eyes met and I’ve never had someone look at me the way you did. At that moment there was a feeling of being home but how could this feeling be real when your first name is all I knew?!
As time passed and text messages were exchanged, my heart only grew with a deep deep need to love you. You sent me messages that would normally only be found in a romance novel. Is that because your zodiac sign is Pisces? Aren’t they natural lovers? Anyway, you knew just what to say to keep me grounded in my place. My need for your love has now become a craving that I can’t seem to shake. Do I want to shake this? No… it’s become my own personal drug choice and when I don’t hear from you throughout the day I go through withdrawals… Help me!
483 miles. That’s the distance between us that keeps us from being able to embrace each other when we’d like. Yet it doesn’t hold us back from spending some time together. I’ve explained my fear of flying to you but the couple of times I’ve flown to see you there has been absolutely no fear. Almost as if you give me the strength to do the things that frightened me before. When I’m sitting in my seat on the plane, thousands of feet up in the air, all I can do is glance out the window and stare in awe at the clouds. They remind me of you. Is it because I feel like I’m flying when I’m with you? What is the saying? On cloud 9!? I believe so, it’s a feeling that I hope never goes away. It could be fatal!
First visit
I was so afraid. Not because of the flight but because I was about to travel to a state where nobody but you knew my name. The time was nearing for you to come up to my hotel room. Then that time passed and then another hour had passed. I was so afraid you weren’t going to show but at the same I was afraid I was being set up. “You’re a stupid woman”, I told myself. I stood outside on the balcony. Something about the fresh Washington air and the water front view made me feel an inner peace. It was calming and just what I needed at that moment. I was about to go back in when I seen you drive up and park across the street. My body froze and I just watched you as you walked towards the hotel. My nerves got the best of me. What should I do? Should I lay on the bed and pretend to be reading my book or just stand out here. Yeah… my body couldn’t move so I stood outside and continued to stare at the water.
I heard the door open so I finally got the strength to turn around and go back in. “I was going to surprise you out there”, you said as you went in for a hug. I melted, melted right in to your arms. The feeling of being home met up with me again. Until our lips met up for a kiss then a different feeling beat home. I was instantly ready for intimacy with you. We kissed as if we had been kissing for years, so synchronized. Til this day I constantly lick my lips in hopes that I could still get a taste of you!
So much for going out. We never made it outside. Our bodies craved each other, we both felt the sexual tension the moment our bodies touched. Our zodiac signs are sexually compatible though. Could that be why? It doesn’t matter, my body craved yours and I needed to give it what it needed. You were so loving, so passionate. I say this with heavy breathing as I remember how you gently loved on me as you stared deep in to my eyes. You’d lean in and synchronize our breathing. We harmonized so well together. Even though you were gentle I also looked forward to your freakier side… I’m a Gemini, I like rough sex.
To be continued…
All feedback welcome. Sometimes it’s the feedback you’re most afraid of that helps you grow.