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**Happy New Year, GeoDC! We’re kicking off 2026 on Wednesday, January 14th, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Sudhouse DC (1340 U St NW).** **The program begins at 7:00 PM, but you’ll want to arrive early—our sponsor for the evening, Earth Genome, is providing limited appetizers and drinks for the community! Sudhouse also runs its regular happy hour until 8:00 PM. Please RSVP on the GeoDC Meetup page to help us coordinate the catering.** **This Month's Sponsor: Earth Genome** **A huge thank you to Earth Genome for making this month possible. Earth Genome is a nonprofit at the intersection of AI and environmental data, building the tools needed to monitor our planet’s health in real-time. We are excited to have their team on the ground to show us exactly how they are turning satellite pixels into climate action.** **Speaker Lineup** **Ben Strong, Earth Genome Talk: Earth Index and the New Frontier of GenAI Mikel will lead a live demo of the Earth Index platform, a "search engine for the planet" that uses geospatial foundation models to find environmental patterns globally. He’ll also be giving us a first look at some very beta GenAI features that allow users to query the planet using natural language.** **Dan McCarey, Earth Genome Talk: Visualizing the Invisible: Building Climate TRACE Plumes Dan will walk us through the build process of the Climate TRACE plumes visualization. This tool maps the real-time flow of air pollution from over 9,000 industrial sources into urban areas. He’ll discuss the technical architecture behind the project—combining atmospheric modeling with facility-level emissions data—and how it serves as a call to action for environmental justice.** **We’ll have our usual rapid-fire community updates before the demos. If you're hiring or looking for work in the DMV geospatial scene, this is your chance to grab the mic!** **See you all next Wednesday!** **The GeoDC Organizing Committee** **Chad, Tom, Dan, Puneet**

Let’s get a cup of coffee — or a beverage of your choice — at Barnes & Noble in the Mosaic District. There is plenty of free parking available in the Target parking garage nearby. This will be the first in a series of gatherings I plan to host, starting with smaller groups and gradually expanding into a variety of events. The intention is to build toward a relaxed weekly cadence. If you plan to attend, please consider your RSVP a genuine intention to join, so others have the opportunity to participate as well. Life happens, and if you need to cancel, that’s completely understood — we appreciate timely updates when possible. **Come as you are — there’s no expectation beyond showing up.**

\-\-\-\-\-\- [REGISTER FOR THE EVENT HERE (ON LUMA)!](https://luma.com/buwatm7e) \-\-\-\-\-\- Join us for an evening of collaborative problem-solving as we work on a variety of civic tech projects together. Project needs vary but often include brainstorming, researching, writing, coding, or analyzing data. Check out [our website](https://www.civictechdc.org/projects) for a list of projects which may make an appearance! Meet other civic tech enthusiasts. Learn new skills. Contribute to a project to improve a local civic issue. **All are welcome and collaboration is encouraged.** Laptops are recommended but not required. **Where do I register?** To better serve our growing community, we’re transitioning our event registrations to Luma! **We still love Meetup** Meetup has been an incredible platform for us to build and connect with our community. We’ll continue sharing upcoming events there so that new people can find us, but Luma will be our primary registration platform moving forward. **Why we're making the switch** Meetup’s registration system has some limitations, and we need more flexibility to manage sign-ups and engagement. \-\-\-\-\-\- [REGISTER FOR THE EVENT HERE (ON LUMA)!](https://luma.com/buwatm7e) \-\-\-\-\-\-

We'll be drafting Chelsea's Duskmourn/Neon Dynasty inspired cube! Playing on the magic conceptualizations of past, present, and future introduced in neon dynasty, this draft environment will have you paying close attention to the card types in your deck. Please take pictures of your decklist. All feedback on the cube is appreciated. https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/Carol If you love this list and want to play others like it, check out Lunch Box! A casual day of drafting cube at a Baltimore brewery, where all funds go to supporting school lunch programs https://www.tixtree.com/e/lunch-box-charity-cube-event-db9a8ec8c8ec **CONDUCT POLICY** We cultivate a safe, friendly atmosphere. Please keep other's feelings close to mind. Derogatory comments of any kind are unacceptable, as is behavior that may make others uncomfortable, such as rage-quitting. If the stresses of the game are getting to you, we encourage you to politely sit out for a while. Thank you! **TARDINESS POLICY** If you're more than 10 minutes late, I'll enlist my wife to draft for you until your arrival. If she's unavailable, we'll make random, blind picks for you. If this is your first time RSVPing to one of my events, please message me to confirm your full vaccination status and that you will be attending.

A **"Show and Tell"** event! Due to popular demand, am hosting another 'Show and Tell' event instead of a happy hour. It will be a low key event. Everyone can introduce themselves and delve into showcasing portfolios. We can then discuss about the portfolio itself and later delve into the new and exciting aspects in the field of UX. Encourage you to participate in shared experiences in the field. **New venue:** Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library - Central Library **Meeting room: 302-E Meeting Room** **Time updated: 6:00 PM** Don't miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge and network with like-minded individuals passionate about User Experience and Technology. See you soon! Note: If you can do bring your own laptop to showcase your portfolio, thanks

Join us for a deep dive into Christian doctrine through the lens of the Bible. This evening sessions will provide a unique opportunity to explore key theological concepts, discuss spiritual growth strategies, and enhance your understanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Whether you are new to Christianity or a seasoned believer, this event is designed to enrich your faith journey and strengthen your relationship with God. This meetup is open to all members of the DMV Bible Study Meetup Group, regardless of age or background. Come prepared to engage in meaningful discussions, ask questions, and connect with fellow Christians in a supportive and welcoming community. Let's grow in faith together as we delve into the timeless wisdom found in the scriptures.

World Learning Toastmasters Club meetings are held every 2nd and 4th Wednesday from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. We are a fun loving group of professionals looking to develop our public speaking and leadership skills. Take a break from your work and come join us for a fun afternoon. All guests are welcome! Closest Metro station: Either McPherson Square (white house exit) or Farragut North. For more information about the club, please visit http://worldlearningtoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org/

We gather, grab a drink, grind, grin and dance to celebrate Demon Hunters! Demon Hunters costume (Optional). ***CHECK-IN : AT THE VIP ENTRANCE. SKIP THE LINE.*** ***MAKE SURE THAT YOU COME TO THE VIP ENTRANCE and pick up your wristbands. Then you’ll be set to sip on. There will be hundreds of people and a long line. Early arrival is highly suggested.*** **Cover is $20. But it is FREE with RSVP.** **DON'T FORGET TO SHOW THAT YOU HAVE THIS FREE TICKET, AT THE DOOR. OTHERWISE, YOU WILL BE SUBJECT TO BE CHARGED FOR COVER.** ***Time: 10PM-3AM (ticket pick up is from 10PM-11PM)\**** ***\*Registration is from 10PM-11PM. You'll receive your wristband . If you can't make it by 11pm TEXT/EMAIL YOUR QR CODE to a friend, so that they can pick everything up for you.*** ***But the party continues till 3AM!*** ***LINEUP :*** ***Decades has different floors dedicated to different decades.*** ***Those who haven't been to Decades before. It is the largest club in DC and one of the prominent ones in the world. After you party there, scrape it off from your bucket list!*** ***10PM - 11PM : Ground Floor*** ***11PM - MIDNIGHT : 2000s Floor*** ***MIDNIGHT - 1AM : 2010s Floor*** ***1AM - 2AM : HipHop Floor*** ***2AM - 3AM : Rooftop*** Dress code : Elegant/Chick/Stylish **DRESS CODE STRICTLY ENFORCED.** We ask that you approach your wardrobe deliberately. No Athletic Clothing or excessively baggy clothing. Keep it chic, smart and classy! Jeans are allowed. Acceptable Mens shorts include those with belt loops. Unacceptable Attire: 1. Athletic Clothing: This Includes gym attire, sweatpants, yoga pants, and tracksuits 2. Baggy Clothing: Clothing that is excessively loose-fitting or oversized, such as baggy jeans, sagging sweatpants or oversized t-shirts. 3. Sportswear: Jerseys, team logos, and other sport-specific attire 4. Beachwear: shorts, tank tops, swimwear, and revealing clothing 5. Flip Flops: Open-toe sandals, thong sandals, and flip flops are not allowed 6. Timberlands and Steel Toed Shoes. Event is 21+ ***\~\~\~\~\~CHECK-IN DETAILS\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~*** ***1\. You need our wristband to get the VIP Entrance\.*** ***2\. In order to beat the long line\, please be on time\.*** ***3\. Photo ID: Everyone will be required to have a valid photo ID with them in order to enter\. If you forget your ID\, you will not be allowed in\.*** Fellas, it is hard to pass on this! *Payment Instructions :* 1\. Login to see the 'Pay Now' button\, after RSVPing\. Then hit the button\. 2\. Verify correct dollar amount for number of people you're paying for\. **3\. If you don't have a Paypal account\, click "Pay with a Debit or Credit Card"\.** 4\. If you have a Paypal account\, simply log in\, and pay as you normally would via Paypal\. ***How to Unblock the Pop-up Blocker on Your Phone*** Many of our patrons advised us that they have a Pop-up Blocker on their iPhones and it hinders them from buying tickets. To unblock, please follow the following steps : For Safari Users : 1\. Go to Settings\. 2\. Scroll down to Safari and click on it\. 3\. Select Block Pop\-ups and turn it off\. For Google Chrome Users : 1\. Open Google Chrome\. 2\. Click on the three dots and you will see many options\. 3\. Click on Settings\. 4\. Scroll down to content settings\. 5\. Select Block Pop\-ups and turn it off\. Refund & Ticket Resell Policy All sales are final. We only refund the full amount, if the event is canceled. If it is rescheduled, we will send an email to ticket holders advising that. A full refund will be given to those that let us know within 2 calendar days of the update email, if you are unable to make it on the new date. No refunds will be given after that time. However, you can sell your ticket to someone else if you are unable to attend. Please, feel free to post in the comment box for the event, that you have a ticket for sale. Work out payment between yourselves, and have the seller only send the organizers a message, letting us know the full name of the person taking your spot. You must let us know two hours before the RSVP close time, on the day of the event.

This is for those who like a somewhat less competitive game. We are at Montgomery College, Rockville. Google maps link for lot 3 https://goo.gl/maps/kKXnNoGakmcdbtaT7 Please take a moment to review the RSVP Guidelines: NO SHOWS: No Shows and Late Cancels prevent other members from playing and create organizing difficulties for the host. If you cannot attend a Meetup, please change your RSVP to No not later than 2 hours before start time. Attendees who are 30 minutes late or RSVP less than 2 hours before start are marked as a No Show and will be contacted by the host/organizer. Meetup event comments do not change your RSVP. If you would like to attend this event you must be a of minimum 2.5 level. USTA guidelines prior for signing up for the Meetup: https://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/ExperiencedGuidelines_02142011_V2pdf.pdf Singles and doubles game play flexible depending on court availability. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop the group organizers a message. See you on the courts! • What to bring Tennis Balls and Racquet, Water.

Come to the Silver Spring library to play games some chronically ill friends! Members are adults who suffer from conditions including POTS, ME/CFS, long covid, MCAS, rheumatoid arthritis, Ehlers Danlos, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune kidney disease, and more. 
We'll have some board games available to play, and feel free to bring some of your own favorites. We'll also have coloring supplies on hand if you prefer to just relax or socialize.
 We'll in SMALL ROOM 1 on the third floor of the Silver Spring library, just outside the elevator. As always, we ask everyone to wear a mask. There is parking across the street in the Wayne Avenue Garage.

DC Code and Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. It's community-led and community-run by devs, for devs. People of all skill levels attend. Whether you’re dev-curious, aspiring, or a professional developer, we’d love to have you! Come chat or learn to code on a Sunday afternoon with coffee and cool-inclusive people. Bring your laptop! We typically meet every month on the weekend. **Join our online community!** For all things Tech in DC and to get latest updates and tech events from the DMV area, join the [DCTech Slack](https://dctech.chat/). All DC Code & Coffee announcements are in the #dccodecoffee channel **How it works** Near the beginning of the event, we do an introduction circle. You say your name, what you can help others with, and what you would like help with. You can also share job opportunities. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized. **Event Host and Directions** TEMPORARY LOCATION! We'll be meeting at West End Library for January.

Christians in Tech is a community at the intersection of faith and technology. Our meetups are designed to spark meaningful conversations, promote knowledge sharing, and encourage growth—both in your career and your spiritual walk with God. Whether you're an experienced professional or just starting your tech journey, CIT welcomes you. Our Website [https://linktr.ee/citcbus](https://linktr.ee/citcbus) Sponsors and Partners * Improving (Venue Sponsor) * Bethel World Prayer Center (Fiscal Sponsor) * Fruits & Roots (Coffee Partner)

**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** GitHub Copilot is rapidly changing how developers write, understand, and maintain code. Powered by generative AI and deeply integrated into modern development environments, Copilot acts as an intelligent coding assistant, helping developers move faster while maintaining quality and focus. In this session, we’ll explore what GitHub Copilot is, how it works, and where it fits into a real-world developer workflow. We’ll break down what Copilot can (and cannot) do, where it can be used, and how licensing differs for individuals and organizations. Most importantly, this talk goes beyond theory with a live, hands-on demo showcasing Copilot inside the IDE and on GitHub, demonstrating how it can assist with code generation, refactoring, learning new APIs, and accelerating day-to-day development tasks. Designed for developers, technical leads, and engineering managers, this session provides a practical introduction to AI-assisted development, highlights best practices for getting value from Copilot, and closes with guidance on how to continue learning and evolving alongside this rapidly advancing tool. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how GitHub Copilot can enhance productivity, improve developer experience, and fit into modern software teams today, not someday. **YouTube Link** TBA

Whether you've never done improv before, or you've done it for so long you knew Del Close on a personal level, or anywhere in between, come join us! Swing by *Gresso's* for the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup** for some fun and games! The idea behind improv is to create entire scenes from scratch based on a suggestion from the audience. This can be done in game form, like *Whose Line Is It Anyway*, *ComedySportz*, or *Wild 'n Out*; it could also be done to tell stories, like *Middleditch and Schwartz*. Our meetup, which is central Ohio's longest running (and free!) weekly comedy event, brings the games (and occasionally different forms) for you to play in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you get to work on thinking faster on your feet, plus it's an excellent way to meet new people and make friendships that'll last a lifetime! Ask yourself if you want to join the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**, and say "Yes, And" that you'll have fun!

*GOhio!* turns 8!! 🥳 Come celebrate with us at [Pins Mechanical](https://www.pinsbar.com/locations/easton)! 😄 **Summary** Pins Mechanical Co. is a social entertainment venue that combines old-school games like duckpin bowling, pinball, and other classic arcade and table games with craft cocktails, local beers, and punch. The vintage-industrial atmosphere is designed for playful, face-to-face gatherings with friends, family, and colleagues, offering a casual and lively alternative to a typical bar. Pins' Easton location spans over 38,000 square feet, making it the largest in the United States. This massive entertainment venue features two floors, a mezzanine level with stadium seating, and three full-service bars. It offers 16 duckpin bowling lanes, two indoor bocce courts, and more than 60 classic and modern pinball and arcade games. For additional fun, the location is known for its two outdoor patios, an indoor slide, and an expanded patio pong setup. **Activities** As noted below, some machines take actual quarters. Pins has two change machines (one downstairs and one upstairs) that accept ones, fives, or tens (only), and return quarters (only). * *Duckpin Bowling* [Like Bowling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duckpin_bowling) but with smaller balls, stubby pins, and no oil on the lanes. The cost is $9 per game per person. * *Pinball* [Who](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Who)'s a [wizard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinball_Wizard) on these [retro machines](https://pinballmap.com/map/?by_location_id=15311)? At $1 per play, everyone! Takes quarters. * *Arcade* Play classics like Gorf, Pac-Man, Gorf, Donkey Kong, Gorf, Galaga, and Gorf! The best part is, there's Gorf! And all the arcade games are free! * *Patio Pong* The classic college party staple but bigger. Instead of tossing a ping pong ball into cups, you use a regular ball and oversized buckets. There are two of these upstairs, and they're both free! * *Ping Pong* The most popular sport in China! They have two ping pong tables downstairs and two more ping pong tables upstairs. For those of you who have studied topological spaces and set theory, you will know this means they have four total ping pong tables. They have bubble gum dispensers with ping pong balls in them for 25¢ each. The dispensers take quarters. However, they also have racks where they store the ping pong paddles, and in these racks are slots for ping pong balls. It's not uncommon to see balls already here, so there's a chance you may be able to play ping pong for free if you want to. * *Hookie* You can't put your eye out! The safe alternative to darts: Hook thrown rings on a board. Outdoors on the upstairs patio, and free! * *Bocce* Like bowling, except there’s turf and a lot more balls. You can also knock your opponent’s balls out of the way. There are two of these upstairs, and they're both free! * *Foosball* Everyone loves [foosball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_football)! 50¢ a game. Takes quarters. * *Giant Jenga* Stack massive wooden blocks into a tower, then take turns pulling out one block at a time without collapsing the tower. There are four of these sprinkled throughout the venue (two downstairs and two upstairs, with one on each patio), and they're all free! * *Skeeball* There are three skeeball machines on the first floor (near the Gorf machine!), and they're all free! * *Giant Connect Four* On the outdoor patio upstairs, and free! * *Bubble Hockey* This is upstairs. Up to four people can play at once, and it costs $1. Takes quarters. * *Cornhole* There are two cornhole lanes upstairs, and they're both free! * *Basketball* There are two basketball machines downstairs. They're tucked behind the downstairs bar, so they're not always obvious unless you go look for them. They're $2 per play, and they take quarters. * *NES and Sega Genesis video games* These are collections, downstairs (near the Gorf machine!), of video games that you can play for free! * *The Big Metal Indoor Slide* This large two-story slide is for kids, and certainly no adults would ride this. After all, it's not like it's free or anything. **Outdoor Patio** Pins at Easton actually has two outdoor patios. But for our purposes, only the upstairs one matters. See, it will be winter and likely cold. But their upstairs patio has multiple ceiling heaters and two massive gas fire pits that put out a ton of heat. Sitting out here may be a real option. As mentioned above, the upstairs outdoor patio has one of the venue's two Patio Pong setups, one of their multiple Giant Jengas, the Giant Connect Four, and Hookie. **Food** Pins doesn't serve food, but there's a [Mikey's Late Night Slice](https://www.latenightslice.com/) next door. This Mikey's is basically an extension of the Easton Pins; there's a large open doorway between both establishments. Mikey's has a fountain dispenser with Coke products. You can also get Coke and Diet Coke (but not Coke Zero, like you can at Mikey's) at the bars in Pins, but I think the quality of the soda pop from Mikey's fountain is better than that from the bar hoses Pins uses to dispense soft drinks. You are also quite allowed at Pins to either bring food in or order it in via your favorite delivery app. **Parking** I recommend parking in the [Worth Garage](https://eastontowncenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/parking-at-easton-updated-file-sept-25.pdf). It's literally right next door to Pins, and it's free as long as you park on Level 2 or above. They recently started charging people to park on Level 1, and you pay for parking on this level the same way you pay for street parking in Columbus, with the [ParkColumbus](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.parkmobile.parkcolumbus&hl=en_US&pli=1) app. I've seen them enforce this by ticketing people's cars, but I don't know how they actually compel payment. The garage is not a public street that actual cops can write you tickets for parking illegally on. If you have an actual ticket from a cop that you don't pay, they can go so far as to issue a warrant for your arrest. But all Easton has, seemingly, is, "[Please pay our ticket](https://eastonpreferredpark.com/)." Still, in my ongoing efforts to eliminate needless stress and aggravation from my life, I just park above the first Level. The actual address of the garage is [4049 Worth Ave, Columbus, OH 43219](https://www.google.com/maps/place/4049+Worth+Ave,+Columbus,+OH+43219/@40.0542293,-82.9137962,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x88388a86de3af559:0xc1dc8b4661fc834f!8m2!3d40.0542293!4d-82.9137962!16s%2Fg%2F11sgzjp4ml?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDkyNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D). However, your GPS is stupid. The actual entrances to the garage are on the cross steets Brighton Rose Way and Fenlon St, not Worth Ave. Just keep this in mind once you get to the garage. **Where we'll meet** I'll post in the comments where I am. People will obviously want to explore different areas of the venue over the course of the event (and there's a lot to explore), but please just let me know (as in, come find me) once you've arrived. **Peroration** Come on out and say hi! 😄

**NEW LOCATION: 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). For this first meeting of the year, we will be reviewing submissions for the Your Program is Hideous and Obfuscated Challenge (YPHOC). Submissions for this challenge are due by January 12th, 2026. The details can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13zbxwElpJqPMuAN4Ele2hUgsqtFKzH3OCTL5NEeiLKQ or on our website http://www.cohpy.org 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 centralohpython@gmail.com

Columbus Code & Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. People of all skill levels attend, and we love it that way. Many people (optionally) bring projects to work on, and many other people (optionally) socialize the entire time. It's entirely up to you! **What to Expect at the Intro Circle** \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Near the beginning of the event (1:30 pm), we do a standup: * Organizer announcements, updates, and logistics Round 1 - (7 secs max): * Your name * What you're working on * What you can help others with Round 2: * Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. Round 3: * Job opportunities you're hiring for OR announce that you are looking for one. If none, that's cool. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized! Feel free to work alone, pair up, attend one of our workshops/presentations, or mingle!