Connection To Source

Join us on March 25th for next session of TOUG Talks. Registration via meetup.com is mandatory. **Event Agenda**: 5:00 \- 5:30 PM \| Doors Open \+ Networking 5:30 \- 6:00 PM \| Presentation 1: “Sending RMAN backups to OCI from on\-prem management server using Oracle Cloud Backup Module” by Yaser Anwer 6:00 \- 6:30 PM \| Break \+ Networking 6:30 \- 7:00 PM \| Presentation 2: “Realizing the Best of Microsoft and Oracle with Oracle Database @ Azure” by Damir Bersinic 7:00 \- 7:30 PM \| Break \+ Networking 7:30 \- 8:00 PM \| Presentation 3: “Oracle EPM Planning \- Why You Need It\, When You Can Budget In ERP\.” by Frederick Mamadjanov 8:00 PM \| Networking \+ End of Event **Speaker Profiles**: **Yasir Anwer** is an OCI Certified Oracle Cloud DBA with over 14 years of experience in the database engineering field, across government, finance, retail, and education sectors. His expertise centers on Oracle technologies, including migrations to Exadata Cloud@Customer (ExaCC) and OCI, performance tuning, and high-availability solutions. He excels in mission-critical deployments, automation, and troubleshooting for production environments. Recently helped Architect Oracle DB migration solutions for the Federal Govt. of Canada which served 41 million voters. Also serving on the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) Oracle Database Engineering Program Advisory Committee, providing expert guidance on industry trends and curriculum development. **Damir Bersinic** has over 30 years experience with Oracle databases as a DBA, consultant, instructor and author. He has assisted customers in the airline, building materials, oil & gas and many other industries with their technology goals. He is currently an Advanced Migration Specialist for Oracle Workloads at Microsoft Corporation helping customers in Canada and the US maximize the advantage of Oracle and Microsoft cloud capabilities. **Frederick Mamadjanov** is an Oracle ACE and independent Oracle EPM Solutions Architect with over 10 years of experience in financial planning, budgeting, and consolidation. He specializes in end-to-end Oracle EPM implementations and has led large-scale Finance Transformation projects, including a 40+ module Oracle Fusion Cloud deployment. Frederick also coordinates Toronto's UPLIFT Oracle EPM User Group, co-hosts the EPM Coffee Chat Podcast, and delivers Smart View trainings to help finance teams get more from their ERP/EPM investments. **Zoom Meeting Link**: https://oracle.zoom.us/j/91590835189 **Physical Event Venue**: Meeting Room Number 414, Unit 400, Humber College, 59 Hayden Street, Toronto, Ontario.

🪞 My Inner Mirror – Inner Alchemy Workshop Through Art Therapy 🎨 Immerse yourself in a unique and transformative workshop, blending artistic creation, meditation, and inner exploration. This guided introspective space will allow you to manifest your inner reality through art, shifting perceptions and strengthening your connection with your subconscious. 🌟 Why Join? ✅ Visually express your inner world and uncover its hidden messages ✅ Deepen your connection with your subconscious through guided meditation ✅ Use art as a tool for transformation and self-analysis ✅ Learn interpretation techniques to better understand your creations No artistic skills required – this workshop is accessible to everyone! 🧘‍♂️ Workshop Flow: 1. Breathing Exercises – Mental and energetic preparation for meditation 2. Guided Meditation – Activating the subconscious and awakening intuition 3. Mirror Drawing Creation – Representing your inner reality through art 4. Interpretation & Examples – Understanding the symbols and messages within your artwork 5. Sharing & Q/A – A space for discussion and guidance 📌 Required Materials: 🔹 Paper: Blank sheets (A4 or A3 format, no grid lines) 🔹 Artistic tools: Pencils, brushes, markers, or any medium of your choice ⏳ Duration: 2 hours 💫 Guidance: This workshop is led by Ludovic, exploring inner alchemy through yoga and art therapy. 🪞 Let your true essence emerge, observe your inner reflection, and uncover the secrets your subconscious wishes to reveal. ✅ Reserve your spot now and embark on this transformative journey! **✨ Join Our Wellness Community** More on [https://www.yogasource.org](https://www.yogasource.org)

**🏛️ WHAT'S PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY ABOUT?** Practical Philosophy is a weekly meet-up that brings critical thinkers together for an opportunity to dive deep on a topic, practice communicating, and building a community. All with no ‘official’ philosophy knowledge required! 😎 Practical Philosophy is based on the idea that philosophy should be accessible to all, and not something reserved only for academics. Each week we choose a topic, and the goal is to use the conversation to develop our critical thinking and communication as we explore that topic. The goal is to help develop our Critical Thinking, Communication, and Community 🙌 **📓 HOW DOES IT WORK?** Each week, we pick one topic and discuss it. The topic for the week is shared, generally in the [Whatsapp group](https://tally.so/r/ZjaPO0), along with jump-off points to get the conversation going. When groups get bigger than 7-8 people, it’s important that we break into smaller groups. This way we are able to maintain a conversational flow as opposed to having our meetups feel like a discourse or lecture. **General Meeting Agenda** Each Practical Philosophy meet-up follows this general timeline: * 19:00-19:15 - People arrive and chat, get to know each other before the ‘official' start. * 19:15-19:25 - Meeting introduction, explanation of Practical Philosophy and the topic for the week, read the guidelines and the overview so attendees know what to expect in terms of timelines. * 19:25-20:45 - Break into small groups - introduce yourselves and general thoughts on the topic, open discussion afterwards. At this point the group can review the ‘jump-off’ questions as needed, but they are just there to help guide the conversation. It’s not obligatory to answer them. * 20:45-21:00 - Bring everyone back together to discuss conclusions of the topic - each group gives a short 1-minute summary. Organizer concludes the meeting and everyone takes a group photo. * 21:00 - The official meeting is over but it’s a great opportunity to get to know people in a non-structured environment, so we often stick around, chat, and get to know each other. **🧧PRICING?** Practical Philosophy Club is FREE to attend! We just ask that if we are meeting in a café, buy a beverage! Some chapters rent a space for us to meet, and they may ask for donations to help contribute to the cost of rent. Donations will always be 100% voluntary though! 💛 **WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY** 🗣 “I feel like Philosophy Club helps someone build their own belief system through a series of perspectives while not promoting what’s right and wrong” - Ekam 🗣 “I got hooked from day 1 (the topic was authority) and felt it was the right place for me. I feel it is a place where people can go to learn and discuss new perspectives and increase critical thinking and community by interacting with people who might challenge your point of views but at the same time encourage you to have openness and mind flexibility.” - Daniel **🤓 FAQ** * ​What will we talk about? What's the topic? ​The topic for the week is shared every Sunday in the Whatsapp group. We try to add the topic to the comment section on this event page as well but if you don’t see it, the topic and the jump-off points will be in our [Whatsapp](https://tally.so/r/ZjaPO0). * Do I need to study or read anything to attend? No preparation is necessary. This isn’t a study of other thinkers. We want to know what YOU think about the topic, not what an old philosopher thought. If you have a perspective from a religion or a school of thought to share, throw it on the table and we’ll discuss it, but it's not required. * Is there a specific philosophy that Practical Philosophy is focused on? The goal of our meet-ups is to not have dogmatic discussions, and flex our critical thinking muscles. Because of this, we want to hear from every realm of thought, and don't study a particular school. * Is it mostly men that attend? Surprisingly, no! Although philosophy is seen as a Candelabra affair in a dark room with a bunch of guys, our Practical Philosophy meetups are generally 50/50 between genders, and we don’t meet in any dark rooms. * Can I come alone? Of course you can, we encourage it :) * Can I be late? Please don't be! We do have a 15 minute grace period where we allow people to funnel in while we hang out, but after that if you arrive too late, it disrupts the flow of the conversation. * Where do you meet? The location is posted in Meetup and our [Whatsapp](https://tally.so/r/ZjaPO0) group for this location. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you join the Whatsapp group! If you want to know what other cities have a Practical Philosophy Club, you can see our chapters on our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/practical-philosophy-locations/). 🤝**POLICY** To respect our members privacy, we ask that no one privately message a member without first getting explicit consent. (This looks like speaking in person and being asked to message privately.) Contacting or texting other participants without prior consent is not permitted and may result in removal from the group. Practical Philosophy reserves the right to enforce this policy at its discretion to maintain a safe and respectful environment. **PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY - Making Philosophy Available To All.** ✨ Practical Philosophy hosts weekly, in-person meetups in over 25 countries and 50+ chapters, including Canada, Spain, Japan, Mexico and many more! 🗺️ \*\*\* Join our [Whatsapp group](https://tally.so/r/ZjaPO0) 👈 Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub) 👈 Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/) 👈

**This in an interest list only post. If you wish to Join a Welland Wednesday Morning 9:30 am to 10:45 am** "Inner Peace" Qigong class with Hae Kwang Sunim - Please message Sunim at 416-797-7553. We need two more people! We need two more people : ) **Location - Merritt & Niagara St. Welland.** **Required:** **Contact Sunim to register (text 416-797-7553 or email to [innerpeaceqigong@icloud.com](mailto:innerpeaceqigong@icloud.com))** **Investment: Only $17.70 + hst ($20.00\*\*)** **Benefits of attending this class** ## 🌅 **Interest List Now Open — Wednesday Morning (9:30 am - 10:45 am) Inner Peace Qigong in Welland** We are forming a **small, weekday morning Inner Peace Qigong class** in Welland (max 7 people). If you’d like to be part of this new circle, please message Sunim to get on the **Interest List**: 📩 **innerpeaceqigong@icloud.com** 📲 **416-797-7553 (DM / Text Sunim)** Once enough participants are confirmed, we will set the start date together. All are welcome — no previous experience required. *** ## ✨ **What You’ll Experience in Each Class** Each 75-minute class includes: * **Soft Inner Peace Qigong** to release tension and emotional stress * **Zen & Heart Practice** (Mind Training) * **Experiential Qi Energy Infusion & Healing Instruction** * **Deep Conversation** * **Lying-down “Still Qigong”** for deep rest & nervous system reset * A peaceful closing that often leaves people feeling as if they are **floating out of class** This class is described by many as an **“ultimate stress reducer.”** *** ## 🌱 **Benefits People Often Notice** * Reduced stress, anxiety, and overwhelm * Deeper, more restorative sleep * Relief of chronic tension and pain * Improved balance, coordination & circulation * Enhanced emotional steadiness * A calmer mind and clearer presence * Stronger energy flow (Qi) and vitality * A deeper sense of inner connection and peace As Dr. Mehmet Oz shared on the Oprah Winfrey Show: **“If you want to be healthy and live to be 100, do Qigong.”** Inner Peace Qigong is a gentle, powerful way to nourish your **body, mind, and heart**. *** ## 📍 **Location** Near Merritt Rd & Niagara St, Welland (Exact address provided upon registration.) *** ## 💸 **Investment** **$17.70 + HST = $20 per class** Small group — **pre-registration required**. *** ## 📲 **How to Join / Interest List** To join the **Wednesday Morning Interest List** or to reserve a place for Tuesday evenings: Text: **416-797-7553** Email: **innerpeaceqigong@icloud.com** You will receive confirmation and directions. *** ## 🧘 **What to Bring** * Yoga mat (we have extras) * Small blanket or pillow if desired * An open heart Chairs, blankets, and mats are available. Please arrive a few minutes early to settle into the space. *** ## 💛 **A Quiet Space for Healing, Presence & Inner Life Training** If you feel called to: * Restore your energy * Quiet your mind * Learn powerful inner tools * Heal deeply * Grow in a small, loving community …this circle is for you. All are welcome — beginners included. *** ## 🕊 A Teaching from Sunim *“When the mind is quieted and trained, the brightness of True Self begins to shine through… the nervous system finally rests, and from this place, the body does not easily fall prey to disease.”* — **Hae Kwang Sunim** **We offer Qigong, Meditation, Zen, Breathwork, and Energy Healing classes designed to support nervous system regulation, stress reduction, emotional balance, and overall well-being. Reach out with any questions. DM Hae Kwang Sunim at 416-797-7553. You are welcome here!** **🌿🌿 Stay connected beyond our gatherings** **Between classes and events, we share reflections, short teachings, inspiration, and gentle reminders to return to presence, balance, and inner peace on Facebook and Instagram.** **You’re warmly invited to join us here:** **Facebook:** https://www.facebook.com/innerpeaceqigong **Instagram:** https://www.instagram.com/inner_peace_qigong What People Are Saying: "Hi Sunim, I hope you are staying warm in this winter weather. Just wanted to say thank you for the teachings yesterday. It’s beautiful how the universe works and provides just what you need. I was really struggling the few days before class. It felt as if I was in an internal tornado but paralyzed at the same time. I went through my tool box/Rolodex of practices but was still struggling to find that space, that space between thoughts. But through the offerings of your teachings and the space created by the community, I was able to add more tools to the tool box and felt guided and supported while doing so. So a heartfelt thank you to you and the community. The knowing that pain/challenges are our greatest professor if we allow it, becomes much more accessible when the light and love from others is shared in support of the journey. With love and gratitude" Tina G \* "I love love love the Qi blankets (practice)! This morning’s class was so beautiful and deep. Thanks Sunim and everyone in our beautiful sangha!" \- Coleen M

**NO PHILOSOPHY EXPERTISE REQUIRED!** **🏛️ WHAT'S PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY ABOUT?** Practical Philosophy is a weekly meet-up that brings critical thinkers together for an opportunity to dive deep on a topic, practice communicating, and building a community. All with no ‘official’ philosophy knowledge required! 😎 Practical Philosophy is based on the idea that philosophy should be accessible to all, and not something reserved only for academics. Each week we choose a topic, and the goal is to use the conversation to develop our critical thinking and communication as we explore that topic. The goal is to help develop our Critical Thinking, Communication, and Community 🙌 **📓 HOW DOES IT WORK?** Each week, we pick one topic and discuss it. The topic for the week is shared, generally in the [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/KRy6VgwgGRm3hSGeYlAzDE), along with jump-off points to get the conversation going. When groups get bigger than 7-8 people, it’s important that we break into smaller groups. This way we are able to maintain a conversational flow as opposed to having our meetups feel like a discourse or lecture. **General Meeting Agenda** Each Practical Philosophy meet-up follows this general timeline: * 19:30-19:45 - People arrive and chat, get to know each other before the official start. * 19:45-19:55 - Meeting introduction, explanation of Practical Philosophy and the topic for the week, read the guidelines and the overview so attendees know what to expect in terms of timelines. * 19:55-21:15 - Break into small groups - introduce yourselves and general thoughts on the topic, open discussion afterwards. At this point the group can review the ‘jump-off’ questions as needed, but they are just there to help guide the conversation. It’s not obligatory to answer them. * 21:15-21:30 - Bring everyone back together to discuss conclusions of the topic - each group gives a short 1-minute summary. Organizer concludes the meeting and everyone takes a group photo. * 21:30 - The official meeting is over but it’s a great opportunity to get to know people in a non-structured environment, so we often stick around, chat, and get to know each other. **🧧PRICING?** Practical Philosophy Club is FREE to attend! We just ask that if we are meeting in a café, buy a beverage! Some chapters rent a space for us to meet, and they may ask for donations to help contribute to the cost of rent. Donations will always be 100% voluntary though! **💛 WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY** **🗣** “I feel like Philosophy Club helps someone build their own belief system through a series of perspectives while not promoting what’s right and wrong” - Ekam 🗣 “I got hooked from day 1 (the topic was authority) and felt it was the right place for me. I feel it is a place where people can go to learn and discuss new perspectives and increase critical thinking and community by interacting with people who might challenge your point of views but at the same time encourage you to have openness and mind flexibility.” - Daniel **🤓 FAQ** * **Do I need to study or read anything to attend?** No preparation is necessary. This isn’t a study of other thinkers. We want to know what you think about the topic, not what an old philosopher thought. If you have a perspective from a religion or a school of thought to share, throw it on the table and we’ll discuss it. * **Is there a specific philosophy that Practical Philosophy is focused on?** The goal of our meet-ups is to not have dogmatic discussions, and flex our critical thinking muscles. Because of this, we want to hear from every realm of thought, and don't study a particular school. * **Is it mostly men that attend?** Surprisingly, no! Although often, philosophy is seen as a Candelabra affair in a dark room with a bunch of guys, our Practical Philosophy meetups are generally 50/50 between genders, and we don’t meet in any dark rooms. * **Can I come alone?** Of course you can, we encourage it :) * **Can I be late?** Please don't be! We do have a 15 minute grace period where we allow people to funnel in while we hang out, but after that if you arrive too late, it disrupts the flow of the conversation. * **Where do you meet?** The location is posted in Meetup and our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/KRy6VgwgGRm3hSGeYlAzDE) group for this location. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you join the Whatsapp group! If you want to know what other cities have a Practical Philosophy Club, you can see our chapters on our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/practical-philosophy-locations/). 🤝**POLICY** To respect our members privacy, we ask that no one privately message a member without first getting explicit consent. (This looks like speaking in person and being asked to message privately.) Contacting or texting other participants without prior consent is not permitted and may result in removal from the group. Practical Philosophy reserves the right to enforce this policy at its discretion to maintain a safe and respectful environment. **PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY CLUB - Philosophy, everywhere. ✨** We started in Practical Philosophy back in 2021 and there are now 50+ chapters in over 25 countries, including Canada, Spain, Japan, Mexico and many more! 🗺️ **\*\*\*** **Join our [Toronto Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/KRy6VgwgGRm3hSGeYlAzDE) 👈** **Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub/) 👈** **Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/) 👈**

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $15 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These French, English (For Spanish and French speakers only), and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in a French, English, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

**🏛️ WHAT'S PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY ABOUT?** Practical Philosophy is a weekly meet-up that brings critical thinkers together for an opportunity to dive deep on a topic, practice communicating, and building a community. All with no ‘official’ philosophy knowledge required! 😎 Practical Philosophy is based on the idea that philosophy should be accessible to all, and not something reserved only for academics. Each week we choose a topic, and the goal is to use the conversation to develop our critical thinking and communication as we explore that topic. The goal is to help develop our Critical Thinking, Communication, and Community 🙌 **📓 HOW DOES IT WORK?** Each week, we pick one topic and discuss it. The topic for the week is shared, generally in the [Whatsapp group](https://tally.so/r/81LP4A), along with jump-off points to get the conversation going. When groups get bigger than 7-8 people, it’s important that we break into smaller groups. This way we are able to maintain a conversational flow as opposed to having our meetups feel like a discourse or lecture. **General Meeting Agenda** Each Practical Philosophy meet-up follows this general timeline: * 19:00-19:15 - People arrive and chat, get to know each other before the official start. * 19:15-19:25 - Meeting introduction, explanation of Practical Philosophy and the topic for the week, read the guidelines and the overview so attendees know what to expect in terms of timelines. * 19:25-20:45 - Break into small groups - introduce yourselves and general thoughts on the topic, open discussion afterwards. At this point the group can review the ‘jump-off’ questions as needed, but they are just there to help guide the conversation. It’s not obligatory to answer them. * 20:45-21:00 - Bring everyone back together to discuss conclusions of the topic - each group gives a short 1-minute summary. Organizer concludes the meeting and everyone takes a group photo. * 21:00 - The official meeting is over but it’s a great opportunity to get to know people in a non-structured environment, so we often stick around, chat, and get to know each other. **🧧PRICING?** Practical Philosophy Club is FREE to attend! We just ask that if we are meeting in a café, buy a beverage! Some chapters rent a space for us to meet, and they may ask for donations to help contribute to the cost of rent. Donations will always be 100% voluntary though! **💛 WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY** **🗣** “I feel like Philosophy Club helps someone build their own belief system through a series of perspectives while not promoting what’s right and wrong” - Ekam 🗣 “I got hooked from day 1 (the topic was authority) and felt it was the right place for me. I feel it is a place where people can go to learn and discuss new perspectives and increase critical thinking and community by interacting with people who might challenge your point of views but at the same time encourage you to have openness and mind flexibility.” - Daniel **🤓 FAQ** * **Do I need to study or read anything to attend?** No preparation is necessary. This isn’t a study of other thinkers. We want to know what you think about the topic, not what an old philosopher thought. If you have a perspective from a religion or a school of thought to share, throw it on the table and we’ll discuss it. * **Is there a specific philosophy that Practical Philosophy is focused on?** The goal of our meet-ups is to not have dogmatic discussions, and flex our critical thinking muscles. Because of this, we want to hear from every realm of thought, and don't study a particular school. * **Is it mostly men that attend?** Surprisingly, no! Although often, philosophy is seen as a Candelabra affair in a dark room with a bunch of guys, our Practical Philosophy meetups are generally 50/50 between genders, and we don’t meet in any dark rooms. * **Can I come alone?** Of course you can, we encourage it :) * **Can I be late?** Please don't be! We do have a 15 minute grace period where we allow people to funnel in while we hang out, but after that if you arrive too late, it disrupts the flow of the conversation. * **Where do you meet?** The location is posted in Meetup and our [Whatsapp](https://tally.so/r/81LP4A) group for this location. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you join the Whatsapp group! If you want to know what other cities have a Practical Philosophy Club, you can see our chapters on our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/). 🤝**POLICY** To respect our members privacy, we ask that no one privately message a member without first getting explicit consent. (This looks like speaking in person and being asked to message privately.) Contacting or texting other participants without prior consent is not permitted and may result in removal from the group. Practical Philosophy reserves the right to enforce this policy at its discretion to maintain a safe and respectful environment. **PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY CLUB - Philosophy, everywhere. ✨** We started in Practical Philosophy back in 2021 and there are now 50+ chapters in over 25 countries, including Canada, Spain, Japan, Mexico and many more! 🗺️ **\*\*\*** **Join our [Mississauga Whatsapp](https://tally.so/r/81LP4A) 👈** **Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub/) 👈** **Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/) 👈**

Observability is supposed to help us understand our systems but for many teams it has quietly become one of the most expensive and least flexible parts of the stack. Plenty of organizations take polished SaaS platforms like Datadog to get real value quickly early on, only to hit the same wall later: runaway costs, pricing tied to architectural decisions, and vendor lock-in so strong it makes Rogers and Bell both blush. In this talk, I’ll walk through a real-world case study of a JVM-based production system that migrated away from a Datadog-centric observability setup to an open-source, OpenTelemetry-based platform. We’ll dig into the why behind the move, the architectural decisions that mattered, the mistakes along the way, and how the team ended up with pragmatic visibility into latency, errors, and resource usage at a fraction of the cost. The second half of the talk is practical and forward-looking. I’ll show how OpenTelemetry unlocks real choice by acting as a neutral data plane for your telemetry. From there, we’ll look at modern, off-the-shelf observability backends you can plug in within minutes without rewriting applications or installing new agents. Want to dual-write, swap vendors, or route data somewhere new? This is how you do it without a big-bang rewrite or another long-term commitment with a new vendor. This session is for engineers and CEOs who are feeling the observability cost squeeze, want leverage back from vendors, and are looking for realistic ways to modernize monitoring without lighting their entire stack on fire each time they decide to change their tools of choice. **About the venue** Free Times Cafe has bistro-style seating and a full food and drink menu. Please consider helping to support the venue by planning to have supper during the talk. **Speaker Bio** Alexei Zenin is a Platform Engineering Consultant based out of Toronto, Canada. Over the course of his career he has worked across the Healthcare, Marketing, Video Games, and Banking industries. He loves to tackle hard problems in the distributed systems space with a focus on scaling platforms both from a technical and process perspective. He is a strong advocate for highly maintainable and well tested code while at the same time pragmatically delivering value to the end user. He has contributed to the broader tech community, namely to Confluent’s blogs on Apache Kafka, spoken at Current 2022 in Austin, Texas, and spoken at XP Game Summit 2025 in Toronto, Canada. During his 5 years at Uken Games he contributed to several games like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Jeopardy. One title of note he saw from inception to completion was a game for Tim Hortons built right into the official app, Tim’s Word Challenge. Millions of Canadians have played it along with their morning coffee. He also got to work with Netflix on several unannounced games during his time at the studio. Currently, Alexei is working with various clients, both large and small to modernize and streamline their platforms with the most appropriate tools and practices. Outside of his professional life, he gives back to his community by volunteering at UofT. He also enjoys paddleboarding and attending live rock concerts to reset after long coding sessions.

Okay so we’re doing this again. If you’ve ever looked at your friend and thought “Why are you single? You’re actually amazing” …this is your chance to prove it. Date My Friend is exactly what it sounds like. You bring your single friend. You go up and pitch them to the room. Then everyone mingles after. Just friends gassing up their friend in front of a room full of eligible people. Last time was chaotic in the best way. People really showed up for their friends and it was honestly so fun to watch. You can: – Come single and get pitched – Come as the wingman – Or come single and just see what happens We’ll do a few pitches, keep it flowing, and leave time to actually talk to people after. Age range 25 to 45 GTA location (exact venue announced soon) [Purchase your ticket here!](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1983995308375?aff=oddtdtcreator)

Let’s do some coding together at a cafe! No more working alone in the weekend. Here, we write code together. And I mean together together. Not occupying-the-same-space-but-separate together. Here’s how it works: Jennifer brings her mobile app project, tells everyone that it is like Pinterest for recipes and she’d like to work on the nav bar. Paul and Chloe think Jennifer's project is fascinating, and they join the group. They gather around Jennifer’s laptop and work on the nav bar for 2 hours. Jennifer is the one typing out the code while Paul and Chloe research, brainstorm, and offer suggestions. If you’re feeling stuck on your own project or need a motivation boost, bring it to mob programming! Want to learn by watching how others code and solve problems? Join someone else’s project at this event! Oh and we love your half-done projects that you are a bit embarrassed to share. Absolutely bring those to the event! **Discord**: We use Discord to share screen & code snippets during the event. Also feel free to share your projects here before the event! https://discord.gg/yvAGbh4PpD **Event policy**: * We have 0 tolerance for harassment. * We don’t allow the projects that are not meant to be shared in public such as school assignments, interview tasks, or trade secrets. * The goal is to write code. We discourage you from pitching business ideas here, doing code reviews, or spending the whole event on planning what to do. * Please buy a drink, and tip the barista well.

(Inside Malang Bar & Lounge) 🎟 $12 Admission — includes shared pool table access 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Open to all! Limited to 35 attendees – secure your spot now! 🗓️ Every Thursday, 7:00 PM 📍 918 Dundas St E Unit C2/C3, Mississauga, ON L4Y 4H9 🤝 Curated networking activities for easy connection Forge meaningful bonds and expand your network at our vibrant community gathering! This isn't just another event; it's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals in a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere. Imagine an evening filled with engaging conversations, shared laughter, and the beginning of powerful new collaborations. You'll discover fresh perspectives, unlock potential opportunities, and strengthen your professional and personal circle within the Synergy Hub community. Don't miss out on crafting unforgettable moments and building your invaluable support system. For added fun and easy ice-breaking, attendees will have access to shared pool tables, creating a casual and interactive way to connect throughout the evening. • Expand your professional and personal network • Discover potential collaborations and opportunities • Gain fresh insights and diverse perspectives • Strengthen your sense of community and belonging Come for the connections. Stay for the community. Leave with lasting relationships.

13.7 km walk from Lawrence Station to Broadview 1 PM Meet at Lawrence station. 1 PM to 2 PM Eat at Good Bite Restaurant, 2463 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4P 2H6, +1416 483 8432 2 PM to 6 PM walk south along the Don Trail to Broadview station. Route Map With GPX Available for Download: https://www.komoot.com/tour/2775897331

Has it been just you and your phone lately? It’s easy to feel connected yet still feel alone. Digital interactions can’t replace the warmth of eye contact, real laughter, and meaningful conversations. True connection happens when we step away from our screens and show up as ourselves — present, open, and engaged. At Fast Friending, we create spaces where real relationships begin — just genuine conversations and shared moments. Because nothing compares to meeting face-to-face, discovering common ground, and walking away with a connection that truly feels real. **Book tickets now & save money -** [https://toro28thmarch.eventbrite.co.uk](https://toro28thmarch.eventbrite.co.uk) \*You can use any debit or credit card to purchase your ticket at PayPal checkout. It will ask you for your email address but that is only to send you a receipt. You do not need a PayPal account. EVENT COST: Early Bird - CAD$ 10 per person Regular Ticket - CAD$ 15 per person Cash at meetup - If you have not purchased your ticket in advance then you can pay CAD$ 20 cash when you meet Faye at the venue. **Our venue for the evening** \- High Park Brewery is spacious\, has comfortable seating and not very noisy\. We have a reserved area where our members can meet each other in a supportive environment\. **Here’s how your evening will flow:** **7:00 PM – Welcome** Arrive at 7:00 PM and be welcomed by your host, Faye, who will guide the evening and help with introductions. Feeling shy? Come a little early and she’ll ease you into small-group conversations. You’re also welcome to bring a lady friend along for free. **7:30 – 8:30 PM \| Fast Friending** Chat with a new attendee every 3 minutes, ensuring you meet a variety of like-minded ladies and gentlemen. **After 8:30 PM \| Open Mingling** Reconnect with those you enjoyed speaking to and continue meaningful conversations at your own pace \- We are not a close knit tight group\. Our evenings are warm and comfortable for members attending for the first time and those coming alone\. You will not feel alone\! \- We have many groups in this city\. Members of our other groups who RSVP are included as guests of the organisers in order to give you an indication of expected people\. \- This evening is for ladies and gents in the 25 to 45 age group\. While some will be at the younger end of this range there will also be others at the other end of the range and lots in\-between\! You will naturally gel with others of your own age range and so you will always find many attendees who fit your range\. \- We are not a 'dating' group\. We are focused on helping ladies and gents meet other like minded ladies and gents\. You will generally find a good gender balance \(maybe not perfect\) at all our events\. **Why do we have tickets?** 1. Cover our costs - Our host is compensated for their time and work. We also pay meetup and have dedicated staff to manage our events, hosts, venues and communication. 2. Group Safety - By securing your ticket we have a record and you contribute to a well organized evening where everyone is more committed and better behaved. 3. Management - Tickets help us better manage attendee group size, book suitable space and activity. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ABOUT [fastfriends.co.uk ](https://fastfriends.co.uk/)- We have connected members successfully for the past 10 years in over 30 cities (operating as Expatsclub, MeetConnectDevelop and fastfriends.co.uk). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- You can contact our founder Dan on +447715705005 with any questions or ideas. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Here are some videos which will give you some guidance and comfort to make your attendance more productive.** Secrets for socialising at our meetups - [https://bit.ly/44ZdVwx](https://bit.ly/44ZdVwx) Making new friends -[ https://bit.ly/455TsWY](https://bit.ly/455TsWY) How to make people like you instantly - [https://bit.ly/3Vj5PeT](https://bit.ly/3Vj5PeT) Members review - [https://bit.ly/3yHfu6d](https://bit.ly/3yHfu6d)

Join us for an exciting ServiceNow Toronto Developer Meetup - Spring 2026 Edition! 📅 **Date**: Thursday, March 26th, 2026 🕕 **Time**: 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM EST 📍 **Location**: Scotland Yard, 56 The Esplanade, Toronto, ON **Agenda**: * **Networking -** Get to know your fellow ServiceNow Developers * **Knowledge Sharing** \- Share your insights and learn from others * **Additional details will be announced closer to the event!** Refreshments will be served at the event - Send us a private message to let us know if you have any allergies! **Note**: The event details are subject to change, so please stay tuned for any updates. This event is sponsored by Pentio Inc.

**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 **Abstract** Web Forms gave .NET developers a powerful abstraction for building reusable UI controls long before design systems were a thing. Web Components finally bring that same idea to the browser natively. This session explores how the Web Forms mindset translates into Custom Elements, Shadow DOM, and HTML templates. We’ll examine how Web Components enable design systems that work across frameworks, how they differ from server‑driven controls, and why they’re becoming a foundational layer for modern UI. Whether you’re maintaining legacy apps or building greenfield projects, you’ll leave with a practical understanding of how to apply familiar patterns in a modern, standards‑based way. **YouTube Link** TBA

This is an in-person meeting. Would you like to know the Real You, not just a shadow of yourself? Does your life energy feel somehow trapped within? Does your self-confidence get easily shaken? Do you get in the way of your own goals? We will discuss the real source of all this, what holds you back in life, and how to handle it so you can achieve more successful and happier living. Perhaps you get weighed down with negative emotions you can't seem to shrug off. Or find yourself doing strange and irrational things - not really being yourself. We will cover why that is and tools that work to help you unearth your self, your self-confidence and motivation. This meeting will help you learn about how to effectively overcome: -Out-of-control unwanted emotions -Low self-esteem -Anxiety -Negativity -Stress -Irrational fears -Traumatic or painfully emotional incidents -Breakups -Betrayals -Feeling like you're not really yourself -Self-doubt... We will discuss how to unleash the inner you and tap into your true potential. So come to this online meetup! This meeting is sponsored by the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation of Central Ohio

**First meetup of the Columbus AI Engineering group.** We’ll kick things off with a practical, beginner-friendly discussion on: **How LLMs like ChatGPT actually work — and how to build real applications with them.** We’ll cover: * what’s actually happening under the hood (at a high level) * why LLMs behave the way they do (hallucinations, prompt sensitivity, etc.) * how people are building real systems with them today * where things break in practice This will be a **short, informal talk (\~15–20 min)** followed by open discussion and Q&A. Whether you’re an engineer, builder, or just curious about how modern AI systems work, you’re welcome to join. No slides, no fluff — just real conversation about real systems. We’ll hang out afterward and get to know each other.

Come attend a free in-person seminar where you will find out why you: -Feel isolated -Can't express yourself openly -Get nervous or anxious in front of people -Run out of things to say or feel tongue-tied -Feel introverted -Don't feel comfortable in any social setting -Can't make more friends -Are shy and miss opportunities to connect in a meaningful way And we cover what you can do about any one, some or all of the above. This seminar is the weapon against loneliness, isolation and boredom, come join us! COME TO THIS SEMINAR AND LEARN THE SECRETS TODAY This seminar is brought to you by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center. 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio 43215

Bring your business cards and network in person with other business professionals! Gold Star Referral Clubs is one of the most established professional networking organizations in the country, with multiple groups in central Ohio. Join us!

Feeling down? Sometimes depressed? Can't focus? Negativity & stress? Recent losses? Creativity in career and personal life hindered by mental blocks? Sometimes we never fully recover from traumatic experiences. Whether it was yesterday, last week or a year ago, traumatic experiences - a loss of a loved one, losing a job, a breakup - can leave you scarred. You talk about it and feel a little better, but it never goes away. After you hang up the phone, it's still there; the sadness, the cloud, the over-thinking, the worry, the guilt. You try to focus, but you're blocked. You try to look forward into new experiences, new relationships but a cloud is hanging over you, casting a shadow on what you once considered a bright, cheerful future. What happened to your courage? Your strength of character? You're 'why not' attitude? Whoever said 'time heals' must have had a special time machine, because after weeks, months, years, you're wondering - when exactly does that kick in? Sometimes it seems like drinking or drugs are the way to go. But they wear off, and now the problem is still there with added side effects from the drugs. At this free local Meetup event we will talk about: * What causes grief, anxiety and depression to become chronic. * Is it possible to regain your joy and happiness even after traumatic experiences? * How to break away from negativity and focus on the future * What are the steps to take to get control of your mind and your emotions? Learn about a safe, gentle, do-it-yourself counseling that can be done in the comfort of your own home. Let's explore safe, effective solutions for healing from traumatic experiences. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to the event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center.

**Improving Office in Franklinton** Physical location: Improving Office 330 Rush Alley Suite #150 Columbus, OH 43215 Schedule: 6:00 p.m.: Socialize, eat, and drink. Improving will be providing pizza and beverages. 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Main meeting and presentation(s). Topic: Type Annotations with John Cassidy We meet on the last Monday of each Month. Presentations are given by members and friends of this group. If you would like to do a presentation (small or large) on a python topic, please contact Central OH Python at centralohpython@gmail.com