thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--‘Karen Was Upset’: Trump Suit Cites Mostly Trivial Complaints

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Late Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s campaign announced a lawsuit focused on “irregularities, incompetence, and unlawful vote counting” in Detroit, a city that helped President-elect Joe Biden win Michigan and the presidency.
But HuffPost’s review of 234 pages of affidavits released by the Trump campaign — which White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was waving around on Fox News Monday night — found only a mix of routine election issues, complaints about lines of sight and social distancing measures, and an environment supposedly hostile to white Republican poll watchers who seemed ready to treat any and all actions by election workers as nefarious criminal activity.
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The day after the election, Trump supporters gathered at TCF Center in Detroit to chant “Stop the count” and bang on windows as election workers went about their jobs. There was even a bomb threat against the facility. Because all the ballots weren’t yet counted, Republicans falsely believed that Trump had won Michigan. (Biden now leads in the state by an enormous margin: more than 146,000 votes.)
The mostly white Republican suburbanites who went to watch ballots being counted in Detroit — because the Trump campaign had suggested that elections officials in the majority-Black city were engaged in a massive criminal conspiracy to steal the election — didn’t find any direct evidence of mass voter fraud.
But they did find a lot of “suspicious” people who weren’t as welcoming as they thought they should have been. A common complaint in the affidavits was that some people in the room were wearing “Black Lives Matter” masks and shirts.
Jacqueline Zaplitny, a Republican election challenger, watches as election inspectors count votes into the early morning hours of November 4, 2020, at the central counting board in Detroit ASSOCIATED PRESS
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One such complainant was Jacqueline Zaplitny, a Trump supporter who has posted multiple Covid-19 conspiracy theories on her Facebook page. In an affidavit stating she was certified as a ballot box inspector and poll challenger, Zaplitny complained that a supervisor motioned for her to stand back when she tried to register a complaint and that she was “able to observe closely for only a couple of minutes.”
An Associated Press photographer snapped a photo of Zaplitny lingering over elections workers, a loose face mask hanging below her nose. The Republican later posted the photo on her Facebook page, which also features a painting of Jesus Christ with his arms resting on Trump’s shoulders, numerous debunked right-wing memes, and a lengthy post about the rapture, the Antichrist and microchips.
Zaplitny says she was asked to leave the area, which she found suspicious. Another thing she found suspicious: a “man of intimidating size with a BLM shirt on.”
Another affidavit, from John M. Downing, a New Jersey attorney who was working as a volunteer with Lawyers for Trump, laid out how a Republican poll challenger named Karen had parked in the wrong location. She called Downing several times, he said, because a security guard wouldn’t let her into the building, and they eventually summoned the security manager of the TCF Center, who arrived on a Segway.
“Karen was upset,” Downing wrote. “They were all on the rooftop parking deck (where they parked because there was free parking) of the Convention Center, and were not being allowed into the building.” Downing complained that a security guard never tried to redirect the poll challengers to where they were actually supposed to park, so they never did find the right garage. By the time they got to the convention centre doors, their fellow Republicans had created a massive disturbance outside, blocking their way.
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Many of the complaints centred on how election workers weren’t very nice to Republicans. One said they were told they were part of a Trump “cult.” One said they were called “a bigot and a c*nt.” Another said she was called “Karen.”
“I was told ‘go back to the suburbs Karen’ and other harassing statements,” Jennifer Lindsey Cooper wrote. “The Democrat challengers would say things like ‘Do you feel safe with this [woman] near you’ and ‘is this Karen bothering you?’ I believe this was designed to intimidate me and obstruct me from observing and challenging.”
One woman complained about a “tactic of fake befriending,” and said some people would “ask lots of questions to Republican challengers to either gather info or distract you while trying to observe.” The observer, Kristy Klamer, also complained that a Democratic challenger had asked her a reasonable question: “Why did you come here?” When Klamer said they needed more Republicans at the location in Detroit, she wrote that the Democratic challenger said, “I’m sure there is fraud everywhere I think I’ll go to your town next time.”
The Trump campaign lawsuit, filed by a St. Louis-based lawyer who previously litigated for the George W. Bush campaign and defended Virginia’s voter ID law, complains that “unlimited members of the media” were allowed inside to observe ballot-counting while Republican challengers were not. It seeks a court order to bar Michigan from certifying its election results until officials have “verified and confirmed that all ballots that were tabulated and included in the final reported election results were cast in compliance with the provisions of the Michigan Election Code.”
“Many of the complaints centered on how election workers weren’t very nice to Republicans. One said they were told they were part of a Trump “cult.””
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There are a few actually disturbing accusations among the Trump campaign’s affidavits. One poll watcher, an American of Chinese descent who speaks Mandarin, said a young man asked why the poll-watcher was allowed to be there, wrongly believing the poll-watcher wasn’t American. The poll watcher wrote that the “ethnic intimidation and discrimination continued for five minutes.”
Another person said an election worker remarked that they should not be taking part in the process because English wasn’t their first language. Another said that because they were admittedly not respecting social distancing guidelines, an election worker shoved them.
But overall, what the Trump campaign offered up is a mishmash of complaints from a number of poorly trained poll watchers who didn’t seem to know what they were doing or what they were looking for. One GOP poll challenger who signed an affidavit notably said they were given 20 minutes of training. Yet many of them seem convinced there was a massive criminal scheme afoot that they were about to break wide open if they could just get a few feet closer.
Take Braden Gaicobazzi, who says police eventually escorted him out of the facility. Gaicobazzi wrote that he showed up because he saw “an online note” from someone “within my GOP network of friends” about 35,000 ballots being received “in the middle of the night.”
Despite his admittedly minimal training, Gaicobazzi exuded enormous confidence about how he thought the ballot counting process should work. He said elections workers laughed at him and that he got the “Covid runaround” from elections workers who said he was trying to “kill or endanger their ballot counters with Covid.”
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He also said an election supervisor made him “uncomfortable” by remarking that Gaicobazzi was “playing with” him, and Gaicobazzi claimed the supervisor either said he would “kick my ass or kick me out.” He also complained that, based on his “casual, friendly conversation” with other poll watchers that “EVERY single one of the lawyers/law students” he spoke with were “ideologically far-left, supporting things like CHAZ/CHOP in Seattle and condoning the crime skyrocketing around the country.”
He also didn’t like that a woman who appeared to be doing temperature checks “had a BLM mask on.”
Police escort a poll challenger out after he refused to leave due to room capacity at the TCF Center in Detroit on November 4, 2020. Rebecca Cook / Reuters
Gaicobazzi also thought it very suspicious that so many members of the military from the Detroit area would vote for Biden, who he estimated received 80% of the military ballots he saw.
“I had always been told that military personnel tended to be more conservative, so this stuck out to me as the day went on,” Gaicobazzi wrote.
Yet another Republican poll watcher, an actual lawyer, wrote and signed an affidavit laying out precisely how he interfered with a police officer performing their duties as an “agitated” crowd banged on the windows outside and created a civil disturbance.
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“I put my foot in the doorway, which kept it from closing,” wrote James P. Frego, a Michigan bankruptcy attorney. “The officer asked me to remove it.” But Fego didn’t. Eventually, he was arrested and charged with disturbing the peace. “At no time did I swear at the officer, and up to this point had never been arrested in my life (I am 57 years old),” wrote Frego.
Articia Bomer, a Black Republican who ran against representative Rashida Tlaib as a congressional candidate for the US Taxpayers Party, wrote that she heard one man “say racist remarks about black people who support Donald Trump” and that she believed the remarks were directed at her. Bomer also claimed that she witnessed elections workers roll their eyes when they opened ballots with Trump votes. Without citing any evidence, Bomer speculated that “some of these ballots may not have been properly counted.”
Another woman, Amanda Posch, said she found out about the need for GOP challengers on the Facebook page of the Michigan Conservative Coalition, which has since posted conspiracy theories about voting and promoted the #StopTheSteal movement. She said that when Republicans began pounding on the glass outside the room, a worker remarked how they were “acting like kindergarteners” and how they hoped the police would “come and shoot them, like you do to us.”
GOP poll challengers react after being asked to leave due to room capacity at the TCF Center in Detroit on November 4, 2020 Rebecca Cook / Reuters
Despite assertions by Trump and many of his supporters to the contrary, there’s simply no evidence of mass voter fraud. The New York Times contacted officials in every state in the country, and none of them said there were any major issues in the 2020 election.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Ben Shephard 'Causes Uproar' For Good Morning Britain Viewers With Very Rude Alexa Revelation

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Ben Shephard had a rather rude surprise in store for Good Morning Britain viewers on Thursday morning, as he inadvertently caused Amazon Alexas up and down the country to reveal one of their lesser-known features.
During the most recent edition of the ITV breakfast show, Ben and co-presenter Susanna Reid discussed the Amazon assistant, with the former admitting that the discovery Alexa can “do fart noises” was “a big hit in our house for far too long – mostly by me”.
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As Susanna looked on in shock, Ben casually said the command “Alexa, do a wet fart”, adding: “Honestly, at breakfast, there’s nothing funnier. In fact, there might be people watching this morning whose Alexas are now… complying.”
“Thursdays are so different,” Susanna then declared, referring to the fact that for the first three days of the week, she presents the show with Piers Morgan.
Ben Shephard and Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain ITV
Ben wasn’t wrong about accidentally causing viewers’ own Alexas to spring into action, though, with Susanna announcing later in the show: “I’m afraid you have caused uproar in Alexas up and down the country, we can only apologise.
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“We have got more texts on that than we have about anything else.”
Apologising for his accidental Alexa gaffe, he also pointed out that there “are all sorts of [farts] you can do – it’s not just wet ones, you can do long ones”.
Good to know.
“Ben Shephard! This is a grown up programme for grown up people!” Susanna then interjected, to which he joked: “Not anymore.”
'Alexa....do a wet fart...'
The moment Ben tells @susannareid100 how the virtual assistant provides some laughs in the Shephard household...💨🤣
Watch GMB live on ITV and on the ITV Hub now 👉 https://t.co/yyUUJmzswF pic.twitter.com/4XsyWZ437y — Good Morning Britain (@GMB) November 12, 2020
This isn’t the first time this week that Good Morning Britain has shocked viewers, though, with Piers Morgan sharing a hair-raising anecdote earlier in the week about an incident he wound up trapped in a hotel corridor while completely naked.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Downing St Staff Accused Of Fighting Like 'Rats In A Sack' Amid Lee Cain Resignation

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Critics have slammed Downing Street staff for “fighting like rats in sacks” over internal disputes as the nation continues to suffer through the Covid-19 crisis.
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Lee Cain, until recently No. 10′s director of communications and former member of the Vote Leave campaign, quit on Wednesday evening following a major row over whether he would take the role in the PM’s office.
His departure has also sparked rumours that other senior members of staff, including Dominic Cummings, could depart Downing Street.
But with the prospect of a no-deal Brexit just weeks away and Covid-19 deaths almost reaching 600 in a single day, staff in the PM’s office have been harshly criticised for distracting from the “major crises” currently underway.
In response to a tweet from the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg, who reported that some of Cain’s allies could quit with him, shadow health and social care secretary Jonathan Ashworth wrote: “Pathetic. We are in the most serious public health crisis for over 100 years.
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“We passed the grim milestone of 50,000 deaths today yet Downing Street spin doctors are preoccupied with squabbling likes rats in a sack...”
Pathetic. We are in the most serious public health crisis for over 100 years. We passed the grim milestone of 50,000 deaths today yet Downing Street spin doctors are preoccupied with squabbling likes rats in a sack... https://t.co/EuZqhaiLPF — Jonathan Ashworth 😷 (@JonAshworth) November 11, 2020
It is a line that the Labour Party appears to have taken as a whole. BBC Newsnight’s policy editor Lewis Goodall reported a statement from a party spokesperson, which read: “On the day the UK became the first country in Europe to report 50,000 coronavirus deaths and the public endured another day of lockdown, Boris Johnson’s government is fighting like rats in a sack over who gets what job.”
Labour spokesperson on the Lee Cain resignation story: “On the day the UK became the first country in Europe to report 50,000 coronavirus deaths and the public endured another day of lockdown, Boris Johnson’s Government is fighting like rats in a sack over who gets what job.“ — Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) November 11, 2020
Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee used similar terms to describe the infighting during an appearance on BBC Question Time on Wednesday evening, telling viewers: “There is absolute chaos inside No. 10.
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“These are major, major crises such as we haven’t seen in decades, and they are fighting like rats in sacks over who does what job.”
“We are 50 days from Brexit. We are over 50,00 dead today. These are major crises… and they are fighting like rats in sacks over who does what job.”
Commenting on tensions in Downing Street, The Guardian’s @pollytoynbee says “there's absolute chaos inside No 10”#Newsnight pic.twitter.com/x4rJDi3il2 — BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) November 11, 2020
Labour leader Keir Starmer has also commented on the row, describing the matter as “pathetic”.
He told LBC on Thursday morning: “This is pathetic. I think millions of people will be waking up this morning, scratching their heads, saying what on earth is going on?
“We’re in the middle of a pandemic, we’re all worried about our health and our families, we’re all worried about our jobs, and this lot are squabbling behind the door of Number 10.
“It’s pathetic. Pull yourselves together, focus on the job in hand.”
But with rumours about potential departures from Downing Street continue to swirl, former Tory minister Jake Berry said Prime Minister Boris Johnson was “stamping his Johnsonian authority” following Cain’s resignation.
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The MP for Rossendale and Darwen told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “The departure of Lee Cain does show, I think, that the prime minister is taking back control of his government.
“He’s moving from a campaigning operation to an operation solely focused on good government. I think it’s a good move for the prime minister.
“As we go past that grim milestone, as you say, of 50,000 deaths from this appalling disease, it’s high time, I think, that there was a bit of a change of guard in Number 10.”
As anger grows over the focus on tensions inside the PM’s office, “rats” quickly trended on social media with others also fiercely criticising their conduct.
In response to a tweet about rumours that Cummings could be the next to quit, actor Hugh Grant, a vocal critic both of Brexit and the current government, simply wrote: “Ship. Rats.”
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Meanwhile, businesswoman and Dragon’s Den star Deborah Meaden – also a prominent critic of Johnson – shared a similar tweet, writing: “Yep... the rats that holed the shop now jumping it.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Sam Smith Admits They Came Out As Non-Binary After Private Family Message Was Leaked To Press

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Sam Smith has revealed they made the decision to come out as non-binary after a private message intended for their family was leaked to the press.
The Grammy and Oscar-winning star – who just released their third album, Love Goes – told fans in an Instagram post in September 2019 that “after a lifetime of being at war with my gender” they wanted to be referred to using gender-neutral pronouns moving forward.
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In an interview with James Corden on his US talk show, Sam spoke about the aftermath of their post, admitting they decided to come out because reports had already been published in the tabloid press speculating about their gender identity.
“All in all it’s been wonderful,” Sam told the host. “I have always felt the way I’ve felt and being able to tell everyone that and feel so much more open about certain parts of my personality and my life, has been absolutely incredible.”
Sam Smith Madison Phipps via Getty Images
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However, they added certain aspects have also been difficult, stating: “In a world where I wasn’t a well-known person I would have changed my pronouns and I would have got used to it in a normal way, which I actually tried to do but a message that I sent to my family got leaked weirdly so I had to make a decision to tell everyone and go for it.
“It’s been amazing but it’s also really, really hard to see all the backlash and the amount of people that are still so unsupportive of gender non-conforming people and trans people all around the world.”
Sam’s third album was originally slated for release earlier this year, when it had been titled To Die For, but it was postponed and renamed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Love Goes eventually debuted last month, and has already reached number two in the UK, with current single Diamonds looking set to crack the top 10 this week.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Young Refugees Can't Afford To Wait For Government Review Of Family Reunion Law, Charities Warn

Refugee children desperate to be reunited with family in the UK need the government to create new laws before the Brexit transition period ends, campaigners have warned.
On Monday night, peers in the House of Lords ended a campaign to try and enshrine EU family reunion rights for child asylum seekers into the UK legislation after the current laws expire on December 31.
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The government argued its own existing routes for family reunion can be used after the transition period ends, but campaigners have repeatedly warned they are not as generous as the EU’s guidelines, and that Brexit will represent the loss of a key legal route for asylum seekers to reunite with family in the UK.
The end of the Lords’ campaign came after two defeats in the Commons, with Tory MPs voting down an amendment to the government’s immigration bill which was led by Labour peer Lord Dubs, who fled the Nazis as a child on the Kindertransport scheme.
Instead, the government has promised a review into its own asylum policy, including a public consultation on family reunion rights for unaccompanied child asylum seekers who are already in Europe.
But charities and campaigners have warned that vulnerable children cannot afford to wait for the outcome of a government review. And one young refugee whose brother joined him in the UK as a result of family reunion protections told HuffPost UK: “People without family are nothing – if you don’t have family, you are lost.”
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Jon Featonby, refugee and asylum policy manager at the British Red Cross said there are young children, mothers and fathers living alone and separated from each other who are “desperate to be together again.”
“From New Year’s Day, these people will lose a crucial, safe, legal way to reunite as a family,” he said. “While the government says the UK’s rules will allow families to reunite after this time, in our experience supporting families these rules are too limited and costly for most.”
The British Red Cross welcomes the government review, Featonby said – but it won’t help families “who are currently separated from each other and have often been waiting months, if not years, to reunite”.
“They can’t wait for the outcome of a major review,” he said. “They need solutions now.”
It’s a call that has been echoed by refugee charity Safe Passage which – along with the Hummingbird Project in Brighton – campaigned with young refugees and leaders for MPs and peers to back the Dubs amendment.
“Vulnerable children cannot wait for a review that isn’t due until mid next year when family reunion as we know it will end on 31st December,” said the charity’s CEO Beth Gardiner-Smith.
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“The government must act now and make the necessary changes to prevent another tragedy in the Channel.”
One young refugee – who worked with Safe Passage on the campaign but asked not to be named – told HuffPost UK how he was reunited with his younger brother after three years apart, thanks to the current family reunion scheme.
He said: “Before I saw him, I was quite worried about his safety and stuff – he’s my little brother. I was relieved and very happy and grateful to see him again. It was a very good feeling.
“People without family are nothing – if you don’t have family, you are lost. That is how I felt and that is how my brother felt too.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel during the 2019 general election campaign PA Wire/PA Images
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Boris Johnson and home secretary Priti Patel should “think about what it would be like if it was their family members”, he said.
“Refugees in Greece and Calais are living in terrible conditions,” he continued. “It’s a lot worse than what is shown in the media or what you hear about on Facebook.
“Family means everything to everyone, wherever you come from. Family is family.”
Mo Aljasem, a young leader with the Hummingbird Project, knows first-hand how difficult it is to be separated from family.
“I’m a refugee and I know how hard it is to be away from your family and not be able to see them. I’m an adult – I’m a 24-year-old man,” he said.
“Imagine if it was a kid, 15- or 16-years-old, living in a camp and waiting for someone to make a decision about whether they can be reunited with their family or not.
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“How hard would that be for their mums, their family, who are sitting under a roof being safe and warm and able to eat while their kids can’t eat and could be killed or raped any second.
“They could be in any bad situation and no-one will be able to help them,” he added.
Naqeeb, another Hummingbird Project young leader, said that the dangerous routes refugees and asylum seekers take into the UK reinforces the importance of the family reunion scheme.
Many refugees are fleeing to the UK to be with their families, the 20-year-old said.
“So if there is a legal route that children can come safely to the UK to be with their family, why should the UK cut that off?
“Children should not have to make a dangerous journey to be with their family.”
Last month, a family drowned in the Channel while trying to reach the UK from France after a refugee boat sank.
Judith Dennis, policy manager at the Refugee Council said that despite repeated calls from campaigners, “the cold reality is that after Brexit, the options available for child refugees trying to unite with their family in the UK will get narrower”.
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“This just isn’t good enough – no child should ever be separated from their parents due to immigration rules,” she said. “Forced displacement is at record levels, and the UK needs to play its part in welcoming refugees, not putting up even more barriers for people fleeing violence and persecution.”
A spokesperson from the Home Office said the the government was “fixing our broken asylum system to make it firm and fair”.
“We will stop abuse of the system while ensuring it is compassionate towards those who need our help, welcoming people through safe and legal routes,” they said.
“We already provide safe and legal routes for adults and children to join family members in the UK, all of which are unaffected by Brexit. In the year ending June 2020, the government issued 6,320 refugee family reunion visas and have issued more than 29,000 in the last five years.”
They added: “The government has committed to review the legal routes to the UK, which will include a public consultation on family reunion for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the EU.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--17 Surprising Items You Should Clean In The Dishwasher (That Aren't Dishes)

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Owning a dishwasher is life-changing. It saves hours of standing over the sink, subjecting your hands to hot water and harsh soaps. But you might not realise that your dishwasher can clean a whole lot more than dishes.
There are a number of household items that benefit from a deep clean in the machine. “Placing items into the dishwasher guarantees you better results thanks to the stronger detergents these machines use,” said Niklas Fink, a team leader at Magic Pro Cleaning. “The heat, in combination with a half-an-hour cycle, is also great to kill off any bacteria.” Plus, he said, the dishwasher is better for the environment. Hand-washing can use up to 100 litres of water per load, versus an Energy Star-certified dishwasher that uses as little as 11 litres.
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Here’s a look at the various items you should start cleaning in the dishwasher.
1. Children’s toys
From plastic blocks to bath toys, it’s a good idea to sanitise your kids’ playthings regularly. “Think about all the places your kid’s toys have been: in their mouth, on the floor, in the garden,” said Joanne Archer, an editor at Expert Home Tips. “As long as they don’t have any electrical components or places where water might get stuck, pop those plastic toys in the dishwasher.”
2. Toothbrushes, holders and soap dishes
Toothbrushes accumulate bacteria, while other bathroom accessories such as toothbrush holders and soap dishes can end up riddled with soap scum and mold. “Luckily, they’re typically made of plastic, porcelain or ceramic, so it’s safe to blast the grime away in the dishwasher,” Archer said.
3. Nail clippers and tools
Dead skin cells build up on your nail clippers, files and other manicure and pedicure tools, making your personal grooming kit less than sanitary. Archer suggested putting your tools in the cutlery basket, and they’ll be good as new.
4. Dog bowls, toys, leashes and collars
The dishwasher isn’t just for human dishes. If you have dogs (or any other pets, for that matter), you should be cleaning their bowls regularly. “Most pet owners don’t know that they can be the fourth germiest item in your home,” said Matt Clayton, founder and chief editor at Pet Hair Patrol. “A quick daily rinse with soap and water is often enough, but it’s even better if you can use your dishwasher for that purpose. Washing the bowl thoroughly in the dishwasher will remove any nasty bacteria like E coli, MRSA, listeria and salmonella ― even mould and yeast.”
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In addition to their bowls, you can also clean your pet’s rubber and plastic toys, as well as non-leather leashes and collars in the dishwasher. Just be sure to wash these items separately from your own dishes to prevent cross-contamination with bacteria from Fido’s mouth.
5. Dummies and teething rings
You want to keep your little ones healthy, which means sanitising their dummies, teethers and anything else that goes in their mouths regularly. “Bacteria die in high temperatures, but neither can the tap provide such heat, nor will your hands be able to withstand it,” Fink said. “Your baby’s paraphernalia will get better cleaning in the dishwasher where the water can also come in contact with the various hard-to-reach places.”
6. Keys
Just think about all the grime and germs your keys probably collect throughout the day ― not to mention how often you touch them. The dishwasher is great for sanitising keys (plain metal ones, not electronic key fobs), according to Fink. “Don’t be afraid of rust since most keys are made of brass, which means that they will not suffer any corrosion,” he said.
7. Humidifier parts
Humidifiers need regular maintenance and cleaning to remove the scale and mould that builds up inside the water tank and around the components, according to Albert Lee, founder of Home Living Lab. “The conventional way is to soak these components and water tanks in white vinegar or hot water before scrubbing them away. It is time-consuming, takes a lot of effort and just inefficient in general,” he said.
Fortunately, some humidifier manufacturers have made their parts and water tank dishwasher-safe to save time and energy cleaning them. Run these parts through a routine wash to rid them of any mould or gunk that has built up. “The hot cycle would also neutralise any bacteria or viruses that may be lurking inside the humidifier,” Lee said. Just keep in mind that not all humidifiers are dishwasher safe, so read the user manual first.
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8. Baseball caps
One household item that can be cleaned very effectively in the dishwasher is hats, said Mindy Jones, a home and parenting blogger. “You can toss in your hats for a quick refresh, or an intense cleaning for those muddy kids sports hats.”
Place them in the top rack by themselves without any other dishes and hook the back strap to one of the pegs. You should use only a tiny amount of dish detergent or non-bleach cleaner. Depending on the soil level, you can do a normal to heavy wash. “Let them air-dry and you have a fresh, new looking (and smelling) hat,” Jones said.
9. Fridge shelves and bins
“Something I have been doing for a long while, but was surprised to hear that almost no one else was doing, was putting fridge shelves and bins in the dishwasher,” said Karen Lee, editor and researcher at Things Around the House.
The shelves and bins in your fridge can easily come out and the dishwasher can give them a deep clean. The glass shelves, plastic bins on the door and vegetable crispers can usually all fit into the dishwasher in one load, though you may need to remove the top rack to make room. “After I start the dishwasher, I then give the rest of my fridge a good scrubbing,” Lee said.
10. Trash cans
Over time, trash cans collect germs, grime and an unpleasant smell that’s difficult to get rid of. Thankfully, the dishwasher can help. “If your trash bins and cans are plastic or metal and they fit in the dishwasher, place them on the lower rack facing downwards,” said Natalie Barrett, service quality supervisor at Nifty Cleaning Services in Sydney, Australia. For larger bins that don’t fit, you can still clean their germy lids in the dishwasher.
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11. Silicone oven mitts
Oven mitts get a lot of use in the kitchen, which means they collect all types of filth and leftover food. Barrett said the dishwasher is great for getting silicone oven mitts sparkling clean again: “All you have to do is leave them on the top rack and let the magic happen.”
12. Showerheads
There are few things as frustrating as trying to clean clogged shower heads. Rather than wasting your time, Barrett suggested unscrewing the shower head and placing it on the top rack of your dishwasher, then running a regular cycle that you would normally use to wash your pots and pans. “There’s no problem to mix showerheads with other dishes as well,” she noted.
13. Shoes
Shoes in the dishwasher? As long as they’re the only item being cleaned, the dishwasher is a great method for killing the dirt and bacteria lurking in rubber boots, Crocs and flip flops. “Simply place them on the upper shelf facing downwards to ensure that they remain protected and the water is safely removed from them during the washing,” Barrett said.
14. Hair brushes and accessories
Considering that combs and brushes regularly touch our heads, Fink said it’s a good idea to put them through the most effective cleaning method: a dishwasher cycle. Strip as much hair from the brush as possible, then place it in the silverware holder. If it’s made of plastic, you can place it in top rack to be safe. Don’t put anything with a wood handle in the dishwasher, however, as the hot water will damage it.
You can clean other hair accessories such as barrettes, headbands and hair ties in the dishwasher as well, as long as they’re made of dishwasher-safe materials. Keep them secure in the utensil holder or another container.
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15. Microwave turntables
Between bubbling leftovers and the occasional spill, your microwave can get pretty grimy. But at least you don’t need to spend time washing its glass turntable by hand. “Normally, these glass plates are durable enough to be put on the bottom rack of the dishwasher,” Fink said. Go ahead and clean the turntable along with a regular load of dishes.
16. Home decor
Plenty of decor items in your home, such as vases and desk accessories, can go into the dishwasher too. “They gather dust easily, and a regular cycle can give them a good cleaning by removing the dust and any sticky grime,” said David Cusick, chief strategy officer for House Method. Again, stick to plain plastic, glass and metal, and avoid anything that’s delicate or could be harmed by the high heat and harsh detergents.
17. Fans


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--The Queen’s Gambit Should Have Bored Us Stiff. Its Creator Reveals How He Made A Hit

The film-maker and writer Allan Scott had been attempting to sell his script for The Queen’s Gambit, Netflix’s latest megawatt success, to studios for 30 years before it finally got made.
It may have taken even longer had Netflix’s chosen director Scott Frank – the man behind Oscar-nominated movies Out Of Sight and Logan – not loved the script, as getting into production hinged upon finding the perfect pairing between director and studio. But luckily he fell for it too. “All the things fell into place quite fortuitously,” Allan Scott tells HuffPost UK, as if 30 years of waiting was a triumph of speediness.
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Allan says getting chess drama The Queen’s Gambit made was an experience in “perseverance and good fortune,” although such good fortune had been in short supply 12 years ago when the creator, who also produced Shallow Grave and hit musical Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, nearly lost the film rights to the original 1983 Queen’s Gambit novel by Walter Tevis.
Allan had been paying for the rights annually but after almost two decades received a call from “somebody in Hollywood” who said he could either forego them, or buy them permanently. For a short time, Allan’s vision for the show hung in the balance.
“I asked how much it cost, and they told me, and it was a lot of money,” he reflects. “But it’d been a good year so I dug round, put the money together, exercised the option which meant I now had the rights. You have to scratch round, find the money, and pay it.”
Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth in The Queen's Gambit Netflix
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It was around the same time that Allan got a call from Heath Ledger, who loved chess and wanted to direct a feature film version of The Queen’s Gambit. “I said that’s fine, how do we persuade a studio to let you direct it?
“He said, ‘I think I can do that,’ and indeed he did. We talked to the studio and they looked at his short films, and they said let’s go. We were working on the script, we’d sort of finished the draft of the script. I was introducing him to the music of the ’50s and ’60s which was a thrilling thing to do, and then he died.”
Allan continues: “He said he would play a small role, we never actually agreed on it. He was going to direct it and was going to be a first time director of some interest, although he’d done a lot of stuff in Australia. Also Heath had been a chess champion in Australia. He was a genuinely interested and committed person.
“He knew for the finance, he would have to play a role,” continues Allan. “There were people willing to finance it, but most of it was [depending on] on Heath playing something... I presume he would have played one of the male roles, whether it be the Russian whether it be one of the Americans, we never really discussed it in any depth.”
Marielle Heller as Beth's mother Alma, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth in The Queen's Gambit Netflix
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Eventually Netflix were on board for an eight-part series rather than the originally planned feature film – but how would the dry-sounding story of a young chess prodigy named Beth get turned into a gripping drama?
“The conventional wisdom in movie circles is chess movies are for very specialist audiences,” says Allan. “I personally never believed that – I’m not sure that any of us did – I think we got into it because we believed the opposite, so it was lucky for us that we were right.”
The Queen’s Gambit is one of a handful of TV shows to boast a 100% score on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Of course, there’s more to the story than chess. Beth, played by the Peaky Blinders actor Anya Taylor-Joy, is an orphan who gets caught up in drug and alcohol addiction fuelled by a broken family and her obsession with the game.
“It was so clear to me that this was just a cracking good story with a terrific central character,” says Allan, who wrote the script and executive produced the show.
In order to make the highs and lows of chess accessible for viewers that have never played chess before, Allan Scott and Scott Frank had to think creatively, while also authentically representing what it’s like to be a high stakes chess player on the world stage.
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Beth facing Russian chess legend Vasily Borgov, played by Marcin Dorociński in The Queen's Gambit Netflix
First off, they had to work out how to communicate the actual rules of chess for viewers who may or may not understand them. “The audience doesn’t understand, but they need to know she’s losing,” sums up Allan. “How can I go about that? There’s a dozen ways.”
In order to avoid “the audience getting tangled up in the technicality of it,” the aim was to emphasise Beth’s humanity instead of her chess prowess. “I think that like all good drama, the central character is vulnerable, and you follow the vulnerability of the central character, whether it be alcohol or drugs or nervousness or lack of skill: that’s what drama is about: getting the audience to invest in the main character.”
“We had a child who wanted to do well, the child was an orphan, there are a lot of points you could tick and say that will help the audience relate.”
Duly, The Queen’s Gambit isn’t really about chess but the cultures of obsession and addiction that encircle the game – qualities that propel Beth in terms of her game, but also detach her further from reality and harm her mental health.
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Rather than tedious lingering shots of wooden chess pieces, The Queen’s Gambit is a succession of drunken evenings, lavishly stylised outfits and gripping relationships unfolding. “It’s extraordinary how clever the book is about making you follow the story without necessarily understanding the game,” says Allan.
Moses Ingram as Beth's friend Jolene, alongside Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth in The Queen's Gambit Netflix
How was Allan so sure this was the story worth dedicating 30 years to, pitching into studios? “To some extent it’s based on just the idea catching your imagination,” says Allan. “If you said to me there’s a story out there set in the future, it would either catch my imagination or it wouldn’t. There’s no secret.”
The next project may not take so long: Allan, who also ghost writes scripts for Hollywood films and doesn’t take a credit, says there is “a huge amount of pressure” to do a sequel.
“Honestly, I haven’t even thought about it,” he responds. “There’s so many considerations apart from anything else: have you got a story, have you premise, do you want to do it before she begins or after she begins?
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“And then you’ve got all the issues of the contract – does the agent for Miss Taylor Joy wish to do it?”
It’s ironic that the series that took almost half a lifetime to create now has show runners begging for its return less than 30 days after it premiered on the streaming platform.
“I think we were all surprised at how well it was received,” confesses Allan. “But anybody who cares to sit down now and read the book can see that this is an absolutely obvious drama.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Brits Are Planning A Bright And Delicious Diwali, Even In Lockdown

HuffPost UK
“This year, Diwali was supposed to be extra special,” says Vaishali Shah, 48. For the past two years, bereavements in her family meant Diwali celebrations were cancelled, the Londoner explains. Now a global pandemic and second national lockdown in England threaten to do the same.
“It’s very challenging to try to stay positive when we have no idea how long our isolation from loved ones will last,” she admits. “Diwali is a time to connect and celebrate with family and friends. I am trying to be objective – consoling myself that at least we will be able to be together virtually, but it’s not the same.”
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Shah’s words echo the thoughts of families across the UK as they get ready to mark Diwali this weekend. The five day festival of light sees Hindu, as well as Jain and Sikh families, decorate their homes with candles and lights in one of the most significant celebrations in Indian culture. It’s a time to get together, spring clean, share gifts, play games, and cook up a feast.
Diwali is about new beginnings, the triumph of good over evil, of light over darkness – a message that couldn’t be more needed in this pandemic year.
There has been so much talk in the news about Christmas 2020, and whether it is being cancelled or saved. Just this week, the government announced plans to get students home in time for it. And Boris Johnson continues to make assurances that people will be able to enjoy the festive season with family.
Far less has been said about other religious festivals – not least Diwali, which, similarly to the Muslim Eid festivals and Sikh Vaisakhi celebrations earlier this year, falls right in the middle of England’s new national lockdown in November.
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But just as Muslim and Sikh communities found ways to celebrate virtually, despite not being together in person, people have grand plans for Diwali, too.
Supplied Vaishali Shah
“Diwali is my most important and meaningful celebration and something that I eagerly look forward to, says Shah, who owns stationery company, Ananya.
Even with a ban on big family gatherings, Shah’s determined not to cancel celebrations. Traditionally, the family head out to an Indian restaurant for their festive meal rather than eating at home, but since second lockdown rules have scuppered those plans, the Shah household is thinking outside the box.
“We are going to have a virtual lunch where everyone cooks their own Diwali meal. We’re going to have three generations ranging from 77- to 6-year-olds tuning in,” she says. “Everyone will be wearing new Indian clothes, we’ll eat together with fun ice-breaker conversation cards and potentially even have a competition for best-looking food, with plenty of surprises on the day.”
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Vaishali Shah Vaishali Shah and family at Diwali lunch
Shah says that while she understands the considerable increase in Covid-19 cases means lockdown can’t be delayed, she wishes she felt more included.
“From a practical point of view, there is never an ideal time for a lockdown,” she says. “But if the government mentioned cultural celebrations like Diwali in their messaging, it would show they understand that this will be a difficult time for many as they miss out on family celebrations.”
“We don’t want this kind of surprise going forward,” Rajnish Kashyap, 60, general secretary and director of Hindu Council UK, tells HuffPost.
“The government should give people more time to prepare to go back into lockdown, at least a month in advance. People turn to religion in hard times and places of worship are often overlooked. Announcements and messaging need to be all-inclusive and they should be listening to voices of the community.”
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People will be following restrictions, says Kashyap. “The hardest thing is that we have been denied to be able to provide a service to those most vulnerable like those who are homeless, who’ve lost jobs or unable to cook for themselves.”
Harish Malhi Harish Malhi making pakoras
For those in charge of cooking the Diwali feast for the first time this year, Harish Malhi, 24, founder of cookalong website, Diaspo, hopes to be of help.
The community-based network aims to use food to connect generations and encouraging people to recover their heritage – or discover it for the first time – through online sessions led by home cooks with bags of experience.
For Diwali, it’s running hour-long workshops showing people how to put together top-notch thali plates, pakoras, chai, samosas and chutney. There’ll also be rangoli workshops where viewers can tune in to learn how to make the colourful floor patterns that are a common sight at Diwali.
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“Millions of people around the world, including the UK, won’t be able to celebrate like usual and will be missing out on the important sights, smells and tastes,” Malhi tells HuffPost UK. “Whether it’s the smell of fragrant Indian tea or chana masala bubbling away or freshly cooked puri, we’re trying to replicate that and bring the experience into people’s homes.”
Harish Malhi Pakora cookalong
Harish Malhi Harish Malhi and family celebrating Diwali
Food is a great connector, says Malhi, giving busy households a rare chance to gather around one table. But the spirit of community extends beyond family.
“Part of that is going to the temple and bumping into friends and having family in the area come around to drop off gifts,” he says of what he’s miss this year.
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“We have to stay strong and remember that there’s way more positivity than negativity to come out of it. The fact that people can still see each other at a safe distance and spend it together online versus not doing anything at all is really encouraging and positive.”
Author and chef, Anjula Devi, 56, from south west London, says she is getting a head start on celebrations this week by spring cleaning the house and making samosas even though there’s only three people in her immediate family.
Anjula Devi Anjula Devi and her husband.
“Every nook and cranny has to be spotless! Decluttering is very important and it’s a custom lots of people have forgotten about,” she explains.
“According to popular Hindu belief, Goddess Lakshmi ‘resides in cleanliness’. Therefore, the cleaner your house, the greater the chances that the Goddess will bless your house. My dad used to take this so seriously, that after what seemed like days of cleaning, he used to undertake a room inspection to ensure all the eight siblings had cleaned the house incredibly thoroughly.”
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As well as unleashing her inner Kim Woodburn, Devi also plans to exchange presents with her close family and share some delicious food together, as you’d expect from a pro chef. “I love making potato and pea samosas and dessert samosa with carrots, sultanas, pistachios, and jaggery. I still feel it’s important to celebrate Diwali, even if it’s in a very different manner,” she says.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Students Told To 'Evacuate' For Christmas Don't Know If They'll Be Back

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Students at universities across England have been told they can return home for Christmas between December 3 and 9, in what has been widely dubbed the “student evacuation”. But their fate in January remains uncertain.
Following a term of online classes, coupled with high fees and accommodation costs, some frustrated students have told HuffPost UK they’re considering dropping out by January.
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Others are doubtful that lessons will resume as normal in the new year, and are begrudgingly preparing for yet more remote classes.
Either way, it seems that the campus is dead for the class of 2021.
James Taylor, 19, is studying sports strength and conditioning at the University of Gloucestershire and plans to return home to Jersey during the designated period. But he isn’t happy about the way it’s been handled.
“The fact that uni students are getting given a select period to go home is ridiculous. Everyone who goes to uni is over the age of 18 and classified as an adult, yet we’re being treated like school children,” he tells HuffPost UK.
“The fact that I live in Jersey makes it even worse for me, as I’ve now got to change my ferry booking and change the day I’m due to travel.”
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James Taylor James Taylor
After the stress of the first term, Taylor is unsure if he’ll return in January and wonders if taking up full time work would be a “better and happier option”.
“I’m thinking of dropping out as there’s very little communication from the university about what is happening,” he says. “Uni is having effects on everyone’s mental wellbeing. Everyone I’ve spoken to this year is finding it hard to have a drive to achieve.”
Rebecca Wright, 19, from Cardiff, does plan to push forward with her degree at an English university (which she chose not to name). But her continually disrupted first term is making the idea of leaving for good more “attractive”.
She’s only had one hour of face-to-face teaching on campus in two months, yet like students across the country, she’s paying full fees and full accommodation costs.
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Wright also believes the travel window is “far too early”, because she has exams beginning the week of December 14. Despite her frustrations, returning home for good and completing her course remotely in 2021 isn’t an option.
“For many of us, we don’t have spaces in our homes that we can do work in and there are far more distractions at home than in uni,” she says. “So it isn’t possible for us to complete these exams and assignments at home.”
Under the proposed system, students at some targeted universities will be encouraged to take a Covid-19 test before returning home – and anyone who tests positive (or has housemates who do) will need to remain put.
Iyobosa Ozigbo, 20, from Islington, London, is worried about the rising number of Covid infections, but she doesn’t want to stay at Birmingham City University, where she studies journalism, for the month of December. “That would break my heart, because I miss my family and it’s the one time I get to go home and be with them,” she says.
Ozigbo has a part-time job working as a sales consultant at Next and she’s unsure what the new guidelines will mean for her role.
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She’s submitted a transfer request to move from the Solihull store to a London branch, but at the moment her future employment status is unclear. It’s an extra stress, in an already stressful year.
Iyobosa Ozigbo Iyobosa Ozigbo
“This term has been pretty weird. In my opinion, I don’t think it is worth the money I pay, the £9,250, because the majority of it was technically online,” she says. “I don’t really like online teaching, I’m more of a face-to-face person. I don’t think I’ve received the education that I’ve paid for.”
Now in her third year at university, Ozigbo has no intention of dropping out, but is doubtful she’ll be back on campus come January. “I think lockdown will be extended,” she says. “Part of me is happy to return, however I do think that the second semester will be online.”
Every student experience is different, of course, and some people are happy to be returning after Christmas. Daniel Williams, 23, from West London, has been impressed with how the University of Southampton has handled the pandemic so far.
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Daniel Williams Daniel Williams
Williams is studying for a masters in Chemistry and large portions of his degree are lab-based, so going fully remote was never an option.
“I honestly have no qualms about returning. This term has gone well so far, the uni is ‘Covid secure’, lectures are online and I only go to campus for lab work,” he tells HuffPost. “We have limits on how many people are allowed in a lab at a time, and masks have to be worn in write-up areas. I’m working around the same small cluster of people each time I go in, so it’s probably safer than most workplaces.”
The university also has a weekly saliva testing programme run in partnership with the city council, and students get results within 48 hours of testing.
The government insists a return to campus will be possible in the new year, with a statement on its website declaring: “We are looking to utilise mass testing to make the return to higher education as safe as possible, and will provide further guidance in due course.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--I Had To Have My Entire Nose Removed Or Risk Dying

Courtesy of Barbara Caplan-Bennett The author with her "temporary" fake nose.
Melanoma: a pretty word for a very ugly cancer. When I was diagnosed with it nine years ago, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal. There were spots on my nose that the doctors thought could be remedied easily. But over the course of a few months, what began as “no big deal” turned into the need for a disfiguring surgery that would significantly change my life.
Let me first say I’m a lucky woman. I’ve had my share of challenges and losses, as we all have. But I have a wonderful life by most standards ― a loving husband, supportive friends and family, a good job ― and generally speaking (except for the stupid cancer thing), I am in good health.
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But when you are sitting in a surgeon’s office and he tells you the best way to ensure you will be alive in five years is to remove your entire nose ― well, the word “shocking” doesn’t begin to cover it.
My husband, Paul, and I were numb as we left the doctor’s office, but when we got outside, we stood holding each other and cried, unaware of people stepping around us on the sidewalk or the traffic on Sunset Boulevard. We didn’t notice. We didn’t care. In that moment, it was the two of us facing a monster ― melanoma.
As the days passed and we prepared for my surgery, it became clear that the cancer wasn’t really what horrified me. It was the fact that I was going to become a freak ― a woman without a nose. Who ever heard of such a thing? I know plenty of people who have lost breasts, lungs, kidneys and even a testicle ― all of which are devastating and scary, to be sure. But a nose? The thing at the centre of your face that everyone can see?
I would have to wear a prosthetic and mine was going to be created by the wizards at the UCLA maxillofacial department. Their doctors put soldiers’ faces back together after combat, so they were well-equipped to give me a nose. But getting the nose was neither quick nor simple. Paul and I had a long journey ahead of us.
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Courtesy of Barbara Caplan-Bennett The author before her nose was removed. The melanoma is visible but was believed to be just freckles.
My doctor did a terrific job and before bandaging me up, he also crafted a clear plastic form of a nose to serve as the “bump” in the middle of my face as I recovered.
I originally believed, based on what I was told, that it would take four or five months before I would have my prosthetic, which seemed like a very long time. I am in home improvement sales, a closet designer, and every day I would go to strangers’ houses. Without a prosthetic, how was I going to face all those strangers ― let alone sell them a closet ― with a giant hole in my face?
The solution, of course, was the clear plastic nose the doctor had given me. It was the thing that was going to get me through the months of healing required before I could get my actual prosthetic. I learned how to attach it to my face using surgical tape and cover it with Band-Aids to give it a flesh colour. Then, because I’m weird and like to inject whimsy whenever possible, I used children’s stickers of flowers and stars and ladybugs to decorate it! I was going to be just fine.
That was the theory anyway. Turned out, taping that thing to my face every day was a complete pain. It never felt secure. I was always afraid it might fall off at any moment. It also had the nasty habit of creating condensation when I breathed, so water would drip out from the bottom edge. Imagine standing in someone’s home with this bizarre thing taped to your face and water dripping down your lip! Yeah, it was no picnic. Fortunately, most people were kind.
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It was only supposed to be for a few months... or so I thought. The reality was quite different. The four or five months dragged on... and on... and on. The entire process of getting a prosthetic required an additional surgery to implant a device on which to clip the silicone nose and months more of healing after that. This was actually a good thing. The alternative to clipping on my prosthetic nose was gluing it on. And let me tell you, given how time-consuming and awful the daily taping of the temporary thing turned out to be, I could not imagine a lifetime of gluing my nose on each morning.
But even though I was okay with waiting a little longer for my prosthetic, since it meant I was getting a clip-on nose, I had no idea that a “little” longer meant many more months.
Rome was not built in a day and apparently, prosthetic noses aren’t either. They’re created through a fascinating process that involves sculpting wax, creating a mould for the silicone and ultimately painting it to match the color of your face. Prosthodontics requires great skill and artistry.
More than ten months after my nose was removed, I finally received my prosthetic nose. My life could return to normal ― well, a new normal, certainly.
Courtesy of Barbara Caplan-Bennett The author in "all my noseless glory."
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Of course, I’m leaving out a lot of the details here ― a lot of the trauma and the crying and the emotional pain, and the recovery and the support I received from friends and family. But the point I really want to make is this: The entire experience was one of great irony.
The first, most obviously, is that out of my greatest nightmare came my dream come true.
I am a writer. I have always been a writer. I have a few published pieces and a self-published novel from 20 years ago. Before my cancer, I had stopped writing. I jokingly referred to myself as a “recovering novelist.”
When I received my cancer diagnosis and knew I had a long journey ahead of me, my niece helped me set up a page on the Caring Bridge website. For the uninitiated (and you are lucky if you don’t know what this is), the Caring Bridge site is where people going through a medical crisis can post their progress as often as they wish and all those who care about them can go to the site to learn the latest news on their loved one. It is a brilliant way for people to make their condition known without having to contact a bazillion different people just to let them know the latest. Just put the information in one place and everyone can access it.
Well, I began my Caring Bridge page for just that purpose. But as can happen when you are a writer at heart, it morphed into a daily blog where I put all my thoughts and feelings about what I was going through ― and let me tell you, I had lots of thoughts and feelings!
This was the most difficult thing I had faced in my 57 years, and processing what was happening to me was an incredible experience. And I wrote it all down.
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Over and over, people told me I had to turn it into a book. I decided I would do just that once I got to the end of the process. But the truth was, once I had that horrible year behind me, the last thing I wanted to do was rehash it all to turn it into something readable. I let it go ― that is, I intended to write the book “someday,” just not “today.”
Nine years passed and the pandemic of 2020 hit. Suddenly I was home every single bloody day. How could I not use my time to finally turn the blog into a memoir? And so I did.
Courtesy of Barbara Caplan-Bennett The author "living the good life with my prosthetic nose."
Noseworthy was just published by Hilltop30 Publishing Group. And so, out of my greatest nightmare, I achieved my greatest dream ― I am officially a published author. And I’m thrilled to say I’ve received the most amazing emails from people who have read it ― which is really, after all, the true realisation of the dream: that people read your work and find it meaningful.
Would I go through it all again just to be able to publish my book? No, of course not. But does it make me feel I at least got something important out of having lived through it? Yes, indeed! Lemonade out of lemons in a most significant way.
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Finally, there’s one other irony I’d like to share. In my book, I talk about how relieved I was that my parents were no longer alive as I went through such a difficult year. My cancer diagnosis would have terrified them, and it would have killed them to see me struggle through the emotional trauma of losing my nose. So, as much as I miss them both, I was glad they were not there to suffer through it with me.
Fast forward to today ― when I’ve achieved a goal I’ve wanted my entire life. My parents would have been over the moon about the publication of Noseworthy. My father had a journalism degree, though he was a journalist for only a short time. But he was always a wordsmith by nature and a writer at heart. Now, instead of being glad my parents are not here, I’m incredibly sad neither of them is alive to see this happen.
So there they are ― two ironies intertwined. My dream come true sprung from my worst nightmare, and my relief that my parents did not have to witness something horrible only to not be able to share my proudest moment with them.
Life is bizarre sometimes. But after what I’ve been through, I’m just happy to be here. Even if it meant giving up my entire nose, I still got the best end of the bargain.
This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--I’m Helping The Lonely Reconnect During The Pandemic. Here’s How

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Even if you have good connections with friends and family, like I do, it’s been a strange and lonely time. I’m a 21-year-old student at the University of Kent in Canterbury, just starting my third year – and let’s just say it’s a very different experience to the first two.
I’m lucky. A lot of clubs and societies I’m involved with have gone online, so I was still able to see my friends and coursemates, and I remain in regular contact with my family across the country in Devon. I’m not going to pretend it’s exactly the same – try being part of the kayaking society online – but simple things like instant messenger and Zoom have helped keep us together even while we’ve been apart. I know it could have been quite lonely otherwise.
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For a while before coronavirus, I also volunteered with British Red Cross, supporting people with first aid and in emergency response situations. But in this unprecedented crisis, lately I’ve been helping to equip people with the skills they need to stay in touch with people just as I’ve been able to and helping others who may not have learned about the internet, which has always been a part of our day-to-day lives.
In England, we are helping people who feel isolated and don’t have access to things like a phone or email but are feeling lonely and cut off from others because of the coronavirus crisis. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know anything about mobile phones or the online world – we help people find new ways of staying in touch with loved ones using social media platforms, emails and texts. So they can stay connected, during these challenging times.
“Sometimes we’re the only person they’ve spoken to that day.”
If people don’t have a smartphone or access to the internet, we can also help them with that and once they’re up and running, a digital volunteer gets in touch, helps them set up the phone and talks through the basics. We speak to people and ask them what they would like help with to ensure they are set up for what they need. This can include saving contacts and downloading apps.
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We’re also there to consider whether or not people might benefit from some extra support through other Red Cross services that offer regular one-to-one support, helping people get involved with groups, clubs and activities in their area. The majority of people we are helping now have people they want to keep in touch with but they just don’t have the confidence to use the internet or the tech.
It can be older people who are not digitally literate yet or it could be people who have come to the UK as refugees or seeking asylum and don’t speak English as a first language. Fortunately, some volunteers are multilingual and interpret those calls.
Everyone we’ve spoken to has been really engaged. We’ve had a few characters on the phone and they do like to chat while they learn – and it’s easy to see why when you remember that sometimes we’re the only person they’ve spoken to that day. It can take from 10 minutes to an hour and it’s often a great conversation which the young volunteer and the person we’re supporting both benefit from.
“If you do want to reach out, we’d love to hear from you and support you to reconnect with those who matter most.”
They’re learning something new that will make a real difference to their lives and we’re learning about them – their vulnerabilities, concerns and needs. It seems so easy and natural to get online and connect with others but for some it’s a challenge and it’s incredibly rewarding knowing that you’ve done something that might just have brightened someone’s day and given them a little more hope.
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We’re there to support people and to reassure them that there’s nothing daunting about learning new skills. We’re personal and our support is based on what each person wants and needs. We’re not trying to bamboozle people with a hundred different apps and websites. It’s about starting with the very basics and letting people decide if they want to take it further from there. One person might be desperate to get on Zoom, another to understand how to send an email. They tell us what they want to achieve and we help them learn how to achieve it.
You can get in touch yourself or on behalf of someone you think would benefit by calling our support line on 0808 1963651. If you’re already confident and able to go online but are feeling a little lonely and in need of a boost yourself, we also have loads of free digital resources for adults and young people wherever you are in the UK – including podcasts, wellbeing advice and classrooms where you can book to join group support sessions.
It’s hard at the moment for all of us but, if you do want to reach out, we’re here to help and we’d love to hear from you and support you to reconnect with those who matter most.
Connor Gilronan is a student and British Red Cross volunteer


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Dominic Cummings Confirms He'll Quit Downing Street By End Of Year

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The blog post Cummings refers to is not as clear about his future as he suggests.
Johnson’s key adviser opened 2020 by suggesting he wanted to be “largely redundant” by the end of it.
He made the point at the same time as he called for “weirdos” to apply for jobs in Downing Street and warned of “profound problems” in government decision-making.
The post, running to nearly 3,000 words, had all the appearance of a job advert as the former Vote Leave director said “we’re hiring data scientists, project managers, policy experts, assorted weirdos” and encouraged them to send a CV to a Gmail address.
Cummings wrote: “We want to improve performance and make me much less important – and within a year largely redundant.
“At the moment I have to make decisions well outside what Charlie Munger calls my ‘circle of competence’ and we do not have the sort of expertise supporting the PM and ministers that is needed.
“This must change fast so we can properly serve the public.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Scotland Will Face England At Wembley In Euros After Thrilling Win Against Serbia

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Scotland have qualified for Euro 2020 after a sudden death penalty shoot-out victory over Serbia.
The play-off in Belgrade had finished 1-1 after extra-time.
It sets up a tantalising Wembley Stadium clash against England during the covid-delayed tournament next June.
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Scotland have now booked their place in Group D alongside England, Croatia and Czech Republic, with all three group-stage games taking place in the British Isles.
The most eye-catching is a repeat of the Euro ’96 clash with England, a game which saw Paul Gascoigne score a memorable goal after David Seaman had saved Gary McAllister’s penalty. England won 2-0.
The match will take place on Friday June 18 at 8pm.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Will Boris Johnson Be Forced To Extend The Current Lockdown Beyond December 2?

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Just two weeks from today, Boris Johnson is likely to come before parliament to set out his plans for ending the current lockdown, detailing the replacement restrictions he wants to kick in from the following week from December 2.
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MPs will get to vote on the next steps and you can bet the debate will be intense. With the new 50-strong Tory backbench Coronavirus Recovery Group now mobilised, the PM may well have to rely on Labour votes for his plan.
Yet as NHS medical director Prof Stephen Powis underlined in the No.10 TV briefing this evening, there is a two week lag between people getting infected, developing symptoms and going into hospital. That means that Johnson will be cutting it very fine indeed to present any hospital admission evidence that the national lockdown can be safely lifted.
In PR terms, it’s no wonder the Downing Street briefing didn’t show case numbers today. A huge spike in cases, up by more than 10,000 since yesterday to 33,470 today, may be a glitch in the stats, but it is worrying nevertheless. Although rolling seven day averages are more reliable, the jump in numbers suggests that we are not close yet to the plateauing that many had hoped.
Even if the ‘real’ figure is around 25,000, it may well be that numbers will have to not just flatten but fall or even halve in just a fortnight. If they don’t fall substantially and if (as is perfectly possible) deaths are still rising, Johnson could be under serious pressure from his scientists to say he should extend the lockdown, maybe for one more week.
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The latest weekly surveillance report from Public Health England suggested the levelling off hadn’t yet arrived either. Alarmingly, all age groups showed cases rising, and the highest rate continues to be among 20 to 29 year-olds (358.9 cases per 100,000 people, up from 347.1 in the previous week). Just as worrying, care home outbreaks have surged 30% in the past week.
Tomorrow’s R rate will tell us more, or course, and many ministers are crossing their fingers that it replicates the encouraging signs from the King’s College London Zoe app, that today suggested the reproduction number less than 1 across the UK. However, the PM and his scientists have all stressed the R is just one measure and if the number of cases keeps rising, decisions become even more difficult.
There were other glimmers of hope today, with Nicola Sturgeon suggesting the R was “hovering around 1, and may, actually, now be slightly below 1” in Scotland. Meanwhile, in Wales, case numbers in many places are actually falling, suggesting their firebreak did have a significant impact.
But in Northern Ireland, Stormont ministers decided to extend their own lockdown for an extra week, followed by a partial reopening, then a fuller reopening a week later. This after days of haggling by the five-party executive.
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Lockdown sceptics may well seize on Powis’s remarks tonight that he was confident Liverpool’s week-on-week drop in hospital admissions was because “we are seeing some of the effects of Tier 3 in Merseyside”. No.10 would prefer to point to his other remarks that Tier 3 led to a flattening of the curve locally but it was the national lockdown that could bend it downwards.
Johnson has all but given his word that the current curbs will end on December 2. He is committed to a return to a tiered system but it looks increasingly likely it will be a reformed version of the previous one. Powis was notably cautious about what will happen after December 2, saying ministers and scientists will look at “the best menu of measures”.
This reminded me of Chris Whitty’s evidence to PMs last week, when he said there could be “variations” of the system and we shouldn’t “just assume we should revert to an absolutely identical one”. So far, No.10 has said privately it doesn’t recognise claims there could be a Tier 4 as in Scotland, but whatever it is called there may be something more than Tier 3 needed in key areas.
One worry in government is that the public on December 3 may rush out to pubs and restaurants, and shops (see Wales’ crammed high streets post-firebreak this week) in some areas. The pressure would be on to let stores and shops of all kinds have a pre-Christmas sales boost.
Yet if the public “tear the pants out of it”, as Jonathan Van-Tam would say, they could also tear up the PM’s hopes of avoiding another national lockdown. Worst of all, the next one may then have to cover Christmas itself. Deciding to semi-extend or fully extend the current restrictions even for just an extra week may be preferable to that nightmare political scenario.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--MP Banned From His Town's Pubs After Backing 10pm Curfew

An MP has been handed a lifetime ban from some of pubs, bars and clubs in the town he represents after backing the recent 10pm coronavirus curfew.
Andy Carter, who was elected as Warrington South’s Conservative MP last year, will be barred from 30 of the town’s venues after a backlash from the local Pubwatch group, the Warrington Guardian reports.
After a unanimous vote to ban him, members said Carter had shown the industry “no support” and that the curfew has “absolutely killed us”.
They also questioned the evidence provided by the government to support the policy.
But the Tory MP said the pub safety initiative had been brought “into disrepute” by the local group.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Trump Turns Against Fox News As Reality Of Election Defeat Sets In

“That’s an explosive charge to make, that the other side is effectively rigging and cheating,” the Fox News anchor added. “Not so fast.”
The Trump campaign has tried desperately to produce evidence of widespread voter fraud since it became clear Biden won the election, coming up short each time and losing legal battles in the process.
Even star host Tucker Carlson, one of Trump’s staunchest allies, told his Fox News audience that Trump’s claims of voter fraud simply aren’t “enough to alter the election result.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Covid Outbreaks Surge In English And Welsh Care Homes

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Coronavirus outbreaks in care homes have surged by 30% in the last week, data published by Public Health England have suggested.
The most recent statistics show 442 acute respiratory infection (ARRI) incidents – that is, two or more confirmed cases linked to a particular place or event – in care home settings in the past week. A week earlier, the figure stood at 340 incidents.
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In total, 1,226 new ARI incidents have been reported – up from 1,184 a week earlier, representing an increase of almost 4%.
Some places were seeing a decline. Educational settings recorded 188 incidents compared to 219 a week earlier.
The data don’t account for every infection – only places where ARRI “outbreaks” were declared, meaning two or more people are infected in the same place at the same time.
For example, as FullFact explains, if someone contracted coronavirus in a restaurant and then spread it in a school, it could have been counted as a school outbreak – the restaurant transmission wouldn’t be recorded.
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Care homes were a hotspot during the first wave of the outbreak in the UK despite claims by the government it had put a “protective ring” around the sector.
Deaths of people in care homes with Covid-19 symptoms hit a four-month high at the end of October, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Of deaths involving #COVID19 registered up to Week 44, 36,597 deaths (64.5%) occurred in hospitals with the remainder mainly occurring in
▪ care homes (16,140)
▪ private homes (2,723)
▪ hospices (787)
➡https://t.co/RHLLcYZQo4 pic.twitter.com/Z1OiJhnr4B — Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) November 10, 2020
In its latest weekly release, the ONS said there were 168 Covid-19 related deaths in care homes in England and Wales in the week ending 30 October – the highest level since the beginning of July.
There have been 16,140 Covid-related deaths in care homes in England and Wales this year to date.
On Thursday, the government said that, as of 9am, there had been a further 33,470 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, the highest daily figure recorded since the outbreak began.
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It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 1,290,195.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Katya Jones Pays Tribute To 'Hero' Nicola Adams After Strictly Exit: 'My Heart Is Broken'

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A heartbroken Katya Jones has hailed her Strictly Come Dancing partner Nicola Adams as her “hero” as she paid tribute to the boxer following their abrupt exit from the show.
The pair were forced out of the competition after Katya tested positive for Covid-19, with them both now required to self-isolate.
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The professional dancer, who the BBC confirmed was asymptomatic, shared a picture of herself and Nicola on Instagram following the announcement on Thursday.
“My heart is broken I’m utterly gutted this Special journey had to end this way and you don’t get to give more,” she wrote.
“@nicolaadams You are a woman who didn’t need a hero, you became one. Definitely my hero.
“To everyone, thank you for your tremendous support and we will keep dancing for you guys one way or another.
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“@bbcstrictly Meanwhile, please stay safe everybody. And to all my friends who’re still in the show- go for it!”.
Nicola and Katya had made history as the first same-sex pairing to ever compete on Strictly Come Dancing.
The Olympic boxer also shared her own post on Twitter reacting to the news.
Hey guys! I’m absolutely gutted my Strictly journey has ended so soon, I had so much more to give and so many people to win this for! But I just want to say a huge thank you to @Mrs_katjones for being the best dance partner anyone could ask for. Team #outsidethebox 👯♀ pic.twitter.com/MmbBKAUumq — Nicola Adams (@NicolaAdamsOBE) November 12, 2020
She wrote: “I’m absolutely gutted my Strictly journey has ended so soon, I had so much more to give and so many people to win this for!
“But I just want to say a huge thank you to @Mrs_katjones for being the best dance partner anyone could ask for. Team #outsidethebox.”
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Many of the couple’s co-stars also expressed their sadness to see them leave Strictly in this way...
Gutted for Nicola and Katya. You made history girls. Sending them both all the love ♥ https://t.co/R5gZeLNw8z — Zoe Ball (@ZoeTheBall) November 12, 2020
We're so sad about this. Nicola and Katya were completely brilliant. X https://t.co/UhHaBNP10r — Claudia Winkleman (@ClaudiaWinkle) November 12, 2020
So sad for lovely @NicolaAdamsOBE and @Mrs_katjones but they’ve already lit up our screens and broken amazing new ground and are winners! X https://t.co/mmUnTvTfVE — Jacqui Smith (@Jacqui_Smith1) November 12, 2020
Prior to the series, Strictly bosses had warned stars that they would be axed from the show if either person in their pairings tested positive for the virus.
Strictly rules have always allowed injured or sick stars a one-week bye in previous years, but the two-week isolation period means that contestants forced to quarantine would be out of the competition for too long.
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Nicola and Katya are both now self-isolating separately.
The BBC has confirmed the rest of the cast are unaffected and the show will continue on Saturday as usual.
However, according to the PA news agency, a number of Strictly crew members are also self-isolating after coming into contact with Katya.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--I'm A Celebrity 2020: First-Look Castle Photos Show Contestants' Living Quarters

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The first photos of the all-new I’m A Celebrity camp have been unveiled, ahead of the new series’ launch over the weekend.
Because of the coronavirus crisis, the show has moved from the Australian jungle – where it’s been held for the last 19 series – to Gwrych Castle in Wales.
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Newly-released pictures show just how different the I’m A Celebrity experience will be for this year’s group of contestants.
This year, the contestants are staying in a haunted castle Shutterstock/ITV
While the stars will be able to take shelter inside the castle, they’ll need to chop their own firewood in order to keep themselves warm, as well as pumping their own “lukewarm” water.
The castle laundry has been transformed into the communal bedroom, where the stars will be provided with either a hammock or an iron frame bed, topped with just a thin mattress.
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Shutterstock/ITV
Other locations around the castle – including the dungeons and the crypt – will be used for the Bushtucker Trial.
Meanwhile, with the jungle shower out for this year’s series, the contestants will bathe with water from a hot watering can in a tin bath, which they’ll need a fellow contestant to pump while they stand under it.
Shutterstock/ITV
And one rather grim detail is the fact the contestants will share an outdoor toilet, the castle privy, which needs to be emptied manually.
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Some details from the jungle have remained, though, namely the inclusion of the red telephone box, which the stars use to win Dingo Dollars (although this time around, the currency of choice will be Castle Coins).
This year, they’ll be answering questions over the phone from Kiosk Cledwyn who producers have said is “Kiosk Kev’s long-lost Welsh cousin and he is every bit as grumpy.”
Shutterstock/ITV
Check out all the photos from the new-look I’m A Celebrity castle below:
I'm A Celebrity 2020 Camp: Take A Look Around The Castle See gallery
I’m A Celebrity producer Tom Gould said: “Once we decided and committed to doing this, it has been a real labour of love and a chance to reimagine and reinvent the show, but also keep the parts of it we know viewers know and love and recognise.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Cummings And Goings At No.10 (With Tom Tugendhat MP)

Cummings And Goings At No.10 (With Tom Tugendhat MP)
Senior Tory MP Tom Tugendhat joins Arj Singh and Paul Waugh to discuss what’s going on in No.10, whether Covid vaccines could be made compulsory and how whether the new relationship between Johnson and Joe Biden will be a special one.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Workplaces Could Bar Anti-Vaxxers If They Refuse Covid Jab, Tory MP Says

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Anti-vaxxers who reject a safe coronavirus jab may not be allowed back into their physical workplace by their employers, a senior Tory MP has said.
Tom Tugendhat told HuffPost UK he can “certainly see the day” when bosses do not allow people into the office unless they have received a Covid vaccine.
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A similar system could work with social venues like pubs and restaurants asking for vaccination certificates before allowing people in.
He compared it to foreign travel, where visitors to certain countries have to show evidence of vaccination against diseases like yellow fever to be allowed into the country.
Tugendhat spoke to HuffPost UK’s Commons People podcast following the news that a vaccine being developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was found to be 90% effective.
The government is now making plans to roll out the vaccine, alongside potentially others if they are proven safe and effective and approved by regulators.
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Commons foreign affairs committee chair Tom Tugendhat Niall Carson - PA Images via Getty Images
Asked whether it was worth thinking about Covid vaccinations being made compulsory if take-up is slow due to anti-vax conspiracy theories, Tugendhat told Commons People: “What’s worth thinking about is the testing policy.
“And if vaccination works and if we’re confident it’s safe, and all indications so far are good, then I can certainly see the day when businesses say: ‘Look, you’ve got to return to the office and if you’re not vaccinated you’re not coming in.’
“And I can certainly see social venues asking for vaccination certificates.
“I remember when I used to travel rather more than I do now – when you go into certain countries you had to show a yellow fever certificate and if you did not have a yellow fever certificate you weren’t allowed in the country and that was that.
“There was no debates, no appeals and no further requests.
“And I can see a situation where yes, of course you’re free not to have the vaccine, but there are consequences.”
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Asked if public services could demand vaccinations before they are used, the Commons foreign affairs committee chair replied: “It would depend what the public services were, and who and when, so I wouldn’t want to start predicting.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-12--Mainland Greece Removed From UK Government's Safe Travel List

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Most of Greece has been removed from the UK government’s list of travel corridors, transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced.
Only the islands of Corfu, Crete, Rhodes, Zakynthos and Kos maintain their exemption from quarantine requirements.
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The travel ban on Denmark has been extended for a further 14 days.
The countries added to the travel corridors list this week are: Bahrain, Cambodia, Chile, Iceland, Laos, Qatar, Turks and Caicos Islands and the United Arab Emirates.
The changes come into force on Saturday at 4am.
Latest data also means we have to REMOVE all of GREECE apart from Corfu, Crete, Rhodes, Zakynthos and Kos from the #TravelCorridor list.
From 4am Saturday 14th November, if you arrive into the UK from this destination you will need to self-isolate. — Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) November 12, 2020
Greece was the last major European hotspot on the travel corridors list.