Intuition

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Cuba, Our Closest Enemy,”** on our country’s volatile relationship with an island nation off Florida’s coast, with William M. LeoGrande, professor of government at American University and leading expert on U.S.-Cuban relations. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-cuba](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-cuba) .] The United States and Cuba are fractious neighbors who can’t get along but can’t move away from one another. From Fidel Castro’s defiant revolution to Donald Trump’s “Donroe Doctrine” asserting U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere, U.S. relations with Cuba have been acrimonious, tumultuous, and often dangerous—marked by invasion, attempted assassinations, nuclear confrontation, and half a century of economic warfare. Gain a deeper understanding of relationships between the two countries with Dr. William LeoGrande, widely recognized as one of the nation’s foremost experts on Cuban politics and U.S. policy toward the island, having authored or edited seven books on the subject, including *Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana.* Professor LeoGrande’s talk will chronicle the trajectory of this unique relationship of “perpetual hostility,” as Henry Kissinger called it, from confrontations to secret talks aimed at reconciliation. We’ll see how America’s playground of the 1950s became a cold war ally of the Soviet Union and how Cuban refugees became a powerful force in American politics. We’ll look at how the end of the cold war changed U.S.-Cuban relations—or didn’t—and how repeated attempts at rapprochement failed to rebuild the bridges that had burned in the early days of Cuba’s revolution. Since Fidel Castro left center stage in 2006, U.S.-Cuban relations have lurched back and forth at stomach-churning velocity. Professor LeoGrande, who has advised Congress on Cuba as a member of its foreign policy staff, will explore the stories behind the headlines. You’ll learn how changes from Republican to Democratic presidents produced radical swings in relations between Washington and Havana, most dramatically between President Barack Obama’s attempt to normalize relations and Donald Trump’s threats to bankrupt or invade the island. ( Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: A Cuban military truck in Havanna in 2006 (Photo by Thomassin Mickaël / Creative Commons).

Discover the power of your breath to manage your mind and experience instant peace & calm. Join a 60-minute free Workshop and get a glimpse of the Sudarshan KriyaTM- The breathing technique that is revolutionizing the lives of millions. What you’ll discover at ‘Beyond Breath’ ✔ A taste of the Sudarshan KriyaTM, a breathing technique taught in the Happiness Program ✔ An instant energy booster that awakens & relaxes your mind - Take it home and practice daily! ✔ The peace & calm of a unique guided meditation ✔ Secret keys to manage your mind ✔ The power of surrounding yourself with positive, like-minded people. You can use your breath to master your thoughts and emotions - the key to managing the quality of your day. The Happiness Program At the end of this workshop you may enroll into the Happiness Program (3 days, 3 hours each day) to learn the Sudarshan KriyaTM, a science-backed, rhythmic breathing technique through which you can: Tap into a reservoir of energy and use it as you please! Relieve deep-rooted stresses and anxieties Uplevel your productivity Overcome emotional blocks, move on from past events and shed limiting beliefs Heal your body & gain power over your mind Experience the true state of meditation Learn more about the Happiness Program & the Sudarshan KriyaTM in our introductory workshop 'Secrets to Meditation'. Instagram: artoflivingDMV aolf.live/secretstomeditation

**​​​​​​​​A free, public workshop—no technical background needed** ​​​​​​​​ In just the past 8 months, AI has advanced at a pace that stunned even leading experts. These systems aren’t science fiction anymore—they’re reshaping work, relationships, and even crime in real time. ​​​​​​​​This workshop explores where AI may be in the next 1–5 years and what that means for your daily life. Together, we’ll tackle urgent questions like: * ​​​​​​​​**Jobs**: Could AI lead to mass unemployment—or entirely new kinds of work? * ​​​​​​​​**Crime**: How might AI supercharge scams, hacking, and even physical crime? * ​​​​​​​​**Companions**: Will people form deep emotional bonds—or even romantic relationships—with AI assistants? * ​​​​​​​​**Society**: How do top researchers think these trends will shape our future? **​​​​​​​​What you’ll get:** * ​​​​​​​​A fast-paced, beginner-friendly overview of today’s most powerful AI systems * ​​​​​​​​Live demos that reveal both the breakthroughs and the risks * ​​​​​​​​An interactive forecasting exercise where you’ll test your own predictions about AI’s impact ​​​​​​​​Come ready to explore a future arriving faster than most people realize—one that could transform not just how we work, but how we trust, connect, and even love.

If you have a travel chess set and/or clock, please bring them so we can be sure to accommodate everyone. If not, feel free to come anyway!

📚 Do you love reading, but wish you had a structure and a community to share your insights with? Join our small circle of curious minds (just 4 members per gathering) as we come together for an hour of focused reading—in the calm setting of a library or the cozy atmosphere of a café. Here’s how it works: First part: Quiet reading on your own—bring a book you’re exploring, whether it’s philosophy, history, psychology, literature, or anything meaningful to you. Second part: We regroup and each person shares key takeaways, insights, or questions sparked by their reading. This sparks a structured yet free-flowing conversation around ideas, perspectives, and personal reflections. Why join? Add structure to your reading habit. Discover new books, authors, and ideas through others’ choices. Build real connections by sharing and listening deeply. Socialize around something meaningful instead of small talk.

Let's get together to play some fun BB level Quads games at Bluemont. **Format**: Doubles **COST**: FREE **Court Type**: Outdoor grass **Minimum Skill Requirements**: Intermediate-BB (click [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PojSi4qdlRsv1msCHhvpQ43iDc4FfzQwpWCc3kafVMY/mobilebasic) for details) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Smiley Social documents:** 1. [Group Rules ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HrG35p_0M08leRvCp8XWG3CMkr_GL928XFabl5T6Dvg) 1. [Liability Waiver ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W2mq-7m99lmvd7gdWYaSUFtvVg4UGnzV6koafAbHmco) 1. [Volleyball Levels](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PojSi4qdlRsv1msCHhvpQ43iDc4FfzQwpWCc3kafVMY/)

Join us for an evening of deep product insights and conversation with Steve Johnson, CEO of Product Growth Leaders. Most product managers aren’t struggling because they lack frameworks, data, or AI tools. They’re struggling because they’re talking to the wrong people. Instead of learning directly from customers, they rely on second-hand input—sales requests, executive opinions, support tickets, dashboards, and now AI-generated summaries of all of it. The result? Noise. Misalignment. And products that look good on paper but miss the market. AI can process more data than you ever will—but it can’t replace direct human understanding. It can’t see hesitation. It can’t hear what’s not being said. And it certainly can’t build trust with a customer who doesn’t believe you yet. That’s where product managers have an advantage—if they choose to use it. In this session, you’ll learn how Customer Conversations cut through the noise and become your most powerful differentiator. Not as a research technique, but as a leadership behavior that builds market insight, credibility, and better decisions. Through real stories and practical methods, you’ll learn how to: • Talk to the right people at the right time in the product lifecycle • Ask questions that uncover real problems • Validate ideas before you build them Because in a world where AI can generate answers at scale, the product manager who understands customers firsthand becomes the one who asks better questions—and makes better decisions. AGENDA 6:00 - 6:30 pm: Welcome and Registration. Refreshments provided. 6:30 - 7:00 pm: Talk by Steve Johnson (CEO at Product Growth Leaders) 7:00 - 7:15 pm: Q&A 7:15 - 8:00 pm: Networking ABOUT THE SPEAKER Steve Johnson is a product success coach focused on removing the chaos from product planning. He uses modern methods to guide product teams from idea to market in only a few weeks. Steve has trained tens of thousands of product professionals in his career. He is a former instructor and vice president at Pragmatic Institute and the chief architect of the popular Quartz Open Framework.

At this event you'll discover how to better understand and control your subconscious mind, helping you overcome doubts and fears. If you have anger issues, depressions and anxieties. this event will show you how to overcome them.

**FULLY READ before you RSVP** This is a Pay to Play event: $65 x person Pay by Venmo at: Darwin-Castillo-7 After payment is receive you will be move to the attendance list. **INTRO TO SPELUNKING** In this trip we will explore the first half of this cave system. I do recommend to attend this trip as preparation for Advance Caving 2-2 coming soon. Have you ever hear the term Spelunking? Then you may know the definition or maybe you have it all wrong, anyway if you have never been spelunking and/or caving make sure you check this off your "must do before I die list!! Spelunking as many prefer, is an adventure sport that combines many different skills into one amazing experience. Crawling through tight squeezes, wiggling down tunnels on your belly or your backside, climbing up walls of rock – these are just a few of the challenges you might find in a cave environment. https://youtu.be/6xqfnJZnEtQ Keep your eyes open and you might see tiny “soda straws,” the beginning stages of stalactite growth. “Flowstone” deposits shaped like ribbon candy and wedding cakes, “cave coral” that looks like burnt popcorn. These are just a few of the formations we might find in a cave. **We provide:** Hard shell knee pads Helmet Gloves Head light **You must bring:** For the caving wear your older clothes that you don't mind getting dirty and wet. 1.) Full set of clean clothes to change when we get back including shoes. 2.) Water-snacks- as we will be inside the cave for about 5 hours 3.) Head covering/hat/jacket to be use inside of cave. It gets very cold when not moving. 4.) Small towel for cleaning later. 5.) Small school backpack 6.) Two kitchen size trash bag to put dirty clothes in. When temperatures drop outdoors, the cave maintains a steady 50-55 degrees, making the cave warm in winter (and cool in summer). https://youtu.be/qwsRfmMiOxg **Itinerary:** 9:00 am - Meet a Rockville Metro Station 10:45 am. - Arrive at location 11:00 am - Unload, assign equipment and safety talk 11:30 am - Enter cave and exploration 5:00 pm - Exit caves and back to parking lot 6:00 pm - Dinner time close-by. Cave is located on Martinsburg, WV **IMPORTANT NOTE:** If you are claustrophobic this trip may NOT be for you. **Meetup location:** Rockville Metro Station, East (rear) parking lot GPS coordinates: 39.084987, -77.145978 **CARPOOL:** Don't forget if you want a ride or are willing to offer a ride – be a friend to the environment, save money, and make friends by just posting a message!! **Have a ride:** Please post where you are coming from, what time, and how many spots you have. **Need a ride:** Post that you need a ride and contact any offers via e-mail for those that are offering rides. **Notice about carpooling:** Carpooling is NOT FREE - If you are carpooling the polite thing to do is tip your driver a minimum of $10 x person. **Event cancellation police:** Full return if RSVP is cancel 4 days in advance of date event - 0% if cancel 24hr of event

At this event you'll discover how to better understand and control your subconscious mind, helping you overcome doubts and fears. If you have anger issues, depressions and anxieties. this event will show you how to overcome them.

**The Sound Spa Immersive Experience with Dr. Ivy Shadiah** *Enter the Sound. Reset the System. Remember the Self* Experience a transformational nervous system reset designed to restore emotional balance, release accumulated stress, awaken manifestation energy, and guide participants into profound states of peace, clarity, and bliss.Through the sacred integration of **Sound Vibronics®**, **Sonic Mindstreaming®**, breathwork, and vibrational resonance, participants enter a restorative sonic environment where the body softens, the mind quiets, and the soul remembers its natural harmony. This is not simply relaxation. It is **neurological restoration**, **emotional renewal**, and **conscious creation**. Participants experience: * Deep nervous system regulation * Release of anxiety and energetic overload * Reconnection to inner vision and purpose * Expansion of creativity and manifestation capacity * Moments of pure vibrational bliss and sacred stillness The Sound Spa is where healing meets frequency… where stress dissolves… and where dreams begin to reorganize into reality. Fri., May 1st, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. Held at Meditation Museum, 9525 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD. Free Event – Register at: https://shorturl.at/6BH34

Let’s meet, wander the exhibits and open galleries, and enjoy an evening out in the Franklinton Arts District. (Nearby pay parking is available in the garage on McDowell, right around the corner from One Line Coffee, and, past it along the curb as McDowell dead ends.)

It feels like we just saw each other 🤷. Join members of the local design and UX community for our monthly breakfast. For May we’re stopping in for Rooh’s popup breakfast/cafe concept. You know someone is getting the lobster yuzu croissant, and that’s not even the prettiest thing on the menu!.

Private Group. Closed to the Public Knowing ourselves and understanding our abilities is the first step toward wielding our gifts with control and accuracy. In subsequent classes we will verify and hone our talents with activities and discussion. These are hands-on workshops and participation is expected. The goal of our series will be to develop expertise in areas of particular interest such as mediumship, channeling, divination, healing and, etc.. Our ultimate directions will be determined by class members as we evolve. I look forward to sharing and discovering with you. - Cynthia

Do you feel introverted when you are in a group setting? Are you shy? Do other people have more fun than you do? There are simple life hacks you can use to improve your connection to others and improve your social life. Talking is one thing. Truly connecting is altogether another. It's the whole experience of connecting with people and forming relationships. It includes the joy, understanding, and love formed among people. * In our meetings, you will learn: * A simple life hack to increase your liking and tolerance of other people, or even of yourself! * How to become more interested and enjoy conversations with people. * How to be comfortable in social settings. * How to be yourself * How to become more extroverted and, * How to make connections with people. Feeling lonely, isolated, or bored? This local meeting is exactly what you need! Come join us! Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to the local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is created by the Dianetics and Scientology life improvement center.

When judging morality, should we prioritize **intentions/duty** or **outcomes/results**? It introduces two influential philosophers as representatives of these approaches. * **Immanuel Kant (deontology):** An action is moral when it is done from **duty** and follows rational, universal principles (the **categorical imperative**). Certain acts—like lying—are wrong regardless of the consequences; you can’t do a wrong thing for a right reason. * **John Stuart Mill (utilitarian consequentialism):** The morality of an action is determined by its **effects**, specifically how much **happiness/well-being** it produces. Mill argues that some pleasures are “higher” than others, and that good intentions don’t redeem harmful outcomes. ## Discussion Questions 1. **The lying dilemma:** A murderer comes to your door and asks if your friend is hiding inside. Kant would say you must not lie. 2. **Can good intentions rescue a bad outcome?** 3. **The organ harvest problem:** A surgeon has five patients dying of organ failure and one healthy patient in for a checkup. Killing the one to harvest organs would save five lives, and the math works out for the utilitarian. Why does this feel so deeply wrong? Is that feeling a point in Kant's favor, or just a bias we should overcome? 4. **Do rules need exceptions?** Kant insists moral rules must be universal, with no exceptions. But most of us can imagine extreme scenarios where any rule seems like it should bend. Does the need for exceptions fatally undermine deontology, or is the strength of the system precisely that it refuses to bend? 5. **Who gets to calculate the consequences?** Utilitarianism asks us to maximize good outcomes, but we're notoriously bad at predicting consequences. If we can't reliably know the results of our actions, is it practical to base our entire moral system on outcomes? Does this uncertainty push us back toward rules and principles? 6. **Everyday morality:** Think about a real moral decision you've made recently, even a small one. Did you reason more like a Kantian (what's the right thing to do in principle?) or more like a utilitarian (what will produce the best result?)? Do most people naturally lean one way? 7. **Justice vs. the greater good:** A town can prevent a deadly plague by sacrificing one innocent person. The greater good is clearly served. But is it just? Can an action be morally right and deeply unjust at the same time? 8. **The big synthesis question:** Are these two systems actually opposed, or do they often arrive at the same answers by different paths? Is it possible that we need both: rules to guide us in the moment and consequences to evaluate systems and policies over time?

**Optional movie afterwards**