#TheLifeOfKaiBlog

[thelifeofkaiblog]

“Good dragons under the control of bad people do bad things”...

•*•*• 15th March 2020 •*•*•

This is a quote from How to Train Your Dragon 2. Toothless the dragon unintentionally kills someone because he was being controlled by a bad man. This quote is the same quote used to fight for the end of (dog) breed discrimination. Pit bulls and similar breeds are banned and/or highly restricted in so many places, including England. They are branded “dangerous dogs”, when the most aggressive dogs I’ve seen are often small dogs, like Chihuahuas.

People judge these dogs because they are often kept by reckless or abusive owners - ones who underestimate their training and exercise needs or who deliberately turn them into aggressive dogs. They are often a status symbol of thugs and dog fighters. This is not their choice or their nature. Any dog can be abused and programmed this way. PIT BULLS ARE GOOD DOGS UNDER THE CONTROL OF BAD PEOPLE. You only have to meet the millions of wonderful pitties, even former bait dogs, to see how amazing they are.

[thelifeofkaiblog]

Thank you for the safe place over the past 5 years :)

•*•*• 12th April 2020 •*•*•

I’m deleting my social media, but will probably leave this for memories. I won’t be using it any more, but it’s helped me through a lot. Maybe I’ll come back to it in the near future, but I don’t have any plans to, at the moment. Thank you to anyone who messaged me to check in over the years. I wish you all the best! Stay safe and take care of each other.

[thelifeofkaiblog]

My elderly boy - 2½ years old! 💙

•*•*• 13th March 2020 •*•*•

[thelifeofkaiblog]

So many people I know are devastated by the UK election results :(

•*•*• 14th December 2019 •*•*•

((2:57am))

Let me start by saying that absolutely no political party or politician feels trustworthy or honest. None are anywhere near perfect and it felt to a lot of people like figuring out which was the “lesser of two evils” - Boris Johnson, a proven liar and protector of the wealthy, while sacrificing the working class, and Jeremy Corbyn, an equally dodgy man with questionable associations with senior members of Sinn Féin (Irish political party linked to IRA’s bombing campaign) and anti-Semitic members within his party (Labour).

The Conservatives (Johnson’s centre-right political party) have been in power since 2010. National debt has doubled, though it also doubled under the last Labour government. The Conservatives, with the assistance of the Liberal Democrats, brought in austerity. Austerity is severe cost-cutting measures, in response to the global recession - budget cuts for the NHS, emergency services, social care, schools, libraries, etc. In 2015, they promised to build 200,000 starter homes. They haven’t built any. There’s fear over privatisation of the NHS, something that saves lives on a daily basis - something that many will truly suffer without because a large percentage of us, like many Americans, can’t afford private healthcare. They promise Brexit, but their planned deal is awful - not to mention that it’s not the Brexit people voted for, so there should have been a referendum on this deal or remain, with no way for the deal to change after it’s voted on.

It seems like many working class people have been brainwashed into thinking that the Tories (Conservatives) will help them, when things have only got worse. There has been an increase in poverty and knife crime. I’m not saying all of this wouldn’t have happened under any other party, but the Conservatives have had 10 years to improve things and haven’t, so why would another 5 years in power change that?

A lot of others who voted Conservative seem to have very little concern for how less privileged people will be affected. I’ve talked to a fair number and almost all were quite selfish in their thinking. It boiled down to “what’s best for me and my family, it’s not my job to care about others”. Voting for the leader of a COUNTRY and you don’t care about how your vote impacts the rest of said country? With that and some working class citizens still voting them in, “like turkeys voting in Christmas”, this feels like our Trump moment.

As I wrote at the beginning, I don’t think there was a good choice, but I think a change in leadership would have at least given us a better chance of positive change. If Corbyn had accepted how disliked he was and stepped down, letting someone else take his role, we may instead have been looking at a Labour government today. I didn’t even vote Labour, but it seemed less terrifying than this.

[thelifeofkaiblog]

Whipsnade Zoo (ZSL Charity)

•*•*• 4th December 2019 •*•*•

((Part Three))

[logan-maya]

Bilbo / George / Bear / Archie / Elmo / Rocco / Max / Kobi / Cuba / Bertie / Harvey / Norman / Kaiser / Charlie / Forest / Albus / Wesley / Jensen / Jamie

Wow thanks for all the suggestions!! I really like Kobi and Kaiser :D

[thatasexualwriter]

When writing about humans with magical abilities, how do you create things that don't just sound like a HP rip-off? Are you open to PMs about plots we don't want to say too much about publicly? :) Also, I want diversity, including special needs characters, but I want their magic to be limited by their body like a built-in safety cap. How do I explain this best? Is "magic is biologically limited by each individual's mental capacity to control it" potentially offensive?

So I have no clue when you sent this, but I only just saw this now! Sorry if you’ve been waiting for an answer x

If they’re supernatural abilities, you’re looking more at X-Men, Marvel, etc. for being “rip-offs.” If they’re somewhere between magic and those kinds of abilities, I’d say that’s already different to Harry Potter! 

Chances are, even if you rewrote the entire Harry Potter series, you’d write it differently to JKR. (if anyone does that please don’t make a hero out of Snape) That needs to be taken into account as well! The Magisterium Series by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black is a good variance on the whole magic school thing. I’ve only read the first book as it’s not exactly my thing, but what I have read is pretty different to HP! 

I’m going to recommend The Bright Sessions. Not only is it a fantastic podcast that I may or not be hooked on right now, it deals with supernatural abilities and their effects on people. There’s a time traveller who travels back in time every time she has a panic attack, an empath with anger issues... If you’re looking to include diversity, I’d recommend it! (ALSO CONFIRMED ACE CHARACTER LIKE THEY ACTUALLY SAID THE WORD ASEXUALITY IN THE PODCAST THIS IS NOT A DRILL)

And I really don’t feel like I’m the best person to answer your second question. I’m able-bodied, neurotypical and not mentally ill, so I feel like I’d be at risk of talking over the groups in question! 

[thelifeofkaiblog]

This is an.... interesting angle for an advert....

•*•*• 14th January 2020 •*•*•

I’m doing social science, looking at advertising and see this while I’m waiting at Leicester Square station (heading to a Charing Cross GIC appointment)....

[Image Description: Tube station advert for Gym Box - yellow background with four connected squares in this order “your life sucks”, “Gym Box”, “get fit” and “life sucks for longer”.]

[thelifeofkaiblog]

One hour of exercise! 💪🏻

•*•*• 1st March 2020 •*•*•

Balancing and moderate bouncing on the yoga ball, plus on-off weights. I do this for at least 20 minutes most days. It’s pretty easy to fit in when watching TV or doing hands-free uni work :)

[thelifeofkaiblog]

Sports/exercises I’d like to try, but can’t yet....

•*•*• 20th February 2020 •*•*•

((1:32am))

There are quite a few things I’d like to try, but can’t until my health improves. I’m also anxious about being the biggest person there and looking stupid. The other issue is money. I’m working on each of those, but it takes time, unfortunately :(

Anyway, here’s what I want to try someday - preferably in the next few years, once I’ve had the surgeries to help....

Fencing

Badminton

Zumba

Kickboxing

Martial Arts (I used to do and enjoy TaeKwon-Do, but my memory for the verbal tests wasn’t great)

I want to lead a fit and healthy life, which I’ve been trying to do for quite a while now (with some slip ups, as most people face), but it doesn’t have the desired success because of my health issues. I don’t ever expect to be slim, but I’d like to be more athletic-looking, have a body that reflects the effort I put in and is considered more attractive. I want to feel confident in my body someday, but it’s disheartening to put in as much work as I can manage most days and not see any positive results. Hopefully my new yoga ball and 1.5kg weights will help!

[thelifeofkaiblog]

If I was a multi-millionaire/billionaire....

•*•*• 1st March 2020 •*•*•

Buy plots of land, make it habitable, build several of these summerhouses, insulate them, kit them out with essentials and turn them into tiny homes for homeless people. Have some public bathrooms and shower rooms (as that wouldn’t fit in these), but with enough privacy for each individual to use it in peace.

Have security on site to make sure nobody is hassled. Have a doctor visit a couple of times per week and a dentist visit a few times per year. Have job and skills workshops weekly, as well as shared access to the internet. Hire someone to oversee the running of it all. Make sure everyone has enough food and water, as well as laundry access on site. Then they all have clean clothes, an address, healthcare, etc., so they can get jobs and be safe until they can afford their own place elsewhere.

I’d try to build a community on each plot, charging very small maintenance costs for those who have a job, but also providing mental health and job searching support, so they are cared for the way everyone should be. If only I had the money Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos and the like have!

[thelifeofkaiblog]

Just want to be cuddled ♡

•*•*• 18th January 2020 •*•*•

I miss those the most. I’m not ready to try to meet anyone new because I have too many out-of-control health issues, which outweigh any good points about me. Do I just not tell someone new? It’s such a massive part of my life right now and has been for the last 10 years, trying to fight for testing, diagnoses and treatment. Do I start falling for someone, tell them and they run off because it’s more baggage than they wanted?

It’s hard enough for me to deal with and, aside from my degree, there aren’t really any positives in my life because of how life-limiting the health issues are, so I’m not sure how I could find someone who is interested in me with all of that. I just wish I had the “normal” problems, without the additional stuff :(

[thelifeofkaiblog]

•*•*• 16th December 2019 •*•*•

These are such sweet pictures, but I wish that one person hadn’t shouted at their cat. Cats (like dogs and all other animals) don’t have the same understanding of “naughty” that we do and don’t comprehend being shouted at other than feeling intimidated. They have no clue why because you can’t explain it to them - even rubbing their noses in it is harmful because they still don’t understand, just get scared.

If your pet repeatedly does something you don’t like, speak to a positive reinforcement behaviourist to figure out why. It may be they don’t get enough exercise for their energy level, or that they needed the toilet and you didn’t notice/know, or that there’s an underlying medical issue, etc. Their behaviour is often linked to what we do or don’t do and may not recognise without a positive reinforcement behaviourist’s help.

Wholesome Cat Posts That Will Hopefully Make Your Day.

[thelifeofkaiblog]

Timeless is a brilliant show!

•*•*• 17th December 2019 •*•*•

It’s clever, creative, diverse, historically-based and just a really interesting plot! I’ve only seen season one, but I’m about to watch season two and I’m gutted there are no more seasons. There’s character growth, secrets, moral dilemmas, cliffhangers, conspiracy, plot twists, etc.

They have great storylines with famous people and events, from Abraham Lincoln’s assassination to Al Capone’s arrest, Jesse James to Bonnie and Clyde, Ian Fleming (James Bond author) in his WWII spy days to the space race and the Alamo.

I wish there were more episodes. It shows the awe and danger of time travel, the butterfly effect and can encourage an interest in the real historic events by teaching you a little in each episode. It goes into American history throughout several decades and a few centuries, as well as delving into the human desire to change the past due to personal loss and the consequences of doing so - along with an awful lot of hope and betrayal. 100% recommend!

[thelifeofkaiblog]

Suitable hamster cages...

•*•*• 30th March 2020 •*•*•

Just some great guidance on hamster cages. The ones you buy in pet shops or online are usually too small, but you can find most of these for a similar price to the expensive small ones :D

(Image Description: www.tinypawsmcr.org.uk picture listing “suitable hamster housing”, containing pictures of 10 hamster cages that have 80cm x 50cm or more floor space. Alaska Hamster Cage 84cm x 48.5cm x 44cm. Savic Mickey 2XL 80cm x 50cm x 38cm. Ferplast Criceti 100 95cm x 57cm x 50cm. Zoozone 2 101cm x 51cm x 22cm. Ferplast Maxi Duma Multy 99cm x 51.5cm x 36cm. Savic Ruffy 2 80cm x 50cm x 38cm. Barney Pet Cage 100cm x 54cm x 45cm. Momble 100 100cm x 54cm x 64cm. Alexander Pet Cage 101cm x 52.5cm x 51cm. IKEA Detolf DIY Cage 163cm x 38cm x 37cm. “All hamsters require a minimum of 80 x 50cm unbroken floor space”.)

[thelifeofkaiblog]

It: Chapter Two - Movie Mistake!

•*•*• 19th November 2019 •*•*•

I can’t find anyone having written about it online, but when the Losers go into the sewers, Eddie’s face bandage switches from his left to his right, then back again!

I’ve been meaning to put this up since I saw it when it first came out. Do I win anything? :P