Airplanes

In an era focused on scalable efficiency, the pursuit of absolute service consistency is often seen as the ultimate goal. But what is gained and what is lost when service offerings are entirely predictable? Does aiming for uniformity stifle necessary adaptation and human connection? Join us for an intimate discussion exploring the often overlooked trade-offs of **service consistency**. We'll dive into when consistency builds “trust and reliability”, and when it becomes “a barrier to designing flexible, empathetic, and truly customer-centric experiences”. **#ServiceDesign #ServiceConsistency #ServiceManagement** **What’s a Service Design DC salon?** Our salons are an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow designers, engage in meaningful conversations, and gain fresh perspectives on the evolving landscape of our field. Space is limited to ensure an intimate atmosphere and encourage deeper conversations. Whether you have been to a past salon or will be a first timer, we’d be happy to have you join this group discussion of service design practitioners and enthusiasts in the Washington D.C. area! **Evening Agenda** * 6:00 P.M. - Doors Open / Socializing \* * 6:30 P.M. - Salon begins * 8:00 P.M. - Salon Wraps up \*We will provide light refreshments, including food and drinks, during the salon. **Note about RSVPs:** * Due to the limited number of available spots, we kindly request that you update your RSVP if you are unable to attend so others may have the opportunity to join. Thank you for your understanding. *** Many thanks to our host and sponsor, **Technical Assent!** *At Technical Assent, we believe that government can be a platform for service innovation where services can be designed to be more relevant to customers, more reliable, and delivered at a lower cost.* *Our company exists to build high-performing government service organizations — government-to-citizens (G2C), government-to-government (G2G), and shared services. Our approach is unique in that we improve service performance from the bottom-up, starting with customer experience. We use that insight to design and modify the talent, tools, and technology that deliver government services to each customer. Technical Assent is a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business appraised at CMMI-SVC Level 3.*

***In Person Location:*** Rockville Library, second floor meeting room (Collaboration Room 3). We are experimenting with a new virtual join link - [https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers](https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers) If you can make it in person, that's always recommended! Let's resume repeated full end-to-end testing cycles and continue to iterate our design and resolution. We are getting close. Our community is building (and documenting for other teams) how to build a scanning tunneling microscope using a mix of common and 3D printed parts. This will allow us to scan and visualize a single atom - an ambitious we are doing over the course of a few months. The MoCo Makers community is one of the most innovative and competent groups in Maryland, and we've done everything from [publishing cancer research](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38136356/), to [launching products](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gotim/cozy-curvy-multi-contour-pillow), [winning grants](https://covidinfocommons.datascience.columbia.edu/awards/2014255), and inspiring thousands. Now our biggest challenge yet has appeared. We are building a Scanning Tunneling Microscope, that will allow us to scan and visualize single atoms. Does it sound hard? Perhaps.. However! I have every confidence that we are now operating at a level were we can take on this mean, cross-functional project. We continue to build on our past successes, and a key technology we previously applied was increasing the signal of small voltages using OpAmps - which we did during our custom pH Probe project - [https://www.mocomakers.com/ph-probe/](https://www.mocomakers.com/ph-probe/) \- That technology is exactly what we need to get this machine working\, and at a high precision\! To get a better idea of what we are doing, see our reference project here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g) All starting CAD, code, and reference files should exist. However, let's be the first Maker community to document the build process and share it with learners around the world. We have a bit over $2,000 in materials costs, so if you want to sponsor this project, and get banners at events with 20K attendees, and access to our email broadcast of 30K members, please contact matt@mocomakers.com We are also open to university, lab, or community partnerships so feel to reach out if you want to be part of this project. Together, we can do incredible things. ***In Person Location:*** Rockville Library, second floor meeting room (Meeting Room 3). To Join Virtually: https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers

Please **[Click here](https://online.innerengineering.com/en/program-details/inner-engineering-in-person-cityprogram-the-highlands-at-germantown-maryland-us-feb-26-2026)**[ ](https://online.innerengineering.com/en/program-details/inner-engineering-total-cityprogram-unity-village---conference-center-missouri-us-may-09-2024)to learn more and register. **This is a paid program** Program Fee USD 375, Early Bird Pricing USD 330 (Expires on January 26th, 2026) Inner Engineering Total is offered as a 4-day in-person program designed by Sadhguru. The course combines the tools from Inner Engineering and the transmission of **Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya**, a 21-minute life-transforming practice. This format contains powerful meditative processes and practice support through personalized corrections. Additionally, a **free introductory talk** will be offered on **Thursday from 6:00pm to 7:00pm** (**[RSVP](https://online.innerengineering.com/en/event-details/21468)**) This session is open to all - feel free to bring your friends, family or anyone who may want to come with you. The program will resume after a short break, during which attendees will still have an opportunity to register. This program is offered through an Isha Yoga instructor trained by Sadhguru. No prerequisite or physical agility required. **Program Guidelines & session information** Programs are on Thursday and Friday evenings for 3 1/4 hours and continue all day on Saturday and Sunday. Vegetarian lunch is provided on Saturday; Vegetarian breakfast & lunch on Sunday. **Program Date and Timings:** Thursday, February 26th, 6:00 PM - 9:15 PM Friday, February 27th, 6:00 PM - 9:15 PM Saturday, February 28th, 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM Sunday, March 1st, 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM **Attendance to all sessions is mandatory.** **Open to ages 15 years and above.** **For ages 15 - 17, please [Register Here](https://online.innerengineering.com/en/minor-registration/8766)** Learn more about Inner Engineering on **[Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9-WwLCy8XY).**

# 🚀Ready to level up your cybersecurity game? **Join Cloudforce on Thursday, February 26 at 5:00 PM** for **Cybersecurity in the Microsoft Cloud**, a focused session on the core security essentials every organization needs to protect its cloud environment. As threats grow more sophisticated and AI-driven attacks become the norm, understanding the fundamentals of securing Microsoft 365 is critical. This session will walk you through the practical building blocks of a strong security foundation—ensuring your identity, data, and collaboration tools remain protected. **Event Details:** **📅 When:** February 26th\, 2026 \| 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM **📍 Where:** Cloudforce HQ: 120 Waterfront St, Suite 500 · National Harbor, MD 🎤 **Speaker Lineup:** * Corey J\. Lee \| Security CTO at Microsoft * Hasib Munib \| Microsoft Certified Trainer \(MCT\) \- Azure Infrastructure & Security Consultant * Rhoddy McKown \| Cloud Security SME\, Unit Lead at Cloudforce * Husein Sharaf \| CEO & Founder at Cloudforce ✨ Don’t miss this chance to connect with peers, share ideas, and get inspired for the year ahead. **✅ RSVP today to claim your spot!** **Questions?** Reach out at events@gocloudforce.com

**Tomorrow's hike is cancelled due to iffy weather. Expected reschedule date is April 4, 2026.** This is the third hike along the original boundary line between the nation’s capital, Virginia, and Maryland. See stones placed every mile along the boundary survey line in 1792. These stones are the first federal monuments in the nation’s capital. Initially, we will hike a short distance along the Capital Crescent Trail to view NW Stone 4, which is on Delcarlia Reservoir grounds. We will come back to our meeting location and hike north along Norton Street and Loughboro Road (restroom opportunity at Sibley Hospital) to Delcarlia Parkway. We will hike a short distance along Delcarlia Parkway and then on Spring Valley neighborhood streets to Warren Place and Delcarlia Parkway, where we will get you as close as we can to the location of NW Stone 5, which is also on Delcarlia Reservoir grounds. We will hike Spring Valley neighborhood streets to Massachusetts Avenue and Western Avenue at Westmorland Circle, and then on sidewalks along Western Avenue (NW stones 6, 7, and 8 are in front yards along Western Avenue), on trails through the northern portion of Rock Creek Park(NW 9 is adjacent to the park), and on sidewalks along streets in Silver Spring (North corner stone is just south of East-West Highway, west of 16th Street) to the Silver Spring Metro Station. Total distance is approximately 10.5 miles. We will meet 9:30 am, Thursday, February 26, 2026, at the connector trail to the Capital Crescent Trail (Norton Street and Potomac Avenue NW). Parking is available in the area. Public transportation to and from the hike works. If you drive, you can take metro and a bus back to your vehicle. Occasional restroom opportunities are available along the hike route. Bring water, lunch or snacks, and dress for the weather. Sun protection (such as hat & sunglasses) is recommended if the weather is sunny or partly sunny. All participants must sign a liability waiver at the start. SCPRO requests a voluntary donation of $2 per person to help support our all-volunteer program. You need not be a Sierra Club member to participate, but if you'd like to join, go to: [http://www.sierraclub.org/virginia](http://www.sierraclub.org/virginia).

Come volunteer with us refurbishing donated bicycles so that they can be used again by the community! This event is open to new volunteers and existing volunteers. No mechanical experience is necessary. Note: The warehouse location is in the alley behind 1502 Mt Vernon Ave. Enter through the gray door next to a roll-down garage door. If you drive to the location, be sure to park in the street, not in the alleys or parking lots surrounding the warehouse. And wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty with bicycle grease! Volunteers under 18 need a parent or guardian to accompany them to their first volunteer experience and sign a liability waiver. Volunteers under 16 need a parent or guardian to accompany them at all times while volunteering with Vélocity.

March 1, 2026 located in Damascus at a private home, address will be given after registration. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*TWO SPOTS LEFT\*\*\*\*\*\*\* 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Snacks provided $30.00 per person Gals… before we jump into the next busy season, we’re gathering for something a little different. Join us for a local Suitcase Gals pop-up Full Moon Cacao Gathering, an hour to pause, reset, and reconnect. Just like travel can expand us, this evening is about reflection, intention, and personal growth. Because the best journeys don’t only happen on airplanes — they begin within. We’ll sip ceremonial cacao, enjoy meaningful conversation, and set intentions under the energy of the full moon. This is less about travel plans and more about community, connection, and stepping into your next chapter with clarity. Whether you’ve joined a Suitcase Gals trip before or you’re simply curious to connect locally, you are so welcome. Spots are limited for this intimate gathering. [REGISTER](https://traveljoy.com/bookings/PjCyGKmEJ2PQpV1azXfTcgQC) Come as you are. Leave inspired for wherever life (or your suitcase) takes you next.

Join the Ski and Sports Club of Washington DC (SCWDC) on the slopes this season. Show your interest or solicit roommates here on Meetup. **However, [TRIP REGISTRATION IS ON THE SCWDC WEBSITE](https://scwdc.wildapricot.org/Ski-Flight-Trips)**. Trips are open to paid SCWDC members ([see all club benefits on the SCWDC website](https://scwdc.wildapricot.org/membership)), or Blue Ridge Ski Council (BRSC) members. **ASK QUESTIONS directly to the TRIP LEAD on ea SCWDC TRIP page** Trip Prices Include: -**Planning and logistics handled by Trip Leaders** -All trips supported by experienced committee members and club leaders -Club founded in 1936 **-Group roundtrip air travel & ground transportation to the slopes** -Grocery stop, may be included -Ground transportation only (book your own flights), may be available **-All posted prices, Double Occupancy** -Specify preferred roommate during registration, if identified -Trip Lead assigns a same gender roommate if none specified -Private rooms available with the additional single supplement (SS) price **-Pre-Trip DMV social meet/greet, may be included** **-During trip daily social meet/greet, may be included** **-Discount lift tickets, at additional costs, from third-parties may be included**

[More Than a Flower | National Museum of African American History and Culture](https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/more-flower) [https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/more-flower](https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/more-flower) **More Than a Flower Exhibit \| National Museum of African American History and Culture** ***More than a Flower* shares the fresh and fragrant beauty of live orchids and connects stories, scholarship, and art to this extraordinary species.** **I have 4 tickets, and Sri has 9 tickets for 1:30 PM on Saturday, February 28th.** ***SO, there are 13 tickets, and I limited the number of attendees to 13.*** ***Feel free to go at another time that works for you. The exhibit will be there until April 26.*** Bring: Water, fully charged batteries, empty cards, and comfortable shoes Share only your very best, most interesting shots after the field trip, and keep it down to between 5 and 10 photos. By sending in an RSVP and joining this meetup event hosted by the Virginia Beltway Photography Meetup, I am also agreeing to the terms of the following release and waiver of liability, which shall be binding on my heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns. In consideration of my (and my child’s) participation in the Virginia Beltway Photography Meetup, I do hereby release, discharge, and hold harmless the Organizer, its members, officers, directors, employees and the leader(s) of this event from any and all liability by reason of any damage, loss, expenses, or injury arising from my (and my child’s) participation in this event, including that caused solely or in part by the fault of any and all of the above-named parties.

Let us meet up for a language exchange. We will give out name tags. You write your name and what language you speak and what language you would like to exchange. ***GRAB A DRINK AND YOU ARE ALL SET TO FLEX YOUR LANGUAGE CAPACITY. YOU NEED TO GET AT LEAST A DRINK OR FOOD :) To get the event going and show support. We know that you like our events. P.S. : We have non-alcoholic drinks as well.*** We have a tiny venue and we hit capacity often and early arrival is suggested. We have the discretion to decide entry. All languages are welcome! However we don't guarantee the availability of a partner in that particular language, you would like to exchange. HOW IT WORKS : We will try to assign tables for each represented languages and will direct attendees to their respective tables accordingly. All languages are welcome! However we don't guarantee the availability of a partner in that particular language, you would like to exchange. Rules to abide : 1. Event is free and 21+ (bring ID). 2. Be respectful to your counterparts and give them a chance to exchange with others as well. 3. We all are native speakers of one or two languages and be willing to help others and try to accommodate as much as possible. 4. If you don't speak the other person's required language, LEAVE THEM ALONE. 5. Rude or aggressive members are removed from the group at an organizers discretion. 6. This is a face-to-face language exchange event. DO NOT try to arrange an online meeting, by using the comment box or direct message. 7. Most of our members complained about people writing in the comment box. Since it sends notification to all attendees. If you have any questions, send a message to the organizers. Don't write in the comment box. 8. We have ZERO TOLERANCE for solicitation. We don't allow anyone to run their own agenda at the Event. If you are interested to promote/sponsor/collaborate; contact us via (info@merevents.com). 9. When you get there, we will greet you and take you to your respective group. 10. Don't be shy of your local languages. We have diplomates assigned to different countries, who would love to practice your languages. 11\. Be patient for the first 30 minutes\, up until we form your respective language group\. 12\. We will have a registration station and check you in\. 13\. This is mainly a social for Intermediate/Advanced/Native Speaker\. It is not as such to learn a language\. Beginners\, if you want to learn a language\, reach out to us \(info@merevents\.com\)\. We have a school and will arrange you a class\. ***AFTER THE EXCHANGE, WE HIT THE DANCE FLOOR! BRING YOUR DANCING SHOES, WE WILL DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY!***

• What we'll do Learn how to take great pictures BEFORE you go on that expensive trip! And we will teach you how to use your camera IN THE FIELD, not in a classroom! Join our standard Monuments and Memorials workshop, offered Wednesdays and Saturdays, in which the instructor takes you to some of DC’s most popular attractions: White House, Lafayette Park, the Einstein, Lincoln, Korea, and Vietnam Three Servicemen Memorials, and finally to Union Station, where you learn to make all the moving people DISAPPEAR! Remember, it was Confucius who said: "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do, and I understand." At Washington Photo Safari, we help you "do " and understand! That is why our motto is "See. Click. Learn." This $71 Safari (a 20% discount from the regular $89 price) begins with a 45-minute travel photography orientation, giving you basic tips in composition, F-stops and shutter speeds, portraiture, and interior photography. While you are taking pictures, you receive hands-on guidance on how to make those images even better! Advanced and smartphone photographers will appreciate the instructor’s extensive knowledge of the best camera angles in DC. This is suggested as a preliminary course before taking special safaris. Open to any photographers at any skill level with any camera, phone, or tablet. Transportation from site to site is provided by the instructor. • What to bring camera and all lenses • Important to know travel, architectural, portrait and street photography techniques

Γειά σας! I hope folks are doing well despite this non-Hellenic weather! Hopefully, the snow will be gone before our next Greek Language MeetUp on Thursday, February 26th, at 7 pm. It's still the Free State's turn, so we'll MeetUp at Mykonos Grill in Rockville. Though we will follow our usual format of chatting with our παρεα, I will bring a question to discuss as a theme for this MeetUp, There are a few more Hellenic events to flag, including: * The snow caused our friends at the Hellenic Society Prometheas to reschedule their inaugural Cultural Heritage Awards Gala to Saturday, February 14th, at 6 pm, at the Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park at 3111 Fairview Park Drive. The gala will honor three notable members of our community, Dr. Nicholas Patronas, Mrs. Sophia Tsangali, and Father Steven Zorzos, "who have championed the spirit of Hellenism and its historical and cultural richness" with music provided by pianist Dr. Mary-Victoria Voutsas, the Palko Greek Music Band with singer Sophia Pelekasis, as well as DJTheo. Tickets are still available for $150 and can be purchased at [DC Greeks](https://www.dcgreeks.com/event_display.asp?EventID=2026012401). * The annual Celebration of *World Greek Language Day* will be held on Sunday, Feb. 15th at 3:00 pm at Saint George in Bethesda. The main speaker is Mr. Dimitri Dandolos, a founding board member of the Odyssey School in Wilmington, Delaware. * Saint Sophia will hold its Mardi Gras Community Dance, or Apocreatiko/Αποκριάτικο, on Saturday, February 21st, from 6 pm to 10 pm. It will feature a buffet dinner and music from Palko. Tickets are $85 each. Let me know if we should get a MeetUp table! * Speaking of which, let me know if we should try to get tickets to see Greek-American humorist and author David Sedaris on Sunday, April 19th, at 3 pm, at DAR Constitution Hall. Tickets are between $50 and $75. A pretty nice list of events, highlighted of course by our MeetUp on February 26th at Mykonos Grill. Να τα πούμε! - Athan

Join us for a Japanese Book Fair + Ramen Meetup! We’ll browse the used Japanese Book Fair together at Yokoso Center, then head next door to Tensuke Ramen from 5–6 PM to enjoy ramen and other Japanese dishes. After we eat, we’ll hang out and play a few casual games. Come for books, stay for food and community, open to all!

This meeting will be an open discussion about the book "an Immense World" by Ed Yong

We’re still working to get more people into these Meetups, but our goal is to give PlayYourCourt members a few social tennis outings each week in addition to your practice sessions and Challenge League matches. These Meetups are co-ed, super laid back, and all skill levels are welcome. Post your skill level and a suggested court in the comments section so we can round up as many players as we can for some tennis fun! Also, if you’re looking to meet new practice partners or play some matches and you aren’t already in the PlayYourCourt Community, you can go here to see what we’re all about and sign up: https://www.playyourcourt.com/tennis-community/columbus-oh/meetup/ If you love tennis, we’d love to have you! Be sure and watch the quick video that explains how everything works. Happy hitting! - Scott

Come out to Improving for our monthly iOS and Mac meetings. This Month's Presentation: Nothing yet. (You should volunteer). What is Cocoaheads (http://cocoaheads.org/)? CocoaHeads is a group devoted to discussion of Apple Computer's Cocoa Framework for programming on MacOS X and iOS (including the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch). During monthly meetings, members present on their projects and offer tutorials on various programming topics. What is BuckeyeCocoa (http://buckeyecocoa.org/)? BuckeyeCocoa is a group of Objective-C/Swift developers/enthusiasts. We host monthly Cocoaheads and near-weekly NSCoder meetings in Columbus, Ohio. The meetings are free to attend. Presentations! Presenters welcome! We are always in need of people willing to present material. Any Swift and/or Objective-C related topic is welcome. Times can be 5 minutes (i.e. lightning talks) to a maximum of 2 hours. Interested? Contact info is on the BuckeyeCocoa website. To volunteer for a presentation contact us at @BuckeyeCocoa on Twitter. Follow us on Twitter! @BuckeyeCocoa (https://twitter.com/#!/Buckeyecocoa/) For more information: http://buckeyecocoa.org/

We will have our certified mediums available and you can receive 3 10-minute readings for $20. To keep you safe, we will be following all CDC and Health Dept. guidelines at our psychic fair today. Sitters and readers required to wear a mask. We will maintain a minimum of 6 foot physical distance during readings. Please, if you can, bring your own portable chair to use during your readings. Please note that we are at our wonderful new home at Unity of Columbus, 4211 Maize Road, Columbus, OH