Cassandra

Second Saturdays, [asyouare](https://asyouaredc.com/) from noon 'til 2. (May is moved back a week!) Here's the menu: [Click & scroll down a page to see the menu](https://asyouaredc.com/pages/the-space) or at [Toast](https://www.toasttab.com/as-you-are/v3) As you are is a block from the Eastern Market Station on the Blue/Orange Lines.

Weekly Saturday group ride, starting at Handy Bikes Retail Showroom. Come ride with locals in the area! This group ride is for average folks who want to go for an average ride. It's not quite a coffee ride, but it's definitely not a race! Routes will vary around the area, with an average speed around 14 mph (minimum of \~10 MPH) for around 15-30 miles. We'll be on pavement so bikes with smooth tires are encouraged, **helmets are mandatory**. Open to any riders who are willing and able to ride with a group including Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes. No speed demons please! Good group ride etiquette is a requirement. Shop opens at 10:00 am Show up and sign in by 10:15 am Roll out 10:30 am Please RSVP in advance, so that the ride leaders can prepare for the group's size. [Handy Bikes on Strava](https://www.strava.com/clubs/737920/leaderboard) [Handy Bikes on RideWithGPS](https://ridewithgps.com/organizations/14675-handy-bikes)

Isn’t life itself a game? Don’t you effectively “roll the dice” when you cross the street, order a product online, buy a movie ticket, take a seat at a restaurant, or agree to a blind date? Philosophers (mostly the ones who play games) agree that the concept, “I am my own meeple,” guides some – perhaps all – of many people’s daily activities. As for the others – that is, the philosophers who disagree and/or the people who don’t employ this concept in their lives – *get with the program! It’s time for another Grand Gaming Melee!* There’ll be board games, dice games, card games, tile games, and just about every other kind of game that can be played on a tabletop. You’re encouraged to bring some of your favorites and teach them to new players, but feel free to come without any and play the games others bring. Game designers are welcome to bring their latest creations for a test run. Whether it’s a published edition or a handmade draft, if you see a game you’d like to try, there’ll be someone eager to teach you. If you’re going to be your own meeple, then you’ll need a snack to be a fully energetic one. Please bring something delicious to share with your fellow meeple people: anything easily and neatly consumed at the gaming tables is welcome. Popular delicious items include bags of chips, pretzels, crackers, and cookies. Some people bring a package of doughnuts or cupcakes; these are always popular and disappear quickly. Savory snacks like olives, vegetables with dip, or cheese appeal to players who don’t want to spend the entire day snacking on sweets. A few creative types may even bring something homemade; these contributions are even more appreciated. A refrigerator is available to store drinks and other items that should be kept chilled. Official start time is 10:30am. You can come and go at any time, but your host appreciates anyone who arrives as early as 10:00am (the library’s opening time) to help with setup. Many hands make light work! Cleanup begins around 4:00pm (or whenever you decide that you can’t squeeze in one more game before the end of the event). Remember, whoever starts cleanup first gets the best choice of leftover snacks to take home! As always, leave the room clean and tidy. **Please observe these rules regarding cleanup at Beatley library:** * Please ensure that food scraps, crumbs, and bits of packaging are not strewn in the kitchen or auditorium. The library closes shortly after our event ends, so anything edible left on the floor or counters will attract vermin overnight. Night vermin are the worst! * Please fold most of the tables and stack them under the coat rack – a few may remain where they were used – but **DO NOT FOLD THE CHAIRS**. Leave them out in any configuration that lets people walk around them easily. Many chairs are needed for programs the following day, so by folding them you only make more work for the organizers. On the other hand, more than a few tables left standing only impede the next day’s activities.

**\*TO ATTEND GET TICKET At** [https://www.socialevents123.com/event-details.aspx?id=13397#tix](https://www.socialevents123.com/event-details.aspx?id=13397#tix) (Multiple Meetup groups are co-organizing so the RSVP's shown are just a very small portion attending. We'll have at least 20 registered.) Our last online Bingo Night Party was such a BIG hit, we're doing it again! Do you like to play BINGO or want to just do something different?! Then you will LOVE this event! Here is your opportunity to have some fun playing our Live "Bingo" game. You will also get to socialize and make other friends from the comfort of your home. Prizes included Amazon gift cards, free future events and more! This completely online event will be LIVE and you will be able to see and hear the other participants while playing. You will either need to print or draw out your bingo cards. We will email you with how to get it after registering. You can have more than 1 person on your team as long as they're from your house and use same device. Friends/family around the country can also play. They would just need to also register for a ticket. This event will be held on Zoom which you would access through your computer/webcam, or via your phone/tablet. On day of the event, you will get a secured Zoom link and link to print out Bingo cards. \*RSVPS ON HERE ARE NOT REFLECTIVE OF ACTUAL ATTENDANCE as this is a multi group event. Cost: $15-$20 depending on how early you register. **\*TO ATTEND GET TICKET AT -** [https://www.socialevents123.com/event-details.aspx?id=13397#tix](https://www.socialevents123.com/event-details.aspx?id=13397#tix)

Cost: free Court Type: Outdoor Sand Level: Social (everyone is welcome) Transportation: Parking will be right in front of the courts. What to bring: a ball if you have one. This is a social volleyball which means as long as you played volleyball before and can keep some rally going you can attend. The point is to practice being a team player, have fun, be social, and make friends. We should try to have 2 passes before sending the ball over on most plays. Let's get everyone involved in the game.

Let's enjoy a walk in Old Town and check out the Old Town Festival of Speed & Style! ❶ **What we'll do:** * Starting from the Capital Bikeshare Station on Diagonal Road, we'll walk through Old Town Alexandria, ending up at the 500 block of King Street to check out the cars! After admiring the cars, attendees can make their way individually back to the meetup point or their next destination. * The walk is 4.5 miles and should take about 2 hours. The surface is paved throughout, with inclines here and there and steps in places. This is an easy walk. * Google map: [https://tinyurl.com/nufwbhph](https://tinyurl.com/nufwbhph) ❷ **How to get there:** * Metro: King Street Station is on the Blue and Yellow Lines. * Driving: From I-395, take VA-7 / King Street east about 2.8 miles. Take the first right after passing under the railroad (Daingerfield Street), and an immediate right onto Diagonal Road. From US-1 / Richmond Highway, follow King Street west 0.5 miles, take a sharp left onto Daingerfield, and the first right onto Diagonal Road. There is free parallel parking in the area, especially along streets a block north of King Street and beyond, and west of the tracks along Commonwealth and adjoining streets. ❸ **What to bring:** Water and comfy shoes. You can bring your furry friend (leashes, please), but the car show discourages them because of loud noises. ❹ **Weather:** It's too early to see the forecast! Updates: [https://tinyurl.com/yc4vjjnm](https://tinyurl.com/yc4vjjnm) ❺ **Advisory:** As a reminder, this is an adult group, and you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well-being during events. No one under 18 years of age is allowed at this event, either as members or as guests, to include babies in carriers and/or strollers. ❻ **Administrative stuff:** There are restrooms at commercial establishments near our meetup point, at the Torpedo Factory, and at the Ramsey House (Alexandria Visitor Center). ❼ **Notes:** * Old Town Festival of Speed & Style: [https://festivalofspeedandstyle.com/home](https://festivalofspeedandstyle.com/home) * Old Town Festival of Speed & Style at VisitAlexandria.com: [https://visitalexandria.com/events/old-town-festival-of-speed-style-2/](https://visitalexandria.com/events/old-town-festival-of-speed-style-2/)

This is the sign you've been waiting for. Come write with us Sunday at 7:30 am at Kaldi's Social House in Arlington. Kaldi's opens at 7. Grab a coffee and join the group! We generally have 10 to 14 writers attend each week, and new folks are welcome to drop in anytime. Intros start at 7:30 am. We will write for one hour. After writing, feel free to debrief, share thoughts or get advice. Our meetups are a safe space for writers to work on their craft. No one will read or critique your writing. Kaldi's Social House website: https://www.kaldissocialhouse.net/ \* Resource \* Many thanks to Justin for putting together a shared file of resource discussed at the meetings. Feel free to add to it! [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing)

We will meet in the Wilson Room at the Central Arlington Library. Note: The RSVPs for this meetup opens when the previous meetup ends. For our May meetup, we will be reading Affliction by Russell Banks. It was first published in 1989. A paperback version of it runs 368 pages. The GoodReads blurb is Wade Whitehouse is an improbable protagonist for a tragedy. A well-digger and policeman in a bleak New Hampshire town, he is a former high-school star gone to beer fat, a loner with a mean streak. It is a mark of Russell Banks' artistry and understanding that Wade comes to loom in one's mind as a blue-collar American Everyman afflicted by the dark secret of the macho tradition. Told by his articulate, equally scarred younger brother, Wade's story becomes as spellbinding and inexorable as a fuse burning its way to the dynamite.

Customer identity resolution becomes increasingly complex as organizations scale across multiple systems, regions, and data formats. Traditional rule-based approaches often fail to keep up with data variability, require constant manual tuning, and struggle with real-time processing needs. This session presents a practical approach to building a scalable identity resolution pipeline using AWS services and modern AI techniques. The architecture combines data ingestion through Amazon S3 and AWS Glue, transformation pipelines using Spark on EMR, and machine learning models deployed via SageMaker for entity matching and standardization. Graph-based relationship modeling is implemented using Amazon Neptune to improve resolution accuracy by incorporating household and shared attribute context. We will walk through how machine learning models can be used for name and address normalization, how intelligent blocking strategies improve matching efficiency, and how feedback loops can be introduced to continuously improve accuracy. The session also highlights how serverless components such as AWS Lambda can be used for orchestration and real-time processing. **SPEAKER BIO** Mosaic Syed is a Senior Data Engineering and Cloud Solutions Architect with over 20 years of experience designing and delivering scalable, secure, and high-performance data solutions across global enterprise environments. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosaic-basha-syed-92300856 **CALL FOR SPEAKERS** Learn more: [https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/](https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/) **THANK YOU** *VEEAM* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Veeam*, please visit their website: [https://www.veeam.com/](https://www.veeam.com/) **DIRECTIONS** 8800 Lyra Dr #450 · Columbus, OH go to 4th floor. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

## Candle Making Night at The Arcane Foundry \| Design Your Own Custom Candle **SPECIAL PROMOTION**: Buy 3 and get 1 Free! Step into The Arcane Foundry and create your own custom candle from start to finish. This is a laid back, hands-on experience where **you’ll blend fragrances, choose your vessel, and pour your own candle using 100% soy wax**. Whether you’re coming solo or with friends, it’s designed to be simple, creative, and a good time. We’ll walk you through the entire process, from picking your scents to choosing between a traditional cotton wick or a crackling wood wick. You can go with one fragrance or mix your own blend to create something completely unique**. No experience needed**, just show up and we’ll handle the rest. While your candle sets, feel free to hang out, play a game, explore the shop, or just relax and talk. Drinks and snacks are available, and the atmosphere leans into the **fantasy**, **dark academia**, and **gothic horror** vibe The Arcane Foundry is known for. Learn More: [Candle Making in Columbus, Ohio at The Arcane Foundry](https://thearcanefoundry.com/candle-making/) *** ### What to Expect: * Guided candle making experience * Choose your own vessel, wax, wick, and fragrance * 100% soy wax candles * Optional drinks and snacks * Time to relax while your candle cools *** ### Important Notes: * Please arrive on time so we can start together * Candles will need time to set before taking home * This is a beginner-friendly event *** ### RSVP Required Reserve your spot on Meetup to lock in your seat. **Candle Making** (includes vessel, your choice of wick, wax, scented oil, labels and lids) 5oz Glass Jars $15 8oz Candle Tins $25 12oz Glass Candles $35 12oz Amber Jars $40 16 oz Skull or Jack o Lantern Candle Mugs $65 (Limited Edition!) **All materials included. You just bring yourself (and your drink of choice).** **Payments accepted:** * Credit Card * Venmo: @Daclaud-Lee * Cashapp: $DaclaudL

**Our May novel is: *The Quiet Librarian* by Allen Eskens** **This month’s book is set in the 20th century and mixes historical fiction with suspense and thriller elements. It also centers on women’s stories and relationships. The novel is 368 pages in print or 8 hours and 12 minutes on audiobook.** Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared. Thirty years before, Hana was someone else: Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia—until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend—the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head\*\*.\*\*

How do we recover from having had a toxic or narcissistic ex? How do we move on from the past, especially something as traumatic as a divorce or breakup? How do we avoid anxiety and depression? How do we have more self esteem? In this meeting, you will learn the mental health secrets to help you quickly get over the past and heal your mind. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is created by the Dianetics & Scientology life improvement center.

**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). Topic: This month John Lairson will share a notebook describing the Alpaca (Paper) Trading API and discuss different algorithms for evaluating stock trades. 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 Central OH Python at centralohpython@gmail.com