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Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Absolutely! Find reason events near your location here. Connect with your local community and discover events within your area.
Reason Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
Christchurch Python Meetup - April 2026
**Brian Thorne: Awa, a Postgres-native background job queue**
Python talks! Python people! Join our monthly meetup about all things Python. If all goes well there will also be pizza and drinks.
* We meet **every fourth Tuesday** of a month at 5:45pm (talks start at 6:30pm)
* 📌 **Space is limited** at the venue, so please only register (it's free) if you really intend to come. Also, as we will aim to provide some food and drinks, this will help us manage amounts and avoid waste. Thank you!
* **Join the [Python New Zealand Discord server](https://discord.com/invite/BywWY26ARc)** to stay up to date, interact with others or help with upcoming events.
* Python New Zealand's **[Code of Conduct](https://events.python.nz/redirect/?url=https%3A//python.nz/about/code-of-conduct/%3AfBv4yOxQ5i0fg9WnNd7RvQ4JrjpQ4CztIw_jdXQaRoY)** applies to all Python New Zealand events and participants agree to abide by it.
**Brian will be talking about his new project, named Awa (Māori: river). It provides durable, transactional job enqueueing with typed handlers in both Rust and Python. All queue state lives in Postgres — no Redis, no RabbitMQ. The Rust runtime handles polling, heartbeating, crash recovery, and dispatch. Python workers run on that same runtime via PyO3, getting Rust-grade reliability with Python-native ergonomics.**
**Finding the meetup:** Look for a glass door with a sign mentioning the meetup and head upstairs to the Trade Me office. Call the phone number on the sign if you arrive late and the door is locked.
Can't make the meetup in person? It'll also be accessible virtually at the link below. The virtual session will open around 6pm.
Don't hesitate to pass this information around to whomever you think may be interested to hear and discuss all things Python.
**[Speak at a meetup](https://forms.gle/9PbhSz1gtmHLpAPR6) -** All presentations are by members of our Python community - people like yourself! First time speakers are absolutely welcome.
Join our meetings online or in person:
* [Python New Zealand - Online Events](https://meetup.com/pythonnz-online)
* [Python New Zealand - Auckland](https://meetup.com/pythonnz-auckland)
* [Python New Zealand - Wellington](https://meetup.com/pythonnz-wellington)
[Python New Zealand - Christchurch](https://meetup.com/pythonnz-christchurch)
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.
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!
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
IxDA Chat ‘n Pancakes
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!.
Investing & Personal Finance Meeting
If you are interested in selecting investment choices for your 401(k) or other workplace savings plan, minimizing your income tax liability, or identifying the most effective investments for your brokerage account, we are the group for you.
We are a local chapter of Bogleheads, whose investment strategy can be found here:
https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy
Or you can peruse the Boglehead forum here:
https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php
I look forward to seeing you there.
Mark Vonder Haar
COUNT RMH Housewarmer Volunteering (Ronald McDonald House)
Some trained COUNT volunteers work together once a month at RMH (http://www.rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer.php) as Housewarmers (usually on the 1st Sunday from 1 – 5 PM). Some schedule other shifts at their convenience. You may try this out with less fuss by following a "Fast track" or go through the normal process.
Fast track
• Arrange a time to shadow a COUNT volunteer. Call Dave Nohle at 614-268-9558 (cell).
• Show up and try it out.
• Complete application, etc. later.
Normal process
• Complete an online application (http://rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer/).
• Attend orientation in advance.
• At orientation you will complete forms agreeing to keep family/patient info private and allowing a background check and tour the facility.
• Complete one training shift. Daily shifts are: morning 9 AM - 1 PM, afternoon 1 - 5 PM and evening 5 - 9 PM.
• Schedule shifts online using the on the RMH scheduling system (http://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/?FROM=32895).
The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) provides housing and meals for families with sick children. The Columbus RMH is the largest in the world with 137 rooms. COUNT has been volunteering there since May 2014.
Housewarmers work with RMH guests to provide a home-like environment - greet, assist with family needs, answer phones, give tours, assist with checkin/checkout, prepare guest rooms after checkout, clean facility, laundry, restock supplies and staff the front desk. RMH Housewarmers volunteer at least one four-hour shift a month. All Housewarmers must complete an application and agree to a background check before they can be full fledged volunteers.







