I can't remember much of this show, all i know is that it was 2d and the characters couldn't actually move they were more like a Puppet show whit drawn pictures or something like that. I remember there was a Charakter that was like midas but as a business man who was chased by some Sheriff cowgirl and the first Episode started of whit a Kid trapped in a Museum after being forgotten and tryed to call the cops on him/herself when someone broke in who was like a criminal prinz guy? Thats all i remember
If you have any idea pls Help (P.s. sry for my bad English i'm german)

My main question is: how hard is it to be a teacher in Japan, compared to south America? Are there english language school's in Japan?
I have been working in research since I graduated, but I don't want to pursue a higher degree. I'm settling in to finding work as a research aide and maybe a cert for medical lab work... but
I've also always been interested in teaching science. I have done a bit of science education while volunteering at a museum, working at a scout camp, and as part of a club in college. I'm wondering if an international school is a good place to do this, since it seems like they pay better and have lower CoL than teaching here.
I am a citizen of the Dominican Republic, full stop, drivers license and everything, so obviously that would be the easiest place to move. I do speak spanish but poorly, and that's a major draw to move to SA (more immersion). I'm interested in seeing South America, and it doesn't seem like lacking citizenship is a HUGE barrier to entry. I went to an international school in the DR and my science classes were in English.
Regarding Japan, I've been learning the language and I think that, after a couple more years of study, I would also benefit from immersion. The country has always interested me and I really want to be able to read fluently in japanese, as well as travel around there a bit. I don't think I could teach science effectively in spanish, let alone Japanese, definitely likely be teaching english (unless they have English language schools?).
I have a BS in plant biology, I work in a lab now and it's low stress work that leaves me with a lot of free time to prepare for any schemes I have for leaving. If possible, I would like to save money to put towards pharmacy or Medical Lab Scientist education when I get back. Is this reasonable to expect in either of these places?

TL;DR I'm in the process of working on a Fallout game/setting using the Mythras ruleset. In this post I will present my ideas so far and include a bit of my design thoughts and processes. This will be presented through headings, ranging from Skills, Careers and Perks. Feel free to critique and discuss ideas!
About me: My Mythras experience is not vast, but still adequate - I've also played BRP-engine games like CoC, Delta Green and Runequest for +5 years.
I do have access and have read Mythras Firearms as well as the Mythras Imperative. Me and my group(s) will also be playing using Foundry VTT, so some extra bookkeeping will be automated, mostly meaning that I am not super afraid of extra "bookkeeping mechanics".
My experience of the actual Fallout the Roleplaying Game by Modiphius has been of general disappointment, though it got some bits that I like. I'll use some wording and ideas from Modiphius' game when designing my own Fallout setting using the Mythras ruleset.
What am I looking for?
Help, tips and suggestions on the various mechanics of Mythras within the Fallout universe. In general, I would like to stay true to both Mythras and Fallout, though one would probably need to dismiss one in certain design situations.
Looking at the chapters/headings of this post, feel free to only comment on aspects you find interesting. There is no need to force yourself to read the whole post.
Why Mythras and Fallout?

• Skill-based
• Combat-focus
• Great system for cultures and cults/brotherhoods that fit well into Fallout's factions

Character Creation

Characteristics
It'd be great to have S.P.E.C.I.A.L.S but for simplicity we will stay with the Mythras or BRP base characteristics: Strength (STR), Constitution (CON), Size (SIZ), Dexterity (DEX), Intelligence (INT), Power (POW), Charisma (CHA).
Fallout otherwise have Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Agility and Luck. Five out of these seven have more or less a direct counterpart. Fallout's Luck and Perception will be partly covered by POW. Perception moves to become a skill.
Species/Origin
One needs not to be confined to just humans; I figure Ghoul and Super Mutant would be the go-to alternatives here aside from human. Additional alternatives would be Synths (3rd generation) or other robots like Mister Handy.

• Is it boring to just give bonuses and penalties to characteristics? Like +4 CON & -2 CHA to Ghouls, and +3 CON, +3 STR, +4 SIZ, -4 CHA, -4 INT to Super Mutants.
• This could also include some sort of ability, trait or bonus perk; like "Necrotic Post-human" or "Forced Revolution" per Modiphius' Fallout. Basically giving a bonus to Radiation resistance, prolonged lifespan, etc.

Pulp
How much of the Pulp Heroic character rules would you use? As of now, I only have double the Healing Rate, but might have to include other aspects also to make the game a bit less deadly.
The addition of perks will make characters more powerful. However, there is no magic that characters could benefit from. I would imagine characters will also benefit greatly from consumables and equipment in general.

Skills

While Fallout uses a smaller set of skills than Mythras and most percentile-based games, I think a mix would suit well. We don't want skill bloat, with too many skills overlapping or too many skills ending up being either useless or extremely situational. At the same time, having enough skills to let players feel like they can specialize and be the only one that covers certain skills is also a relevant approach.
I also would like to incentive the allocation of skill points into more niche skills such as Culture, Lore, Art, and Craft. This could be done by separating the pools of Professional and Standard skill points more during character creation.
In Fallout 4 skills were entirely replaced by perks. The Fallout 3 skill list includes: Barter, Big Guns, Energy Weapons, Explosives, Lockpicking, Medicine, Melee Weapons, Repair, Science, Small Guns, Sneak, Speech, Unarmed. New Vegas added a Survival skill. New Vegas also merged Big Guns and Small Guns into a Guns skill, with the design intention that there weren't any early game Big Guns to use. Big Guns would include Flamers, Miniguns, Missile Launchers.
Combat Styles are therefore something I would like your suggestions on. Should I handle Combat Styles more like traditional weapon types like in Call of Cthulhu, i.e., have Combat Style (Shotgun), Combat Style (Guns), Combat Style (Rifles), Combat Style (Swords), Combat Style (Blunt Weapons), etc.?
Right now I am working with the idea of having 5 Combat Styles + Unarmed. Them being Big Guns, Energy Weapons, Explosives, Melee Weapons, and Small Guns. Is Small Guns to broad (making use of all sorts of pistols, shotguns and rifles)? Is Explosives a redundant skill? Especially so that you would need Athletics to throw an explosive. Perhaps have Explosives as just a professional skill, used to disarm mines, craft and handle explosives, and general knowledge about explosives.
As of now, this is the skill-list, with standard skills listed as (S) and professional skills listed as (P), somewhat arbitrarily:

• Acrobatics (P)
• Art (P)
• Administer (P)
• Animal Handling (P)
• Athletics (S)
• Barter (P)
• Barter (P)
• Brawn (S)
• Combat Styles: Big Guns, Energy Weapons, Explosives, Melee Weapons, Small Guns, Unarmed
• Craft (P)
• Culture (P) - ***Merged with customs. "***Useful for knowing social codes, rites, rituals, taboos for a particular society. Culture relates to societies that the character has either grown up in, or ones that is foreign to the character’s own. Each Culture skill must be given a particular faction, nation or society to which it applies."
• Decieve (S)
• Disguise (P)
• Endurance (S)
• Evade (S)
• Insight (S)
• Intimidate (S)
• Investigate (S) - To make Perception less impactful. " Useful for investigating a crime scene, finding information in a book or library, spotting secret compartments and inconspicuous clues, and recognizing symbols. Search for clues and make deductions based on the clues. Remembering relevant information from previous investigations. Find a piece of information, such as a certain book, newspaper, or reference in a library, archive or collection of documents, assuming the item is there. Researching by reading books or other documents may take several hours. If the player tells the GM what they do, how they do so, and what ability they use, they should automatically succeed if there is a clue hidden to be found if their Investigate skill is high enough. A failure on the roll can mean that a clue is found, but it leads to other unanswered questions or complications. An extreme success could mean additional context."
• Lockpicking (P)
• Lore (P) - "This skill represents a character’s expert understanding of a subject that falls outside the normal bounds of human knowledge, standard sciences and classic subjects. It can include the history of a particular town, or a specific social class, but should stray away from subjects that are covered by other skills such as Culture. Lore specializations can be more general, of which successful skill rolls will generate more generalized knowledge. Specializations of Lore can be specific and unusual versions of existing skills such as Occult and Survival; 2100s Lore, Brotherhood of Steel Lore, New Vegas Lore, Moon Landing Lore, Fiend Lore. Specific Lore specializations will generate much more accurate and specific information regarding that subject."
• Medicine (P) - Merged with First Aid as I believe consumables such as Medpaks and Stimpaks will be used frequently.
• Perception (S) - "Entails how well you use your five senses. Observation and perception of threats and dangers. Discover ambushes, dangerous obstacles, or even notice visually strange things about people on a high success. Could be used to listen and detect scents too."
• Persuade (S)
• Pilot (P)
• Repair (P)
• Science (P) - This skill determines the chance to successfully hack computers. It could also include general scholarly knowledge of scientific subjects.
• Sleight of Hand (P) - The go-to 'thievery' skill.
• Stealth (S)
• Streetwise (P)
• Survival (S) - Like Medicine and Science, Survival might cover a bit too much for a single skill. "Proficiency at cooking, making poisons, and crafting "natural" equipment and consumables. Also yields increased benefits from food. Knowledge of this skill provides the expertise required to survive in extreme environments. Inherent is the knowledge of hunting, building shelters, hazards (such as the avoidance of poisonous plants), etc., according to the given environment. A character can follow a person, carriage, or animal over earth and through plants/leaves. Factors such as time passed since the tracks were made, rain, and the type of ground covered may affect the difficulty level. The go-to hunting skill. This skill could also be used to traverse the wilds or set simple traps. In neighboring, yet unfamiliar locations or biomes, Survival should be made one or more grades harder."
• Swim (S) - Perhaps redundant. Maybe just use Athletics, Endurance or something else instead?
• Willpower (S)

Culture

There are a number of cultures, but five basic types: Urban, Wasteland, Militant, Criminal, Nomadic. Any other name suggestions for these?
It could be relevant to try and differentiate Cultures with Cults/Brotherhood. Would "Vault Dweller" or "Brother of Steel" be more of a Culture or Cult/Brotherhood?
Urban
Urban would be the 'Civilized' one.
Culture/Lore: NCR, the Enclave, New Reno, Vault City, Shady Sands, etc.
Standard Skills: Insight, Persuade, Willpower; and four of the following: Brawn, Deceive, Endurance, Evade, Investigate, Perception.
Combat Style: Any.
Professional Skills: Art (any), Barter, Craft (any), Lore (any), Science, Streetwise.
Cultural Passions

• Nominal democracy – de facto fascism
• American exceptionalism
• The American Dream
• Rule of Law
• Freedom

Wasteland
Wasteland would be the more rural or tribal survivor.
Culture/Lore: Boomers, Children of Atom, Children of the Cathedral, Megaton, etc.
Standard Skills: Evade, Nature, Persuade, and four of the following: Athletics, Brawn, Deceive, Endurance, Insight, Investigate, Perception, Stealth, Survival.
Combat Style: Any.
Professional Skills: Animal Handling, Administer, Art (any), Barter, Craft (any), Culture (any), Lore (any), Repair, Streetwise.
Cultural Passions

• Never trust outsiders
• Unify all people under a single banner
• Eliminate the unfaithful from the world
• Ensure the safety of the tribe

Militant
Militant could include Caesar's Legion as well as the Brotherhood of Steel.
Culture/Lore: Brotherhood of Steel, Caesar's Legion, etc.
Standard Skills: Athletics, Brawn, Endurance, Evade, and three of the following: Deceive, Insight, Intimidate, Perception, Persuade, Survival, Willpower.
Combat Style: Any.
Professional Skills: Art (any), Craft (any), Culture (any), Lore (any), Pilot (any), Repair, Streetwise.
Cultural Passions

• Preserve advanced technology
• Ensure the long term stability of the faction
• Stand firm to your ideals
• Hate an enemy faction/culture

Criminal
I'm thinking raiders here mostly. This kind of overlaps a bit with most other cultures.
Culture/Lore: Fiends, Jackals, Khans, etc.
Standard Skills: Athletics, Evade, Nature, and four of the following: Barter, Brawn, Deceive, Endurance, Insight, Intimidate, Perception, Stealth, Survival.
Combat Style: Any.
Professional Skills: Art (any), Craft (any), Culture (any), Lore (any), Lockpicking, Repair, Streetwise.
Cultural Passions

• Make someone pay
• Hurt people
• “Omerta”
• Keep your friends close
• Chase the big bucks

Nomadic
This would be the more 'lone survivor' culture, or nomads traveling in small bands.
Culture/Lore: Commonwealth, Mojave, etc.
Standard Skills: Athletics, Endurance, Evade, Survival, and four of the following: Brawn, Deceive, Insight, Nature, Perception, Willpower.
Combat Style: Any.
Professional Skills: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Art (any), Barter, Craft (any), Culture (any), Lore (any), Medicine.
Cultural Passions

• Always keep moving
• Don’t stand out
• Loyalty to the clan, faction, leader
• Love (friend, sibling, romantic lover)
• See new places

Fame & Infamy (Reputation)

One major and great aspect of the Fallout games is the reputation you can gain from various factions.
"Fame is positive and Infamy is negative. Both types of reputation are tracked separately, the combination of which determines one's reputation with any given faction. The benefits and drawbacks of any given reputation depend on the group itself. The characters may receive discounts with merchants, provoke attacks from hired thugs, or simply be treated differently.
Points are accumulated by various means. Completing quests, helping people, and generally making oneself useful will result in accumulating positive reputation points. Negative reputation can be earned by things such as killing members of a group, being caught stealing, lying, being rude or treating people poorly, betraying the faction or completing quests for the opposite side."

Careers

With this list of careers I would like to cover most (if not all) professions in the wastelands. Is there a career you think is missing or should be renamed? Is there a career who should have their skills switched around?
Agent (Assassin, Detective, Informer, Spy)
Standard Skills: Combat Style (Small Guns or Melee Weapons), Deceive, Evade, Insight, Investigate, Perception, Stealth.
Professional Skills: Acrobatics, Culture (any), Lore (any), Disguise, Sleight of Hand, Streetwise.
Bounty Hunter (Assassin, Mercenary, Soldier of Fortune)
Standard Skills: Brawn, Combat Style (any two), Evade, Perception, Survival, Willpower.
Professional Skills: Barter, Culture (any), Lore (any), Medicine, Streetwise.
Cook (Apothecary, Bartender, Barkeep)
Standard Skills: Combat Style (Unarmed), Endurance, Evade, Insight, Investigate, Perception, Survival.
Professional Skills: Survival; and any of the following: Art (any), Craft (any), Medicine, Sleight of Hand.
Courier (Messenger)
Couriers sometimes travel very long distances to reach their targets. You can be sure that travels are always dangerous.
Standard Skills: Combat Style (any), Endurance, Evade, Investigate, Perception, Survival, Willpower.
Professional Skills: Barter, Culture (any), Lore (any), Medicine, Repair, Science, Sleight of Hand.
Crafter (Builder, Artificer, Artisan, Handy-man)
Standard Skills: Brawn, Endurance, Insight, Perception, Persuade, Survival, Willpower.
Professional Skills: Craft (any); and up to two of the following: Barter, Science, Sleight of Hand, Repair.
Cultist (Guru, Hermit, Priest)
Standard Skills: Combat Style (any), Endurance, Insight, Perception, Persuade, Survival, Willpower.
Professional Skills: Lore (any); and up to two of the following: Art (any), Craft (any), Science, Repair.
Doctor (Physician)
Standard Skills: Endurance, Insight, Investigate, Perception, Persuade, Survival, Willpower.
Professional Skills: Medicine; and up to two of the following: Craft (any), Science, .
Entertainer (Acrobat, Dancer, Musician, Poet, Singer)
Standard Skills: Athletics, Brawn, Deceive, Evade, Insight, Persuade, Willpower.
Professional Skills: Art (any); and up to two of the following: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Barter, Culture (any), Lore (any), Sleight of Hand.
Farmer (Gardener, Herder, Hillbilly)
Standard Skills: Athletics, Brawn, Combat Style (any), Endurance, Perception, Survival.
Professional Skills: Art (any), Animal Handling, Craft (any), Culture (any).
Hermit (Nomad, Radio Host, Wanderer)
Standard Skills: Athletics, Combat Style (any), Endurance, Evade, Perception, Stealth, Survival.
Professional Skills: Survival; and up to two of the following: Barter, Craft (any), Culture (any), Lore (any), Medicine, Repair.
Hunter (Forester, Poacher, Ranger, Scout, Trapper)
Standard Skills: Athletics, Brawn, Combat Style (any two), Investigate, Perception, Willpower.
Professional Skills: Survival; and up to two of the following: Craft (any), Culture (any), Lore (any), Medicine, Repair.
Merchant (Broker, Caravan Merchant, Money Lender, Smuggler, Storekeeper, Trader, Vendor)
Merchants are the primary source of items and equipment in the wastelands, aside from scavenging or looting from dead enemies. Merchants usually specialize in a certain area such as weapons and ammunition, food, armor, and clothing. Some merchants, such as scavengers or traveling merchants, carry a wide variety of items. Merchants operate out of either fixed stores or are part of traveling caravans.
Standard Skills: Combat Style (any), Deceive, Insight, Investigate, Perception, Persuade, Survival.
Professional Skills: Barter; and up to two of the following: Art (any), Craft (any), Culture (any), Lore (any), Medicine, Repair, Streetwise.
Official (Dean, Minister, Overseer, Steward, Tax Collector)
Officials are appointed or elected to an office, charged with some administrative duty.
Standard Skills: Combat Style (ranged weapon alternative), Deceive, Insight, Investigate, Perception, Persuade, Willpower.
Professional Skills: Administer, Craft (any), Culture (any), Lore (any).
Officer (Deputy, Sergeant, Sheriff)
Officers have a leading role in military or pseudo-military outfits. They can be police, military, criminal – self-proclaimed or appointed.
Standard Skills: Athletics, Combat Style (any two), Intimidate, Perception, Persuade, Survival.
Professional Skills: Culture (any), Lore (any), Medicine, Streetwise.
Politician (Advisor, Conspirator, Courtier, Delegate, Diplomat, Sycophant)
Politicians serve as rulers, advisors and policy makers for settlements, factions and governments.
Standard Skills: Deceive, Evade, Insight, Intimidate, Perception, Persuade, Willpower.
Professional Skills: Administer, Barter, Culture (any), Lore (any), Streetwise.
Scavenger (Rover, Survivor, Trader)
Scavengers scour the ruins of the Great War looking for valuables to use or sell.
Standard Skills: Combat Style (any), Endurance, Evade, Investigate, Perception, Survival, Willpower.
Professional Skills: Barter; and up to two of the following: Culture (any), Lore (any), Repair, Streetwise.
Scientist (Engineer, Programmer, Scribe, Technician)
Standard Skills: Insight, Investigate, Perception, Persuade, Survival, Willpower.
Professional Skills: Science; and up to two of the following: Lore (any), Medicine, Repair.
Servant (Captive, Slave)
Standard Skills: Endurance, Evade, Insight, Perception, Persuade, Survival, Willpower.
Professional Skills: Animal Handling, Art (any), Craft (any), Culture (any), Lore (any), Repair.
Soldier (Knight, Mercenary, Ranger, Trooper)
Standard Skills: Brawn, Combat Style (any two), Evade, Endurance, Perception, Survival.
Professional Skills: Culture (any), Lore (any), Medicine, Pilot (any), Repair.
Thug (Bodyguard, Boxer, Henchman, Mobster, Raider)
Thugs often work for a criminal operation. Sometimes they work independently as thieves, pickpockets and muggers, always looking for a victim.
Standard Skills: Brawn, Combat Style (any two), Endurance, Intimidate, Perception, Survival.
Professional Skills: Animal Handling, Craft (any), Culture (any), Lore (any), Repair, Streetwise.
Thief (Bandit, Burglar, Pickpocket, Swindler)
Standard Skills: Brawn, Combat Style (any), Deceive, Evade, Investigate, Perception, Survival.
Professional Skills: Lockpicking, Lore (any), Sleight of Hand, Streetwise.
Vault Dweller (Barber, Clinical Test Subject, Crematorium Operator, Fry Cook, Hairdresser, Jukebox Technician, Laundry Cannon Operator, Little League Coach, Marriage Counselor, Masseuse, Pip-Boy Programmer, Pedicurist, Shift Supervisor, Tattoo Artist, Vault Chaplain, Vault Loyalty Inspector)
Standard Skills: Combat Style (any); one of Deceive, Intimidate and Persuade; one of Evade or Endurance;one of Investigate or Perception; one of Stealth, Survival
Professional Skills: Art (any), Craft (any), Culture (any), Lockpicking, Lore (any), Medicine, Repair, Science, Sleight of Hand.

Perks

I've added a number of Perks trying to mostly be faithful to the original perks of the games. Characters can choose a single perk during character creation, than perhaps every other progression process.
Below is a selection of perks. Consider aspects such as balance and wording.

Perk	Rank	Requirement	Description
Action Boy/Girl	1	None	You gain one additional Action Point during the first round of combat.
↘️	2	DEX or INT 14	Instead of above, you gain one additional Action Point permanently.
Adamantium Skeleton	1	CON 13, non-robot	Your skeleton has been infused with indestructible metal. All your limbs Hit Locations receive +2 natural armor.
↘️	2	CON 15	When taking a Serious Wound to a limb, you roll Endurance twice versus the attack, taking the better result.
↘️	3	CON 17	All your limbs Hit Locations receive +4 natural armor (instead of +2).
Center Mass	1	DEX 14	Fire straight! When you make a ranged attack, you may choose to strike the target’s abdomen or chest location. Decide before you shoot. You do not need the ‘Choose Location’ Special Effect, but you may only do this once per Combat Round.
Educated	1	INT 12	As you learn, you grow. You gain one additional Experience roll during progression.
Gun Fu	1	DEX 13	You've learned to apply ancient martial arts to gunplay! When you succeed at a ranged attack with a gun, you may use that same level of success on a second target during the following turn but the same round. You cannot use any Special Effects on the second attack.
↘️	2	DEX 14	As above and increase the damage to the second target by +2.
↘️	3	DEX 15	When you succeed at a ranged attack with a gun, you may use that same level of success on a second and third target during the following turns but the same round. You cannot use any Special Effects on these attacks. Increase the damage to the second and third targets by +4 (instead of 2).
Inspirational	1	CHA 12	Because you lead by example, you and all your allies may reroll one Experience roll each during progression.
↘️	2	CHA 13	Your allies cannot harm you with attacks and can’t be harmed by your attacks.
↘️	3	CHA 14	You may spend 1 Luck Point to have an ally reroll an Endurance or Willpower roll.
Intense Training	1	80 % in at least one skill	Increase one of your characteristics by 1 point.
Light Footed	1	DEX 12	While sneaking, you never trigger mines or floor-based traps.
↘️	2	DEX 14, POW 12	You roll Stealth at decreased difficulty.
Mister Sandman	1	DEX 14	You are an agent of death. Your silenced weapons do an additional +1D4 in damage against surprised foes.
↘️	2	DEX 15	Your silenced weapons do an additional +1D6 (instead of +1D4) in damage against surprised foes.
Night Person	1	None	You are a creature of the night! Reduce any difficulty increase due to nightly darkness by one.
↘️	2	None	You gain +2 INT and POW during the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
↘️	3	None	You gain +3 INT and POW (instead of +2) during the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Pain Train	1	STR 15, CON 12	Choo Choo! All aboard! While wearing Power Armor and taking the Charge action, all enemies in your path have to roll an Endurance or Evade roll. On a failure, they take 1D4 damage + damage modifier and are staggered for one round. Robots and enemies with a combined SIZ+STR above 35 are immune to the stagger.
↘️	2	STR 16	The Endurance or Evade roll is made at one degree higher difficulty. The damage is increased to 1D6 (instead of 1D4).
↘️	3	STR 17	The damage is increased to 1D10 (instead of 1D6). On a failure, they are also knocked prone. Only enemies with a combined SIZ+STR above 45 are immune to the stagger.
Paralyzing Palm	1	Unarmed 70 %	Your unarmed attacks gain the ‘Paralysing’ weapon trait.
Quick Hands	1	DEX 15	In combat, there's no time to hesitate. The Load time for guns is 1 lower.
Shotgun Surgeon	1	Small Guns 50 %	And I started blasting. As a critical Special Effect, your shotgun shot can gain the ‘Armor Piercing’ trait.
↘️	2	Small Guns 75 %	When you take the ‘Maximize Damage’ Special Effect, the opponent also has to roll Endurance or become staggered for a round.
↘️	3	Small Guns 90 %	On a critical success, your shotgun shot automatically gains the ‘Bonus Limb Damage’ weapon trait.
Steady Aim	1	STR 12, DEX 11	Stay on target! Hip fire accuracy is improved when firing any ranged weapon. Whenever you spend a Luck point to alter your ranged attacks, you automatically gain the ‘Maximize Damage’ Special Effect.
Terrifying Presence	1	SIZ 12, STR 10, CHA 12	You may take two actions to make an opposed Intimidation roll against an opponent’s Willpower. On a success, the opponent flees in fear. They must move away from you during this round of combat.
↘️	2	One of SIZ, STR or CHA at least 15	When you roll Intimidation, you may reroll once.

Weaponry

I've always seen weapon descriptions from Mythras to be a bit lacking (or rather confusing for newcomers) when it comes to weapon traits and Special Effects. For instance, most bladed melee weapons in Mythras are listed to have either the Bleed or Impale Special Effects (or both), making one assume that they are restricted from other Special Effects.
I don't have a solution to this, though, and I wouldn't want to list every single Special Effect for every single weapon. Either way, below are some selected Weapon tables without any Special Effects listed.
All costs is in bottle caps and straight from New Vegas. At a glance, some weapons seem very overpriced or under-priced, but there are factors such as ammo scarcity and other properties that come into effect.
One Handed Weapons

Weapon	Damage	Size	Reach	ENC	AP/HP	Traits	Cost
Bowie Knife	1D8+1	M	S	1	6/10		1000
Cattle Prod	1D4	S	S	1	10/10	Fatigue Damage	450
Cleaver	1D3	S	S	1	5/4		20
Chopper	1D4+1	S	S	1	5/6		800
Combat Knife	1D6	S	S	1	5/8		500
Hatchet	1D6	S	S	1	4/6		75
Knife	1D3	S	S	-	5/4		20
Lead Pipe	1D8	S	S	2	6/8		75
Machete	1D6+1	M	M	1	6/10		50
Police Baton	1D6+1	M	M	1	6/12		70
Ripper	1D10	M	M	1	6/12		1200
Rolling Pin	1D3	S	S	1	3/3		10
Shishkebab	1D10	M	M	5	6/12	Immolate (1D3)	2500
Tire Iron	1D4+1	S	S	1	4/6		40
War Club	1D8	S	S	1	4/8		75

Small Guns (Pistols)

Weapon	Damage	Range	Firing Rate	ENC	Ammo	Load	Cost
.357 Magnum Revolver	1D6	50/100/200	1	1	6	3	110
.44 Magnum Revolver	1D10	50/100/200	1	1	6	3	2500
.35 Auto Pistol	1D8	50/100/200	1	1	7	3	1750
5.56mm Pistol	1D6+1	50/100/200	1	1	5	3	1200
12.7mm pistol	1D12	50/100/200	1	1	7	3	400
Hunting Revolver	1D8+1	50/100/200	1	1	5	3	3500
M&A 9mm Pistol	1D8	50/100/200	1	1	13	3	1750
N99 10mm pistol	1D8	50/100/200	1	1	12	3	750
Ranger Sequoia	1D8+2	50/100/200	1	1	5	3	1200
Police Pistol	1D6+1	50/100/200	1	1	6	3	1000
Silenced .22 Pistol	1D6+1	50/100/200	1	1	16	3	80

Other Stuff

Creating Cults/Brotherhoods from scratch is something I haven't had time to do thus far.
I've created a radiation mechanic that works like this: Eating and drinking most food items or entering an irradiated zone gives the player radiation poisoning, or ‘RADs’. Characteristics drop at certain thresholds, and radiation poisoning kills the character at 100 rads.
There are five thresholds (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 rads).

Rads	Level	Effect
0-19	No Effect	-
20-39	Minor Radiation Poisoning	-1 CON
40-59	Advanced Radiation Poisoning	-2 CON, -1 DEX
60-79	Critical Radiation Poisoning	-3 CON, -2 DEX, -1 STR
80-99	Deadly Radiation Poisoning	-3 CON, -2 DEX, -2 STR
100+	Fatal Radiation Poisoning	Death

Rad exposure is usually limited; only very rarely will zones be so irradiated that venturing into them results in a quick death. One needs to stand in +1 rad water for a significant time and more generally it is possible to move through radioactive water dozens of times before reaching the 20 rad threshold.
When exposed to radiation, per the GM:s decree a roll of Endurance should be made. The difficulty grade depends on the level of radiation. How often these rolls are made are up to the GM but in the table below there is an estimated period of which a new roll should be made.

Level of Radiation	Period	Difficulty	Effect (Critical, Success, Failure, Fumble)
Minor Radiation	Every hour of exposure	Easy	0, 0, 1, 3
Major Radiation	Every hour of exposure	Standard	0, 1, 1D10, 10
Critical Radiation	Every 20 minutes of exposure	Standard	0, 2, 1D10+1, 11
Deadly Radiation	Every 10 minutes of exposure	Hard	0, 3, 1D10+2, 12
Fatal Radiation	Every minute of exposure	Formidable	0, 6, 1D10+5, 15

Adding to this are ways to lower your radiation poisoning (paying a doctor, using RadAway, etc.), and having your Radiation Resistance improved through clothing, armor or chems.
I have more tables on this and that but reddit formatting is killing me.
TL;DR I'm in the process of working on a Fallout game/setting using the Mythras ruleset. In this post I will present my ideas so far and include a bit of my design thoughts and processes. This will be presented through headings, ranging from Skills, Careers and Perks. Feel free to critique and discuss ideas!
Edits: Formatting, added Characteristics summary.

Hey. I’m hoping to meet new friends, preferably around my age. I work during the week. I didn’t get a chance to make friends, since my co-workers are way older than me. My weekends are the same and boring. English is my second language, so I might stumble a bit, but l really want to make connections and have fun. I’d love to find some cool people to join me for picnics in Central Park, trying out new food spots, grabbing coffee, checking out museums etc., or just chilling/ exploring the city.
Just to be clear: I’m not looking for hookups, and I don’t do drugs, smoke weed. (don’t think I’m a “straight edge” tho)
If you are in a similar situation or just looking for a new buddy, let’s chat. We can exchange socials for a start.

As always, feedback on events you've attended or plan to attend is welcome. If you know of an event that's not listed here, feel free to share it (with a link) in the comments.

Things to Do April 29-May 5

*Free (or no admission/cover)
--Recurring Event
Noteworthy: April is Dallas Arts Month. The Kentucky Derby is May 3-4. Saturday May 4 is Star Wars Day(May the 4th be with you!). Sunday May 5 is Cinco de Mayo.
Mothers Day is next Sunday (May 12)
Weekend & Multi-Day Events
April 25-May 2 Dallas International Film Festival at various locations
April 29-May 4 Old City Park Estate Sale
May 2-5 Uptown Players: Broadway Our Way at Kalita Humphreys Theater
May 2-5 Mayfest at Trinity Park, Fort Worth
May 3-4 Bad Bunny at American Airlines Center
May 3-4 Almost Thirty - Beckles Dancing Company at South Dallas Cultural Center
May 3=5 Dallas International Guitar Festival at Dallas Market Hall
May 4-5 Cosmic Cantina Weekend at Celestial Beerworks
May 4-5 Cottonwood Arts Festival at Cottonwood Park, Richardson
Through May 19 The Art of Embroidery from India to the World at NorthPark Center
Through May 27 Scarborough Renaissance Festival, Waxahachie
Monday, April 29
\*Dallas Stars Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1, Game 4 Watch Party at Grandscape, The Colony
*Kiest Park Conservation Soft Surface Trail Groundbreaking at Kiest Park
Joshua Ray Walker at The Kessler
Slow Hollows at Club Dada
Prateek Kuhad: Silhouettes Tour at the Granada Theater
*Eurovision 101 at The Wild Detectives
*Monday Mahjong at Vector Brewing
*Open Mic Night at Scout at The Statler
Tuesday, April 30
Texas Rangers vs. Washington Nationals at Globe Life Field
(((O))) at House of Blues
Free Rooftop Movie: Mean Girls at Sundown at Granada
Steel Pulse at Granada Theater
Crux Crawford and Friends at Addison Improv
Songwriter Social W/Justin Pickard (Open Mic Night) at Adair’s Saloon
Tom’s Elton Tribute at Plaza Theatre, Garland
(It’s Gonna Be May: Dance Party Workout at Grandscape, The Colony
Star Wars Trivia at Legacy Hall, Plano
Artist Talk: Earthier than Usual Month at Meow Wolf, Grapevine
Wednesday, May 1
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights (Round 1, Game 5) at American Airlines Center (TBD)
*Dallas Mavericks NBA Playoffs Watch Party at Backyard Dallas
Texas Rangers vs. Washington Nationals at Globe Life Field
Terry Southern Day + Dr. Strangelove at Texas Theatre
Foo Fighters - Everything Or Nothing At All at Dos Equis Pavilion at Fair Park
Arlington Jones & The Soul Chamber Band at the Sammons Center for the Arts
*Billy Law at The Rustic
David Lucas Roast Club at Hyena’s Dallas
*Boards & Brews Monthly Game Night at On Rotation
Thursday, May 2
Texas Rangers vs. Washington Nationals at Globe Life Field
Experience Europe at Commerce Event Center
*PNC Patio Sessions - FAE and Clancy Bartusek at Sammons Park
Neil Young Crazy Horse: Love Earth Tour at Dos Equis Pavilion at Fair Park
Austin Street Center’s No Place Like Home Benefit at Fashion Industry Gallery
Caribbean Chillers, Jimmy Buffett Tribute Band at the Dallas Arboretum
An Evening with David Brooks at Temple Emanu-El (Olan Sanctuary)
Backyard Concert: MIke Viola with Nathan Mongol Wells at The Wild Detectives
Queer Factor at Dallas Comedy Club
Disc Golf Putt Night at Oak Highlands Brewery
Taproom Trivia: Star Wars at 3 Nations Brewing, Carrollton
\*Concerts by the Lake: Music from Star Wars at The Harbor, Rockwall
Friday, May 3
Patton Oswalt: Effervescent Tour at The Majestic
Spyro Gyra: 50th Anniversary Tour with special guest Sam Swank at The Kessler
*Cinco De Mayo Mariachi Performance at Anita Martinez Recreation Center
Studio 22 Salsa Dance Party at Klyde Warren Park
Super Sweet Cinco De Mayo at the Sweet Tooth Hotel
Vanessa Zamora (Acoustic set) at The Oakcliff Assembly
*The Midnight Howl at The Rustic
Reggie T & The Boneheadz at Reveler’s Hall
Gracen Wyn at Opening Bell Coffee
AFTN & PANIC present: Cinco de Misérable at The Double Wide
Matt Sassari at It'll Do Club
Saturday, May 4
Free First Saturdays at the Nasher Sculpture Center
May the 4th be with you Cocktail Class at The People’s Last Stand
\*Dallas Cinco de Mayo Parade and Festival at Historic Jefferson Blvd.
\*Kentucky Derby Party at Cowboy Chow (AT&T Discovery District)
Boogie Wonderland Prom Fundraiser at Arts Mission Oak Cliff
*Piano in the Park at Klyde Warren Park
*Misfit Island Artisan Fair at Orr-Reed Wrecking Co.
A Peep at the Coops Urban Chicken Coops Tour at Moss Haven Farm
*Open Studio at Dallas Museum of Art
*Community Clean-Up Day at Fair Park
*Mental Wellness Walk at Singing Hills Recreation Center
*Knitting in the Round Class at Fair Park Visitor Center
Randy Rainbow for President at The Majestic
*Folklorico Festival of Dallas at the Latino Cultural Center
*Free Comic Book Day at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center
*Smartphone Photography Class at the South Dallas Cultural Center
*Native Plants and Prairies Day at the Bath House Cultural Center
*“Becoming Texans, Becoming Americans” Opening Reception at the Bath House Cultural Center
Dining in the Dark at the Fairmont Dallas
King Of The Hill BBQ Festival at Oak HIghlands Brewery
9th Anniversary Party at Four Bullets Brewery
*AsiaFest at Haggard Park, Plano
Sunday, May 5
Alejandro Escovedo with special guest James Mastro at the Longhorn Ballroom
\*Free First Sundays at the Dallas Museum of Art
Mental Health Awareness Month Mindfulness Activity at the Dallas Museum of Art
\*Cinco de Mayo Music and Margaritas at AT&T Discovery District
*Festival Cinco de Mayo at Fair Park
Mateo Bocelli at The Majestic
*Cinco De Mayo Party at Truck Yard Dallas
*Sunset Sessions at Green Light Social
*Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Grandscape, The Colony
*May Pollinator Plant Sale at Texas Discovery Gardens

This is a list of pit bull attacks and fatalities documented by the media and on social media for the month of MONTH 2024. This list will be edited throughout the month and after as new incidents are reported.
Please note: the Edmonton fatality where an 11 y/o boy was killed will not be logged in the April attacks. The confirmed breed was Cane Corso. This sub does not have an official stance on Cane Corsos and we do not document attacks or fatalities caused by them.
Due to the high volume of attacks and Reddit's character limit, social media attacks will now be documented separately in a comment(s) below.

CHILD FATALITIES:	2
ADULT FATALITIES:	6
ANIMAL FATALITIES:	55
TOTAL FATALITIES:	63
TOTAL ATTACKS LOGGED:	195

April 01

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Providence, RI: Westie killed by ESA pit bull.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Waremme, Belgium: Chihuahua killed by pit bull.
• Barra del Chuy, Uruguay: Man attacked - Article Link
• Calgary, Alberta: Police officer attacked - Article Link
• Los Angeles, CA: 2 people attacked - Article Link
• Campo Grande, Brazil: Man attacked - Article Link

April 02

• Villa Bao, Dominican Republic: 4 y/yo child attacked by family dog - Article Link
• Fajardo, Puerto Rico: Owners attacked by their pit bull - Article Link

April 03

• ADULT FATALITY - Campo Viera, Argentina: 64 y/o man killed by 2 pit bulls while out for a run.
• Irvine, Scotland: Golden Retriever attacked - Article Link
• Escambia County, FL: Firefighter attacked while responding to accident (breed confirmed in photos on news source) - Article Link
• Fajardo, Puerto Rico: 3 y/o boy attacked - Article Link

April 04

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Reggio Emilia, Italy: Chihuahua killed by 2 pit bulls.
• Saclas, France: Dachshund attacked - Article Link
• Trapani, Italy: 2 men attacked - Article Link
• Darfield, England: 17 y/o girl attacked by family dog - Article Link
• Nashville, TN: Mother injured protecting her children from group of pit bulls - Article Link
• Richmond, IN: Woman hospitalized - Article Link

April 05

• Saquarema, Brazil: 73 y/o woman in serious condition after attack by 3 pit bulls - Article Link

April 06

• Glasgow, Scotland: Dog attacked by 2 pit bulls - Article Link
• Montes Claros, Brazil: 71 y/o man attacked - Article Link

April 07

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Charqueadas, Brazil: 13 y/o boy injured and his Spitz dog killed.
• Distrito Federal, Brazil: Yorkie attacked at park - Article Link
• Tochigi, Japan: 25 y/o woman attacked, 3 other people injured - Article Link
• Marshalltown, IA: 8 y/o boy attacked - Article Link

April 08

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Leigh, England: 2 Lupine dogs attacked, one didn't survive injuries.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Vilhena, Brazil: Dog walking down the street killed.
• União da Vitória, Brazil: Dog seriously injured - Article Link
• Portskewett, Wales: 87 y/o man injured breaking up dog fight - Article Link

April 09

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Corrientes, Argentina: Poodle killed.
• Holt, England: Woman attacked trying to break up fight b/w 2 pit bulls - Article Link
• Stoke-on-Trent, England: Springer Spaniel attacked by 2 pit bulls - Article Link
• Eureka, CA: 54 y/o woman attacked by her 2 pit bulls - Article Link
• Boardman, OH: Multiple people attacked and 2 people bitten - Article Link
• Ghaziabad, India: 15 y/o boy in critical condition - Article Link
• Perth, Australia: 2 Dachshunds attacked - Article Link
• Cuiabá, Brazil: Grandmother injured saving 2 y/o grandson - Article Link

April 10

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Campo Grande, Brazil: Family dog killed.
• Juiz de Fora, Brazil: Dog attacked through gate - Article Link
• Salvador, Brazil: Dog attacked - Article Link
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Dog attacked and man injured - Article Link
• Sena Madureira, Brazil: 52 y/o woman attacked - Article Link
• Reading, PA: 3 people attacked - Article Link
• Edmonton, Alberta: Woman's dog attacked at park - Article Link
• Antwerp, Belgium: Pit bull seized after 7th attack on other dogs - Article Link

April 11

• Seminole County, FL: 65 y/o woman Life Flighted after attack by neighbor's pit bulls - Article Link
• McHenry, IL: Several people attacked by group of pit bulls - Article Link
• Claridon Township, OH: 58 y/o woman attacked by her pit bull - Article Link
• Joshua, TX: Loose pit bull chased woman and her child before attacking chickens - Police Report
• Bordeaux, France: Man attacked by his pit bull, policewoman injured - Article Link

April 12

• ADULT FATALITY - Portsmouth, VA: Woman killed by 3 pit bulls.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Corrientes, Argentina: Poodle killed.
• Ellesmere Port, England: Husky attacked and owner injured - Article Link
• Milton Keynes, England: Lab attacked - Article Link
• Araquari, Brazil: Loose pit bull broke into homes and attacked a man and another dog - Article Link
• Fernandópolis, Brazil: Dog attacked and owner injured - Article Link

April 13

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Brighton, England: Dog killed and owner injured by 2 pit bulls.
• Falmouth, England: Young girl attacked at home - Article Link
• Chartres, France: Man severely bitten - Article Link
• Auch, France: 2 people attacked - Article Link
• Terni, Italy: Bar owner attacked - Article Link
• Mantova, Italy: 7 y/o boy and his uncle attacked, owner fled the scene - Article Link

April 14

• ADULT FATALITY - Mogi Mirim, Brazil: 31 y/o epileptic man killed by his pit bull after having a seizure.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Hollywood, FL: Shih Tzu killed by 2 pit bulls (breed confirmed in photos on news site).
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Bellaria, Italy: Poodle killed and owner injured.
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Dog attacked by 3 pit bulls - Article Link
• Birmingham, England: Woman injured after trying to separate 2 fighting pit bulls - Article Link
• Manchester, England: 5 y/o girl mauled - Article Link
• Airdrie, Scotland: 35 y/o man attacked by his pit bull - Article Link

April 15

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Bauru, Brazil: Dog killed and owner injured.
• Sena Madureira, Brazil: 3 y/o boy attacked by family pit bull - Article Link
• Bauru, Brazil: 68 y/o woman and her dog attacked - Article Link
• Trujillo, Peru: 44 y/o man in ICU after attack by 2 pit bulls - Article Link
• Piedras Negras, Mexico: Couple attacked, man hospitalized - Article Link
• Sondrio, Italy: Poodle attacked by loose pit bull - Article Link
• Blackpool, England: Woman in her 20s bitten - Article Link
• New York City, NY: Chow Chow attacked - Video Link

April 16

• Mérida, Mexico: 2 Huskies and owner attacked - Article Link
• São José do Rio Preto, Brazil: 59 y/o man attacked by neighbor's pit bull - Article Link
• Villa Canales, Guatemala: 2 women and baby attacked - Article Link
• Spokane, WA: GSD attacked and woman bitten by pit bull - Article Link

April 17

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Philadelphia, PA: Pomeranian killed.
• Carbonia, Italy: Woman and her dog attacked by 2 pit bulls - Article Link
• Campo Grande, Brazil: 3 y/o bitten - Article Link

April 18

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Arapiraca, Brazil: Small dog killed by neighbor's pit bull.
• ANIMAL FATALITY (2) - Woman's 2 dogs killed and one seriously injured.
• Concord, NC: 18 y/o man attacked by 3 dogs, including a pit bull - Article Link
• Campo Grande, Brazil: Dog attacked by 2 pit bulls - Article Link
• Tlalpan, Mexico: 17 y/o boy and 6 y/o girl attacked by neighbor's dog - Article Link

April 19

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Mongaguá, Brazil: Shih-Tzu killed out on a walk.
• Dourados, Brazil: Woman and her child attacked - Article Link
• Redenção da Serra, Brazil: 61 y/o woman attacked by son-in-law's pit bull - Article Link
• Huancayo, Peru: 7 y/o boy attacked - Article Link
• Sand Branch, TX: 52 y/o woman attacked by 8 pit bull mixes - Article Link
• Stoke-on-Trent, England: Woman airlifted to hospital after attack by her dog - Article Link

April 20

• ADULT FATALITY - Campo Grande, Brazil: Woman fatally attacked.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Bridport, England: Westie killed.
• Mortise, Italy: 83 y/o woman attacked by her 5 pit bulls - Article Link
• Cigales, Spain: Owners attacked by pit bull - Article Link
• Hempstead, NY: Police officer attacked - Article Link

April 21

• CHILD FATALITY - Tuxpan, Mexico: 2 y/o boy killed after trying to pet a pit bull.
• Boardman, OH: Man bitten by same dog responsible for attack on 4/9 - Article Link
• Chicago, IL: Dog attacked by loose pit bull - Article Link
• Tijucas, Brazil: 2 dogs attacked - Article Link
• Perugia, Italy: Chihuahua attacked - Article Link

April 22

• CHILD FATALITY - Salerno, Italy: 13 m/o boy killed by 2 pit bulls.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Santa Cruz, Brazil: Small dog killed by pit bulls.
• Mineiros, Brazil: 12 y/o student attacked inside classroom - Article Link

April 23

• Sheffield, England: Dog seriously injured after attack by 2 loose pit bulls - Article Link
• Jaguaquara, Brazil: Pregnant woman attacked by family pit bull after fainting - Article Link
• João Pessoa, Brazil: 76 y/o woman attacked - Article Link

April 24

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Veracruz, Mexico: Dog killed by pit bull.
• Distrito Federal, Brazil: 18 y/o woman left with serious injuries to face and neck - Article Link
• Juiz de Fora, Brazil: Dog attacked and owner injured - Article Link
• Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy: Pit bull and Cane Corso began fighting then turned on owner - Article Link

April 25

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil: Dog killed by neighbor's pit bull.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Salvador, Brazil: Poodle killed by 2 pit bulls.

April 26

• ADULT FATALITY - New York City, NY: 41 y/o man killed by his own pit bull.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - São José dos Campos, Brazil: Dog killed by neighbor's pit bull.
• Lima, Peru: 9 y/o boy attacked by family pit bull - Article Link

April 27

• ADULT FATALITY - Florianópolis, Brazil: 38 y/o man killed by 4 pit bulls.
• Kelloholm, Scotland: Woman seriously injured - Article Link
• Vernon, British Columbia: Great Pyrenees attacked and owner injured - Article Link

April 28

• São Sebastião do Oeste, Brazil: 1 y/o boy airlifted to hospital - Article Link
• Funchal, Portugal: Owners attacked by their pit bull - Article Link
• Naples, Italy: Dog and owner attacked - Article Link

April 29

• ANIMAL FATALITY (3) - São João de Meriti, Brazil: 2 dogs and a cat killed by 3 pit bulls.
• Ilha da Gigoia, Brazil: Prosecutor attacked - Article Link

April 30

• London, Ontario: 9 y/o girl attacked by pit bull after trying to save kitten - Article Link

Unconfirmed Dates

• ANIMAL FATALITY - Sacramento, CA: Small dog killed at dog park.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Del City, OK: Dachshund killed by 3 pit bulls, 2 men injured.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Mairinque, Brazil: Loose pit bull killed a dog and injured another.
• ANIMAL FATALITY - Capriglia Irpina, Italy: Pony killed by 2 pit bulls.
• Houston, TX: Husky attacked - Article Link
• Miami, FL: 27 y/o woman attacked while rescuing her dog - Article Link
• Franca, Brazil: 11 y/o boy attacked - Article Link
• Pontedecimo, Italy: 18 y/o man attacked by dad's pit bull - Article Link
• Ascoli Piceno, Italy: Pit bull broke loose, attacking 2 people, 2 dogs, and a cat - Article Link

Live Music

• Damon Slaughter, 408 Main Street Hastings, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Bret Blackshear, Marina Munch, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Evan D, Crabby's Beachside, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• Yael Dray and ZaZa Flamenca, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Trevor Compton, Backyard Island Cafe at Meehan's, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Chillula, Pierre's Pub, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Paper City Hustlers, Conch House Marina Resort, 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Vinny Jacobs, The Tides Oyster Co. & Grill, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Josh Ford, Crabby's Beachside, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Dunehoppers, Marina Munch, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Dewey Via Band, Fish House & Oyster Co., 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Mark Hart, Tradewinds Lounge, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Burn Unit, Fuzion 904 Eatery, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Committee, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Christian Powers, Mellow Mushroom — Murabella, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Jesse Cruce, Mellow Mushroom — St. Johns, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Brian Rowland, Mellow Mushroom — Anastasia Island, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Denny Blue, Guy Harvey Resort, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Dion & Collins, Ebb Tide Poolside Bar & Grill, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Smokestack, Colonial Oak Music Park, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Lords of Surf, Crabby's Beachside, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Yael Dray and ZaZa Flamenca, Casa Maya, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Doug Carn, Chez L'Amour, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Jolie, Casa de Vino 57, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Erica Reese, Spinster Abbott's Taproom, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Heather Craig, Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House, 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
• Josh Ford, Mill Top Tavern, 9:00 pm – 12:00 pm

Spud Run & Cabbage Crawl 2024

• Farm Bureau Insurance presents the Spud Run & Cabbage Crawl at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2024. This annual event in Hastings, Florida celebrates the city's agricultural contributions. Race proceeds benefit agricultural education efforts, such as 4-H, Future Farmers of America, and Farm City Week.
• This year's race includes 5K, 10K, and 15K courses, and a Cabbage Crawl kids run. The 5K and 10K courses are USATF-certified and professionally timed and scored. This event is part of Hastings' annual Cabbage, Potato & Bacon Festival.
• Event Schedule
• 6:00 a.m. - Registration/packet pick-up begins
• 7:00 a.m. - 15K start
• 7:00 a.m. - 10K start
• 8:30 a.m. - 5K start
• 9:30 a.m. - Fun Run start
• Event Information
• Admission: Register for this event by April 1, 2024, to receive a Spud Run 2024 race-day shirt.

The Annual Cabbage, Potato and Bacon Festival (this overlaps with the Spud Run & Cabbage Crawl)

• Experience a weekend like no other at the upcoming Cabbage, Potato, and Bacon Festival! This lively event offers a delightful mix of entertainment, highlighted by The Great Hastings Mow Down Lawn Mower Races that promise to ignite your excitement. Whether you're a seasoned runner or just love a good challenge, lace up your shoes for The Spud Run 5K & 10K, where fitness meets festival spirit.
• Join in on community tours, captivating cooking demonstrations, and more. Indulge in local flavors at the outdoor market, and mark your calendars for the not-to-be-missed Chef "Taste of Hastings" event on Saturday evening, featuring live music and a silent auction.
• But that's not all – aspiring queens, step into the spotlight and compete for the coveted title of Miss Potato Queen! Open to contestants from surrounding counties, this highly anticipated beauty pageant offers age categories from newborns to 23 years old. Set to unfold on April 27 and 28, 2024, it promises to be a celebration of charm, elegance, and youthful exuberance.
• Don't miss out on this celebration of community, flavors, and festivities !

Schedule:

• 7 AM - Spud Run 5K, 10K and Fun Run (starts from 6195 S. Main Street)
• 9 AM–4 PM - Outdoor Artisans Market Opens (along North Main Street)
• ​9:30 AM-11 AM - Miss Potato Queen Beauty Pageant on Main Stage at Bozard Field
• ​10 AM - Cooking Demo with Chef Hari Pulapaka & Chef Art Smith under the Big Tent on Main Street
• 11 AM - Cooking Demo with Chef Michael Lugo under the Big Tent on Main Street
• 11 AM – 4 PM - Live Music on the Main Stage at Bozard Field
  
• Live Music Schedule
  
• SATURDAY
  
• Bozard Field, N. Main Street, Hastings, FL
  
• 11 AM-12 PM - Damon Slaughter
  
• 12 PM-1 PM - The Fabulettes
  
• 1:00 PM-2:30 PM - Bad Dog Mama
  
• Swang Set (Looked everywhere and could not find when they are playing.)
  
• SUNDAY
  
• 12:00 PM-1:30 PM - Panel Conversation: From Farm to Diner, via Chef under the Big Tent on Main Street
  
• 1:00 PM-4:30 PM - Great Hastings Mow Down Lawn Mower Races
  
• 6:00 PM -9:30 PM - “Taste of Hastings” Ticketed Chef Event, 301 N. Main Street, Hastings
  

​

Cars & Coffee

• Created as a way for car lovers to socialize with other car enthusiasts, Cars & Coffee brings people together around a common interest. The Classic Car Museum hosts locals and visitors on the fourth Saturday of each month for a morning meet-and-greet. Guests bond over coffee while discussing, admiring, and learning about classic cars. Local car businesses and experts usually add to the lively conversations.
• Cars & Coffee promises free coffee and donuts every fourth Saturday.
• Admission: Free for the outdoor event; admission to the museum is half-price.
• When: 8:00 to 10:00 a.m., on the fourth Saturday of the month, except December.
• Where: The Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine is located at 4730 US-1 in St. Augustine, Florida 32086.

Amphitheatre Farmers Market

• The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market offers visitors a variety of goods such as local fresh produce, handmade arts and crafts, baked goods, plants directly off the farm, freshly-caught seafood, cheeses, and more. The farmers market makes for a morning of family-friendly fun with live entertainment on select dates.
• In addition to the impressive variety of organic produce offered by local farmers, a number of local artists and craftspeople also display their wares at the market.
• Admission: FREE
• Where: St. Augustine Amphitheatre located at 1340 A1A South St. Augustine, FL 32080.
• When: Every Saturday morning from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm.

K9s United 9K, 5K, & 1-Mile Run

• K9s United presents the annual 9K, 5K, and 1-mile runs on Saturday, April 27, 2024. The 9K and 5K runs begin at 8:00 a.m. and the 1-mile run begins at 9:00 a.m. Both races take place at the Ring Power Corporate Headquarters Complex at 500 World Commerce Pkwy.
• This annual event raises funds for K9s United, a non-profit organization honoring the service and tragic death of K9 Officer Baron, a member of the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
• In addition to the races, there will be activities available for all ages, including K9 demonstrations, music, a K9 photo booth, and activities for kids.
• Participants have the option of participating both in-person and virtually and will receive participant medals. Register for this event by April 17th to guarantee your event t-shirt or dog bandana.

Cabbage, Potato, & Bacon Festival

• Hastings Main Street presents the annual Cabbage, Potato, & Bacon Festival on Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, 2024 at The Venue in Hastings, Florida. This two-day agricultural celebration kicks off at 10:00 a.m. on both days. On Saturday, the festivities end at 4:30 p.m., while on Sunday, the event will extend until 3:00 p.m.
• This family-friendly event features a variety of activities including the Great Mow Down Lawnmower Race, the 2024 Spud Run and Cabbage Crawl, pig racing, cooking demonstrations, and a tasting zone. Guests can also explore an outdoor artisan market, enjoy live music, eat at a variety of food trucks, and take advantage of the children's play zone.
• Admission: This event is free, except for the tasting zone and the Spud Run & Cabbage Crawl. The cost for the tasting event is $35.00 per person.
• When: Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28, 2024. This event begins at 10:00 a.m. on both days and ends at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2024, and at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, 2024.
• Where: The Venue, 301 N. Main Street, Hastings, Florida 32145

12th Annual Roscolusa Songwriters Festival

• The 12th Annual Roscolusa festival, featuring Nashville singers and songwriters, will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Ponte Vedra Beach.
• Festival-goers will enjoy country music, performed by the original songwriters, and hear stories about the songs and the songwriters' lives. The festival also includes a variety of food trucks along with beer and wine vendors.
• Admission for 2023: General Admission is $25.00 per person. A Cooler Pass (40 quarts or smaller) is available for $30.00 per cooler. (Soft drinks, food, beer, and wine are allowed. Hard liquor is not.) VIP tickets are $100.00 per person and include two drink tickets, complimentary food, and one free cooler pass. The VIP ticket also includes premier parking, access to a private stage viewing area as well as an air-conditioned facilities trailer.
• Admission for 2024: We assume the same ticket types will be available. Tickets will go on sale on February 1, 2024, and can be purchased on their website.
• When: Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 5:00 to 10:30 p.m.
• Where: The festival takes place at 245 Nocatee Center Way in Ponte Vedra, Florida 32081

Cruise for a Cause - 2024

• Florida Water Tours hosts a sunset cruise to benefit Florida Water Warriors on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The evening starts at 6:00 with a silent auction, complimentary wine, and refreshments. At 7:30 p.m., two vessels — the 45' Osprey and the 35' Island Breeze — will leave the dock for a 90-minute sunset cruise.
• During the sunset cruise, guests may partake of savory tidbits and sweet desserts prepared by Floating Food Company. There will be a cash bar on board each vessel. Both vessels are U.S. Coast Guard certified and have a restroom and covered seating.
• Florida Water Warriors takes children in elementary, middle, and high school on boat tours with marine scientists and educators. Their fundraising efforts, which continue year-round, help them ensure that all children can afford the boat experience.
• Admission: $79.00 per person.
• When: Saturday, April 27, 2024. From 6:00 to 7:15 p.m., there will be a silent auction reception. Boarding begins at 7:15, and the boats leave the dock at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: The boats leave from Dock A-19, at Camachee Yacht Harbor, 107 Yacht Club Drive, St. Augustine, Florida.

Magic Hideaway

• The setting for this evening of magic and mind-reading is an intimate theater draped with red velvet in the Casa Monica Resort and Spa. There, Bill Abbott dazzles the audience during an entertaining and surprising show.
• About Bill Abbott
• Bill launched his career in Toronto, where he perfected his "close-up" magician act. He has been named Canadian Magician of the Year by the Canadian Association of Magicians, and performed in thousands of shows in 11 countries. Bill has performed in venues of every size, headlining at the Chicago Magic Lounge, the Magic Castle in Hollywood, and the House of Cards in Nashville. More recently, he and his wife, Rebecca, have created an intimate magic show, in a small, luxurious theater in the Casa Monica Resort and Spa.
• What to Expect
• One needs to expect the unexpected in this one-person magic show, however, there are some things you can count on.
• Arrive at 6:00 p.m. and check in for exclusive access to the VIP area. Your ticket entitles you to a complimentary cocktail and the opportunity to enjoy Bill's pre-show sleight-of-hand at your table.
• The House Manager will invite you into the Magic Hideaway, where Bill's magic and mind-reading will astound you.
• The early show runs from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. and the late show runs from 9:15 to 10:30 p.m.
• After the show, the evening ends with the opportunity to meet Bill for a photo and autograph.
• When: There are two shows on Saturdays, one starts at 6:00 p.m. and the second at 8:30 p.m.
• Where: Casa Monica Resort and Spa, 95 Cordova Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084.
• Parking: Valet parking at Casa Monica Resort and Spa is $25.00. Those who order dinner entrees from the Cordova Restaurant pay only $5.00 for valet parking. Alternatively, parking can be found on the street and at various parking lots throughout the Historic Downtown. Be sure to leave time to park and get to the Casa Monica in time to check-in with the Magic Hideaway host.
• Additional information: Cameras and smartphones may not be used during the show. There is time for photos with the magician at the cocktail reception and after the show. There is no dress code. Many choose to wear business casual or cocktail attire. The show is appropriate for children. Children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Love Your Mother Eco Fashion Show

• Co-hosted by Panache St. Augustine and Blue Water Jewelers, the Love Your Mother Eco Fashion Show teams up with Matanzas Riverkeeper to present their annual fundraiser to benefit St. Augustine's rivers. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the doors will open at 6:00 p.m., on April 27, 2024, with the fashion show officially starting at 7:00 p.m.
• Lovers of fashion, music, makeup, hair, AND the environment will relish in the Love Your Mother Eco Fashion Show. A portion of the event funds will be donated to the Matanzas Riverkeeper, a local non-profit whose mission is protecting the health of our local waterways. In addition, all of the outfits on display during Love Your Mother will be created with recycled materials.
• Along with viewing these looks on the runway, you will enjoy hearing the stories behind each creation. Beverages and food will be available for purchase.
• Admission: Prices range from $65.00 - $125.00.
• When: Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
• Where: Bluewater Jewelers, 500 Anastasia Boulevard, St. Augustine, Florida 32084

Eliot Lewis at Cafe Eleven

• Café Eleven welcomes Eliot Lewis on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
• Eliot Lewis, a versatile artist, gained recognition for his contributions to the Hall & Oates Band and The Average White Band. He started his musical journey by forming a band at the age of 12, drawing inspiration from icons like Stevie Wonder, Tom Wolk, and Billy Preston. In his teenage years, Lewis crafted his compositions and independently learned to play five different instruments.
• Throughout his career, Lewis collaborated with notable figures such as Dan Hartman and Tina Turner, receiving acclaim for his musical prowess. His solo projects include albums like Standing on Top of the World, 6 & One, Enjoy the Ride, Live and Up Front, and Crusade.
• Admission: Tickets cost $20.00 if purchased in advance and $25.00 on the day of the show. Reserved table seating costs $30.00. Purchase tickets in advance online or purchase them at Café Eleven on the day of the show.
• When: Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
• Where: Café Eleven, 501 A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine, Florida 32080. On the corner of A1A and 11th Street, one block from St. Augustine Beach.

GTM Beach Cleanup

• April 27 @ 9:30 am - 11:30 am
• Recurring Event
• On the fourth Saturday of the month, help remove marine debris and microplastics off the beach during GTM Beach Cleanup — 9:30am-11:30am. Enjoy the beautiful view and being out in nature while helping clean up the beach!
• Meet at the Visitor Center. That’s where you’ll pick up gloves and trash bags that are provided. Then you’ll be directed to a specific beach for cleanup.
• No need to sign up ahead of time. Open to the public. Just show up to lend a hand. Don’t forget to bring your sunscreen, hat, insect repellent, and water!

Fish Island Walking Tour

• April 27 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
• FREE
• Join the City of St. Augustine in celebrating “Earth Month” on the Fish Island Walking Tour. Learn about the history of the property as well as the plants and animals living there.
• When: Saturday, April 27, 2024 — 10:00am-12:00pm
• Be sure to wear your walking shoes and bring water … and don’t forget the bug spray.
• Click the event website link to register for this Free event as spaces are limited.

Pelican Pub Poker Run - St. Augustine Humane Society Event!

• April 27 @ 10:30 am
• Come join the fun at the Pelican Pub Poker Run on Saturday, April 27, 2024 …. benefiting the St. Augustine Humane Society to support our life-saving programs!
• Registration: 10:30am Kick Stands Up: 11:00am
• 2, 3, and 4 wheels Welcome!
• Raffle * 50/50
• Cost: $20.00 per Rider / $10.00 Passenger

Fish Island Walking Tour

• Come join us for an Earth Day walk at Fish Island Preserve from 10:00 am – noon on Saturday, April 27. We will talk about the history of the property and the plants and animals that live there. Bring walking shoes, water, and bug spray (just in case)!
• Date: April 27, 2024
• Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Location: Fish Island: Plantation Island Dr S, St. Augustine, FL 32080
• Address: Plantation Island Dr S,St. Augustine, FL 32080

​
I am unable to post the sources because they are getting flagged as spam since they are all similar in name. So please visit this site for the list.
Written out urls here tinyurl.com/yjkw32kd

For future events please visit the Discord.

https://discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR

Live Music

• Damon Slaughter, 408 Main Street Hastings, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Bret Blackshear, Marina Munch, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Evan D, Crabby's Beachside, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• Yael Dray and ZaZa Flamenca, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Trevor Compton, Backyard Island Cafe at Meehan's, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Chillula, Pierre's Pub, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Paper City Hustlers, Conch House Marina Resort, 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Vinny Jacobs, The Tides Oyster Co. & Grill, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Josh Ford, Crabby's Beachside, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Dunehoppers, Marina Munch, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Dewey Via Band, Fish House & Oyster Co., 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Mark Hart, Tradewinds Lounge, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Burn Unit, Fuzion 904 Eatery, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Committee, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Christian Powers, Mellow Mushroom — Murabella, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Jesse Cruce, Mellow Mushroom — St. Johns, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Brian Rowland, Mellow Mushroom — Anastasia Island, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Denny Blue, Guy Harvey Resort, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Dion & Collins, Ebb Tide Poolside Bar & Grill, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Smokestack, Colonial Oak Music Park, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Lords of Surf, Crabby's Beachside, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Yael Dray and ZaZa Flamenca, Casa Maya, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Doug Carn, Chez L'Amour, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Jolie, Casa de Vino 57, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Erica Reese, Spinster Abbott's Taproom, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Heather Craig, Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House, 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
• Josh Ford, Mill Top Tavern, 9:00 pm – 12:00 pm

Spud Run & Cabbage Crawl 2024

• Farm Bureau Insurance presents the Spud Run & Cabbage Crawl at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2024. This annual event in Hastings, Florida celebrates the city's agricultural contributions. Race proceeds benefit agricultural education efforts, such as 4-H, Future Farmers of America, and Farm City Week.
• This year's race includes 5K, 10K, and 15K courses, and a Cabbage Crawl kids run. The 5K and 10K courses are USATF-certified and professionally timed and scored. This event is part of Hastings' annual Cabbage, Potato & Bacon Festival.
• Event Schedule
• 6:00 a.m. - Registration/packet pick-up begins
• 7:00 a.m. - 15K start
• 7:00 a.m. - 10K start
• 8:30 a.m. - 5K start
• 9:30 a.m. - Fun Run start
• Event Information
• Admission: Register for this event by April 1, 2024, to receive a Spud Run 2024 race-day shirt.

The Annual Cabbage, Potato and Bacon Festival (this overlaps with the Spud Run & Cabbage Crawl)

• Experience a weekend like no other at the upcoming Cabbage, Potato, and Bacon Festival! This lively event offers a delightful mix of entertainment, highlighted by The Great Hastings Mow Down Lawn Mower Races that promise to ignite your excitement. Whether you're a seasoned runner or just love a good challenge, lace up your shoes for The Spud Run 5K & 10K, where fitness meets festival spirit.
• Join in on community tours, captivating cooking demonstrations, and more. Indulge in local flavors at the outdoor market, and mark your calendars for the not-to-be-missed Chef "Taste of Hastings" event on Saturday evening, featuring live music and a silent auction.
• But that's not all – aspiring queens, step into the spotlight and compete for the coveted title of Miss Potato Queen! Open to contestants from surrounding counties, this highly anticipated beauty pageant offers age categories from newborns to 23 years old. Set to unfold on April 27 and 28, 2024, it promises to be a celebration of charm, elegance, and youthful exuberance.
• Don't miss out on this celebration of community, flavors, and festivities !

Schedule:

• 7 AM - Spud Run 5K, 10K and Fun Run (starts from 6195 S. Main Street)
• 9 AM–4 PM - Outdoor Artisans Market Opens (along North Main Street)
• ​9:30 AM-11 AM - Miss Potato Queen Beauty Pageant on Main Stage at Bozard Field
• ​10 AM - Cooking Demo with Chef Hari Pulapaka & Chef Art Smith under the Big Tent on Main Street
• 11 AM - Cooking Demo with Chef Michael Lugo under the Big Tent on Main Street
• 11 AM – 4 PM - Live Music on the Main Stage at Bozard Field
• Live Music Schedule
• SATURDAY
• Bozard Field, N. Main Street, Hastings, FL
• 11 AM-12 PM - Damon Slaughter
• 12 PM-1 PM - The Fabulettes
• 1:00 PM-2:30 PM - Bad Dog Mama
• Swang Set (Looked everywhere and could not find when they are playing.)
• SUNDAY
• 12:00 PM-1:30 PM - Panel Conversation: From Farm to Diner, via Chef under the Big Tent on Main Street
• 1:00 PM-4:30 PM - Great Hastings Mow Down Lawn Mower Races
• 6:00 PM -9:30 PM - “Taste of Hastings” Ticketed Chef Event, 301 N. Main Street, Hastings

Cars & Coffee

• Created as a way for car lovers to socialize with other car enthusiasts, Cars & Coffee brings people together around a common interest. The Classic Car Museum hosts locals and visitors on the fourth Saturday of each month for a morning meet-and-greet. Guests bond over coffee while discussing, admiring, and learning about classic cars. Local car businesses and experts usually add to the lively conversations.
• Cars & Coffee promises free coffee and donuts every fourth Saturday.
• Admission: Free for the outdoor event; admission to the museum is half-price.
• When: 8:00 to 10:00 a.m., on the fourth Saturday of the month, except December.
• Where: The Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine is located at 4730 US-1 in St. Augustine, Florida 32086.

Amphitheatre Farmers Market

• The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market offers visitors a variety of goods such as local fresh produce, handmade arts and crafts, baked goods, plants directly off the farm, freshly-caught seafood, cheeses, and more. The farmers market makes for a morning of family-friendly fun with live entertainment on select dates.
• In addition to the impressive variety of organic produce offered by local farmers, a number of local artists and craftspeople also display their wares at the market.
• Admission: FREE
• Where: St. Augustine Amphitheatre located at 1340 A1A South St. Augustine, FL 32080.
• When: Every Saturday morning from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm.

K9s United 9K, 5K, & 1-Mile Run

• K9s United presents the annual 9K, 5K, and 1-mile runs on Saturday, April 27, 2024. The 9K and 5K runs begin at 8:00 a.m. and the 1-mile run begins at 9:00 a.m. Both races take place at the Ring Power Corporate Headquarters Complex at 500 World Commerce Pkwy.
• This annual event raises funds for K9s United, a non-profit organization honoring the service and tragic death of K9 Officer Baron, a member of the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
• In addition to the races, there will be activities available for all ages, including K9 demonstrations, music, a K9 photo booth, and activities for kids.
• Participants have the option of participating both in-person and virtually and will receive participant medals. Register for this event by April 17th to guarantee your event t-shirt or dog bandana.

Cabbage, Potato, & Bacon Festival

• Hastings Main Street presents the annual Cabbage, Potato, & Bacon Festival on Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, 2024 at The Venue in Hastings, Florida. This two-day agricultural celebration kicks off at 10:00 a.m. on both days. On Saturday, the festivities end at 4:30 p.m., while on Sunday, the event will extend until 3:00 p.m.
• This family-friendly event features a variety of activities including the Great Mow Down Lawnmower Race, the 2024 Spud Run and Cabbage Crawl, pig racing, cooking demonstrations, and a tasting zone. Guests can also explore an outdoor artisan market, enjoy live music, eat at a variety of food trucks, and take advantage of the children's play zone.
• Admission: This event is free, except for the tasting zone and the Spud Run & Cabbage Crawl. The cost for the tasting event is $35.00 per person.
• When: Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28, 2024. This event begins at 10:00 a.m. on both days and ends at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2024, and at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, 2024.
• Where: The Venue, 301 N. Main Street, Hastings, Florida 32145

12th Annual Roscolusa Songwriters Festival

• The 12th Annual Roscolusa festival, featuring Nashville singers and songwriters, will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Ponte Vedra Beach.
• Festival-goers will enjoy country music, performed by the original songwriters, and hear stories about the songs and the songwriters' lives. The festival also includes a variety of food trucks along with beer and wine vendors.
• Admission for 2023: General Admission is $25.00 per person. A Cooler Pass (40 quarts or smaller) is available for $30.00 per cooler. (Soft drinks, food, beer, and wine are allowed. Hard liquor is not.) VIP tickets are $100.00 per person and include two drink tickets, complimentary food, and one free cooler pass. The VIP ticket also includes premier parking, access to a private stage viewing area as well as an air-conditioned facilities trailer.
• Admission for 2024: We assume the same ticket types will be available. Tickets will go on sale on February 1, 2024, and can be purchased on their website.
• When: Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 5:00 to 10:30 p.m.
• Where: The festival takes place at 245 Nocatee Center Way in Ponte Vedra, Florida 32081

Cruise for a Cause - 2024

• Florida Water Tours hosts a sunset cruise to benefit Florida Water Warriors on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The evening starts at 6:00 with a silent auction, complimentary wine, and refreshments. At 7:30 p.m., two vessels — the 45' Osprey and the 35' Island Breeze — will leave the dock for a 90-minute sunset cruise.
• During the sunset cruise, guests may partake of savory tidbits and sweet desserts prepared by Floating Food Company. There will be a cash bar on board each vessel. Both vessels are U.S. Coast Guard certified and have a restroom and covered seating.
• Florida Water Warriors takes children in elementary, middle, and high school on boat tours with marine scientists and educators. Their fundraising efforts, which continue year-round, help them ensure that all children can afford the boat experience.
• Admission: $79.00 per person.
• When: Saturday, April 27, 2024. From 6:00 to 7:15 p.m., there will be a silent auction reception. Boarding begins at 7:15, and the boats leave the dock at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: The boats leave from Dock A-19, at Camachee Yacht Harbor, 107 Yacht Club Drive, St. Augustine, Florida.

Magic Hideaway

• The setting for this evening of magic and mind-reading is an intimate theater draped with red velvet in the Casa Monica Resort and Spa. There, Bill Abbott dazzles the audience during an entertaining and surprising show.
• About Bill Abbott
• Bill launched his career in Toronto, where he perfected his "close-up" magician act. He has been named Canadian Magician of the Year by the Canadian Association of Magicians, and performed in thousands of shows in 11 countries. Bill has performed in venues of every size, headlining at the Chicago Magic Lounge, the Magic Castle in Hollywood, and the House of Cards in Nashville. More recently, he and his wife, Rebecca, have created an intimate magic show, in a small, luxurious theater in the Casa Monica Resort and Spa.
• What to Expect
• One needs to expect the unexpected in this one-person magic show, however, there are some things you can count on.
• Arrive at 6:00 p.m. and check in for exclusive access to the VIP area. Your ticket entitles you to a complimentary cocktail and the opportunity to enjoy Bill's pre-show sleight-of-hand at your table.
• The House Manager will invite you into the Magic Hideaway, where Bill's magic and mind-reading will astound you.
• The early show runs from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. and the late show runs from 9:15 to 10:30 p.m.
• After the show, the evening ends with the opportunity to meet Bill for a photo and autograph.
• When: There are two shows on Saturdays, one starts at 6:00 p.m. and the second at 8:30 p.m.
• Where: Casa Monica Resort and Spa, 95 Cordova Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084.
• Parking: Valet parking at Casa Monica Resort and Spa is $25.00. Those who order dinner entrees from the Cordova Restaurant pay only $5.00 for valet parking. Alternatively, parking can be found on the street and at various parking lots throughout the Historic Downtown. Be sure to leave time to park and get to the Casa Monica in time to check-in with the Magic Hideaway host.
• Additional information: Cameras and smartphones may not be used during the show. There is time for photos with the magician at the cocktail reception and after the show. There is no dress code. Many choose to wear business casual or cocktail attire. The show is appropriate for children. Children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Love Your Mother Eco Fashion Show

• Co-hosted by Panache St. Augustine and Blue Water Jewelers, the Love Your Mother Eco Fashion Show teams up with Matanzas Riverkeeper to present their annual fundraiser to benefit St. Augustine's rivers. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the doors will open at 6:00 p.m., on April 27, 2024, with the fashion show officially starting at 7:00 p.m.
• Lovers of fashion, music, makeup, hair, AND the environment will relish in the Love Your Mother Eco Fashion Show. A portion of the event funds will be donated to the Matanzas Riverkeeper, a local non-profit whose mission is protecting the health of our local waterways. In addition, all of the outfits on display during Love Your Mother will be created with recycled materials.
• Along with viewing these looks on the runway, you will enjoy hearing the stories behind each creation. Beverages and food will be available for purchase.
• Admission: Prices range from $65.00 - $125.00.
• When: Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
• Where: Bluewater Jewelers, 500 Anastasia Boulevard, St. Augustine, Florida 32084

Eliot Lewis at Cafe Eleven

• Café Eleven welcomes Eliot Lewis on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
• Eliot Lewis, a versatile artist, gained recognition for his contributions to the Hall & Oates Band and The Average White Band. He started his musical journey by forming a band at the age of 12, drawing inspiration from icons like Stevie Wonder, Tom Wolk, and Billy Preston. In his teenage years, Lewis crafted his compositions and independently learned to play five different instruments.
• Throughout his career, Lewis collaborated with notable figures such as Dan Hartman and Tina Turner, receiving acclaim for his musical prowess. His solo projects include albums like Standing on Top of the World, 6 & One, Enjoy the Ride, Live and Up Front, and Crusade.
• Admission: Tickets cost $20.00 if purchased in advance and $25.00 on the day of the show. Reserved table seating costs $30.00. Purchase tickets in advance online or purchase them at Café Eleven on the day of the show.
• When: Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
• Where: Café Eleven, 501 A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine, Florida 32080. On the corner of A1A and 11th Street, one block from St. Augustine Beach.

GTM Beach Cleanup

• April 27 @ 9:30 am - 11:30 am
• Recurring Event
• On the fourth Saturday of the month, help remove marine debris and microplastics off the beach during GTM Beach Cleanup — 9:30am-11:30am. Enjoy the beautiful view and being out in nature while helping clean up the beach!
• Meet at the Visitor Center. That’s where you’ll pick up gloves and trash bags that are provided. Then you’ll be directed to a specific beach for cleanup.
• No need to sign up ahead of time. Open to the public. Just show up to lend a hand. Don’t forget to bring your sunscreen, hat, insect repellent, and water!

Fish Island Walking Tour

• April 27 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
• FREE
• Join the City of St. Augustine in celebrating “Earth Month” on the Fish Island Walking Tour. Learn about the history of the property as well as the plants and animals living there.
• When: Saturday, April 27, 2024 — 10:00am-12:00pm
• Be sure to wear your walking shoes and bring water … and don’t forget the bug spray.
• Click the event website link to register for this Free event as spaces are limited.

Pelican Pub Poker Run - St. Augustine Humane Society Event!

• April 27 @ 10:30 am
• Come join the fun at the Pelican Pub Poker Run on Saturday, April 27, 2024 …. benefiting the St. Augustine Humane Society to support our life-saving programs!
• Registration: 10:30am Kick Stands Up: 11:00am
• 2, 3, and 4 wheels Welcome!
• Raffle * 50/50
• Cost: $20.00 per Rider / $10.00 Passenger

Fish Island Walking Tour

• Come join us for an Earth Day walk at Fish Island Preserve from 10:00 am – noon on Saturday, April 27. We will talk about the history of the property and the plants and animals that live there. Bring walking shoes, water, and bug spray (just in case)!
• Date: April 27, 2024
• Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Location: Fish Island: Plantation Island Dr S, St. Augustine, FL 32080
• Address: Plantation Island Dr S,St. Augustine, FL 32080

I am unable to post the sources because they are getting flagged as spam since they are all similar in name. So please visit this site for the list.
Written out urls here tinyurl.com/yjkw32kd

For future events please visit the Discord.

https://discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR

FRIDAY

• Brewgaloo, Fayetteville Street, Raleigh
• Durham Bulls vs. Scranton/WB, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham
• NEEDTOBREATHE: The Caves World Tour, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, Raleigh
• Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Raleigh
• Carolina Ballet presents: Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh
• Wheels Roller Skate Party at Durham Central Park, for Public Art Engagement, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Carolina Dance Theatre presents COMMUNITY, Town of Cary, Cary
• Culture At the Mic – Poetry and Music Showcase, CAM Raleigh, Raleigh
• Bluey's Big Play, DPAC, Durham
• Trap Bingo, The Ritz, Raleigh
• Simon Fraser, Room 861 at Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Bruce Bruce, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Members Only Plant Sale, JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Mordecai Heirloom Plant Sale, Mordecai Historic Park, Raleigh
• North Carolina State University vs. Ball State Baseball, Doak Field (North Carolina State University), Raleigh
• Duke Baseball vs Florida State, Jack Coombs Field, Durham
• El Futuro's 20th Anniversary Benefit Luncheon, Durham Convention Center, Durham
• Into The Woods, Theatre In The Park (Ira David Wood III Pullen Park Theatre), Raleigh
• The Night Rider Presents: Gnarly Sacs/The Hoots/AndrewWilco's American Band, The Night Rider, Raleigh
• Big Jay Oakerson, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• Carolina Mudcats vs. Salem Red Sox, Fice County Stadium, Zebulon
• HerbFest, Festival Park, Wake Forest
• NCCU Jazz Festival, NCCU - various locations, Durham
• LIVE! From The Fayetteville Street Corridor: Cameron Elyse's Divine Nine Legacy Memoir Exhibition, Lyda Moore Merrick Gallery at the Hayti Heritage Center, Durham
• RetroNoir Film Series, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• DJ Night with Three Count Records, The Glass Jug Beer Lab, Durham
• Eric Williams Quintet, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• Three Dog Night, The Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Fullsteam Karaoke, Fullsteam Brewing, Durham
• Doric String Quartet, Baldwin Auditorium, Durham
• Stereo Reveries, DSSOLVR Durham, Durham
• Max Lane w/ Brian Revels, Rubies on Five Points, Durham
• The Wiley Fosters, The Blue Note Grill, Durham
• Afrobeats Night @ Unscripted, Unscripted Durham, Part of JdV by Hyatt, Durham
• Taylor’s Version: A Swiftie Dance Party, Motorco Music Hall, Durham
• Gorgon City, The Fruit, Durham
• Last Fridays & the Art Walk!, Downtown, Hillsborough
• Set For The Fall, Local 506, Chapel Hill
• Podcast at Cat's Cradle, Cat's Cradle, Carrboro
• Charanga Carolina, James & Susan Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall, Chapel Hill
• Apollo Remastered: A High Definition Presentation by Andy Saunders, Morehead Planetarium & Science Center, Chapel Hill
• Carolina Dance Theatre presents COMMUNITY, Cary Arts Center, Cary
• Paint & Sip, Carollock Farms, Willow Springs

​
SATURDAY

• Brewgaloo, Fayetteville Street, Raleigh
• Sandlot Revival, Historic Durham Athletic Park, Durham
• Durham Bulls vs. Scranton/WB, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham
• Cook's Mill Whiskey Supper, Angus Barn, Brier Creek
• Beats n Bars Festival Block Party 2024, American Tobacco Campus, Durham
• 2nd Annual Adult Recess Festival, Fred Fletcher Park, Raleigh
• Party Y2K!, The Pinhook, Durham
• Appalachian Road Show, Cary Arts Center, Cary
• CaryLive!: Alejandro Aranda, Downtown Cary Park, Cary
• NC Courage vs Seattle Reign, WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary
• 2024 Music at the Museum Festival, featuring Tift Merritt and more!, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh
• Raulston Blooms and Plant Sale, JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• Master Class: Sirena Huang, North Carolina Chamber Music Institute, Raleigh
• LG Jordan Oil & Gas Co. 100-Year Open House Celebration, LG Jordan Oil and Gas Co., Apex
• Mordecai Heirloom Plant Sale, Mordecai Historic Park, Raleigh
• HerbFest, Festival Park, Wake Forest
• North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble (NCYTE) presents "Regeneration", The Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Simon Fraser, Room 861 at Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Bruce Bruce, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Raleigh
• Carolina Ballet presents: Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh
• 22nd Annual Birdhouse Competition, JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University, Raleigh
• 3 Bluebirds Farm Feather Fest 2024, 3 Bluebirds Farm, Garner
• Dueling Dinosaurs Grand Opening, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh
• Acorns and Iron Family Health & Wellness Event, Brier Creek Park, Brier Creek
• Lamp, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• Mozart's Requiem, Westwood Baptist Church, Cary
• North Carolina State University vs. Ball State Baseball, Doak Field (North Carolina State University), Raleigh
• Rising Stars, Jones Auditorium at Meredith College, Raleigh
• Spring Daze Arts & Crafts Festival, Fred G. Bond Metro Park and Boathouse, Cary
• The 11th Annual Festival of Legends, Jefferson L. Sugg Farm at Bass Lake, Holly Springs
• The 35th Annual Oakwood Garden Tour, Historic Oakwood, Raleigh
• The Postal Service & Death Cab For Cutie: Give Up & Transatlanticism, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, Raleigh
• The Raleigh Concert Band Spring Concert, LeRoy Martin Magnet Middle School, Raleigh
• The Taylor Party: The Ts Dance Party, The Ritz, Raleigh
• Unleashed’s Spring Fling Dog & Cat Fundraiser, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
• Big Jay Oakerson, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• Carolina Mudcats vs. Salem Red Sox, Five County Stadium, Zebulon
• NCCU Jazz Festival, NCCU - various locations, Durham
• Hometown (Inherited): Ten Year Retrospective, The Fruit, Durham
• RetroNoir Film Series, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Bluey's Big Play, DPAC, Durham
• Duke Baseball vs Florida State, Jack Coombs Field, Durham
• Bull City Yoga Festival, ZincHouse Winery & Brewery, Durham
• Durham Center for Senior Life 75th Anniversary Gala, Durham Center for Senior Life, Durham
• Angels Among Us 5k and Walk of HOPE, Duke University, Durham
• Bull City Madness, Recity Network, Durham
• 159th Anniversary Surrender Commemoration, Bennett Place, Durham
• Old North Durham Art Walk, Old North Durham, Durham
• High Performance Home Tour, Throughout the Triangle, Triangle
• Poetry in the Park, Eno River State Park, Durham
• Beats & Blooms, DSSOLVR, Durham
• Tall Glass and Sara Jean Kelley, Huron Stage Music Venue, Durham
• JZM Brazilian Jazz Trio, Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen, Durham
• Ghettorauchi Presents: Glorious Laughter, Durty Bull Brewing Co, Durham
• ADF Showings at Scripps: Jasmine Powell & Anthony Otto Nelson, Jr., ADF's Samuel H. Scripps Studios, Durham
• Waynard & Rainbow Full of Sound, The Blue Note Grill, Durham
• Live and Lux 1 Year Anniversary Party, Uncle Jessies, Raleigh
• Bull City Press Presents, Mettlesome Theatre, Durham
• Angela Bingham Trio, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• Metal Show: An Offering to Bragi, Moon Dog Meadery, Durham
• PARADOX: the essence of early rave, The Fruit, Durham
• UNC Baseball vs. Virginia Tech, Boshamer Stadium, Chapel Hill
• Pnltybx, Local 506, Chapel Hill
• Northside Festival, Northside Neighborhood, Chapel Hill
• Magical Hill Festival & Fairy House Contest, Chapel Hill Community Park, Chapel Hill
• Farm Interest Tour of Chapel Hill's LGBTQ Community Farm, Wildwoods Community Farm, Chapel Hill

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SUNDAY

• The 11th Annual Festival of Legends, Jefferson L. Sugg Farm at Bass Lake, Holly Springs
• The 35th Annual Oakwood Garden Tour, Historic Oakwood Garden Club, Raleigh
• Durham Bulls vs. Scranton/WB, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham
• Back to the Future Fashion Show, Durham Armory, Durham
• Renaissance Brunch Presents: The HIVE Hoedown & Brunch, Motorco Music Hall, Durham
• Soul Sunday w/ DJ Soul, Congress Social Bar, Durham
• Rooftop Yoga, The Willard, Raleigh
• ALOK: A Work in Progress, Raleigh Improv, Raleigh
• Carolina Ballet presents: Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh
• City Nature Challenge, Historic Yates Mill County Park, Raleigh
• Flight Attendant, The Pour House Music Hall & Record Shop, Raleigh
• Forest Commons Spring Art Show, Brown House Raleigh, Raleigh
• Four Seasons Signature Series: The Brilliance of Five, Hayes Barton United Methodist Church, Raleigh
• North Carolina State University vs. Ball State Baseball, Doak Field (North Carolina State University), Raleigh
• Raleigh Camerata Early Music Ensemble: Music of the Spanish Baroque, Cary First United Methodist Church, Cary
• The Night Rider Presents: Johnny & the Man Kids, The Night Rider, Raleigh
• YMCA Kindergarten Celebration, YMCA Camp Kanata, Wake Forest
• Carolina Mudcats vs. Salem Red Sox, Five County Stadium, Zebulon
• HerbFest, Festival Park, Wake Forest
• High Performance Home Tour, Throughout the Triangle, Triangle
• NCCU Jazz Festival, NCCU - various locations, Durham
• RetroNoir Film Series, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Duke Baseball vs Florida State, Jack Coombs Field, Durham
• Bluey's Big Play, DPAC, Durham
• Sandlot Revival, Historic Durham Athletic Park, Durham
• Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's, Lula & Sadie's, Durham
• Durham Underground Market, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Soul Cocina cooking class, Il Laboratori by Melina's pasta, Durham
• Pancake Pop-Up + Prints-4-Prince Pre-Party!, LouElla Wine, Beer & Beverage, Durham
• Sip and Solder Stained Glass Workshop at Hi-Wire Brewing, Hi-Wire Brewing Durham, Durham
• Trinity Park Garden Tour: Celebrating Nature in City Gardens & Landscapes, Trinity Park Gazebo
• Duke Chapel Evensong Singers, Duke University Chapel, Durham
• Seed Theory Permaculture Mini-Series, Glass Jug Downtown, Durham
• ADF Showings at Scripps: Jasmine Powell & Anthony Otto Nelson, Jr., ADF's Samuel H. Scripps Studios, Durham
• Durty Bull Car Care Class, Durty Bull Brewing Co, Durham
• Candlelight: A Tribute to Queen, Hayti Heritage Center, Durham
• The Conjure’s 7th Anniversary Party!, The Pinhook, Durham
• J. Samuel Hammond Carillon Recital Series: Jonathan Lehrer, Duke Chapel Quad, Durham
• Chili Cook-Off for Living Wages, Carrboro Town Commons, Carrboro
• UNC Baseball vs. Virginia Tech, Boshamer Stadium, Chapel Hill
• UNC Baroque Ensemble & Consort of Viols, Person Recital Hall, Chapel Hill
• The Westend Bazaar, Parking Lot, Chapel Hill
• The Community Dinner, McDougle School Cafetorium, Chapel Hill
• Aaron Lee Tasjan, Cat's Cradle, Carrboro
• The Triangle Wind Ensemble Presents: LIGHTSCAPES, Cary Arts Center, Cary

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• This is a continuation post from Part 1 here (Day 0~9, Shikoku~Hiroshima) and Part 2 here (Day 10~18, Hiroshima~Shimane~Tottori/Misasa Onsen~Kinosaki Onsen)
• Refer to link for a map covering Day 19~23 here and Day 24 here.
• This post covers between Kobe (Day 19) to Osaka with multiple day trips out (Day 24).
• This trip occurred during Mid-November to Mid-December (autumn season).

Day 19 – Kobe, Maiko Promenade, Akashi-Kaikyo Exhibition Centre/Bridge (Hyogo)
Made an early rainy start from Kinosaki Onsen towards Kobe via the limited express Hamakaze. As it was a very early departure (~0712), the owner kindly prepared my breakfast in a bento setbox which I was appreciative of, so that I can have my breakfast on the train. The ride down to Kobe took ~2.5 hours which was pretty long, though by starting the day much earlier, I maximize the amount of productive time I have for the remainder of the day. After dropping my luggage at the hotel, I made my way backwards to Maiko to visit the Akashi-Kaikyo Exhibition Centre which details the construction process in making the longest suspension bridge in the world [until recently]. Engineering folks would be interested in the details of maintaining such a bridge. Just beside the exhibition centre, the Maiko Promenade provides access a small section of the suspension bridge lower deck– it is really windy (and noisy with traffic rumbling above you) there!
The main item for the day was to join the Bridge World exhibit tour, which consist of a safety briefing, a site walk along the suspension bridge maintenance deck and taking a lift up to the bridge pylon i.e. the tallest point of the bridge. The entire tour costed 5k yen and took about 2 hours. Although the tour is entirely in Japanese (it is chaired by their own engineers), there is an English audio guide provided for you to explain certain aspects. My own opinion is that while the audio guide covers the main aspects, the extra tidbits/trivia mentioned by the engineers are not included (so its an added bonus if you have some Japanese listening comprehension). Also, you will need to be able to climb up some stairs so if you are unable to, you’ll have to give this a hard pass. The exhibit tour runs between April to end-November so you’re out of luck if you come during winter [I asked one of the staff why there was no session planned between December and March, and his response was that it was “too cold” to conduct said tour].
After the tour, I took a highway bus back to Sannomiya/Kobe. Incidentally, it was dinner time and a friend suggested that I try out Kobe beef since I’m already there. Although most steak establishments there require a prior booking ahead of time, I managed to find one named Mouriya that accepted walk-ins. In a word, it was delicious– a pain to the wallet at 12k yen no doubt, but its worth trying out at least once for the experience.
After dinner, I walked around the area on the way back to the hotel. To the hotel in question for the night, the La Suite KOBE which had a direct view of Kobe Harbor. One thing I have noticed while planning this entire trip is that there are very few 5 star hotels in Japan, and when I saw this and the offer price, I just decided to go with it just for the experience. After staying here for a night, I now understand what it takes to be considered as one, from getting a personal room tour by the hotel staff to extravagant room sizes to bottled ‘designer’ mineral water to jacuzzis. I must disclaim however, by saying that 3-stars hotels in Japan are typically very good for the value proposition. A great place to crash the night, if you have the money to splurge.
Day 20 – Kobe Maritime Museum, Himeji Castle/Koko-en (Hyogo), Minoh Falls (Osaka)
Breakfast at this hotel is done differently from other hotels – instead of a buffet spread, the hotel staff wheels a table directly to your room and you get to eat it in solitary peace – that certainly was a first for me. Before checking out, I made a stop at the nearby Kobe Harbour to visit the maritime museum and the earthquake memorial park . What I find surprising about the museum is that it wasn’t entirely about maritime/shipping/vessel stuff, instead, there’s one large section dedicated to Kawasaki [think bike/shinkansen manufacturer] and a special exhibit on Hatsune Miku. While I personally didn’t mind it I thought it feels like a misnomer to call it a ‘maritime’ museum. Spent about 3 hours at the harbor area. Kobe Tower was down for maintenance when I visited.
After checking out of the hotel I zipped over to Himeji, left my luggage at the JR station lockers and proceeded to explore Himeji Castle and Koko-en. There was a discount ticket set for both attraction so I went with that. Himeji Castle is pretty well documented here so I’ll just keep it short and say that it was worth the visit. Ditto for Koko-en in the autumn; both places took me just around 2.5~3 hours.
After that, I zipped down to Osaka via the Shinkansen, deposited my luggage at the hotel before heading over to one last destination – Minoh Falls. I have last visited this place years ago during the day and wanted to see for myself how the autumn illumination was like. To be frank, it was alright, though on reflection I feel it wasn’t fully worth the time to walk all the way to the falls (I clocked just north of 46000 steps which was one of the highest daily record).
Lastly, the hotel in question for the next 5 nights is the Vessel Inn Namba, a ~2 minute walk away from Dontonbori and Namba station (which I would argue is THE major transportation artery in Osaka beside Umeda). Although the room was rather small at ~14m2, for the pricepoint of ~9k yen/night and its convenient access to major transportation nodes I thought it was value for money.
Day 21 – Ise Jingu , Futamiokitama Shrine, Toba Aquarium, Mikimoto Pearl Island (Mie)
NOTE: Day 21, 22 and 23 utilizes the 5-day Kintetsu Rail Pass+ [=/= JR PASS] (which covers free bus services at Ise and Nara).
Day trip over from Namba to Ise. Took the first express train out of Namba at 0600 and arrived at Ise Station just after 0800. The overall routing was as follow:
Namba Station train to Ise Station bus to Ise Jingu Okage Yokocho bus to Futamiokitama Shrine bus to Toba Aquarium Mikimoto Pearl Island Shimakaze ride back to Osaka
Brief notes for the places as follow:

• Ise Jingu is labelled as one of Japan’s most important shrines, and the scale and grandeur of it, along with the sheer local crowd drives home that point pretty well, though I would note that visitors cannot enter the actual inner shrine (it is fenced off and is restricted for private events). Got a goshuin for my efforts. Takes at least an hour to walk at a leisurely pace to cover.
• Okage Yokocho is your typical shopping street (equivalent to Kamakura’s Komachi-dori). They do have their specialty lobster crackers that makes for good souvenir gifts.
• Futamiokitama Shrine is essentially a Shinto shrine with two rocks on the sea (Meoto Iwa). There’s a bit more historical context to it related to their gods, and there was quite a sizable amount of local tourists. An hour is more than adequate here.
• Toba Aquarium is not bad with quite a varied set of exhibits, though I would still put Osaka Aquarium above it overall. There were quite a number of live shows which would cater well to families. ~2 hours is recommended here.
• Mikimoto Pearl Island was a minor surprise for me - while I wasn’t a fan of pearls, there was some education exhibits such as how pearls are created, some pearl-related artworks and a live Ama diver demostration. There’s also a sales gallery if one is inclined to buy pearl ornaments. You could think of it as a glorified Mikimoto advert. I spent about 1~1.5hours here.

The final item for the day was to ride Kintetsu’s ‘special’ limited express Shimakaze back to Osaka-Namba. Seat was plush and extremely comfortable, though the main draw was the on-board café carriage which served food. I had curry for dinner and … it was alright; not terrible but nothing special to write home about. I suppose its more for the experience of dining on a train. Nevertheless, I enjoyed unwinding on my seat as the train whizzed past the countryside back to Osaka under cover of darkness. Booking a seat on the Shimakaze is competitive especially for the unobstructed first-row seats facing the conductor; you should book via the website immediately after reservation slots are open (a month in advance).
I wouldn’t recommend this day trip to first timers in particular, in large part because of the long travel time (~2 hours one-way with the limited express train to/from Osaka) as well as the multiple bus connections between destinations. It can be punishing if you do not time your bus connections well.
Day 22 – Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha (Nara), Uji, Fushimi Inari (Kyoto)
Spent the morning in Nara, afternoon at Uji and evening/night at Fushimi.
I had a pleasant time strolling around Kasuga Taisha in the morning just before 0800 which was near Todai-ji; it was a relatively quiet affair walking along the shrine. After that, a quick stroll over to Todai-ji. The crowd started to pick up pretty quickly after 0930 though so do arrive early to beat the crowd. The main temple itself isn’t large, but do cater for more time if you want to explore the surrounding temples and parks. Also, you could feed those deer crackers but they can be pretty aggressive so do mind them. I spent about 2.5 hours just walking around two aforementioned attractions.
After Nara, I zoomed up to Uji via the JR Nara line to explore Byodo-in and crossed over the Tachibana River to Uji Shrine and Daikichiyama Observation Deck. As the main attraction in Uji, Byodo-in was understandably the most crowded of all, but crowd management was done well and it didn’t feel as cramped as Kiyomizudera or other major hotspots in Kyoto. There was another separate queue to enter the temple building proper, but I wasn’t in the mood to queue so I just took some photos from the outside. Outside of the temple, I enjoyed viewing and purchasing some tea while walking along the Uji river, and making a short trek up to the observation deck to view the entire town.
Finally, I made an evening/night play for Fushimi. This would be my second return trip to here, and it was still an enjoyable hike up the mountain. Crowd is substantially lower compared to day time so I would propose putting this place as one of your last destination for the day. Moreover, as you make your way up the mountain to the top of the shrine, the crowd level does reduce considerably too. The view of the city from the mid-point was pretty nice. Paths are generally well-lit so there is no visibility concerns at night.
Day 23 – Arashiyama, Kinkakuji, Ginkakuji, Kyoto Manga Museum, Kyoto Railway Museum (Kyoto), Den Den Town, Abeno Harukas (Osaka)
An (almost) full day at Kyoto, with the night spent at Osaka.
With an early start at 0630, the routing for northern Kyoto was as follow:
0630 train from Osaka Arashiyama bus to Kinkakuji bus to Ginkakuji, Philosophers’ Path bus to Kyoto Manga Museum bus to Kyoto Railway Museum Aoniyoshi train ride back to Osaka at 1630

• Without droning this point again and again, going to Arashiyama early morning is a major boon – crowd levels at 0745 was comfortable even at the bamboo forest, though I note that things start to pick up at around 0900. I would encourage making a short trek up the hill to the vantage point facing Arashiyama and the Oi River – the view is worth the hike. Also, Tenryu-ji is a good stop if you’re already heading over here. Just these two alone took about 2~2.5 hours.
• Buses in Kyoto are covered by the subway+bus pass at 1.1k yen, or via Suica/Icoca. While bus frequencies are frequent at ~10 minute intervals, the main concern is actually being able to get up on the bus (you are jostling for space with locals and foreigners). Do allocate some spare time in the event you are forced to miss a bus.
• Kinkakuji was EXTREMELY crowded when I visited during the ‘peak’ time of 1030, in part because of a combination of tourists and local school students visiting at the same time. The temple was pretty, and it was an okay walk around the area, but that’s about it. Got a goshuin for my troubles however. It took me about an hour to explore the place.
• Ginkakuji was the same story as Kinkakuji, but with a notably reduced crowd level (I was there at 1230) – I guess it wasn’t as flashy as Kinkakuji thus people aren’t that interested?) Nevertheless, it’s the same story – nice structure, but that’s it. Another hour spent here, with a goshuin for my efforts.
• Philosopher’s Path is mediocre during autumn. Barren trees, no activities going on. I suppose its offseason (its probably better to visit here during spring or summer instead).
• Kyoto Manga Museum was a sleeper hit for me – having some interest in manga, I spent nearly 2.5 hours here browsing through mangas from the 1970s+, as well as going through the exhibits. There was a seasonal exhibit showcasing the development and advancement of manga/comics in Africa which I thought was well done. Manga fans are going to have a blast here.
• Kyoto Railway Museum also didn’t disappoint with a ton of train replicas, old models, train dioramas, steam locomotives and even an active roundhouse platform! My only regret was that I had to rush through the entire museum in 1.5h in order to catch my return train – you should plan for at least 2-2.5 hours to properly savour the place. The museum was designed to cater for families, but even solo travellers like myself would have no shortage of things to look and learn.

My personal pick would be the two museums unironically – those appealed to the kid in me.
The return trip from Kyoto to Osaka is done via Kintetsu’s Aoniyoshi sightseeing train which travels back to Osaka-Namba via Nara. Similar to the Shimakaze, the seats are extremely comfortable and faces towards the window, allowing you to just unwind and look outside. There is also a café carriage which sells rail merchandise and some sweets/desserts. I got myself a coffee and an ice cream sandwich which was great. For purchase of this sightseeing train, you can buy the limited express reservation on the Kintetsu website – demand for this is also quite high so book as early as you can. However, for solo travellers, you need to buy TWO limited express tickets –an adult seat and a child seat (at half price).
I was still feeling alright after lounging on the sightseeing train, so I decided to spend the remainder of the day shopping at Den Den Town for anime related stuff, as well as the nearby Abeno Harukas for the observatory point (Harukas 300). Personally, Den Den Town has that gritty, unfiltered feel to it which I loved. There was not much crowd at the observatory at night (~2040), and I was able to view the Osaka skyline unobstructed. Great place for couples hangout. Dinner was a pork tonkatsu by a chain restaurant named KYK within Abeno Harukas – it was delicious (at a hefty price tag of 3k yen)!
Just like the Mie day-trip, this routing is punishing with multiple buses to connect, destinations scattered across Kyoto, and a long walk (clocking north of 40k steps again) - I would not recommend this routing to first-timers. Moreover, this demands an early start – late end to the day which is not everyone’s cup of tea either.
Day 24 – Osaka Aquarium (Osaka), Kyoto Station (Kyoto)
This was my free day where I had nothing planned specifically, so I went to do some anime-related shopping at Kyoto Station in the morning where there was a pop-up Kyoto Animation store. I also shipped a package home via JPpost. I enjoyed wandering around Den Den Town and Taito Station, playing some of the arcade games. Lastly, I made a stop at the Osaka Aquarium – this was my second time here and I had a great time gazing at the mega fishtank in the middle which housed the whale shark.
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If you’re still reading, thanks for powering through! Parts 2 and 3 took a while to write - I am not sure when (and if) I have the time to write on Ishikawa (Kanazawa, Noto Peninsula) and Tokyo/Chiba, but I would highly encourage visiting the outskirts in your return visits! Do let me know if there is anything I can do to improve the remaining write-up. Cheers!

“Deadly Attractor” (TOC)
by P. Orin Zack
[2003]
 
Chapter Twelve
 
… Los Angeles …
Peter was getting depressed. For the second day in a row, he found himself with nothing to do but worry about the trouble he was getting himself into. Once again, court had been adjourned early, and once again, he’d ended up staring bleakly into his building’s lobby.
“The way things are going,” he told himself, “either I’ll start abusing HealthTech’s Interactives myself, or I’m going to quit LAMM and look for another job, preferably in another city, maybe even on another planet.”
Resigned for the moment to his doom, he went inside and rode the elevator up to his office. Thankfully, Nola wasn’t around this time, so he didn’t have to put up with her permanently pleasant personality. On the other hand, two other employees were there, which meant that anything he might accidentally say to them in passing would soon sprout into some malignant form of office ivy, spreading and mutating until it threatened to suffocate him in a disturbing reflection of his publicly inadequate life. In self-protection, he held his tongue rather than answer any of their trick questions. No wonder he preferred holodramas to reality.
Burying himself in the symbolic flux of his MedNet display, he tuned out the world and fell to randomly applying filters, changing his orientation and generally zooming aimlessly around the dataverse in search of the meaning of life. He was happily lost in that realm when a familiar but indistinct voice intruded.
“Stop screaming at me!” the voice pleaded.
Judging from the muffled echo, it wasn’t anyone nearby, so it couldn’t have been intended for him. Besides, he hadn’t said anything to anyone since he’d walked in. Still, there was something uncomfortably familiar about that voice, and he was certain that it wasn’t owned by anyone at LAMM.
Curious, he sat back, blinked a few times and adjusted to the light beyond the display. Since whoever was yelling still hadn’t stopped and gone away, he stood up and started walking towards the main entrance.
“I said, shut up!” it snapped.
The voice was much clearer and stronger now, so someone was evidently loose in the lobby. As Peter approached the door, it struck him that the fact that this could even happen ought to disprove Lenny’s theory about subliminals in the feeds. He was just beginning to enjoy the potential freedom from paranoia when he opened the door and saw a rumpled man shaking the convenience newsreader in the air. When he turned towards him, Peter snarled and stomped angrily across the lobby.
“What the hell are you doing here, Lenny?” he said. “Are you stalking me or something? And why are you screaming at the newsreader?”
Lenny tossed the thing disgustedly onto a nearby chair and looked Peter in the eye. “Well, for one thing, it won’t turn off.”
Peter shook his head in dark amusement. “It’s not supposed to, you idiot. It’s advertising. But that doesn’t explain why you’re here, or why you’re making a scene.”
Lenny glanced around the room. “I told you yesterday, I’m looking for the source of the subliminals.”
Peter frowned. “And that brought you here?”
“Yeah,” Lenny said. “And the ones on this floor are particularly annoying.”
Peter looked around. “Well I don’t hear anything.”
“That is the point, Peter, or do I need to get you a dictionary?”
“All right, all right. But how do you know? Do you have some tech with you?”
Lenny shook his head. “Don’t need any. I can hear them myself. In any case, I need to talk with you about this.”
“Sure you do,” Peter said, trying to calm him down. “Just not here. I have enough trouble with my co-workers as it is without you adding to it. I’ll tell you what. Griffith Park worked out okay last night, so how about there?”
Lenny nodded in agreement. “Outside, over by Galileo, at eight.”
“Great,” Peter said sharply. “Now get out of here.”
 
… Halifax …
By the time Alex got back to the hotel, Mara had already told their mother what had happened to Uru G’danic, and was just finishing a spirited exchange with Pegwin about the adventures she’d had that day. He quietly put his gear away and pulled one of the really ugly chairs over, so they could sit across from one another.
Mara looked up at him after completing the call. “Mom’s worried about how G’danic’s death will affect the ANO Summit. Since it starts on Monday, it’s too late for them to do much about what had been planned. Someone will have to take G’danic’s place at the various events he was scheduled to attend, but what about the session he was going to moderate? Without his influence, without his ability to see through the differences among the participants, the momentum that has brought the organization this far will just vanish. There’ll be chaos.”
“Maybe not,” Alex reassured her. “I spoke with one of the building designers at the construction site. She’s convinced that, on another level, in the DreamTime, G’danic agreed to what happened to him, and that doing so means that it was extremely important for him to let others take over at this point.”
Mara looked dubious. “I don’t think so, Alex. What happened to him was more like you falling down in the middle of a fancydance and claiming that it was for the good of the competition. No. I think what G’danic was doing was far too important to him to give it all up, consciously or not, just before finishing both his book and inaugurating the organization’s new home.”
“There is something we can do,” Alex said solemnly. “I was planning to get his book out as soon as he’d finished the final edits. Since that’s not going to happen, I can finish the clean-up myself and get copies to the membership before the Summit ends.”
“Okay. Where is it now?”
He thought for a moment. “I guess it’s in his private data drop. He gave me access, so all we need to do is log in and get a copy. I can work on it from here if I have to. Do you have your pad with you?”
“Sure,” she said, nodding. “Hold on. It’s in my pack.”
A few minutes later, Alex had logged through to G’danic’s data drop, and began scrolling through the contents of his project areas. Since he wasn’t familiar with G’danic’s filing system, he had to open some of the files to see what they were. The longer he spent examining lists and opening files, the more erratic his breathing became. Finally, he set Mara’s pad down and looked at her.
“It’s not there,” he said flatly. “I didn’t find anything related to it either. Not his draft, nor his notes. Even the raw interviews that went into some of the sections are missing. Someone has gotten into G’danic’s supposedly secure data drop, and removed everything related to his book.”
Mara shook her head. “So now what? Who else had access to his drop?”
“This one?” Alex said lightly. “Nobody. Just the two of us.”
She looked down briefly. “Would he have kept a copy on media? Or even at another location for security?”
“Possibly, but that’s not something you leave clues about if you’re concerned about it being found. We’ll have to get into his home and office to know for certain.”
Mara nodded in agreement. “Where’s that?”
“Lambarene, I think, in the Central African Union. Feel like taking a trip?”
 
… Los Angeles …
Peter spotted Lenny leaning against the bust of Galileo when he got off the bus at Griffith Park that night. “All right,” he said as he approached, “what were you screaming at?”
Lenny turned to face him. “The damn building security system. It was trying to deafen me with those so-called subliminals.”
“Yeah, you already said that. So what were you in such a hurry to tell me?”
“I’ve been tracking them for some time now, and I’ve concluded that the subliminals are being layered onto the com system somewhere in your building.”
Peter shook his head. “You’re repeating yourself. You already told me about the ones in the building.”
Lenny looked around before answering. “Not those. I mean the messages they use to control the public.”
“Who is that anyway?” Peter said. “You never told me who they were.”
“The point is,” Lenny said irritably, “that the subliminals in your building are special. Normally, they’re set up to dispel conflict, to keep people calm and orderly. In your building, though, there’s something else. If I make a pest of myself anywhere else, the local system adds some extra messages to get me to leave. In your building, though, it goes into overdrive, especially on your floor. And the only reason to do that is to protect something important.”
“Like what?”
Peter smiled. “Like the gear used to lay them into the public com channels. I think it’s hidden somewhere on your floor.”
 
“Are you sure it’s both of them?” Cynthia yelled over the scream of her flier’s laboring engines.
They’d been airborne for almost twenty minutes, and she was getting pretty annoyed with all of the harebrained maneuvers she’d been forced to make. Flying through the crowded airways in the L.A. smog on manual was challenging enough when you actually had a destination. At least then you could plan your route changes in advance. While the autopilots around them quietly discussed following distances and avoidance maneuvers among themselves, Cynthia had to weave through it all with little more than a sharp eye, quick reflexes, and a finely tuned psychic sense of when to get out of the way.
What they were doing, however, was the closest she’d come to intentional suicide since her life was first trashed. After loudly thrashing out the possibilities back in the Angeles Crest, they finally agreed that in order to spring Apuérto from the MedCenter, they’d need some additional help, but they didn’t know if Peter, the juror with the black book, would be willing to risk having his life trashed as well. Peter was the key to their plan, because he worked at a place with easy access to the MedCenter’s datafeeds.
Finding him, however, was proving to be a problem, because the court’s rules blocked personal information about the jurors. Fortunately, there are some things that psychics can do that aren’t common knowledge. One of them is a variation on psychometry. Since Frank had met with Peter, he could use the feel of his aural signature to locate where he was at the moment.
Well, that was the theory, anyway. In a psychically quiet place, it was possible to lock onto a person’s location and use it like a homing beacon. With all of the psychic noise in L.A., though, the best Frank was able to get was an erratic sense of direction from where they were. So while Cynthia kept them alive amid the aerial chaos, Frank waved his right palm around, searching for their quarry, and calling out directions. It didn’t take too long for him to get a fix on Peter, but as they got closer to his location, Frank became aware that wherever Peter was, Lenny was, too.
“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “And judging from the direction we’re going, I think I know where they are, too.”
“Where’s that?” she said, peeling out of the traffic pattern long enough to avoid the wash from a merging vehicle.
“The observatory; Griffith Park Observatory.”
Rather than following the air lanes to the observatory’s parking field, Cynthia peeled out of line and hovered for a few seconds over the sculpture garden.
Frank pointed at one of the big marble busts below them and motioned for her to land. “That’s them over there. Play the obnoxious tourist and barge right in.”
Amused at his choice of tactic, Cynthia nodded agreeably and adjusted her grip on the controls.
As the flier descended, a number of people from across the grounds looked up, and started drifting over to where it appeared they were going to land. By the time they touched down, a small crowd had accumulated, and all eyes were on the latest addition to the museum.
Peter looked nervously at Lenny, then around at the crowd in preparation for beating a hasty escape.
Frank opened the door. “Peter! Lenny! Both of you, get in!”
Once they were inside and the door was closed, Cynthia revved the fans and lifted back into the air.
“What’s this about, anyway?” Peter asked.
Frank twisted around to look at him. “We need your help.”
Lenny gazed out the window. “Politeness? Well, that’s a switch. Ask your friend at the controls how we met.”
Frank turned to look at Cynthia. “What’s he talking about?”
She stifled a laugh. “So I attacked him in an elevator. Big deal!”
Peter leaned forward. “Are you two crazy? Pulling a stunt like that landing will only draw attention to us. It’s bad enough that we—”
Cynthia cleared her throat loudly. “It’s okay. They won’t remember what you look like.”
Peter looked first at her, and then at Frank.
“Trust me,” Frank said, amused at his reaction, “she can do it.”
By this time, they’d rejoined the traffic pattern, and were headed towards the Angeles Crest. Rather than strain his voice against the intermittent jerk and roar of sudden maneuvers, Peter sat back and waited.
When they finally landed in the Angeles Crest canyon, Cynthia opened her door and got out to stretch, while the others sat in stony silence. Finally, Frank spoke. “Look. I apologize for interrupting your party, but there’s a lot more at stake here than your privacy.” He turned. “Cynthia’s been on the run from these people for a year now, I’ve been branded a psychic mauler by the news; the whole jury’s liable to be discredited for covering for me, my friend Jerry’s in BioStabilization, and who knows what else. We think we have a line of what’s going on, and need your help to prove it. Get out. We need to talk.”
A short time later, after they’d all gathered near the stream, Frank took a deep breath. “If we’re going to get anything done, we’ll have to share what we know and see how it all fits together. Obviously, we’ve each come at this from a different direction, and we each have our reasons for being involved. But none of us knows what we’re really up against.”
Peter shook his head. “Yeah, right. So what do you need me for?”
“We’ll get to that,” Cynthia said calmly. “First things first. We do know some things. For example, from watching the flow of events on the psychic side of things, I know there’s a group out there messing with causality. According to Lenny, they’re using some kind of technology to do it. That means money, and probably a government connection, so the ‘Department of Improbable Events’ conspiracy theory has some traction.”
Lenny nodded. “I told Frank that Apuérto’s seen their operative.”
“And if he has,” said Frank, “then we need to find out who it is. That’ll lead us to whoever’s behind this.”
“Good luck,” Peter said sarcastically. “How are we going to do that? Frank said he needed the guy transferred to Kübler-Ross to probe him, and they’re not planning to do that anytime soon.”
Frank smiled. “No, but we are. That’s why we need your help.”
Lenny looked skyward. “So you’re going to what? Sneak into a high-security area of the MedCenter, make off with the administrator, and ferry him over to the Hospice for a look-see?”
“Not exactly,” Cynthia said lightly. “The MedCenter’s going to transfer him to the hospice, then we bring him here.”
Peter laughed. “Oh, now that’s a much simpler plan. How were you going to do that?”
“With your help,” Frank said. “If you can get us into the medical monitoring facility where you work tonight, and Lenny can get past the MedCenter’s security layer, we’ll write him some transfer orders.”
Lenny groaned. “Won’t someone notice? Like perhaps that agent I told you about?”
“Not,” Cynthia said slyly, “if his data feed stays active. I’ve been around those places enough to know how badly they communicate. There’s no reason for any of the staff to go into BioStabilization unless they’re putting someone in, or taking them out. They just check the data feed. If it says he’s there, then he’s there.”
“Hmmmm,” Lenny said, warming to the ploy. “Okay. How are you going to do that?”
“I’ve got a friend in BioStabilization,” Frank said. “Well, his body is, but I’m not sure where his mind wandered off to. They’ve got his station set up to show a bogus consciousness trace. I found out he’s not really in there when I sneaked in and attempted a scan. That’s when they threw me out. Anyway, we’ll do the same thing for Apuérto, only he won’t be there at all.”
Peter nodded slowly. “That’s doable. I can re-route a data feed from some other patient, and run it through a randomizing filter so they don’t match up exactly. But how does that get him here?”
“Once he’s been delivered to the hospice,” Frank said, “one of the admins, a friend of mine, will do some logistical hanky-panky, and we can take him out for a trip with nobody the wiser. Once we have him here, Cynthia and I can probe his memories and find out who that agent is.”
Lenny thought for a moment. “And then?”
“What do you mean, ‘and then’?” said Frank.
“I mean,” Lenny said dramatically, “what do you do with him after that? Do you bring him back to the hospice? To the MedCenter? Wake him up? What?”
“Well,” Peter said, “once you’ve identified the agent, he’d be expendable to them, wouldn’t he?”
“He certainly would,” Cynthia said flatly. “And if he’s dead, he can’t very well testify, now can he?”
“You’re right,” Peter agreed. “But if we keep him alive, and get him to court, I’m sure the jury could find a way to twist the investigation in the agent’s direction.”
“Sure,” Lenny said offhandedly, “assuming that you could convince him to testify. But why would he do that? After all, you’ve kidnapped him, after a fashion, after attacking him in open court!”
“Not a problem,” Frank said.
They all looked at him.
“Trust me,” he said. “It’s not a problem.”
“Why not,” Peter asked finally.
“Simple, really. If they’ve been manipulating the MedCenter for their own purposes, he’ll be overjoyed to get back at them. Especially after I’ve tweaked his memories a bit.”
“Tweaked his—?” Peter began. “But won’t someone know?”
Frank laughed. “Who’ll know? I’m the jury’s testimony monitor, and I’ll never tell.”
“So, uh,” Lenny said, a bit reluctantly, “when do we do all this?”
Cynthia stood up. “We start right now. Tonight, we go to Peter’s place of work, get into the MedCenter’s system, log the transfer orders, and schedule the deed for Saturday, during the night shift. Then tomorrow night, when they pull him off support, Peter will be waiting at his end, ready to patch in the bogus data feed. Once the transport team leaves him at Kübler-Ross Hospice, Frank and I grab him and bring him up here. Any problems?”
“Yeah,” Peter said. “What do you do with him after you’ve woken him up, assuming you can even do that. You’ll have to keep him under wraps until you spring him on the court.”
Frank looked around before speaking. “We’ll manage.”
 
… Interlude in Los Angeles …
They never told EV, when he took the most amazing job in the world, that he could never tell anyone outside the TPC about it. In the two years since he’d joined, he’d gone through the kind of training that would pass for a paranoid’s dream in the halls where he spent most of his time these days.
Still, there was compensation for that trade-off. It just wasn’t in money, that’s all. Covert operations required secrecy; they required a low profile, and profligate spending was hardly a good way to not be noticed. Of course, it would have been possible to avoid detection by using the tech he now cradled in his right hand, but that same tech made his own actions evident to those he worked for. It was ever so in a paranoid’s dream.
The TPC had recruited him earlier than most. They’d sent him a cryptic invitation to a job interview, instructions, and a flight to Australia. Once there, once he’d seen the tech in action, the choice was simple. It didn’t really matter what the organization actually did, either. The fact that their purpose was benign, that they’d been around for as long as they were, and that they’d been so successful in achieving that purpose, only served to eliminate the need for him to overcome any qualms he might have had in joining. As it was, the choice was simple. They wanted him, and he wanted in.
Unfortunately, even the most spectacular experience, the most amazing job, can get stale over time. And that made the autonomy he had all the more tantalizing. While his colleagues kept a close watch on their charge, while they kept the risk of uncontrolled conflict at an almost imperceptible level, EV preferred to let events ride long enough to see where they were really headed, to let those behind them show their hand and make the kinds of errors that he could use to stop not only them, but anyone stupid enough to emulate them.
One thing did bother him, though. In a way, the game was fixed. Subliminal messages were buried in just about every kind of communication channel. On their own, those assurances that the world was the safest it had ever been, those suggestions to obey the rules and to not make trouble for others, had begun the process that people like him completed. The way he saw it, doing that was like drugging the world into an obedient stupor. It didn’t affect their lives much, but it did keep the level of potential conflict so low that only a sparse force of agents like him could handle the rest.
And that was why this particular project, this knot of impending conflict, was so intriguing. He’d been watching it develop for some time, and it had now, finally, reached that luscious moment when it was about to bear the kind of fruit that his organization found so distasteful. The small group of people he’d been watching so carefully had at last chosen to act. On their own, and for various reasons, they had all minimized their exposure to the subliminals that would have defused their anger and frustration, that would have gentled them into letting it go rather than using it to solve the problem they were faced with. He’d made a conscious choice to keep from looking down the path this group was contemplating until now. In a way, doing that evened the odds, made them more his equal, made the task of handling the situation more exciting.
EV smiled faintly at the people hurrying past his station on their way to saving lives, some of whom he’d placed in peril himself. Then, he pressed his thumb against the bisected sunrise design on the small device he held. It read his print, confirmed his identity, and engaged the combination of psychic shield and destabilizer that made his job possible. As the field winked into existence and surrounded him with a virtual version of the shielding used by Healers in the treatment rooms of a Hospice, he experienced the rush that made it all worthwhile, the indescribable sensation of waking into, and out of a dream at the same time.
When he first felt the tingling hum run up his spine like dozens of icy fingers, he arched his back and welcomed the comfortable feeling of enveloping warmth caused by the synergy of the destabilizeshield combination. Then, in flowing slow motion, he partly dissociated from the world of his senses and gradually became aware of another, less rational environment, a murky fluid that showed patterns in its flow.
He was now perched between two realities.
On the one hand, he was partly phased out of the normal consensual context that we all think of as normal, waking reality. If anyone walking past were to look at him carefully, and if the lighting was right, they’d be able to see through him. He could still see the hallway, still see the oblivious faces filing past, but to him it seemed more like a dream, and less like anything to be concerned about. The psychic shielding prevented even trained psychics, if any were so bold as to be in such a place, from noticing that anything out of the ordinary was happening.
On the other hand, he could also see a short distance into the TimeStream. This was the hypothetical fluid in which events flowed into one another, the place that causality calls home. A good bit of the training had been taken up in learning how to not only experience this realm, but how to read it and manipulate it as well. In a way, it was like water flowing along a streambed. The flow of events past your portion of it, which meant those taking place in close geographical proximity, were like ripples and eddies in a stream. Major events, things that had the potential to change the flow of history, would be like splits in the current. Such things could even create an alternate flow through this medium, but that was purely theoretical, and none had ever been observed. More likely were the kind of events that he was here to deal with, and these would appear as obstructions in the medium, and as the shock waves that were built up before the obstruction, like a standing wave that warned boaters of a boulder in a watercourse.
From here, an agent of the TPC could reach through the TimeStream material with an ethereal imaginary hand, and touch events at a different point in time. In other words, with the tech beneath his thumb, EV could peer into the future, could see what lay on each side of that obstruction, what the results were of choices made by the kind of people the poet Arthur O'Shaughnessy once called movers and shakers. But more importantly, he could also adjust the strength of each branch of the current, and thereby force the outcome of that choice. This could also be done for what others might consider chance occurrences, which meant it was possible to cause improbable events to happen. The feeling of power was intense.
So, when EV saw the standing wave before him in the ethereal current of the hypothetical TimeStream, he knew that its vee-shaped pattern was the signature of an impending choice of events. When he reached toward it, and touched through to the consensual reality on each side, he could see, alternately, the group he was tracking either succeeding or failing. And, of course, their failure was what he was there to ensure. Either way, their small act did not appear to affect the larger flow of events, because no matter what they might do, it could be corrected.
But there was something else, something he hadn’t expected. When he reached through the tip of the vee to see what lay at the core of the split, he saw himself.
 
… Saturday; En Route to Libreville Hub …
Mara was beginning to wonder if her brother’s predilection for disreputable airlines and uncomfortable hotel rooms was some kind of fashion statement. His choice of air carrier for the trip from Halifax to Lambarene was nearly as dreadful as the one that she and Pegwin had flown in on from Los Angeles. At least this one had the saving grace that it was based in one of the member states of the Organization of Aboriginal Nations, which meant they got a discount.
Still, a discount on an uncomfortable seat in a plane bound for the tropics couldn’t be all bad. The warm climate in Los Angeles had been a shock when she first moved there, especially considering the difference in climate from her family’s Mi’qmaq tribal digs up in Newfoundland. But she’d gotten to like the warmth, and was actually looking forward to seeing what it was like at the equator. Well, close, anyway. Libreville — their destination hub — was just north of it, and Lambarene was a tad farther away on the southern side of the line.
They were scheduled to land just after a breakfast of whatever passed for airline food on this plane, and the crew had already started preparations in the galley. Mara was sniffing the air, trying to identify what they’d be having to eat, when the pilot interrupted the background environmental audio.
“Excuse me, folks,” he said, in a heavily accented French-African baritone. “We just received a weather alert. There’s a developing tropical storm ahead. We’ll be skirting it to be on the safe side. If we see any turbulence, we’ll let you know in enough time to get back to your seats and secure them. Enjoy your breakfast.”
Alex peered out the window for a while, and then turned his attention back inside the plane when their synthetic omelets arrived. “That’s strange,” he said.
“What is?” Mara asked while seasoning her yellow mush.
He gestured towards the window. “I don’t see any storm. I wonder where it—”
Suddenly, the plane lurched up, and then dropped onto what felt like wet porridge.
“This is the pilot again. Sorry about that bump. In case you hadn’t guessed, we’ve found some rough air that didn’t show up on the display. Please return to your seats and secure them. Thanks.”
Alex steadied his plate and looked out the window again. “I still don’t see anything, Mara.”
Since the ride smoothed out after that, everyone went back to what they were doing, which in Mara’s case was trying to figure out what was in the omelet. Sniffing didn’t seem to help, and the flavors were too well mixed for her to pick out any she could recognize, so she shrugged and finished what was left.
Shortly after the flight crew reclaimed the plates, the audio feed stopped yet again, only this time there was just silence. After a long moment, there was a sharp crackle, and the pilot said, “Hang on!”
Before his second word had a chance to fade, the plane shuddered loudly and the left wing rose precipitously. The plane seemed to slide off an invisible shelf, twisted right and then shot up without changing its angle. While the passengers clung to their seats, the flight crew struggled to secure whatever loose gear had begun flying about before dealing with their own safety. The turbulence continued like this for several nerve-wracking minutes, then the feel of it abruptly changed. Instead of being tossed about like the empty balls in a bingo machine, the motions of the plane subsided into something more like the controlled chaos of an errant organ under BioStabilization.
The erratic motion of the plane didn’t stop until they were on the ground, and they heard nothing further from the pilot, not even the traditional welcome to their destination. While the rest of the passengers were simply relieved to have landed safely, Alex anxiously waited for the cabin to empty out so he could speak with the pilot.
Finally, as the last of the people behind their seats filed past, Alex and Mara got up to leave. They stopped near the cockpit door and Alex asked one of the flight crew if he could speak with the pilot briefly.
A short while later, the door opened, and a very exhausted man peered out, his uniform soaked with sweat and his hands shaking. One of the flight crew helped him to a nearby passenger seat, and brought him some water. He looked up at Alex.
“Thanks for getting us through that safely,” Alex said. “What happened?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure. Normally, after laying in the course, there’s only the occasional mode change or update to deal with. Sudden weather might force a change to the flight plan, but for the most part, the flight control systems handle the details. This was weird, though. The display showed weather up ahead, but I couldn’t confirm.”
Alex nodded. “I wondered about that. It looked clear to me, too. So what was it?”
The pilot looked at the cockpit door. “Possibly clear air turbulence. But if it was, we still shouldn’t have had a problem. The emergency autopilot is supposed to be able to counter any kind of turbulence. It kicked in automatically, as it should have, but instead of steadying us, it magnified the problem. But that’s impossible. When I realized what was happening, and decided that the plane would break up if it continued for much longer, I over-rode the safety system and finished the flight on manual.” He rubbed his hands. “It was like that all the way down.”
Mara smiled at him. “However you did it, I’m sure we all owe our lives to you. Thanks.”
“One other thing,” Alex said suddenly. “I thought nobody bothered to learn to fly these things on manual any more. How is it that you knew how?”
He grinned weakly. “Luck, I suppose. I fly manual craft in rallies for a hobby. It’s been a sore spot at home, but I think my wife will forgive the expense, now, though.”
After thanking pilot and crew again, Mara and Alex headed into the comfort of Libreville Hub, and looked for directions to the local transport services. Alex had started walking towards one of the air-limo kiosks when Mara grabbed him by the shoulder.
“Could we use ground transport instead?” she said quietly. “After that flight, I don’t think I want to risk flying right away.”
Alex turned to face her. “You know,” he said solemnly, “it might not have been an accident.”
“What?”
“That turbulence, and the way the safety system worked – or failed to. Remember what Frank told us? If someone arranged G’danic’s accident to stop him from speaking at the Summit, then arranged for his so-called ‘treatment,’ they might not want his book to get out either. If that’s why there weren’t any copies in his secure area, then whoever it is might want to stop us as well. You’ve got to admit, that incident with the emergency autopilot was pretty improbable, maybe even impossible.”
She looked at him. “So what do you want to do?”
“Get there as soon as possible. That means by air. But considering what just happened, let’s see if we can find someone who can fly on manual.”
Mara nodded, and they continued to the row of air transport kiosks. It took them nearly an hour to first find a service that would admit to having a driver who could fly on manual. Then, there was the problem of convincing her to take their fare.
“What do you mean, you don’t want my money?” said Alex in frustration.
The woman smiled broadly and shook her head. “I couldn’t take it from you, really.”
Mara examined her closely, hoping for a clue. They’d started the discussion near her service’s kiosk, but the driver had slowly drifted towards the terminal exit, and she and Alex had followed. Suspecting a reason, she put a hand up in front of her brother’s mouth to silence him. “Would you prefer to discuss this outside?”
The driver nodded, and walked purposefully through the door and into the sunlight. “Now then, she said. Why is it that you would like a trip to Lambarene with the automatics turned off.”
“Well,” Alex said unsteadily, “we just had a rather improbable failure of the aircraft’s automatics on the way here, and the pilot’s ability to fly on manual saved our lives. I’d like to stay with a good thing, that’s all.”
“Is that all?” she said, amused. “That’s not a problem. But I still won’t take your fare.”
Alex threw up his hands. “But why not?”
She looked at him strangely. “Because I’d prefer a ticket.”
“I don’t understand,” Alex said, in hopeless confusion. “A ticket to where?”
She shook her head. “Not to where; to what. To the next fancydance competetion! I know who you are, Mr. LeBlanc. I’ve seen the dancers you’ve sponsored on holo, and I want to see the event in person.”
Both Frank and Mara fell into a fit of relieved laughter.
The driver stepped back slightly. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Frank said, catching his breath. “A ticket’s fine. I can do that. Now, can we go?”
“Sure,” she said. “Follow me.”
Their first stop in Lambarene was Uru G’danic’s office, where he’d done most of the work that went into the writing of his manuscript. Due to their working relationship, G’danic had authorized Alex’s access to every place he had an ID lock, and that included his office in the south end of the Schweitzer Center complex. Alex said his name to the door’s biometric unit, and then whispered something at it too low for even Mara, who stood nearby, to hear, and the door slid aside.
It was a spartan space, and held little more than a workstation, a place to rest, and storage for supplies and extra media. Alex repeated the ID process to unlock the workstation, and asked it to show him several areas, none of which contained what he was looking for.
He looked up at Mara. “Nothing here, sis. Not a copy of the manuscript, not any of his working files. And it doesn’t know about any on offline media either. I guess we check his home, next.”
A short time later, at a quiet complex on a residential street, they entered G’danic’s apartment, and gasped. It had been ransacked. Someone on a mission to prevent the publication of that book had overturned the place. They pored through the debris, but didn’t locate anything useful. After completing his second examination, Alex stood in the middle of the dead man’s bedroom and stared at the wall.
“Now what?” Mara asked gently.
He shrugged weakly. “I don’t know. There’s no book. No manuscript to recover it from. Nothing. We might as well go home.”
 
(TOC)

“Deadly Attractor” (TOC)
by P. Orin Zack
[2003]
 
Chapter Nine
 
Whenever Lenny got to a new city, he made the rounds of all the public cafés. As far as he was concerned, you really didn’t have to rub shoulders with those in overt positions of control to get a sense of the social dynamic in a place. That was why he sought out the café where the unobserved nexus of public concern hung out. You couldn’t identify the major players by their jobs, their clothes, or much of anything else that people usually associated with being connected. It was more a matter of how the social networks themselves were stitched together.
Most people’s family, friends and associates inhabited only a small subset of all the interwoven social networks that made up the human ecosystem. Some, though, were different. For whatever reasons there may be, a few individuals in every city were perched at the spots where a number of these networks intersected, and rarely did any of them have an inkling about how important they really were. One thing was common among them, however, and that was their need to be sociable in a variety of ways. Because of this, some of their time would always be spent in the public commons, at places where people from disparate social networks mingled, namely public cafés such as the L.A. Pastry Parlor, which was located a block from the courthouse where he’d been spending so much time recently.
Because he was so bothered by the incessant subliminals in the com, Lenny preferred to stay with friends rather than at hotels while traveling, and to get his news from a flexysheet rather than having it read to him by a talking head on one of the feeds. That made the cafés doubly useful, because they provided one of those as well.
At the moment, he was sitting alone at a table surrounded by other, more populated ones, his chin resting on the thumbs of interlocked hands, engrossed in a background report about the Organization of Aboriginal Nations. It appeared that their hopes for a sedate gathering at next week’s summit were in doubt, owing to the construction accident that had sent one of the central players in that part of the human ecosystem to Dartmouth MedCenter in Halifax. He was studying a photograph of the organization’s nearly completed headquarters building when someone fell into the chair across from him.
“There’s news,” she said solemnly.
He looked up at the carefully unkempt young woman. “You’re really going to have to stop doing that, Vanessa.”
She sat back. “Doing what?”
Lenny gestured at her. “Making yourself look like some holodrama extra. If you don’t want people to notice you, you can’t go around with a perfectly balanced look. Trust me on this, symmetry is something that people notice. So what’s the news?”
Vanessa glanced towards the courthouse. “Remember that case we were working the other day? They had a MedCenter administrator on the stand this morning, and somehow or other, he just keeled over in the middle of testimony. Unconscious. Rumor has it that the jury’s snoop had something to do with it. After all, he was poking around the man’s mind at the time.”
“Hmmm.” He cocked his head. “Sanroya must have spooked someone.”
“Well,” she said, “then I guess it was a good thing you had me snatch those glasses of his.”
Lenny nodded. “Yeah. Not having that degree of personalized access has to make him harder for them to control.”
“So now what?” she said.
“Now I see where it leads.”
“Huh?”
He smiled. “I think I’ll pay a visit to East-Side MedCenter. As a patient, of course.”
“A patient?” she asked. “How?”
Lenny folded the flexysheet and set it down by his coffee, then pressed the circle at the center of the table to open the embedded com. “Watch.” After turning the laser target towards him, he waited for it to locate and lock onto his eyes. A moment later, the directory agent appeared to hover in front of him. “I’m sick,” he said.
HealthTech had spent an enormous amount of time and money to weasel its Interactives into the public consciousness. Ubiquitous advertising made certain that anyone capable of speech would know how to get medical treatment from them. All you had to do was open any two-way com and tell it that you were sick. So when Lenny uttered that two-word sentence, the unit placed a connection with their Interactive Diagnostic System, the café was credited for the referral, and the MedCenter’s partially unzipped DNA strand logo faded into view.
The only problem with using a public com for this kind of call was that those near enough to listen in tended to quickly leave the area, lest they catch whatever it was you were about to report. Their sudden departure was likely to draw attention to you, but it also gave you a measure of public privacy. Lenny enjoyed watching the dynamic take hold, and waited until the commotion died down before looking back into the laser’s virtual image.
By this time, the system had identified him, courtesy of the retinal map stored in his MedNet record, and had selected from the stock of diagnostic agents. Of course, if he’d been a regular user of the system, it would have had a chance to refine the interface by adjusting the agent’s personality or even switching to a different one. At least, it might have had a fighting chance if Lenny didn’t act differently each time he needed it. Consequently, each time he called it up, the Interactive started over with a randomly selected agent. Today’s choice was a middle-aged Asian gentleman in a shiny silk diagnostician’s uniform. Lenny cringed briefy at the sight.
“You okay, Lenny?” Vanessa, of course, couldn’t see the laser-generated image painted on Lenny’s retinas, so she had no idea what had caused the reaction.
He nodded. When the agent, who asked to be called Mr. Han, finished reciting the legal boilerplate and asked what the problem was, Lenny simply said, “I hear voices.”
‘Han’ paused for a suitably human time, then said, “How long have you heard these voices?”
Lenny made a point of visibly thinking. “About a year now.”
“Where do you hear them?” One of the well-known techniques used by the HealthTech Interactive was to lead the querant through the history of the symptoms being reported, so that it could observe the subconscious reflections of the remembered experience in the person’s manner, voice and eye movements.
“Pretty much everywhere. Elevators, building lobbies, commercial and private com.”
‘Han’ nodded. “Do you understand what they are saying?”
“Yes.” Lenny stifled a smile, because while ‘Han’ posed the question, the subliminal was reminding him to ignore itself.
“That’s very interesting, Mr. Aroun. What do these voices say?”
“Different things in different places, and at different times.” Lenny said, baiting the verbal hook. “At Columbia Spaceport, for example, they might say things like ‘Stay calm,’ and ‘You are safe and secure.’ In stores, they’d tell me not to steal. Things like that.”
Because the system’s heuristics library started with the assumption that such voices couldn’t possibly be real, none of the question sequences they explored led to any useful results. After all, the voices he was reporting did actually exist, he experienced them as coming from specific places, and he could recite verbatim what they said, especially the ones making it difficult to hold a conversation with the non-existent Mr. Han.
Eventually, having exhausted all of the diagnostic pathways emanating from his initial complaint, Han thanked him for participating in HealthTech’s diagnostic service, and requested that he report to the East-Side MedCenter, where his session was being forwarded, and to its professional staff who would be ever so pleased to assist in returning him to good heath.
To Lenny, the combination of legal coverage and public relations wordsmithing would have been laughable if it weren’t so repugnant. Of course, nobody else could hear the subliminal counterpoint to all that blather, so they didn’t realize how controlling it really was. Fortunately for Lenny, though, if you could hear the so-called subliminals, they didn’t affect you, at least not the way they were supposed to.
He pushed the tabletop com back into its recess. “Now, then,” he said, getting up, “I guess I’d better accept their invitation to spy on them.”
HealthTech’s Interactive was a good example of how the networked economy used cascades of opportunity. Besides providing the café with a small payment for having facilitated the diagnostic session, it also placed a request for a private autocab to take him to East-Side MedCenter. Since the possibility of a lucrative payoff made the trip a priority, HealthTech paid a small sum to the cab company for special service. This not only got it to him in record time, but also gave it an edge in route and placement negotiations during the trip. The cab company, assured of a captive audience on a mission, typically used the opportunity to pitch a variety of goods and services of potential use to the patient, such as contacting relatives, or ordering any of the licensed accommodation upgrades available to those whose diagnostic session indicated the need for a room. Since Lenny only required testing, he was instead subjected to ads for restaurants, because after the arduous hour or two he’d be there, he’d clearly be in need of an overpriced meal. But, considering the subliminals layered over the messages, he thought a headache remedy might be more to the point.
Instead of leaving him by the main entrance, or in the nearby lot where the older facility had stood, the cab pulled into the MedCenter’s emergency services bay to let him out. As soon as the door closed behind him, it rolled back outside and headed for its next destination.
As he entered the building, the security system confirmed his ID with biometrics and offered up the patient ID tag he was to keep with him during his visit. It helped the system to keep track of where he was, and ensured that mix-ups didn’t happen. Since the MedCenter’s system was expecting him, it had already scheduled the test. All that remained was to wait for his turn in the queue, follow the directions to the testing room, and get it over with.
At least, that would have been the drill if he’d actually come here for treatment. Lenny, of course, was more interested in the less obvious parts of the MedCenter’s efficient process, the subliminals. When he first came inside, for example, they directed him to take the ID, and told him not to lose it or give it to someone else. And here in the noisy waiting area, it suggested that he spend his time enjoying any of the many activities that might lead to the sale of some product or service that HealthTech could get a referral fee for. Lenny found it suffocatingly commercial.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the ID in his hand to want his attention. Dutifully, he went to the information counter and was escorted by a bored employee into one of the testing rooms along a nearby corridor. Along the way, the subliminals reminded him to follow directions, and to cooperate fully with the staff.
So far, everything was as he’d expected it to be. Acting irrationally worked fine in public, and even in commercial buildings, but trying that tactic here wasn’t a very good idea. Instead, he’d have to make do with sampling the normal mix, and see if there were any unusual messages in the lot.
“Please take a seat,” the testing tech said as he checked the settings on a nearby display. When Lenny was comfortable, the tech swung a sensor rig into place and switched it on. “Okay,” he said. “The unit will project a sound source next to each of your ears in turn, and use a variety of sounds to determine how your middle and inner ears are working. Just sit back and relax. You don’t have to do anything during the test.”
Combining fractional sound waves into a complete waveform at a specified location was one of the more ubiquitous bits of simple tech around. If you weren’t at the target, you wouldn’t hear anything recognizable, so it could be used for such things as explaining the displays in museums, and even for sending covert messages, but it also found a home in hearing tests. Using this method eliminated the need to sterilize earplugs between patients, not to mention the cost of making and disposing of them.
While Lenny listened to a series of tones, acoustic envelopes and other sounds, the equipment detected movement of the tiny bones in his middle ear and compared it to what ought to happen if it was behaving properly. Discrepancies were pulled out of the data, analyzed, and corrective action suggested. Similarly, the waves traveling through his inner ear were mapped to locate any abnormality in the structure of the cochlea; and a neural scan compared brain activity to what was expected based on the stimulus.
Typical of MedCenter technology, the unit made it possible to know whether the physical and neurological basis of hearing operated according to spec, but told them nothing about how it was experienced by the patient. For that part of the test, they reverted to a variant of the ancient raise-your-finger method of feedback. Since the unit knew whether the brain was receiving signals about the sound, it could use other effects of the sound on the body to determine whether you consciously heard it or not.
There are some sounds that just make people squirm. By adding these to the audio stimulus, the testing machine was able to not only characterize your response curve, but to determine at what intensity it drops out of conscious reaction and becomes a subliminal annoyance. He wondered what they’d make of his readings.
Lenny found the fact that they wanted to know this bit of information almost as interesting as the spoken subliminals that kept distracting his attention during the test, especially the one reminding the staff to ignore the center’s special advisor.
 
Until recently, Peter deGiaccomo didn’t have much of a life, and because of that, the fact that he seemed to have somehow acquired one of late didn’t sit well with his co-workers. Peter was one of those innocuous office drones who filled his day with the endless minutiae of the job, his off-hours with a serial plethora of hobbies, and his world with the kind of casual acquaintances that wouldn’t really notice if he never spoke with them again.
Consequently, when a stranger stopped him one day outside the building where he worked, and asked if he could get some information about a suspected murder, he froze in panicked indecision. It was clearly one of those turning points in life, a moment whose outcome would determine whether he would get caught up in a rising current of events over which he had no control, or remain safely embraced by the comfortable life that had grown up around him. Or at least that was how it usually went in the holodramas.
When court was adjourned for the day and the jury was released, Peter grabbed his book and went out for a long walk. He picked a restaurant at random for a leisurely lunch, and then continued on his unplanned way. Eventually, he ended up a few blocks from work, and decided to stop in for a while.
Peter wasn’t entirely sure why he’d chosen to help the man. It certainly wasn’t the kind of thing he’d think himself capable of. Whatever the reason, though, he had agreed, and his life hadn’t been the same since. For one thing, just working up the nerve to look in parts of the dataverse he had no normal interest in seemed to have had a lingering effect. The hobby he’d been toying with for two months suddenly stopped interesting him, and he started casting about for another. The same thing happened with the strangers he’d thought of as friends. In any event, life had changed for him that morning, and the pace of those changes was getting more intense by the day.
When he first got the notice to appear in court, he thought that spending a few days on a jury would give him a chance to get away from all the recent strangeness in his life. But then the man re-appeared, this time asking him to violate the rules of the court by seeking answers to the murder mystery from witnesses to the civil case he’d been assigned to. Then, when the man didn’t show up to get his answer, a woman appeared out of nowhere with a way to escape from his ethical quandary: enlist the jury’s psychic for the task instead.
He lingered outside the building for a moment, standing at the spot where the woman had stopped him that morning, and looked up at the grimy expanse of synthbrick facing intended to give it the kind of solid appearance appropriate to businesses like LAMM, the medical monitoring service he worked for. Then he gazed through the window into the lobby he walked through several times each day, and wondered how much longer that might be the case. The realization that this was yet another reason to need perspective brought his gaze back down to the black book in his hand.
In a way, he was thankful to her, whoever she was, because she’d given him a way to distance himself from the trouble he was certain waited for him around the next turn. At least, that was how he felt when he’d gone to court that morning. But when he thought about what happened to Administrator Apuérto on the witness stand, when he stared into the possibility that he might have been instrumental in causing that to happen, he wasn’t so sure.
Forcing all that from his mind, he entered the lobby and rode the elevator up to his workplace. The lounge area was deserted when the doors slid open, but it wasn’t silent, because someone had left the convenience newsreader running. As he passed the chair it was sitting on, the filtered stream of medical and public relations news stopped, and an ad for a new restaurant featuring the specially engineered plants and animals shipped to the GD colony at Atlan came on. The thing was still talking to itself when he opened the main door to LAMM’s half of the floor, and was surrounded by the gentle sounds of the piped-in environmental background.
Since LAMM wasn’t the sort of business that did any walk-in trade, it didn’t have a formal reception area. Instead, they gave the most junior staffers stations near the entrance, and figured that they would deal with anyone who happened to walk in. Consequently, people tended to pretty much come and go as they pleased, and the only way to know whether someone was even supposed to be there was to check the schedule. Peter, of course, was the exception to all this at the moment, because it was common knowledge that he’d been called for jury duty, and Apuérto’s attack was leading the local feeds.
“Hi Peter,” said Nola, a heavyset woman in her mid-40’s. “We weren’t expecting to see you back here today. What’s up?”
He shrugged. “Nothing really. I just missed playing with the data filters, and dropped in to see if anything needed my attention.”
Nola laughed lightly. “Since when was there ever an emergency around here? Look, if you miss the place that badly, I won’t tell anyone that you violated vacation day rules. Go on. Git!”
The holo display on his desk was idling when he walked over to it, morphing the company logo through various filters in emulation of the kinds of work that the business did. He waved his hand through the virtual image as he sat down, causing it to stop, and enabling the unit to read his prints. A moment later, his preferred entry view of the medical dataverse sprang to life.
Peter sat for a while, just staring into the virtual depths of the ocean of information characterized by the intricate pattern before him. Looked at in this way, he could see the logical network of MedCenters, each represented with meaningful colors, shapes, transparencies and sizes, as well as a glowing fog representing the myriad individual patients being diagnosed, admitted and released from them. All of it was in motion, reflecting the current state of the world as seen through the nonexistent eyes of the MedNet.
His job, at least as he attempted to describe it to people with other interests, was to play with this imagery in various ways, searching for the sorts of patterns that clients of the company paid to know about. Of course, to most people, looking for patterns meant nothing more than the kinds of analysis any good bot could perform; things like matching against static prototype structures, or even easily describable moving waveforms. And while there were plenty of useful insights to be drawn from such activities, they didn’t reveal the more subtle sorts of dynamics caused by the fact that all of the elements that made up the image represented people, and that people interacted in ways that weren’t evident in the MedNet. As a result, a lot of what he did involved computational dynamics and simple human intuition. Well, perhaps not simple, because the sort of intuition this required was more of an acquired perspective, something that thrived in the nether region between art and science.
Among the tools at his disposal was a collection of what were best described as filters, if only because the result of using them was the generation of a different view of the data. Knowing which ones to apply, and to which part of the data, was why they needed people like him. So, taking a deep breath, he leaned into the holofield and prepared to sculpt the numbers.
The first step was deciding which aspect of the dataverse to work with. Normally, he started his sessions by fiddling with the MedCenters themselves, looking for patterns in the populations passing through them perhaps, or maybe the kinds of treatments being performed over time. The court’s focus on patient transfers had made him curious about the patterns hidden in the swirling iridescent fog that surrounded the glowing MedCenter embers, so this time he began by hiding the MedCenters from view. What remained suggested the idea of a radioactive fog in the presence of bits of dark matter. You could see the fog swirling around the missing bits, implying their existence, but the motion seemed to be responding to too many other influences for him to maintain the fiction for very long.
Some of the swirling fog represented people being diagnosed by HealthTech’s Interactive; other parts of it were people being released or having outpatient trajectories; and yet others represented those few being transferred between facilities. The constant repetition of data about transfers in court had gotten tiresome, so he removed them as well. That left a much finer tracery of people entering and leaving the realm of healthcare. Since none of their customers were much concerned about what people did after completing their visit, he cut that out as well, leaving the barely perceptible wisps of people funneling towards places like East-Side MedCenter.
The data density was now so tenuous that it was necessary to start employing other sorts of filters to highlight different aspects of the patterns they made. One major way to group these data points was by how their need for care had arisen.
Some were due to accidents and incidents. When he enhanced this part of the data fog, it traced out straight lines, some with tiny branchings when they entered the now-darkened area of the facility itself. This signified the linear path that diagnosis and treatment traversed in cases where there was an easily identifiable injury, as well as the complications arising during treatment.
Peter hid these tracings as well, leaving only the barest hint of a dataglow. What remained were all the people who made use of virtual diagnostic agents. Because of the circuitous nature of the process, the swirling paths traced by these datapoints indicated which portions of the diagnostic universe each patient’s session traversed. Concentrations of similar session paths, which looked like bits of flow in a fluid, signaled a commonality not necessarily of symptoms, but of the way they were described and pursued by the system.
The vast majority of diagnostic sessions were all for the same handful of complaints, and most of these never ended with the patient having to actually visit a MedCenter. Instead, they were typically told either to go home and get some rest, or to pick up a prescription and given care instructions. Dispensing with these left him with just the patients who were told to report somewhere. It was at this level of detail that the interesting patterns began to emerge, but because there were so few of them, most of the patterns were built up over time, and made use of the historical record as well.
There were a few customers, however, who were interested in the occasional anomaly, as opposed to certain patterns of activity. Since these data could be removed prior to doing the more onerous procedures, he augmented the few anomalies in preparation for handing them off and then hiding them. When he did this, one of the data items was specially highlighted by a preset requested by a customer here in town. Peter poked the rhythmically pulsating item with a finger to open the associated data record, and leaned back in his seat.
The patient, who had run his diagnostic session a few hours earlier from a public com, looked familiar. The man’s name was Leonard Aroun, and he had been told to report to East-Side MedCenter for further testing of some sort of hearing problem. Peter stared at the picture, which was the only bit of biometric data not heavily encrypted, until he realized just where and when he had seen the man. This was the leader of the courthouse protesters, the man whose associate had smashed Frank Sanroya’s glasses, and whose conspiracy sheet made him anything but the kind of person likely to make use of a MedCenter. In other words, there was something very wrong about this.
According to the session record, he’d already been tested and released, with a prescription for anti-psychotics and instructions. He found the man’s com account number, and placed a call.
When Aroun’s face appeared, he swallowed and said, “I’m one of the jurors on the case you’re demonstrating about, and I think we need to talk.”
Aroun smiled agreeably. “Okay, but not here. It will have to be in person.”
Peter thought for a moment. “Look, I’m planning to be at Griffith Park Observatory tonight, so meet me there at 8 o’clock. Okay?”
“Fine by me.”
With that, the connection abruptly ended, and so did Peter’s interest in finishing the work that he’d sat down to do. He dismissed the data record details, leaving the scattering of anomalies to float in the air before him. After idly gazing into the sparse human starfield for a few minutes, he pushed back from the desk, wearily rose to his feet, and trudged off towards home.
Although Peter usually made a point of being conscious of his diet, he was so distracted by the prospect of speaking with both the demonstrator and with Frank Sanroya that evening that he wasn’t even aware of having cleaned up afterwards. Instead of catching up on current research, which was his usual dinnertime distraction, he’d requested an orbital view of the Earth, and just stared at it. He supposed it was related to the reason he’d latched onto the book on trials, but this offered a different kind of perspective, more a matter of size than of history. In a way, he concluded after a time, it wasn’t much different from what he did at work. Only here, he was using a different kind of filter, and thinking about a different kind of universe. He wasn’t aware of the passage of time until the reverie he’d fallen into was broken abruptly by the insistent tone of his travel reminder: it was time to catch a bus to Griffith Park.
He passed the time along the way by eavesdropping on the various discussions going on around him, and imagining the traces that their wandering subject matter would leave in his holofield. Amused at the unplanned reflection of his worklife, he shook his head and turned to watch the traffic, but realized once again that all he really saw were the patterns. Perhaps he was in a rut.
When his bus reached the Observatory grounds, he checked the time, and found that he still had about fifteen minutes before his first encounter tonight with whatever unseen pattern it was that insisted on taking over his life. He joined the spray of people that were converging on the main entrance, and started a slow meander through the exhibit area. One of the displays caught his eye from across the room, so he stepped out of the slowly flowing current of tourists and made straight for the binary star system model at the section devoted to Atlan, the GD’s colony world in the Centauri system. In particular, he was intrigued by the slowly changing pattern of daylight and seasons caused by the planet’s two suns. According to the explanation, the resulting environmental differences were why the gentech labs had developed the special strains of food plants and animals that had become so trendy lately.
He was trying to recall the name of that new Atlan cuisine restaurant whose ad he’d passed in the lobby earlier, when a quiet voice spoke in his ear. “You wanted to see me?”
Peter took a half step away as he turned to face his visitor. It was Leonard Aroun, the demonstrator he’d asked to meet him here. “Yeah. I know I’m not supposed to read the MedNet records, but when—”
“Look,” Aroun said suddenly, “I don’t mind talking with you, but we really can’t do it in here. Do you mind if we go outside? The noise in here is getting to me.”
“What noise?” Peter said, and then pointedly waited for his echo to be engulfed by the seaside environmental feed. On their way towards the door, he kept glancing around to see if they were being watched.
“Don’t worry about them,” Aroun said, “in a public place like this, they’ll pretty much keep to themselves. By the way, I find it rather interesting that you’d pick the Atlan exhibit to look at.”
They’d stepped outside by this time, so Peter stopped and turned to face him. “Why? As I understand it, Atlan was explored and colonized through the force of a public groundswell of planetary unity, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new Global Directorate.”
Aroun laughed, and continued walking away from the building. “That’s a load of crap. It was psychological manipulation, just like the space race in the 20th century and the subliminals in the com.”
“Oh? Peter countered. “And I suppose deflecting those killer asteroids and dismantling the mountain on La Palma in the 21st century were done for psychological reasons, too?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Deflecting asteroids and defusing megatsunamis were probably the only useful things that came out of the Interregional Accords.”
Peter shook his head. “Okay, I’ll buy that, but what do subliminals in the com have to do with those things?”
Aroun took a breath. “It’s like this. Because governments need to control the people, they use audacious exploration projects like Apollo and Atlan for their psychological effects. It’s not like there were economic incentives for those space projects. They were created simply to focus popular attention on something the people were led to believe was important enough to be worth discarding other, divisive issues. You know, things like having a say in their own destiny. Little things like that. But if you think about it, there hasn’t been another project like those in the past century. And I say that’s because they’ve been using subliminal messages to accomplish the same ends.”
To Peter, the thought of controlling large numbers of people like that suggested images like the one he’d been playing with earlier at work. Sure, there were patterns to all the activity, but was it really possible to direct it so easily? He mulled the possibilities as they walked.
They’d reached the lawn by this time, and Aroun slowed his pace. “All right,” he said. “Enough of the small talk. What did you want?”
“Like I said,” Peter began, “I’m not really supposed to violate MedNet privacy, but I noticed that you had a session with the HealthTech Interactive today. Having read your flier, it just seemed a bit unbelievable that you’d do such a thing. So what’s your game?”
He shrugged. “You’re right. That’s private, and it’s not your business.”
“Actually, it is,” Peter said flatly. “I told you when I called that I’m on the jury of that case you’ve been haunting, and—”
Aroun crossed his arms. “And you just though you’d violate some laws and do some snooping on your own?”
Peter shook his head. “Actually, I was asked.”
“What?”
“Yeah,” Peter said. “Some guy approached me. He said he was investigating what he thought was a murder, and that he needed some information. Anyway, the accident reports I got for him didn’t help, so when he learned that I was selected for the jury on this case, he wanted me to ask the witnesses some questions for him.”
“And?”
Peter shrugged. “And nothing. He never turned up for an answer.”
“I still don’t see what you wanted to talk with me about.”
“Okay.” Peter glanced at the ground briefly, and then looked at Aroun. “This morning, after Dr. Apuérto’s attack, Healer Sanroya told us that he’d seen something suspicious in the man’s memories, that it looked like they’d been tampered with. He also said he plans to take another look once Apuérto is transferred to the Hospice Center.”
Aroun was getting impatient. “And?”
“Well,” Peter said, “my job is to look for patterns in the MedNet. Anomalies, too. And if you don’t mind me saying so, it seems pretty strange to me that someone spreading anti-technological conspiracy stories would intentionally try to gum up the diagnostic system like that. What were you trying to do, anyway? Get admitted to the MedCenter for a non-existent problem?”
“As a matter of fact, I was trying to get in there. But only to find out what subliminals they’re running.”
Peter shook his head in exasperation. “That again. Why?”
“Because they’re evil, that’s why. Or at least they’re being used for purposes that I don’t happen to agree with. Is that okay with you? Can I go now?”
Peter still wasn’t satisfied, so he persisted. “Not until you tell me why you’re really interested in these subliminals.”
“That’s personal. What I will tell you is this. I was tracking down the source of the messages, when I was attacked out of nowhere—” he stopped momentarily to stifle a grin. “—by a woman named Cynthia who said that whoever was planting them also has the tech to mess with reality.”
Peter frowned. “Like the article in your conspiracy sheet?”
Aroun nodded. “Worse. They also messed with my memories. I almost worked for them.”
“You—?”
“It’s okay, I quit,” Aroun said. “You’ve got to figure it, though. They must have a lot to hide if they’re that serious about protecting themselves against former employees.”
Peter thought for a moment. “So now what?”
“Like Cynthia told me, we join forces.”
 
(TOC)

For those who enjoy my horror writing, allow me to make you aware of a few recent additions to my horror oeuvre --
THE PACT - https://www.amazon.com/Pact-D-Madigan-ebook/dp/B0CYDFN96Q Sheriff Bobby Albrecht and Dr. Michael Drummond have been best friends since kindergarten. They have literally been through hell together. Now they find themselves trying desperately to track and stop someone the media calls The Butcher -- a serial killer who is slaughtering women in their small home town of Layton New York.
Yet The Butcher is no ordinary monster and Layton is no ordinary small town. Both Bobby and Mike strongly suspect that The Butcher is somehow a manifestation of their own darkest secret -- a dreadful act of supernatural vengeance they both took part in during Prom Night of their senior year of high school. If they do manage to find The Butcher, will the horror buried in their past be revealed for all to see?
Layton itself is a community riddled and rotten with corruption, depravity, deceit, and desperation. The Butcher's rampages are only the latest in a long series of gruesome, violent, bloody events that deeply stains the town's history going back to Bobby and Mike's early childhoods. Some of Layton's horrors are well known, like the outbreak of murderous violence that took place twenty years ago at Deputy Larry Miller's funeral. Others are kept more covert, like the wave of sexual terror spread by the charismatic recluse Ben Tarr amongst Layton's more attractive housewives and young boys... grotesqueries and abominations Tarr assiduously documented with photographs -- a dark trove of blackmail material that has been passed from hand to hand down the generations, often times through vicious and gory conflict.
Mass murders, erotic extortion, rampant infidelity, casual cruelty... all of these contribute to the darkness that imbues and infects Layton, a darkness that seems to have a mind and a will all its own. Can two old friends finally confront their childhood devils and bring their town once more into the light? Or will the shadows that are devouring Layton finally swallow them whole as well?
BETHLEHEM - https://www.amazon.com/BETHLEHEM-D-Madigan-ebook/dp/B0D1HKDWZW In 1955, the small Commonwealth town of Bethlehem was nearly conquered by an ancient vampire queen known only as Mother, and her Family of revenants. Because of the courage and ruthlessness of one 15 year old boy, Mother was driven out of Bethlehem... but now, she has returned, and this time, she is determined to have her way with the town. And her way is grim and dark and bloody.
Only four high school students are aware of Mother's presence in town, and the shadowy influence she has already begun to insinuate over Bethlehem's adult authority figures. Now, as bloody night follows bloody night, Mother's dark power, and her legions of Undead followers, increase. How can four kids possibly hope to stop her before she not only completely conquers their hometown, but establishes a supernatural capitol for vampires to gather, where the sun never rises?
I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL AND OTHER GHOULISH TALES OF TERROR - https://www.amazon.com/HELL-Other-Ghoulish-Tales-Terror-ebook/dp/B0CS3Y85ZH TEN TALES OF GHOULISH TERROR --
THE GOD OF HOOVES & ANTLERS -- Deenie returns to her childhood home to wrap up the affairs of her hated, now deceased grandfather, and discovers she has inherited far more than just an old farm...
CLOWNS -- Suddenly they're everywhere, with mysterious but malicious and homicidal intent. They can't be fought or in any way resisted or even evaded for very long, and when one takes you away, you're never seen again... but what do they want?
I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL - Professor Durst and his beautiful assistant Barbara have perfected a device for seeing the realm of the dead and speaking with its inhabitants. What could possibly go wrong with that?
A RAILROAD MAP OF ANTARCTICA -- The ice has melted, and the newly awakened denizens of the Antarctic continent have once more assumed their place at the top of Earth's food chain. What does this mean for humanity? Nothing good. What can humanity do about it? Pretty much the same thing...
COLLECTING -- When a guy named Wendell's racehorse breaks its leg and he can't repay his loan to the gangster Abu Daveen, Daveen sends his best enforcer out to collect the debt. But Wendell has a very powerful friend who is something of a collector himself...
THE KING ON THE DESERT, THE QUEEN ON THE RUIN - The world has been running down for a long time. Civilization has hovered on the brink of chaos and collapse for decades... but now, the End is finally here...
THE THINGS - Who are they? WHAT are they? No one knows. They smash their way into your house or lurk outside, waiting, invisible and ravenous, and if you survive a week after their coming, you've seen everyone you know and love devoured screaming all around you and you're only still alive yourself through blind, random luck... and you know that soon, your luck will run out...
IN TOO DEEP - When you find a mysterious set of stairs hidden underneath your father's barn... stairs that wind deep into the earth... what are you going to do? You're going to follow them down, of course, to see what's there. Bad mistake...
LIGHTBULBS - If you could ask God one question, what would it be? Four kids get the opportunity to do exactly that, and aren't thrilled with the answers they get...
KING'S ROAD - Five women -- a school teacher, an elderly museum curator, a jill of all trades, a tough as nails high school sophomore, and an ancient Haitian monster hunter -- must travel to the long abandoned campus of St. Elmore's School, out at the end of King's Road, to rescue their captured loved ones from the clutches of the ancient, malevolent witch-demon. But is it already too late?

For those who enjoy my horror writing, allow me to make you aware of a few recent additions to my horror oeuvre --
THE PACT - https://www.amazon.com/Pact-D-Madigan-ebook/dp/B0CYDFN96Q Sheriff Bobby Albrecht and Dr. Michael Drummond have been best friends since kindergarten. They have literally been through hell together. Now they find themselves trying desperately to track and stop someone the media calls The Butcher -- a serial killer who is slaughtering women in their small home town of Layton New York.
Yet The Butcher is no ordinary monster and Layton is no ordinary small town. Both Bobby and Mike strongly suspect that The Butcher is somehow a manifestation of their own darkest secret -- a dreadful act of supernatural vengeance they both took part in during Prom Night of their senior year of high school. If they do manage to find The Butcher, will the horror buried in their past be revealed for all to see?
Layton itself is a community riddled and rotten with corruption, depravity, deceit, and desperation. The Butcher's rampages are only the latest in a long series of gruesome, violent, bloody events that deeply stains the town's history going back to Bobby and Mike's early childhoods. Some of Layton's horrors are well known, like the outbreak of murderous violence that took place twenty years ago at Deputy Larry Miller's funeral. Others are kept more covert, like the wave of sexual terror spread by the charismatic recluse Ben Tarr amongst Layton's more attractive housewives and young boys... grotesqueries and abominations Tarr assiduously documented with photographs -- a dark trove of blackmail material that has been passed from hand to hand down the generations, often times through vicious and gory conflict.
Mass murders, erotic extortion, rampant infidelity, casual cruelty... all of these contribute to the darkness that imbues and infects Layton, a darkness that seems to have a mind and a will all its own. Can two old friends finally confront their childhood devils and bring their town once more into the light? Or will the shadows that are devouring Layton finally swallow them whole as well?
BETHLEHEM - https://www.amazon.com/BETHLEHEM-D-Madigan-ebook/dp/B0D1HKDWZW In 1955, the small Commonwealth town of Bethlehem was nearly conquered by an ancient vampire queen known only as Mother, and her Family of revenants. Because of the courage and ruthlessness of one 15 year old boy, Mother was driven out of Bethlehem... but now, she has returned, and this time, she is determined to have her way with the town. And her way is grim and dark and bloody.
Only four high school students are aware of Mother's presence in town, and the shadowy influence she has already begun to insinuate over Bethlehem's adult authority figures. Now, as bloody night follows bloody night, Mother's dark power, and her legions of Undead followers, increase. How can four kids possibly hope to stop her before she not only completely conquers their hometown, but establishes a supernatural capitol for vampires to gather, where the sun never rises?
I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL AND OTHER GHOULISH TALES OF TERROR - https://www.amazon.com/HELL-Other-Ghoulish-Tales-Terror-ebook/dp/B0CS3Y85ZH TEN TALES OF GHOULISH TERROR --
THE GOD OF HOOVES & ANTLERS -- Deenie returns to her childhood home to wrap up the affairs of her hated, now deceased grandfather, and discovers she has inherited far more than just an old farm...
CLOWNS -- Suddenly they're everywhere, with mysterious but malicious and homicidal intent. They can't be fought or in any way resisted or even evaded for very long, and when one takes you away, you're never seen again... but what do they want?
I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL - Professor Durst and his beautiful assistant Barbara have perfected a device for seeing the realm of the dead and speaking with its inhabitants. What could possibly go wrong with that?
A RAILROAD MAP OF ANTARCTICA -- The ice has melted, and the newly awakened denizens of the Antarctic continent have once more assumed their place at the top of Earth's food chain. What does this mean for humanity? Nothing good. What can humanity do about it? Pretty much the same thing...
COLLECTING -- When a guy named Wendell's racehorse breaks its leg and he can't repay his loan to the gangster Abu Daveen, Daveen sends his best enforcer out to collect the debt. But Wendell has a very powerful friend who is something of a collector himself...
THE KING ON THE DESERT, THE QUEEN ON THE RUIN - The world has been running down for a long time. Civilization has hovered on the brink of chaos and collapse for decades... but now, the End is finally here...
THE THINGS - Who are they? WHAT are they? No one knows. They smash their way into your house or lurk outside, waiting, invisible and ravenous, and if you survive a week after their coming, you've seen everyone you know and love devoured screaming all around you and you're only still alive yourself through blind, random luck... and you know that soon, your luck will run out...
IN TOO DEEP - When you find a mysterious set of stairs hidden underneath your father's barn... stairs that wind deep into the earth... what are you going to do? You're going to follow them down, of course, to see what's there. Bad mistake...
LIGHTBULBS - If you could ask God one question, what would it be? Four kids get the opportunity to do exactly that, and aren't thrilled with the answers they get...
KING'S ROAD - Five women -- a school teacher, an elderly museum curator, a jill of all trades, a tough as nails high school sophomore, and an ancient Haitian monster hunter -- must travel to the long abandoned campus of St. Elmore's School, out at the end of King's Road, to rescue their captured loved ones from the clutches of the ancient, malevolent witch-demon. But is it already too late?
​

Live Music

• Hendricks Band North Shores Community Center 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Heather Craig Crabby's Beachside 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• Crawford Boyd's Acoustic Anomaly North Shores Community Center 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• Joshua "Tennessee" Worthy Mill Top Tavern 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Joe Nash Pierre's Pub 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• TJ Brown The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Morrow Family Band North Shores Community Center 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Elizabeth Roth Tradewinds Lounge 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
• Davis Cook Colonial Oak Music Park 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Kat Archer North Shores Community Center 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Dewey Via Band Sabrage Charters of St. Augustine 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Sam Pacetti North Shores Community Center 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Vinny Jacobs Oasis Deck & Restaurant 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Big Papa Fish DJ's Clam Shack 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Carpetbaggers North Shores Community Center 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
• Fermin Spanish Guitar Marina Munch 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Mark Hart Tradewinds Lounge 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Cheryl Watson Kingfish Grill 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Duffy Bishop Band North Shores Community Center 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Jesse Cruce Mellow Mushroom — Anastasia Island 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Morrow Family Band Guy Harvey Resort 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• New Guys on the Dock Hurricane Patty's Bar and Grill 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm
• John Dickie North Shores Community Center 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Vegas Gray Tradewinds Lounge 9:00 pm – 1:00 am
• Bret Blackshear Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House 9:00 pm – 12:00 am

Fellowship of Christian Athletes 5K

• The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) 5K takes place on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Good News Church. This event serves as a fundraising effort for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in St. Johns County, an organization dedicated to using sports to engage and impact coaches and athletes.
• The race course starts and ends at the Good News Church and runs through South St. Augustine.
• The event offers participants custom race shirts (available to those who register by April 5th), goodie bags filled with giveaways, and medals for all finishers.
• For those looking to make more out of their racing experience, this event is part of the FCA 3 Race Series, which includes two other races in Neptune Beach and Fernandina Beach, providing participants with a discounted entry fee if they choose to participate in all three events.
• Admission: Registration fees are based on when participants register. Prices range from $30.00 to $40.00.
• When: Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 8:00 a.m.
• Where: Good News Church is at 1357 Wildwood Drive St. Augustine, Florida 32086

Amphitheatre Farmers Market

• The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market offers visitors a variety of goods such as local fresh produce, handmade arts and crafts, baked goods, plants directly off the farm, freshly-caught seafood, cheeses, and more. The farmers market makes for a morning of family-friendly fun with live entertainment on select dates.
• In addition to the impressive variety of organic produce offered by local farmers, a number of local artists and craftspeople also display their wares at the market.
• Admission: FREE
• Where: St. Augustine Amphitheatre located at 1340 A1A South St. Augustine, FL 32080.
• When: Every Saturday morning from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm.

Yoga in the Garden

• The Lightner Museum hosts Yoga In the Garden on the third Saturday of each month from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
• This yoga session is suitable for all, and each participant should bring a yoga mat or towel and water. An instructor from Serenity Yoga leads the session on the lawn of the Ridzinski Family Garden, on the south end of the building. This event is part of Lightner's 75th-anniversary celebration and recalls the days of Henry Flagler's Alcazar Hotel and its well-known spa facilities.
• Admission: This is a donation-based event, and there is no need to register.
• When: On the third Saturday of each month, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
• Where: The Radzinski Family Garden is behind the Lightner Museum at 75 King Street, St. Augustine.
• NOTE: Some dates may need to be rescheduled due to inclement weather.

Freedom Trail Trolley Tours

• Noted historian and author, David Nolan, with the Accord Freedom Trail Organization, conducts Freedom Trail Trolley Tours on select Saturdays, beginning on Saturday, February 3, 2024, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Subsequent tours will be Saturday, March 9, Saturday, April 6, and Saturday, April 20 — all tours begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 11:00 a.m.
• These public tours start at the Willie Galimore Center at 399 S. Riberia Street, where there is free parking for the attendees. David Nolan will point out places of historical significance in the fight for freedom in this country, including homes where Martin Luther King, Jr. sheltered during his time in St. Augustine.
• This tour is limited by the size of the trolley and reservations are required. For reservations, call (904) 599-7739.
• Admission: A $20.00 donation is suggested. These donations will benefit ACCORD, Inc. To reserve a seat, call (904) 599-7739.
• When: From 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., on Saturdays, February 3, March 9, April 6, and April 20.
• Where: The tour begins at the Willie Galimore Center, 399 South Riberia Street where there will be free parking. Please arrive by 8:45 a.m.

School of the 16th Century

• Historic Florida Militia presents the School of the 16th Century, at the Oldest House Museum Complex on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This annual event features period re-enactors portraying life as it was more than 450 years ago in St. Augustine. Visitors can see weapons and cooking demonstrations, while they learn about many facets of 16th-century camp life.
• Educational and entertaining at the same time, this historically authentic event is ideal for the whole family, with training drills and interpretations going on all day. Visitors can browse displays of 16th-century artifacts and watch soldados (Spanish soldiers) shoot the Matchlock Arquebus, the predecessor of the musket. Guests can participate in pike pushes and sword fighting, and see live demonstrations of 16th-century cooking, and bead jewelry making. Textiles and period clothing will be on display.
• Admission: The event is free.
• When: Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: The Oldest Museum House Complex is on 14 St. Francis Street in St. Augustine, Florida 32084.
• The School of the 16th Century was postponed from February 17 to April 20, 2024.

Tolomato Cemetery Tour

• Located on the site of an early 18th-century Franciscan Indian mission to the native Guale people, this Catholic cemetery dates back to St. Augustine's early history. Public access to the Tolomato Cemetery is limited, due to preservation concerns, to the third Saturday of each month, when guided tours are given from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• The Tolomato Cemetery was the final resting place for people from a wide variety of cultures - Spanish, Cuban, Greek, Menorcan, African, Irish, and Haitian, just to name a few. It was closed to burials in 1884.
• The Tolomato Cemetery served as the parish cemetery for what is now the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine for more than 100 years. Though some 1,000 St. Augustinians are buried in the cemetery, there are only about 100 grave markers. What is known about who is buried there comes from the parish death records. The Cathedral parish and the Diocese of St. Augustine still own, maintain, and protect the cemetery.
• Some of the historically important people buried in the Tolomato cemetery are Bishop Agustin Verot, the first Bishop of St. Augustine, Governor Enrique White, who served during the Second Spanish Period, and General George Biassou of Haiti. Also buried here are the first Sisters of St. Joseph and Civil War soldiers from both sides of the conflict, including Freedmen who fought for the Union.
• Father Felix Varela of Cuba, who as a renowned teacher at the Cathedral of Havana seminary was an outspoken defender of human rights, and who later published the first Spanish-language newspaper in the U.S., was buried at Tolomato in 1853. The distinctive small white building in the cemetery is his chapel, built in his honor.
• Admission: Free, and donations are encouraged.
• When: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month.
• Where: The Tolomoto Cemetery is located at 14 Cordova Street, St. Augustine 32084

Lullaby of the Rivers Festival

• Lullaby of the Rivers celebrates Earth Day with a festival on Saturday and Sunday, April 20 - 21, 2024, at the North Shores Community Park in Vilano Beach.
• Local singesongwriter Bob Patterson, and organizeactivist Carol Kramer, have used Bob's award-winning song "Lullaby of the Rivers" to create an Earth Day festival featuring regional musicians, storytellers, and environmental organizations.
• "Lullaby of the Rivers" is a tribute to Florida's rivers and their heritage. In his folksy storytelling style, Patterson invites listeners to embrace the Native American tradition of environmental responsibility by remembering that Florida's great rivers — including the Apalachicola, Ichetucknee, Ocklawaha, and Kissimmee — carry the names they were given by the native people.
• In addition to two days of musical entertainment, the event will include an Earth Day Resource Fair with activities for kids, sustainable food tastings, and environmental organization presentations. The mission of the Lullaby of the Rivers Festival is to "awaken and nurture connections to nature in gatherings of all ages by using music and stories that inspire environmental awareness and consciousness."
• Logistics
• Admission: General admission (for all aged 16 to 65) is $10.00/day. Active military, first responders, and seniors (65 and up) can get in for $5.00. Those 15 and under are free.
• When: Saturday, April 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Where: North Shores Park, 120 Meadow Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084. This park is in Vilano Beach, a few blocks north of the town center.
• How to get there: From St. Augustine, cross over the May St. Bridge to Vilano Beach, turn left at the light onto Coastal Highway, and turn left again on Meadow Ave. The park is located on the right. Park by the fenced area or across A1A at Surfside Park.

24th Annual Riding Into History

• On Friday and Saturday, April 19 and 20, 2024, the 24th Annual Riding Into History will take place in St. Augustine. With hundreds of antique, vintage, and custom bikes from all over the country on display, the event features exhibitors, motorcycle dealers, and food and entertainment. There are special rides for participants, as well as a dinner celebration on Friday night.
• Motorcycle enthusiasts can participate in this event in multiple ways.
• Friday, April 19
• Grand Marshals' Historic Vintage Grand Tour begins at 9:30 a.m. Motorcyclists who have received an invitation will ride their vintage bikes through the back roads of historic Florida from the Renaissance Hotel parking lot in World Golf Village. All participants for this event must have vintage motorcycles and pre-register, as space is limited.
• The 2024 Grand Marshal is Henry DeGouw, a motorcycle racer and team manager, born in Gainesville. Henry bought his first motorcycle in 1957 when he was in high school. His first race was in 1964, in Punta Gorda, Florida. By that time, he had a BSA Gold Star.
• He won an AMA Amateur National Road Race Championship in 1971 and in 1973. Henry’s Formula 1 racing highlights:
• 1983 & 1984 AAMRR Expert Formula 1 Southern Region Road Racing Champion
• 1984-1986 Macau GP Participant
• 1976-1986 AMA Camel Pro Series Expert Professional Road Racing Championship (Formula 1 Class)
• Admission: The catered dinner is $100.00 per person. You can find more information, make a donation, and register for tickets on their website. Tickets and registration open on January 1, 2024.
• When: The Grand Marshals' Dinner will be held on Friday, April 19, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.
• Where: World Golf Village Renaissance St. Augustine, 500 South Legacy Trail, St. Augustine, Florida 32092
• Saturday, April 20
• The Annual Riding Into History Concours d'Elegance takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine. There will be an array of motorcycles and motorcycle items on display, as well as live entertainment, food vendors, and other exhibits. The 2024 theme is "Chasing the Rising Sun," and the event features Japanese motorcycles.
• Registration and Tickets: There is no fee to enter a motorcycle in the Concours. Pre-registration is required.
• Admission: The Concours d'Elegance is open to the public and costs $15.00 at the gate. You can purchase tickets online in advance for two for $25.00. Motorcycle entrants are allowed one guest arriving at the same time as the entrant as part of their motorcycle registration.
• When: Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Where: The Concours d'Elegance will be held at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine, 4730 U.S. 1, St. Augustine, Florida 32086
• For more information please visit their website or call (904) 827-7379.

Vilano Beach Artisan Market

• Vilano Beach Main Street transforms into a vibrant artisan's market from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. every third Saturday of the month. Stretching from the junction of A1A and Vilano Road to the Holiday Inn, the sidewalk becomes a showcase for more than 20 vendors, presenting a diverse array of products in booths.
• From captivating artwork to one-of-a-kind home décor, there's something for everyone at this lively outdoor market. Visitors enjoy live local music as they explore a selection of artisan-made goods, including plants, datil pepper sauces, jewelry, pottery, and clothing.
• Adding to the lively atmosphere is a cash bar offering a select variety of fine wines and craft beers, allowing guests to enjoy a stroll, drink in hand. Whether shopping for themselves, seeking souvenirs, or just basking in the St. Augustine sun, guests can soak up the Vilano Beach vibes.
• Take advantage of free parking and admission at Vilano Beach Main Street on Vilano Road in St. Augustine.
• This outdoor market may be canceled on stormy days. Updates are available on their website.
• Admission: Free
• When: On the third Saturday of every month, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Where: In the Vilano Beach shopping district, along Vilano Road.

Cruisers Car Club Cruise-IN

• Hosted by the St. Augustine Cruisers Car Club, the St. Augustine Cruise-IN is from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month.
• Held at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine, activities at the monthly Cruise-IN include music, door prizes, and a 50/50 drawing.
• A family-oriented organization that began in the mid-1990s, the St. Augustine Cruisers Car Club promotes interest in various types of special auto activities, creates good fellowship and sportsmanship among its members, and supports charities.
• Admission: Free for the outdoor event. (Standard admission fee, $12.00, to visit the museum and showroom.)
• When: 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month.
• Where: The Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine is located at 4730 US-1 in St. Augustine, FL 32086

An Evening at the Estuary: Under the Light of the Moon

• The Friends of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas Research Reserve host An Evening for the Estuary: Under the Light of the Moon on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the GTM Reserve visitor center in Ponte Vedra Beach.
• Action News Jax's anchor, John Bachman, will be the master of ceremonies for this year's event, which features live music by Sidewalk 65 and cocktails by mixologist, Jonathan Mateer. The keynote speaker this year is Jessica Harvey, CEO for the Guy Harvey Foundation.
• The event overlooks the scenic Guana River at the Reserve's Visitor Center. Proceeds from the event go to support education, stewardship, and research programs at the GTM National Estuarine Research Reserve.
• Admission: Tickets are $100.00 per person.
• When: Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
• Where: The GTM Research Reserve Visitor Center is located at 505 Guana River Road in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida 32082.

Emo Nite Dance Party at Cafe Eleven

• Café Eleven presents Emo Nite on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
• From its inception in L.A. to its expansion onto festival stages like Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza, Emo Nite is a popular event. Recognized by Rolling Stone for its impact on the emo scene, co-founders T.J. Petracca and Morgan Reed are dedicated to supporting and entertaining the post-hardcore community.
• Featuring appearances by artists such as Avril Lavigne, Machine Gun Kelly, Blink-182, The Maine, Good Charlotte, Demi Lovato, Skrillex, and more, this dynamic duo continues to host events and parties celebrated for its unique playlists and performances.
• Admission: Tickets cost $16.00 if purchased in advance. Tier One tickets cost $18.00, while Tier Two tickets cost $21.00. Purchase tickets in advance online or purchase them at Café Eleven on the day of the show.
• When: Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
• Where: Café Eleven, 501 A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine, Florida 32080. On the corner of A1A and 11th Street, one block from St. Augustine Beach.

For future events please visit the Discord.

https://discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR

Live Music

• Hendricks Band North Shores Community Center 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Heather Craig Crabby's Beachside 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• Crawford Boyd's Acoustic Anomaly North Shores Community Center 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• Joshua "Tennessee" Worthy Mill Top Tavern 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Joe Nash Pierre's Pub 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• TJ Brown The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Morrow Family Band North Shores Community Center 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Elizabeth Roth Tradewinds Lounge 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
• Davis Cook Colonial Oak Music Park 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Kat Archer North Shores Community Center 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Dewey Via Band Sabrage Charters of St. Augustine 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Sam Pacetti North Shores Community Center 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Vinny Jacobs Oasis Deck & Restaurant 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Big Papa Fish DJ's Clam Shack 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Carpetbaggers North Shores Community Center 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
• Fermin Spanish Guitar Marina Munch 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Mark Hart Tradewinds Lounge 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Cheryl Watson Kingfish Grill 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Duffy Bishop Band North Shores Community Center 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Jesse Cruce Mellow Mushroom — Anastasia Island 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Morrow Family Band Guy Harvey Resort 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• New Guys on the Dock Hurricane Patty's Bar and Grill 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm
• John Dickie North Shores Community Center 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Vegas Gray Tradewinds Lounge 9:00 pm – 1:00 am
• Bret Blackshear Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House 9:00 pm – 12:00 am

Fellowship of Christian Athletes 5K

• The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) 5K takes place on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Good News Church. This event serves as a fundraising effort for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in St. Johns County, an organization dedicated to using sports to engage and impact coaches and athletes.
• The race course starts and ends at the Good News Church and runs through South St. Augustine.
• The event offers participants custom race shirts (available to those who register by April 5th), goodie bags filled with giveaways, and medals for all finishers.
• For those looking to make more out of their racing experience, this event is part of the FCA 3 Race Series, which includes two other races in Neptune Beach and Fernandina Beach, providing participants with a discounted entry fee if they choose to participate in all three events.
• Admission: Registration fees are based on when participants register. Prices range from $30.00 to $40.00.
• When: Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 8:00 a.m.
• Where: Good News Church is at 1357 Wildwood Drive St. Augustine, Florida 32086

Amphitheatre Farmers Market

• The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market offers visitors a variety of goods such as local fresh produce, handmade arts and crafts, baked goods, plants directly off the farm, freshly-caught seafood, cheeses, and more. The farmers market makes for a morning of family-friendly fun with live entertainment on select dates.
• In addition to the impressive variety of organic produce offered by local farmers, a number of local artists and craftspeople also display their wares at the market.
• Admission: FREE
• Where: St. Augustine Amphitheatre located at 1340 A1A South St. Augustine, FL 32080.
• When: Every Saturday morning from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm.

Yoga in the Garden

• The Lightner Museum hosts Yoga In the Garden on the third Saturday of each month from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
• This yoga session is suitable for all, and each participant should bring a yoga mat or towel and water. An instructor from Serenity Yoga leads the session on the lawn of the Ridzinski Family Garden, on the south end of the building. This event is part of Lightner's 75th-anniversary celebration and recalls the days of Henry Flagler's Alcazar Hotel and its well-known spa facilities.
• Admission: This is a donation-based event, and there is no need to register.
• When: On the third Saturday of each month, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
• Where: The Radzinski Family Garden is behind the Lightner Museum at 75 King Street, St. Augustine.
• NOTE: Some dates may need to be rescheduled due to inclement weather.

Freedom Trail Trolley Tours

• Noted historian and author, David Nolan, with the Accord Freedom Trail Organization, conducts Freedom Trail Trolley Tours on select Saturdays, beginning on Saturday, February 3, 2024, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Subsequent tours will be Saturday, March 9, Saturday, April 6, and Saturday, April 20 — all tours begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 11:00 a.m.
• These public tours start at the Willie Galimore Center at 399 S. Riberia Street, where there is free parking for the attendees. David Nolan will point out places of historical significance in the fight for freedom in this country, including homes where Martin Luther King, Jr. sheltered during his time in St. Augustine.
• This tour is limited by the size of the trolley and reservations are required. For reservations, call (904) 599-7739.
• Admission: A $20.00 donation is suggested. These donations will benefit ACCORD, Inc. To reserve a seat, call (904) 599-7739.
• When: From 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., on Saturdays, February 3, March 9, April 6, and April 20.
• Where: The tour begins at the Willie Galimore Center, 399 South Riberia Street where there will be free parking. Please arrive by 8:45 a.m.

School of the 16th Century

• Historic Florida Militia presents the School of the 16th Century, at the Oldest House Museum Complex on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This annual event features period re-enactors portraying life as it was more than 450 years ago in St. Augustine. Visitors can see weapons and cooking demonstrations, while they learn about many facets of 16th-century camp life.
• Educational and entertaining at the same time, this historically authentic event is ideal for the whole family, with training drills and interpretations going on all day. Visitors can browse displays of 16th-century artifacts and watch soldados (Spanish soldiers) shoot the Matchlock Arquebus, the predecessor of the musket. Guests can participate in pike pushes and sword fighting, and see live demonstrations of 16th-century cooking, and bead jewelry making. Textiles and period clothing will be on display.
• Admission: The event is free.
• When: Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: The Oldest Museum House Complex is on 14 St. Francis Street in St. Augustine, Florida 32084.
• The School of the 16th Century was postponed from February 17 to April 20, 2024.

Tolomato Cemetery Tour

• Located on the site of an early 18th-century Franciscan Indian mission to the native Guale people, this Catholic cemetery dates back to St. Augustine's early history. Public access to the Tolomato Cemetery is limited, due to preservation concerns, to the third Saturday of each month, when guided tours are given from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• The Tolomato Cemetery was the final resting place for people from a wide variety of cultures - Spanish, Cuban, Greek, Menorcan, African, Irish, and Haitian, just to name a few. It was closed to burials in 1884.
• The Tolomato Cemetery served as the parish cemetery for what is now the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine for more than 100 years. Though some 1,000 St. Augustinians are buried in the cemetery, there are only about 100 grave markers. What is known about who is buried there comes from the parish death records. The Cathedral parish and the Diocese of St. Augustine still own, maintain, and protect the cemetery.
• Some of the historically important people buried in the Tolomato cemetery are Bishop Agustin Verot, the first Bishop of St. Augustine, Governor Enrique White, who served during the Second Spanish Period, and General George Biassou of Haiti. Also buried here are the first Sisters of St. Joseph and Civil War soldiers from both sides of the conflict, including Freedmen who fought for the Union.
• Father Felix Varela of Cuba, who as a renowned teacher at the Cathedral of Havana seminary was an outspoken defender of human rights, and who later published the first Spanish-language newspaper in the U.S., was buried at Tolomato in 1853. The distinctive small white building in the cemetery is his chapel, built in his honor.
• Admission: Free, and donations are encouraged.
• When: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month.
• Where: The Tolomoto Cemetery is located at 14 Cordova Street, St. Augustine 32084

Lullaby of the Rivers Festival

• Lullaby of the Rivers celebrates Earth Day with a festival on Saturday and Sunday, April 20 - 21, 2024, at the North Shores Community Park in Vilano Beach.
• Local singesongwriter Bob Patterson, and organizeactivist Carol Kramer, have used Bob's award-winning song "Lullaby of the Rivers" to create an Earth Day festival featuring regional musicians, storytellers, and environmental organizations.
• "Lullaby of the Rivers" is a tribute to Florida's rivers and their heritage. In his folksy storytelling style, Patterson invites listeners to embrace the Native American tradition of environmental responsibility by remembering that Florida's great rivers — including the Apalachicola, Ichetucknee, Ocklawaha, and Kissimmee — carry the names they were given by the native people.
• In addition to two days of musical entertainment, the event will include an Earth Day Resource Fair with activities for kids, sustainable food tastings, and environmental organization presentations. The mission of the Lullaby of the Rivers Festival is to "awaken and nurture connections to nature in gatherings of all ages by using music and stories that inspire environmental awareness and consciousness."
• Logistics
• Admission: General admission (for all aged 16 to 65) is $10.00/day. Active military, first responders, and seniors (65 and up) can get in for $5.00. Those 15 and under are free.
• When: Saturday, April 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Where: North Shores Park, 120 Meadow Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084. This park is in Vilano Beach, a few blocks north of the town center.
• How to get there: From St. Augustine, cross over the May St. Bridge to Vilano Beach, turn left at the light onto Coastal Highway, and turn left again on Meadow Ave. The park is located on the right. Park by the fenced area or across A1A at Surfside Park.

24th Annual Riding Into History

• On Friday and Saturday, April 19 and 20, 2024, the 24th Annual Riding Into History will take place in St. Augustine. With hundreds of antique, vintage, and custom bikes from all over the country on display, the event features exhibitors, motorcycle dealers, and food and entertainment. There are special rides for participants, as well as a dinner celebration on Friday night.
• Motorcycle enthusiasts can participate in this event in multiple ways.
• Friday, April 19
• Grand Marshals' Historic Vintage Grand Tour begins at 9:30 a.m. Motorcyclists who have received an invitation will ride their vintage bikes through the back roads of historic Florida from the Renaissance Hotel parking lot in World Golf Village. All participants for this event must have vintage motorcycles and pre-register, as space is limited.
• The 2024 Grand Marshal is Henry DeGouw, a motorcycle racer and team manager, born in Gainesville. Henry bought his first motorcycle in 1957 when he was in high school. His first race was in 1964, in Punta Gorda, Florida. By that time, he had a BSA Gold Star.
• He won an AMA Amateur National Road Race Championship in 1971 and in 1973. Henry’s Formula 1 racing highlights:
• 1983 & 1984 AAMRR Expert Formula 1 Southern Region Road Racing Champion
• 1984-1986 Macau GP Participant
• 1976-1986 AMA Camel Pro Series Expert Professional Road Racing Championship (Formula 1 Class)
• Admission: The catered dinner is $100.00 per person. You can find more information, make a donation, and register for tickets on their website. Tickets and registration open on January 1, 2024.
• When: The Grand Marshals' Dinner will be held on Friday, April 19, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.
• Where: World Golf Village Renaissance St. Augustine, 500 South Legacy Trail, St. Augustine, Florida 32092
• Saturday, April 20
• The Annual Riding Into History Concours d'Elegance takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine. There will be an array of motorcycles and motorcycle items on display, as well as live entertainment, food vendors, and other exhibits. The 2024 theme is "Chasing the Rising Sun," and the event features Japanese motorcycles.
• Registration and Tickets: There is no fee to enter a motorcycle in the Concours. Pre-registration is required.
• Admission: The Concours d'Elegance is open to the public and costs $15.00 at the gate. You can purchase tickets online in advance for two for $25.00. Motorcycle entrants are allowed one guest arriving at the same time as the entrant as part of their motorcycle registration.
• When: Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Where: The Concours d'Elegance will be held at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine, 4730 U.S. 1, St. Augustine, Florida 32086
• For more information please visit their website or call (904) 827-7379.

Vilano Beach Artisan Market

• Vilano Beach Main Street transforms into a vibrant artisan's market from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. every third Saturday of the month. Stretching from the junction of A1A and Vilano Road to the Holiday Inn, the sidewalk becomes a showcase for more than 20 vendors, presenting a diverse array of products in booths.
• From captivating artwork to one-of-a-kind home décor, there's something for everyone at this lively outdoor market. Visitors enjoy live local music as they explore a selection of artisan-made goods, including plants, datil pepper sauces, jewelry, pottery, and clothing.
• Adding to the lively atmosphere is a cash bar offering a select variety of fine wines and craft beers, allowing guests to enjoy a stroll, drink in hand. Whether shopping for themselves, seeking souvenirs, or just basking in the St. Augustine sun, guests can soak up the Vilano Beach vibes.
• Take advantage of free parking and admission at Vilano Beach Main Street on Vilano Road in St. Augustine.
• This outdoor market may be canceled on stormy days. Updates are available on their website.
• Admission: Free
• When: On the third Saturday of every month, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Where: In the Vilano Beach shopping district, along Vilano Road.

Cruisers Car Club Cruise-IN

• Hosted by the St. Augustine Cruisers Car Club, the St. Augustine Cruise-IN is from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month.
• Held at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine, activities at the monthly Cruise-IN include music, door prizes, and a 50/50 drawing.
• A family-oriented organization that began in the mid-1990s, the St. Augustine Cruisers Car Club promotes interest in various types of special auto activities, creates good fellowship and sportsmanship among its members, and supports charities.
• Admission: Free for the outdoor event. (Standard admission fee, $12.00, to visit the museum and showroom.)
• When: 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month.
• Where: The Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine is located at 4730 US-1 in St. Augustine, FL 32086

An Evening at the Estuary: Under the Light of the Moon

• The Friends of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas Research Reserve host An Evening for the Estuary: Under the Light of the Moon on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the GTM Reserve visitor center in Ponte Vedra Beach.
• Action News Jax's anchor, John Bachman, will be the master of ceremonies for this year's event, which features live music by Sidewalk 65 and cocktails by mixologist, Jonathan Mateer. The keynote speaker this year is Jessica Harvey, CEO for the Guy Harvey Foundation.
• The event overlooks the scenic Guana River at the Reserve's Visitor Center. Proceeds from the event go to support education, stewardship, and research programs at the GTM National Estuarine Research Reserve.
• Admission: Tickets are $100.00 per person.
• When: Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
• Where: The GTM Research Reserve Visitor Center is located at 505 Guana River Road in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida 32082.

Emo Nite Dance Party at Cafe Eleven

• Café Eleven presents Emo Nite on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
• From its inception in L.A. to its expansion onto festival stages like Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza, Emo Nite is a popular event. Recognized by Rolling Stone for its impact on the emo scene, co-founders T.J. Petracca and Morgan Reed are dedicated to supporting and entertaining the post-hardcore community.
• Featuring appearances by artists such as Avril Lavigne, Machine Gun Kelly, Blink-182, The Maine, Good Charlotte, Demi Lovato, Skrillex, and more, this dynamic duo continues to host events and parties celebrated for its unique playlists and performances.
• Admission: Tickets cost $16.00 if purchased in advance. Tier One tickets cost $18.00, while Tier Two tickets cost $21.00. Purchase tickets in advance online or purchase them at Café Eleven on the day of the show.
• When: Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
• Where: Café Eleven, 501 A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine, Florida 32080. On the corner of A1A and 11th Street, one block from St. Augustine Beach.

For future events please visit the Discord.

https://discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR