Lifestyle

There is a real possibility that the Democratic Party of the United States, has surrendered any hope of attaining the centre-ground for at least generation.
Throughout most of the 20th century, both major US parties attempted to appeal to different interpretations of the centre.
The Republicans were broadly centre right but shunned the far-rightism of organisations like the John Birch Society.
Likewise, the Democrats were centre-left whilst rejecting organisations of the far left;  groups like Students for a Democratic Society.

Meryl Streep’s anti-Trump rant is a perfect example of what people mean when they criticise the ‘elite’.
Streep is demonstrative of a class of people living a hyper-luxurious lifestyle who are out of touch not only with the concerns of ordinary people, but also with the activities of ordinary people.

After suffering debilitating bouts of depression, journalist and author Rachel Kelly began to investigate the links between nutrition and mental health
The post Good food, good mood: can we eat ourselves happier? appeared first on Positive News.

One can understand a great deal about culture by examining language.
An important case study is the Russian word нормальный (normal’nyy). The word shares the Latin root-word normalis with the English word ‘normal’. Sadly, the modern use of ‘нормальный’ in Russia has parted ways with its English counterpart.
In Russia нормальный is used to describe a situation, individual or condition that is healthy, sane, functional, proper and/or good.

Russia, together with much of the Orthodox world, celebrates Christmas today 7th January 2017.
This is not due to theological difference.  The Russian Orthodox Church retains the Julian Calendar, and by its reckoning today is 25th December 2016 ie. Christmas Day.  Russia continued to use the Julian Calendar until February 1918, when the new Bolshevik government switched to West’s Gregorian Calendar, which is why the “October Revolution” which brought the  Bolsheviks to power actually took place – according to the West’s calendar and to Russia’s present calendar – in November.

From a group of pensioner activists to a woman single-handedly running an orphanage for HIV-positive children, meet the grandmothers who are lobbying for women’s reproductive rightsThe post The grandmothers lobbying for health and reproductive rights appeared first on Positive News.

Kevin Boy followed in the footsteps of his grandfather to master the art of blacksmithing and has run his forge at Surrey Docks Farm, London, for 25 years – helping a new generation rediscover this ancient artThe post Resparking an ancient craft: a London blacksmith appeared first on Positive News.

From downtown New York to remote corners of India, sport is being used to break social barriers and address issues from homelessness to addictionThe post More than just fun and games? Sport as a tool of empowerment appeared first on Positive News.

Stuck with family members and an expectation of joyfulness, Christmas can spark tension and arguments too. Jamie Catto suggests how to replace dysfunction and disconnection with empowermentThe post Christmas presence: how to survive seasonal dysfunction appeared first on Positive News.

In the face of explosive urban development, there is new confidence about reclaiming public space for the people. We explore how cities became a playground for experimentationThe post Meet the ‘place hackers’ reclaiming city spaces appeared first on Positive News.