Ayn Rand

**This will be an online meeting using Zoom. You can join with a computer, tablet, smartphone, or by phone (audio only). Information will be provided to those who RSVP** Every Wednesday evening, the Secular Community Network of CFIC Ottawa will host lightly moderated informal discussions on topics of interest to freethinkers, humanists, and to others who are secular. Feel free to bring suggestions for topics - the group will vote on which topics will be discussed. Some topics we have discussed in the past (and may return to): Religion/Philosophy/Atheism/Humanism * How do you define Humanism? Do you consider yourself to be a Humanist? * How do you define "secular"? Given your definition, what percentage of the Canadian population do you estimate as "secular"? * How does one become a Freethinker? Through genetics, physiology, experience? What distinguishes Freethinkers from conformists or indoctrinees? Science: Physical & Social * How much science is behind what is sold in health food stores? * What are the most important social impacts of the “anti-vaccination” movement? Current Events: * the state of governments in Canada, the US, and the rest of the world * Climate change * migration Non-Religious Lifestyles * If you have no religion, from where do you get moral guidance, social values, and a sense of belonging to a community that would help you in problems of living? Chat West participants should feel free to suggest their own discussion topics from these categories. If you wish to attend, please RSVP in advance. Note that we have changed the access method to remove the waiting room, so a password is now required to join the meeting. If you RSVP, the Zoom link (including password) will be provided to you. For the transition period, I will also make it available here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/606150474?pwd=OUxSL2pWUVlBYzVHcCtRN09Ha0VJQT09

Virtual sessions, on-demand, when you want them! Please read the instructions and send payment WITH your email so I can send the link to you! Experience the benefit of this powerful Breathwork meditation from the comfort of your home. Feel free to reach out if are a first-timer with questions or you want more individual healing. I am available for a few private sessions per week, for healing or soul coaching, if interested, please text 407-421-8888 or email DivineWellness8@gmail.com. RSVP on here if you can, then send payment of $11.00 via: (CashApp) www.cash.app/$mwilder73 (Venmo) www.venmo.com/MWilder888 (Zelle - free bank to bank transfer) 407-421-8888 https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Mwilder73 (try to do "Friends and Family" if you can or add 3% for fee) You will be sent a private link to the guided breathwork meditation to participate in when it's convenient for you (available for 48-72hrs). Self-care is so important right now... the collective energies of fear and anxiety are at an all-time high. Give yourself the gift of clearing out any negative thoughts and emotions, while basking in a relaxing meditation that calms tension, releases toxins and improves oxygen flow in your body. PAYMENT NOTE: PLEASE include your name, email address or cell # so I can send the private link. If you'd like to send me a special healing request, you may do so at DivineWellness8@gmail.com. All requests are confidential. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please download the SoundCloud mobile app if you do not have it. SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mobile ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Breathwork is a safe and powerful healing technique that is initiated by the power of the breath, combined with music and mantras. By breathing in a circular rhythm, you can reach altered states of consciousness to release emotional traumas, pain and negative emotions stored in the body and the subconscious, making room for more love and joy to enter your life. Learning how to enhance your breathing can also help with many health challenges such as: anxiety, asthma, depression, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, arthritis, poor digestion, high blood pressure, panic attacks, muscle tension, and attention deficit disorder. Proper breathing can aid in the removal of energetic blockages, thereby enhancing the healing of long-term health conditions. Additional benefits of Breathwork include releasing of toxins at a cellular level, balancing the nervous system and release of cellular memory of past emotional trauma and negative mental patterns. Lower abdominal breathing is the natural forgotten state of breathing from childhood. It energizes us, increases the rate of prana, Qi or life force energy moving through us. You can experience higher energy levels, more relaxation and patience, faster healing, a stronger body, and a sharper mind. Benefits & Experiences: • Your physical body will be oxygenated, balanced, revitalized • Your mental body will be healed by the release of negative thoughts, beliefs, and mental patterns • Your emotional body will release layers of emotional pain and trauma • Opened awareness to deeper states of consciousness and intuition • Connect with spiritual wisdom, guides and angels • Reaching deeper states of bliss and peace • Connection and healing with loved ones that have passed • Reveal profound feelings of love and gratitude • Remove stress, muscle tension, and toxins from your body • Balancing the nervous system, renewing a sense of calm • Release cellular memory of Consider this meditation practice a door that accesses your higher self, that strengthens that connection to the real YOU. The experience will deepen and expand with continued use. No experience necessary. @@@@@@@------------------@@@@@@@ Join us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OrlandoBreathwork FACTS: • 70-80% of diseases are emotional in nature. • Intense negative thoughts affect our emotions. • Intense negative emotions affect our physical body. • Negative thoughts carry to our cells and these cells retain memories (see Bruce Lipton, Ph.D. on the biology of cells). • Most people access less than 30% of their full breathing capacity, leaving their cells starved for oxygen. Improper or shallow breathing can cause or worsen illness. (Many doctors now believe lack of oxygen in the cells is the root cause of cancer).

**About The Webinar:** During this 90-minute webinar, we will show you how to 10X your rental portfolio to retire early, and build wealth with a proven "None of Your Own Money" BRRRR Strategy. **Find Deals on Auto-Pilot:** When you have an unlimited source of money, the hardest part of your BRRRR strategy is simply active Bird-Dogs and Wholesalers to bring deals to you! **Setting Up Your Private Investor Program:** We'll share with you our NUMBER ONE Strategy for doing "NONE OF YOUR OWN MONEY" deals, which is combining the right kind of hard money (specialty) lender with your very own custom Private Investor Program. **The Right Kind of Hard Money Lender (HML) Will Make You RICH!** The "right kind" of Hard Money Lender (HML) is not a hard money lender at all! It is a specialty lender that will specifically get you all the money you'll need to do BRRRR strategies using NONE of your own money. In this webinar you'll learn how to reach them, and get them funding your deals - NOW!

Simple 30-minute meditation. A quiet time to simply sit, which naturally cultivates peace of mind and a happy heart. Usually 8-10 meditators - most don't respond on Meetup. There is an optional time for questions and discussion following. Feel free to drop in. Peace, Brad

You can join us every Wednesday LIVE at 5:00! Here's your chance to have your MOST PRESSING Real Estate Investing question answered by the man Inc. Magazine called "America's Real Estate Mentor" and Think Realty Magazine calls "The Wealth Creator!" Sherman Ragland, The Realinvestor®️ and Dean of the Realinvestors®️ Academy is a 40 year veteran of the real estate industry. He learned the real estate business while still in high school watching his mom, one of the first successful real estate agents to join the Creig Northrop Team. He earned his real estate license in Maryland while still a student at Towson University and then earned an MBA in real estate finance from the prestigious Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania, and then a Masters Degree in Urban Planning From The School of Architecture of the University of Virginia. He also holds the coveted CCIM designation from the CCIM Institute. After graduating from Wharton, Ragland served as the CFO of Lansdowne in Northern Virginia and then as Associate Development Director for the Oliver T. Carr Co., where he was a part of the team responsible for the development of Carlyle near the King Street METRO. After leaving the Carr Co, Ragland formed his own investment banking concern, which successfully assisted the Federal Government in the disposition of over $5.0 billion in assets, including land, office buildings and sub-performing (non-performing) real estate loans. Ragland served as Vice-Chair of the City of Alexandra (VA) Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals; Chairman of the Prince George's County (MD) Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the City of Bowie (MD) Economic Development Committee and Chairman of the Bowie (MD) Business Innovation Center (Bowie BIC). He is a member of the faculty of the Bowie State University College of Business and a member of the Board of Visitors of Towson University. Ragland has been directly involved in the development, marketing sales, and management of over 5,000 acres of land, 10 million square feet of office and commercial space, and 10,000 apartment/cond units. His favorite passion is teaching his kids how to make serious money fixing, flipping, and owning single-family houses.

Kuniĝu kun ni por Esperanta renkontiĝo, originale bazita en Norda Virginio (apud Washington), sed nun virtuala, do tutmonda! Ni renkontiĝos la trian merkredon de ĉiu monato, de la 7-a ĝis la 8-a ptm (usona orienta tempozono) por konversacio (pri io ajn) kaj eble ludo se iu interesiĝas. Ĉiuj niveloj estas bonvenaj! Join us for an Esperanto meeting, originally based in Northern Virginia (near Washington), but now virtual, so worldwide! We will meet the third Wednesday of every month, from 7:00-8:00 pm (ET), for conversation (about anything at all) and maybe a game if there is interest. All levels are welcome!

Meditation for Older Adults is the place where you can let go of all your anxiety and stress. It is the most joyful meditation event in our lineup. Where do you find the wisest people who understand the principles of the Mind Cleansing Meditation? **Please RSVP here : https://onlinemeditationevents.com/class/meditation-for-older-adults/

We meet every other Sunday, see our calendar for the next date. Will be on Zoom for awhile. If you need to dial in go to support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362663-Joining-a-meeting-by-phone You will find phone in instructions at that site. Use 82837152726 for the event number when prompted.

Helping individuals realize that their lives are "their business" literally and figuratively. Business functions, and processes should be applied to our personal lives for measurable results.

We will meet virtually every Saturday morning to write together and get ideas from each other if needed. This event includes writing bursts of about 30 minutes with ten minute breaks built in for anyone who wants to seek advice or just let their brain recharge. The best part is, you don't have to take the break if you don't want! Just mute your computer and write on through. The "schedule" for Weekend Writers is as follows: 9:00 a.m. - 9:10 a.m. Talk/prep 9:10 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. Writing session 1 9:40 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. Talk break, Q&A, advice, etc. 9:50 a.m. - 10:20 a.m. Writing session 2 10:20 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Talk, Q&A, etc. 10:30 a.m. - More writing if desired Even though the schedule lasts only an hour and a half, we may continue on for longer if desired. We look forward to seeing you all there. Happy writing!

Let's try something new. For the next dozen weeks or so, starting 4/17/2022, we are going to live-read and discuss Aristotle's \~*Nicomachean Ethics*\~. What is new and different about this project is that the translation, by Adam Beresford (2020), happens to be rendered in standard 'Murican English. . From the translator's "Note" on the text: . "This translation is conservative in interpretation and traditional in aim. It aims to translate the text as accurately as possible. . "I translated every page from scratch, from a clean Greek text, rather than revising an existing translation. ... I wanted to avoid the scholars’ dialect that is traditionally used for translating Aristotle. ... "I reject the approach of Arthur Adkins, Elizabeth Anscombe, and others who followed Nietzsche in supposing that the main elements of modern thinking about right and wrong were unknown to the Greeks, or known to them only in some radically different form. My view of humanity and of our shared moral instincts is shaped by a newer paradigm. This is a post-Darwinian translation. (It is also more in line with the older, both Aristotelian and Christian view of human character.) . "Having said that, I have no interest at all in modernizing Aristotle’s ideas. All the attitudes of this treatise remain fully Greek, very patriarchal, somewhat aristocratic, and firmly embedded in the fourth century BC. My choice of dialect (standard English) has no bearing on that whatsoever. (It is perfectly possible to express distinctively Greek and ancient attitudes in standard English.) ... I have also not simplified the text in any way. I have translated every iota, particle, preposition, noun, verb, adjective, phrase, clause, and sentence of the original. Every premise and every argument therefore remains – unfortunately – exactly as complex and annoyingly difficult as in any other version in whatever dialect. ... "Some scholars and students unwarily assume that the traditional dialect has a special connection with Greek and that using it brings readers closer to the original text; and that it makes the translation more accurate. In reality, it has no special tie to the Greek language, either in its main philosophical glossary or in its dozens of minor (and pointless) deviations from normal English. And in my view it certainly makes any translation much less accurate. . "I will occasionally refer to the scholars’ dialect (‘Gringlish’) and its traditional glossary in the Notes." . . Here is our plan: 1\. Read Intro excerpts or a summary to gain the big picture\. 2\. Read a segment of the translated text\. 3\. Discuss it analytically and interpretively\. 4\. Repeat again at \#2 for several more times\. 5\. Discuss the segments evaluatively\. . . Zoom is the project's current meeting platform, but that can change. The project's cloud drive is [here](https://mega.nz/folder/vqJCXIQJ#muxiUXMHhfljvxKnWaOxZA), at which you'll find the reading texts, notes, and slideshows.

Connect to Zoom meetup by clicking on the link. Participants are welcome to join the Main Room starting at 16:00 EST/ 21:00 GMT. We encourage all participants to sign in promptly by 16:00 EST/21:00 GMT. This allows for sufficient time to generate the full attendee list and assign roles based on your language skill level. Please right-click on your image in the screen and select "Rename". Add your French Language Skill Level, ranging from F1 = Beginner to F5 = Advanced & F6= Exceptional, in front of your name. For example, "F5 - Jean" or "F3 - John". This is essential for helping organizers mix and match different skill levels and form pairs for one-on-one conversation sessions. The organizer will manage each pair using breakout rooms and will rotate partners every 15 minutes. In each session, half the time in French and half the time in English. Breakout rooms will be opened for conversation sessions at 16:15 EST /21:15 GMT. All individual sessions will conclude at 18:00 EST/23:00 GMT. Following which we will return to the Main Room to thank you for your participation and get your feedback for future improvements. Please be advised that this event is first-come-first-served. We look forward to seeing you. Thank you. Connectez-vous au webinaire en cliquant sur le lien. Les participants sont invités à rejoindre la salle principale à partir de 16h00 HNE/21h00 GMT. Nous encourageons tous les participants à se connecter promptement à 16h00 HNE/21h00 GMT. Cela laisse suffisamment de temps pour générer la liste complète des participants et attribuer des rôles en fonction de votre niveau de compétence linguistique. SVP, faire un clique-droit sur votre image à l'écran et choisir l'option "Rename". Ajouter votre niveau de maîtrise du français pour la conversation, F1 = Débutant, F5 = Avancé et F6 = Exceptionnel, devant votre nom. Par exemple, "F5 - Jean" or "F3 - John". Ceci est essentiel pour aider l'organisateur à mélanger les participants dans les paires selon leur niveau de français. L’organisateur va créer les paires et faire la rotation des participants à chaque 15 minutes en utilisant les breakout rooms. Dans une séance, Une moitié en français, une moitié en anglais. Les salles de répartition seront ouvertes pour les sessions de conversation à 16h15 HNE/21h15 GMT. Toutes les sessions individuelles se termineront à 18h00 HNE/23h00 GMT. Ensuite, nous retournerons dans la salle principale pour vous remercier de votre participation et obtenir vos commentaires pour de futures améliorations. Veuillez noter que cet événement est premier arrivé, premier servi. Nous avons hâte de vous voir. Merci

There are several traits inside all of us that precisely make us who we are and that is called our personality. A lot of it depends on how the outside world perceives our personality and reacts to it. And that makes us human beings as a whole. types-of-personalities2Everybody has a basic idea of what kind of a person they are, but a lot of times, they tend to act opposite in order to hide several characteristics of themselves and that comes with a lot of problems in their social structure and standing. Over the years many have tried head over heels in order to determine several types of personality traits that could constitute all of them but there hasn’t been any success so far in that regard and the topic remains debated. But talking about the different types of personalities, the experts have been able to find certain personality traits that constitute a personality on the whole and we will discuss those traits further. But before that, we must say that the overall personality of a human being can be a combination of all those traits or one or two of them. Only in depth study can allow us to determine the traits of the personality.

Let's try something new. For the next dozen weeks or so, starting 4/17/2022, we are going to live-read and discuss Aristotle's \~*Nicomachean Ethics*\~. What is new and different about this project is that the translation, by Adam Beresford (2020), happens to be rendered in standard 'Murican English. . From the translator's "Note" on the text: . "This translation is conservative in interpretation and traditional in aim. It aims to translate the text as accurately as possible. . "I translated every page from scratch, from a clean Greek text, rather than revising an existing translation. ... I wanted to avoid the scholars’ dialect that is traditionally used for translating Aristotle. ... "I reject the approach of Arthur Adkins, Elizabeth Anscombe, and others who followed Nietzsche in supposing that the main elements of modern thinking about right and wrong were unknown to the Greeks, or known to them only in some radically different form. My view of humanity and of our shared moral instincts is shaped by a newer paradigm. This is a post-Darwinian translation. (It is also more in line with the older, both Aristotelian and Christian view of human character.) . "Having said that, I have no interest at all in modernizing Aristotle’s ideas. All the attitudes of this treatise remain fully Greek, very patriarchal, somewhat aristocratic, and firmly embedded in the fourth century BC. My choice of dialect (standard English) has no bearing on that whatsoever. (It is perfectly possible to express distinctively Greek and ancient attitudes in standard English.) ... I have also not simplified the text in any way. I have translated every iota, particle, preposition, noun, verb, adjective, phrase, clause, and sentence of the original. Every premise and every argument therefore remains – unfortunately – exactly as complex and annoyingly difficult as in any other version in whatever dialect. ... "Some scholars and students unwarily assume that the traditional dialect has a special connection with Greek and that using it brings readers closer to the original text; and that it makes the translation more accurate. In reality, it has no special tie to the Greek language, either in its main philosophical glossary or in its dozens of minor (and pointless) deviations from normal English. And in my view it certainly makes any translation much less accurate. . "I will occasionally refer to the scholars’ dialect (‘Gringlish’) and its traditional glossary in the Notes." . . Here is our plan: 1\. Read Intro excerpts or a summary to gain the big picture\. 2\. Read a segment of the translated text\. 3\. Discuss it analytically and interpretively\. 4\. Repeat again at \#2 for several more times\. 5\. Discuss the segments evaluatively\. . . Zoom is the project's current meeting platform, but that can change. The project's cloud drive is [here](https://mega.nz/folder/vqJCXIQJ#muxiUXMHhfljvxKnWaOxZA), at which you'll find the reading texts, notes, and slideshows.

This month's prompt concerns the idea of the “warrior philosopher” (seemed appropriate in these times)--that is someone whose understanding of violence, power, and justice is forged through direct experience of war. We are looking at Major General Smedley D. Butler, a highly decorated U.S. Marine raised in a Quaker (pacifist) tradition who later became a prominent critic of American militarism (there is a wonderful biography of Gen. Butler called "Gangsters of Capitalism") Butler's argument in *War Is a Racket* (1935): that many U.S. interventions were driven less by national defense than by corporate and financial interests, with Butler portraying himself as an enforcer for business and Wall Street. We can consider the moral ambiguity of his insider critique—whether complicity strengthens or undermines credibility and also consider some of the concrete reforms he proposed (e.g., “conscript” capital before soldiers, restrict the military to coastal defense, and have only those who fight decide on war). Butler’s life arc clearly changed from pacifist upbringing to warrior to antiwar crusader—and asks whether true understanding of peace requires firsthand knowledge of war, and what that implies about the cost of suffering. So do we need to suffer to understand suffering? Do we have to experience war to appreciate peace? As one more question: in the movie "A Few Good Men" Jack Nicholson's character says that "you have the luxury of not knowing what I know" so do most of us go through life oblivious to real violence and suffering? See you at Drunken Philosophy!

MCKS PRANIC HEALING® Level I In PRANIC HEALING® Level 1, you learn the basics of working with your energy aura, including learning to "scan," or feel the energy, to "sweep," or clean away congested energy, and to "energize," or supplement areas in your aura that have a pranic deficiency. PRANIC HEALING® has been taught to doctors, nurses, massage therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, shiatsu practitioners, and many others in the healing field. It has allowed them to heal confidently and consistently in the shortest learning time possible. These professionals find PRANIC HEALING® very effective and easy to apply. Other topics covered in PRANIC HEALING® Level 1: Energetic anatomy: You will learn to work with the network of chakras, meridians and auras to accelerate the healing processes of your body. Preventive healing: You will learn to remove the negative energetic patterns of a disease to prevent it from fully manifesting as a physical ailment. Self-Pranic healing: You will learn to apply these healing techniques to accelerate your own healing. Step-by-step techniques for ailments related to your: respiratory system, e.g., asthma,; circulatory system, e.g., heart ailments; gastrointestinal system, e.g., irritable bowel syndrome; musculoskeletal system, e.g., arthritis and back pain; reproductive system, e.g., menstrual problems. You'll also learn how to address common problems as migraines and sinusitis. Additionally, you'll learn to apply distant healing to loved ones who are not present in the room with you. All PRANIC HEALING® courses are "experiential," which means that you learn by actually performing the techniques and exercises in class - on yourself and those around you. During class, all the principles will be explained thoroughly and you will practice the techniques exhaustively so you will be confident in your ability to produce positive results when you finish the course. This is Day 2 of 2 Attendance at day one is required to attend day 2. The Course text book is Choa Kok Sui, "Miracles through Pranic Healing" Please bring this with you to class. PRANIC HEALING® Level 1 is a prerequisite to all other GMCKS courses. For those interested to review the class...Review fee is only $75!! LOOK AT THIS!! Review for FREE when you bring a new student to class with you.

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!

How do we recover from having had a toxic or narcissistic ex? How do we move on from the past, especially something as traumatic as a divorce or breakup? How do we avoid anxiety and depression? How do we have more self esteem? In this meeting, you will learn the mental health secrets to help you quickly get over the past and heal your mind. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is created by the Dianetics & Scientology life improvement center.

ASH is Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists of First Unitarian Universalists of Columbus Ohio TBD Snacks are usually available, and you are welcome to bringing something to share!

This is a free in-person meeting. Let's talk about relationships in such a way that you can really benefit from the knowledge. We can talk about * Soulmates * How to start a relationship * How to maintain a relationship * How to pick the right partner * How to recognize the red flags * How to improve communication * How to avoid argument and fights * How to increase trust You ask the questions, we'll talk about them. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is sponsored the Dianetics & Scientology Self-Improvement Center.

Walk for Children - 2026 Save Soil Walkathon in Columbus 🌍 Over 52% of the world soil is degraded and scientists warn we may have only a few decades of fertile soil left. As Sadhguru shares, soil is a living system—and when it degrades, our food, health, and future are at risk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyT-6qiubd0 🚶‍♂️🌎This Earth Day, Join the Walk for Children-2026 SaveSoil 5K Walkathon here in Columbus and help raise awareness about soil for the future of our children! Every step you take helps: ✔️ 1. Raise awareness in your communities about protecting and restoring soil. ✔️ 2. Supports sustainable food systems. ✔️ 3. Helps secure our children’s future. 📅 Date: April 26, 2026 📍 Location: Scioto Audubon Metro Park Check-in address 400 W Whittier St, Columbus, OH 43215 ⏰ Time: 8:30 a.m. check-in event starts at 9:30 a.m. 👉 Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walk-for-children-2026-save-soil-walkathon-in-columbus-registration-1986596534713?aff=oddtdtcreator 👉🏼Free and Open to All. Share this message and bring your neighbours, friends & family along to celebrate our planet! Let’s make it happen!