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**Simon Merrick: T-strings and other developments in working with strings in Python** 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 NZ Discord ](https://discord.python.nz/)**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. * The meetup will also be accessible virtually. Point your web browser at [https://bbb.nzoss.nz/rooms/9tk-j2b-fco-eas/join](https://bbb.nzoss.nz/rooms/9tk-j2b-fco-eas/join) **A look at the new template/t strings introduced in Python 3.14 and other string related developments.** **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. Don't hesitate to pass this information around to whomever you think may be interested to hear and discuss all things Python. 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)

**Simon Merrick: T-strings and other developments in working with strings in Python** 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 NZ Discord ](https://discord.python.nz/)**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. * The meetup will also be accessible virtually. Point your web browser at [https://bbb.nzoss.nz/rooms/9tk-j2b-fco-eas/join](https://bbb.nzoss.nz/rooms/9tk-j2b-fco-eas/join) **A look at the new template/t strings introduced in Python 3.14 and other string related developments.** **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. Don't hesitate to pass this information around to whomever you think may be interested to hear and discuss all things Python. 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)

This route was closed because of the Kaikoura earthquake, but has now recently reopened. Park up at the end of Ure Road. Earthquake damage means the Upper Ure road is permanently closed. Now the route starts 3km lower, meaning an extra hour in the river. This is an impromptu trip where I am cadging a lift with a friend who is passing through, so I can't offer any transport. Therefore you must make your own way to the end of Ure Rd and the new start of the track, then your own way back out. I'll be dropped off in Kaikoura where I plan to do a bit of whale watching/hire a sea kayak if the weather is suitable, then plan to get a bus up to Picton 7 or 8 Feb. You are very welcome to join me in Kaikoura. Sat tramp road end through Sawcut Gorge to Isolation hut for the night. Spectacular scenery, wet feet. Sun to Brian Boru hut for lunch, then Zoo Hut overnight. This day involves a very steep climb behind Isolation hut, then a steep shingle descent to Brian Boru. 6 - 7 hours slow and steady Mon return same way to Isolation hut. Slow shingle climb up, and steep descent to Isolation hut. Tues back to the road end and our vehicles. This trip is suited to a party of four. I will add people manually when I am reassured you have your own transportation as I can't not provide any. Do your own research, know where you are going, be properly equipped. You are responsible for your own safety.

### 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/)

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group × DevOps Columbus** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS, Columbus HashiCorp User Group, and DevOps Columbus meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/

Happy Holidays! The first Wednesday of January is 7th, and this is Orthodox Christmas. And i will be wishing everyone Merry Christmas in January, and i am sure many of you will be tired from all this socializing. That is why we are going to meet on February 4th. And we will continue discussing the Hot topic of our age an AI. We’ve spent the last few sessions learning how to *talk* to AI. We’ve mastered prompt engineering and "vibecoding" to build things faster. Now, it’s time for the next leap: **letting AI work for us while we sleep.** In this session, we are moving beyond simple chatbots to explore **Autonomous AI Agents.** Unlike standard tools that wait for you to type a command, Agents are designed to perceive a goal, plan a series of tasks, and execute them independently within your WordPress site. We will discuss **Generative vs. Agentic AI:** Understanding the shift from *"Write me a blog post"* to *"Monitor local Knoxville news and draft a weekly summary every Friday."* I am sure many of you have seen WordPress ads offering different Agentic tools like **Uncanny Automator**, **AI Engine**, or **n8n**. What do these tools do? How successful they are? And how implementable all these agents are for your current WordPress site? I will gather some info and make research. But please join us and bring your stories and experience on topic. See you!

## Details \#\# Learn Infrastructure\-as\-Code \(the FUN Way\) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: DevOps Columbus - Azure CBUS - Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint DevOps Columbus, Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. \#\#\# What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time \#\#\# Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐

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/

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/