Axis and Allies

Hello sporty population! Let's gather around and play some football together with people from around the world! IMPORTANT! Spots are limited, so make sure you reserver yours! If you are not registered on the list, you will be kindly asked to leave; this is to ensure fair access for everyone! We will play indoors at Playbox in Vantaa on Tuesday evenings from 18.00-19.00 Age limit: 16+ You can come directly inside the hall or meet us at the entrance a bit before 18.00. MIITTI welcomes everyone to its events regardless of background or gender. You don't have to have any skills at all to come and play with us, and if you do, please come and coach us! WHERE: Playbox Vetokuja 1 01610 Vantaa Warm welcome! If you want to be part of the MIITTI community, follow us on our other platforms: WhatsApp: Join our Whatsapp community network to join your favourite group and stay connected with the other members! When you participate in one of our groups or events, just ask the group facilitator to add you to the community!

Huhtikuun teemana on AI-avusteisuus SharePontissa 🪅 Aiheesta alustaa Sanna Jackson / Sulava **Liity mukaan Teamsilla:** [https://copilotbuzz.com/miitti](https://copilotbuzz.com/miitti)

We are starting a closed improvization theater group, meeting weekly on Tuesdays. If you are interested to join, you're welcome to try it on 14.4.! No previous experience in theatre or improvisation is required – the most important thing is to have fun and try something new. **IMPORTANT**: Spots are limited, please make sure to reserve yours! The training sessions teach and apply basic improv techniques, skills and principles. In addition to short exercises, those who are interested can work towards for a small performance for a small audience in late spring – however, participation is also meaningful without the desire to perform. *Commitment*: The first time you can come and get to know the other participants and the techniques without any commitment. From week 16 (14th of April) onwards, the group will close in hopes that the participants can work more focused together and develop onto what we have learned. Participants will also get the opportunity to take turns directing the rest of the group or other smaller responsibilities as they gain confidence. WHEN & WHERE: Tuesdays at 18-20 Tallipääty, MIITTI office Lapinlahten Lähde Lapinlahdenpolku 8 00180 Helsinki About the facilitator: Iska Knuuttila has been part of the Jyväskylä-based Impropaatti group in 2020–2024, where he led some of the training and performed in two performance seasons. The repertoire included both short techniques and long plays. Join our Whatsapp community network to join your favourite group and stay connected with the other members! When you participate in one of our groups or events, just ask the group facilitator to add you to the community! IG: instagram.com/miitti1 Facebook: facebook.com/miitti1 Web: lapinlahdenlahde.fi/en/projekti/miitti/

Learning Finnish in Finland can be difficult because Finns tend to switch to English. That is one of the reasons people like our Finnish language café: you get to practice Finnish with Finns :) The events are completely free and there is always a native speaker to facilitate the conversation and to help find the right words. The coffee is good too ☕😋🇦🇹 Tervetuloa! When? ⏰ Usually Tuesday to Friday from 15:00 - 16:00 Where? 📍 In a cozy Viennese coffee house: The Good Coffee Company, Eerikinkatu 33, Helsinki The Good Coffee Company A Taste of Vienna 🇦🇹 Eerikinkatu 33, 00180 Helsinki Please visit our Facebook page for updates and changes: https://www.facebook.com/TheGoodCoffeeCompany/events

**Holistica BodyMind Flow** **The Spring Sessions** The Holistica classes are a fusion of mobility, strength, breath work and relaxation exercises. We also use Yoga, Qigong, and somatic practices, as well as playfulness, dance, and creative activities. Every class is different and the main goal is to connect to our bodies through movement, to build a warm, welcoming and supportive community and to provide tools to support us to improve our overall health and wellbeing in everyday life. **Exclusively for women.** Migrant women very welcome. LGBT+ very welcome. Come as you are, bringing openness and curiosity. Wear comfortable clothes. **IMPORTANT:** • Spots are limited. If you are not on the MeetUp attendance list, you will be kindly asked to leave. • If you reserve a spot but cannot attend, please cancel in good time so someone from the waitlist can join. About the Project: These classes are part of the Mindful Movements project, launched in September 2025. Facilitator: Lay Wascher — Yoga teacher, Holistic BodyMind and Wellbeing facilitator, Group Fitness instructor and MIITTI volunteer. WHEN: Tuesday, 14th of April, 18:30-19:45 WHERE: Wanha Labra, Lapinlahden Lähde Lapinlahdenpolku 8 00180 Helsinki (How to find us: Inside the yellow main building's courtyard, enter through the door to Kahvila Lähde and turn left, head up the stairs, the door to Wanha Labra is straight ahead. If you want to be part of the MIITTI community, follow us on our other platforms: [Instagram](instagram.com/miitti1) [Facebook](facebook.com/miitti1) [Website](lapinlahdenlahde.fi/en/projekti/miitti/) Whatsapp: Join our Whatsapp community network to join your favourite group and stay connected with the other members! When you participate in one of our groups or events, just ask the group facilitator to add you to the community! ***MIITTI’s Principles for safer space:*** MIITTI wants to nourish a safe and pleasant environment for everyone, where everyone can feel safe as themselves. By joining as a volunteer, employee or participant of the event or activity, you agree to follow the guidelines below *Non-discrimination* I do not make assumptions about people based on their external characteristics or names. I treat all participants with respect, and I don’t use language or take actions that discriminate based on race, gender, sexuality, disability, age, religion, or any other characteristic. I respect pronouns and names. *Boundaries* I respect others' personal space and boundaries, both physical and mental. I acknowledge that I cannot know someone else's boundaries without asking first. I ask before touching. I listen to others and adapt my behaviour if someone indicates that my behaviour makes them feel uncomfortable. *Creating Safe Environment* Everyone is responsible for contributing to a safe and respectful environment. If I witness harassment, I do my part to support those who experience inappropriate or offensive treatment. *Zero Tolerance for Harassment* Our space upholds a strict zero-tolerance policy towards any form of harassment. Harassment, whether verbal, physical, or online, will not be tolerated. If you experience or witness inappropriate behavior or harassment at our events, please report it to the MIITTI or Lapinlahden Lähde staff.

(SWE nedan) This is a language café for anyone who wants to practice their Swedish through discussion in a laid-back environment. Swedish Language Café takes place every Tuesday at Luckan, and the programme is adapted according to the participants’ needs and wishes. Swedish Language Café is organised in collaboration with Kvinnliga Akademiker i Helsingfors. The Swedish Language Café meets at Luckan, Georgsgatan 27 / Yrjönkatu 27 every Tuesday at 17:30-19:00. There is no need to sign up in advance. For more information: integration@luckan.fi SWE Swedish Language Café är ett språkkafé som är öppet för alla som vill öva svenska via diskussioner i en avslappnad miljö. Språkkaféet hålls varje tisdag och programmet anpassas enligt deltagarnas behov och önskemål. Språkkafét ordnas i samarbete med Kvinnliga Akademiker i Helsingfors. Språkkafét hålls på Luckan, Georgsgatan 27 klockan 17:30-19:00. Förhandsanmälan krävs ej. För mera information kontakta integration@luckan.fi

Here's an opportunity to practice German over a good cup of coffee in a cozy Viennese coffee house 🍷☕️🍻🍾🎡 🇦🇹 The events are free and there is always a native speaker to facilitate the conversation and to help find the right words. You can also enjoy specialties from Vienna ☕️🇦🇹🥰 When? ⏰ Usually Tuesdays from 16:00 - 17:00 Where? 📍 In a cozy Viennese Café & Restaurant: The Good Coffee Company, Eerikinkatu 33, Helsinki Herzlich willkommen! Tässä mahdollisuus harjoitella saksaa hyvän kahvin äärellä viihtyisässä wienilaisessa kahvilassa 🍷☕️🍻🍾🎡 🇦🇹 Tapahtumat ovat ilmaisia ja mukana on aina saksaa äidinkielenään puhuva henkilö. Saat myös kokeilla erikoisuuksia Wienistä. ☕️🇦🇹🥰 Milloin? ⏰ Yleensä tiistaina klo 16.00-17.00 Missä? 📍 Viihtyisässä wieniläisessä kahvilassa ja ravintolassa: The Good Coffee Company, Eerikinkatu 33, Helsinki Herzlich willkommen! The Good Coffee Company Eerikinkatu 33, Helsinki www.thegoodcoffee.co A Taste of Vienna 🇦🇹 PS: Please visit our Facebook Page for updates and changes: https://www.facebook.com/TheGoodCoffeeCompany/events

To whoever want to turn hard-to-test code into easy-to-test code. This is a **hands-on workshop** where we do pair programming on an example domain. The example code contains difficult-to-test code, and your job is to make the code testable and add few tests. You will learn **3 different techniques** on turning legacy code into testable code. These techniques you can take with you to your work and use them the very next day. **Schedule**. 17:00 some snacks and setting up your dev env. 17:30 programming exercise 18:45 quick retro 19:00 free discussion, sauna\* is on. \* Please bring a swimsuit for the sauna. Towels are on the house.

Let's play Mafia together! Locations: Oodi library, Group room #7 (2nd floor). Mafia is a role playing social deduction game. People sit around the table, and are secretly assigned a role. The role divides them in two teams: \- Mafia \(minority\) \- Citizens \(uninformed majority\)\. Members in the Mafia team know each other, but the citizens don't. You are not allowed to reveal your role in any way. Each turn consists of a night time and day time. During the night: The Mafia team secretly "kills" one member of the Citizens. Players with special roles (detailed below) secretly use their ability. During the day: Everyone presents their opinions on who they think are in the Mafia team, or present arguments as to why they are not in the Mafia team if they have been accused. Vote for those players you think are in the Mafia team - those who get a majority vote (>= 50%) will get a chance to present their defense. Vote to "eliminate" 1 person in the defense - the accused will not be eliminated if there are no votes or gets <50% of the votes. The game continues until either the Citizens eliminate all Mafia members, or the Mafia becomes the majority. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Most of the people at our event have experience playing the game. But we are glad to meet new people, and will be happy to briefly introduce you to the game rules and players' strategies if you decide to come. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Special roles at our game party: Doctor (Citizen team): At each night, you can save a player who you think the Mafia team has killed. That player cannot be killed by the Mafia team that night, and the Mafia do not know who you saved. You can save yourself once. Detective (Citizen team): At each night, you can point to a player you think is in the Mafia and the narrator will show thumbs up if they are in the Mafia team. You can not detect the Godfather. Sniper/Professional (Citizen team): Each night, you could either choose to kill someone you think is in the Mafia, or not shoot. You have only two bullets. If you select a citizen to shoot, you go out of the game yourself, but that citizen is still in the game. Constantine (Citizen team): During the night, you can bring back one dead person to life. This can be used only once per game. Matador (Mafia team): Each night, you can diffuse someone's special ability. You can not diffuse the same person two nights in a row. Godfather (Mafia team): You're the head of the Mafia. The detective can not detect you. Terrorist (Mafia team): During the day, you can reveal your character, and choose to kill yourself and another player. The latest time you can do this is during when someone (e.g. you) are presenting their defense. The person you kill with yourself cannot be resurrected by Constantine

【IMPORTANT SUMMARY】 * The purpose of social games is to know some people, do some exercise and enjoy the games together with others. Winning and getting points is not the focus of this session. Please play with consideration to your opponents' level. * Please purchase your slot through this link [https://7538e9.myshopify.com/](https://7538e9.myshopify.com/) 【SIGN-UP SYSTEM】 * Please sign up and pay through this link. [https://7538e9.myshopify.com/products/social-game](https://7538e9.myshopify.com/products/social-game) * We don't use the signup system on Meetup.com anymore. (Neither the waiting list) * It says this event is full on this meetup page, because I didn't open any slots here for you to sign up. You have to check this [sign-up page](https://7538e9.myshopify.com/products/social-game) to see if there is still a slot available there. * The background of using an external sign-up and payment system is because Meetup.com introduced a service fee to increase 21% of the fee in May 2023, and we want to reduce this cost. 【FEE and REFUND POLICY】 * Fee includes courts and plastic shuttles. Please sign up and pay before you come. NO refund if you do not cancel until 48 hours before the event. * Racket: bring one or rent one at the counter. * You can put a comment to sell your slot after the deadline of refund, or sell your slot in our whatsapp group. * No matter the reason is sickness, accident or anything, the group or I will not afford the cost caused by your absence. * Of course you CAN'T ask me, "Can I sign up for free for next week because I didn't come to use my slot this week?". Please remember, the court booked for you was there and it costs money. The court doesn't simply become "free of charge", just because you didn't come to use it. 【COMMUNICATION】 * Communication: our whatsapp group [https://chat.whatsapp.com/JJQbJlisbcj5YDnlcSu347](https://chat.whatsapp.com/JJQbJlisbcj5YDnlcSu347) * There are too many spams, so I only accept +358 number to join whatsapp group. Numbers from other countries will all be rejected. 【OTHERS】 * Please always keep 1 meter away from those courts where people are playing. Never step into the corners of other courts! If I see you do this, I probably will yell at you! * If you have some questions, you can put your questions in the comments on the event page. People will respond. * We play double games to 21 points. After each game, please let those who are waiting to play. Feel free to play with whoever you want, but please avoid playing with the same people all the time. * If you are new to badminton, please Google basic badminton rules in advance. Serve rules, double rules and point counting rules. You are always welcome to ask anyone in our group. Most of our members are more than happy to help you. * Badminton activity is organized for non-profit purpose, but I take a small fee for my work. * Want to restring your racket? I can do restring for you. €24 including the string. Please get contact with Ken. [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XdBBBKBmsHqvMyI7t1MttqOxwX8rs7vQ/view?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XdBBBKBmsHqvMyI7t1MttqOxwX8rs7vQ/view?usp=sharing) * [https://www.meetup.com/Helsinki-Badminton-Meetup/](https://www.meetup.com/Helsinki-Badminton-Meetup/) * You want to pay with your sport card or voucher? check the bottom of the page. Click "read more" * https://www.meetup.com/Helsinki-Badminton-Meetup/[https://www.meetup.com/Helsinki-Badminton-Meetup/](https://www.meetup.com/Helsinki-Badminton-Meetup/)

Welcome to our April meetup in Helsinki, arranged together with Antilooppi (https://antilooppi.fi/). Schedule: 17:00 Doors open! 17:30 Welcome words by organizers and Antilooppi 17:40 **"From Layoff to $9K/Month: Lessons from Building and Selling Mobile Apps"** **by Steven Phuc, indie developer** In today’s tech industry, job security feels increasingly uncertain. Whether unemployed or still employed, many people are facing layoffs or constant pressure to adapt. After being laid off as a React web developer, Steven spent months trying different paths — web projects, SaaS ideas, and experiments that didn’t gain traction. Eventually, he shifted focus to building consumer mobile apps, learning everything from product direction to distribution through trial and error. Within about a year, his apps reached around $9,000 in monthly revenue. This talk shares a practical and honest roadmap from uncertainty to sustainable product income — covering key lessons, failures, and what actually mattered. If you’re curious about turning ideas into real products and interested in this path, this talk is for you. \*5 min break\* 18:15 **"Vibe Coding Without Losing Your Edge", Johanna Wäänänen, Founder, Systemic, PhD Researcher** At the same time as AI rushed into our everyday work, I started my PhD research on how human physiology shapes cognitive performance. That overlap made me notice, that AI is not just changing how we work or code. It’s changing how we think and feel. We’ll explore a question especially relevant for coding: * Why can coding with AI make your brain feel… a bit like mush? * And more importantly: What can we do about it? My hope is that by exploring this together, we can share practical ways to maintain clear, high-quality thinking while working with AI. We’ll look at how to: * stay sharp to move fast * use AI to extend your thinking and not replace it * keep your edge in a world where AI is everywhere This is a phenomenon worth understanding to keep your edge. Johanna "I study how human physiology shapes thinking, decision-making, and collaboration — and, ultimately, performance. And how these are evolving in the age of AI. Alongside my research, I work with teams and organizations navigating complex environments" \*5 min break\* 18:50 **“The Job of Product Designer in the Age of AI”, Lassi A Liikkanen, PhD, Director of Product Design and Insight, Qvik Ltd.** Is there a future for human designers? The tasks and responsibilities of a UX/UI designer are subject to rapid shift as AI can be used to radically augment the professional capability of every designer. In this talk I reflect on recent developments that have and will influence designer work in the immediate future, taking the conversation to discuss the tasks designers would love and will have to take on in the future. 19:30 Mingling / free discussion etc 20:00 Doors close **About us** Vibe Coding Finland is a community for developers, designers, business professionals and tech enthusiasts who love to vibe code, learn, and connect in a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting your coding journey, you’ll find good company, meaningful discussions, and hands-on sessions to boost your skills and creativity. Our meetups feature a mix of talks, coding sessions, project showcases, and networking — all centered around building great vibes and a supportive tech community in Finland.

【IMPORTANT SUMMARY】 * The purpose of competitive game session is to enjoy badminton games by focusing on trying your best to win the games. * You don't need to be a very good player to join this session. Our level range from beginner to intermediate. We will put you to play with people with similar level. But if you are the first time to come and I don't know your level, then I will put you to play with less-experienced players to start. * Please purchase your slot through this link [https://7538e9.myshopify.com/](https://7538e9.myshopify.com/) Please also read the instruction inside this link, so that you have an idea how it works. * Please bring feather shuttles to join the games. We only accept specific shuttles. Please read the following. **If you come without bringing feather shuttles with you, I may ask you to go home.** 【SIGN-UP SYSTEM】 * Please sign up and pay through this link. [https://7538e9.myshopify.com/products/competitive-game](https://7538e9.myshopify.com/products/competitive-game) * We don't use the signup system on Meetup.com anymore. (Neither the waiting list) * It says this event is full on this meetup page, because I didn't open any slots here for you to sign up. You have to check this [sign-up page](https://7538e9.myshopify.com/products/competitive-game) to see if there is still a slot available there. * The background of using an external sign-up and payment system is because Meetup.com introduced a service fee to increase 21% of the fee in May 2023, and we want to reduce this cost. 【FEE and REFUND POLICY】 * Fee includes courts and the work I do to continue this group. Please sign up and pay before you come. NO refund if you do not cancel until 48 hours before the event. * Racket: bring one or rent one at the counter. * No matter the reason is sickness, accident or anything, the group or I will not afford the cost caused by your absence. * Of course you CAN'T ask me, "Can I sign up for free for next week because I didn't come to use my slot this week?". Please remember, the court booked for you is there and it costs money. The court doesn't simply become "free of charge", just because you didn't show up. 【COMMUNICATION】 * Communication: our whatsapp group [https://chat.whatsapp.com/JJQbJlisbcj5YDnlcSu347](https://chat.whatsapp.com/JJQbJlisbcj5YDnlcSu347) * There are too many spams, so I only accept +358 number to join whatsapp group. Numbers from other countries will all be rejected. 【DETAILS of COMPETITIVE GAMES】 * This is the list of shuttles we accept: RSL Classic Tourney Li-Ning Super 1000 Victor Smash It 1 Victor Smash It 2 Yonex Aerosansa 30 Ling Mei Gold Ling Mei Black * Smash Center also sells feather shuttles (Ling Mei Gold and Black). You can purchase there at your arrival. 【OTHERS】 * Please always keep 1 meter away from those courts where people are playing. Never step into the corners of other courts! If I see you do this, I probably will yell at you! * If you have some questions, you can put your questions in the comments on the event page. People will respond. * If you are new to badminton, please Google basic badminton rules in advance. Serve rules, double rules and point counting rules. You are always welcome to ask anyone in our group. Most of our members are more than happy to help you. * Badminton activity is organized for non-profit purpose, but I take a small fee for my work. * Want to restring your racket? I can do restring for you. €24 including the string. Please get contact with Ken. [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XdBBBKBmsHqvMyI7t1MttqOxwX8rs7vQ/view?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XdBBBKBmsHqvMyI7t1MttqOxwX8rs7vQ/view?usp=sharing) * You want to pay with your sport card or voucher? check the bottom of the page. Click "read more" [https://www.meetup.com/Helsinki-Badminton-Meetup/](https://www.meetup.com/Helsinki-Badminton-Meetup/)

Ven a Finlandia Toastmasters a practicar y aprender habilidades de presentación 🗣️, storytelling 🎬y pitching 🎤. Estos son pilares fundamentales para tener éxito en el mundo laboral de hoy. El programa de cada reunión incluye discursos y presentaciones, retroalimentación (feedback), improvisaciones y, como si fuera poco, la vas a pasar muy bien 😄. ¡Bienvenidos a conocernos! 🤝 Nos vemos este miércoles 15 de abril en **la Biblioteca Oodi, Sala grupal 2 (segundo piso).** Finlandia Toastmasters es parte de la red Toastmasters International.

Pay the **5 € board gaming fee** to the bar at the counter when you arrive. You must be at least 18 years old to enter [Arkade](https://www.arkade.fi/). We play in English and the game rules are taught before starting play, unless everyone is already familiar with the game. No previous experience with board gaming required. Despite our RSVP numbers here on Meetup, we almost always have at least 20 people participating weekly. The venue has a great board game library, the host and other players usually bring their own games too: our selection varies weekly. We're a very casual group so you're welcome to arrive early or late and join whatever game is starting up, there is no attendance tracking, or welcoming process. The bar has alcoholic drinks, mocktails, and soft drinks available as well as some snack foods. They've been okay with people ordering food to the bar with meal delivery services. If you are feeling sick, please stay home.

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is powerful, but what if you could scale from a solo AI assistant to an entire team of specialized agents working in parallel? This session introduces Squad: an open-source framework for multi-agent orchestration that lets you define teams of AI agents with specific roles, responsibilities, and expertise. We'll progress from Copilot basics to the Copilot CLI, explore how Agents add autonomy, and see how Instructions and Skills let you customize agent behavior. Then, the climax: a live demo where a Squad team of 3 agents (Lead, Developer, Tester) stands up and builds a working application in real-time, showcasing true multi-agent collaboration. Whether you're new to AI or exploring how to scale your use of Copilot, this session will show you what's possible when agents work as a team. **YouTube Link** TBD

The Alliance is part of the Greater Central Ohio Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. We are an all-voices chorus dedicated to providing an inclusive environment for all those who love to sing, regardless of their race, gender identity, sexual orientation or musical background. The Alliance is the first and only all-voices barbershop chorus in Central Ohio. **Who:** Anyone with a passion for singing at a high level. Previous barbershop chorus/quartet experience not required. **When:** The Alliance rehearses weekly on Thursdays from 7pm-10pm. **Where:** Lord Of Life Lutheran Church: 2480 W Dublin Granville Rd, Columbus, OH 43235 To become a full member of The Alliance, we welcome you to start by visiting us for a few rehearsals to experience the group and sing with us! Then, you may begin the 2-part audition process for membership: the assessement, and audition. We strive to make our auditions as stress-free as possible to help you let your best singing self shine.

Thanks for being a part of the CABS Meetup Group! We meet @ the COFFEE UNDERGROUND on Indianola Avenue. We play many different games @ CABS - bring your own or play one of the OVER 2000 in our library. What are your favorite games? What was the last game you played? Hope to see and game with you soon! Check us out on Facebook! Doors open early on Saturday Mornings at 10am and around 4pm on Fridays if you are interested in learning new / simpler games ... or new to the hobby or just want to check us out come in early just after noon and we will show you around before the crowd grows. Stay for a game or two, an hour or two or for the day! Your first visit is free and after that it's $5 a meeting or you can join for the year! It's Your Move

Let’s meet and share our thoughts about Carson McCullers’ novella, The Ballad of The Sad Café.

Thanks for being a part of the CABS Meetup Group! We meet @ the COFFEE UNDERGROUND on Indianola Avenue. We play many different games @ CABS - bring your own or play one of the OVER 2000 in our library. What are your favorite games? What was the last game you played? Hope to see and game with you soon! Check us out on Facebook! Doors open early on Saturday Mornings at 10am and around 4pm on Fridays if you are interested in learning new / simpler games ... or new to the hobby or just want to check us out come in early just after noon and we will show you around before the crowd grows. Stay for a game or two, an hour or two or for the day! Your first visit is free and after that it's $5 a meeting or you can join for the year! It's Your Move

Join us for a night of board gaming with FANG (Fem All Night Gaming). **We are an all fem board game group** in Columbus, Ohio. No cis-men, please! We play modern hobby board games! If you're unsure what that is, we can teach you! We'll be meeting at Round Table Games in Dublin! They have snacks and drink. They allow outside food if you want more than a snack. We will be playing in the store on the right when you walk in!

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!