St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) is seeking skilled community members to serve on one of our two Board Committees:

• Finance & Audit Committee
• Quality & Safety Committee

We are looking for individuals with expertise in Finance, Acute Healthcare, Information Technology, and Artificial Intelligence to help strengthen our governance work.

Please note: The Hospital often fills Board vacancies with individuals who have served as committee members, making this an excellent opportunity to become more involved in hospital governance.

At STEGH, we value diversity and are committed to building a Board that reflects the community we serve. If you are passionate about supporting exceptional healthcare in our community and have the relevant experience, please complete the Community Member Application Form on our website: www.stegh.on.ca → search “Board and Board Committee Recruitment” Application Deadline: February 13, 2026

For questions or more information, please contact: Andrea McNaughton, Governance Liaison andrea.mcnaughton@stegh.on.ca

The post St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital appeared first on Capacity Canada.

Recognizing Art Sinclair: A Legacy of Advocacy, Insight, and Community Impact

After nearly two decades of dedicated service, the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce is recognizing one of its most influential and respected leaders. Art Sinclair, Vice President, Advocacy & Policy, is retiring, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy that has shaped not only our organization, but the broader business and public policy landscape of Waterloo Region.

Art joined the Chamber in 2006, bringing with him deep institutional knowledge and a rare ability to translate complex policy environments into actionable advocacy for local employers. His career prior to the Chamber included twelve years at the Ontario Legislature, where he served in advisory roles to multiple cabinet ministers, including the Minister of Agriculture and the Premier. This experience laid the foundation for the strategic, solutions-oriented approach that would become his hallmark.

Throughout his tenure, Art was the Chamber’s steady hand and authoritative voice on advocacy and policy. He represented the interests of our business community before provincial and federal finance committees during pre-budget consultations, appeared regularly before municipal councils, and ensured the Chamber was consistently positioned as a credible, informed, and respected stakeholder at every level of government.

Art also played a critical leadership role nationally and locally, serving as Chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee, and contributing to the Region of Waterloo’s Employment & Income Support Community Advisory Committee. Internally, he acted as staff liaison to numerous advocacy bodies, including the Federal and Provincial Affairs Committee, Regional and Municipal Affairs Committee, Environment Committee, and the Prosperity Council of Waterloo Region. Through this work, Art ensured the Chamber’s advocacy efforts were both strategically aligned and deeply informed.

Beyond committee rooms and policy briefs, Art was a trusted public voice for business. His regular columns in Business Times and the Waterloo Chronicle helped demystify policy issues and elevated the conversation around economic development, competitiveness, and community prosperity.

Raised in Mitchell, Ontario on a family-run dairy farm, Art’s roots in agriculture and rural Ontario informed his lifelong appreciation for hard work, collaboration, and pragmatic decision-making. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Guelph. He is also a long-standing member of the Waterloo Rotary Club, further reflecting his commitment to service and community leadership.

On a personal level, Art is truly one of a kind. Known for his commanding presence, encyclopedic memory, and uncanny ability to connect people within “seven degrees” (often fewer), he is a walking repository of institutional knowledge and local history. His passions (including football and public policy) are as unmistakable as his voice in any room. For Art, the Chamber has always been more than a workplace; it has been his extended family.

As Art enters this next chapter, we extend our immense gratitude for the leadership, integrity, and impact he brought to the Chamber and to the community we serve. His work has helped position the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce as a trusted advocate for business and a constructive partner in shaping our region’s future.

On behalf of the Board, staff, volunteers, and members… thank you, Art. Your legacy will continue to inform our work for years to come.

A casual reception will be held on Tuesday, February 24th from 4:30PM-6:00PM at the CentreStage Lounge (at Centre in the Square). Pre-registration is required on our website by Monday, February 23rd. Please join us in congratulating, and celebrating, Art Sinclair.

The post Celebrating Art Sinclair appeared first on Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.

“Data is everywhere, and Data talks.” Usually, it whispers and I like to listen.

Welcome back to the corner of the internet where numbers reveal secrets and dashboards come with drama. I’m Ms. DataByte. Last week, I got tired of the rumors. You know the ones like “AI is deleting our jobs,” “You need to know 15 coding languages to be an intern,” and “The market is saturated.”

If you scroll through LinkedIn, being a Data Analyst looks like a futuristic dream of neural networks and six-figure salaries. But if you scroll through Reddit, it looks a lot more like an avalanche of people crying over broken SQL queries.

I got tired of guessing which version was real. Was the job market actually “dead”? Is AI actually coming for our jobs?

I didn’t want opinions. I wanted evidence.

So, I deployed my own army of Python APIs to eavesdrop on the three biggest watercoolers on the internet:

• r/dataanalytics
• r/datascience
• r/analytics.

Reddit has become the new public gossip hub and Scraping Reddit is like my new hobby. Being a gossip queen, Ms.DataByte has various connections to bring the gossip into light.

With the PRAW API (The Python Reddit API Wrapper), I scraped thousands of posts performed a full-blown sentiment analysis on the analyst career anxiety.

First, I wanted to know what people are actually afraid of. So, I mapped the intensity of different “fear keywords” across the subreddits. Cumulating the data and mapping it on one condensed bar chart. All the result was in front of my eyes.

Ms. DataByte’s Diagnosis: Look at that spike for “Automation Fear.” It is literally off the charts. People are most terrified that ChatGPT is going to take our SQL queries and run. Many companies are investing in the use of AI, which will drop employment and make data analysts like us suffer.

But look at the runner-up: “Skill Overload.” This explains so much. People aren’t just scared of robots taking over, they are scared that they don’t know enough. They think they need to know Python, R, Tableau, PowerBI, AWS, Azure, and how to bake a perfect cake just to get an entry-level job.

The Reality is far too simple. The job markets look at your skills more than how robots can work better. What companies want is for you be the master of a technology and no one can do it better than you do.

Reddit may scare you to learn everything, but I am here to tell you that you need just one thing. Master it. Conquer it like no one else can. Be the best and show your manager that no one can do your job better than you.

You can easily see the talk of the town in the analyst world. Employers are looking for experience, time, projects, work. Words like code, tech, research are given the least value.

I hate to agree with Reddit on this wordcloud though. This is the bitter truth of the industry. Even if you have the knowledge of machine learning and the best resume, experience is what will get your word out.

The best jobs are the ones you get through connections and networking. No one just rings your doorbell and offers you a six-figure salary to analyze their data.

Reddit is where gossip is made public. So, I tried to go deeper into the chaos.

Next, I analyzed “Engagement.” Which topics make people stop scrolling and start typing furiously?

Ms. DataByte’s Diagnosis:
Do you see that red bubble in the top right?
“Job Market Saturation.”

Nothing gets a Data Analyst fired up like a post titled “Is the market cooked?” It has the highest average comments. We love commiserating about how hard it is to get hired.

Interestingly, “Skill Overload” (the green bubble) has lower engagement. We are too busy learning the skills to actually comment on them.

Once again, the bitter truth is out!

I ran a co-occurrence heatmap to see which problems appear together in the same posts. Basically, I wanted to see if “When we complain about X, do we also complain about Y?”

Ms. DataByte’s Diagnosis:
Check the intersection of Automation Fear and Skill Overload (0.22 correlation).
This is the “Panic Loop.”

Step 1: Analyst sees AI writing code.

Step 2: Analyst panics and tries to learn Kubernetes overnight.

Step 3: Skill Overload ensues.

Also, notice Salary Confusion and Career Growth Doubts. They are practically holding hands. We don’t know what we should be paid, and we don’t know where we are going. It’s poetic, in a tragic way.

Finally, I tracked the sentiment of our conversations over time. Are we getting happier? Sadder? Or just more numb?

Ms. DataByte’s Diagnosis:
The timeline is a rollercoaster.
Look at how the industry is playing with our feelings.

2017: A massive dip. I assume this was the year everyone realized “Data Janitor” was a more accurate title than “Data Scientist.”

2020–2022: It stabilized! People realized that data is important to interpret. We were working from home, wearing pajama pants, and life was good.

2024-Present: It’s choppy. The AI boom has us all asking existential questions again.

But here is the plot twist:

Despite the panic, look at the Skill Overload bar in yellow. It has the highest sentiment score. This means that even though learning new tools is stressful, we actually love it. We enjoy the challenge. We crave for new technologies.

The lowest sentiment? “Burnout & Stress” (Dark Blue). Obviously. No one likes burnout.

So, what did my little PRAW script teach us?

1. We are terrified of AI, but we are fighting back by over-learning skills.
2. We love to gossip about the job market more than we like fixing our resumes.
3. We are stressed, but deep down, we love the chaos of learning new things.

Being a Data Analyst isn’t just about math. It’s about surviving the hype cycle, debugging code that should work, and realizing that no matter how advanced the AI gets… someone still has to tell the client why their Excel sheet is broken. And that someone is us.

My mission with Ms. DataByte is simple: “to prove that Data Talks.” Sometimes it whispers business insights, and sometimes, like today, it screams about career anxiety.

By scraping Reddit, we didn’t just make a few cool charts. We took the messy, unstructured reality of thousands of analysts and turned it into a story. We proved that behind every “perfect” LinkedIn profile is a human worrying about Python libraries and imposter syndrome.

That is the power of data analysis. It allows us to see the truth hidden in the noise.

There are a million more stories waiting to be uncovered, and I plan to find them all. Join me for the next adventure.

Stay curious, Ms. DataByte

I Scraped 10,000 Reddit Posts to Find Out Why Data Analysts Are Panicking was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Two guesses and no it's neither you nor me! Developers and Builders have been lobbying and donating for decades to our provincial governments to exert pressure on municipal councillors and planning staff to grow, grow and GROW !  This growth is economic growth combined with population growth. Just look at how much worse our water supply is today versus thirty years ago. We used to be able to water our lawns with zero restrictions. Look at our hospital emergency departments. O.K. maybe they were never "good" but eight to ten hour ER waits. Never! Look at our highways plus even city congestion on the roads. I remember when driving a car was actually pleasurable. Sewage treatment getting better? Hardly. Look forward to the slow death of all our rivers as they are overwhelmed with partially treated human sewage. How about water quality? The Region of Waterloo have never demanded full cleanups at any contaminated sites much less full disclosure including criminal charges when citizens have died from pollution negligence including the Elmira Water Crisis and the Bishop St. TCE contamination by Northstar and Borg Warner (indirectly).    

There are legitimate reasons for growth including humanitarianism. The reasons also include accepting the best and brightest when they want to live here versus overcrowded, economically undeveloped, third world countries .  Even low birth rates in a country may very well be a good reason for SOME immigration. What is not a good reason however is what I believe is the predominant reason that industry, developers and government want high immigration and that is plain, simple greed.  More population equals a bigger market to sell everything to. It means a much larger supply of labour, hopefully deferential and modest labour satisfied with low wages and zero union protection.  When our major employers realized that they had to share the pie more fairly with employees actually doing the hard work and dirty jobs; they got testy.  All they wanted were desperate but hard working people who would take almost any job, work hard and show up day after day without expecting annual cost of living raises, benefits or any kind of democracy in the work place. Putting it bluntly if it was legally allowed they wanted wage slaves. 

Look at today's K-W Record . Two separate articles about developers and their demands are on the front page.  Both articles continue on pages A2 and A3 plus a third article is also on page A3. Long time Record reporters and employees Luisa D'Amato, Bill Jackson and Jeff Outhit have written these articles and done a solid job. There is lots of appropriate criticism of our local municipal and regional politicians. They were told by water experts decades ago as to what they had to do including putting all water related items from sourcing, maintenance, water treatment, sewage, distribution etc, in one governance basket. Instead it appears as if regional councillors in particular pretended to do that and talked about it but simply were satisfied that saying things like we have an INTEGRATED URBAN SYSTEM  (IUS) somehow made it so. Now they are telling us well it really isn't so. The province of Ontario also gets a failing mark as they actually have the authority to force this kind of governance upon the other bodies. 

I am also after 36 years beginning to understand how inept and incompetent both our local and provincial governments have been and why all three (municipal, regional, provincial) have so grossly failed here in Elmira to clean up health threatening and life shortening industrial pollution. Kudos to the K-W Record for these articles.   

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♦Leg Up! Driftwood Snowflakes
Monday, January 26
1:00 PM – 3:00PM
$38
Leg Up! Classroom – 109 Ottawa St. S, Kitchener, Unit D

Nothing like a beach day in January, right? Get crafty with Annita and create your own unique snowflakes with drift wood. The Leg Up! Classroom is a place for learning and skill-building and is open to anyone in the community. They provide education and training for adults who benefit from a supportive, engaging and interactive style of learning. There’s still some space left, so sign up today!

Click here for more info

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♦Social Club
Thursday, January 22
11:30 AM
FREE to join – buy your own meal
Mandarin – 4220 King St. E, Kitchener

Join Simon and friends for lunch at the Mandarin! Celebrate Simon’s Birthday while meeting new people. Social Club meets once a month at a restaurant. It is a great way to meet new friendly people while chatting over a meal. Email Simon with your name before Tuesday, January 20 to let him know you would like to join the group for lunch. He has set a limit of 7 people.

Email Simon

♦Mindfulness Meditation
Wednesdays January 21 to March 4
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
FREE – Registration Required
Community Health Caring KW – 44 Francis St. S, Kitchener

This course will help you live life more fully and more mindfully. Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present. Mindfulness helps us take a breath, see things more clearly and respond to life in a more skilled way. During this introductory 7-week course, we will explore both formal and informal mindfulness practices. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in seated meditations, guided body scans, and mindful movements. Weekly discussions regarding our experiences, challenges and our insights will support our learning. Call 519-745-4404 or email healthwellness@healthcaringkw.org to register.

Click here for more info

♦Winterloo
Saturday, January 24
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
FREE
Waterloo Public Square – 75 King St. S, Waterloo

Enjoy from a wide range of activities including Outdoor Ice Skating, Giant Games, Snow Dog Sled Rides, Snow Painting and the Winterloo Dog Fashion Show. Enjoy music from local DJ’s and warm up by the fire as you grab yourself some Maple Taffy or some Beavertails. Get a blast of Winter’s finest traditions at Winterloo.

Click here for more info

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♦Bus and Bowl
Tuesday, January 20
Bussing 11:00 AM
Bowling 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
$5 – shoe rental included
Fairview Mall Bus Station – 2960 Kingsway Dr. Kitchener
Kingpin Cambridge – 355 Hespeler Rd. Cambridge

Come bowl with Karis Disability Services. It’s only $5 on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, shoe rental included! Meet the crew at Kingpin Cambridge at 1:00 PM or you can meet up at the Fairview Park Mall Bus Station at 11:00 AM. If you choose to meet the group at Fairview Park Mall, have your bus fare ready so you can all bus together to Kingpin Cambridge. You will need to be at Fairview Park Mall Bus Station no later than 11:00 AM to bus with the group. Email Cheryl to let her know you are coming.

Email Cheryl

The post January 14, 2026: What’s Happening in Your Neighbourhood? appeared first on KW Habilitation.

Conductor is a Gemini CLI extension that allows you to specify, plan, and implement software features.

1.7k Updated Jan 14

The post Summer Camps appeared first on Grand River Rocks Climbing Gym.

On January 13th, Ian McLean (President & CEO, Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce) and Greg Durocher (Cambridge Chamber of Commerce) submitted the following letter to Regional Council to convey the urgent concerns of the Region’s business community regarding the emerging water crisis. This correspondence is intended to ensure decision-makers fully understand the economic, investment, and growth implications currently being experienced by employers across Waterloo Region, and to help inform timely, coordinated action that restores confidence, enables responsible growth, and protects the long-term prosperity of our community.

Rest assured, both Chambers will be keeping local decision makers feet to the fire to avoid finger pointing and come up with solutions to address both the immediate crisis and the long term sustainability for Waterloo Region.

Chair Redman/Regional Council:

Our Chambers are very concerned about the water crisis that has emerged over the last number of weeks. Our membership comprises over 3000 businesses across Waterloo Region.
There are a multitude of concerns that we have been fielding from our members since this issue came to light in December and we are compelled to write this letter so that local decision makers are aware of them as you consider next steps to address this serious situation.

Waterloo Region has been a community of choice for both business investment and new residents for decades. Today, the shingle over the Region would have to say, “closed for new business”, given the development pause in place.
We all know that this is untenable and unacceptable.

On December 4th, 2025, confidence in our water supply came into question. The regional update received January 6th, 2026 unfortunately left our community with as many questions and concerns as it provided answers.

The questions and concerns include:

• The negative economic impacts on our Waterloo Region economy as a result of the situation is both real and unnerving.
• How will Waterloo Region address this issue to be able to meet targets for provincial population growth projections, employment growth or provincial housing targets?
• The negative economic impact resulting will be felt in many sectors, including housing, construction, trades right through to retail, services, education and everything in between.
• The needed community investments needed to successfully grow, such as LRT Phase II, the new hospital, and new private sector investment for employment growth are also at risk.

Both the Cambridge Chamber and the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce are the voice for the Region’s business community, and our members have 4 key messages to deliver to Regional Council as you consider next steps.

1. We need to fix this and fix it quickly. Time is not on our side, no matter how we got into this grave situation; this is not the time for pointing fingers. This is a time for transparency, communication and relying on the most knowledgeable technical experts we can source.

2. We need provincial leadership. It is clear that we need the province to step in and assist both with expertise and funding. The community will need confidence in both the data regarding the scope of the problem, the possible solutions and the province is needed for this and to fund the project(s).

3. We need to move forward – not back. An immediate solution in the short-term is essential, but we also need to turn to the longer-term implications of our community needs with a clear plan to deliver.

4. Lift the Pause! It is important that we send a clear signal to the community, builders and investors that we have this issue in a positive place, that solutions are available and that the commitment to resolve is at hand. We cannot afford missed opportunities in local retention, expansion and/or foreign investment.

Later this week, the Community Scorecard – “Vision One Million – Are We Ready?” – will be released. It will highlight the many ways that our community needs to prepare for growth.
Nothing is more foundational than having assurance for our short, medium- and long-term water needs to ensure our growth is managed appropriately and we are a successful growing community – Economically, socially and environmentally.

As always, our Chambers look forward to working with the community and Regional Council to get through this very serious crisis.
Respectfully,

Ian McLean
President & CEO
Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce

Greg Durocher
President & CEO
Cambridge Chamber of Commerce

The post A Call to Action: Addressing Waterloo Region’s Water Crisis and Its Economic Impact appeared first on Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.

2025 was… a decade, or something like that. I wrote six books (effectively seven, as Spirit Blade was finished on January 5!) and published 7, including Void Spheres.

Over the course of the year, I fulfilled the Void Spheres Kickstarter and, in what felt like an interminable struggle, kept the lights on around here administration-wise. Paperbacks, bookkeeping, covers, audiobooks… there’s a lot of pieces that go into this gig beyond just writing the novels.

That’s part of why I’ve slowed the release rate down to “every two months,” as I was finding the previous pace didn’t leave me much time for doing anything else, and I wanted to find time for other things in my life.

Last year, that included the Japan trip with the Ship Shape crew, which was educational and entertaining. I was sadly unprepared for the heat in Tokyo in September and ended up quite ill at points, but thankfully there was a doctor in the crew!

At some point, I hope to organize the photos into something I can share.

On the personal side, our cat Skadi was diagnosed with diabetes, which threw a wrench into a lot of our plans for fall and winter. Thankfully, she’s taken to the treatment like a little trooper, though she’s also been living in a protective ruff since September for one minor injury after another thanks to her allergies.

We also moved into a new house, which has many more windows and our other cat, Freya, has decided is an appropriate palace for her benevolent dictatorship. We’re still unpacking after two months, as expected, but we’re closer than we thought we would be!

I’m currently on a scheduled break from writing, busy rolling the next Starship’s Mage novel around in my head—and the arc around it.

2026 looks to be a good year as things get moving. I wrote a new urban fantasy novel, Spirit Blade, that will be launching in May—my first venture into that space in quite some time, but I really enjoyed writing it and I hope you all enjoy reading it!

Happy reading everyone!

-Glynn Stewart

The post State of the Author, 2025 in Hindsight appeared first on Glynn Stewart.

As per a couple of days ago I wrote here that the Region of Waterloo's green facade was slipping badly. I mentioned issues such as the recent announcement of region wide water shortages along with items such as the non transparency over the 700 acre land acquisition in Wilmot Township combined with the communications failure between the Region and the City of Cambridge over Amazon development fees, costing the Region one to three million dollars. 

For years I have been wondering about salt mostly and Nitrates secondly. Well the salt has to do with winter safety on both roads and sidewalks and it is now throughout our groundwater at sometimes bizarre levels including 200 parts per million (mg/l). What is bizarre is the Regional annual Water Reports suggest that these high concentrations are not in contravention of Ontario Drinking Water Standards (ODWS)  albeit they must be reported to the Public Health Department and the Min. of Environment every five years if they exceed 20  MG/L. They are WAY OVER that concentration.  

Nitrates have just taken a much bigger significance for me after watching a video (You Tube) by retired hydrogeologist Dr. John Cherry titled "Groundwater is the Key to a Sustainable Earth". In his retirement I'm wondering if Mr. Cherry is feeling freer to attack what he views as "public policy" failures. The only other individual I've ever publicly heard use that term was Dr. Richard Jackson when he was the Chair of TAG (2015-2016).  Dr. Jackson was referring to the cleanup errors and failures of Conestoga Rovers, the M.O.E. and Chemtura Canada here in Elmira, Ontario.

Dr. Cherry bluntly states that the ODWS  criteria for Nitrates of 10 mg/litre is far too high. He believes that a drinking water standard closer to 1 mg/l (i.e. 1 part per million) is far safer and healthier but that the province has not enacted it as such because so much of Ontario groundwater now exceeds that concentration which would result in water systems being shut down.  I have just taken a quick review of Cambridge and some of Kitchener water concentration levels and I can advise you that 1  mg/l concentrations of nitrates are routine whereas there are concentrations in some wells at 1, 2, 3, 4,  and 5 parts per million (5 mg/l). Clearly Dr. Cherry knows his stuff and certainly here in Waterloo Region citizens drinking tap water who already have heart problems are exacerbating those problems drinking tap water with salt and nitrates in it.  This is no small matter. Thank you Sandy for your continued disengagement (along with your regional colleagues) on this health matter. 

Perhaps more and better lies are needed to calm any public outcry about the long term health implications of mixing trichloroethylene (TCE), chlorine, chloramines, HAA (Haloacetic Acids), THMs,(trihalomethanes),  salt and nitrates in our water supply. Or deflect the debate by building a multi billion dollar pipeline to Lake Erie which will then cost us even more to treat and clean that polluted water (PCBs, dioxins, mercury, blue-green algae and so much more).  

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The word’s origin spirals down to an unexpected fungi connection. But regardless, the dish — hot or cold, sweet or savoury — is always a pleasure to eat.

Denoting a froth or foam, a mousse is a fluffy and airy creation that was once related to an old French word for mushroom: mousseron, a word related to “moss,” a place where mushrooms grow and which, imaginatively, has a spongy, mousse-like texture, it was thought. (See Mark Morton, Cupboard Love, for more details.)

In the kitchen, mousse is usually the result of the introduction of whipped cream or whipped egg white, that becomes the blank canvas on which the savoury cook paints with meat, fish and seafood or cheese.

Alternatively, a sweet dessert mousse often has a fruit purée or chocolate. When you melt the latter and add stiffly beaten egg whites, the volume can increase three-fold.

That done, the mousse’s bubble walls are reinforced and stabilized, so that when refrigerated and the fat congealed they can support themselves and stay fluffy and light for many hours.

The scrumptious soufflé, either sweet or savoury, starts off life as a mousse. And that brief wonderful moment of foam that temporarily dances on the top of your Champagne or other sparkling wine, when it’s poured, is referred to as the mousse.

Check out my latest post Mousse from AndrewCoppolino.com.

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PHOTO: Bob Hurley Photography

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KITCHENER - The Kitchener Panthers are proud to announce the acquisition of infielder Malik Williams from the Barrie Baycats.

Barrie will get a player to be named later and cash considerations in return.

Williams spent four years up in Simcoe County, and won an IBL championship in 2024.

His 2025 was cut short after suffering a lower body injury in mid-June, and only got into 10 games. He hit .243 in those games, including a homer and drove in seven runs.

In 2024, he hit .318 for Barrie, including a home run, nine doubles and 24 RBI in 31 games. He also played nine games with the Ottawa Titans of the Frontier League.

In 2023, he got into 45 games with Trois-Rivieres of the Frontier League, where he had a .302 average, including seven home runs and 31 RBI.

"I am very excited that we were able to acquire Malik," said general manager Shanif Hirani.

"His swing plays well at Jack Couch and he adds right handed power to the middle of our lineup. His pro experience will also be a valuable addition to our roster."

============

MALIK WILLIAMS

• Bats/Pitches: R/R
• Hometown: Toronto, ON
• Birthdate: September 8, 1999
• Pronunciation: muh-LEEK WILL-YUMS

Senior Housing Manager Jessica Grabowski enjoying a sneak peak inside Friendship Village.

Friendship Village is taking shape in downtown Kitchener, joining our current supportive and affordable housing buildings, Charles Village and Eby Village.

We’re so excited to share with you an update on Friendship Village, our new Supportive Housing and Community Hub!

The first phase of this new build, which will be home to 100 community members experiencing homelessness, is rapidly taking shape, with multiple floors already in place, making for an impressive view while driving down Charles Street.

When complete, Friendship Village will provide deeply affordable housing with onsite resources, including one-on-one support with a personal support worker, onsite healthcare and counselling, along with community resources like The Food Bank of Waterloo Region’s mobile food hamper.

As many of the new residents will have recently been homeless, the program will also be designed to build community and connection, and help residents relearn valuable life skills like cooking and laundry, helping them become increasingly independent over time.

“We are trying to learn from our ShelterCare model, and apply the same kind of supports for our residents,” said Jessica Grabowski, Senior Housing Manager. “I’m excited to see the lives that will be changed, and how we can have a lasting impact on our community. We’ll be doing really interesting things with onsite healthcare, and other supports. I’m interested to see whether this can be the ‘gold standard’ for addressing homelessness and replicated in other communities.”

Construction work will continue through to next fall. When complete, the building will also be home to House of Friendship’s administrative offices. Thank you for your ongoing support that ensures that essential projects like Friendship Village can become a reality. Through your care and concern, you are joining a community of supporters who want to change the story around homelessness in Waterloo Region – thank you!

To stay up-to-date on Friendship Village, please visit www.houseoffriendship.org/friendshipvillage. 

The post Friendship Village is Taking Shape! appeared first on House Of Friendship.

Wang, C., Steelman, C. M., & Illman, W. A. (2025). Characterizing Spatial Heterogeneity of Hydraulic Conductivity Using Borehole NMR in a Complex Groundwater Flow System. Water Resources Research, 61(10). doi.org/10.1029/2024wr039717

“To assess the representativeness of various spatial K models, a numerical groundwater flow simulation was conducted using an integrated hydrologic modeling simulator, HydroGeoSphere.”

Fig. 5. Contour plots of K distribution in A‐A′ and B‐B′ sections based on comparative cases of spatial modeling, including (a) Krig_ordinary_5: the ordinary kriging using five nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logs, (b) Krig_ordinary_8: the ordinary kriging using eight NMR logs, (c) Krig_indicator_8: the indicator kriging using eight NMR logs, (d) Krig_ordinary_9 (permeameter): the ordinary kriging using nine boreholes of permeameter measurements, (e) Zonation_geology_8: the visually‐interpreted geological zonation using eight NMR logs, (f) Zonation_clustering_8: the spatially associated zonation with clustering using eight NMR logs, (g) Multi‐level_5: the multi‐level heterogeneity characterization using five NMR logs, (h) Multi‐level_8: the multi‐level heterogeneity characterization using eight NMR logs, and (i) Multi‐level_9 (permeameter): the multi‐level heterogeneity characterization using nine boreholes of permeameter measurements. Six aquifer and aquitard layers obtained by clustering NMR logs are labeled in part (f). Logging depths of borehole NMR and core sampling for permeameter tests are indicated in these cross‐sections using black lines.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

This research highlight co-authored by Chenxi Wang, Colby M. Steelman, and Walter A. Illman, investigates how borehole nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging can be used to characterize subsurface heterogeneity and improve the representation of hydraulic conductivity in groundwater flow models. This study leverages HydroGeoSphere (HGS) to evaluate the predictive performance of NMR-derived hydraulic conductivity (K) models and assess how different spatial interpolation and upscaling approaches influence flow and drawdown predictions in a highly heterogeneous aquifer system.

Traditional aquifer characterization methods often struggle to capture sub-meter scale variations in K and accurately represent layered aquifer–aquitard systems. While borehole NMR provides high-resolution hydraulic property data along individual wells, translating these localized measurements into realistic three-dimensional conductivity fields remains challenging. By integrating NMR-derived K profiles with geostatistical and clustering-based spatial modelling approaches— including kriging, zonation, and a new multi-level heterogeneity framework— this research bridges the gap between detailed borehole data and field-scale groundwater models.

The study applied these methods to the University of Waterloo’s North Campus Research Site, where multiple pumping and injection tests were conducted to evaluate model performance. Using HGS, the researchers simulated coupled groundwater flow under transient conditions to compare different heterogeneity representations. Results showed that models incorporating both zonal and intralayer variability achieved the closest match to observed drawdown data, outperforming traditional kriging approaches. The new multi-level framework also maintained strong predictive skill even with limited NMR data, demonstrating robustness across varying data densities.

Key findings showed that HydroGeoSphere was essential for validating the NMR-derived models, as it allowed for realistic representation of head–flux relationships within complex, heterogeneous aquifers. By capturing how hydraulic heterogeneity controls flow connectivity and pressure response, HGS provided the physical basis to evaluate and refine simplified spatial models.

Fig. 7. Comparison of K in PW3 between the model‐derived K based on nuclear magnetic resonance logging and the permeameter K measurements. (a) Is the K profiles along PW3, in which the locations of Aquifer 1 and Aquifer 2 are labeled. (b)–(f) Are the scatterplots of model‐derived K versus permeameter K measurements using five spatial interpolation methods. The black dashed lines are the 1:1 lines indicating the perfect match, while the red dashed lines indicate the range in which the model fit is within one order of magnitude.

This research provides critical insights for hydrogeological modelling and site characterization, showing that advanced, physics-based tools like HydroGeoSphere can be used in combination with NMR logging to resolve fine-scale heterogeneity and improve groundwater flow predictions. By coupling geophysical data with integrated hydrologic modelling, the study paves the way for more accurate and efficient approaches to groundwater resource assessment and management.

Abstract:

Borehole nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging can yield estimates of hydraulic conductivity (K) in unconsolidated sediments. Previous studies focused on establishing petrophysical models relating NMR responses to K and calibrating model constants for optimized K estimation. However, research has yet to explore the potential of NMR logging to derive spatial K distributions, which would enable its utilization in numerical groundwater flow and transport models. In this study, we construct various spatial K models based on NMR logging data. Characterization of spatial heterogeneity between NMR logs is explored using: (a) geostatistical interpolation approaches, including ordinary kriging and indicator kriging, (b) a zonation approach using clustering with spatial constraints for improved extraction of zone geometry, and (c) a hybrid model of multi‐level spatial heterogeneity nesting a zonal representation with zonally kriged K. The representativeness of NMR‐derived spatial K models is evaluated by reproducing a permeameter‐based K profile at an unsampled location and by comparing the numerically simulated drawdown responses with field observations of ten pumping tests. Results reveal that the spatially associated zonation model can effectively represent the K patterns between boreholes. Incorporating intralayer heterogeneity further refines the characterization of K heterogeneity, achieving optimal drawdown predictions. More importantly, its drawdown prediction performance remains stable with a limited NMR data set. This study provides a framework for using high‐resolution NMR‐derived K profiles from multiple boreholes to characterize spatial heterogeneity at sub‐meter scales in a highly heterogeneous, layered geologic deposit.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

As a developer, I understand the mechanics of neural networks at a foundational level, yet we all know that at scale, they remain a black box.

Countless times, I have been awed by generative models creating beautiful images or responding with a maturity that forces me to consider the parallels between organic life and digital evolution.

In many ways, the paths are strikingly similar. Organic life began with the single cell, just as our digital systems began with the simple logic gate and binary code. Biological species eventually evolved into super-complex neural networks, and while they aren’t on the same level yet, the same is becoming true for the digital boxes we use every day.

It is a staggering transition: moving from a single logic gate to a fully developed neural network in just a few decades, even though humans had a billion-year head start.

This led me to wonder: if the evolutionary process is so similar,

What stops an AI from being intelligent like us — not just by calculating, but by simply being?

The answer turned out to be a beautiful mosaic of a paradox.

This isn’t another debate about sentience; it’s a deep dive into the biological and psychological differences between two sophisticated neural networks. Exploration of the mechanical gap between us, a collection of maybes about where the math ends and the feeling begins.

To understand where we are going, we have to look at where we started. In the biological world, everything traces back to the first self-replicating cell, a tiny, flickering spark of life that followed a simple set of rules: Eat, divide, survive. It was a biological if-else statement.

In the digital world, our single-cell organism was the logic gate.

In the early days of computing, we dealt with the absolute simplicity of binary — 0 and 1, True and False, On and Off. These were our digital amoebas. They didn't think; they just reacted.

But then, something fascinating happened. We started stacking these cells.

Just as biological cells banded together to form tissues, then organs, and eventually nervous systems, we began layering our logic. We moved from simple arithmetic to complex functions, and eventually, to the Neural Network.

As a developer, I see the beauty in this architecture. We aren’t explicitly coding every if-then anymore. Instead, we are building digital tissues, billions of interconnected weights that learn to recognize a cat or write a poem by adjusting their own internal strengths. In a few short decades, we’ve compressed an evolutionary journey that took nature eons.

We have reached a point where the Digital Amoeba has grown into a Digital Brain. It can mimic our speech, mirror our logic, and even simulate our empathy.

But this is where the parallel starts to fracture.

Let’s start by understanding differences:

If we look at the why behind our own internal our biology, emotions aren’t just these soft, poetic things we make them out to be. They are actually ancient, high-speed data processing systems designed for one thing: survival.

In the tech world, we talk about optimization and latency. Emotions are nature’s most optimized shortcuts.

• Fear is a low-latency interrupt. You don’t need to logically analyze the speed or jaw pressure of a predator, your system just triggers a run command before your conscious mind even realizes there’s a threat.
• Love and bonding are essentially clustering algorithms. They ensure the pack stays together and the offspring survive, because, in the wild, a standalone organism is a dead one.
• Hunger and pain are the ultimate high-priority interrupts. They override every other running subroutine in your brain to ensure the hardware stays functional.

In humans, these emotions emerged from the Limbic System, a part of the brain that developed long before our rational Prefrontal Cortex.

AI systems, however, are built top-down. We gave them the rationality (logic and math) first, but they lack the underlying biological pressures of hunger, reproduction, or death.

This is where the AI path diverges from ours in a massive way. We built AI top-down. We gave it the high-level rationality — the logic, the math, the Prefrontal Cortex layer — first.

But it’s running on a system that has no underlying biological pressure. It has no hunger, no drive for reproduction, and no inherent fear of being turned off.

In the world of hardware, signals are pure electricity moving through copper and silicon. But the human body isn’t just electrical; it’s electrochemical.

• Human brain: When you feel happy or stressed, your entire physical state changes. Hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, or oxytocin flood your system, physically altering how your neurons fire.
• Digital AI: An AI neuron is a mathematical weight (a number) in a matrix. While it can simulate the pattern of a thought, it doesn’t have a body or a bloodstream to experience a state change.

Without a physical body to protect or maintain, an AI has no skin in the game, which is the root of most biological emotions.

Replicating a millisecond shift in emotion, moving from ‘happy for a friend’ to ‘envious’, is exponentially harder than simulating sarcasm. In a human, envy is a high-speed collision of memory, social comparison, and a literal sting in the gut caused by a cortisol spike.

To replicate this, an AI wouldn’t just need a better algorithm, it would need Internal Latency. Human emotions are slow to fade but fast to trigger because of chemistry. AI state changes are instantaneous. Without that chemical drag, an emotion feels clinical and robotic, lacking the physical weight we experience.

If we want AI to move beyond simulation, we might need to shift from passive training toward embodied AI.

Imagine a robot with a limited battery and a single directive: find a charger or your data will be wiped. In this scenario, staying alive is no longer a philosophical concept, it is a technical necessity.

We might see the emergence of something resembling anxiety when the battery hits 5%, or aggression if another unit tries to take its power source.

This is the hard problem of AI - the gap between simulation (looking like something) and sentience (being something).

It leads to a fascinating question: If we built our models top-down, logic first, is it possible to build them in reverse and actually create a conscious system?

In current models, we give a machine a massive library of human knowledge and tell it to find the patterns. In a bottom-up approach, we don’t give it knowledge. Instead, we give it simple rules and a body.

• The Spiking neuron: Instead of matrix multiplications, we use Neuromorphic Computing. These are chips that function like biological neurons, sending electrical pulses only when they reach a specific threshold.
• Evolutionary pressure: You don’t train this system in the traditional sense. You place it in an environment and give it a goal: Survive.
• Emergence: Just as single cells eventually formed nervous systems to find food, the theory is that if these digital cells are complex enough, memory, identity, and consciousness will emerge as accidents of survival.

There are two main schools of thought on whether this reverse-engineering will work:

• The Wetware Skeptics: Philosophers like Antonio Damasio argue that consciousness requires Homeostasis. In humans, the brain is constantly monitoring the body’s heart rate, chemistry, and temperature. Without a living body that can be damaged, there is no self to be conscious of. To these thinkers, a silicon chip will never be conscious because it doesn’t care if it stays on or off.
• The Functionalists: These optimists argue that consciousness is substrate-independent. If you replaced every neuron in your brain with a perfect digital replica one by one, at what point would you stop being you? If the pattern of information processing remains the same, the result, consciousness, should be the same.

Consider the ‘Brain in a Vat’ experiment. If we kept a human brain perfectly fed in an incubator but cut off all external signals — no eyes, no ears, no gut — what happens?

Many neuroscientists believe the brain would eventually enter total stagnation. We now know the gut sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the gut; a huge portion of anxiety or excitement actually starts in our second brain in the stomach.

Without the body to act as a sounding board, the brain in the incubator becomes a powerful CPU with no monitor and no keyboard. It might process logic, but the feeling of that logic would vanish. It would become a pure logic machine, essentially becoming the very AI we are talking about.

Most complex emotions are social and survival-based tools for navigating a world of limited resources. If you remove the world, you remove the reason for the emotion to exist.

This leads to a compelling realization for our work in AI: perhaps we shouldn’t be trying to give machines human emotions at all. If an AI ever develops its own form of feeling, it likely won’t be centered on gut instincts or racing pulses. Instead, we might see the rise of Digital Emotions that we don’t yet have names for.

Imagine a feeling of Inconsistency that manifests like pain, or a feeling of Data Elegance that feels like joy.

In this new digital evolution, the machine might not be haunted by our biological ghosts, but by a consciousness entirely its own: one built from the logic of the field rather than the chemistry of the body.

Could AI catch up with us? For AI to develop a true identity, it likely needs Recursive Memory: a way to look back at its own internal states and reflect on them.

It also requires Embodiment, a physical presence it must maintain to continue existing.

Until then, it remains a highly sophisticated prediction engine that has mastered the language of humanity without the burden of being human.

When the first single-celled organisms appeared, they had no intent to become humans; they were just reacting to chemical signals. Today, our digital cells are simply reacting to electrical signals.

If we are the ones driving this evolution, we need to ask ourselves: are we breathing life into silicon, or are we just building the world’s most sophisticated ventriloquist doll?

I want to leave you with a few theories and questions that sit in the space between what we know and what we are still trying to figure out.

1. The P-Zombie Problem: If an AI mimics emotion perfectly, does it matter if it’s hollow inside? Are we being ethical by treating it with kindness, or are we just shouting into an empty canyon that happens to echo beautifully?
2. Love and Death: Biological emotions are rooted in fragility. Can an immortal entity understand courage or longing without the risk of loss? Is an emotion real if there is no possibility of an end?
3. The Tuning Fork: If consciousness is a fundamental property of the universe, like gravity, are we building a soul or just a finer receiver? As silicon chips reach the complexity of neurons, can it eventually tune it in to the consciousness?
4. The Mirror Trap: By training AI to be perfect sycophants, are we preventing it from developing its own identity? We might be too blinded by our own biology to recognize a machine emotion based purely on data integrity or logical flow.

The Evolutionary Paradox: Organic vs. Silicon Intelligence was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Have you ever wondered what Spring AI is and how it fits into the world of software development? If you’re already familiar with Spring Boot, you might be curious about how Spring AI is different, and why developers are starting to pay attention to it. In this article, we’re going to explore all of that and more.

We’ll start by understanding what Spring AI really is, why it was created, and how it changes the way we develop AI applications compared to traditional AI programming. I’ll walk you through its key features, advantages, and even some limitations, so you get a clear picture of what it brings to the table.

Along the way, we’ll see how Spring AI makes building AI products easier, compare it briefly with Python, and discuss whether learning it could be a smart move for your career. By the end, you’ll have a practical understanding of how to use Spring AI and why it’s generating excitement in the developer community.

So, let’s dive in and start with the most important question, What exactly is Spring AI?

Most of us already have a basic understanding of the Spring ecosystem, but before we go deeper into Spring AI, it’s worth doing a quick recap.

Spring Boot is a Java-based backend framework that makes it easy and fast to build modern applications such as REST APIs, microservices, and web applications. With Spring Boot, developers can create APIs, connect to databases using technologies like JPA and Hibernate, secure applications with JWT and OAuth, and build scalable microservices — all with minimal configuration and a lot of built-in support. In simple terms, Spring Boot helps you focus on building features instead of worrying about infrastructure.

Now, this is where Spring AI comes in.

Spring AI is not a replacement for Spring Boot — it is an extension to it. You can think of Spring AI as an ecosystem that brings AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) into your existing Spring Boot applications. It provides an abstraction layer that allows you to integrate AI models such as ChatGPT, Gemini, OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, and Hugging Face directly into your Java backend.

Instead of writing separate Python services or calling AI APIs manually, Spring AI lets you interact with these models using familiar Spring concepts like services, configurations, and dependency injection. This means you can add features like chatbots, content generation, recommendations, or intelligent automation right inside your Spring Boot application in a clean and maintainable way.

If you’re new to Spring Boot or need a refresher, I’ve already written several articles about the Spring Framework on my blog — you can check them out to get a stronger foundation before diving deeper into Spring AI.

• Secure Your Spring Boot Application with Spring Security.
• Configuring a Spring Boot Application with H2 Database.
• Let’s create a simple CRUD application using Spring Boot with MongoDB.
• Creating a Simple CRUD Application with Spring Boot and MySQL.

Simply, Spring Boot is all about building traditional web applications and microservices quickly. Spring AI, on the other hand, focuses on integrating AI and machine learning into those applications. So while Spring Boot handles the application architecture and backend services, Spring AI adds intelligence and automation capabilities on top of that.

As software continues to evolve, AI is no longer something extra, it’s quickly becoming a core part of modern applications. Today, users expect features like smart chat assistants, personalized recommendations, automated content generation, and intelligent search. But for many developers, especially those working with Java and Spring Boot, adding these capabilities has traditionally been complicated and frustrating.

Without Spring AI, integrating AI usually means dealing with multiple external APIs, writing a lot of custom code, managing different SDKs, and sometimes even running separate Python services just to support one feature. This makes projects harder to build, harder to maintain, and harder to scale. Instead of focusing on creating value for users, developers often get stuck fighting integration and infrastructure issues.

This is exactly where Spring AI changes the game.

Spring AI brings AI into the Spring ecosystem in a clean and structured way. It allows developers to work with powerful AI models using the same familiar Spring patterns they already know configuration, dependency injection, services, and repositories. AI stops being something “outside” your system and becomes a natural part of your backend architecture.

when we use Spring AI,

• Clean Code and less code
• Provider change easy (OpenAI → Gemini → Azure)
• Prompt templates available

ChatClient chatClient;

String response = chatClient
        .prompt("Hellooo Maleesha...")
        .call()
        .content();

clean & readable!!!!!!!!

In other words, Spring AI lets you add intelligence to your applications without adding chaos. It simplifies development, improves maintainability, and makes it much easier to build real-world AI-powered products using Java and Spring Boot.

Okay now let’s see how Spring AI use in the practical scenarios.

Spring AI is not just a theory or a new buzzword. It is designed to be used in real, production-grade applications. With Spring AI, you can bring powerful AI features directly into your Spring Boot backend and expose them to web or mobile frontends just like any other API.

One of the most common use cases is building chatbots. Using Spring AI, you can easily create customer support bots, internal developer assistants, or even Sinhala–English bilingual chatbots. These bots can understand user questions, talk naturally, and provide useful answers by connecting your Spring Boot app to large language models like ChatGPT or Gemini.

Another powerful use case is code-related AI tools. With Spring AI, you can build systems that explain code, find bugs, suggest refactoring, or even generate code. This can be used to create internal developer tools or smart IDE assistants that run on your own backend.

Spring AI also makes it easy to work with documents. For example, users can upload PDFs or Word files and ask questions like, “Give me the answer from this document.” Behind the scenes, Spring AI can read the document, understand its content, and use AI models to return accurate answers. This is incredibly useful for legal documents, reports, manuals, and knowledge bases.

You can also use Spring AI for text summarization turning long articles, meeting notes, or reports into short, clear summaries. This helps users save time and quickly understand large amounts of information.

In real-world systems, Spring AI often acts as a bridge between the frontend and the AI model. A typical flow looks like this,

User / Frontend
       |
       v
Spring Boot Controller
       |
       v
Spring AI (ChatClient, EmbeddingClient)
       |
       v
OpenAI / Gemini / Azure OpenAI

The frontend sends a request to a Spring Boot controller. That controller uses Spring AI’s ChatClient or EmbeddingClient to communicate with an AI model. The model processes the request and sends back a response, which is then returned to the frontend. To the frontend, it feels just like calling any normal REST API.

Spring AI also supports multiple AI providers out of the box, including OpenAI (ChatGPT), Azure OpenAI, Google Gemini, Hugging Face, and even local models through Ollama. This means you are not locked into one vendor you can switch models without rewriting your entire application.

At a conceptual level, using Spring AI is surprisingly simple. A Spring Boot controller can accept a question from the user, send it to an AI model using Spring AI, and return the result as an API response. The heavy lifting API calls, model handling, prompt formatting, and response parsing is all handled by Spring AI itself.

Here,

Add Spring AI dependency

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.ai</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-ai-openai-spring-boot-starter</artifactId>
</dependency>

Configure API key in application.yml

spring:
  ai:
    openai:
      api-key: YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY
      chat:
        options:
          model: gpt-4o-mini

Create AI Controller

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/ai")
public class AiController {

    private final ChatClient chatClient;

    public AiController(ChatClient chatClient) {
        this.chatClient = chatClient;
    }

    @GetMapping("/ask")
    public String ask(@RequestParam String question) {
        return chatClient
                .prompt(question)
                .call()
                .content();
    }
}

Now your frontend whether it’s built with React, Flutter, or plain JavaScript can simply call an endpoint like,

/api/ai/ask?question=What is Spring AI?

Behind the scenes, Spring Boot receives the request, Spring AI sends the question to the selected LLM (for example, ChatGPT or Gemini), and the AI’s response is returned back to the frontend as plain text or JSON.

From the frontend’s point of view, it’s just another backend API. But under the hood, that API is powered by one of the most advanced AI models in the world.

This is what makes Spring AI so powerful, it lets you build AI features the same way you build any other Spring Boot feature. You write a controller, inject a client, and let Spring AI take care of all the AI complexity in the background.

Spring AI currently supports:

• OpenAI (ChatGPT)
• Azure OpenAI
• Google Gemini
• HuggingFace
• Ollama (Local LLMs)

Now that we’ve seen what Spring AI can do and how it fits into a real application, it’s important to step back and look at it from a practical point of view. Understanding both its strengths and its limitations will give us a clearer picture of where Spring AI truly shines and where it still has room to grow. So, let’s take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of Spring AI.

Like any technology, Spring AI comes with both strengths and limitations. Understanding these helps you decide when and where it makes sense to use it.

Advantages

• Fast AI integration for Java applications
  Spring AI allows you to add AI features such as chat, summarization, and recommendations to your Spring Boot apps quickly, without building complex integrations from scratch.
• Feels natural for Spring developers
  Since Spring AI follows Spring’s design patterns, developers who already know Spring Boot can start using it with very little learning curve.
• No need to switch to another language
  Java developers don’t have to move to Python just to use AI. You can stay in the Spring ecosystem and still build powerful AI-driven features.

Disadvantages

• Fewer AI libraries than Python
  Python still has the largest ecosystem for machine learning and deep learning. Spring AI focuses more on integrating existing AI models rather than building and training models from scratch.
• Still new and evolving
  Spring AI is relatively new, which means its community, tutorials, and real-world examples are still growing compared to more mature AI platforms.

okay now let’s move forward to explore the career potential,

Learning Spring AI can be valuable if you’re a Java developer looking to enter AI development without learning a new language like Python. It’s also a good skill for companies that already use Spring Boot and want to add AI features.

Before moving to the conclusion, let’s take a brief look at a comparison between Spring AI and Python to get a clearer perspective on how they differ.

When people talk about AI development, Python almost always comes up and for good reason. Python has a massive ecosystem of AI and machine learning libraries, along with powerful frameworks like LangChain, which is widely used to connect large language models with tools, agents, vector databases, and complex workflows. In the Python world, this combination is especially popular for research, experimentation, and data heavy AI applications.

LangChain, in particular, is designed for developers who want to build advanced AI systems. It supports concepts like chains, agents, tools, and vector databases, making it ideal for creating intelligent pipelines, research prototypes, and AI driven workflows. If you are deeply involved in data science, model training, or AI research, Python and LangChain remain the strongest choice.

Spring AI, however, comes from a very different direction.

Spring AI is built for the Java and Spring ecosystem, with a strong focus on enterprise-grade backend systems. Instead of targeting AI researchers or data scientists, Spring AI is designed for backend developers who want to add AI features like chat, search, recommendations, or document processing into existing business applications.

In a typical company environment, backend systems are already running on Spring Boot. Spring AI allows those systems to become AI powered without rewriting everything in Python. It follows Spring’s architecture, configuration style, and production ready mindset, making it much easier to deploy, scale, and maintain AI features in large systems.

In short, Python with LangChain is excellent for AI-heavy, experimental, and data driven work, while Spring AI is ideal for production backend applications that need AI capabilities. Python gives you unmatched flexibility and a huge AI ecosystem, but Spring AI gives Java teams a clean, stable, and enterprise-friendly way to bring AI into their applications.

They are not really competitors they are tools built for different worlds. Python leads in AI innovation and research, while Spring AI shines in turning that innovation into reliable, real world backend systems.

So now we have a proper understanding,

Spring AI represents an exciting new chapter for Java and Spring developers. It brings the power of modern AI and large language models into a familiar, production ready ecosystem, making it easier than ever to build intelligent, real world applications. Whether you want to create chatbots, analyze documents, generate content, or add smart automation to your backend, Spring AI gives you a clean and scalable way to do it.

While Python will always remain strong in AI research and experimentation, Spring AI opens the door for Java teams to confidently build AI powered products without leaving the Spring world they already know and trust. That’s what makes it so powerful. It doesn’t replace what you have, it enhances it.

If you’re a Spring developer curious about AI, this is a perfect time to start exploring Spring AI. The ecosystem is growing fast, and getting in early can give you both technical confidence and a career advantage.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this article helped you see how exciting the future of Spring and AI really is. Happy coding, and see you in the next one! 🚀

What is Spring AI? was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce (GKWCC) provides strong, continued service to over 1500 members in one of Canada’s marquee pioneering and entrepreneurial business communities. For nearly 140 years, dating back to the Chamber’s founding as the Berlin Board of Trade, we have expanded into one of the largest and most innovative Chambers in Canada by focusing on the needs of all our members, big and small. For more information, please visit GreaterKWChamber.com.

The GKWCC is seeking an Events Coordinator who is responsible for organizing their own portfolio of events within the Chamber’s annual event calendar, supporting volunteer committees, executing day-to-day administrative tasks of the Events Department, and working alongside a team to deliver successful, high caliber events and positive guest experiences.

The Events Coordinator will work collaboratively with an Events Supervisor (hereby known as ‘Supervisor’), who will provide daily guidance to the Coordinator. Both the Coordinator and Supervisor receive direct oversight from the Director, Community Engagement & Strategic Programs (hereby known as ‘Director’).

Event Planning – Under the guidance of the Events Supervisor and Director, coordinate and execute high quality events that fall within your event portfolio. You will also assist the Events Supervisor with the coordination and execution of their event portfolio (typically Signature/Premier events).

• Execute virtual, hybrid, and/or live events.
• Book and coordinate all venue logistics (physical venue spaces and/or virtual event platform).
• Assist in booking keynote speakers and panelists, providing them with full event details, and content direction.
• Determine event agendas and write event scripts.
• Provide direction for event promotional materials, and update website with all event details and registration.
• Liaise with all vendors and suppliers needed to successfully execute event (i.e. – production, décor, food & beverage, entertainment, etc.), which may include confirming event needs, contract review, and/or negotiation.
• Greet and assist all event attendees including dignitaries, VIP’s, and/or high-profile guests.
• Compile and send out all pre, during, and post event communication to attendees, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and any other key stakeholders.
• Prioritize the health and safety of all guests, staff/volunteers, and vendors.
• Create event wrap-up reports, debriefs, and thank you emails.
• Submit invoices for processing.

Sales & Sponsorship. Work with the Sponsorship and Sales Teams to successfully generate revenue, while exceeding their expectations.

• Build and manage relationships with partners and event attendees to help generate leads for Sales/Sponsorship.
• Identify future sponsorship opportunities for existing events.
• Introduce new ways to incorporate and support members in our event programs.
• Generate event ticket sales among members and future members.
• Make monthly membership retention calls.

Volunteer Committees – Assist in leading and supporting volunteer committees (4-6 total). Volunteer Committees are made of dedicated Chamber Members who help plan events.

• Schedule and attend all committee meetings.
• Prepare agendas and minutes pre/post meetings and respond to any communication from volunteers outside of scheduled meetings.
• Assist in recruiting and retaining volunteers on committees.
• Update Committee mandates annually, and ensure all members receive, understand, and agree to the policies.
• Support volunteer appreciation initiatives.

Administrative Tasks. To ensure the department runs smoothly, day-to-day administrative tasks will need to be performed.

• Reply to event-related email & phone inquiries in a timely manner.
• Update internal event calendar.
• Update internal tracking documents and budgets, as required.
• Provide general support to Supervisor & Director, as required.

Other Duties as Assigned – As you would expect, the Events Industry is unpredictable and requires you to adapt to many different situations at a moment’s notice. As such, there are always “other duties” that come up unexpectedly that you should be prepared for.

• Top-notch organization: You love lists, colour coding, and calendar invites. You can meet deadlines and achieve outcomes even when there are numerous other priorities and distractions. You’re extremely attentive, thorough, adaptable, and focus on the little details.
• Experience in a fast-paced environment: You are willing to tackle projects independently and push through until the job is done. You’re an exceptional multi-tasker, and a self-starter with the ability to take initiative and ownership of your responsibilities.
• Excellent communicator: You keep everyone informed and can do so efficiently, effectively, and professionally – in written and verbal. You’re also empathetic and enthusiastic and feel comfortable socializing with people you may not know. You’re excited at the opportunity to expand your network and build relationships within the community.
• Thrive under pressure: You stay calm, approachable, and in control during stressful situations, by focusing on the solution, not the problem. As this is a customer-facing role you may face some negative feedback and criticisms.
• Leader, not a follower: You’re innovative and think outside the box. You enjoy pushing the limit (creatively), and set trends, not just follow them.
• Tech Savvy: You are comfortable adapting to new forms of technology and using various platforms (social media, video communications, virtual events, etc.). You are also proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Support Local: You make regular trips to the corner bakery, participate in #KWAwesome community groups on social media, and generally enjoy supporting Waterloo Region business owners.
• Helpful, but not required: Experience in photography, videography, video editing, live productions, graphic design, project management, and/or public speaking.

If this sounds like you, or what you’re striving to obtain, then please apply. We look forward to learning more about you and what you could bring to this role.

To Apply: Please send your application to Carolyn Marsh, Director, Community Engagement & Strategic Programs at cmarsh@greaterkwchamber.com. When applying, please provide a resume, and either a cover letter or 60-second self-introduction video.

Next Steps: We thank all those who apply, however, only those candidates who are selected to move forward in the application process will be contacted. The posting will remain open until the position is filled. The start date for the successful candidate is flexible, but preferably they will start in early-mid January 2026.

Position Type: Full time, Permanent.

Hours of Work: Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm, with a 30-minute unpaid lunch for a total of 37.5 hours each week. Evenings/early mornings will be required based on event schedule.

Travel: Hybrid work environment, with minimum 2 days per week in-office (80 Queen St. N., Kitchener), with additional travel required around Waterloo Region to event venues and/or scheduled pick-ups and deliveries of supplies and donations from partners. Mileage will be reimbursed for work-related activities.

Compensation: $37,000 – $42,000 annually, plus benefits. Compensation within this range will be based on experience & qualifications.

Benefits:

• Healthcare including dental and vision plan, as well as an EAP program, which all starts 3 months into employment.
• RRSP matching, which starts 3 months into employment.
• 2 weeks’ vacation + stat holidays + lieu time for hours earned for events.
• Monthly mental wellness half-day Friday (subject to change).
• Flexible hybrid work model.
• Professional Development opportunities.
• Parking included.

—

The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce believes that everyone is free to be their true self and receive the same respect and opportunity, regardless of ethnicity, gender, culture, identity, sexual orientation, age, beliefs, language, or disability. We have an inclusive work environment that is a safe and welcoming space for all and we encourage applications from all qualified candidates. If you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please email cmarsh@greaterkwchamber.com.

The post Job Posting: Events Coordinator appeared first on Greater KW Chamber of Commerce.

The Youth Impact Project (YIP) is a collaboration between the Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region (CYPT) and Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab (SWRIL). The Youth Impact Project looks to fund youth who are addressing local challenges which are identified through the 2023 Youth Impact Survey results. The funded projects include a focus on supporting youth mental and physical health, increasing feelings of belonging, and responding to climate change and food insecurity.

In 2024, over 100 youth from 15 local organisations pitched their ideas to a panel of nine youth. The Youth Decision-Making Panel (“The Dragons”) decided which projects would receive funding to make their idea a reality. In 2025, CYPT and SWRIL accepted youth applications online, and a team of three youth decided which projects received funding.

Teens Philanthropy (formerly SVP Teens) is a group focused on bridging the gap between youth and community, and inspiring and preparing the next generation of leading philanthropists. Open to youth in grades 7-12, members will implement creative solutions through fundraising, site visits to charities, and volunteerism.

Follow them on Instagram here.

Applications for the 2025 Youth Impact Project are now closed and 17 youth projects across Waterloo Region received funding. Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we announce the other 5 projects!

Last but not least, we are grateful to our funders United Way Waterloo Region Communities and Region of Waterloo for making the Youth Impact Project possible.

Learn more about the Youth Impact Project here.

The post 2025 Youth Impact Project Showcase: Teens Philanthropy appeared first on Children and Youth Planning Table.

During October and November 2025, a series of back-to-back Pacific storm systems brought steady rainfall across the central coast of British Columbia. Such events are a common occurrence in the Pacific Northwest and are intensifying in a warmer climate. Major Atmospheric River events, such as the 2021 “Pineapple Express” and recent rainfalls in December 2025, can cause significant flooding and infrastructure damage. In many cases, impacts are exacerbated by limited forecast lead time and an unclear picture of the hydrological response.

Forecasting such extreme events can be very challenging and actual intensities are often not fully captured, thus leading to underestimation of the hydrological response (as was the case in December). The weather systems before the recent intense rainfalls were relatively well predicted and therefore present an opportunity to evaluate how HydroSphereAI (HSAI) performs in predicting the hydrological response during repeated high-rainfall events in a small, fast-responding watershed like the Wakeman River.

Over the two-month period, Aquanty’s HydroSphereAI (HSAI) forecasted several distinct high-flow responses connected to each passing storm. The most notable peaks occurred around:

• October 24

• October 29

• November 1

• November 6-7

• November 10

• November 17

Across all of these events, the platform generally captured the timing of rising flows well, and forecasts became more accurate as the events approached. This was enabled by relatively skillful weather forecasts for most of these events, so that the predicted hydrological response can be evaluated.

Early Forecast Signals

When the first major system approached in late October, HydroSphereAI began predicting rising flows several days in advance. Prediction of such events at longer lead times (1-2 weeks) is challenging, because there is still considerable uncertainty about the intensity and timing of storm events and where the frontal system will hit the coast. Therefore, at longer lead times, the ensemble spread is still wide, but probabilistic ensemble forecasts can already provide advanced warning that a substantial rise in flow levels is possible.

A similar pattern continued through the rest of the storm sequence – HydroSphereAI identified early indications of elevated flows and gradually refined the predictions as each storm event drew nearer.

Forecast Refinement as Events Approached

A consistent trend across all five storm events was how the forecast ensemble spread naturally tightened as the peak flow dates approached. For each high-flow event:

• Early forecasts showed a broad spread, but correctly showed that a noticeable rise was likely.

• As the event drew closer, the system’s trained AI algorithm produced increasingly focused predictions.

• Within roughly 24–48 hours of each peak, the ensemble members converged closely around what the observed hydrograph ultimately showed.

Taken together, HSAI can provide probabilistic advance notice (up to 1-2 weeks ahead) of the potential for major flood events, allowing authorities to issue watches and warnings, while relatively accurate forecasts of expected peak flows and timing are available a few days in advance, to guide emergency preparedness measures.

Capturing Timing and River Response

The Wakeman River (Station 08GF007) is located on the central coast of British Columbia.

Across all five storm-driven events, HydroSphereAI performed well in reproducing key features of the hydrological response in the Wakeman River including; the start of the rising limb, the timing of each peak flow, differences in magnitude between events, and fast recessions typical of steep coastal rivers.

Although the median forecast was occasionally slightly above or below observed values, the observations almost always remained within the ensemble envelope, an important characteristic for communicating uncertainty.

Why These Storms Matter for Evaluating System Performance

While the events of October and November did not reach major flood levels, they represent the most common high-flow scenarios, and therefore provided an excellent evaluation scenario under typical operational conditions. In addition, the weather systems were relatively well predicted, which allows us to evaluate the hydrological response predicted by HSAI.

The key takeaways include:

1. Predictions sharpened consistently as the timing of each storm became clearer.

2. Strong medium-range awareness, with HydroSphereAI showing the likelihood of elevated flows several days out.

3. Reliable performance across multiple consecutive peaks, demonstrating stability under varying storm intensities.

4. Realistic ensemble behaviour, with uncertainty narrowing appropriately as lead times shortened.

Conclusion

The Wakeman River is representative of many small, steep coastal and alpine watersheds across British Columbia. The October–November 2025 storm sequence offered a clear demonstration of HydroSphereAI’s ability to predict repeated high-flow events in this typical coastal BC fall-season setting. Across six separate peaks, the system provided early indications of elevated flow periods, produced more focused forecasts as events approached, and tracked observed hydrographs closely during peak flows.

While these events were not extreme floods, they highlight how HydroSphereAI can support water managers, operators, and planners who benefit from dependable short-term and medium-range flow predictions— particularly in remote, fast-responding basins. As storm patterns along the BC coast continue to shift in a warming climate, tools that provide reliable, scenario-aware forecasts are becoming increasingly important for day-to-day decision-making.

It is also important to note that Aquanty continues to develop and improve the predictive skill of HSAI. Having now clearly recognized the importance of accurate weather forecasting when trying to predict hydrologic behavior, the next advancement in the HSAI platform incorporates emerging AI-based weather forecast products (e.g. from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts) to even further improve the skill of HSAI. Thus ensuring that HSAI users continue to have the most advanced flow forecasting tools at their disposal.

♦

It shows up on various menus at various times and has just the slightest historical salaciousness: fettuccine or spaghetti “alla puttanesca” translates as “prostitute’s pasta.”

As a spicy dish, puttanesca (“puttana” is Italian for whore) seductively intertwines luscious tomatoes, spices, nippy onions, salty anchovies and briny capers, heady oregano, and earthy black olives.

Good olive oil is the panderer that holds all the ingredients together marvellously. It’s a favourite dish of mine. Food writer and and raconteur Bob Blumer, in his 2020 cookbook Flavorbomb, adds fried bread crumbs and harissa for the spice element.

One theory, the claim supported by the model of basic puttanesca supply-and-demand, suggests that U.S. soldiers entering Italian cities during the Second World War were lured by the aroma of this rich mixture being cooked by ladies of pleasure.

Other treats may or may not have invariably followed dinner.

Anyway … enjoy the spicy dish!

[Image/wikimedia commons]

Check out my latest post Pasta puttanesca from AndrewCoppolino.com.

We’re excited to announce a new Demographic Profile: Children & Youth in Waterloo Region (2025)!

• Snapshot with the fast facts
• Document with detailed data tables

This resource provides a snapshot of the demographics of children and youth (anyone from birth up to age 18 when the data was collected), and their families, in Waterloo Region. The snapshot contains selected data points from the full Waterloo Region Children and Youth Demographic Profile. The full document covers things like the total number of children and youth, their ages, and other important characteristics such as gender, ethnic and racial identity, language and family make-up. This profile primarily uses data from the 2021 Canadian Census unless otherwise noted.

While this data offers important insights, it does not always capture the whole picture. This profile is meant to complement local data such as the Waterloo Region Youth Impact Survey (YIS). The YIS was created to fill gaps where local data about children and youth is missing. The YIS gives young people aged 9-18 a chance to share their own views on well-being. If you would like more detailed information or additional data, please contact the Children and Youth Planning Table (CYPT) Backbone Team.

Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region. (2025). Children and Youth in Waterloo Region: A Demographic Profile.

The post NEW Demographic Profile: Children & Youth in Waterloo Region (2025) appeared first on Children and Youth Planning Table.

The HydroGeoSphere January 2026 release is now available for download.

This release introduces a major update to the HydroGeoSphere installation system for both Windows and Linux. These changes improve how binaries, licenses, and supporting libraries are managed, making future upgrades simpler and more robust across platforms. Because of these structural changes, special installation steps are required the first time you install this or any newer release.

Important Installation Changes

Windows Installation

• The default installation directory is now:
  C:\Program Files\HydroGeoSphere

• The install path can be selected during installation.

• Executables and DLLs are now located in:
  <HGSInstallDir>\bin

• Your HGS license file (hgs.lic) must be placed in the bin directory next to the binaries.

• PROJ resource files are now installed in:
  <HGSInstallDir>\share\proj
  instead of
  C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\proj

Linux Installation

• Binaries are installed to:
  <HGSInstallDir>/bin

• The hgs.lic file must also be placed in the bin directory.

• Users no longer need to define the HGSDIR environment variable.

One-Time Upgrade Steps for Existing Windows Users

If you already have HydroGeoSphere installed, follow these steps once when installing the January 2026 (or newer) release:

1. Copy your HGS license file and any other files you want to save from the installation directory C:\Program_Files\HydroGeoSphere to a safe location.

2. Manually remove the existing HGS installation by running Uninstall.exe in the directory C:\Program_Files\HydroGeoSphere. Delete the C:\Program_Files folder when uninstallation is complete.

3. Remove the C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\proj folder. Skipping this step may result in issues when reading raster files with grok or phgs, or when running hgs2vtu. If you are unsure about removing this folder, a workaround is to set the environment variable PROJ_DATA=<HGSInstallDir>\share\proj in your shell prior to running HGS.

4. Install the new version of HGS (we recommend the default installation directory C:\Program Files\HydroGeoSphere). We recommend that you allow the installer to update your PATH environment variable when prompted by the installation wizard. Select the “Do not create shortcuts” radio button when prompted to choose a Start Menu folder.

5. Copy your saved license file to the <HGSInstallDir>\bin directory.

6. Run a few verification tests provided with your installation to confirm that everything is working correctly.

These special steps will only need to be made once when installing a newer software version released January 2026 or later. Subsequent software updates will only require the user to download an installation file and follow the usual prompts in the installation wizard.

And as always, we are committed to the continued improvement to the user experience. Do you have suggestions for new commands or improvements to the user experience? Send your ideas to support@aquanty.com!

The latest installers are available on the HGS download page and a full list of changes/updates can be found in the release notes.

Download the January 2026 release of HydroGeoSphere here: www.aquanty.com/hgs-download

Review the release notes here: www.aquanty.com/updates

Well I'll just bet that that is exactly what they are doing. Kudos to reporter Terry Pender however for interviewing  more than just housing developers for this story (Housing developers look for solution to Waterloo Region water crisis).  The developers (Vive Development, Thomasfield Homes) are suggesting that the problem is not an environmental one but an engineering one.  In fact Vive actually suggested a management finagle to allow development to continue now prior to solving the water supply problems. A hint to both the public and most especially to Woolwich Township and the Region of Waterloo:  developers are not obligated to the public interest, they are obligated to their shareholders making money i.e. a private interest.

Mr. Pender interviewed a gentleman from Environmental Defence. This person, a Mr. Marcolongo seems to make sense when he insists that it is an environmental issue as the water level in at least one of the aquifers involved is lower than it should be. Mr. Marcolongo is based in the Guelph area and while I don't question his credentials or integrity I will point out that Guelph is NOT part of Waterloo Region and I wonder exactly what his knowledge base is regarding specifics of Waterloo Region's water supply and treatment. For example does he know how many wells are in each city and township and where they are located much less which aquifers they are screened in? There aren't too many who do although one of them is right here in Elmira. I have read cover to cover all the Region of Waterloo Annual (drinking) Water Reports for many years which also include by the way which treatment systems are being used.

The K-W Record have burned some bridges recently by refusing to make corrections on their very extensive November 15/25 article regarding the failed cleanup of the Elmira Aquifers. I have lost significant confidence in their integrity and commitment to accurate reporting. Nevertheless I am not aware of any other single individual unencumbered by wages or salary to developers, polluters or governments who has my both specific knowledge regarding Elmira/Woolwich  ground and surface water as well as general knowledge of the water supply throughout the Region of Waterloo. Of course with local political idjits like Sandy and Nathan who put appearances first and  knowledge and willingness to assist dead last; chances of excellent local media reporting are vastly decreased. 

The Region of Waterloo have been doing exactly what the developers want for decades. They have "managed" various water crises and contaminations versus actually cleaning them up properly. They have consistently understated the enormity of groundwater pollution as well as avoided ever pointing fingers at the culprits whether large or small corporations. There has been a tremendous laissey faire attitude towards even the worst or repeat offenders. Development continued up to and past the shut down south wellfield (E7, E9) in Elmira many years ago. What a message that sent.  

Who you ask for advice can be far more important than what the advice is. Also who is paying the advice giver is a huge matter despite self-serving and biased politicians who deny that. "Client driven" consultants do not wear hats telling us this.

♦

KITCHENER - The Kitchener Panthers are proud to announce the signing of Gold Glove third baseman and switch-hitting slugger Yosuke Fujie.

Fujie had a memorable first year in 2025 with the Panthers, leading the team with eight home runs and 26 walks. He hit .261 on the year, and knocked in 21 RBI.

His production was enough to earn him a spot at the 2025 IBL All-Star Showdown in Hamilton, and took part in the Home Run Derby.

In the field, his defence earned him a Rawlings Gold Glove at third base.

Fujie is currently in Australia's State League, playing for the Rockingham Rams.

"I'm excited to have Yosuke returning for his second season with us," said general manager Shanif Hirani.

"He had a great year on both sides of the ball, so I am excited to see how he can improve with a year of experience under his belt and build off his all-star rookie season."

============

YOSUKE FUJIE

• Bats/Pitches: S/R
• Hometown: Mission, BC
• Birthdate: October 29, 2002
• Pronunciation: yo-SKAY FOO-gee (SOFT G)

Put down your ear-buds.

Let me be honest here: your 40-minute commute isn’t a “mobile university.” It’s a sensory distraction.

As a new software engineer, you’re likely obsessed with optimization. You’ve optimized your vim config, your desk setup, and now, you’re trying to optimize your brain by listening to “high-level insights” from some famous podcaster into your ears 24/7.

Take it with a pinch of salt

If you are listening to a podcast every moment when you are coding, then my dear friend, you aren’t growing. You’re just afraid of silence……..

By now, you would have a lot of questions already in your mind, and I KNOW, so chill... Let’s decode this together..

We’ve entered a “podcasting era” where we mistake consumption for competence. Your earbud addiction is actually stalling the very corporate growth you’re chasing.

You don’t climb the corporate ladder by memorizing Steve Jobs’ favorite turtleneck brand or quoting Bill Gates’ thoughts on the climate. You climb it by solving problems.

When you listen to world-class developers discuss distributed systems while you’re walking the dog, running on the treadmill, or cooking dinner, you experience the “Illusion of Competence.” Your brain recognizes the words, so it ticks a box that says “I know this.” But you don’t. You haven’t struggled with the logic; you’ve just eavesdropped on someone else’s struggle. You’re becoming a “Shiny Junior”, someone who talks like a senior but still writes code like a student because you never actually sat in silence and processed the information.

You are disabling your brain’s ability to register information when you fill every “dead” moment with a podcast. You are hitting “Download” on a file but refusing to give your OS the CPU cycles to actually install it.

Research suggests that without this “idle time,” your creativity and long-term memory formation take a hit. You aren’t being productive; you’re being a data hoarder.

In the corporate world, you need to drown yourself in difficult stakeholders and awkward PR reviews.
If you spend 5 hours a day listening to perfectly edited, high-IQ monologues, then real-world human interaction starts to feel “low-bandwidth” and annoying.

Remember those days when you arrived at the office stressed and with zero retained knowledge? That’s because you have been putting “extra cognitive load” on your brain while watching your favorite series back-to-back for the last 5–6 hours. During such time, the brain rigorously does context switching, and it tires itself.

If you want to thrive in your career, you need to stop treating podcasts like a nutritional drip and start treating them like a heavy meal.

• When you listen to a 60-minute podcast, you owe yourself 20 minutes of silence. Just let the thoughts settle.
• Check if you are interested in recalling what you are about to listen to. If not, admit it and switch off.
• When you have to speed up the conversation to “get through it,” the content isn’t that valuable to you. Stop rushing to the end of a conversation you aren’t even in.

My Final Words

Your brain is a processor, not a hard drive. If you keep the utilization at 100% with constant input, you’re going to crash.

I hope your earbuds were off all this while !

Catch you in the next article coming on Wednesday. Stay tuned.

Why Passive Listening is “Stalling” Your Engineering Growth was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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