Adoptees

ASL HangOut is a safe fun social All levels D/deaf, Hard of Hearing, Hearing signers, ASL students, ASL interpreter. Hosted by Daniel Berke and his friends Jeremy, Andrew, Nathaniel. and Josh There's always a great mix of people and good conversations We will be meeting at the Tysons Corner Food Court (3rd Floor), Thursday at 7pm! Hope to see you all there! 🙂 Look for a table of ASL signers...don't be shy. 1961 Chain Bridge Rd Tysons Corner, VA 22102 join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/468631322134694

134 west 29th street floor 2 if your coming in person or on zoom - https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_e9WARUrfQXG8ui-acwOo7w If you can come in person it’s worth it. We will cover options trading and forex trading. We put it on a big screen and talk about each play. All levels welcome. Any questions give me a call 732 754 6213 - Daniel Check out my site - Thetraderdaddy.com Follow on Instagram - @thetraderdaddy

Maurice from the SHARE group has booked a party lounge for our holiday party. Thanks Maurice!!! Room is shown in the picture with this meetup. It's in the building he recently moved into, next to the Washington Nationals baseball stadium and near the Navy Yard metro station. Info below. If you cant come in person, we sure hope you can come virtually!!!!! …. Google meet link: https://meet.google.com/cdm-oubg-pve \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Come One - Come All - To SHARE in the Holiday Spirit - Yeah Man! THEME: A Funny HAT - Fancy HAT - Party HAT - Holiday Party WHEN: Friday Dec 19 from 6-10 pm WHERE: At Maurice's HOME - The "Party Lounge" - Dock 79. Right next to Washington Nationals baseball stadium. (Building called Dock 79). See photo of room we'll be in. It's an 8-minute WALK from the NAVY YARD Metro Station; or - DRIVE & Park in the basement for a fee of $15. ADDRESS: 79 Potomac Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003 VIRTUAL OPTION: For out of towners who can't come, we'll have a computer in the room for people to join virtually and chat with the people in the room. Google meet link: https://meet.google.com/cdm-oubg-pve METRO STOP: Near Navy Yard metro station on the Green line. HAVE SOME FUN - Music, food/drinks, billiard Table, Foosball Table, Tour of The ROOF TOP & View of the Anacostia River. RECOMMENDED FOOD FOR PEOPLE TO BRING (but whatever works best for you) A thru G - An Appetizer Dish H thru L - A Main Course Dish L thru Z - A Dessert BEVERAGES: BYOB or BYOP - Bring Your Own Beverge or Poison Questions? Call Marc Starnes at 571-278-6524

Join DC Polyam at our monthly weekday social. Come by yourself, invite your friends, your partner(s), and even your entire polycule! Come join us from DC proper, Maryland, or Virginia; we welcome all people from all aspects of life and relationship dynamics. Metrobar has non-alcoholic options for those that don't want/don't drink alongside usual food trucks for eating options. Follow us on Instagram and join our Discord @DCPolyam We always enforce a set of house rules in order to maintain a safe space: * **Respectful Behavior** towards hosts and other guests is required; anyone who violates these rules may be asked to leave the event. * **Expectations:** Check your expectations at the door. Being at this event does not signal sexual availability or indicate any aspect of sexual orientation. Our events are about developing friendships and connections within the community. This is a no cruising event, in order to maintain a comfortable atmosphere for our guests. * **Safe Spaces:** We strive to create a safe space for people of ALL identities, including those who do not identify as polyamorous. * **No photography, video, or recording** of any kind is allowed **without prior verbal consent** of all parties involved. * **Verbal Consent:** Please be sure to ask and wait for a yes before hugging or initiating any physical contact, and encourage each other to speak openly about consent and personal boundaries. This helps foster a culture where personal boundaries are supported and attendees are empowered to speak confidently of their limits. (i.e. “Can I give you a hug?” “No thank you, but I would love a handshake.”) If you have any questions please feel free to reach out!

For this month let’s take in some holiday cheer at the [Downtown DC Holiday Market](https://www.downtowndc.org/holiday-market/)! We will meet at the corner of 7th St NW & F St NW on the museum side, and wander around the market. There’s food, [vendors](https://www.downtowndc.org/holiday-market/vendors/), cute kitschy stuff. Market closes at 9pm. Dress for being outdoors!

Get ready for a joyful evening filled with laughter, great company, and festive cheer! 🤗✨ Join us for a fun holiday night of mingling, games, and unforgettable memories.🎄🍻 White Elephant Gift Exchange🎁 * Bring a wrapped, unique, or quirky gift (under $15) * Draw numbers to determine gift selection order * Keep your gift… or steal someone else’s 😎 Ugly Sweater Competition🧥 * Rock your ugliest and most creative holiday sweater * Winners decided by popular vote * Prizes for Male & Female categories * Participation fee: $2/person (goes toward prizes) 🤩 Come ready to laugh, mingle, and celebrate the season together! 🥂🎉 Ugly sweaters encouraged. 🏆📸 Holiday spirit required.✨🎄

Let's return to world of Pandora for the third installment of the Avatar series.

**Life** Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was born in 1646 in Leipzig. He had access to a substantial library early in life and is said to have taught himself Latin to read the Church Fathers and Latin Classics. He attended universities in Leipzig and Altdorf, earned a doctorate in law in 1667, turned down a faculty position, and went to work for the Elector of Mainz. In 1672 he had the opportunity to visit Paris to discuss his Egypt Plan, in which France would invade Egypt and leave Germany and the Netherlands alone. There he met several leading French thinkers, including [Nicolas Malebranche](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicolas-Malebranche) and [Antoine Arnauld](https://iep.utm.edu/antoine-arnauld/), and studied mathematics under [Christian Huygens](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christiaan-Huygens) (discovering integral and differential calculus after about three years). He created a calculating machine and, based on this work, was made in 1673 a member of the Royal Society. In 1676 he began working in the court of the Duke of Hanover. He spent much of his life promoting science, libraries and learning and was the first president of the [Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_Academy_of_Sciences). Leibniz made contributions to not only mathematics but physics, theology, and philosophy. He sought to reconcile Catholicism and Lutheranism and, in his own way, modern science and philosophy to certain Aristotelian ideas, such as the substantial form and final cause. He died in Hanover in 1716. **Themes** Leibniz is regarded, along with Descartes and Spinoza, as one of the most important rationalist philosophers of his age. He wrote a work in response to John Locke arguing that some principles or ideas are in some sense innate. In metaphysics, he asserted the principle of sufficient reason, which says that things happen when there is more reason for them to happen than not, and claimed that, strictly speaking, all true statements are analytic (e.g., it can be truly predicated of Ceasar *a priori* that he crossed the Rubicon). Unhappy with atomistic and other accounts of substance, he argued that monads (dimensionless, soul-like entities) are fundamental, reflect everything that has ever happened or will happen, and are in sync with each other through a pre-established order chosen by God. From the conclusion that God has chosen this world, and that God can only choose the best, Leibniz famously claimed that this is the best of all possible worlds. The system Leibniz set up would seem to leave little room for human freedom, but he tried to argue that people were nonetheless free in some sense. Right or wrong, his views are complex and interesting. **Works and This Month's Reading** Leibniz wrote so much that the critical edition of his collected works, underway for several decades, remains unfinished. Much of this output consists of short works—letters, journal articles—rather than a magnum opus. His only book-length statement of his philosophy published in his lifetime is *Theodicy*. His other major works include *Discourse on Metaphysics*, *Monadology*, and *New Essays on Human Understanding*. Except for *Monadology*, our readings this month are not from his most famous works; however, the selections in the *Shorter Leibniz Texts* are helpfully arranged, cover many of Leibniz's main claims, and, because the selections are short, can be read in coherent, manageable chunks. **Readings** · [The Shorter Leibniz Texts (Strickland)](https://www.amazon.com/Shorter-Leibniz-Texts-Collection-Translations/dp/0826489516/) · [Monadology (Google Books, pp. 215-271)](https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Monadology_and_Other_Philosophical_W/0IARAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1) – The Strickland version listed below is a good alternative. Both have more footnotes and explanatory text than text from Leibniz. **Optional** · [Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, IEP](https://iep.utm.edu/leib-ove/) – Summarizes Leibniz’s thought based on *Discourse on Metaphysics*, *Monadology*, *Theodicy*, and *New Essays on Human Understanding*. · [Leibniz's Monadology: A New Translation and Guide (Strickland)](https://www.amazon.com/Leibnizs-Monadology-New-Translation-Guide/dp/074869322X/) – An alternative to the version on Google (above), this version also has relevant selections from *Theodicy*. · [Leibniz: Philosophical Essays](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0872200620/?) – Contains Discourse on *Metaphysics*, *Monadology*, the Preface to *New Essays on Human Understanding*, and several other short works and letters. · [The Philosophy of Spinoza & Leibniz (YouTube) - Magee & Quinton, 1987](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7n7wfQOGaI) · [The Essence of Calculus (YouTube) - 3Blue1Brown](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUvTyaaNkzM) \- Quick intro\. · [Mathematical Treasure: Leibniz's Papers on Calculus (MAA)](https://old.maa.org/press/periodicals/convergence/mathematical-treasure-leibnizs-papers-on-calculus) – If you’re curious what Leibniz’s calculus looked like. · [Mathematics - 19th Century, Algebra, Calculus | Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/science/mathematics/Mathematics-in-the-19th-century) – History of math, with some math.

Moderately paced hike (\~7 miles and 300 ft elevation) mainly circles clock-wise around Lake Frank, with side trips to visit Prather Family Cemetery, Valieant Covered Bridge, Pioneer Homestead, Study Pond, and Sunfish Pond. The first half of the trail is mostly on natural surface and can be hilly at times. At the end of the Muncaster Mill Trail, where it reaches Muncaster Mill Road (Rt 115), we will see what remains of the Muncaster Mill. For the second half of the hike, a good portion of the Lakeside trail on the east side is wide open, shared with hikers, with a portion of it paved. Lake Frank is a 54-acre reservoir in Derwood, MD, on the North Branch of Rock Creek created in 1966 as Lake Norbeck to protect watershed, aid flood and sediment control, as well as to provide recreation. Swimming, boating, and ice skating are prohibited. It has an earthen dam on its southern side. Meadowside Nature Center and its trail system covers almost 500 acres within the larger (1,800 acre) Rock Creek Regional Park, managed by Montgomery County Parks. Meadowside Nature Center and nearby Lake Frank present the lush streamside habitats typical of the Maryland Piedmont. Much like the kidneys in our own bodies, wetlands filter impurities in our watersheds. They also act as natural flooding and storm water pollution control and represent some of the most prolific wildlife habitats, connecting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Plantings near the Nature Center were designed to attract birds and other wildlife, and there are native plant gardens for bees, birds, and other pollinators. **Level:** Moderate **Cost:** No cost for the hike itself; $2 recommended donation **Bring:** Water, snacks, lunch, weather appropriate clothing, hiking shoes, hiking poles optional. **Cancellation Policy:** Activity is held rain or shine, but may be altered due to inclement weather. **Leaders**: Vicky Hsu, hhueichi@gmail.com, (240) 370-7011; Angela Calle, acalle41@gmail.com

Hey Chapter Twoers, come join us for a night at Sfoglina, which was "inspired by the female pasta makers of Italy who carried on the tradition and the art of making pasta by hand." Besides fresh pasta, the restaurant also has some really yummy desserts. It will be a night of great food and great company in Van Ness. See you there!

Join PSW Science® on December 19th at 8 PM as we welcome Davey Smith, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Clinical and Translational Research at UCSD. Smith will explain UCSD's "Last Gift" program which follows people with HIV closely near the end of life and then studies many organs right after death. In addition to HIV reserach, this model opens new windows on cancer, brain and nerve diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, in addition to heart and lung disease. During the question and answer period, in-person attendees and live stream viewers may ask the speaker questions, and in-person attendees may also engage with the speaker during the post-lecture reception. Refreshments are served. For more information on this meeting, please visit: [https://pswscience.org/meeting/2527/](https://pswscience.org/meeting/2527/ "https://pswscience.org/meeting/2527/") The meeting will be held in the John Wesley Powell Auditorium, adjacent to the Cosmos Club. The Powell Auditorium is located at 2170 Florida Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20008. Use of the Cosmos Club is restricted to the Powell Auditorium, the entryway to the auditorium, and the restrooms immediately outside the auditorium. Please note there is no onsite parking available. A live stream of the event is also available: [https://youtube.com/live/677a2aOVi1Q](https://youtube.com/live/677a2aOVi1Q "https://youtube.com/live/677a2aOVi1Q") PSW Science, founded in 1871, is one of the oldest scientific societies in Washington D.C. Now, over 150 years later, we celebrate the Society's rich history and contributions to scientific discovery and cross-disciplinary collaboration. For information on how to become a member of PSW Science and membership benefits, please visit [https://pswscience.org/join/](https://pswscience.org/join/ "https://pswscience.org/join/")

First Sundays are free admission at Franklin Park Conservatory. Sunday, January 4th, is also the last day The Palm House will be open before renovations begin. Let’s meet, enjoy a respite from January weather, and wander the gardens. Free neanthe bella palms are available to guests, beginning at 10am, while supplies last. Afterwards, we can visit the nearby East Market (212 Kelton Avenue).

Some trained COUNT volunteers work together once a month at RMH (http://www.rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer.php) as Housewarmers (usually on the 1st Sunday from 1 – 5 PM). Some schedule other shifts at their convenience. You may try this out with less fuss by following a "Fast track" or go through the normal process. Fast track • Arrange a time to shadow a COUNT volunteer. Call Dave Nohle at 614-268-9558 (cell). • Show up and try it out. • Complete application, etc. later. Normal process • Complete an online application (http://rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer/). • Attend orientation in advance. • At orientation you will complete forms agreeing to keep family/patient info private and allowing a background check and tour the facility. • Complete one training shift. Daily shifts are: morning 9 AM - 1 PM, afternoon 1 - 5 PM and evening 5 - 9 PM. • Schedule shifts online using the on the RMH scheduling system (http://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/?FROM=32895). The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) provides housing and meals for families with sick children. The Columbus RMH is the largest in the world with 137 rooms. COUNT has been volunteering there since May 2014. Housewarmers work with RMH guests to provide a home-like environment - greet, assist with family needs, answer phones, give tours, assist with checkin/checkout, prepare guest rooms after checkout, clean facility, laundry, restock supplies and staff the front desk. RMH Housewarmers volunteer at least one four-hour shift a month. All Housewarmers must complete an application and agree to a background check before they can be full fledged volunteers.

Join us as we get together to see an Opening Night showing of the highly anticipated epic fantasy-adventure, AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH! We’ll make this one of our rare 3D movie events! James Cameron returns to direct the 3rd film in the acclaimed series which should be another visually stunning adventure! Here are details, a trailer and our plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: One year after settling in with the Metkayina Clan, Jake and Neytiri's family encounter a new, aggressive Na'vi tribe called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang, who has allied with Jake's enemy, Quaritch, as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences. The film is directed (and co-written) by James Cameron and stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet who all return to reprise their roles from previous films. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-vO43w1xXg PLAN: Details for this event have already been confirmed! Please purchase your ticket for the 6:00pm showing at Cinemark Polaris and meet inside the theater lobby between 5:30 and 5:45pm! This event will sell out so advance ticket purchase as soon as possible is advised! Once you do, please list your seat number in the Comments below! NOTE ON LOCATION: This one took some time to sort out! Ticket prices for a 3D showing at the various theaters range from $11 to $22+ in a range of theater sizes from tiny/intimate to large auditoriums. Because advance ticket sales have already started, many locations/showtimes are already half-full! So, we went with a showtime (6pm) and seating suitable for a long (3-hr) movie, middle-of-the-pack pricing, and a large enough theater with little/no pre-sales that (hopefully) won’t sell out too quickly. And, did I mention luxury seating! That said, you’ll want to purchase your tickets as soon as possible! Should be a fun one, Dan