Documentation

Join us for a writing workshop! Please submit your pieces to our Google Drive folder here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OP7W_j6K3hA8iVmtBPK71DcqeJOHA5Kv?usp=drive_link When entering submissions, please consider the following guidelines: 1\. Keep submissions to approximately 2\,000 words\, maximum 2\. Consider adding a brief Author's Note to introduce your work and let us know what kind of feedback you are looking for 3\. Please ensure that your submission is appropriate for a general audience and include trigger warnings as necessary If you are coming to participate in Workshop, please read the submissions in the folder by Monday evening and prepare your feedback! We will aim to discuss each piece in the submission folder, although some pieces may be pushed to the following workshop if time runs short. Feel free to add your notes as comments on the document itself, write them up in a separate file, or jot them down so that you can provide them to the writer.

We’ll be hosting our first meetup at the brand new Maman, in Courthouse, just steps from the Courthouse metro stop (the entrance is at 2055 15th St N). Think honey tahini lattes and pastries in a cozy space with lots of natural light - perfect for coworking. At 1 pm, for anyone who wants to join, we’ll walk over to Phở 75 (cash-only) to enjoy an award-winning bowl of hot phở! [The new Maman in Courthouse ](https://maps.app.goo.gl/3cAdMa6DDZ2Gs96r5?g_st=ic) [Pho 75](https://maps.app.goo.gl/veLZgEufie5YQ6Kq7?g_st=ic)

Join us as we do an invigorating outdoor walk and talk in Historic Greenbelt MD. Our goal is to walk twice around the 1.4 mile path. Should take about an hour. Afterward, those of us interested will head to nearby Cedars of Lebanon restaurant for lunch and conversation. The address for GPS is Buddy Attic Lake Park. 555 Crescent Rd. Greenbelt, MD. Meet us in the parking lot. Thank you! .....Ross A.

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“‘Kink’ or ‘Disorder’?”** a look at how psychology approaches unusual sexual behaviors, with Brian A. Sharpless, licensed clinical psychologist, former faculty member at Penn State and Washington State universities and the American School of Professional Psychology, and author of *Psychodynamic Therapy Techniques.* [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/dc-kink-or-disorder](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/dc-kink-or-disorder) .] Few subjects are as interesting – or as sensitive – as sex. Psychology’s history of dealing with sexual behaviors and, especially, the more unusual among them, has been fraught, in many cases resulting in entirely normal and safe behavior being deemed pathological. In recent decades, however, the field has evolved to be far more open-minded, and to use diagnostic standards focused on the well-being of those involved. Be on hand as Dr. Brian Sharpless, a popular regular on the Profs and Pints stage, discusses how psychologists and psychiatrists approach some of the more unusual sexual behaviors. You’ll learn how the mental-health field historically has thought about, and currently diagnoses and treats, behaviors it deems as crossing the line that separates a quirk or kink from a legitimate psychological disorder. Dr. Sharpless will start by giving us background on exactly how psychologists and psychiatrists determine that a behavior qualifies for “disorder” status. The short answer is that current diagnostic systems do not consider sexual behaviors to be disorders unless they meet certain criteria such as seriously interfering in the life of the person engaged in them or lacking consent among the involved parties. But there’s a lot of nuance to this, which he’ll cover in a manner that is straightforward and understandable. The talk will then offer an in-depth discussion of three paraphilias that can cross the line into being considered as disorders that need to be treated and, in many cases, are illegal: voyeurism, exhibitionism, and frotteurism. Finally, he’ll talk about asphyxiophilia, sometimes called autoerotic asphyxiation, the act of enhancing sexual arousal through the intentional deprivation of oxygen. You may be shocked to learn how many individuals are injured or killed each year while engaging in this potentially dangerous activity. Dr. Sharpless also will discuss fetishistic fantasies and behavior, which are relatively common in the general population but among a small share end up being formally diagnosed as fetishistic disorder. He’ll discuss how fetishes are defined and summarize the research on them. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Images of feather and chicken from Rawpixel.com.

Everyone’s heard of book clubs where the group reads the same thing and gets together to discuss, which is great… if you have time and interest in whatever’s chosen. This is a different type of book club where you bring whatever you’re currently or recently reading (or just a book you’re super excited about) and talk about it with fellow book lovers. We’ll start with people arriving/ordering food between 615-645, then go around and introduce ourselveslves and give a very brief synopsis of what we’re reading and why we’re excited (or not!) about it. Then devolve into informal conversations until people need to head out. The goal Is to create community and connections in a group of strangers - to facilitate this please make sure you have at least a clear first name on your profile. Upside on Moore has a great selection of food you can order from your phone or at the kiosks. There’s also a bar with happy hour, something for everyone! Arrival tips: if you’re taking the metro, it’s the building above the Rosslyn exit. If you’re driving, you can park in the public lot under the food hall (entrance from the one way bus street) and validate parking after 6!

📚 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.

Title: Biology-Inspired Neural Networks with Multi-Directional Propagation of Values and Distributions Date: Feb 8 2026 10:00 am - Noon EST Summary: While biological axons can propagate in both directions, current ANNs are focused on unidirectional propagation. Also usually they only propagate values, while uncertainty is shown also crucial for making decisions of biological organisms - suggesting to propagate also variance, probability distributions. I will talk about novel KAN-like approach to ANNs repairing these lack by using neurons containing inexpensive local joint distribution model as polynomial, allowing to freely change propagation direction by just switching indexes, also propagate entire probability distributions represented by vectors of moments. Beside backpropagation, it also allows many additional training approaches, like direct estimation, tensor decomposition, and through information bottleneck. Speaker: Dr Jarek Duda is an assistant professor at Jagiellonian University. He holds degrees in computer science (PhD), mathematics (MSc) and physics (PhD). He is mainly focused on physics foundations, information theory, statistical analysis, and is known for introduction of asymmetric numeral systems. Moderators: Dr. Pawel Gora, CEO of Quantum AI Foundation and Dr. Sebastian Zajac , member of QPoland Zoom registration form will be provided no later than 1 hour prior to the event's start time.

February is Black History Month, so we've curated a list of documentaries to choose from that celebrates and honors this moment. The votes are in and we are watching.... *Hale County This Morning This Evening* Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlOeSyl-zZk Available for FREE on Kanopy (with a library card!), and for a small rental fee on YouTube,Google Play, Fandango and Apple TV. ***Make sure to watch the film ahead of time*** and come prepared to discuss. We will not be screening the film at the meeting! What to expect the day of: * Please try to arrive on time * Meet new friends over some drinks & snacks (feel free to bring something to share!) * The host will lay some group rules and facilitate our discussion * Leave with some new insights and new friends! FYI - the free version of MeetUp limits me to 10 RSVPS, but if you're #1-5 on the waitlist please feel free to join us anyway.

Climbers of all skill levels are welcome to Join "[Sends with Friends](https://www.instagram.com/sends_with_friends_climbing?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==)" rock climbing community for an indoor bouldering event at [Bouldering Project -DC](https://maps.app.goo.gl/m6okjpQsjeSxTqVj8) gym. The first 25 climbers who come in through the doors get in for free, after that you'll pay $15 for a day pass. Rental shoes and chalk bag is provided free of charge. If this is your first time using Bouldering Project-DC facility consider taking the Intro to BP that starts 7:15PM and includes a tour of the facility. You must sign the Bouldering Project waiver and read, understand, and agree to Sends With Friends release of liability form before participating in this event. Please do so beforehand to avid creating a line at the front desk. You can find Bouldering Project waiver here: [First-Time-Visit](https://boulderingproject.com/first-time-visit/) and Sends With Friends Release of Liability form below: \* \* \* \* **Sends with Friends Rock Climbing Meetup Waiver and Release of Liability** **NOTICE:** By signing up for this event, you agree to the terms outlined below and acknowledge the inherent risks associated with rock climbing activities. Participation in any event organized by this Meetup group is contingent upon your agreement to this release form. **1\. Assumption of Risk:** I, the undersigned participant, acknowledge and fully understand that rock climbing is a high-risk activity. I am aware that participation involves risks including, but not limited to, physical injury, permanent disability, or death. These risks may arise from, but are not limited to, natural hazards, equipment failure, human error, and the actions or negligence of others. **2\. Release of Liability:** In consideration of being allowed to participate in any activity organized by this Meetup group, I hereby release and discharge the organizer(s), co-organizer(s), event leaders, and all other participants from any and all claims, demands, actions, or causes of action arising out of or connected to my participation, including claims arising from negligence or gross negligence. **3\. Personal Responsibility:** I acknowledge that I am solely responsible for my own safety during these events. I will use my own judgment in evaluating the risks involved and will take appropriate precautions, including but not limited to: * Wearing appropriate safety gear. * Using reliable climbing equipment. * Following established safety protocols. * Refraining from participating in activities beyond my skill level. **4\. Medical Fitness:** I affirm that I am in good health and physically capable of participating in rock climbing activities. I assume full responsibility for any medical conditions that may affect my ability to participate safely. **5\. Indemnity Agreement:** I agree to indemnify and hold harmless the organizer(s), co-organizer(s), event leaders, and other participants from any claims, damages, or expenses (including legal fees) arising out of or related to my actions or participation in these activities. **6\. Photo/Video Release \(Optional\):** By signing this waiver, I grant permission for any photographs or videos taken during the events to be used for promotional or group-related purposes. (Participants may opt out by notifying the organizer.) **7\. Agreement to Follow Rules:** I agree to abide by all rules, instructions, and guidance provided by the event organizers and leaders. Failure to comply may result in my removal from the group. **8\. Acknowledgment of Agreement:** By joining any event organized by this Meetup group, I acknowledge that I have read and understood this waiver and release form. I agree that my participation in any event constitutes my electronic or physical signature to this agreement.

HYBRID EVENT, VIRTUAL SPEAKER In this talk, Sean Hoar will explore the transformative journey of AI’s role in modern software engineering, from rapid prototyping (“Vibe Coding”) to strategic AI integration by skilled practitioners. It clarifies the distinctions between AI-assisted, AI-enabled, and practitioner-led approaches, offering insights into how developers can effectively adapt to and harness AI tools. The presentation also highlights recent advancements and practical strategies for leveraging AI in daily workflows and long-term development.

We will hike at Sky Meadows State Park, 5.2 miles with an elevation gain of 1000’. The pace for this hike is great for beginners and families, 1.4-1.9 mph, and slower if needed. The hike is referred to as a lollipop. We will meet at the Visitor Center parking lot and hike to the Boston Mill Road Trail. We will take the North Ridge Trail to the Appalachian Trail and then the Ambassador White House Trail. We will return on the North Ridge Trail and Boston Mill Road Trail. DIRECTIONS AND PARKING: Physical Address: 11012 Edmonds Ln., Delaplane, VA 20144 The park is less than two miles south of Paris, VA via U.S. Route 50 to Route 17 South, or seven miles north of I-66, Exit 23 on Route 17 North. The park’s main entrance is on Rt. 710/Edmonds Lane. Park in the lot at the visitor center. Sue's vehicle is a white Toyota Corolla. RESTROOM: Onsite at the visitor center. THINGS TO BRING: You will need a Virginia State Park Pass or pay a $10 fee to access the park. Dress in layers and be prepared for cold weather. Bring water, snacks, a first aid kit, hiking poles, and additional traction, such as yaks or micro spikes, if you use them. Hiking Guides: [https://www.alltrails.com/explore/custom-routes/patc-mentoring-hike-sky-meadows-d06f64a](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/custom-routes/patc-mentoring-hike-sky-meadows-d06f64a) [https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/document/data/trail-guide-skymeadows.pdf](https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/document/data/trail-guide-skymeadows.pdf) **Notes:** * If you were on this hike in January, you are welcome to come and be a sweep. Just message me through MeetUp or text. * Participants are required to sign a PATC HIKE SIGNUP SHEET AND LIABILITY form. * RSVP to register for this hike. If your plans change, update your RSVP. * To find out more about PATC, [click here](https://www.patc.net/). * Consider becoming a member of PATC. To join, [click here](https://www.patc.net/membership). Please check the night before for any updates. A hike will be cancelled due to weather conditions and Virginia Department of Transportation travel alerts. Attendance will be limited at the discretion of our hike leaders. Preference will be given to PATC members. PATC rules do not permit children under the age of 18 to participate in a hike without a parent or guardian present. Please leave your canine companions at home. Thanks!

This will be a moderate 5.7-mile loop hike in Rock Creek Park. We will start on the Western Ridge Trail and proceed north past Military Road, connect to the Valley Trail to return south, and finish with a visit to Pierce Mill and back to our starting point. **Meeting Point**: I recommend using the GPS coordinates below with Google Maps or another mapping application to get to the meeting point. I've added an alternative place to park in case the first parking lot is full. The two lots are about 1/4 mile apart. **Meet at:** Parking lot for Picnic Grove #2 North (space for about 10 cars) * **Address:** Beach Drive NW &, Broad Branch Rd NW, Washington, DC 20008 * **GPS Coordinates:** 38.94365251382421, -77.05048751390072 **Alternative Parking:** Parking lot for Picnic Grove #28 (space for about 5 cars) * **Address:** Ross Dr NW, Washington, DC 20008 * **GPS Coordinates:** 38.94605569126567, -77.05053042924311 **Meeting Time:** Plan to arrive at 9:45 so you will be able to meet everyone and sign the PATC waiver. Once the waiver is signed, we will begin the hike; w**e will begin walking at 10:00 AM.** Please be punctual as my hikes begin on time. **Route:** This AllTrails route map is divided into 3 segments. I will also post a single segment route prior to the date. https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/custom-route-0bc7233 Here is an AllTrails route with a single segment in case you want to import this into a navigation device: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/custom-routes/rock-creek-western-ridge-valley-trails-46f065c?u=i&sh=fuqxr6 **Contact Information**: Please use the comments feature for routine comments and questions. The hike Leader is Peter; 703-999-9435. Call or text as needed.

I love my job and one of the main things I do is help customers get going with any of the data technologies at Microsoft. Right now there are a lot of my customers asking about Microsoft Fabric. It's hard to weave across all the shiny new options across the Fabric landscape, let alone figure out where it fits into your organization. In this session we'll focus on answering one question - how can I get data into Fabric? We'll talk through the "it depends" options and see some of the options in live demos.

Mental Health, how do you understand it? How can you improve it? How do you get rid of stress, anxiety and uncertainty? These emotions are buried deep in your reactive mind. Find out what the reactive mind is, and in the process find yourself. Have you ever suffered from a traumatic experience, a deep loss or been through a painful breakup? Has your ability to communicate suffered as a result? And after that, even though you "moved on" did you find that things were never quite the same? Have you ever looked at childhood photos, or reminisced your early life and wondered where that happiness and spark went? Are your emotions out of your own control? Have you ever felt, even if you aren’t aware of it, that possibly you are getting in your own way of your happiness and success? How does this affect your self-confidence? Find out what is at the root of all stress, anxiety, depression and self-doubt. Find out how and why you hold yourself back from achieving your goals and having the life you have dreamed of. As soon as you learn what is at the root of these unwanted conditions, you’ll see it is something you can DO something about. You will not be labeled or categorized at this MeetUp. This group is hosted by the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

### Tools in your AI's Toolbox : An introduction to MCP Servers The generative AI revolution has unlocked unprecedented capabilities, but the next frontier is agency: empowering models to interact with, query, and act upon the world. The current challenge is the “N x M integration problem,” where every AI model requires a custom, brittle integration for each external tool or data source. This approach simply doesn’t scale. How can we give an AI access to our sales leads, code repositories, or IoT devices in a standardized, secure, and reusable way? This session introduces Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), the open-source framework designed to solve this challenge and become the universal connector—the USB-C port—for AI. MCP standardizes how AI models discover and use external tools, moving beyond simple function-calling to a robust, client-server architecture. We will dive into how this open protocol is creating a new ecosystem for building powerful, context-aware AI agents. Join this session for a developer-focused introduction where you will learn how to: Understand the core concepts of the open-source Model Context Protocol and its architecture. Utilize pre-built, open-source MCP servers to instantly connect AI to tools like Git, Slack, and databases. Build a custom MCP server to securely expose your own proprietary data and APIs as tools for any compliant AI. Move beyond bespoke integrations and contribute to a standardized, collaborative, and open ecosystem. Stop building one-off connectors and start building intelligent agents. This session will give you the practical knowledge to leverage MCP and create the next generation of AI that doesn’t just talk, but does. Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! [https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/](https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/)

It’s time to take control of your mental health. How do you get rid of stress, anxiety and uncertainty? These emotions are buried deep in your reactive mind. Find out what the reactive mind is, and in the process find yourself. Have you ever suffered from a traumatic experience, a deep loss or been through a painful breakup? Has your ability to communicate suffered as a result? And after that, even though you "moved on" did you find that things were never quite the same? Have you ever looked at childhood photos, or reminisced your early life and wondered where that happiness and spark went? Are your emotions out of your own control? Have you ever felt, even if you aren’t aware of it, that possibly you are getting in your own way of your happiness and success? How does this affect your self-confidence? Find out what is at the root of all stress, anxiety, depression and self-doubt. Find out how and why you hold yourself back from achieving your goals and having the life you have dreamed of. As soon as you learn what is at the root of these unwanted conditions, you’ll see it is something you can DO something about. You will not be labeled or categorized at this MeetUp.

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

**The idea for this group is to build a community where men can gather together and build connections & learn and grow from each other.** How we start each meeting is by each of us checking in with our "roses and thorns" aka what are the good things and the bad things going on in your life recently? Then we will go into a topic discussion. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS** \*\*THERE WILL BE A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR NO-SHOWS. IF YOU RSVP TO A MEETING AND FAIL TO SHOW UP WITHOUT NOTICE, YOU'LL BE REMOVED FROM THE GROUP. THIS IS TO PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF THE GROUP\*\* 1. Confidentiality - EVERYTHING that is shared NEVER leaves this space so that this space remains safe and sacred. There is a zero tolerance policy for this. If a man is in violation of this, they will be permanently removed from the group. 2. Non-Judgement - we respect and honor every man’s truth so that we may receive the same from others. While we may not agree on everything, we commit to respecting every man’s perspectives and engaging in honorable discussion with one another. 3. Be committed - honor your commitment to this group and to yourself. If you attend a meeting, please commit yourself fully to the meeting. Also be committed to your own journey. When we fail, we own it & clean it up. 4. Speak from the heart - this is NOT a space to “look good”, have the “right” answers, and have it all together. Relax and know you are not alone. Be exactly who you are within the safety of this space. 5. Be supportive - This means always willing to provide encouragement to your fellow men, encourage action and momentum in each other’s lives.. Be willing to challenge each other. Be willing to hold each other accountable. 6. Participation - what you receive from this community will be a reflection of what you put into it. Period. We ask that you share your perspectives, reflect on others, and give/receive support when and where it’s needed.

Join members of the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. There _might_ be a little snow, but there _will_ be effectively infinite serve-yourself coffee, so it evens out if you ask me. Just a reminder, while the other locations are great too, we’re at the Lane Ave one this time.