Social Media Secure: Keeping Your Kids Safe Online

Two focuses of my blog are Current Events and Technology. In our new digital world, social media and reached into pretty much every aspect of life. On top of that, pretty much every generation is now using social media. It’s fun for young kids but it poses numerous dangers as well. The following contributed post is entitled, Social Media Secure: Keeping Your Kids Safe Online.

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Social networking platforms are incredibly popular and the number of users every day is growing more and more. The general feeling is about safety and security as more and more individuals flood to use them. When millions of people use social media, they have to be secure, don’t they?

In reality, just like any other website, Facebook, Snapchat, Tik Tok, and Kik have their fair share of security problems, many of which have been addressed in the media. Some of the problems are due to technological issues, and others are due to the individuals using them.

This is a problem for everyone, but it needs to be tackled because children and adolescents, who are especially vulnerable, make up such a large percentage of users. Fortunately, with a few simple steps, you can protect your identity and account, as well as those belonging to your teenager.

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Put limits on social media use

A UNICEF study notes that ‘some time on social media is actually good‘ and that it can be positive for the social relationships of children. Given the present conditions that we find ourselves in with COVID-19, this is even more plausible. Social media gives us the chance to stay in touch with families and friends around the globe and to keep up-to – date with global events.

With the average teenager, however, spending about nine hours a day on a laptop-how much is too much screen time? The general guideline is about two or three hours in total, although it naturally varies from person to person. According to Monitoring the Future, anything more than that and social media can lead to feelings of anxiety and unhappiness.

Keep an eye on their online behaviour

There are different apps that you can use to keep an eye on what your child is doing on different social media platforms, as we mentioned above. It is a way to make sure that any would-be predators, who are very good at fooling kids and teenagers into thinking they are someone they are not, and are not grooming them. It also helps to give you an idea of whether there is any cyberbullying or other unpleasant behaviour going on. In more extreme circumstances, you can hire a hacker for cell phone to watch everything that is happening.

Talk about privacy settings

The privacy settings on many social media networks can be so nuanced that even the most tech-savvy of adults fail to get their heads around it, let alone kids. It is important, however, to do your research and check everything. The fewer details that strangers will see, the better. Discuss the data they post on social media and discourage images that reveal where they go to school or where they live from being posted.

Unfortunately, teens and kids can almost always get around using social media and get into trouble with them, so by putting these tips into effect, you will reduce the chance of this happening and keep them safer for longer.

The Not So Secret Life of Your Voting Record

A key focus of my blog is Current Events. The United States is on the precipice of potentially the most pivotal election in history at potentially the most tumultuous time in its history. We’re in an environment where it isn’t necessarily safe to say who your voting preference is. Even if you don’t disclose it yourself, is your voting record still confidential? The following contributed post is entitled, The Not So Secret Life of Your Voting Record.

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How you vote in the next election is confidential. But whether you are a democrat or republican is not the only piece of information that is recorded when you send in your ballot. Many citizens make the mistake of thinking that all the information associated with their vote remains private, but the reality is very different.

What details are recorded?

When you register to vote, your data is stored in your state’s voting records. Identifying details such as your;

-Name
-Date and place of birth
-Gender
-Social security number
-Passport and/or license number
-Family names and maiden names
-Address (including previous addresses), and
-Contact information such as email and phone numbers

Who can access my record?

Not all of this information is publicly available, however, your name, address, and party affiliation is available, regardless of state. Apps such as OutVote and VoteWithMe make these records easily accessible by the general public. Additional information may be accessed by law enforcement or purchased from the registry by political parties.

State law dictates who can access records, and how the information can be used. It is generally the case that third parties can view your voting history online. The intent of this publicly available information is not generally for commercial purposes; however, it is rare that there are specific safeguards in place to prevent this being the case.

Whilst there are strict state and federal laws surrounding voter records and the safety of voter information, there have been incidents where this information has been unlawfully offered up for sale in the public domain.

How can I privatise my record?

You may be exempt from being required to have your information on the public voter registry. Status as a protected voter is given on a case by case basis, and can include:

-Law enforcement officers and their spouses
-Victims and witnesses of crime (including domestic violence)
-Healthcare professionals, including volunteers
-Some healthcare patients
-Foster parents

4 Financial Issues Today’s Youth

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Current Events. Even before Covid-19, the younger generations faced new challenges and a vastly different economic landscape in comparison to those the Baby Boomers and their predecessors. Many of the challenges involve finding work, and being competitive in today’s and tomorrow’s workforce. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Financial Issues Today’s Youth.

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Young people are facing numerous financial challenges today. Let’s explore some of the biggest issues that they will need to overcome.

Buying Property

The first major problem facing young people today is the challenge of buying property. It’s fair to say that buying your first home used to be a lot easier. Today, homes are more expensive and lenders are less likely to take a chance on someone that doesn’t have a healthy record when it comes to borrowing. Buyers are also going to have to spend some time exploring the market to find the right home for them. However, there are still some great opportunities out there including the houses from Cami Jones & Company.

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Saving A Pension

If it’s difficult for young people to buy property, it’s virtually impossible for them to save a pension. The only real way to do this is to ensure that you are building up your savings as much as possible each month. One of the options here would be to set up a second or third income. You can also think about focusing less on things that you enjoy such as holidays and meals out. However, many young individuals are left wondering about the point of this if they are constantly saving for tomorrow and not enjoying today. Ultimately, it’s going to be a balancing act and young people will constantly need to try and keep their finances healthy while also ensure that they are actually able to enjoy their life.

Gaining Job Security

A key issue for the next generation will be finding a job that provides security and stability. This is due to the fact that a lot of businesses are now establishing a model where they use freelancers. The benefit for businesses is obvious. With freelancers, business owners don’t have to worry about offering employees with expensive incentives. They can also dodge the issue of needing to provide redundancy settlement packages. Instead, employers are free to cut and hire employees as they like. By 2021, it’s expected that more than half of the American workforce will be freelancers. Hopefully, new laws and regulations will come in to protect these individuals. For now, though, young workers will need to learn how to survive on an income that is constantly in flux.

Paying Off Debts

Finally, one of the biggest challenges that are certainly impacting the youth of today is the issue of attempting to clear debts. Specifically, we need to think about the issue of student loans. Student loans can be hundreds of thousands of dollars, plummeting young individuals into high levels of debt before they ever have a chance to build up a solid career. If you are worried about this, then you can think about the support offered by the government. You should also be working to pay off your debt little by little each month. One of the ways you can do this is by setting up a direct debit to repay your debt and save as much money as you can, even as you are going through college.

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Resurrect Your Business Post-Pandemic Using These 4 Ways

Three of the focuses of my blog are Current Events, Business/Entrepreneurship and Organizational and Management Discussions. Many businesses were levelled by the Coronavirus/Covid-19 Crisis/Pandemic while others were able to hang on, albeit by a thread. For this who have survived and in position to rebound, it’s important to have a plan of attack. The following contributed post is entitled, Resurrect Your Business Post-Pandemic Using These 4 Ways.

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Nobody knows when the COVID-19 pandemic will end. As a result, researchers and medical experts have suggested that we exist together with the virus for the time being since it could take several months or possibly years to develop an effective vaccine. This means adherence to social distancing protocol is expected to remain a part of the new normal. But what does this mean for businesses?

A recent report has proposed that close to 7.5 million small enterprises in the United States risk closing down in the next few months as COVID-19 continues to impose enormous business challenges. However, this could be considered as one of the many setbacks faced by businesses, and you may need to gear up for a comeback. Are you wondering how? These four tips should help your business to work its way back from the crisis.

1. Create a plan for the comeback

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Lack of proper planning can only compound your challenges further, therefore, you must develop a clear strategy that will guide you towards your targeted business goals. The list must be explicit on what must be done today to achieve the results you want tomorrow. Per the current situation, businesses are more focused on survival than growth. To develop a good plan, find answers to questions such as the following; what parts of the business are collapsing rapidly due to the crisis? What part of the company can I change to adapt to the times? In answering them, think deeply and broadly, and into the future.

2. Understand the impact of Covid-19 on business culture and identity

Just as the pandemic has affected different aspects of our lifestyle, it is very likely to impact business cultures and identity. Challenges can bring people together or likewise set them apart depending on their level of trust. This moment presents an excellent opportunity to view your business perspective and how it might evolve. How prepared is your business to handle this crisis? Will the pandemic unite people or set them apart? How different will they see your business post-pandemic? Your answers to these questions will inform what you can achieve after the pandemic.

3. Do you need to launch new products?

Like “Black Swan” events, the current pandemic has increased innovation and more resilient start-up businesses than before. What opportunities does the COVID-19 pandemic present? Growing challenges present businesses with ideas worth exploring, but in doing so, you need to set priorities to avoid starting multiple projects which will depend on the same limited resources. For example, COVID-19 has led to the increasing demand for protective equipment like face masks, hand sanitizers, and HDPE gloves. Several manufacturers have therefore shifted to PPE production for health workers and the general population, to combat the virus and keep their company afloat.

4. Are you ready to execute your plans and projects?

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Finally, it would be best if you considered the readiness of your business to start projects. Is your business prepared to take on and finish up new projects? You would have to consider the significant contrasts in preparedness at the individual, group, company, and public levels. Current available resources, coupled with the speed and dynamic processes required differ significantly, and these variations play a considerable role in determining whether or not you will succeed. Training is one thing that would prove helpful as a way of upgrading your business’ human resources.

Opening Your Restaurant Safely During COVID-19

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Current Events. One of the many adverse sectors adversely impacted by Covid-19 is the restaurant industry. Proprietors have been able to reopen with specific safeguards in place and adapting as time progresses. The following contributed post is entitled, Opening Your Restaurant Safely During COVID-19.

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There are some places in the world that are opening their restaurants and cafes and trying to get back to normal. In the current pandemic climate, opening the doors to anywhere to “get back to normal” doesn’t feel possible. The good news is that there are plenty of things that you can do as a restaurant owner to make sure that your restaurant is COVID safe. The problem is that people are being given mixed signals by the government about what to do.

As a business owner, you want people to feel comfortable coming into your establishment, which means that you need to do everything that you can to show them that you are confident about your service and how you are handling the pandemic. Most people will find that they won’t eat in restaurants at this time, and ideally, you will be offering a delivery service to keep business afloat. If not, it’s time to offer this as a service and appeal to the masses. Other than this, here are some things that you can do to stay safe with your restaurant opening at this time.

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Offer Outdoor Seating
If you have the space and the permission, one of the best things that you can do to show people that you are minimizing risk is to open seating outdoors. The risk of contracting the virus is lower outdoors, and there can be more space between tables if you have a garden or front yard space to fill with tables and chairs. You could always keep it bistro-style, too, where the tables outside are for those with a coffee and a pastry rather than full dinners. Advertise this service online, so that people coming to your establishment know that there are options to not be cooped up inside.

Arrange A Booking-Only Policy
It’s nice to pop into a restaurant without a booking, but with a pandemic, it will be better for your business to have people only allowed in if they book in advance. When they do this, you can plan the seating better to keep people socially distanced. Offer a texting service, too, so that people who have a booking can be reminded the day before.

Set Up Hand Sanitizer Stations
Outside the restaurant, encourage patrons to use hand sanitizer. Add some to the bathrooms and have an indoor station for on the way out of the restaurant, too. Don’t allow staff to wear gloves, as these can transfer bacteria when they’re not changed after every use.

Invest In Cleaners
You can ask that your current cleaning company is retrained to handle the deeper clean that COVID demands, but you can also hire professionals. Commercial cleaners like HOODZ need to be on standby to do the deeper clean in the kitchen, and you will be able to guarantee to your patrons that you are meeting all health regulations in the light of this pandemic. They should come in frequently to ensure the kitchens are up to cleaning standards at all times. You must be strict about this and include it in your budget.

Offer Masks To Staff
While your patrons do not have to wear masks while they eat, your staff absolutely do. Wait staff and kitchen cooks need to have masks on so as to avoid transmission of any bacteria. It also ensures that people feel confident eating in your restaurant. If they can visibly see that you are taking the pandemic seriously, they are more likely to recommend your site.

Ensure Good Ventilation
The bigger the space, the better the ventilation in the premises. Remove some tables to create that space if necessary. This will give people more room and they won’t be elbow to elbow with people at the next table over.

Promote Social Distancing
Where possible, guests need to be far apart from each other. Whether you are inside or outside with your restaurant, create enough space for social distancing to be possible. While this pandemic is still happening, you need to think of everything that you can do to stick by the rules as set forth by the health ministers.

You want to continue to set an example for your customers as much as possible. Business continuity is so important, and you can ensure that people are comfortable with your approach and set a good example for the community, too. Your business needs to be seen to play by the rules – and it will keep everyone safe when you do.

What Can We Do To Honor Our Veterans?

Two key focuses of my blog are Current Events and Health/Wellness. We owe so much to our military veterans, but we often take their sacrifices for granted. For all they give we owe it to them to take care of them once they’ve fulfilled their service. The following contributed post is entitled, What Can We Do To Honor Our Veterans?

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Before, we have looked at the question of why it’s important to honor veterans. Even for those who are, at best, skeptical about the role our armed forces play overseas should be able to appreciate the difficulty that our veterans go through for what they accept are just causes. However, aside from accepting that we should, indeed, honor our veterans, what can we do to actually do it?

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Volunteer in local nonprofits
There are a lot of nonprofit organizations and charities aimed directly at helping to meet the needs of the many veterans who do not get as much help as they should. Veteran Affairs offices are almost always looking for volunteers and there are even transport networks that can help take you to the places where veterans need your help, such as health centers designed to provide them with the medical care that they need. Veterans are amongst some of the most marginalized groups in our communities, so anywhere you can help the community, you’re likely to be helping them, too.

Give how you can
There are a lot of great causes that specifically look into the interests of veterans, such as advocacy programs, care package programs, and even vehicle donation campaigns. Give as is according to your ability and your wants. For instance, there are efforts that take money in order to help veterans who have been wounded and are in recovery, needing money for their treatment. However, these places will just as easily and gladly accept people who are willing to write letters of support to help those soldiers get through tough periods of recovery, especially when they don’t have too many personal contacts to care for them.

Remember them
There are those veterans who don’t make it home, or who we have outlived. For them, remembering the sacrifice they gave for the country is as important as anything. As such, with items like flag cases for veterans, you can make sure that they are given the respects and memorial that they deserve. If you don’t know the veteran individually, then you can instead make sure that their grave is tended to with flowers and kept safe. Everyone deserves to be remembered and veterans deserve to have their service remembered, too.

Support their efforts to rejoin society
Even those who make it home permanently can have a very tough time reintegrating into society. As such, aside from taking part in volunteer efforts to give them the skills and road they need to get back into civilian life, you can also ensure that you’re supporting veteran businesses. When you need new products or services, look to see if there are veteran-owned businesses in your area providing them using the online resources available. You can suit your own needs while helping at the same time.

How far you want to go in honoring your veterans, including those you know personally, those local, or those throughout the country, is up to you. If you feel the inclination, however, there are options and real ways that you can help.

What Will Post-Covid Events Look Like?

Two key focuses of my blog are Current Events and Technology. The stark reality is that our world may be considerably different than what it used to be post-Covid. We will likely see a world that has a greater digital presence. The following contributed post is entitled, What Will Post-Covid Events Look Like?

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We are not going back to the safety of our pre-COVID lifestyle any time soon. Admittedly, it’s hard to imagine that the current pandemic will turn into a permanent health threat. However, businesses will likely face more than one COVID wave, so it’s essential to start thinking outside the box.

We can’t arrange for life events in the way we used to anymore – at some point in the future, it will be safe again. Therefore, businesses need to create health-conscious events that are engaging, exciting, and safe for the time being. For marketers, making health a strategic priority at the same level than any other objective requires a change of mindset. As useful as Zoom meetings have been since March 2020 – they’ve virtually rescued many companies from bankruptcy –, you need to think above and beyond the simple webcam trick.

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A digital event only

Of course, video conferences and workshops remain a safe option for participants and guests. However, Zoom meetings and other popular video alternatives can lack engagement on a large scale. Turning a digital event into a platform for exchange can rely on smart and cost-effective social media strategies. Indeed, you can use social media to build a digital presence for your brand, ensuring that the event gets sufficient buzz online ahead of schedule. You can prepare your platform with event-related content. Uniqlo is a brand that has relied heavily on social media events to reach out to new audience groups.

A safe-distancing show

Can you be COVID-safe without going online? As the current restrictions are easing, you can arrange for an open event as long as your guests are social-distancing accordingly. A VIP event with a reduced number of guests can be the perfect answer to your problems. You can even record video material using a drone and a camera – if you’re not sure where to start, check online articles such as the RC Hobby Review. Once edited, the recording videos can be put together into a sum-up of the event. You can also add light features – LEDs are ideal for branding messaging on social-distancing venues!

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A video community

Have you ever considered organizing an event when participants are in different places? You can encourage participants to send their videos on a specific topic, which can be edited to be played as part of branding films, for instance. Depending on your participants’ reputations, you can turn the events into a live-tweeting contest as you release the film.
Alternatively, you can also consider lifestreaming videos. While the effect may seem more real and engaging, streaming technology focuses on one venue only, which reduces the number of guests.

Storytelling via a mic

Everybody loves a good story, which is why podcasts are so popular. Podcasts are not life events; however, you can set up a recording studio with a streaming service. You can record guests via an online connection, running your podcasts on a communication tool such as Skype or Whatsapp calls. There may be a few microseconds delay due to broadband facilities, but you can ask in real-time questions that auditors are sending.

Are life events going to disappear? The answer is no. However, we need to adapt and transform our strategies to keep businesses and people safe. COVID-friendly events do not have to feel like another work Zoom meeting. On the contrary, you can get creative and design exciting arrangements for all.

How Has Covid Changed The Sporting World

Three focuses of my blog are Athletics/Sports, Business/Entrepreneurship and Current Events. The Coronavirus/Covid-19 Crisis/Pandemic has exerted a lot of changes on our world. One aspect which has been particularly affected is the sporting world, and it’s yet to be determined if it will recover. The following contributed post is entitled, How Has Covid Changed The Sporting World.

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COVID-19 has triggered an unprecedented hit on the world. Some businesses have been forced to close their doors while entire countries have been impacted by deep recessions. Everyone is struggling with how to keep things as normal as possible and the reality is that this may no longer be an option. Instead, we might be forced to adapt to a new normal and whatever that entails. This is certainly true for the sporting industry which has been dealt with massive blows due to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s worth exploring the impact the virus has had on the sporting world and the potential solutions of tomorrow.

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Keeping Things Safe

The first challenge faced by the sporting world is continuing to operate while keeping everyone safe. By everyone, this includes the players and the spectators or viewers. So, let’s start with the viewers. Currently, the primary mindset is that there shouldn’t be any spectators. Instead, sporting events are using and relying on virtual crowds to provide the cheers and energy of a typical game or match. Spectators are not permitted to be in the stadiums or arenas and this does make a lot of sense. After all, it’s difficult to maintain social distancing measures in an arena filled with thousands of people.

This puts the players in danger too. Speaking of the players, certain leagues have taken drastic measures to protect the wellbeing of their teams while allowing them to continue to play. This has been necessary in the case of contact sports like basketball. Indeed, the NBA is currently operating in a bubble and using an arena to play matches in Disney World Orlando. This might seem odd however it’s working quite well. Players stay at the Disney hotel, get shuttles over to matches, and keep separate from everyone else. Disney even manages to generate a solid revenue which the company desperately needs as they fight their own COVID-19 battle in the trenches.

There is also controversy as some leagues including the NBA have managed to gain access to fast testing kits before other communities. The official response to this was that the NBA is a business and therefore can pay the premium to gain tests for its employees. It’s easy to forget this but at its center, the sports world is a business machine or rather multiple business machines. So, perhaps it’s worth exploring how COVID-19 has impacted revenue.

Recovering Losses

The sports industry is estimated to be worth more than $471bn. This number has been climbing steadily for a number of years. It’s worth noting that there are numerous sections of the industry including broadcasting, sponsorships, and advertising as well as match day revenue. It’s also worth noting that every aspect of this industry, every piece of the puzzle has been hit by COVID-19.

So one of the biggest issues right now is the lack of live entertainment. While there are exceptions, and we’ve already mentioned a couple of these, in most cases live games are simply not happening. So sports businesses have to find new ways to engage and interact with their players. Take bets as an example. Businesses have run virtual events for pundits to bet on instead of actual games. This happened with horse riding in the UK. The good news is that you can now take bets on things like Browns Super Bowl 2021 odds, but things aren’t fully back to normal just yet. There’s still a long way to go.

Some sports broadcasters are currently focusing on showing classic games. This might be enough for some people to continue to pay a subscription but others won’t be convinced that it’s worth their time or their money. However, certain businesses have seen success here. The NFL ensures that every game since 2009 was available for streaming and increased daily signups for their service by 500.

Other broadcasters have been searching for other events to broadcast. This has led to an increased focus on e-sports. It’s a lot easier to run and stream e-sports events remotely and maintain social distancing measures between players. As such, it has been the obvious choice of replacement but it’s nowhere near as popular as typical sports events.

Delays And Cancellations

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Certain sports events have been canceled or postponed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The action taken seems to differ depending on the country, the type of sport, and the people in charge. For instance, there are some questions surrounding whether the NFL season will be postponed to a later date but there is no confirmation as to whether this will happen right now.

The Olympics has been shifted back an entire year which was the only plausible option. There was no way to run an event like that during a massive international pandemic. For several weeks, it looked as though those in charge would press forward with the plans but this quickly changed as the pandemic grew worse.

National lockdowns have led to the postponement of various sporting events. The premier league in the UK was stopped for numerous weeks before starting up again so that a champion could be named. In other countries like Africa, semi-finals of the African Champion League were postponed indefinitely. The Belgian cup final has also been put on hold and the CONCACAF finals have moved to a later date as well.

Why Is The Sports Industry Crucial?

If you have no interest in sports, then you might be wondering why it’s so important that the sports industry bounces back from this. The reality is that we have already provided the answer to this question. The sports industry has tremendous value and covers a large chunk of the economy. If it goes down, it will have a ripple effect. People will lose jobs, companies will close and the entire entertainment sector will have to shift. Luckily, there is virtually no chance that this is going to happen. While the sporting world has taken a nasty hit, it will bounce back. It will recover.

When Will Things Return To Normal?

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Obviously, a key question that people want to be answered is when are things going to return to normal. When are we going to be able to enjoy sports the way we used to. Unfortunately, the answers are cloudy at best. While we can hope that things are back to normal by 2021, this is unlikely to be the case. Many businesses are preparing for a long haul in terms of the coronavirus with some experts predicting that it could remain a major issue for several years. This will all but certainly be the case if no vaccine is found. Don’t forget, when a vaccine has been found it will still be nearly a full year before it has been administered to the general public. So, we are still quite a way off of a miracle cure.

It seems then that instead of preparing for things to return to normal sports companies and businesses are going to have to learn how to adapt in a variety of different ways. Ultimately, this is going to be the deciding factor that determines whether the sports industry continues to survive in its current form.

Will We Watch Sports Again The Way We Used To?

With a high level of uncertainty floating around when things will return to normal, there’s another question to answer. Will things ever go back to the way they were? Thankfully, the answer is likely to be yes. There’s a lot of fear currently surrounding how the general public is going to react. For instance, cinema owners are concerned that the longer things remain closed, the more accustomed customers will become to simply watching the new movies at home. While the days of the cinema might now be numbered, it’s worth remembering that cinema was already on its way out. Ticket prices were too high and people were finding it easier than ever to get the same type of content at home thanks to resources like Netlfix. However, sports are a whole other type of beast. Sporting events provide a group think that is virtually euphoric when you’re part of a crowd. It’s irresistible and for many completely addictive. That’s why there’s no doubt that once it is safe, people will return to the stadiums to watch their favorite teams play.

For the time being, sports fans will have to settle for enjoying watching games and events in a virtual world. When stadiums do reopen to the public, it will only be a smaller crowd that’s allowed in. There are going to be even more safety measures in place too. However, fans are going to adapt to these changes, and more than that they’ll embrace them. Yes, these changes are likely to be with us for a number of years but it’s nothing new. It’s just like when metal detectors were introduced and bag checks came into force. This is just a different type of threat and the sports industry needs to adapt.

We hope this helps you understand the key ways that COVID has changed the sporting world and why this is so important.

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Making The Most Of The Weekend And Embracing The ‘Now Normal’

Two key focuses of my blog are Current Events and Health/Wellness. In the aftermath the Coronavirus/Covid-19 crisis/pandemic, many people have been forced to evolve in terms of leisure activities on the weekends. What kinds of things can we do under lockdown conditions and even as those conditions ease? The following contributed post is entitled, Making The Most Of The Weekend And Embracing The ‘Now Normal’.

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Don’t you find that the weekends just go too quickly at the moment? You blink and it seems you miss them if you are not careful. Another issue people are finding is that these days are all the same thanks to lockdown measures and finding it hard to differentiate between a weekday and a weekend, especially if you work from home. However, it is important to remember that the weekends are there to ensure that you get the rest and relaxation that you need to help you crack on with the next week ahead. Now more than ever it is important for you to try and gain some structure and new normal in your life, and making more of your weekends could be one of the best ways to do it to help you have the difference and separation between work and home life. They are also a great opportunity to do different things and really experience the world. Even if we are a little restricted at the moment.

So what can you do? It is easier than you think to start trying to make more of your weekends and trying to have that serration between weekday and weekend. Here are some of the ways you can continue to feel fabulous and make the most of your weekends.

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Do something to inspire you

Sometimes it is nice to do something that inspires you, and often things like going to a museum or an art gallery does exactly that. It gives you a chance to learn and expand your knowledge while also feeling inspired in different ways. Museums and galleries are penned with new social distance measure sin place so it can be a great way to get out and about and do something different. You might not be sure what is open, however a quick search online will highlight some of the local attractions you have close to you and enable you to buy an online ticket. Some places may have specific times etc. You may find that there are some great spots locally you didn’t know existed and it is a great time to support local businesses.

Exercise and feel good

Exercising is a great way to spend your weekend and while you won’t’ be doing it all day everyday, there are aspects of activity you can do during the weekend that not only give you all the benefits of exercise but can also give you a fun activity and thing to do. Hiking, walking, and running are all activities that can be enjoyed over the course of a weekend and right now are easily done without the need to head to a gym or a busier place.

Get lost in a film or show

When everything’s going a little crazy, one of the best things to do is get lost in a film or show. Switching on your TV or powering up your laptop can help to distract you from the chaos, allowing you to get immersed in a totally different plot or storyline. There are so many different films and shows to watch in today’s modern world, and countless ways to access them. You can sign up to one of the many online streaming services, or even explore IPTV channels to watch films and shows from around the globe. Grab some snacks and get comfortable on the sofa, switching down the lights to get the full cinema experience. You can even invest in a large projector screen so that you can watch your films and shows theater-style!

Catch up with friends and family

Maybe you want to socialise over the weekend and I don’t blame you. It is one of the only opportunities you get to enjoy a later night than usual without the follow up of having to get up super early for work or other commitments in your life. You could even combine it with watching a sporting event together or even having a bit of competition amongst friends. Maybe even bet on Kentucky Derby 2020 or try your hand at predicting the correct score. Catching up with friends and family is a great way to spend your weekend.

Cook up a storm

Not all of us get the time to cook up meals from scratch during the week so use the time you have on the weekend to your advantage and really cook something up. Cooking can actually be very therapeutic as well so you may find that it is a relaxing activity as well as fun one.

Enjoy a pamper session

Again during the week we often don’t get much time in the evenings to ourselves, so a weekend is the ideal time to reinvest some time into yourself. It could be that you enjoy a pamper evening where you put on a face mask, or even just enjoy a long soak in the bath with a good book.

Head out and help local restaurants

Finally, so many businesses had to close so now that they are open why not support them and head out for a meal or a coffee. These places are following government guidelines so are keeping tables at a distance and ensuring that you will feel safe in their environment. It will support them and also give you a sense of normality back into your life.

Let’s hope that this has given you some inspiration on how you can make the most of your weekends.

Why History Can Reshape And Politics

Two key focuses of my blog are Current Events and General Education. History is a core course in many curricula. It’s not always taken seriously, but it has the ability shape minds and the perceptions of whole populations of people. The following contributed post is entitled, Why History Can Reshape And Politics.

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History itself, written from the stories of towns, people and written into books, helps form new views and changes within communities and within people. We tend to separate history into oral and written. The first usually narrates the actions of invisible men, while the second tends to narrate the clichés of prominent men in order not to be forgotten. The muse of history is considered to be Klio, daughter of Zeus and Memorial. Its name comes from the ancient Greek verb close, which means I narrate or make something known. According to Nietzsche, from the birth of Christ, the zero point of history, history as the truth of human life was detached from its essential character, fell into a linear record of events regardless of the unfolding of life, but also of the future of man. Life began to degenerate, from the moment people stopped associating history with life and vital action. The famous German thinker is by no means against history, on the contrary he argues that historical knowledge is valuable, as long as we know how to use it, so that it serves life and offers outlets to promote its security.

Photo: Unsplash

The Mayor of Irvington NJ has learned all too well some incredible political lessons from both history and D. Bilal Beasley who taught him the possibility of change. So why do we learn so much from history and from books when these experiences have not directly affected us ourselves? Well, that is because that we do learn from other people’s mistakes and not always from our own, because of the effect it may have on us indirectly. This is seen throughout black history.

Philosophers argue that humans, unlike prehistoric animals, can not learn to forget, since their past experiences follow them every step of the way and often act as an obstacle to their subsequent evolution. To define the limits within which the oblivion of the past occurs, we must avoid making history the undertaker of the present, we must know exactly how great is the plastic power of an individual or a people, a power that helps him to transformed by incorporating the past and the foreign, replacing the lost, and reshaping from within the broken forms. In this way, the ahistorical and the historical are considered equally necessary for the “hygiene of life” of an individual, a people and a culture.

Undoubtedly, our age is superior in terms of knowledge of the past. Psychoanalysis itself has highlighted both individually and collectively the need to study the past, as it provides us with a measure of the speed and dynamics of our own movement. In the psychoanalytic process the subject is historicized, he writes his own history, he subscribes to the present conversing with his past in view of the future. If we think about it, culture is nothing more than transforming involuntary and instinctive action into possibility, after all. So yes we do learn from our history books, our choices and those around us, but the more we read, the more we immerse ourselves into possible change.