Category Archives: Uncategorized

It’s Not Your Imagination: Brits Haven’t Been This Unhappy In Over A Decade

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After Brexit, Covid, and now a cost of living crisis, this perhaps won’t be surprising to hear but as a nation, we’re not doing so well when it comes to happiness.

In fact, according to the LifeSearch Health, Wealth, and Happiness report, 25% of us are less happy today than we were a year ago – this level of unhappiness has not been reported in over a decade.

It does make sense given the turmoil we’ve faced over these years but a huge reason is also the loneliness many of us have faced since the start of the pandemic. In fact, one million people are feeling lonelier now than they were pre-pandemic and according to the report, 4.2 million Brits state that they have no friends at all.

Bestie Britain

So, it’s not all bad news, one in two Brits has somebody they’d describe as their best friend with 61% of women saying they do and 50% of men. Those that have best friends on average feel significantly happier 61% than the national average of just 26% of people.

However, outside of these besties, many of us don’t have more close friends or even people we’d consider friends at-all. 36% of us wish that we were closer to our mates with half that wished they were closer admitting they’re feeling less happy than they were a year ago.

There’s no way to avoid, even as the world begins to recover from the years that have passed, the fact that our social lives took a serious hit during Covid-19 and for many of us, the world still feels strange. Additionally, last year it was reported that one in three Brits had fallen out with friends or relatives due to the pressures of the pandemic.

All of this paints a worrying picture of our overall wellbeing as a nation at a time when being closer together is increasingly important.

How to make friends as an adult

This is something that can feel incredibly awkward, especially as an adult but if the Health, Wealth, and Happiness Report is anything to go by, a lot of us are in the same boat and looking to connect with the people around us as well as new potential friends.

Emma Walker, the Chief Growth Officer at LifeSearch who commissioned the study said: “Maybe it’s the nature of our busy lives or an impact of the pandemic lockdowns, but many Brits admit to not seeing their mates as much as they like and wish they had closer bonds.

“It may be no surprise to see in our Health, Wealth & Happiness study the correlation that the nation’s happiness is at its lowest point today in over a decade too. Making time and effort to build and nurture friendships could be the key to improving our happiness again.”

According to Self, some of the best ways to make friends as an adult are:

  • Find a way to meet people who share the same interests or hobbies
  • Try to look and be approachable as a person – put your phone away now and then!
  • Have a positive attitude when meeting new people
  • Invite somebody you met and liked in a group setting to hang out one-on-one
  • Consider turning your work friends into real friends
  • Tell people you enjoy their company!

Of course, it’s also worth nourishing the relationships that you already have by making plans, sharing new information or anecdotes about shared interests or even simply telling them that you’d like to spend time with them more often.

Most of all, know that you’re not alone in this and many people feel exactly the same way.

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If Your Baby Or Toddler Naps Little And Often, Researchers Want You To Do This

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When it comes to babies and toddlers, it’s safe to say there’s no rulebook as far as sleep is concerned.

While there’s no shortage of books out there telling parents how much their children should be sleeping at various stages in their development, the reality is that no two babies are the same so they’ll have very different sleep needs.

And, when they reach toddlerhood, well… good luck to you as you spend hours each evening trying to get them down to sleep. (Sorry, I might be projecting.)

But does it actually mean something when an infant naps little and often?

Well, a new study suggests it might. Some children are more efficient at consolidating information during sleep, so they nap less frequently, the research found.

Conversely, University of East Anglia researchers found that it’s usually the case that frequent cat-nappers tend to have fewer words and poorer cognitive skills than their peers.

The takeaway? The research team said these children should be allowed to nap as frequently and for as long as they need.

For the study, researchers analysed 463 infants aged between eight months and three years during lockdown in 2020.

Parents were surveyed about their children’s sleep patterns, their ability to focus on a task, keep information in their memory, and the number of words that they understood and could say.

They also asked parents about their socio-economic status – including their postcode, income, and education – and about the amount of screen time and outdoors activities their child engaged in.

As the research took place during lockdown, it allowed researchers to study children’s intrinsic sleep needs because they weren’t at daycare, which is where they tend to sleep less.

They found the structure of daytime sleep is an indicator of cognitive development.

Lead researcher Dr Teodora Gliga said: “There is a lot of parental anxiety around sleep. Parents worry that their kids don’t nap as much as expected for their age – or nap too frequently and for too long.

“But our research shows that how frequently a child naps reflects their individual cognitive need. Some are more efficient at consolidating information during sleep, so they nap less frequently.

“Children with smaller vocabularies or a lower score in a measure of executive function, nap more frequently.

“Young children will naturally nap for as long as they need and they should be allowed to do just that.”

Parents of frequent cat-nappers needn’t worry though.

The findings suggest that “children have different sleep needs – some children may drop naps earlier because they don’t need them anymore,” said Dr Gliga, and that “others may still need to nap past three years of age” – and that’s OK.

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Next Time You Make A Negative Comment About Your Kid, Remember The 3-1 Ratio

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Having good self-esteem is so important for our mental health – and with social media being exceptionally popular now, it can feel harder than ever to keep our kids feeling confident about themselves and their bodies.

Self-esteem is how a person feels about themselves. According to the charity Young Minds, most children will have dips in self-esteem as they go through different stages or challenges in life, such as bullying or sitting exams.

And as parents, it can be tough to know what to do to help them through these dips in how they feel about, and view, themselves.

Signs of low self-esteem in children

According to the mental health charity, children and young people with low self-esteem might regularly:

  • have a negative image of themselves
  • lack confidence
  • find it hard to make and keep friendships
  • feel lonely and isolated
  • tend to avoid new things and find change hard
  • can’t deal well with failure
  • tend to put themselves down
  • are not proud of what they achieve
  • always think they could have done better
  • are constantly comparing themselves to their peers in a negative way.

Thankfully there are some relatively easy ways we, as parents, can help boost our children’s self-esteem.

Apply the 3-1 ratio to everyday life

It’s pretty hard to never utter a negative comment to your child (especially when you’ve reached the end of your tether and they’ve been pushing your buttons all day).

According to Big Life Journal, a popular Instagram account offering parenting advice, for every negative comment you make about your child, you should then balance it out with three positive ones.

So, for example, if your child spilled a drink everywhere and you reacted with: “I can’t believe you did that. Why can’t you just hold your cup?”

The experts behind the account advise following up with at least three positive comments to your child that day. So things like: “I noticed you shared with your brother, thank you” or “thank you for putting your jumper away”.

“Scientists discovered that it takes three positive experiences to offset one negative experience,” they wrote in an Instagram post.

“Your child’s brain is wired to remember and focus on negative comments. So, to build your child’s self-esteem, apply this 3-1 ratio.”

Other ways to boost self-esteem, according to Young Minds, include:

  • Let them know you value effort rather than perfection
  • Encourage them to try new challenges
  • Encourage them to voice their opinions and ideas
  • Ask them about three good things that went well during their day
  • Acknowledge how they feel and help them to express this in words
  • Spend quality time together doing things they enjoy.
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‘Nothing Compares’: Tributes Paid To Sinead O’Connor After Death At 56

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After Sinead O’Connor’s death at the age of 56 was announced on Wednesday, her colleagues, friends and fans took to social media to offer their tributes.

Many of those honouring the Irish singer, who famously covered Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U and also went by Shuhada Sadaqat in recent years, were well-known names from show business.

Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s prime minister, similarly paid his respects to O’Connor, saying that “her talent was unmatched and beyond compare.”

Although many of the celebrity tributes appeared on Twitter (aka X), Outlander star Caitriona Balfe honoured the singer with an Instagram post.

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Sinéad O’Connor Thought Tearing Up The Pope’s Picture Defined Her Career In A ‘Beautiful F***ing Way’

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The death of Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor has prompted many people to revisit her most controversial moment – and her later thoughts on how it defined her career in a “beautiful fucking way”.

O’Connor became a music industry pariah after appearing on the late-night US comedy show Saturday Night Live in 1992,

A critic of the Catholic Church well before allegations of sexual abuse were widely reported, she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II during the live television appearance.

“Fight the real enemy,” the 26-year-old said as she tore the photo, which was met with a deafening silence from the studio audience.

During the dress rehearsal, she held up “a photo of a Brazilian street kid who was killed by cops” instead, so no-one knew what was coming.

The next week, Joe Pesci hosted Saturday Night Live, held up a repaired photo of the Pope and said if he had been on the show with O’Connor he “would have gave her such a smack”.

Days later, she appeared at an all-star tribute for Bob Dylan at Madison Square Garden and was immediately booed. Although consoled and encouraged on stage by her friend Kris Kristofferson, she left and broke down. Her a capella performance of Bob Marley’s War – which was a choice made as the cacophony of boos rained down – was kept off the concert record.

<img class="img-sized__img portrait" loading="lazy" alt="Sinead O’Connor stands alone amidst boos in 1992 in New York City.” width=”720″ height=”1080″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/sinead-oconnor-thought-tearing-up-the-popes-picture-defined-her-career-in-a-beautiful-fing-way-2.jpg”>
Sinead O’Connor stands alone amidst boos in 1992 in New York City.

via Associated Press

There were protests and death threats, and a bulldozer was used to flatten a pile of her records in Times Square. It led to O’Connor – still fresh off the global success of Nothing Compares 2 U two years earlier – being effectively blacklisted, as she acknowledged in an interview the Guardian almost 30 years later.

Asked whether the moment had defined her career, she told the newspaper in 2021: “Yes, in a beautiful fucking way. There was no doubt about who this bitch is. There was no more mistaking this woman for a pop star.

“But it was not derailing; people say, ‘Oh, you fucked up your career’ but they’re talking about the career they had in mind for me. I fucked up the house in Antigua that the record company dudes wanted to buy. I fucked up their career, not mine.

“It meant I had to make my living playing live, and I am born for live performance.”

In 2010, Pope Benedict apologised to the victims of child sex abuse by Catholic priests in Ireland.

The quote was being shared widely on social media in the aftermath of her death, aged 56.

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Whistleblower To Congress: ‘Non-Human’ Biologics Found At UFO Crash Sites

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A former Air Force intelligence officer told Congress that the US government has a long-standing programme that retrieves unidentified flying objects, and said that “non-human” “biologics” were found at crash sites where the objects were recovered.

Retired Major David Grusch testified to a House committee on Wednesday as part of an investigation into reports of unidentified aerial phenomena.

In 2021, the Pentagon created a group to look into the phenomena after more than 100 sightings were reported. By the following year, the Pentagon said it had received “several hundreds” of new reports of unidentified aerial phenomena. The Pentagon has not confirmed that it has a programme to retrieve unidentified flying objects.

Grusch, who served for 14 years as an intelligence officer in the Air Force, told Congress he served as a representative on two Pentagon task forces investigating unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAP, until earlier this year.

In his testimony, Grusch told lawmakers he was informed of “a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program” during the course of his work.

Asked by Republican representative Nancy Mace if the US government also has the “bodies of the pilots who piloted this craft”, Grusch suggested it might.

“As I’ve stated publicly … biologics came with some of these recoveries, yeah,” Grusch said.

“Were they human or non-human biologics?” Mace asked.

“Non-human,” Grusch responded. “And that was the assessment of people with direct knowledge of the programme I talked to, who are currently still in the programme.”

Ryan Graves, executive director of Americans for Safe Aerospace, David Grusch, former National Reconnaissance Office representative on the Defense Department's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, and retired Navy Commander David Fravor arrive for House Oversight & Accountability Committee's National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee's hearing on "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency" at the U.S. Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Ryan Graves, executive director of Americans for Safe Aerospace, David Grusch, former National Reconnaissance Office representative on the Defense Department’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, and retired Navy Commander David Fravor arrive for House Oversight & Accountability Committee’s National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee’s hearing on “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency” at the U.S. Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

ELIZABETH FRANTZ via Reuters

Grusch said in June that the federal government has multiple crafts of “non-human” origin.

“Well, naturally, when you recover something that’s either landed or crashed, sometimes you encounter dead pilots and, believe it or not, as fantastical as that sounds, it’s true,” Grusch told NewsNation at the time.

Ryan Graves, a former Navy pilot, testified at Wednesday’s hearing that he nearly collided with an unidentified object in 2014. He said in the years since he’s talked to others in the Navy who have described similar experiences.

“We were primarily seeing dark grey or black cubes inside of a clear sphere,” Graves said of the craft he saw. “Where the apex, or tips of the cube, were touching the inside of that sphere.”

Former Navy pilot Dave Fravor testified that he saw a “Tic Tac”-shaped object during a flight off the coast in California in 2004. He and his co-pilot during the incident, Lieutenant commander Alex Dietrich, previously spoke to CBS’s 60 Minutes” about the experience, describing that the object appeared to reach speeds so quickly it seemed to disappear.

Fravor told Congress he believes more pilots are reporting their findings now that there is less of a stigma surrounding the existence of unidentified aerial phenomena.

“Starting in 2017, when it all actually came out, it took that stigma away,” Fravor said. “Prior to that, if you had mentioned UAP you’d be laughed off the Hill, and now we’re sitting here today for a public testimony on what’s actually going on.”

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Would You Know What To Do If Your Child Was Burned By A Hot Drink?

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A mum and former nurse has shared the burns and scalds advice that she reckons plenty of parents don’t know, but definitely should.

Beki (@beki.guinta) recalled the mortifying moment her 18-month-old son pulled her hot tea – consisting of pure boiling water and no milk – down on top of him.

“I was standing right next to him, I did not think this would happen, I’m the most safe parent alive,” she said in a TikTok video which has been viewed more than 5.3 million times.

Beki explained how she used to be a registered nurse and worked in a children’s intensive care unit and therefore has “seen it all” and is “so safe” with her child. But noted these accidents still happen.

She then proceeded to tell other parents “exactly” what to do in the event that their child gets burnt.

“The lack of knowledge people have around what to do if a child gets burnt is astonishing,” she said.

So what’s the advice?

“The first thing you need to do is call an ambulance and then you need to take all your child’s clothing off, get them completely nude, and get them in a shower or under continuous cold running water for a minimum – a minimum – of 20 minutes,” she said.

“Not only does this aid in stopping the burn, this helps aid with the pain as well.”

The NHS shares similar advice for treating burns or scalds. Firstly, it advises to remove any clothing or jewellery from near the burnt area of skin, including babies’ nappies, unless – and this is important – the item of clothing is stuck to the burnt skin.

Then it says to “cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes as soon as possible after the injury”.

It warns parents to “never use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances like butter”.

You’ll need to keep your child warm to help prevent hypothermia – “use a blanket or layers of clothing, but avoid putting them on the injured area,” reads the advice.

Beki said she used her body heat to keep her son warm while he was in the shower.

Next, cover the burn with cling film (laying the film flat over the burn rather than wrapping it around a limb) and treat any pain with paracetamol or ibuprofen, advises the NHS. It might also help to raise the affected area to reduce swelling.

Recalling the horrifying moment her son was burned, Beki continued: “My little boy was beside himself. I had to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star while I was sobbing, holding him in the shower just running icy cold water over his burn.

“His whole face, his neck, his torso, his stomach – everything was bright red. I’m talking like, a red that isn’t… you don’t normally see it. It was terrifying.

“I just thought instantly: he was going to be in the burns unit, he was going to be having skin grafts, he was going to have surgery and that would’ve 100% happened had I not done what I did that day.”

She said her son is now fine and “doesn’t even have a mark on him” – and she credits running cool water on him for 20 minutes as the reason why.

According to the NHS, you’ll need to go to A&E if your child is under 10, has a medical condition or weakened immune system and has a scald or burn.

You should also head to hospital if they have:

  • large burns bigger than the size of their hand,
  • deep burns of any size that cause white or charred skin,
  • burns on the face, neck, hands, feet, any joints, or genitals,
  • chemical and electrical burns,
  • any other injuries that need treating,
  • any signs of shock – symptoms include cold, clammy skin; sweating; rapid, shallow breathing; and weakness or dizziness.
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Twitter Users Mock George Santos For Demanding Biden’s Impeachment

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And so is one member of Congress who should probably sit this one out: George Santos .

Considering that Santos was indicted on 13 counts in May for allegedly embezzling money from his campaign, lying to Congress about his income and cheating his way into undeserved unemployment benefits, some people wondered if he was in any position to be calling for an indictment ― including Anna M. Kaplan, who is running to replace him in Congress.

She posted two tweets, the first of which offered some helpful advice ― “Sit this one out, George” ― while the second suggested that McCarthy expel Santos “instead of this partisan impeach inquiry.”

Others joined in on mocking Santos ― and some even brought receipts.

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Why John Fetterman Believes Donald Trump Would Be ‘Formidable’ In 2024

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Senator John Fetterman said a rematch between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the 2024 election in Pennsylvania would be “closer” than some might expect, though he still believes Biden holds an edge in the hypothetical contest.

The freshman Democratic senator addressed the race for the GOP nomination, Trump, and life in the Senate since his bout with depression in a rare sit-down with reporters in his congressional office on Monday.

“Donald Trump can’t beat President Biden in Pennsylvania but, assuming it will be President Trump, it’s going to be closer,” Fetterman said of the current Republican presidential front-runner.

“Trump has to perform above his ceiling,” he explained, adding that the former president is still very popular in the state. “You still see Trump signs everywhere in Pennsylvania, and you have to respect Trump’s strength.”

Trump won Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes in 2016 by a narrow margin but lost the state resoundingly to Biden in 2020. Democrats are looking to repeat that kind of performance next year, especially with blue-collar voters in deep-red counties.

Fetterman said no other Republican presidential candidate stands a better chance against Biden than Trump, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He cast DeSantis as extreme, citing his staunch anti-abortion stance and his focus on waging culture wars, including over transgender rights.

“There’s no way Ron DeSantis could win Pennsylvania,” the senator said. “Watching DeSantis turn into [former Wisconsin Governor and 2016 Republican presidential candidate] Scott Walker and get liquidated by Trump’s machine, I respect Trump in terms of how formidable he would be in Pennsylvania.”

Fetterman spoke with the help of an iPad that transcribed the conversation with Capitol Hill reporters in real time, helping compensate for auditory processing difficulties caused by his stroke over a year ago.

The Pennsylvania Democrat seems to be taking his own approach to life in the Senate after being hospitalized for depression. He often eschews suits in favor of shorts and a hoodie on his way to Senate votes, though, given the warm summer months, he has traded in the hoodie for a short-sleeve, button-down shirt.

Monday’s sit-down seemed to mark a shift in Fetterman’s media strategy. Embracing conversations with reporters, both in formal settings and in more informal interactions in the Senate hallways, is something he hasn’t done much before.

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NatWest Boss Alison Rose Resigns After Admitting To ‘Serious Error’ Over Farage Leak

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NatWest chief executive Alison Rose has resigned after admitting to discussing Nigel Farage’s relationship with the bank with a senior BBC journalist.

Rose had remained in post after saying she made a “serious error of judgment” over talking to Simon Jack about the former Brexit party leader and his closed accounts, with the company’s board stating they had “full confidence” in her.

But in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Howard Davies, chairman of the NatWest board, announced Rose had agreed to step down “by mutual consent”.

Her position had become untenable following the intense political and media scrutiny over a decision by NatWest’s private bank, Coutts, to close Farage’s accounts. NatWest is taxpayer-funded, with the state’s shareholding just below 40%.

Farage had alleged the decision to “exit” him was “political” after he obtained an internal document that said the “de-banking” was partly because his views were not “aligned” with the bank’s. The 40-page dossier refers to the ex-MEP as “xenophobic and racist” and a former “fascist”.

It raised into question a report by Jack, the broadcaster’s business editor, who had suggested Farage lost his account because he lacked the funds needed to hold it.

Jack on Monday apologised to Farage, saying the information his reporting was based on “turned out to be incomplete and inaccurate”. This was followed by Rose’s admission on Tuesday and her subsequent resignation.

Before the departure, Farage had hit back at NatWest’s statement on his GB News show, criticising Rose as “unfit” to run a bank, as well as lambasting Davies and Coutts CEO Peter Flavel.

“The government ought to say we have no confidence in this management. Frankly, I think they should all go,” Farage said, after declaring that Rose had breached an “essential confidence”.

Rose confirmed in the statement that she had discussed Farage’s “relationship with the bank” with Jack.

“I recognise that in my conversations with Simon Jack of the BBC, I made a serious error of judgment,” Rose said, but added she had not revealed any personal financial information about Farage and had answered a general question about eligibility.

Coutts’ website advises its clients should be able to borrow or invest at least £1 million with the bank or hold £3 million in savings.

Rose also said she was not part of the decision-making process to close Farage’s accounts and said this was a decision made by Coutts.

The government’s shareholding in NatWest is managed “at arm’s length” and on a commercial basis by the UK Government Investments (UKGI). UKGI’s role is to manage the shareholding, not the bank itself.

Treasury minister Andrew Griffith is set to meet lenders on Wednesday to discuss concerns that banks have closed customer accounts over their political views, ahead of reforms requiring banks to explain and delay these decisions.

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