text:
\section{Introduction}
\label{sec:introduction}

Software systems and applications are often released with a great number of features and settings. These features and configurations serve their users and the underlying platforms for different purposes such as architectural settings, virtualization, performance, security and access control, privacy, and system level interactions. For instance, MySQL Version 5.5 lists more than 600 configuration parameters categorized into 3  groups namely Server Options, System Variables, and Status Variable References \cite{Mysql}. While these parameters offer great features to their administrators for setting up software systems properly, an improper configuration and setting of such parameters also create loopholes in the systems and thus are vulnerable to certain known or even unknown security attacks (i.e., zero-day vulnerability \cite{DBLP:conf/bigdata/Abri}).

According to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) \cite{NVD}, as of September 2019, there are $1,644$ records of reported vulnerabilities with assigned CVE numbers. Some of these vulnerabilities are directly the cause of improper settings of the configurations parameters offered as features by the software systems. From the software testing perspective, enumerating all configuration settings and then verifying whether the given software is vulnerable to certain attacks is infeasible.

This paper introduces the concept of ``{\it vulnerability coverage}'' as an adequacy criterion for choosing instances of vulnerabilities that the software under test needs to be checked against. The deriving idea is to utilize the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) as a means to measure the vulnerability level of the software under test. For instance, a vulnerability  with CVE-2019-16383 reported for MySQL has the severity rated as $8.2$ out of 10 and it is labeled as high.
In this paper, we explore vulnerability coverage, as an adequacy criterion for choosing the vulnerabilities needed to be examined for the software under test. The key contributions of this work are as the following:
\begin{enumerate}
    \item Introduce the novel idea of vulnerability coverage to be utilized as an adequacy criterion for testing systems and their configurations thoroughly.
    \item The evolutionary algorithms (i.e., genetic algorithms (GA) and particle swarm optimisations (PSO)) are adapted to generate adequate test inputs with respect to the introduced vulnerability coverage criterion.
    \item The performance of the proposed vulnerability coverage criterion is reported through a case study demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed coverage criterion.
\end{enumerate}

We will be using the words \textit{Vulnerability Vector/Pattern}, \textit{CVSS vector}, \textit{configurations}, interchangeably. This paper is structured as follows: Section \ref{sec:relatedwork} reviews the related works. The concept of Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is presented in Section \ref{sec:CVSS}. The methodology of adapting the evolutionary algorithms is presented in Section \ref{sec:methodolgy}. The evaluation of the proposed idea performed on a case study is reported in Section \ref{sec:evaluation}.
Section \ref{sec:conclusion} concludes the paper.

\section{Related Work}
\label{sec:relatedwork}

The work presented in this paper offers some solutions for generating a set of thorough secure configurations for a given system when implementing Moving Target Defense (MTD) strategies \cite{DBLP:journals/jcst/ZhengN19}.

Crouse and Fulp \cite{6111663} used conventional Genetic Algorithms to implement a Moving Target Defense (MTD) environment to enable security through temporal and spatial diversity in computer configuration parameters
 Crouse and Fulp
 reported that the pool of configurations becomes stale when there are no changes introduced to the set of configurations over a period of time. As a result, GA deals with a limited set of configurations
In this approach, the fitness (security) of  aging configurations is reduced by a value (i.e., decay value)  based on the time since they were last active. Such weak configurations are eventually replaced by more secure ones

Lucas et al.\ \cite{Lucas:2014:IFE:2602087.2602100} described a framework for implementing MTD at host-level. Their framework uses evolutionary-inspired  Genetic Algorithm (GA) to generate secure configurations.
They evaluated their framework using two qualitative measurements: Fitness score and pairwise Hamming distance (i.e., diversity).

The use of genetic algorithms in generating a thorough set of test inputs has been discussed and modeled in literature. For instance, Andrews et al.\ \cite{DBLP:conf/kbse/AndrewsLM07} used genetic algorithms to enable random testing more effective. A similar approach is adapted here to produce a better test inputs for the purpose of maximizing the coverage level of test pool using the evolutionary algorithms.

\section{Common Vulnerability Scoring}
\label{sec:CVSS}

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) provides a way to capture the principal characteristics of a vulnerability and produce a numerical score reflecting its severity. The scoring system also provides a textual representation of the semantic of the calculated score. The numerical score can then be translated into a qualitative representation (e.g., low, medium, high, and critical) to help organizations to properly assess and prioritize their vulnerability management processes \cite{first}.

CVSS is composed of three main metric groups: (1) Base, (2) Temporal, and (3) Environmental, each consisting of a set of sub-metrics. Without loss of generality and to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, the GA and PSO algorithms are only applied to the Base metric group. Additional reason that this paper focuses on the Base metric is due to the fact that the Base metric quantifies the essential characteristics of a vulnerability, which remains unchanged across different environments and over time. The Base metric consists of two sub-main metrics:

\textbf{(1) Exploitability Metrics.}
     It describes the ``how'' part of the attack that is being captured, which depends on the characteristics of the vulnerable components. This metric consists of:
    \begin{itemize}
        \item[--] \textit{Attack Vector (AV).} It reflects the proximity of the attacker to attack the vulnerable component. The more the proximity required to attack the component, the harder it is for the attacker. The attack vector takes on four values: Network
        (N), Adjacent (A), Local (L) and Physical (P).

        \item[--] \textit{Attack Complexity (AC).} This metric reflects the resources and conditions that are required to conduct the exploit on the vulnerable component. The more the number of conditions to be met, the higher the degree of complexity of attack is. It takes on two values: Low (L), and High (H).

        \item[--] \textit{Privileges Required (PR).} This metric represents the level of privileges required by an attacker to successfully launch an exploit. The lesser the level is, the easier the attack is. It takes on three values:
        None (N), Low (L), and High (H).

        \item[--] \textit{User Interaction (UI).} It reflects whether the participation of the user is required for launching a successful attack. The attack becomes difficult if the user interaction is mandatory. This metric takes on two values: None (N) and Required (R).

    \end{itemize}

\textbf{(2) Impact Metrics.} These metrics reflect the characteristics of the impacted components. They consist of:
\begin{itemize}
    \item[--] \textit{Availability Impact.} It measures the severity of the attack on the availability of the impacted component. The metric takes on these values:  None (N), Low (L), and High (H).
    \item[--] \textit{Integrity Impact.} It measures the severity of the attack on the integrity of the impacted component.
    The metric takes on three values:  None (N), Low (L), and High (H).
    \item[--] \textit{Confidentiality Impact.} It measures the severity of the attack on the confidentiality of the impacted component. It takes on the following values: None (N), Low (L), and High (H).

\end{itemize}

\textbf{(3) Scope Metrics.} There is also a vector called {\it ``scope''} which describes the scope of the attack (i.e., whether the attack on the vulnerable component consequently impacted the resources beyond its means). It takes on two values: Unchanged (U) and Changed (C).

CVSS  incorporates all of the aforementioned metrics in a formula to calculate the vulnerability score. The lower the Base score is, the harder it is for the execution of an exploit on the vulnerable component. Furthermore, the score is measured using a certain number of features. For instance, Figure \ref{fig:CVESample} shows the CVSS score along with the vulnerability vector for CVE-2019-10665 reported for MySQL. As the figure shows, the severity of this vulnerability is rated as $9.8$ out of 10 and it is labeled as a critical one. The generated format of the vulnerability/CVSS vector is {\tt [AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H]} where \cite{first} :
\begin{itemize}
    \item[--] {\tt AV:N} indicates that the Attack Vector (AV) of such vulnerability is set at the Network (N) level.
    \item[--] {\tt AC:L} implies that the Attack Complexity (AC) of this vulnerability is Low (L).
    \item[--] {\tt PR:N} shows that the Privileges Required (PR) for launching an attack based on this vulnerability is None (N).
    \item[--] {\tt UI:N} reports that the User Interaction (UI) and involvement in enabling launching a successful attack is None (n).
    \item[--] {\tt S:U} shows the Scope (S) of the attack is Unchanged (U).
    \item[--] {\tt C:H} indicates that the risk of losing the Confidentiality (C) of data when this attack occurs is High (H).
    \item[--] {\tt I:H} implies that the risk of losing the Integrity (I) of data when this attack occurs is High (H).
    \item[--] {\tt A:H} indicates that the risk of losing the Availability (C) of data when this attack occurs is also High (H).
\end{itemize}

\section{Methodology}
\label{sec:methodolgy}

\begin{figure}
  \includegraphics[width=8cm]{CVE-Sample.png}
  \caption{The description of CVE-2019-10665 for MySQL.}
  \label{fig:CVESample}
  \vspace*{-0.15in}
\end{figure}

We compared two different evolutionary algorithms  for the vulnerability pattern generation targeting a certain level of CVSS score, as fitness function. The optimization algorithms that we implemented were: 1) Genetic and evolutionary Algorithms (GA), and 2) Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO).

We chose the CVSS score as a measure of fitness function because the diversity of its parameters enable us to adapt typical optimization and search techniques such as evolutionary algorithms for addressing this problem. Moreover, some other researchers have also adapted these types of greedy algorithms to address similar problems in test input generations in the context of random testing (e.g., \cite{DBLP:conf/kbse/AndrewsLM07}). Each parameter in the configuration is assigned a score vector that represents the vulnerability it contains along with its severity. The score is modeled after the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) vector and provides a method for measuring the security level of an individual configuration parameter setting. The vector can serve as a foundation to estimate the number of possible vulnerabilities of a certain configuration. Moreover, to account for the diversity in the configuration generation, we also calculated the Hamming distance, which measures how different one pattern (i.e., configuration) is from another.

\subsection{Genetic Algorithm}
We developed a python-based genetic algorithm script  to generate a CVSS vector string pool with the best fitness score (i.e., $ = 2.0$). We call it a ``{\it string}'' since each vector is treated as a string in our implementation. We set the number of iterations $= 50$ and population size $= 100$. The algorithm mainly comprises of five parts:

\begin{enumerate}
    \item \textit{Configuration Generation}: An initial pool of 100 possible CVSS vector strings was generated randomly.
    \item \textit{Fitness Score}:  The Python library, called {\tt CVSS3}, implements the Base metric score  it was utilized to calculate the CVSS scores. The vector strings were assigned their CVSS scores to be their fitness scores if the former lied between $2.0$ and $5.5$, otherwise, they were assigned $100$.
    \item \textit{Breeder's Selection}: This type of selection not only chooses the best solutions (i.e., vectors with lower score) of the previous generation but also selects some random ones to avoid converging soon to a local minima.
    \item \textit{Crossover}: For crossover, we took the simplest way of randomly switching the values of corresponding metrics among the two parent vector strings.
    \item \textit{Mutation}: We performed mutation on the CVSS vector configurations by randomly picking one vector field and changing its value by randomly selecting from permissible values.
\end{enumerate}

 \iffalse
 Figure \ref{fig:finalpool} shows a view of the final generation of the vector strings along with their scores. As it is shown in the figure, the mutation procedure generates various combinations of the vector string whose fitness score is $2.0$.

 \begin{figure}
  \includegraphics[width=8.5cm]{scrn.png}
  \caption{The pool of CVSS vector strings and their scores.}
  \label{fig:finalpool}
    \vspace*{-0.2in}
\end{figure}
\fi

\subsection{Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm}
We also implemented the PSO algorithm based on the CVSS scores for the purpose of comparing the performance of PSO  with GA on generating a set of secure configurations. In order to enable the comparison unbiased, we kept the best score, number of iterations and the size of population similar to the ones set for GA.

The PSO implementation is similar to GA. However, unlike GA, PSO is easier to implement as it has no evolution operators such as crossover and mutation. In PSO, the potential solutions, are called particles. The algorithm mainly deals with two parameters: (1) {\tt pbest\_fitness} and (2) {\tt particle\_vel}, which contain the initial {\tt pbest} fitness and velocity values for every particle in the swarm, respectively.
 The velocity for each particle measures how far is its fitness score ({\tt pbest}) from the best score.

The PSO algorithm returns a count of particles with scores $ = 2.0$ or velocity $=0$ in every iteration. We set the target global best value as $10.0$,  {\tt particle\_velocity} (i.e., Hamming Distance) between the range $[0, 8]$ as 0 and 8 are the minimum and maximum  number of differences that might exist between two particles, respectively. The {\tt fitness\_range} is set in the range of $[2, 10]$ where $2.0$ is deemed as the best fit and $10.0$ is considered to be poorly unfit.

The \textit{Particle Initialization} follows a similar strategy as described for the configuration generation in GA. The algorithm continues to find the best fitness value and velocity for every particle until it reaches a threshold limit. In each iteration, the algorithm assigns the {\tt pbest\_fitness} (particle best) values as their CVSS scores {\tt cvss\_fit} only when the fitness is better (i.e., in our case, lesser the better) than its current {\tt pbest} fitness value. It then assigns the {\tt gbest} (global best) value of the swarm to be the best {\tt pbest} value obtained so far by any particle in the population.
After finding its two best fitness values, each particle updates itself in a similar fashion as GA where the configurations are mutated whenever their current velocity values are greater than their previous ones. For instance, if `AV' vector field gets chosen randomly, then any one value will be randomly picked from the \{H, L, N, A\} set.

\section{Evaluation and Discussion}
\label{sec:evaluation}
We evaluated the performance of the two evolutionary algorithms through a case study. Table \ref{tab:PSOvsGA} reports the percentages of number of CVSS vulnerability vectors produced for different CVSS score ranges across 100 runs for both GA and PSO scripts. We observed that the values came out to be almost similar.

\begin{table}[h]
\centering
\begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|l|l|}
\hline
\textbf{}                            & \textbf{[2.0]} & \textbf{(2.0, 3.0]} & \textbf{(2.0, 4.0]} & \textbf{(2.0, 5.0]} \\ \hline
\textbf{GA}  & 3.505         & 22.956         & 34.972         & 38.567         \\ \hline
\textbf{PSO} & 3.387         & 23.144         & 34.088         & 39.379         \\ \hline
\end{tabular}
\caption{The percentage instances of CVSS vectors produced by GA and PSO for the different score ranges in 100 runs.}
\label{tab:PSOvsGA}
  \vspace*{-0.3in}
\end{table}

\begin{table*}[!t]
\centering
\begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|m{11.5cm}|c|}
\hline
\multicolumn{1}{|c|}{\bf \#} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{\bf VENDOR} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{\bf CVE  ID} & \multicolumn{1}{c|}{\bf VULNERABILITY DESCRIPTION}   &
\multicolumn{1}{c|}{\bf Score} \\
\hline
\textbf{1} & Mysql    & CVE-2019-14939   & An issue was discovered in the mysql (aka mysqljs) module 2.17.1 for Node.js. The LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE option is open by default  & 2.1     \\ \hline
\textbf{2} & Mysql           & CVE-2016-7440    & The C software implementation of AES Encryption and Decryption in $wolfSSL$ (formerly CyaSSL) before 3.9.10 makes it easier for local users to discover AES keys by leveraging cache-bank timing differences                                      & 2.1            \\ \hline
\textbf{3} & Oracle          & CVE-2014-6551    & Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle MySQL Server 5.5.38 and earlier and 5.6.19 and earlier allows local users to affect confidentiality via vectors related to CLIENT:MYSQLADMIN                                                                & 2.1            \\ \hline
\textbf{4} & Oracle          & CVE-2012-3160    & Unspecified vulnerability in the MySQL Server component in Oracle MySQL 5.1.65 and earlier, and 5.5.27 and earlier, allows local users to affect confidentiality via unknown vectors related to Server Installation                             & 2.1            \\ \hline
\textbf{5} & Mysql           & CVE-2006-4031    & MySQL 4.1 before 4.1.21 and 5.0 before 5.0.24 allows a local user to access a table through a previously created MERGE table, even after the user's privileges are revoked for the original table, which might violate intended security policy & 2.1            \\ \hline
\end{tabular}
\caption{The number of vulnerabilities found for CVSS pattern: {\tt AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/S:N/C:P/I:N/A:N}.}
\label{tab:my-table}
\vspace{-0.35in}
\end{table*}

A possible explanation of obtaining similar results for both GA and PSO is that the number of vector fields for CVSS (i.e., Base level) is limited to eight. As a result, there are not too many options for GA or PSO to select from. Therefore, both algorithms converge to the same values quickly because the search space is very small. Considering all the other metrics in CVSS might provide a larger search space for the algorithms.

To illustrate the effectiveness of the introduced adequacy criterion for security testing, we looked up the CVE website \cite{cve} and identified different vulnerabilities whose CVSS patterns matched the vulnerability pattern produced by GA and PSO. As an example, based on the CVSS pattern: {\tt AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/S:N/C:P/I:N/A:N} (In C: P , P stands for Partial or Low as per the website), table \ref{tab:my-table} shows multiple CVEs of vulnerabilities we found in the product MySQL for different vendors along with their description and CVSS score with the exact CVSS vector pattern matching.

\section{Conclusion and Future Work}
\label{sec:conclusion}

This paper introduced the concept of ``{\tt vulnerability coverage}'' as an adequacy criterion for security and vulnerability testing of software applications. The deriving idea is to utilize Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) as a fitness metric and identify a set of vulnerability vector patterns that achieves a certain level of CVSS score. The generated set can be used for adequacy testing of underlying system in which all or representative sets of vulnerabilities with similar vulnerability vector patterns will be selected for further inspection of the system under test. The paper compared two evolutionary-based algorithms namely Genetic Algorithms and Participle Swarm Optimization and the results indicated a similar results obtained by these two greedy algorithms.

The novel idea of vulnerability adequacy criterion as introduced in this paper needs further attentions. To our best knowledge, an adequacy criterion based on vulnerability coverage does not exist. There are several other features that need to be investigated including other metrics incorporated into CVSS and National Vulnerability Database (NVD) including temporal and environmental metrics. Furthermore, the idea needs tool supports and further empirical studies to thoroughly search the NVD database for reported vulnerabilities with exact pattern matching property for security testing purposes and investigate the effectiveness of such adequacy criterion.

The usefulness of Bayesian approaches have been discussed extensively in the literature \cite{DBLP:conf/sigsoft/NaminS10}. These probabilistic reasoning approaches can be adapted in the context of uncertainty analysis for implementing adaptive security testing in dynamic domains (e.g., reinforcement reasoning \cite{DBLP:conf/compsac/ChatterjeeN19}).
It is possible to apply these learning-based algorithms along  with temporal properties and dependencies and then adapt deep learning-based approaches \cite{DBLP:conf/bigdata/Siami-Namini} to address the problem. In the presence of existence of some constraints in the configuration settings, the problem can be formulated as a constraint satisfaction problem and the generation of test inputs using symbolic executions \cite{DBLP:conf/sac/HeimlichN19}.

\section*{Acknowledgment}
\label{sec:conclusion}
This research work is supported in part by a funding from National Science Foundation under grant numbers 1516636 and 1821560.

\iffalse

\bibitem{c1} M. Jakobsson; RSA Labs., Bedford, MA, USA, "Fractal Hash Sequence Representation and Traversal", IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory, 2002.
\bibitem{c2} Twitter OAuth Reference, https://dev.twitter.com/oauth/overview
\bibitem{c3} Facebook OAuth and Developer Reference, https://developers.facebook.com/docs
\bibitem{c4} Embedded Jetty Server, http://www.eclipse.org/jetty/documentation/current/embedding-jetty.html
\bibitem{c5} Google Developer Guide for Google Cloud Messaging, https://developers.google.com/cloud-messaging/android/start
\bibitem{c6} The Guardian Project - IOCIpher, https://guardianproject.info/code/iocipher/
\bibitem{c7} D. L. Johnson, E. Belding, K. Almeroth, and G. van Stam. Internet Usage and Performance Analysis
of a Rural Wireless Network in Macha, Zambia. In ACM Networked Systems for Developing Regions
(NSDR) Workshop, San Francisco, CA, June 2010.
\bibitem{c8} D. L. Johnson, E. M. Belding, and G. van Stam, "Network Traffic Locality in a Rural African
Village", International Conference on
\fi

\bibliographystyle{ACM-Reference-Format}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Team ANU
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"Inside there are two rooms. You are in one. Holding your dirty laundry. They are in the other. Waiting for you."
Laundry was the second instalment of the Monto Cycle exploring the social history of a quarter mile area in Dublin's North inner-city. In an Ireland whose collective consciousness was reeling from the exposition of institutions we opened the door to the Gloucester Street Magdalene Convent and invited audiences three at a time on a challenging, stimulating and thought-provoking journey. It played for over 200 performances, was critically acclaimed and sold-out throughout it's run, it formed the centrepiece of a key programming strand of the 2011 Dublin Theatre Festival entitled 'Behind Closed Doors'. Laundry won the prestigious Best Production Award at this year's Irish Times Theatre Awards where director Louise Lowe was also nominated for Best Director.
Directed by Louise Lowe. Designed by Owen Boss. Lighting Design by Sarah Jane Shiels, Sound Design by Vincent Doherty. Cast: Dee Burke, Una Kavanagh, Stephen Murray, Barbara Ni Haodha, Eric O'Brien, Niamh Shaw, Zara Starr.
Laundry was supported by Fishamble: The New Play Company's New Play Clinic scheme, CREATE and Rough Magic Hub.
Laundry was the second instalment of of the Monto Cycle exploring the social history of a quarter mile area in Dublin's North inner-city. In an Ireland whose collective consciousness was reeling from the exposition of institutions we opened the door to the Gloucester Street Magdalene Convent and invited audiences three at a time on a challenging, stimulating and thought-provoking journey. It played for over 200 performances, was critically acclaimed and sold-out throughout it's run, it formed the centrepiece of a key programming strand of the 2011 Dublin Theatre Festival entitled 'Behind Closed Doors'. Laundry won the prestigious Best Production Award at this year's Irish Times Theatre Awards where director Louise Lowe was also nominated for Best Director.
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The estimation of intrinsic dimension is an essential step in the dimension reduction process. The intrinsic dimension can be estimated by fractal dimension estimation methods, which exploit the intrinsic geometry of a data set. The most popular concept from this family of methods is the correlation dimension. K-Means is most popular clustering algorithm for performing unsupervised learning in data mining. This paper we propose approaches to approximate the correlation integral. In addition, we propose a new selection for clusters via correlation dimension. The performance of the algorithm is discussed. Experimental results on an artificial and real-world data are used to demonstrate the algorithms and compare to other methodology.


We believe that a strong, vibrant and resilient civil society is key to the development of all healthy, inclusive, democratic and productive societies and thus crucial to the future of Syria, Palestine and Lebanon. Civil society -citizens working together for the common good – engages citizens, and especially young people, with their community, holds the state and the market accountable, and supports and advocates for vulnerable groups.
The space for civil society is under threat. The political instability in the Levant, and the uprising turned into a devastating war in Syria have highlighted the instrumental role of civil society. Despite danger, threats, and constant change, civil society continues to alleviate the suffering of civilians, to provide basic services, and to build a more democratic future. After decades of suppression of civil society in Syria, a new wave of emerging Syrian civil society organisations has risen. They are struggling to address the enormous needs of their fellow citizens (whether displaced inside Syria or refugees in the region) while also building their capacity and governance structures to deal with the constant change and an uncertain future. In Lebanon, numerous and experienced civil society organisations are challenged by sectarianism, a weak state, economic hardship, security concerns and the influx of refugees. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and in and from Syria face similar challenges as local organisations, in addition to others due to their refugee status. Moreover, international and local restrictions on civil society make it harder and harder for civil society to play its important role.
These challenges require new and innovative solutions. The Asfari Foundation's Civil Society Programme aims to support a new generation of involved, informed and active young people who want to nurture positive change from within their communities, and find solutions to the acute challenges they and their communities and countries face.
Support organisations and initiatives that contribute to the vibrancy, professionalism, effectiveness and governance of the civil society sector as a whole.
Providing flexible grants and accompanying individual and organisational capacity-building support to organisations and initiatives.
Providing grants to support research into challenging questions that addresses systemic change or issues.
Providing grants to seed or test new ideas or approaches by organisations that we believe are particularly innovative, have strong potential to help young people and are related to the thematic areas above.
Providing grants for, or initiating processes that bring together current and past partners and alumni for shared learning, exchange and joint initiatives.
We will continue to support and develop the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship at the American University of Beirut, which promotes all of the above aims. We will support the Institute to develop as a regional centre with expertise in and providing support to civil society, through research, convening and education.
Further information on the Foundation's current Civil Society Programme partners can be found to the right of this page. Organisations interested in applying for a grant should click here for details on how to apply for a grant.


text:
Worldwide icon-chevron-right North America icon-chevron-right United States icon-chevron-right New York State icon-chevron-right New York icon-chevron-right See photos from the final night at Glasslands
See photos from the final night at Glasslands
The legendary Williamsburg music venue rocked out for the last time on New Year's Eve
By Hank Shteamer | Posted: Wednesday December 31 2014
Photograph: Bianca BourgeoisNew Year's Eve Goodbye Glasslands 2014
We probably don't need to remind you—but we will anyway, just for closure's sake—that 2014 was a rough year for Brooklyn concert-venue closings. Last January's 285 Kent shuttering kicked off a steady stream of show-spot sign-offs (we still miss you, Death by Audio), several of which were related to the Vice Media takeover of a Williamsburg waterfront complex. The last of these spots to close was Glasslands, which hosted its final show on New Year's Eve with a mystery-lineup blowout that was revealed to be Sky Ferreira, DIIV, Smith Westerns and Beverly. So by the time you read this, Williamsburg will be one venue poorer. And while Glasslands may have lacked the scruffy DIY charm of its former neighbors, we'll still remember it as a crucial local spot, a haven for everything from melodic indie rock to cutting-edge electronica, hip-hop and R&B, and a show space where you could always count on feeling both cool and welcome. Here, we salute Glasslands one last time with photos from the final night. The locations will change, but we're confident that the party won't stop in 2015.


When school is out for summer, research finds Opens a new window children consume more sugar, watch more TV and eat fewer vegetables. Fortunately, many families and youth organizations like the YMCA are curbing bad habits by keeping kids healthy and active year-round.
Tristyn shows off a home-grown cucumber from her YMCA garden.
Teaching kids to fall in love with nutritious food is one way to promote healthy eating habits that will help them reach their full potential in life. Experts say the key is to get children involved from the very start—by planting seeds.
Garden education programs teach kids where food comes from and how to grow it themselves. Young gardeners can develop an interest in healthy food options as they are often eager to taste the literal fruits of their labor.
Gardening also encourages physical activity and helps kids develop new friendships, a sense of achievement and a sense of belonging through teamwork.
1. Lead a garden show-and-tell activity.
Nurture kids' curiosity by asking each one to find something interesting in the garden and have them share with each other. They may choose to talk about a unique leaf or a bug crawling on a plant. Sharing their findings will build confidence and a connection to their peers.
2. Invite a local chef to prepare the produce.
Once the young gardeners have sampled their produce, a professional can help them see the creative potential behind each ingredient. Learning how to chop, mix and create flavors—like a fresh summer salsa—will help kids develop new skills as their palettes expand.
3. Create a take-home garden.
Consider sugar snap peas, which are great seedlings to grow in a cup. Children can take these baby plants home to share with their families and transplant in their own yards. Bringing good habits home will help encourage healthy food choices year-round.


text:
US Department of Labor obtains preliminary injunction restraining Massachusetts contractor from retaliating against employees
BOSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts prohibiting a Canton contractor from retaliating against former and current employees who cooperate with the department's Wage and Hour Division investigation or engage in other activity protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The division informed Capone Bros. Inc. and owner Charles Capone that its investigation determined that the defendants and related entities owe their employees unpaid overtime back wages to which the workers are entitled under the FLSA.
According to the department's complaint, Capone then allegedly:
Threatened to "go after" a former employee he suspected of being in some way responsible for the investigation.
Subsequently contacted the former employee's new employer and made false accusations about her.
Forced other employees either to disclose being a Department of Labor informant or to state that they worked fewer overtime hours than determined by the division's investigation.
Due to the potential for ongoing retaliation by the defendants, the department sought and obtained the preliminary injunction. It prohibits the defendants from retaliating or discriminating against any current or former employee for filing a complaint, instituting or causing to be instituted any FLSA proceeding or testifying or being about to testify in any such proceeding. The preliminary injunction also requires the defendants to post and provide employees with a notice of their FLSA rights.
The department's underlying suit against the defendants seeks an order permanently preventing the defendants from violating the FLSA's anti-retaliation provisions and an order awarding punitive damages to affected employees.
"Threats by an employer clearly discourage workers from speaking up when their rights have been violated, or simply when they have questions about their pay," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Carlos Matos in Boston. "The more vulnerable the worker, the more these threats intimidate. The law is clear in its prohibition of this sort of behavior by an employer, and in its protections for employees who cooperate with the Department of Labor during an investigation. We remain committed to workers feeling confident using their voices without fear of retaliation."
"Threatening to 'go after' an employee or otherwise punish workers for cooperating with a government investigation is illegal and unacceptable. We obtained this preliminary injunction to prevent egregious behavior like this from continuing during the litigation," said regional Solicitor of Labor Maia Fisher in Boston. "Effective enforcement of the FLSA depends on workers feeling safe asserting their rights. As we did in this case, we will take swift legal action to ensure that employers do not retaliate and that employees are protected when they assert their rights under the FLSA."
The division's Boston District Office conducted the original investigation. The department's regional Office of the Solicitor in Boston is litigating the case.
For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the agency, contact the division's toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available at http://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division.
Walsh v. Capone Bros., Inc. and Charles L. Capone
Civil Action No. 1:21-cv-10585-FDS


text:
Commentary – RCMP Answers in File – A-2013-04535 – Feb 21 2014
RCMP ATI ACT RESPONSE – FILE # A-2013-04535 / F141
Analysis and Commentary by Dennis R. Young – February 20, 2014
This RCMP response to an Access to Information Act request was sent to the National Firearms Association by mistake. It is highly unusual because the RCMP answered the questions posed by the person or organization making the request which it has been my experience in two decades of filing approximately seven hundred ATI Act requests to many departments, this is never done. The standard practise is for the responding department or agency to provide documents or records that may be related to the issues being addressed in the request.
Q1 – Who ordered the search and removal of firearms?
RCMP RESPONSE: There was not a specific order to search and remove firearms.
Q1Comment #1: This impossible. I was in the RCMP for five years and the one thing that was drilled into us in training and in the field was to follow orders. To do otherwise would definitely get a member of the RCMP in serious trouble. This action was not only ordered by a high ranking official of the RCMP but it was condoned and supported daily as the kicking in the doors progressed for seven or eight days.
Q1Comment #2: We have a document signed by the RCMP Constable Jason Decoste who completed the firearms seizure of Don and Jane White's home proving that this break and enter and search without a warrant was definitely a targeted for a firearms seizure – not a search for survivors. Click here to see this document.
Q2 – What is the definition of plain view?
RCMP RESPONSE: RCMP Operational Manual Section 21.1 Authority to Search: 21.1.3 Refers to the Doctrine of Plain View.
3. Doctrine of Plain View
3.1 You may seize any item in plain view that may provide evidence of the commission of an offence if:
3.1.1.1. There is a pre-existing lawful reason for the intrusion upon the person or premises,
3.1.1.2. the discovery of the item was inadvertent, and
3.1.1.3. the item is immediately apparent as incriminating evidence.
COMMENTARY – PLAIN VIEW DOCTRINE IN CANADA MEANS:
A person has no reasonable expectation of privacy in what he knowingly exposes to the public or abandons in a public place.
• R. v. Tessling, 2004 SCC 67, [2004] 3 S.C.R. 432 at para. 40
• R. v. Boersma, 1994 CanLII 99 (S.C.C.), [1994] 2 S.C.R. 488
Q2Comment #1: Every resident of High River had a reasonable expectation of privacy when they left their home to escape the ravages of the flood. The firearms seized by the police were neither exposed to the public nor abandoned in a public place. The RCMP officers kicked in their front doors breaching their Charter protected right to privacy and their right to be safe from unreasonable search and seizure.
A peace officer may seize any evidence which he observes by use of one or more of his senses from a lawful vantage point
• R. v. Fitt, 1995 CanLII 4342 (NS C.A.)
• R. v. Lauda, [1998] 2 S.C.R. 683, 1998 CanLII 804
• R. v. Jackson, 2005 ABCA 430
Q2Comment #2: The RCMP officers were not in the homes lawfully therefore they were not in a 'lawful vantage point' and consequently had no right to seize anything in the High River homes.
If an officer is on a premises lawfully and observes items believed to be illegal, it is lawful for him to seize the items.
• The Queen v. Shea (1982), 142 D.L.R. (3d) 419 (Ont. S.C.)
• R. v. Hébert (1990), 60 C.C.C. (3d) 422 (Que. C.A.)
• R. v. Grenier (1991), 65 C.C.C. (3d) 76 (Que. C.A.)
Q2Comment #3: The RCMP were not on the premises lawfully and almost all the firearms they seized were legally stored and rightfully owned. Testimony and reports from the High River residents who had their homes vandalized prove that many seized firearms certainly were NOT in 'plain view'. Additionally, how could they 'believe them to be illegal' unless they haD access to the complete firearms data base at the time they illegally searched each and every home? As one veteran RCMP officer explained to me: "The plain view doctrine applies to contraband – not legally owned property."
Q2Comment #4: There was completely legal, far more effective way to search for survivors in High River; namely, thermal imaging technology because: The use of thermal imaging known as Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) is not a form of search. The heat radiating from the house provides limited information about what is going on inside and virtually no information about the person core biographical information. The emanations exist on the outside of the house and so are exposed to the public.
• R. v. Tessling, 2004 SCC 67, [2004] 3 SCR 432
Q4Comment #5: Maybe kicking in doors without a warrant could be excused in the first day or two of the flood but certainly not when the RCMP kicked in more than 1,200 doors in days five, six and seven after the flood waters were receding and the National Defence determined there was no further threat to life after June 24, 2013 and the RCMP admitted that they had 'completed' their search of all the homes in High River.
Q3 – How many firearms were removed from homes?
RCMP RESPONSE: During the course of the residential searches, RCMP seized 609 restricted and non-restricted firearms.
Q3Comment #1: The RCMP members had no warrant and had not received any other legal authority to kick in the more than 1,900 doors in High River and therefore had no right to seize any of these firearms.
Q3Comment #2: On July 28, 2013, the RCMP reported to the media that they only seized 539 firearms during their illegal searches of more than 1,900 High River homes. So what is the right number of firearms seized: 603 or 539?
Q4 – How many firearms were removed from a locked closet, cabinet, box, case or room?
RCMP RESPONSE: Firearms were not removed from locked cabinets, closets or cases unless specifically requested by the property owner to do so.
Q4Comment #1: I think you will find testimony from many High River residents that dispute the veracity of this RCMP response.
Q5 – How many of the removed firearms had some form of trigger lock, cable or other locking device?
RCMP RESPONSE: This information was not captured in most cases. There was one report of a firearm documented as having a trigger lock.
Q5Comment #1: At least this response is honest in that they didn't record the number of firearms they seized with trigger locks because these firearms were "safely stored" in accordance with firearms regulations and it would be even more embarrassing for the RCMP than it already is.
Q6 – How many of the removed firearms had the bolt removed or otherwise disabled?
RCMP RESPONSE: A shotgun with a trigger lock and a .22 rifle with the bolt removed were seized from the same residence. These are the only two instances that we are aware of.
Q6Comment #1: Months after saying repeatedly that they only 'secured' firearms the RCMP finally admit that they actually 'seized' them!
Q6Comment #2: We have reports of them seizing trigger-locked long-guns – 11 from one residence. Click here to see the documentation.
Q7 – What procedures are in place to ensure that the firearms removed are returned to their rightful owners?
RCMP RESPONSE: The seized firearms were taken to the RCMP High River Detachment where they were catalogued and subsequently stored. A PROS file was opened on each address. Although the return of firearms did not begin until June 30, 2013 as it was the first full day that the portions of the town were open to residents.
A team of members having experience and knowledge in the area of firearms and firearm legislation were assigned the role of returning firearms to their rightful owners as soon as circumstances would permit.
Due to the extenuating circumstances of many people not having access to documents within their homes, which would show proof of having a valid firearms license for the class of firearms being returned, a flexible return policy was initiated.
1) Proof of personal residence of the location where the firearms were recovered
2) Proof of valid firearms license and
3) Government issued photo identification.
Where the firearm owner could not provide proof of a valid firearms license, the individual was queried through CFRO to determine if they did possess the proper license for the firearms being returned.
Q7Comment #1: There is that word 'seized' again in the first sentence of this response and the public was repeatedly told by several RCMP spokespersons at the end of June that the firearms weren't seized, they were 'secured'. If the RCMP are going to concoct a story about 1,900+ searches as seizures without a warrant, they should at least all be reading from the same script.
Q7Comment #2: The RCMP could have avoided this whole expensive mess if they had done what police did in thirty other flooded communities – even the ones that had to be evacuated. Knock on doors in the search for survivors, leaving the front doors intact and let the people back into the town as soon as the water started receding. Tell everyone again, why wasn't that done in High River? Why were High River residents kept out of town and homes behind barricades and spike belts for four more days? Why and how were High River homes selected for search and seizure operation by Special Tactical Operations Teams?
Q8 – How many homes were in the secured area?
RCMP RESPONSE: The entire town was under an emergency evacuation order.
Q8Comment #1: The RCMP failed to answer the question and the answer they did provide seems to indicate that they thought the emergency evacuation order gave them a right to do whatever they wanted to the High River residents and their homes. A warrant would have been the prudent action to take by any police force contemplating breaking into nearly 2,000 homes and seizing hundreds of firearms and destroying hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition.. Please tell everyone again why the RCMP didn't take this first prudent step in any one of the seven or eight days they kicked in peoples doors and violated their Charter rights?
Q9 – How many homes in the secured area were searched?
RCMP RESPONSE: 4,666 buildings, both residences and businesses were searched.
Q9Comment #1: How many homes were searched using the smash and grab method, how many using locksmiths, and how many were searched where the doors had been left unlocked? How many businesses were searched using the smash and grab method, how many using locksmiths, and how many where the doors had been left unlocked?
Q10 – What criterion was used to determine which homes were searched and was the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) used?
RCMP RESPONSE: As stated above, it was determined that ALL homes were to be searched for residents that remained. A planning meeting was held at the Town of High River EOC on June 21 at 0606hrs. At this meeting the Director of the High River EOC deemed the search for missing persons or in houses to be a high priority. On the recommendation of the Site Commander for the High River EOC, the Director of the Town of High River EOC. Fire Chief agreed to a systematic door to door search of every residence in town. At this meeting, it was made clear that it could not be determined with any degree of certainty that any area of town had been searched and deemed to be clear. Therefore all houses would be searched.
No, CPIC was not used for that purpose.
Q10Comment #1: Who exactly "determined" that ALL homes were to be searched? We have been informed by a person who was at this June 21st meeting that a complete "CPIC dump" was ordered for the Town of High River.
Q10Comment #2: Please provide a copy of the minutes of this meeting including handouts and recommendations, and, finally, the names of the officials who made this order; namely,
• Director of the High River EOC
• Commander for the High River EOC
• Director of the Town of High River EOC
Q10Comment # 3: Please provide copies of the documents showing that the above persons had a proper delegation from either the Minister or the Town Council in order to even begin to exercise such authority including legal documentation proving that a "residence" is included in the definition of a "building" under the EMA.
Q10Comment #4: Even if High River Town Council properly delegated some authority under the Emergency Management Act to the above noted persons, such delegated authority is to be exercised under Section 24 "in the operation of an emergency plan or program". Please provide a copy of any and every "plan" and "program" in effect in High River on June 21, 2013. Please provide documentation showing particulars of how, when and by what decision makers it was adopted, and under what legislation. Note that such a prepared plan or program is necessary under the Act in either ss. 19(5) or 24(1)(c) for delegates – such as the RCMP – to wield any EMA powers.
Q11 – How many personnel were involved in searching the homes?
RCMP RESPONSE: The exact numbers are not known. Search personnel included teams comprised of RCMP, DND and representatives of utility service providers such as ATCO and Fortis. At the peak of deployment on June 23rd, not specifically assigned to the Search, were 238 RCMP and 310 DND members.
Q11Comment #1: Looks like there are more witnesses to the RCMP break and enters and unwarranted searches and seizures for the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP to interview: ATCO and Fortis employees who watched what the RCMP search teams did and what they said and how they acted when they did it.
Q12 – How long did the search take?
RCMP RESPONSE: The Search Plan was initiated early morning, June 21st and completed on June 24, at approx. 2247 hrs.
Q12Comment #1: This is not true! Click here to see page 27 of the RCMP response.
The e-mail on this page dated June 24, 2013 at 7:12 pm from RCMP Superintendent Frank Smart states: "As of 1500hrs today, RCMP led by STO have completed the physical search of all homes in High River(with the exception of a small amount in quadrant 8 which is underwater). Houses\Buildings 3,337 – Forced Entries 674 – People located 303."
The e-mail states that as of June 24, there were only 674 'forced entries' but RCMP Staff/Sgt. Ian Shardlow admitted at a public meeting in High River on September 5, 2013 that police had in fact kicked in the doors of more than 1,900 homes in High River – more than 1,200 more forced entries than reported in the RCMP e-mail. Also there is no mention of firearms being seized in this e-mail and yet on June 28, 2013 the RCMP reported to the media that they had seized 539 firearms during these break-ins (Note: The RCMP's answer to Q3 above states they seized 609 firearms). We can only conclude that reason they didn't report the number of firearms seized in this e-mail was that most, if not all the firearms were seized after the threat to human life had ended on June 24 and before the RCMP started allowing some of the residents of High River to return to their homes on June 29, 2013.


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As the distribution and service partner for HOMAG in North America, Stiles is excited to share a new initiative just announced at the HOMAG Group. The new strategy is aimed at realigning customers, suppliers and business partners by uniting brands and strengthening "your solution".
Any company seeking success in today's economy must keep an eye on the market, listen to customers and be open to change. The HOMAG Group has taken this to heart and has realigned the company for its customers, suppliers and business partners. This emergence of the "new HOMAG Group" is signaled by a change in brand strategy, a new claim of "YOUR SOLUTION" and a new brand presence.
Since the 1960s, the HOMAG Group has been driving the global wood processing industry forward with innovations and technology, while also shaping the market with help from its customers. Thanks to its clear strategy, the HOMAG Group has developed into a company that covers the entire process chain for the field of wood processing — with 6,000 employees who work hand-in-hand for customers all over the world.
Since 2014, Stiles Machinery has been a proud member of the HOMAG Group. With over 400 employees in North America, Stiles is the distribution and service partner of HOMAG for the United States and Mexico.
Today, the group is the industry leader in the world market. This was only made possible by the staff looking to the future, continuously developing new innovations and being receptive to change. In recent years, the world around us has been changing at an increasing pace. Globalization, individualization, networking and digitalization are just some of the keywords that illustrate this change.
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text:
LGBTay-Tay
When Taylor Swift gave a surprise performance of her new anti-hate song, You Need to Calm Down, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the modern LGTBTQ movement at the very place where it started – NYC's Stonewall Inn – it made an impact.
After all, the 29 year-old singer/songwriter is one of the best-selling recording artists of all-time with over 50 million album sales and 150 million in single digital downloads. She's won 10 Grammys, was included in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters back in 2015 and has appeared three times in Time's 100 most influential people, including 2019.
She's a goddamn icon
Whether you are fan, frenemy, enemy or simply indifferent, it is undeniable that once Tay-Tay sets her sights on, or music to, a subject she carries an indefinable weight towards changing hearts and, more importantly, minds on said subject.
As a gay man of a certain age I do not take any support for granted, especially hers, and finally understand that each small and large gesture are essential building blocks forward.
A TS lyric like, shade never made anybody less gay in a song heard internationally more times than any of us likely ever will be, can't move the needle alone. Still, it can certainly be the single straw that breaks the back of hate in all sorts of different people for all sorts of different reasons.
YAY TAY TAY
At this point it might be worth remembering that it was on the day Judy Garland died that a group of trans people, gay men and drag queens stood up to police harassment en masse at the Stonewall Inn and birthed the modern gay liberation movement.
The fact that they rioted in the streets of Greenwich Village for several days, refusing to be targeted where they lived, did not happen just because a gay icon was gone, as the history books like to simplify.
However, it would not be overreach to write that when that final straw dropped on that specific day, a bunch of us were extremely pissed off, much more so than usual. Just like you don't throw a lit match onto a gas station or sass your Mom and Dad just after they've gotten home from a double shift at work. There are limits to what any of us will tolerate on a very bad day.
Even Joan has limits #nowirehangers
You can't blame it on the sass or the match or the day or the shift. It takes the combination of some or all of those elements (and more) to fuel the uncontrollable fire that was sure to come once all the kindling fell into place in exactly the right (or wrong) way.
It was in thinking about all of the above that it became undeniable that a week had just passed where all three of the new mainstream films and TV series I had just consumed for the first time centered specifically on members of the LGBTQ community. This would have been unthinkable just two or three decades ago not because my tastes had changed but due to the fact that no one was making this much openly gay content back then for mass consumption.
Not even Charles Nelson Reilly was technically "out"
There was Halston, a feature length documentary on the gay designer of Jackie Kennedy's pillbox hat, Liza Minnelli's sparkly stage outfits and just about some part of every trendy female fashionista's wardrobe back in the 1970s.
Then scrolling on Netflix was Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story. This was a hard look at the celebratory life and tragic death of young gay man credited as the greatest makeup artist who ever lived. A guy who worked with every female supermodel of his era, including Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista, and then segued to work with the likes of Cher, Tina Turner, Barbra Streisand, Gwyneth Paltrow and Andie McDowell.
The master at work
This was all before branching out to create best-selling books and makeup lines and
dedicating his own time and money to mentor other young, forgotten gay kids, many of whom came from the same small homophobic home towns he himself had grown up in.
Watching his adopted father's account of how the young Kevin had to drop out of high school at the age of 15 after several of the school bullies tried to run him down with their truck was enough to make any viewer question if anything has really changed at all.
Of course, this would be foolish thinking since his very own path to international fame as a proudly out gay man occurred years after the Stonewall Riots and the rise of a very un-publicly gay designer like Halston.
and certainly after Keith Haring's "Heritage of Pride" Logo from the 80s
It is on the wings of countless real life people that Kevin was able to rise just a little bit more and the memorable gay characters of contemporary fiction emerge. That is why watching Netflix's just released 10-part limited streaming series, Tales of the City, based on Armistead Maupin's best-selling books of 1970s, 80s and beyond San Francisco, seems a perfect cultural bridge to a 2019 public, yet now somehow almost routine, LGBTQ ally like Taylor Swift.I can recall devouring those Tales novels when I first came out because it was the first time I saw the gay and straight worlds melded together into the one more integrated, albeit messier, world that I lived in.
BONUS Laura Linney and Olympia Dukakis together again!
Sure, it was a somewhat idealized world but it spoke to my reality closer than anything I had come across up to that point, straight or gay. Good as the early PBS miniseries (based on the first two books) was back in the early 1990s I can recall how disappointing it felt to have it viewed as both exotic and controversial when it was first broadcast during the AIDS era. So much so that the PBS network declined to do any more movies/shows based on the next books, which were finally produced by Showtime but gained far less attention.
For those of us still around, and for so many others, it is therefore a partial triumph of both endurance and history that the gay-themed issues tackled in the latest Tales on Netflix are today barely controversial – only merely reflective of where the world is now. Far more potent is how the middle-aged (Note: ahem) characters of my generation co-exist with the younger out(er) and proud(er) generation after them and how they all grapple with the full history of those left from the still older generation that came before either of them saw the light of day.
Kinda like the feeling I get when I see this guy out on the trail with his husband #PeteforAmerica
It is in this more full depiction of the many inroads and detours taken in the full path to get here that these newest Tales really soars. This is done through expert performances from the likes of Olympia Dukakis, Laura Linney and Ellen Page as trans, straight and gay/bisexual characters, respectively, of different ages whose many stylized stories not only naturally but casually intersect with a core truth of not only how it was but how we would want it to be. Perhaps, in some ways, how it now is for all of us. Or, well, more of us.
This new Tales miniseries is memory piece of today that is built on the past but exists clearly in the present as it consistently looks towards the future. It is not unlike what Taylor Swift does when she comes fully out as a straight LGBTQ ally in 2019 and uses her celebrity and talents to boldly admonish all current and future homophobes in a fun but clearly commercial pop song pointedly entitled You Better Calm Down.
Taylor Swift – "You Need to Calm Down"
This entry was posted in Gay is the Old Black and tagged armistead maupin, Charles Nelson Reilly, Faye Dunaway, jesse tyler ferguson, joan crawford, Keith Harring, kevyn aucoin, kevyn aucoin doc netflix, laura linney, Mommie Dearest, Olympia Dukakis, Pete Buttigieg, Pete Buttigieg 2020, Pete Buttigieg husband, pride, pride 2019, stonewall, stonewall 50, stonewall riots, tales of the city, taylor swift, taylor swift you need to calm down. Bookmark the permalink.
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Commander: pass the Coast Guard Authorization Act
By James W. "Bill" Oxford, National Commander
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hosted a hearing Dec. 12 on "Expanding Opportunities, Challenges, and Threats in the Arctic: A Focus on the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Strategic Outlook."
Throughout this hearing, the critical role the U.S. Coast Guard plays in our national security was highlighted repeatedly. Despite the vital role they play in securing our nation's shores, the Coast Guard is the only military branch in modern history that has gone without timely pay during a government shutdown.
Sadly, the threat of a government shutdown and going without pay once again looms over the brave men and women of the Coast Guard. No member of our military should ever live in fear of not being paid. This is why The American Legion supports Section 221 of S. 2297 Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2019. This provision, known as the "Pay Our Coast Guard" provision, ensures appropriations for Coast Guard pay in the event an appropriations act expires. The American Legion exists to serve and advocate for our nation's veterans. Last January, our organization gave out more than $1 million in grants to junior enlisted Coast Guard families with children at home, those whose lives are most affected when pay is interrupted. However, veteran service organizations and nonprofits should not have to continually backstop the federal government simply because Congress cannot pass a budget.
In a recent letter to Congress, I wrote that it is imperative we address this issue permanently, as it is becoming an unacceptable norm for the men and women that protect our nation. Congress must act now to pass the Coast Guard Authorization Act.
Tags:National Commander, National Security


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Systematic Trading Based on Artificial Intelligence: Returns up to 74.59% in 3 Months
Systematic Trading
Best South African Stocks: This South African Stock systematic trading forecast is part of the By Country Package, as one of I Know First's algorithmic trading tools. The full forecast includes a daily prediction for a total of 20 stocks with bullish and bearish signals:
Top 10 South African stocks for the long position
Top 10 South African stocks for the short position
Package Name: By Country – South African Stocks
Forecast Length: 3 Months (12/07/2018 – 03/07/2019)
The algorithm correctly predicted 7 out 10 of the suggested trades in the By Country – South African Stocks Package for this 3 Months forecast. IMPJ.J was the highest-earning trade with a return of 74.59% in 3 Months. Additional high returns came from SGLJ.J and AMSJ.J, at 57.25% and 52.13% respectively. The package had an overall average return of 20.10%, providing investors with a 10.16% premium over the JSE Africa's return of 9.94% during the period.
Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (Implats) is a producer and supplier of platinum group metals (PGMs) to industrial economies. The Company's segments include mining (which includes Impala, Zimplats, Marula and Afplats), refining services (which include metals purchased and toll refined), chrome processing and other. The Company, through its subsidiaries, holds various mining and exploration activities. Its subsidiaries include Impala Platinum Limited (Impala), Zimplats Holdings Limited (Zimplats), Afplats Proprietary Limited (Afplats) and Marula Platinum Proprietary Limited (Marula). The Company also holds interest in Two Rivers Platinum Proprietary Limited (Two Rivers) and Mimosa Investments Limited (Mimosa). The Company's operations in South Africa include Impala, Marula and Two Rivers. The Company's operations in Zimbabwe include Zimplats and Mimosa.
AMSJ.J ANGJ.J BVTJ.J IMPJ.J IPLJ.J SGLJ.J TKGJ.J
South African Stocks
South African Stocks Based on Stock Market Algorithm: Returns up to 11.11% in 3 Days
South African Stocks Based on Artificial Intelligence: Returns up to 55.22% in 3 Months
South African Stocks Based on Predictive Analytics: Returns up to 3.89% in 3 Days
South African Stocks Based on Algorithmic Trading: Returns up to 6.99% in 7 Days


I am currently making a little game based on very simple mods.
Basically, users can put assets (sprites, sounds and scripts) in a folder and mod the game using JSON files.
I did some tests, and apparently, by default, the AssetPath class is loading the assets... But only those referenced during compilation.
If I change the name or add a new one (after compilation), the console says that it doesn't find the asset.
But when I change a file while keeping the same name, it's loading as expected.
So my question is: Is there a way for the AssetPath class to load all of the assets in the "Mods" folder when we launch the game (in native platforms) ?
I think that this post can be confusing (I'm still a beginner in Haxe and English is not my first language), so don't hesitate to ask me for details.
The OpenFL asset system / openfl.Assets indeed only works for assets included at compile time. This is to allow for consistent code across targets that do have file system access and those that don't. Also, there's an option to embed assets.
Can I create an FlxSoundAsset from a "non-AssetPath" Ogg file (in native platforms) ?
@mobandon I would expect Sound.fromFile() to work, what issues are you having exactly, and what OpenFL version are you using?
@gama11 It's working alright with Sound. Maybe I will try to improve all of this later, but it's good enough for the moment. Thank you for your help!
@mobandon I'm confused, didn't you say it wasn't working for ogg files / native? Or did you manage to solve that?
@gama11 I didn't test Sound.fromFile() before, I was just a little confused because the OpenFL docs say that The Sound class lets you create a Sound object, load and play an external MP3 file.


text:
using System;
using System.Linq;

namespace SvcFabricDinnerDemo.DinnerMenuService.Interfaces
{
    public class Dish
    {
        public string Name { get; set; }
        public decimal Price { get; set; }
        public Guid Id { get; set; }
        public string Description { get; set; }
        public string ImageUrl { get; set; }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Pure CSS using keyframes animation refuses to animate I am trying to create a pure CSS animation (fade in/fade out with timer) without the use of jQuery. When I check on IE10 and IE11 the animation doesn't work. On Firefox, Safari, and Chrome it works perfectly.
How can I get this to also work in IE10 and 11?
Here is my HTML code:

And here is my CSS code:
#cf {
  position:relative;
  height:550px;
  width:600px;
  margin:0 auto;
}

#cf img {
  position:absolute;
  left:0;
}

@-webkit-keyframes cf3FadeInOut {
  0%   { opacity: 1; }
  45%   { opacity: 1; }
  55%   { opacity: 0; }
  100% { opacity: 0; }
}

@-moz-keyframes cf3FadeInOut {
  0%   { opacity: 1; }
  45%   { opacity: 1; }
  55%   { opacity: 0; }
  100% { opacity: 0; }
}

@-ms-keyframes cf3FadeInOut {
  0%   { opacity: 1; }
  45%   { opacity: 1; }
  55%   { opacity: 0; }
  100% { opacity: 0; }
}

@-o-keyframes cf3FadeInOut {
  0%   { opacity: 1; }
  45%   { opacity: 1; }
  55%   { opacity: 0; }
  100% { opacity: 0; }
}

@keyframes cf3FadeInOut {
  0%   { opacity: 1; }
  45%   { opacity: 1; }
  55%   { opacity: 0; }
  100% { opacity: 0; }
}

#cf img.top {
    animation-name: cf3FadeInOut;
    animation-timing-function: linear;
    animation-iteration-count: infinite;
    animation-duration: 6s;
    animation-direction: alternate;
    -webkit-animation: cf3FadeInOut 6s infinite;
    -webkit-animation-timing-function: linear;
    -webkit-animation-direction: alternate;
}

A: My updated CSS code now is below, which is still not working on IE10+ but this has been tested in Firefox, Chrome, Safari and still working.
#cf {
  position:relative;
  height:550px;
  width:600px;
  margin:0 auto;
}

#cf img {
  position:absolute;
  left:0;
}

@-webkit-keyframes cf3FadeInOut {
 0%   { filter: alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity:1; -khtml-opacity:1; opacity: 1; }
 45%   { filter: alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity:1; -khtml-opacity:1; opacity: 1; }
 55%   { filter: alpha(opacity=0); -moz-opacity:0; -khtml-opacity:0; opacity: 0; }
 100% { filter: alpha(opacity=0); -moz-opacity:0; -khtml-opacity:0; opacity: 0; }
}

@-moz-keyframes cf3FadeInOut {
 0%   { filter: alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity:1; -khtml-opacity:1; opacity: 1; }
 45%   { filter: alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity:1; -khtml-opacity:1; opacity: 1; }
 55%   { filter: alpha(opacity=0); -moz-opacity:0; -khtml-opacity:0; opacity: 0; }
 100% { filter: alpha(opacity=0); -moz-opacity:0; -khtml-opacity:0; opacity: 0; }
}

@-o-keyframes cf3FadeInOut {
 0%   { filter: alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity:1; -khtml-opacity:1; opacity: 1; }
 45%   { filter: alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity:1; -khtml-opacity:1; opacity: 1; }
 55%   { filter: alpha(opacity=0); -moz-opacity:0; -khtml-opacity:0; opacity: 0; }
 100% { filter: alpha(opacity=0); -moz-opacity:0; -khtml-opacity:0; opacity: 0; }
}

@-ms-keyframes cf3FadeInOut {
 0%   { filter: alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity:1; -khtml-opacity:1; opacity: 1; }
 45%   { filter: alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity:1; -khtml-opacity:1; opacity: 1; }
 55%   { filter: alpha(opacity=0); -moz-opacity:0; -khtml-opacity:0; opacity: 0; }
 100% { filter: alpha(opacity=0); -moz-opacity:0; -khtml-opacity:0; opacity: 0; }
}

@keyframes cf3FadeInOut {
 0%   { filter: alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity:1; -khtml-opacity:1; opacity: 1; }
 45%   { filter: alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity:1; -khtml-opacity:1; opacity: 1; }
 55%   { filter: alpha(opacity=0); -moz-opacity:0; -khtml-opacity:0; opacity: 0; }
 100% { filter: alpha(opacity=0); -moz-opacity:0; -khtml-opacity:0; opacity: 0; }
}

#cf img.top {
    animation: cf3FadeInOut 6s;
    -ms-animation-name: cf3FadeInOut 6s;
    -moz-animation: cf3FadeInOut 6s; /* Firefox */
    -webkit-animation: cf3FadeInOut 6s; /* Safari and Chrome */

    animation-timing-function: linear;
    -ms-animation-timing-function: linear;
    -moz-animation-timing-function: linear;
    -webkit-animation-timing-function: linear;

    animation-iteration-count: infinite;
    -ms-animation-iteration-count: infinite;
    -moz-animation-iteration-count: infinite;
    -webkit-animation-iteration-count: infinite;

    animation-direction: alternate;
    -ms-animation-direction: alternate;
    -moz-animation-direction: alternate;
    -webkit-animation-direction: alternate;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Rapid expansion doesn't come without growing pains...and lots of documentation. Read how you can simplify your operations with the power of mobile forms.
Alpine Painting and Sandblasting Contractors are headquartered in Paterson, New Jersey. They employ a full support staff including administration, operations, estimating, project management, engineering, sales and customer service.


REAL MADRID manager Jose Mourinho was spotted preparing for his summer departure to Chelsea at the weekend when it was reported he spent €200 on boxes and masking tape in Ikea.
According to Spanish TV station Punto Pelota, Mourinho was seen shopping in an Ikea store in Alcorun, south-west Madrid, where he was buying goods to ease his move back to London.
The comedic reporting of Mourinho's shopping spree by the channel - hosted by Josep Pedrerol - suggested that those in Spain accept the Portuguese is definitely leaving Real this summer.
Chelsea are overwhelming favourites to pull off a shock return for the former boss, who is said to have spent €200 (£168) on boxes and packaging as he readies himself to move out of his Spanish home.
Meanwhile, Spanish sports paper Marca report that just three members of Mourinho's squad are on talking terms with the 50-year-old.
Goalkeeper Diego Lopez and midfielders Luka Modric and Michael Essien - all players who have benefited at the club under Mourinho - are the only members of the playing staff said to have a rapport with the team's coach.
Defender Pepe recently spoke out at the treatment of dropped keeper Iker Casillas, who has been unusually ostracised from the starting eleven. Young prospect Raphael Varane's burgeoning relationship with Mourinho has been broken, while Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed he doesn't care about his compatriot's future.
The ill-feeling culminated in a nervy 4-3 victory over Real Valladoid at the Bernabeu on Saturday, and Mourinho's exit from Madrid now looks certain as he has burned his bridges with the La Liga giants.
Chelsea fans will be eagerly anticipating confirmation of his arrival, but some must be sceptical given his dwindling achievements in recent years and the manner of how his Madrid departure is unfolding.
Jose's a winner but is he worth the trouble?


text:
Job Vacancy | Professor of Painting, Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
Deadline: 20 January
The Schools of Visual Arts at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts are looking for a dedicated artist to take on a professorship in painting and pictorial practices at the School of Painting. The successful applicant will commence work on 1 September 2017.
The School of Painting constitutes our specialist programme on painting and pictorial practices and is one of four international MFA programmes at the Schools. The School of Painting focuses on painting and pictorial practices, taking its starting point in the evolution of painting in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and in our present-day pluralistic approach to painting. The School of Painting is primarily supported by the laboratories for graphic art, painting and colour.
The School of Painting will accommodate approximately 25 students on its three-year MFA programme. The School is housed at Charlottenborg, where the students have their studios and where parts of the teaching will take place.
About this position
As professor of the School of Painting you hold overall responsibility for directing study under this programme, for ensuring the quality of the teaching offered, and for ensuring the students' opportunities for artistic development through supervision and guidance. As professor you will also be responsible for outlining, defining and expressing the School of Painting's artistic and academic profile in collaboration with the students.
The professor will be part of the overall faculty of the Schools of Visual Arts and take part in/contribute to the various joint strategic forums that develop the Schools' profile, teaching and overall planning (The Study Council/Skolerådet and the Steering Committee/Styregruppe). The professor may also take part in joint endeavours pertaining to the day-to-day operation of the Schools (the Staff-Student Study Committee/Studienævnet). The professor will also take part in the joint admission procedures for new students. The professor can be appointed as Pro-rector
The professor's duties include artistic research. This research takes its point of departure in the professor's own artistic work. You can draw on the Schools' laboratories and other facilities to support your research.
For full job description see: www.kunstakademiet.dk/en/contact/job-vacancies/vacancy-professor-painting
Job Vacancy | Communication Officer at Artsmark, UK
Job Vacancy | Chief Executive/Artistic Director of Dansens Hus, Sweden
Job Vacancy | Performance Artist for Project with Baboró International Arts Festival for Children
Job Vacancy | Artist Facilitator for ReCreate Workshops, Dublin
Open Call | Panel of Marketing and Communications Professionals for Dublin City Council Culture Company


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text:
Joel Iyiegbuniwe (born October 12, 1995) is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Western Kentucky.

Early years
Iyiegbuniwe attended South Warren High School in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Although as a senior he only played in four games, he tallied 23 tackles and one interception along with six touchdowns. As a junior he made 64 tackles with three interceptions along with four touchdowns. Iyiegbuniwe committed to play football for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in December 2013, choosing them over Indiana State and Southern Illinois.

College career
As a true freshman in 2014, Iyiegbuniwe played in the first three games of Western Kentucky's season before a knee injury ended his season. He elected to take a medical redshirt.

In 2015, as a redshirt freshman, Iyiegbuniwe played in all 14 of Western Kentucky's games, recording 19 tackles and one sack.

In 2016, Iyiegbuniwe, now a redshirt sophomore, once again appeared in all 14 games. He made 64 tackles (10 for loss), 3.5 sacks, three pass deflections and one forced fumble. He was awarded 2016 C-USA Honorable Mention.

As a redshirt junior in 2017, Iyiegbuniwe played in all 13 games, recording 117 tackles (11.5 for loss), two sacks, one pass deflection and three forced fumbles. He was named to the 2017 C-USA First-team. After the season, he declared for the 2018 NFL Draft.

Professional career

Chicago Bears

Iyiegbuniwe was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round (115th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Seattle Seahawks
On March 24, 2022, Iyiegbuniwe signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks. He was released on August 20, 2022.

Carolina Panthers
On October 20, 2022, Iyiegbuniwe was signed to the Carolina Panthers practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on November 19.

Personal life
He is of Nigerian descent.

References

External links
Chicago Bears bio
Western Kentucky bio

1995 births
Living people
American sportspeople of Nigerian descent
Players of American football from Kentucky
American football linebackers
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football players
People from Warren County, Kentucky
Chicago Bears players
Seattle Seahawks players
Carolina Panthers players

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Janet is an educational technology consultant specializing in technology integration, BYOD implementations, interactive whiteboard technologies and mobile learning devices. She has over 30 years experience as a classroom teacher and instructional technology coordinator in Texas public schools and has also been an adjunct education professor at a local university. Her passion for assisting educators learn new strategies for successfully integrating technology into their curriculum has provided her with many opportunities to present at national, state and local conferences and in school districts throughout the United States. She has co-authored four books on technology integration and professional development. Janet served in various positions for the Texas Computer Education Association Board of Directors for several years and was awarded ISTE's Making It Happen award given to leaders in educational technology. In 2014, Janet was selected to be in the inaugural group of Nearpod PioNears, a Seesaw Ambassador and a LiveBinders Certified Trainer.


text:
John Morell (17 February 1733–c. 1776) was an American merchant, planter, and slaveholder.

John Morell was born to Peter Morel, of Zurich, Switzerland, in 1733 in Savannah, Georgia. He married Mary Anne Bourquin, daughter of Henri Francois and Marie Bourquin in 1755. Together they had five children: Peter (1757), John (1759), Mary (1761), Henry, Susannah (1765). After the death of Mary Anne, Morell married Mary Bryan, daughter of Jonathan Bryan and Mary Williamson. With Mary Bryan, Morell had six children: Elizabeth (1767-1769), Bryan, Isaac (1770-1777), Esther (1772), Anne (1774), Hannah. At the time of his death, his estate included 155 enslaved people, which he did not manumit. Instead these people were inherited, along with cattle, by his three living sons.

After marrying his second wife, Morell purchased Ossabaw Island from his new father-in-law (1760, 1763). He began a large timbering, ship-building, and indigo-cultivation enterprise facilitated by the 150 enslaved people recorded in his will. In 1770, he was elected as a member to the American Philosophical Society. He served as delegate to the Provincial Council of Georgia (1774), as a member of the council of safety (1775), and died not long thereafter.

References

1733 births
1770s deaths
Year of death uncertain
Members of the American Philosophical Society


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Like its military-grade siblings, the Lite-Series Solar Stiks™ have dual power-receptacles that allow for connection of additional Solar Stiks™.
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This system makes a great constant power source for emergency home power, tools, computers, Humanitarian relief efforts, or even medical equipment!
Special pricing for federal, state, and local government agencies. Please contact us for more information.
Call 484-593-4262 or email support@altern-energy.com for shipping to your zip code.


text:
Fuck you, you goddamned slant-eyed cocksuckers
February 7, 2008 by Lee
Forget Obama as a postironic candidate. What we have here is a prospective presidency that only a flat-out ironist could love.
But Mr McCain has serious handicaps, too. One is his temper. "It is startling to contemplate how violent John McCain was well into his 20s," notes Matt Welch, a critical biographer. Drunk on shore leave in Cuba, he charged into a brawl between Marines and sailors. He admits to having "loved" such encounters.
Mr McCain no longer brawls, but he still cusses like a sailor, even at fellow senators. He is quick to accuse adversaries of bad faith or even corruption. And he does not seem to care whom he insults. People who insist that Vietnam still holds American prisoners-of-war, for example, he calls "dime-store Rambos".
Most Americans will forgive Mr McCain his wild youth, especially since he freely supplies so many details about strippers, affairs and knocking over power lines while larking about in his plane. Many will turn a deaf ear to his cursing too. It was not diplomatic of him to shout "Fuck you, you goddamned slant-eyed cocksuckers" at the North Vietnamese guards dragging him off to be tortured, but voters will probably cut him some slack, given the circumstances. Plus, and infinitely more important, he has since then pushed hard for reconciliation with Vietnam.
In a Clinton-McCain contest, McCain may well win it.
Social Networks and Power
Granta v. McSweeney's


We are a comprehensive psychiatry residency program with an emphasis on community psychiatry at the San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our program offers a personalized and progressive approach to psychiatry residency training that guides and nurtures each resident to his or her full professional potential. We aim to graduate psychiatrists who excel in psychiatric knowledge and clinical skills while also making a deep impact on the lives of our patients, our system of care, and the field of psychiatry. Our goal is to create a humanistic academic environment that promotes both personal and professional growth and also cherishes our diverse backgrounds, cultures, and belief systems. In the learning environment, we emphasize small group discussions and team-building, and in the greater community we promote a sense of social responsibility and service. Our residents practice and learn within the person-centered, recovery-focused approach of care in our county. We foster innovation and leadership and create opportunities for our residents to be involved in education, systems issues, clinical research, community outreach, quality improvement and other areas of interest.


Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy is one of the two internationally taught and recognised eight-week mindfulness courses (the other being Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, which we also run). MBCT is an intensive, evidence-based mindfulness course geared for anyone seeking an intensive grounding in mindfulness training, or to develop greater self-awareness. The course may also be suitable for those with a history of recurrent depression and/or anxiety. In line with our company ethos, the course will be expertly delivered in a supportive, relaxed setting, led by a sensitive, highly experienced teacher.
What is MBCT and how can it help?
Yoga at the Mill is proud to be offering the ground-breaking MBCT; an intensive eight-week, evidence-based training in mindfulness meditation (with elements from cognitive therapy), for anyone seeking to improve wellbeing through intensive grounding in mindfulness training.
MBCT is offered around the world as a structured eight-week group course. The programme is now recommended by the NHS, for those seeking to enhance emotional, mental and emotional wellbeing through mindfulness training.
Due to some of the contents of the course shining a gentle light of awareness on how we are in relationship to our thoughts and emotions, MBCT may also be suitable for those with a history of low, mood, recurrent depression and/or anxiety.
One of the intentions of the course is to gently interrupt the automatic thought processes that can lead to low mood, depression and/or anxiety, enabling participants to become aware of their own personal trigger points that may lead further towards distress.
Regular and consistent practice of mindfulness meditation has been shown to positively affect how the brain works, and even its structure.
Those undertaking mindfulness training show (in the space of just eight weeks) increased activity in the area of the brain associated with positive emotion – the pre-frontal cortex, which is generally less active when people are feeling down, or depressed. In fact, recent science has shown that MBCT training typically cuts relapse rates for recurrent depression by 50% or more.
Who can benefit from MBCT training?
Over time, the training received by the MBCT course can help anyone develop healthier relationships to their own thoughts and emotions, enabling us to learn life skills to enhance our wellbeing.
However, mindfulness training is no 'quick fix'. It is essential that participants are prepared to (and are in the position to) set aside time for around 30-45 minutes of daily home meditation practice. Please also be aware that the course is not suitable for those currently depressed, or experiencing significant upheaval.
There is no restriction on age or background; the course is open to anyone open to the process. MBCT is taught in an accessible, entirely secular way and is capped at 12 participants.
Connect us to our own emotions without trying to change ourselves in any way.
Week 8 - Maintaining and extending new learning - keep breathing!
October 2 - November 27, 2018: eight Tuesday evenings, 7.30-9.30pm.
- for current students (members and non-members) of Yoga at the Mill, there is a 10% reduction - to £310.
- for previous Mindfulness Foundation students there is also a 10% reduction.
- The full balance in advance.
- A non-refundable 50% deposit to secure a place (balance due 14 days prior to the start of the course).
- monthly installments. The final installment must be paid in the month in which the course begins.
An informal 15-minute telephone chat before enrolment is a prerequisite of the course. In the first instance, please drop us a line via the contact form. We will then be in touch to arrange a chat at your convenience.
Would you like an intensive introduction to mindfulness training and can commit to the process?
Can you commit to spending 30-45 minutes every day practicing MBCT at home?
Are you able to put in the necessary effort to complete the 8 week course?
Are you currently free from moderate-to-severe depression and anxiety?
If you answered 'Yes' to all the above, please get in touch.
Abi Eldred (Cornerstone Psychological Services) is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist with extensive experience of working with emotional and mental health issues. She is keen to promote positive mental wellness and to emphasise the connections between mind, body and mood in order to maintain and improve mental wellbeing, thus reducing stress and anxiety.
Abi is trained in a number of therapeutic approaches including MBCT, CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and EMDR.
"I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the January 2016 MBCT course. I have found it life-changing, and am not sure how I coped without meditation."
Rated: 5 stars out of 5.
"I loved the opportunity to explore different mindfulness techniques. Having weekly homework assingments focused me to practice and incorporate meditation into my daily routine. The teaching and venue were excellent - and our teacher, Abi, was endlessly patient, helpful and enthusiastic."