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Yes! Check out reason events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
Discover all the reason events taking place this week here. Plan ahead and join exciting meetups throughout the week.
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Reason Events Today
Join in-person Reason events happening right now
Fine tuning LLM Vision Models
Vision Language Models (VLMs) such as LLaVA, Qwen-VL, Nemotron VL and GPT-4o have unlocked a new era in AI where language and sight converge into a single reasoning system. These models can describe images, answer visual questions, read documents, and interpret charts — but their true power emerges when you fine-tune them on domain-specific data, teaching them to see and reason about the visual world that matters to you.
In this hands-on session, we walk through the full fine-tuning pipeline for vision-language models. We begin by understanding how these architectures work — how a visual encoder like CLIP or SigLIP is coupled with a large language model through a projection layer, and how the interplay between image tokens and text tokens enables multimodal reasoning. We then move into the practical side: preparing image-text datasets, choosing the right fine-tuning strategy (full fine-tuning vs. LoRA vs. QLoRA), configuring training with frameworks like Hugging Face Transformers and PEFT, and evaluating results on real-world benchmarks.
We will also discuss when and why fine-tuning a VLM is the right approach compared to alternatives like prompt engineering or retrieval-augmented generation, and how to avoid common pitfalls such as catastrophic forgetting, overfitting on small visual datasets, and misaligned image-text pairs.
Bring your laptop, your curiosity, and — if you have one — a dataset you would like to try. By the end of the session you will have a clear, reproducible workflow for adapting any open-source vision-language model to a custom task.
\*\*📅 Open to all levels — no prerequisites, just curiosity.\*\*
HP Blavatsky & The mystery of the Nr 7
From all her travels, particularly in Egypt and India, Helena Blavatsky brought back to the West ancient teachings on the knowledge of the human being and his mysteries.
The ancient science of numbers, and in particular the number 7, is one of the elements that has been passed down to us by the philosopher known as HPB. The ‘septenary key’ offers a profoundly universal view of the Human Being and Nature: it allows us to understand the law of evolution that governs their interactions, including the spiritual and material dimensions of this driving force of life.
**About the mysteries of the number 7**
The number Seven is universal and the Septenary is linked to the “Star” symbol of the accomplished Human Being, so wonderfully depicted by Leonardo da Vinci.
HPB reminds us that the organisation of the cosmos itself is based on a septenary key; and that this organisation is also found in the elements that make us up. Adjusting to this great melody of life, to this universal law, is the great inner struggle of the human being.
The number seven is that of Nature in motion, in evolution. It teaches us that humanity has not finished its evolution. The actualisation of the number Seven and its principles and qualities is the great inner struggle that the Human Being must wage in order to become a fulfilled Individual, living in harmony with the laws of Nature.
This individual, connected and embracing the inner battle, whom we could call a ‘peaceful warrior’, is one of the mysteries unveiled by the number 7.
*There will be a break with tea, coffee and cakes.*
!!SATURDAY!! Dublin Korean Culture @ Drunken Fish !!SATURDAY!!
SATURDAY MEET UP
Let's mingle with anybody and everybody who's simply interested in Korean or Irish culture. This is a group for anyone looking to get out and about, meet new people, socialise and enjoy a night out. It will be for all to have loads of craic. Looking forward to seeing old and new faces.
**For this week** **we have booked a table for us upstairs in the name of Dublin Korean Culture Meet Up. When entering the restaurant please ask for our group.**
Our aim is to create a friendly, sociable and safe way for people to meet and discuss Korean and Irish culture. If you been made to feel uncomfortable or have seen inappropriate behaviour at a meet up then please contact one of our organisers in confidence.
\*\*\* PLEASE RSVP \*\*\*
Photo Credit: Pexels
It is not necessary to buy food, but if you don't please buy at least one drink as restaurants have had a hard time during the pandemic.
\*\*\* This meetup is for adults only (18+) except where accompanied by a parent or legal guardian (proof of status e.g. court documents may be requested) \*\*\*
How to get to the meet up:
*LUAS* \- the Drunken Fish is right next to the Mayor Square \- NCI Luas stop on the red line
*DART/Irish Rail* \- Dublin Connolly is probably the easiest station for most people\, but the Docklands station is also close
*PARKING* \- the carpark for the National College of Ireland \(NCI\) is probably the most convenient and only charges 5 euro for the whole evening after 5\.30pm
Meetup details below:
New faces welcome!! Bring your 친구 too.
[Place] Drunken Fish Restaurant/Bar, The Excise Building, Mayor Street Lower, IFSC, Dublin 1
[Hosts] Caoimhe, Jay, Eileen, Saksham and Stephen
Please contact us using the below details if you have any questions or trouble finding us.
[Organiser contact]
Bobbie: Instagram: GoodMoodFoodInsta
Tim: (WhatsApp: 085 718 5658)
\*RSVP ESSENTIAL!!!! PLEASE DO RSVP!!!!
\*Bring your ID if you're lucky enough to look under 25! ;)
\*There's no admission fee for our meetup however, you'll be kindly asked to purchase at least 1 drink after your arrival. As you could probably imagine, it's not so easy to book such a big place on a Friday evening in Dublin city centre and your cooperation in this will greatly help us to secure the place for our future gatherings.
\*Take good care of your own belongings and do not consume more alcohol than you can handle, Meetup organisers nor venue management do not hold any responsibilities on lost items before/during or after the meetup.
Hope to see you all there! :)
We Are Nature Singing Workshop
Many of us are now realising that in order to live more in harmony with each other and the planet we need to recognise that we humans are nature. We are not separate from or superior to the natural world, we are part of the web of life and deeply connected to the rest of the living world.
In this group harmony singing workshop we will sing songs and chants from around the world which celebrate our connection with and belonging to the natural world. Though we have been a destructive force on this planet, we humans also know how to be stewards of the land. Singing in harmony helps us to reconnect to our sense of togetherness and belonging and helps us tune in to our connection to the rest of the living world.
All welcome – women, men and older kids who like singing. You don’t need any singing or voice-work experience as it isn’t about talent, it is about participation. This is a relaxed, inclusive, friendly and safe space, with no right or wrong way to use the voice. Adults of all ages, orientations, backgrounds and abilities are welcome.
Singing is a wonderful way to feel connected to oneself and others. This group singing workshop will help you find joy, connection, harmony and oneness. Through simple vocal exercises, movements and inspiring and empowering chants and songs from around the world, we will sing our cares away, have fun and express ourselves. You will leave renewed and uplifted, and with a deep sense of belonging and community.
Click [here](https://fullcirclechange.ie/offerings/self-care/singing/) to learn more about the style of singing at this workshop.
Harmony singing is extremely beneficial to our physical, mental and spiritual health and wellbeing, and you will leave feeling recharged, grounded, and uplifted.
Please book a ticket in advance [here](https://fullcirclechange.ie/event/we-are-nature-singing-workshop/). Prices from €45/40 concessions or €70 for 2 people booking together
Cycle to Glendalough over the Sally gap
Distance: –90 km
Climbing: \~1,350.
A proper Wicklow day out!—today we cycle the high country over the Sally gap and the Glenmacnass valley.
We roll out from the city at 845am and head up to Glencree and onto the Military Road, then crossing the exposed beauty of the **Sally Gap.**
From there, it’s a rewarding run down the stunning **Glenmacnass valley** to the **Glendalough Cafe**.
We then head back over undulating hills to Eniskerry and then on to Dublin.
Expect long, steady climbs; you’ll need a reasonable level of fitness—this is a 90 km spin with serious elevation. The reward is some of Ireland's best cycling scenery and **quiet roads** once we leave the suburbs behind.
Bring: Good legs, plenty of snacks, and layers—the Gap can be exposed.
A tough but very rewarding spin—perfect if you’re looking to stretch yourself a bit and enjoy the Wicklow Mountains at their best.
Please wear a helmet and bring a tube, etc., in case you get a puncture.
Please note - It is every participant's responsibility to ride safely, follow the rules of the road, and come prepared with the proper equipment.
WAIVER & RELEASE:
We are a group composed of volunteers. We are not a professional organisation. As such, each of us is responsible for our own safety and well-being during an organised event. The organiser(s) is not in any way responsible for any participant on the trip. However, as a group of friends, we make an effort to look out for one another to the best of our ability.
By joining this event, you and your guests agree to and accept the following waiver and liability amendment to the Meetup Terms of Service at [https://www.meetup.com/terms/](https://www.meetup.com/terms/) ;
1. My guests and I have read the Meetup Terms of Service at [https://www.meetup.com/terms/](https://www.meetup.com/terms/) and hereby amend it to include the same waiver and release therein to this event's organiser(s) and participants.
Bible Course - David the King
**A Video Bible course**, 'David the King', presented by Bishop Robert Barron, will run in the Central Catholic Library, 74 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. **This short course will run over two Saturdays:** **May 9th and 16th** from 11.15 am to 2.00 pm (approx). The cost will be €5 with tea & coffee included. Contact Kevin 0861605755
📚 Books & Social 🍸
📚Reading books and discussing them are two distinct experiences! Conversations about books and sharing insights help us better appreciate literature and enrich our lives.
Optional: Since the weather is good today. We will meet in the Stephen's green near James Joyce Statue facing MoLI, https://maps.app.goo.gl/DX2AX2xYNTkU88Vq7?g_st=ic at 5, do silent reading for an hour. Then head to Bartley's. Bartley's is open from 5, so feel free to meet in Stephen's green or Bartley at 5. Bring a mat and headphones.
Let's grab a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and discuss books we're currently reading or have recently enjoyed—whether poetry, fiction, or non-fiction. Bring your physical book or e-reader.
There's no formal structure or agenda—just books and good conversation.💬
It's a perfect place to get book recommendations and rediscover your reading momentum if you've hit a slump. We welcome readers of all backgrounds and interests!
⚠️**Something Happened?**
If something unpleasant happened to you, it may happen to others. Even if it seems minor, don't hesitate to reach out to me.
🔍 **How to find us?**
* When I reach the venue, I'll leave a comment in the meetup where the group is seated. Normally, the booking is in my name, so you can ask the staff for the group.
* If you're unable to find us, leave a comment in the meetup page. I'll be able to guide you.
We highly encourage you to move between tables and strike up conversations with fellow book lovers. These discussions about literature and reading recommendations are often the highlight of the event!
As an organizer, I'm always looking for feedback about the event and suggestions for new events, so feel free to suggest ideas to me. 💡
I look forward to seeing you all! 😊
Reason Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
The Sheep Detectives @ 11:30am - Cinema Breakfast
Hi all,
When this trailer first appeared, this got my attention so let’s go to see some crime-solving sheep out to solve a murder this Sunday morning at 11:30 in Cineworld.
**[The Sheep Detectives | Official Trailer](https://youtu.be/pyZI5oM6hWk?si=BzNJefzRh-eJfdU0)**
We’ll meet for a quick chat and coffee/ breakfast at **Insomnia** on **Abbey Street** at c. 10:30am.
Book your seats wherever you wish but many of us sit c. 3 rows from the back.
Social Tennis in UCD for €10 (4pm: 10/05)
During social tennis, I offer some coaching advice and matchplay tactics if players are interested in that.
It is suitable to all players, whether you're a total beginner or an experienced player, everyone is welcome.
Matches will last 15 - 30 minutes depending on the level which is generally a wide range of beginners to advanced players.
WOMENS New Beginners Tennis Lesson for €15-20 (11am: 10/05)
Hey there, if you're looking to get started with tennis or get back into it, this is the perfect lesson for you!
It’s pay as you go with each lesson costing €20 with your sixth lesson free, making it €100 for 6 lessons that you can attend occasionally or weekly 🎾
Please join my WhatsApp lessons group chat below 👇
https://chat.whatsapp.com/CKXCPrOmQIcDepGYCZYZXu
Other groups are available as follows:
9am: new beginners
11am: women's only beginners
1pm: new beginners
2pm: lower beginners
3pm: upper beginners
4pm: social tennis
5pm: improvers & intermediates
New Beginners Tennis Lesson for €15-20 (1pm: 10/05)
Hey there, if you're looking to get started with tennis or get back into it, this is the perfect lesson for you!
It’s pay as you go with each lesson costing €20 with your sixth lesson free, making it €100 for 6 lessons that you can attend occasionally or weekly 🎾
Please join my WhatsApp lessons group chat below 👇
https://chat.whatsapp.com/CKXCPrOmQIcDepGYCZYZXu
Other groups are available as follows:
9am: new beginners
11am: women's only beginners
1pm: new beginners
2pm: lower beginners
3pm: upper beginners
4pm: social tennis
5pm: improvers & intermediates
Upper Beginners Tennis Lesson for €15-20 (3pm: 10/05)
Hey there, if you're looking to continue learning tennis and have attended some lessons before or have played for a while, this is the perfect lesson for you!
It’s pay as you go with each lesson costing €20 with your sixth lesson free, making it €100 for 6 lessons that you can attend occasionally or weekly 🎾
Please join my WhatsApp lessons group chat below 👇
https://chat.whatsapp.com/CKXCPrOmQIcDepGYCZYZXu
Other groups are available as follows:
9am: new beginners
11am: women's only beginners
1pm: new beginners
2pm: lower beginners
3pm: upper beginners
4pm: social tennis
5pm: improvers & intermediates
Sunday Evening Zazen meditation
Join us for Zazen Meditation. please arrive at 6pm.
newcomers please arrive at 5.45 for an introduction to Zazen meditation.
Lower Beginners Tennis Lesson for €15-20 (2pm: 10/05)
Hey there, if you're looking to continue learning tennis and have attended some lessons before or have played for a while, this is the perfect lesson for you!
It’s pay as you go with each lesson costing €20 with your sixth lesson free, making it €100 for 6 lessons that you can attend occasionally or weekly 🎾
Please join my WhatsApp lessons group chat below 👇
https://chat.whatsapp.com/CKXCPrOmQIcDepGYCZYZXu
Other groups are available as follows:
9am: new beginners
11am: women's only beginners
1pm: new beginners
2pm: lower beginners
3pm: upper beginners
4pm: social tennis
5pm: improvers & intermediates
Reason Events Near You
Connect with your local Reason community
Duty vs. Results: What Makes an Action Moral?
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?
Free In-Person Meeting: Get Over Losses & Betrayals, Build Lasting Relationships
This is a free, in-person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships.
Burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse.
Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well.
Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship.
Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action?
Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships!
Break free from self imposed limitations
Here we will discuss:
• How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes.
• Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you?
• Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it?
• Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love?
• Fights & arguments - what's really behind them?
• What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others?
• How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change?
• Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them?
• How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about?
• How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career?
Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general.
Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person.
Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life.
We look forward to having you join us!
This class is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.
Sunday Brunch
Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!
LGBT Reads: In-Person Book Discussion
Join us for our May Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss *[Cantoras](https://caroderobertis.com/books/cantoras/)*[ ](https://caroderobertis.com/books/cantoras/)by [Caro de Robertis](https://caroderobertis.com/bio/) in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.
Psychic Fair
We will have our certified mediums available and you can receive 3 10-minute readings for $20.
To keep you safe, we will be following all CDC and Health Dept. guidelines at our psychic fair today. Sitters and readers required to wear a mask. We will maintain a minimum of 6 foot physical distance during readings. Please, if you can, bring your own portable chair to use during your readings.
Please note that we are at our wonderful new home at Unity of Columbus, 4211 Maize Road, Columbus, OH
Fun & easy way to play more tennis (read event description)
We’re still working to get more people into these Meetups, but our goal is to give PlayYourCourt members a few social tennis outings each week in addition to your practice sessions and Challenge League matches.
These Meetups are co-ed, super laid back, and all skill levels are welcome. Post your skill level and a suggested court in the comments section so we can round up as many players as we can for some tennis fun!
Also, if you’re looking to meet new practice partners or play some matches and you aren’t already in the PlayYourCourt Community, you can go here to see what we’re all about and sign up:
https://www.playyourcourt.com/tennis-community/columbus-oh/meetup/
If you love tennis, we’d love to have you! Be sure and watch the quick video that explains how everything works.
Happy hitting!
- Scott
ASH UU Topic: TBD
ASH is Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists of First Unitarian Universalists of Columbus Ohio
TBD
Snacks are usually available, and you are welcome to bringing something to share!
















