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Polarization in the US: how the RNC and DNC revealed political contrasts

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As has been the case for the last four years, the American political scene has been characterized by chaos, disunity and social upheaval. Indeed, the DNC presented President Trump as a leader lacking compassion, empathy and understanding for the sanctity of the office he held. On the other hand, the RNC furnished an image of the president as competent and a voice for the blue-collar working class.

If you’re interested in American politics and the upcoming election in November, here’s everything you need to know about the recent conventions.

The DNC

As was to be expected, the DNC focused heavily on the Trump Administration’s apparent failings in handling the coronavirus pandemic and the economic fallout of the health crisis. With the US death toll still rising significantly (despite case numbers falling in recent weeks), the DNC pointed to the current administration’s lack of leadership and understanding of the severity of the crisis as the core reason for the loss of life. At the same time, the DNC tore into President Trump’s temperament and character, arguing that his lack of political nous makes him unsuitable for the title he holds.

The RNC

Conversely, the RNC targeted the recent racial disunity and social instability as grave threats to the traditional American way of life. While the Democrats criticised the administration’s handling of the crisis, the Republicans clamoured for optimism, promising a renaissance was around the corner, which would be threatened by a Democratic victory at the election this year.

What was shared between both conventions was this – that the stakes for an election have never been higher. Both parties outlined how the United States is at a crossroads, arguing that the nation was either on the precipice of greatness or falling away into more chaos and uncertainty.

How to design a comfortable kids bedroom

Kids bedrooms can be the most difficult to design out of any room in the entire house. We all know that kids change their minds like the wind, and they grow up incredibly fast, so any permanent design choices you make could become hated when they get a little older.

The best thing you can do is design a bedroom that grows with the child. This will save you money in the long run, not having to redesign elements to fit the changing tastes and needs of the child.

1.   Make sure there is extra space for furniture

As a child grows, they will collect more personal possessions, and naturally, they will want to keep them in their bedroom. You want to make sure that you have room for extra storage like clothes, drawers and cabinets so that things can stay organised. Make sure you allow some breathing room in one corner of the room so that new furniture can be added over the years.

2.   Go subtle with thematic elements

If you are going to incorporate elements that kids love like animals or pirates or fairies or whatever else, be subtle about it. If you go over the top and design the room with permanent fixtures that are thematic, it won’t give the child room to change their tastes as they grow older.

3.   Don’t use carpet

Carpet in a kids room isn’t a good idea since they will just ruin it. Even if you’ve seen a fantastic carpet with a town printed on it for kids to play on, it’s not going to be worth it at the end of the day, since you will be the once cleaning up the mess.

Hopefully, you can use the above to help you design the kids bedroom.

Easiest way to eat healthy when you’re always busy

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Sometimes, life can get busy. Whether it be because of kids, school, work or just generally don’t have time, it can be hard to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. With the amount of freely available fast food there is, it can be tempting to just eat junk food all day.

First of all, you should get rid of any junk food in the house. Having it in the house will increase the temptation, as it is way too easy to access and have a snack.

Secondly, meal prep! Meal prepping is cooking multiple healthy meals in one go and eating them over the course of a couple days. This is a very good way to keep your healthy food accessible and only requires you to cook once. Remember to spice it up, without variety this can get boring.

These two tips are all you need to keep the healthy diet and lifestyle going!

How to ensure your workplace is COVID-safe

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As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, all public and private spaces must be always made to be COVID-safe. Each region, country, and state jurisdiction has its own set of orders and regulations, designed to combat the spread of the highly-infectious disease. If you operate a business and are unsure how to minimize the risks of adding to the spread of COVID-19, then check out the guidelines below.

Physical distancing

Known as social distancing or physical distancing, individuals must maintain 1.5 metres between each other. This means that in all corporate office spaces, each worker must have 1.5m distance from all other people. The same applies to the hospitality sector, including restaurants, cafes and cinemas. Fitness centers, including gyms and aquatic centers, must also acknowledge the 1.5m rule.

Mask wearing

In many places, mask-wearing is mandatory or strongly recommended; however, this is consistent across jurisdictions. For example, all people in metropolitan Melbourne must wear a face mask or covering when in public, in shopping centres or on public transport. In New South Wales, however, mask-wearing is not mandatory, albeit it is strongly recommended when using public transport. Public and private spaces should encourage mask-wearing where social distancing cannot be followed.

Hygiene requirements

All public spaces should be equipped with adequate sanitary equipment, like hand sanitizers. Stores and public spaces are to be cleaned often, so if you work in an area that has public interaction, all desks, chairs and equipment should be cleaned thoroughly and often.

Signage and posters

For large businesses, it is worth having signage and posters stationed around the office. This will remind people of what they need to be mindful of and how they can make sure they are always following the COVID-safe rules. These posters are free to download off government websites – simply visit your local government website for access and more information.

Confederate monuments removed across Missouri, Texas, Utah, and more states

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The legacy of the United States Civil War is one that continues to echo into the modern-day. While the Southern Confederacy was a secessionist rebellion against the United States of America, it’s validity is still debated to this day.

In the reconstruction period following the end of the civil war, many statues and other monuments were erected honoring confederate leaders across many municipalities around the United States. Ever since the 1960s, there has been a slow and ongoing process of removing these monuments or renaming things that were named after confederate leaders.

The removal of confederate monuments and memorials has become a polarizing issue in the United States. Those who advocate for removal claim that the monuments work to glorify white supremacy and validate a treasonous government that was built around the perpetuation of slavery. Those who fight against removal claim that the statues are a part of history and the heritage of southern Americans.

Many of the statues and monuments were erected during periods of racial hatred, such as the Jim Crow era that forced the segregation of black Americans. Since the victories of the Civil Rights movement, there has been a gradual process to remove these monuments.

Public opinion on the removal of these monuments has historically been split along political lines, with Democrats favoring removal and Republicans favoring preservation. After major killings of African Americans by police in America, there have been larger pushes to remove the monuments as part of a large wave of anti-racist sentiment.

It seems as though the trajectory of removals will continue to speed up over the years as more attention is brought to issues surrounding race relations in America. There is no doubt that the topic of racism is intrinsically tied to these monuments to the confederacy.

How to stay motivated to eat healthy

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Healthy eating is so important for health, and diet is the major reason for one’s health. With healthy eating becoming more and more recognised as something that should be taken seriously, more and more of the population are taking it up. But is it possible to continue on with a healthy eating diet forever? How do people stay motivated to eat healthy when it can seem all so boring after a while? Here are some ways to stay motivated and to continue to eat healthy.

Remember why you started

Everyone has their own personal reason as to why they started to eat healthy. It could be to lose weight, because they didn’t feel good about how they looked or they had some form of medical issue which could have been fixed or reduced with a healthier diet. This covers most of the reasons people would have. Regardless of the reason, it is important to remember why you started this journey, and it will help you to continue it.

Prioritize meal prepping and shopping

It is important to treat this journey as something major in your life, and give it some priority. Without giving it priority, you will find excuses as to why you can’t do it. If you prioritize it, it becomes a habit and a habit is something you will always do. Make your health a priority.

Don’t be afraid to get help

This journey can be hard, and sometimes it’s easier to get help from a professional such as a nutritionist or dietician to help you. There is no shame in that, and these people are there specifically to help you in this type of journey. Getting professional help can be very beneficial, and plenty of people do so to help them on their healthy eating journey.

These have been some tips to stay motivated on your healthy eating journey. It can be tough sometimes but through organization, prioritization and possibly professional help, it is entirely possible to stay on the ball. A little self-discipline and remembering why you started this journey will go a long way in helping you to keep motivated.

How is crime portrayed in the media and why it matters

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It is well known that the media likes to exaggerate many things in order to increase viewership and draw in attention from current viewers. This works in their favour as it brings in more viewers; however it can cause society to have a skewed and unrealistic view on crime, and cause adverse effects that ultimately are not helpful.

Crime is regularly reported on in the media, as it is something that people are always interested in, especially violent crime. However, the exaggeration and over reporting of violent crime can lead many in society to believe that the occurrence of such is a regular and widespread thing. This results in a large portion of the community in fear over being the victim of violent crime, whereas the likelihood of an event of that nature happening to them is slim. This has been observed in many western countries, with the fear of a terrorist attack being one of the biggest in America, whereas the chances of it happening are very slim compared to more common events such as car accidents.

Moreover, the over portrayal of crime can fuel prejudice against certain groups, as well as increased and over the top measures to fight crime which are completely unnecessary.

This results in many in the community imagining themselves being the victim of such a crime related scenario, which creates fear, prejudice and possibly more crime, where violence against certain groups increase. Systematic prejudices can also increase at the hands of law enforcement and other government agencies, creating more problems than solutions.

In conclusion, the media plays a huge part in how the world is seen by society, and the over portrayal of crime, especially violent crime, can result in fear mongering, prejudice and injustice.

Kygo, Alan Walker & Wiese: What is it about the city of Bergen?

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Alan Walker and Kygo are familiar names to those who follow electropop music, but have you heard of Wiese? Wiese is a fast-rising songwriters, music producer and DJ. Like his two mentioned colleagues, Wiese is also from Norway. Actually they all come from the same city, the city of Bergen.

We are not talking about a big city like New York, London or Tokyo here, but a small city with less than 300,000 inhabitants, located on the west coast of Norway.

Traditionally, Bergen has been internationally known for aquaculture, shipping, the offshore petroleum industry and subsea technology. And a lot of rain. In recent years, the city has made a name for itself as an international music city. Names like Alan Walker and Kygo have already been mentioned, but behind them we can find some really interesting up and coming stars.

Kygo
Kygo

One of them is the music producer and songwriter Wiese or Trygve Wiese-Haugland which is his real name. During the first six months of 2020, Wiese has released four songs and amassed an incredible ten million plays on Spotify. These plays are roughly split fifty-fifty between Norway and the rest of the world, which highlights the potential for Wiese as an international artist.

Wiese
Wiese

So, how can it be that a small town like Bergen can educate so many international electropop talents?

To get an answer to this, we need to turn to the special Bergen culture. People who live in Bergen are known for having extra self-confidence, courage and drive. These are all qualities that are important for success in whatever you do. They are also qualities that are important if one is to succeed in competing in an international arena, where the competition is all the higher.

Furthermore, the size of the city is also well suited. It is large enough to have its own home market, but also not larger than it is possible to establish oneself and make oneself known without drowning in the masses. In this way, the city functions as a suitable environment for trying and failing, and as an international catalyst as soon as one has found what works and what does not.

Alan Walker
Alan Walker

Like his Norwegian music colleagues Alan Walker and Kygo, Wiese also make catchy melodies and pulsating beats. One difference, so far at least, is that Wiese still releases all music on his own independent label. As his career progresses and he gets even more international attention, Wiese will probably also have to team up with a major label. Until then, it is exciting to see how far he can go without such backing.

And how far one can go only by being blessed with genes from Bergen.

Tips for buying a family home

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Buying a house for your family is one of the most significant life decisions you will ever face. It is a considerable investment that requires careful consideration. You need to take into account the immediate needs of your family, as well as the requirements they will have decades in the future.

If you are planning to have, or have just had, your first child, then you no doubt want to buy a home that will be big enough for them to grow in. The more children you plan to have, the more rooms you will need in the house to accommodate them.

Similarly, you want to try and invest in a place that has a backyard so that the kids have room to play outside. A yard is also useful if you’re going to have a pet.

You also want to make sure you buy a house with a great kitchen space. Home cooking is the secret to health and happiness as a family, so make sure that you invest in a kitchen that has enough room for the cooking activities you want to do and is going to be easy to clean before and after you get to work.

Make sure the house you buy also has spacious storage areas that you can keep all of the things you will undoubtedly accumulate as a family. Even if you are diligent in ensuring that you keep accumulation to a minimum, there will always be a large amount of stuff that collects when you own a permanent family residence, especially when you have kids that grow up there.

You should also think about the needs of you and your partner. Buying a house that is only suited to kids won’t leave you very happy as an adult. Find the balance.

Easy ways to spice up your kitchen

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Whether you’re just bored of the way your kitchen looks, or you think there are changes you can make to it that would really make it ‘pop’, spicing up your kitchen is always a good idea. It doesn’t have to cost a huge amount of money, and can be done in your own time. Here are some ways to spice up your kitchen.

Adding a rug

You would be surprised how much better a kitchen can look just by adding a rug. Adding a rug gives the kitchen some life through colour and design. Adding that flare to the room ensures that when people walk in, they will notice the colour immediately, and if accented well with the décor it can look amazing. A rug can also add comfort, as the softness can be nice underneath a dining table or before the sink for when you’re cleaning the dishes. If your kitchen isn’t in the best shape, a rug can be used to cover up impurities.

Replacing the tap

If your tap is starting to look a bit old and tired, it may be a good idea to replace it. Typically, it is one of those things that is very noticeable in a kitchen, and having a modern tap design can help make your kitchen look fancy and modern. This doesn’t cost as much as you’d think, and once the tap is bought, it can be replaced on your own. To add to this, something small like having a new or clean sponge can make all the difference in the world in making your kitchen look clean and modern.

Add a pop of colour

If your kitchen has a common design and style, it’s likely that in follows generally a one or two colour scheme, usually white. This can be a bit boring to look at, and most will get bored of it day after day. Adding a pop of colour in the kitchen will make it look more alive. This can be achieved with a fruit bowl of colourful fruit, or some flowers.

In summary, a kitchen can be boring to look at day after day, and some small minor changes to spice it up can make a big difference in how it is perceived.