Posts made in September 2020

Tips to Strengthen Relationships Amidst a Pandemic

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By Montrella Cowan, MSW, LICSW

If you were one of millions who thought, “This is my year” coming into 2020, you’ve probably been cursing this year for a while. Many of our most sought-after resolutions like earning that promotion, traveling abroad, and dropping a few pounds all gave way to our “new normal” thanks to Covid-19. These days, those of us fortunate enough not to be catastrophically impacted by the disease are simply happy to have our health and maintain our incomes – and perhaps, that’s how it should be? Either way, ambition has given way to survival in 2020.

Just as many states have moved into reopening, our country faces as many unknowns as knowns. The untimely combination of civil unrest and Covid-19 has brought America to a boil, just in time for back-to-school season, a presidential election and the holidays.

Can Relationships Thrive During Turbulent Times? When chaos surrounds us, how do we fare in our relationships?

According to a recent Forbes study, a majority of couples reported that quarantine life was largely positive. Surprised?

Extra time at home presents unique challenges, but the additional time also provids a rare opportunity to strengthen and repair our most important relationships.

The combination of mental exhaustion and the uncertainty of post-pandemic life may make it tempting to sit as a bump on the log in front of a fall fireplace. But as much as you’re dreaming of reading a good book and drinking a pumpkin spice latte, a key priority must be keeping your relationship fresh this fall.

But like everything else in 2020, getting there won’t be easy sailing.

As a relationship expert and licensed psychotherapist, I want to share my tips to make this fall as much a season of success as you want it to be.

This Isn’t the Time to Coast

Always remember that good relationships take work. Now is a great time to take inventory of your feelings. How would you grade your emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health? Once you’ve measured your state, it’s time to check-in with your partner and ask them to do the same.

Once you’ve identified your current state, I recommend following these Three R’s to maximize your momentum and give your relationship its best chance to thrive.

The Three R’s:

● Rest: Burnout is normal, especially in times of high stress. According to Forbes, 71% of couples are feeling anxiety right now stemming from stress, overwhelm and uncertainty. Remember to nurture your mind, body and spirit.

● Reflect: Take this time to reflect on what matters most to you and level set your priorities with your family — especially your partner.

● Reaffirm: Remember to validate yourself and reaffirm your commitment to self-love, growth and nurturing. A relationship is only as strong as its weakest link, so care for yourself first.

It’s Time to Put in the Work

Sheltering in place left many couples feeling more isolated than ever. Isolation can cause increased feelings of depression and anxiety, and that’s why it’s especially important to continue to replenish each other’s cups as we emerge from isolation and get back to life.

Keep your romance alive and focus on being spontaneous!

Surprise your partner with a romantic and private picnic in the park. Let your hair down and bring out that sexy, stylish outfit. And although you may be itching to get back out there, remember that a creative spin on an in-home date night could lead to the perfect opportunity for some much-needed intimacy with minimal distractions.

Whether you’re lighting candles, challenging each other to a board game or taking a love language quiz, remind each other that you are not alone, that you’re in this together, and that through it all, your love will win.

Families That Pray Together, Stay Together

Faith supports love.

And it’s in these unprecedented times that our faith is truly tested. In any relationship, faith acts as the root of our connection—not only with God but also with ourselves, partner, family, and friends.

This is an ideal time to water the seeds of your faith with your partner and children. When you deliberately and routinely nurture your faith, your relationships tend to grow in perfect harmony.

For you, nurturing your faith may mean continuing your spiritual studies privately, turning to a virtual religious service for a sense of community, or simply looking inward and discussing your faith with your loved ones at home.

Whichever path you choose, walk hand-in-hand with your spiritual self and spread love as much as possible. The world can use more love and light right now.

Is Now the Time To Seek Professional Help?

During the most trying of times, underlying issues tend to boil to the surface. We’re seeing it today with protests in America, and you may be seeing it within your relationship right now.

As a psychotherapist and international best-selling author specializing in relationships and personal trauma, I help those who are suffering face their trauma and guide them on a path to healing and fulfilling relationships.

Ultimately, the decision to seek help is a deeply personal one and one that only you can make for yourself. Just remember that many of the greatest movements in history were built out of adversity and isolation. And while you may not feel like MLK did as he marched through Selma, carrying the burden of discontentment, depression or anxiety is sure to reach a breaking point if not addressed.

When you decide that speaking to a therapist is the next step in your journey, schedule a complimentary consultation or virtual therapy session with a trained professional.

Everything great starts with a decision, and the only time we have is here in this moment. You, and only you, can create the relationship you’ve always wanted.

Despite all that’s going on around us, today offers another opportunity to take the next step towards the future you deserve.

Grab your FREE GIFT from Montrella: 10 COMMANDMENTS FOR LESS STRESS here.

Montrella Cowan, MSW, LICSW

Licensed Therapist & Relationship Expert of Affinity Health Affairs

Author of the international bestseller, The Purse: An Essential Guide to Healthy Relationships

Picking the Best Printer for Your Business

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Starting a graphics and design business is easy as long as you do your market research properly beforehand. Besides knowing the legal requirements and other expected requirements, gathering the right tools for your business to run successfully is crucial. One of the most important items you need is a good printer. How do you settle for one when many of these items are being advertised in the market? Check out a few pointers to ensure that you choose the right printer to support your growing business.

Consider What Materials You Will Be Printing

You are likely going to be printing specific things on your printer. For instance, a black-only laser printer is excellent for when you need high quality black and white monochrome output for text proofing. On the other hand, when working with colors, you need something with color output offers. You can opt for an inkjet device or laser printer, and in other cases, a solid ink printer may work. If you print a lot of media and images, ink jet will still be the best option.

Gauge Output Resolutions

Whenever you print the final output, you will most likely need the results to be clean and crisp. A high-resolution device is what most professional graphics design businesses will need, especially if the goal is to end up with a proofing device that shows the design’s overall look. Always exercise caution when checking the resolution stats and specifications. Laser and inkjet printers may appear similar but have differ in their diverse technological functions.

Consider Your Output Usage

Have a list of all the things you intend to use the printer for when purchasing it. For instance, any heat-based lamination processes will require printers that are not inkjet. If you insist on using inkjets, then you should prepare for poor quality printouts. Any printer with a low melting point means that they are vulnerable to high temperatures. The last thing you want is a printout that is not moisture resistant.

Consider Page Sizes

Your printer choice should factor in the size of your output. For a letter or tabloid-sized pages, you should consider choosing broad-range devices. Always have the page size in mind when you are selecting a printer. Consider the specifications of the printer to know how much space it will print on paper.

Speeds Matter

Printer output speeds are crucial, especially if you choose a printer that will serve you in the workspace. Select a printer whose speeds match the work schedule you intend to handle once you are operating at optimum level. You should be prepared to pay more for extra fast speeds too. Choose a faster processor that can power heavy use proofer with the ability to print multiple page layouts with complex graphics. You can compare a catalog of office printers from Konica Minolta to choose the one that works best for you.

Many factors need to be considered when you are choosing a commercial printer. Make a point to go through this list, note the details, and check its boxes before making your decision. This way, you will be sure to find one that matches all of your needs.

TOBi Releases New Single & Video – “MADE ME EVERYTHING”

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TOBi SMILES AND THRIVES THROUGH PAIN IN NEW SINGLE & VIDEO, MADE ME EVERYTHING, AND ANNOUNCES THE ELEMENTS PROJECT

“… TOBi seamlessly shifting between rap, r&b, jazz and afrobeat with smooth flows and raspy vocals…” The FADER

“With his weathered and wizened voice that effortlessly oscillates between singing and MCing atop butter-smooth, jazzy production, TOBi has been winning the attention of music lovers everywhere.” Complex

“ The Nigerian-Canadian singer and rapper TOBi redefines soul music by combining his diverse musical influences while representing his Nigerian upbringing.” OKAYAFRICA

LISTEN TO “MADE ME EVERYTHING”

WATCH “MADE ME EVERYTHING”

Buzzing Brampton-raised, TOBi drops another unapologetic soulful single, produced by Alex Goose in “Made Me Everything,” and announces the upcoming ELEMENTS project due out on October 14th . The uplifting and motivational track begins with a Charles Moose Amos & Tony Milen sample followed by a funky yet playful bassline.

“This is the first song that Alex Goose produced for me and we have so much more in the chamber. That soulful energy with a contemporary touch is what my music is about, says TOBi. I’m bringing that feeling back for the kids to experience. It’s been a crazy year collectively and adding our personal lives into the mix makes it more complex. Then, we have the reopening of racial wounds in North America. It’s heavy stuff, so we create joy and find ways to smile and thrive through the pain. We are resilient. We got this.”

TOBi reconnected with acclaimed director Kit Weyman (24 Remix) to capture Toronto’s community essence. Together they weaved images of youthful laughter, dance and genuine moments of joy emphasizing the power of being a community.

“We got the whole block out for this video. Shoutout to Director Kit for being an anchor in that regard. I had some of my childhood homies in there, the dance community, the Toronto film community, real people I’ve met. This video shoot was one of the best days I’ve had this year. Everyone showed their talent and simply enjoyed life. If that doesn’t motivate you I don’t know what will. The reactions throughout the video aren’t scripted, those moments are real and spontaneous. From the basketball scene to the backflip, the kids were losing it in real time. It was magical,” says TOBi.

Recently the rising star announced his partnership with Same Plate Entertainment/RCA Records, along with the release of the Juls produced, “Dollas and Cents.” The pair showcased their diverse diasporic lineage and the magic created when working together.

In April 2020, TOBi released STILL + a deluxe version of his debut album which explored themes of vulnerability, post traumatic growth, self-reflection and masculinity of his time immigrating from Nigeria to Canada. STILL + added two new singles: “Holiday” produced by !llmind as well as “Paid,” followed by the City Blues Remix featuring The Game; “180 Remix” featuring Kemba and the “24” remix featuring all Torontonians SHAD, Haviah Mighty, Jazz Cartier and Ejji Smith. The project has a combined total of 17M streams across all streaming platforms. In January 2020, Complex Magazine voted TOBi as a top artist to watch.

WATCH DOLLAS AND CENTS

WATCH CITY BLUES

WATCH 24 TORONTO REMIX

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Spend a Weekend in the Cher Valley

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Located in the heart of France’s Loire Valley region is the Cher Valley, which encompasses the area from Chenonceau to Valencay. For now, would-be travelers can scout out their next trips to the iconic chateaux of the area, which wouldn’t be complete without sampling the region’s signature wine and goat cheese.

Chenonceau

One of the most famous chateaux in all of France as well as the world Chateau de Chenonceau is unique not only due to it being an architectural marvel, but also thanks to its legacy as the “Chateau des Dames.” The chateau has always been owned by women, notably Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici, whose lasting touches and influences can be seen today. The exceptional gardens, named after both Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici, are today managed by American gardener Nicholas Tomlan, who takes inspiration from the ladies of the castle’s past. As of last year, the chateau unveiled a recreation of Catherine de Medici’s apothecary, where Nostradamus once prepared remedies for the queen. Visitors can also tour the chateau’s own on-site floral workshop, where leading craftsman Jean-Francois Boucher creates daily flower arrangements to decorate the chateau. An incredibly unique way to see the chateau is by taking a boat ride directly under the chateau’s iconic arches, along the Cher River, either by canoe or boat. Or, see the chateau by air via a hot air balloon ride or plane.

Wine tasting stops in the area include the Chateau de Nitray, just 20 minutes from the chateau, located in a 106-acre landscaped park. Registered as a national heritage site since 1947, this Renaissance architectural masterpiece houses 25 acres of vineyards dating back three centuries, labelled AOC Touraine. For now, would-be travelers can experience the chateau via a virtual visit here. Another stop is Chateau de Fontenay, an intimate chateau-hotel and vineyard, offering five rooms in the chateau, and three cottages located in the 42-acre park. Finally, at Caves Monmousseau, visitors can try sparkling wines that have been perfected for over 130 years, while experiencing a very unique art show. In the underground cellars, images are illuminated on the tunnel walls, telling the story of the chateaux of the Loire through a spectacular sound and light show.

Foodie destinations include the gastronomic restaurant at Auberge du Bon Laboureur in the village of Chenonceaux and Bistrot’quai, an open-air cafe located in a garden right by the water, open from May to September. Accommodations include the charming La Folie Saint-Julien B&B, featuring five guest rooms, a garden, and an indoor pool located in a barn; and the Chateau de Chissay, built in the 16^thcentury as a royal residence under Charles VII and transformed into a hotel in 1986 with 27 guest rooms and five suites.

Bourr

Sites to see in the Bourr area of the Loire Valley include the Cave Champignonnie des Roches, which grows button, shitake and blue foot mushrooms; in fact, 40% of the world’s blue foot mushrooms come from this farm. In total, 100 tons of high-quality mushrooms are produced here, all of which are harvested by hand. Other explorations include the Troglo Degusto wine cellar, where visitors can pair wine tastings of AOC Touraine-Chenonceaux with a stroll underground in a historic troglodytic cave site. For more wine tastings, Domaine de la Chapinire vineyard offers an equestrian center, vineyard and accommodations. Today, the domaine is part of the “Terra Vitis” association, an environmental certification ensuring they use sustainable practices. For families, a must-visit is the ZooParc de Beauval, regarded as one of the best zoos in the world, which is home to over 35,000 animals. In 2020, they unveiled a massive new Equatorial Dome, featuring 200 species in a bioclimatic structure, including saimiris, red ibis, and Komodo dragons.

Selles-sur-Cher

Some of France’s best goat cheese can be found in Selles-sur-Cher, which is tangy and mild when young, becoming saltier and stronger when aged. Fromagerie HUCHET and Palais du Petit chevre in Chatillon-sur-Cher are top spots to find the cheese. Aside from tasting goat cheese, travelers should stop at Cha;teau de Selles-sur-Cher, a historic cha;teau and winery with Renaissance Pavillons, a medieval castle and a farm.

Valençay

Located just 20 minutes south of the Cher River is Valencay, known largely by name for its goat cheese and wine. The Valencay vineyards, which overlook the scenic Cher, have a long history, with the first written records dating back to 965. White Valencay is fresh and balanced, with a nose of citrus and flower; red Valencay is structured, fine and fresh on the palate; and rosé; Valencay is flexible and structured. Top wine tasting spots include Domaine Roy and Domaine Jourdain. A perfect pairing with Valencay wine, Valencay PDO goat cheese is made from whole, raw goat’s milk, characterized by a truncated pyramid shape and a bluish gray rind. A top spot for cheese tasting is Fromagerie Jacquin. Find more details on Valencay AOC here.

Aside from the wine and cheese pairings, travelers in the area should look to Domaine de Poulaines spanning 62 acres of woodlands including beautiful themed gardens and an arboretum (with more than 1,200 plants). Beautiful trees and boxwood surround a Renaissance mansion and a set of buildings from the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The domaine also offer overnight stays in private guest houses in the heart of the gardens.

Another must-visit is the Chateau de Valencay, one of the 22 major sites of the Loire Valley, featuring both Renaissance and classic architecture, overlooking the Nahon Valley. The estate’s 13-acre grounds feature traditional and modern gardens, a deer park, and a two-mile path. The chateau hosts the Talleyrand Festival every two years (with the next festival taking place in 2021), showcasing ancient musical instruments.

Located less than ten minutes from the Chateau de Valencay, at the foot of the majestic ruins of a Renaissance castle in a charming flower-filled village, is Restaurant Auberge St Fiacre. The restaurant is located in an authentic 17^th-century house, transformed into a restaurant in the early 1970s, the restaurant today offers a selection of top local cuisine.

The Wine Dark Deep Series by R. Peter Keith

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“Turning My Time on a NASA Co-Designed Spaceship and Asteroid Base into a Space Opera”

By R. Peter Keith

It started in a museum exhibit.

About fifteen years ago, I co-founded a company to produce museum exhibits with core experiences that were high-end simulations. Video games built from ground up to be both fun and compelling educational experiences.

My first project as creative director was a dinosaur exhibition that reproduced 2.5 square miles of late Cretaceous Montana complete with AI dinosaurs sporting simulated musculoskeletal systems, digestion systems, and intelligence based off of both fossil evidence and analogs of behavior in modern day animals that occupy their same ecological niche. The landscapes and nutritional values of plants were resurrected from the fossil record of leaf and seed distributions.

Upon the success of that venture we embarked on a five-year endeavor to create an experience that would allow visitors to learn how to fly a spaceship. No joke, real useful knowledge. It would teach, among other things, the basic principles of spaceflight and the laws that govern it. And we wanted to focus on space exploration as it could plausibly be in just a few short decades. A world that we could experience within our lifetimes. It turned out that NASA was cool with some Sci-Fi.

As I worked on the design, a funny and interesting thought experiment-type question kept popping into my head: What if PBS had produced the original Star Trek instead of NBC? What would that have been like? Where would the tension and conflict and challenges arise? I felt there were tons of delightful possibilities inherent with that idea – but it was too big. Too big for the framing device of a museum exhibit. We ended up using just the hint of it, but I never forgot it.

During the five years of the project, I got to work with some incredible people from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Langley and JPL – which operates as a space agency partner in accordance with a different branch of the same program, the NASA Space Act Agreement Partnership Program, that my company is proudly a part of.

We created physical structures, space capsules and station corridors, and digitally re-created 22 square miles of the Lunar North Pole, encompassing Whipple Crater and all of its two-plus miles of depth, where visitors can eventually land and explore. We built 12 miles of an area of Mars called The Labyrinth of Night. And we didn’t simply look at a map and extrapolate something similar, our landscapes were simulated using NASA space probe data: laser scans of the surfaces of these worlds from the Lunar and Martian Global Reconnaissance Orbiters. When you drive on my Moon, you are on a surface that is accurate down to about a foot. Thanks to some fortunate timing we also got to study early results from the Dawn probe of the asteroid Ceres, rich in all the things humanity needs to explore space but terrifyingly distant. NASA helped us to design plausible near-future spacecraft and surface facilities designed to enable deep space exploration and colonization. For example, the lander and it’s flight behavior was worked out by a member of the same team that designed the Entry, Descent and Landing profile for the Mars Curiosity Rover.

And then of course there are the laws of physics that govern space flight and the ways in which they acted upon a spacecraft (and the forces it would produce) often produced surprises for me. I had always been a lifelong space-geek but even so – this was actual rocket science. Other exhibits can do with a diagram or diorama, but this was simulation. Visitors were going to have to learn these concepts, learn about the technology and then apply that knowledge in a high-fidelity 3D simulation of that very situation. And all of it would have to pass the muster of these NASA advisors because it was premiering at one of the greatest of all NASA Visitor Centers. It was an exciting and incredibly rewarding experience but every day there was some new set of data or counter-intuitive process (in orbit, in order to speed up you need to slow down) to make me feel like I was being punched inside my skull.

I lived in this simulated world for all that time, building and refining the experience for future museum visitors—and it became real to me. I could envision the people who would live there and the challenges they would face, both natural, technological and – most importantly – those of human nature. Over the course of one long drive down the Eastern coast of the U.S., the plot of the entire first book of Wine Dark Deep sprang into my mind. It was as if I’d lived parts of it. Sounds silly, but I was so immersed it was true.

In fact, the idea and the world just kept growing and I realized there was too much for one book. It needed to be its a series. – and that the concept to govern the series should be my initial abandoned concept for the narrative of the museum exhibition. The question that never left my head: What if PBS had done Star Trek? What would that be like? 2001: A Space Odyssey the Series? Carl Sagan’s Cosmos Trek? It would have a cast of realistic characters who made logical choices and the conflicts and challenges that arose would stem equally from human nature as from real scientific challenges. And each step along the way, as the story moved from a base of grounded science fiction into the fantastic, would feel earned.

Peter Keith is a co-founder and creative director of a NASA Space Act Agreement partner company that specializes in the design, fabrication and display of museum exhibits and interactive experiences. The first three books of the Wine Dark Deep series **(Wine Dark Deep, Encounter at Jupiter, and The Odyssey), will be released on October 12. Visit Uphill Downhill Press’ website, his publisher, to learn more.**

Self-Care Tips During COVID

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The ongoing pandemic has spiked with more people struggling with isolation, loneliness and a sense of hopelessness, according to Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist Erin Wiley, MA, LPC, LPCC. She says self-care is even more important for both mental and physical health during the pandemic. “Self-care can help us remain emotionally stable and healthy during stressful times,” she believes.

Self-care is important for maintaining balanced mental health. “We are living through a time of collective trauma,” Erin explains. “People have lost loved ones, their way of life, their jobs, financial security, and school options for their children. Those are a lot of losses.”

Most of Erin’s therapy patients are busy just trying to manage the complexities of schooling for their children, family events, keeping their loved ones safe and healthy and adapting to new rules for living in a pandemic. “It seems most are not doing as well caring for themselves as they could. Many of us learn to care for others before ourselves and that isn’t healthy,” Erin says. “People think that drinking wine, taking a mental health day away from work, or enjoying chocolate and a tv show is self-care, but it’s much more.”

Erin says people tend to reach for food to calm down and feel better. Also, wine, tv series, social media, overworking, and online shopping are misperceived self-care habits. “In fact, these are all undisciplined ways to try and feel better that don’t lead to lasting to happiness,” Erin states. “To the contrary they often have negative ramifications over the long haul.”

Erin provides 5 Self-Care Tips to Begin Practicing Now for Increased Well-Being:

Work to better understand and manage our emotions.
Take care of our physical health (sleep, exercise, nutrition).
Maintain and nurture relationships.
Find ways to calm down that are enjoyable and healthy.
Work on developing healthy daily habits that will keep us on track with regular self-care.

Learning to develop encouraging self-talk as opposed to shaming self-talk can make a big difference in creating and maintaining new healthy habits, Erin adds.

“Now more than ever we should be adopting and practicing sound mental health habits,” Erin recommends. “Being able to manage emotions at times of high stress is a great predictor of resiliency. In times of stress people tend to go into survival mode, and they struggle to maintain healthy habits.”

About Erin Wiley:

Erin Wiley, MA, LPC, LPCC, is a clinical psychotherapist and the Executive Director of The Willow Center, a counseling practice in Toledo, Ohio. She leads a team of 20 other therapists in their goal of meeting the counseling needs of the people and families of Northwest Ohio & Southeast Michigan, in addition to clients state-wide through telehealth. The clinical focus of her therapy work is marriage, family, parenting, and relationships. She has extensive training in marriage counseling from the Gottman Institute, located in Seattle, Washington. Her most recent area of research involves the study of the management and regulation of emotion as it pertains to mental health.

Visit: https://erin-wiley.com/

Partners with Pearl Jam’s Vote-by-Mail Initiative Release Exclusive Face Masks

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Today, in observance of National Voter Registration Day, People for the American Way, in partnership with Pearl Jam in their “PJ Votes 2020” initiative, are announcing the release of exclusive, limited edition “Vote” masks by women owned business and change makers Resistance By Design.

People For the American Way, along with Resistance by Design, and several progressive organizations, officially joined Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Pearl Jam’s Take-Three Pledge Initiative on September 9, to encourage their fans to join them to “Vote by Mail, Recruit Three Friends and Don’t Wait in this general election.”

People For is actively pushing for election security during the 2020 election season, as well as safe, secure voting alternatives, including voting by mail, to help ensure that all eligible voters can cast their ballots.

“In what is decidedly the most important election of our lifetimes, People For is doing everything in our power to get as many Americans to vote as possible,” said President of People For the American Way Ben Jealous. “We hope that the release of these masks, in observance of National Voter Registration Day, is a reminder to Americans of the power their vote can have.”

“This unique partnership is a testament to the importance of this moment in time to the future of our nation and democracy,” said Alex Posen and Dahna Goldstein co-founders of Resistance by Design. “As purpose driven artists and business women we are proud to join with Pearl Jam, one of the biggest bands of all time and People For, a leader in democratic advocacy, to get out the message and get out the vote. This mask may cover our mouths, but together we are raising our voices in partnership to change the future of our country.”

Resistance by Design inspires civic engagement through the intersection of art and fashion by creating thoughtful designs that empower everyday activists and amplify social justice movements.

Pearl Jam has had a long history of activism and political involvement dating all the way back to 1992 when they hosted the free “Drop in the Park” concert in Seattle that registered thousands of voters. For nearly three decades, the band has played in countless benefit concerts, been outspoken advocates for progressive causes, and raised and donated millions of dollars to local and global non-profits personally and through their Vitalogy Foundation. Pearl Jam was active in the 2018 general election in its Rock2Vote initiative, which registered thousands of voters in Montana and secured commitments to vote.

About People For the American Way

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: http://www.pfaw.org.

About Resistance by Design

Resistance by Design inspires civic engagement through the intersection of art and fashion by creating thoughtful designs that empower everyday activists and amplify social justice movements.

Learn more: https://www.resistancebydesign.com/

Netflix – The Take

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By Cassandra Yany

Netflix has fixed a technical issue that left many viewers confused while watching one of the streaming service’s latest releases.

The 2016 film The Take starring Idris Elba was added to Netflix’s library Wednesday. The partly-French film had a bug with the subtitles where only the English lines were captioned and the French lines remained untranslated.

Subscribers quickly took to Twitter to alert Netflix of the issue. One user wrote, “Okay just finished The Take on Netflix and I’m very confused as to why the English subtitles were not included. Half the movie was in French.” Another said, “You can’t watch The Take on @Netflix unless you are past Level 5 French on Rosetta Stone.”

Despite this issue, the film currently holds the no. 3 spot in the Netflix ‘Top 10,’ sitting higher than the streaming service’s most recent original film The Devil All The Time. Netflix resolved the problem as of Monday afternoon and the movie now includes translations of the scenes in French.

The film— known internationally as Bastille Day, according to Essence— stars Idris Elba and “Game of Thrones’” Richard Madden. Forbes reports that the film was set to be released in Europe in early 2016, but was pushed back later in the year due to the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks. It was pulled out of theaters days after its July release due to the truck attack in Nice.

The film was not popular in the U.S., as it was only shown in 100 theaters nationwide. It earned just over $50,000 from its release in the states.

According to television and film news outlet Looper, the action film is about a pickpocket (Richard Madden) who steals a woman’s bag that contains a bomb, intended to go off in an empty building. He disposes of it and the explosion kills four people. He is then taken into custody by a CIA agent (Idris Elba), who quickly realizes that Madden’s character did not mean to take part in the attack. They learn that it was part of a plan by a group of corrupt police officers to rob the French National Bank. The two team up to clear the pickpocket’s name and stop the officers.

Despite the criticism over incorrect subtitling, it seems that the movie is finally getting the attention that it missed during its original release in 2016.

Finding Peace With MantraBand

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By Payton Saso

Finding peace of mind in today’s world seems almost impossible. With an election looming, a pandemic still happening and many uncertainties in everyday life, creating a positive outlook can be hard.

One company is working hard to impact peoples everyday lives in order to lead a lifestyle of optimism, positivity, and mindfulness.

MantraBand Bracelets has made it their mission to do just that. They believe that positive thinking and mindfulness can lead to a better life; and they’re not wrong.

Harvard researched the benefits of mindfulness in 2013 and found that “mindfulness also brings about a well-studied physiological change that can help lower your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, oxygen consumption, adrenaline levels, and levels of the stress hormone cortisol.”

But what is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a type of mediation where one focuses vigorously on becoming aware of your senses and feelings in a moment without interpreting these things or feeling judgement, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Positive thinking has its own onslaught of benefits. Research from the Mayo Clinic shows positive thinking can provide: increased lifespan, lower rates of distress and depression, better immune system, better psychological and physical well-being, better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and better coping skills during hardships and times of stress.

Adding this practice into one’s life isn’t just becoming blind to one’s problems and choosing to not acknowledge hardships, but the act of changing the outlook on these situations.

Positive thinking can be achieved through a few different techniques that have been proven effective, such as positive self-talk and positive imagery,” HealthLine explains. “What it will do is make problems seem more manageable and help you approach hardships in a more positive and productive way.”

Focus lies on changing the way you view the world and MantraBand knows having a daily reminder to do so can help this journey. That’s why MantraBand created their bracelets with custom mantras engraved facing the world with you or hidden inside just for you. They also offer an array of different styled bands to find the perfect fit.

If bracelets aren’t your thing, MantraBand has a whole collection that includes necklaces, rings and products made for men. As well as a lifestyle section with t-shirts, mugs, stickers and books to subtly add a mantra into your everyday life.

MantraBand isn’t just dedicated to impact individuals lives that purchase the bracelets, but the global community as well.

They are members of 1% for the Planet, which is an organization where companies donate 1% of their annual sales to non-profit organizations that help the environment. They also have a CharityBands line, in which $5 of each sale is donated to the charity tied to the bracelet.

We could all use a little reminder nowadays to be present and mindful, and Mantraband has created a way we can have that.

Luxottica Hacked

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By Justin Lyons

According to Italian press sources, Luxottica was the victim of a cyberattack Saturday.

Luxottica owns eyewear brands like Oakley, Ray-Ban, Coach, Chanel and Versace as well as retail brands like LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut and Target Optical. It is the largest eyewear company in the world with more than 80,000 employees.

SecurityOpenLab, an Italian cybersecurity site, said its sources confirmed Luxottica offices suffered a complete system failure due to ransomware attacks, shutting down operations in Italy and China

SecurityOpenLab also said union sources confirmed that workers received an SMS message saying the second shift on Sept. 21 had been suspended.

Users began reporting an inability to reach sites for LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, Ray-Ban and other Luxottica brands on Saturday. It was also reported that One Luxottica, a user portal for the company, was down, but it appears to be up again at the time of writing.

BleepingComputer spoke to Bad Packets, a cybersecurity firm, who told them Luxottica used a Citrix ADX controller device, which is vulnerable to CVE-2019-19781, a flaw in Citrix devices.

This flaw is exploited by ransomware actors as it provides network access and credentials used to deeper infiltrate a network.

Luxottica took the servers to its eyewear brand websites offline. While websites for Oakley, Ray-Ban, Coach and more are accessible now, a manager at LensCrafters storefront told 360 MAGAZINE that the Ciao operating system crashed Saturday and that they still have little to no ability to process insurance or complete transactions.

Though Luxottica has not made a public statement, the same source told 360 MAGAZINE that IT support was unavailable while systems were down. LensCrafters is currently logging orders for a later date when systems are back up.

360 was also told that LensCrafters will offer 50% off frames and lenses for the inconvenience to customers.