The Basics of Life We All Need To Be Happy

 No one’s figured out the meaning of life yet, and it’s likely that nobody ever will. As such, we get to make up our own meanings. And doesn’t the pursuit of happiness seem like a pretty reasonable ambition? Life’s not only more enjoyable when you’re happy, but it can even extend your life! Plus, there’s no denying that happy people want to make the world a better place. It’s the haters that hold us back. But what are the keys to happiness? We’re going to run through some of the essentials in this blog.

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Somewhere to Live

It’s amazing how often people take their good fortune for granted. If you have a roof over your head, then you should be grateful. There are plenty of people out there who don’t have that, and if you extend the catchment area to all people who have ever lived, you’ll find that virtually nobody had that. It’s impossible to quantify just how much having a home to call your own can impact your life. Without it, you’d be sleeping outside in all weather, have nowhere to store your stuff, nowhere to relax, and so on. 

The Right to Live Where You Are

Having a roof over your head is one thing. But what if you didn’t have a country to call home? If you live where you were born, then this won’t be something that you’ve thought about all that much. But it happens all the time -- people have to leave their home country for all kinds of reasons. Thankfully, there are options out there for other people, especially in the UK. From arriving on a visa to applying for British passport after indefinite leave to remain, the immigration journey can be long but eventually worth it. And if you have the right to live where you are without giving it a second thought, then consider yourself blessed!

Other People

Some people have a low opinion of humanity or wish that everyone would disappear. But can you imagine what life would be like if that were to actually happen? It’d be impossible. You’d have to catch and cook all your meals. If you got sick, then, unless you’re a doctor, you’d have no idea what to do. And it’s not just about the technical details. It’s other people that make us laugh and keep us entertained. Where would we be without them?

Capacity to Improve

It’s true that life isn’t always a stroll in the park. There are times when it feels like we’re up against it or when it feels like we’re no longer enjoying what we had. But the good thing about life is that you don’t have to settle for your situation. In nearly all instances, there are ways that you can improve your situation. Even if we don’t decide to change our lives, knowing that we have the capacity to improve can have such a big influence on our lives. If you know that everything’s possible, you’ll be well on your way to happiness! 

QuietOn & Camping

 Last weekend I went to Wales to go camping for three days.

Now anyone that knows me will know that I am not a camping person.  I have memories of camping years ago and my recollection of it included cramped tents, always been cold, uncomfortable on the floor and being woken up at 5.00am with blazing sunshine and the birds singing.

Now I love sunshine and birdsong, but not at 5.00am.  I am not a morning person it has to be said.

Having been promised a comfortable tent that I could stand up in, a double mattress and a cozy duvet to sleep with; my only qualms led to being woken up in the morning.  Our tent had a bedroom with blackout so the light would not be a problem; but what about those pesky birds?

So I decided that this weekend would be the perfect time to try out my new QuietOn 3 earbuds.  I have previously reviewed the previous generation of these earbuds and use them to great use in my home office.  They drown out the sound of the household perfectly and enable me to get on with my work.  But for the outdoors, I decided to go for the newest version to see how they would work out.

Here is what they say about the QuietOn 3 earbuds:

"Everything that we want in life – professional success, personal well-being, physiological health – begins with a good night’s sleep. And a good night’s sleep begins with quietude. QuietOn 3 leverages breakthrough ANC technology to create a better environment for sleep, effectively eliminating the low-frequency noises that so often disrupt our sleep.

Some of the most common noises that interrupt sleep are low-frequency sounds from heating systems, appliances, traffic, airplanes, snoring and noisy neighbours. QuietOn 3’s ANC technology eliminates ambient sound by automatically generating opposite waveforms to nullify the low frequencies, resulting in a much quieter and more peaceful environment for sleep."

As you can see, the carrying case that holds the earbuds is tiny and therefore easily transportable to wherever you need to go.  You get a charging cable within the case with a USB and four different sizes of earbuds to ensure that you get the perfect fit.  The case also has handy lights to indicate when the earbuds are charged.

A single charge lasts 28 hours which is amazing frankly and lasted me for my whole trip without losing power.

But did they work you ask? Well the answer is, perfectly.  I tested out each earbud for sizing and found that the second smallest fit my ears perfectly.  The buds expand slightly when in your ear so there is no worry that they are going to fall out during the night or when you turn over in bed.  I can attest to this.  My partner says I turn around and around in bed all night and they never moved.

I think that I slept more soundly in those three days than I have in a long time.  As promised by QuietOn, the earbuds removed all of the noises that would normally have woken me in the night and ensured that birdsong did not wake up at sunrise, which I was extremely grateful for.

I lent them to my partner for a few days in the next week as he is often woken in the night by the cat padding around and street noise.  He said that he too had a wonderful sleep and I think we may be battling to use them from now on.  At least now, I know what to buy him for Christmas!

I can highly recommend the QuietOn 3 earbuds.  Sleep is so important to have a productive day and uninterrupted sleep is a rarity in modern life.  They are a must!

Here was our view while we were in Wales.  We will definately be revisiting, with our earbuds in place!

Chicken Licken, The Sky is Falling In

 I have had various conversations with people over the past few years about "trans issues" with varying degrees of success.  Some are shocked, horrified at what I tell them.  "I had no idea.  How can this happen?"

Some miss the point entirely and simply say "Live and let live".  Their ears are open but they are not listening.  These are the people that think that it is all really a big to-do about nothing.  It will all go away, sort itself out, somehow, they think.

Then there are others who simply don't care.  Unless something directly impacts on their life, they do not care.  It is happening to someone else, somewhere else.  Not them.  They listen to the party line of "transwomen are women" and think that if the media are saying it, it must be true.

What will it take for them to care?

There has been much in the media recently about "Laurel Hubbard", the trans athlete who identifies as a woman and is competing as a woman in the Olympics.  I see outrage from many, but many of those take it as a single incident.  An "how terrible" and never think about it again.  

Last week a Judge ruled that transwomen could enter women's prisons.  It rocketed around like a meteor of shock and pain in the gender critical circles I circulate in; but has been ignored by the main media.

Again I have had conversations.  I talk about the fact that Californian female prisoners who are sleeping in shifts to keep themselves safe.  I talk about Karen White (as the most high profile trans prisoner they may have heard of).  I talk about sex attacks happening as a result of transwomen in prisons.  I talk about nearly half of trans prisoners are in prison for sex crimes.  That 1 in 50 male prisoners now identify as female.

I see shock from some, but no anger.  No pledge to tell people, do something.  Anything.  Speak out.  Join the cause.  From others, I see their eyes glaze over.  They think "well I'll never be in prison, so".

Lets look why women are in the prison in the most part.  

53% have survived emotional, physical or sexual abuse in childhood.  7 in 10 are survivors of domestic abuse.  80% have been sentenced to prison for non violent offences, such as shoplifting and not paying your TV licence.  

I tell people about four year olds in gender clinics.  About teenagers prescribed life altering puberty blockers.  About the teenager detransitioners, let down the medical professional who are now missing breasts, have had hysterectomies.  Who have suffered loss of bone density and vaginal atrophy.

About little girls and boys who like toys or clothes deemed for the opposite sex who are put on the transgender path by the parents; who are told by the schools (thanks Stonewall) that this the right thing to do.

I tell them about women who are assaulted by transwomen who are forced by Judges to lie in Court and call their perpetrators "she".  About fathers who fight for their children going through the transgender path who are put in the dock and found in contempt of Court for calling their biological daughter female.

I get asked by these fence sitters and the people who care none; "Why do you care"?  My question is 

WHY DO YOU NOT CARE?  WHAT WILL MAKE YOU WAKE UP?

To quote the X-Files, the truth is out there; if only you would see.