thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Matthew McConaughey Says 'Arrogant' Left Must Learn Value Of Meeting In Middle

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Actor Matthew McConaughey may have left fans dazed and confused in a political discussion with podcast host Russell Brand.
The Dallas Buyers Club actor accused the “illiberal left” of condescending to the right and proposed a scientific approach to meeting in the middle.
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Russell asked Matthew if he noticed a “condemnation and criticism of what I might describe ordinary working people ... a kind of offhandedness, like, ‘Oh, they’re dumb, they’re voting for Brexit, they’re voting for Trump.’ I don’t like it, and I don’t like to hear it,” Russell said.
Matthew agreed: “There is a lot [of people] on that illiberal left that absolutely condescend, patronise, and are arrogant towards that other 50%,” he said.
Matthew McConaughey YouTube
“I’m sure you saw it in our industry when Trump was voted in four years ago,” Matthew continued. “They were in denial that was real. Some of them were in absolute denial.”
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And now, the “Lincoln Lawyer” star asserted, the left shouldn’t expect Trump voters to accept President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
“Looks like Biden’s our guy,” Matthew said. “Now you’ve got the right that’s in denial, ’cause their side has fake news. And I understand. They’ve been fed fake news. No one knows who the hell to believe, right? So they’re putting down their last bastion of defence.”
Matthew, a native Texan who recently shot down reports he was pondering a run for governor, doesn’t seem to have disclosed his party affiliation of late. But he insisted a science-backed centrist approach could help heal the rift.
“I wanna say I’ll meet you in the middle,” he told Russell. “I actually think that it’s more of a dare than it’s ever been. ... Let’s get aggressively centrist.” He said reframing it as a dare could appeal to the right.
Matthew cited get-out-the-vote efforts as an example of ineffective politics. He said many vote campaigns are backed by Democrats and alienate half of the electorate.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--You’ve Been Hanging Your Christmas Tree Lights Wrong All This Time

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If you painstakingly coil your fairy lights around your Christmas tree each year, you’ve been doing it all wrong.
That’s according to 46-year-old Clare Hooper whose life hack for lighting up a Christmas tree has gone viral on TikTok.
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In a video, which has had 2.4 million views, Hooper can be seen stringing her fairy lights from the bottom of the tree right up to the top, and back down again, so the lights fall vertically.
“If you are coiling your Christmas lights you are doing it wrong,” Hooper says in her Christmas lights life hack video, posted at the end of November.
“Decorating Christmas trees used to be part of my job. We used the zigzag method, it means you don’t waste lights around the back of your tree and if a set breaks you can take them off really easily.”
Her quick tutorial has inspired others to share videos of their tree lights hung with the zigzag method too – and we have to admit, it does look great.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--People Have Thoughts On Mario Lopez As Colonel Sanders In 'Horny KFC' Lifetime Movie

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2020 has certainly dealt us a lot of cards we didn’t expect, but Mario Lopez starring as Colonel Harland Sanders in an upcoming KFC-branded Lifetime movie is definitely up there in the list of most... fowl.
Not quite a full-length feature, A Recipe for Seduction is a “15-minute mini-movie” described in a press release as “full of mystery, suspense, deception ... love and fried chicken”.
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The trailer for the mini-flick provides the exact level of Lifetime melodrama we’ve come to know and love with an added dash of oddity as the former X Factor USA host sports a salt-and-pepper look ― a nod to the classic white hair and beard we associate with the fried chicken czar.
The film, which comes out 13 December, was announced on Lifetime’s Twitter page on Monday and immediately got attention.
Mark your calendars because Lifetime and @KFC have partnered for a Lifetime Original Mini-Movie you don't want to miss! "A Recipe For Seduction" starring @MarioLopezviva premieres Sunday at 12PM. pic.twitter.com/nZJ2PXUR6G — Lifetime (@lifetimetv) December 7, 2020
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While some marveled at Mario’s willingness to act in literally anything, others couldn’t help but marvel at the existence of a “horny KFC movie.” Here are some of our favourite pieces of commentary:
LIFETIME IS RELEASING A HORNY KFC MOVIE STARRING MARIO LOPEZ AS COLONEL SANDERS I WILL NEVER RECOVER — Ash Crossan (@AshCrossan) December 7, 2020
Lifetime is presenting Mario Lopez as a sexy Colonel Sanders in a mini movie
Me: pic.twitter.com/ho7Lt2clYy — teatime75 (@teatime75) December 7, 2020
I almost respect the fact that Mario Lopez says yes to any and every project that hits his agent's inbox. Almost. — Johnny from Queens (@jr_kosik) December 7, 2020
At the absolute bare minimum, Mario Lopez should travel around the country dressed as Colonel Sanders in a hazmat suit delivering chicken to promote this https://t.co/MTy8pe8UFv — Alex Zalben (@azalben) December 7, 2020
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Mario Lopez never turned down a bag in his life. https://t.co/zkGDsssjVm — NUFF (@nuffsaidny) December 7, 2020
Who had 'KFC-themed rom-com starring Mario Lopez as sexy Colonel Sanders' on their 2020 bingo card? https://t.co/XapDgpu2jg — Fred Delicious (@Fred_Delicious) December 7, 2020
this has been a truly wild year but i never expected to read the words "Mario Lopez as Colonel Sanders" — 🦉𝚍𝚘𝚍𝚊𝚒 𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚝🦉 (@dodaistewart) December 7, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--The I'm A Celebrity Stars Had A Genius Way Of Ensuring Things Didn't Get Shown On TV

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Jordan North has revealed the I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! campmates worked out a way to stop bosses airing scenes they didn’t want them to.
The Radio 1 DJ has told of how he and his fellow castle stars would sing songs from Disney, Queen or The Beatles over private conversations, as ITV did not have the rights for their material.
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Prior to appearing on the ITV reality show, Jordan said producers had told them all not to sing anything belonging to those artists, but they used that instruction as an advantage to themselves.
Shane Richie, Vernon Kay, Giovanna Fletcher and Jordan North on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! ITV/Shutterstock
Speaking on Radio 1, Jordan said: “Before we went in, we were told not to sing any songs by Queen, The Beatles or Disney because we can’t get them cleared. That means you’ve got to get the rights for it.
“So if we were having a conversation that we didn’t want to go on air, we’d have a conversation and we’d get someone in the background to sing I Want To Break Free.”
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Jordan revealed Shane dished the dirt on some TV stars, telling him what they are really like, but the footage didn’t air because their campmate Vernon Kay was singing The Beatles’ Hey Jude in the background.
He said: “I’d be there with Shane Richie going, ‘Is he really like that? I’ve always loved him on the telly’.
“Shane’s saying, ‘Can’t stand him mate, he is nothing like you see...’ Then you’ve got Vernon in the background going ‘Hey Jude, don’t let me down.’
“Then we’d know it wouldn’t go on air! I don’t know if we’re allowed to say that!”
Those scenes are not the only ones that didn’t make it to air, however.
Jordan recently revealed how he came close to quitting the reality show in a moment that was never shown.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--First Pfizer BioNTech Vaccine Given In UK Hospital

First Pfizer BioNTech Vaccine Given In UK Hospital
Grandmother Margaret Keenan, 90, became the first patient in the world to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 jab following its clinical approval as the NHS launched its biggest ever vaccine campaign on Tuesday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--I Had A Proposal-Style Photo Shoot To Celebrate Paying Off My Student Loans

Abby Kamagate
Dear Dominique,
I vow to give you a debt-free life.
I vow to not define you by how much money you have in the bank.
I vow to stick to a budget.
I vow to build generational wealth.
I vow to build a life of financial wholeness.
I vow to be content in every season.
I vow to have a lifestyle of crazy faith.
I vow to be radically generous.
I Do!
Wouldn’t it be nice if I said that to myself in the mirror as I started my debt-free journey? I didn’t, but you can make those promises to yourself starting today.
Instead, I started my journey full of anxiety, fear and disbelief. I had thoughts such as, ”Who am I to go after such a lofty goal? or “You’re dumb. You’ll never understand how this works.”
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I was freshly laid off from my dream job as a breaking news reporter and had moved back home to my childhood bedroom. As an Enneagram 7 “enthusiast” personality type, I was a hair away from buying a plane ticket to tour rice fields, wander through temples and backpack across Southeast Asia. But with minimal savings and mounting student loan debt, how could I?
“Over 1 in 5 Millennials say they’ve delayed milestones because they simply can not afford it with their student debt,” according to a survey by TD Ameritrade. That same study reveals that “nearly half of Millennials also plan to move back home after college.”
Abby Kamagate "I said yes to paying off my student debt."
I graduated from a private art school in Chicago with roughly $30,000 in debt. In 2020, the student debt crisis hit a record high. “There are 45 million borrowers who collectively owe nearly $1.6 trillion in student loan debt. In the US, student loan debt is now the second-highest consumer debt category ― behind only mortgage debt ― and higher than both credit cards and auto loans,” according to Forbes.
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Here’s a rough breakdown of how much student loan debt I was in as of August 2019. Before I got serious about paying off my debt, I made minimum payments. Overall, I estimate that I had already paid nearly $30,000 in student debt.
Consolidated, subsidised loan: $17,239.60
Consolidated, unsubsidised: $10,992.21
Factors that contributed to me paying off my debt were decreasing my expenses and increasing my income. I highly recommend getting a solid plan in place. For this, I used Undebt.it. The site populated a free debt payoff plan after I entered my information.
I used the “avalanche method” to pay down debt, and it worked best for my situation, but many people also use the “snowball” method. These are common terms, but here’s a breakdown of what each one is, according to CNBC.
Snowball method: Prioritises paying your debt from the smallest balance to largest, regardless of interest rate.
Avalanche: You pay off the balance with the highest interest rate first, then work your way through all your debt from highest to lowest interest rate. Some financial experts prefer this method because you end up paying less overall in interest.
Before moving back to my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, I lived on my own in a one-bedroom apartment, where I made the minimum debt payments. I was able to go above the minimum amount when I moved back home with my mother for about six months. After moving out, I lived on my own in a studio apartment before deciding to get a roommate. However, the more you can decrease your housing costs the better.
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Another factor that contributed to paying off debt was negotiating my salary. After finding a full-time job, I negotiated $5,000 more in annual salary, which allowed me to make larger payments. I also took full advantage of the “gig economy.” At any given time, I had two or three side jobs, including freelance writing, social media management and website design.
Another encouragement on my debt-free journey was finding a community. My co-worker paid off $100,000 in student loans, and watching her accomplish this goal allowed me to believe I could do the same. I followed a ton of financial communities online as well. Some of the people I consistently followed and gleaned from, were Tiffany the Budgetnista and Leo James.
When I submitted my last payment, all I could do was breathe deeply. It felt like a weight I never knew, but I ultimately felt the burden was lifted off me. I also felt the weight of responsibility to continue to make wise financial decisions and to help other people. I felt the call to be even more generous, and not solely with my money but also with my time and resources. It felt like I was one step closer to my dreams.
With the student debt crisis out of control and 2020 being a nonstop roller coaster, I decided to celebrate this personal milestone by doing a debt-free photo shoot.
Abby Kamagate
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Our culture continually celebrates women for who they are and what they do for everyone else. We celebrate women for marriage and having babies, all which I desire.
But this isn’t a story about my desires.
It’s about celebrating women for accomplishing paying off debt, buying a home or starting a business, or doing whatever to become her most genuine and authentic self — all of which are worthy of celebration.
This fairytale idea of marriage is saturated throughout our culture. I believe that marriage is a friendship with one person for the rest of your life and that it’s service. We must first believe that everything we need is already on the inside of us. This proposal-style photo shoot symbolises that for my 27th year around the globe, I’m going to “say yes” to loving, cherishing, advocating and being kind to myself first, even on the rough days, which have seemed way more frequent in 2020.
Abby Kamagate "I’m going to “say yes” to loving, cherishing, advocating and being kind to myself first, even on the rough days."
I love this poem by Rupi Kaur, which I think is how we should approach partnerships.
i do not want to have you
to fill the empty parts of me
i want to be full on my own
i want to fill so complete
i could light a whole city
and then
i want to have you
cause the two of us combined
could set it on fire
Until my partner comes to hand me the match, I’m going to be over here shining and blooming gracefully into the woman I’m destined to become.
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Financial situations vary, and money is often out of our control, but I hope that I can inspire someone to go after it by sharing this milestone and personal journey. Recently, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) asked her Instagram followers, “What would student debt cancellation mean for you?”
While I hope President-elect Joe Biden cancels student debt, for me, killing my loans means I can travel more, build generational wealth, invest in my business Girl Around the Globe, support loved ones, take more risks and so so much more. And that’s worth celebrating.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Donald Trump Jr’s Wail About ‘Tyranny’ Gets Flipped Back On Him

Your father failed in every regard. He failed with Covid-19. He failed with having integrity. He failed with uniting us as a people. He failed with the economy. He failed with representing us in a way that would instill pride. Consequently, he was rejected by the electorate. Bye.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Dominic Cummings Now Official Laughing Stock As Number One Christmas Cracker Joke

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A joke about Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s former de facto chief of staff in Number 10, has been voted the winner of a national competition on Christmas cracker gags.
Seen as one of the masterminds behind the Brexit referendum result and the Tory landslide at the last general election, Cummings became a household name after it was revealed he travelled 260 miles to his parents’ home in Durham despite a ban on non-essential travel in the spring.
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Voted on by the public, TV channel Gold’s annual Christmas cracker joke competition has seen one about Cummings scoop the crown – “What is Dominic Cummings’ favourite Christmas song? Driving Home For Christmas.”
Dominic Cummings, the former chief adviser to Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson ASSOCIATED PRESS
Despite calls for the aide to resign over the journey – which apparently included a trip to local beauty spot Barnard Castle to check the quality of his eyesight –Cummings was backed by the Prime Minister, and a rare press conference in the Downing Street Rose Garden was held to address the matter.
Cummings dramatically left No 10 last month.
Quips about lockdown, Zoom, Eat Out to Help Out, Donald Trump and Boris Johnson also featured heavily in the competition.
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Now in its eighth year, the contest challenged entrants to come up with the best topical and modern Christmas cracker jokes.
Author of the joke, Craig from Manchester, won £1,500 towards a holiday and a box of bespoke crackers, one of which will contain his champion laugh.
Entries for the competition were shortlisted by a panel of judges, led by comedy critic Bruce Dessau, and put to an anonymous public vote of 2,000 adults.
Dessau said: “Amongst one of the strangest and most turbulent years yet, we can always rely on British humour to pull us through.
“With subjects ranging from Zoom and self-isolation to Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings, there are jokes here to tickle everyone after a challenging year.”
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Gerald Casey, Gold channel director, added: “The festive period is a time for reflection, and although the nation has certainly had a difficult year, it’s heartening to see that British wit remains as sharp as ever.”
Gold’s top 20 funniest new Christmas cracker jokes for 2020 are:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Pfizer Declines Invitation To White House 'Vaccine Summit'

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Pfizer and Moderna, two pharmaceutical companies that have developed promising Covid-19 vaccines, will not participate in a “vaccine summit” Tuesday at the White House that touted the participation of private sector executives.
Pfizer said in a statement that it had informed the White House that it would not attend, but offered no other details, Bloomberg reported.
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Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has previously vowed to keep Pfizer’s vaccine “out of politics.”
Pfizer has pointedly noted that it accepted no funding from President Donald Trump’s Operation Warp Speed to hurry the development of a coronavirus vaccine. But Warp Speed did promise Pfizer $1.95 billion for the eventual delivery of 100 million doses to the federal government if the vaccine is approved for use.
Bourla defended the decision to decline federal research and development funding in order to “liberate our scientists from any bureaucracy” and “keep Pfizer out of politics.”
After watching the presidential debate in September, Bourla told his staff in an internal memo obtained by Politico that he was “disappointed that the prevention for a deadly disease was discussed in political terms rather than scientific facts.” He vowed to “never succumb to political pressure.”
A spokesperson for Moderna, which is also awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval for the use of its Covid-19 vaccine, said in a statement that Operation Warp Speed contacted the company “to be part of a meeting at the White House concerning Covid-19 vaccine plans” and that Moderna “indicated its willingness to participate,” Stat reported. The company learned later that “based on the meeting’s agenda, its participation would not be required,” the statement noted.
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An FDA representative insisted on Monday that the drugmakers had actually been excluded from the meeting because agency officials were concerned about the impropriety of executives mingling at the White House with FDA members who are charged with approving their vaccines, Bloomberg reported.
But it was unclear if the White House decision to exclude Pfizer and Moderna was made before or after Pfizer turned down the invitation. Company executives’ names were included in an invitation to the summit obtained a week ago by Stat.
White House spokesperson Brian Morgenstern said last Tuesday that the president “looks forward to convening leaders from the federal government, state governments, private sector, military, and scientific community.”
The summit is scheduled two days before an FDA advisory committee is set to publicly examine data from Pfizer regarding its vaccine. A similar hearing for Moderna’s vaccine is set for December 17.
The event is regarded by some industry officials as a public relations ploy by Trump to again claim credit for the rapid development of the crucial vaccines — and to pressure the FDA to approve them, Stat noted.
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Trump boasted late last month that he was the one who “came up with” the vaccines.
“I came up with vaccines that people didn’t think we’d have for five years,” Trump said in a Fox News interview. He also boasted on Twitter, using a racist term for the coronavirus, that the private drug companies developed the vaccines “on my watch!”
Another Vaccine just announced. This time by Moderna, 95% effective. For those great “historians”, please remember that these great discoveries, which will end the China Plague, all took place on my watch! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2020
The White House summit is expected to focus on vaccine distribution. Trump plans to sign an order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to get the vaccines to Americans before helping other countries, Bloomberg reported.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Trump Administration Declined Summer Offer To Buy More Of Pfizer’s Vaccine: Reports

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The Trump administration declined an offer from Pfizer to buy more doses of its Covid-19 vaccine at the end of the summer, according to several reports.
The New York Times first reported Monday that Pfizer offered to sell the US government more of its promising vaccine candidate, developed in partnership with the German company BioNTech. The US agreed to buy 100 million doses of the Pfizer drug in July, but the vaccine takes two injections to work, meaning the contract is only enough for 50 million people. (At the time, there were several promising vaccine candidates, but none had shown widespread efficacy in late-stage, large-scale trials).
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Pfizer has since struck deals with many countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Times added that the company may not be able to provide the US with more of its vaccine than it already promised due to its commitments to other nations. ABC News later confirmed the report, citing a senior administration official familiar with the talks.
The drug company told the Times that “any additional doses beyond the 100 million are subject to a separate and mutually acceptable agreement,” but did not elaborate on how much time an additional contract would take to fulfil.
Last month, Pfizer announced trial data showing the vaccine was more than 90% effective, prompting the company to apply for approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its emergency use in the US. The vaccine could receive FDA authorisation as soon as this weekend (another candidate from Moderna has also shown to be extremely effective in trials, and that company has also asked for emergency approval).
The White House, Department of Health and Human Services and Pfizer did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
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In a statement to Fox News, The White House said The New York Times report was “not true” and accused Pfizer of attempting to negotiate in public. HHS told the Times that it was confident of its deal with Pfizer and other vaccine suppliers, stating: “We are confident that we will have 100 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine as agreed to in our contract, and beyond that, we have five other vaccine candidates.”
.@WhiteHouse officials say reports the Administration turned down an offer from @pfizer to procure more doses of the vaccine last summer are simply "not true." On Pfizer's warning that it may not have more vaccine available for the US market until next summer....... 1/2 — John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) December 7, 2020
The United Kingdom began distributing 800,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday, the first Western country to do so. The initial round of inoculations will go to people 80 or older who are hospitalised or have doctors appointments scheduled, as well as to some workers in nursing homes.
Fox News reported Monday that President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order this week to ensure that those in the US would have access to a coronavirus vaccine before the federal government assists other nations.
“The priority is to make sure we distribute these vaccines to Americans before we start shipping them around the world to get international access,” an administration official told the outlet.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Kay Burley Apologises Over 60th Birthday Party That Broke Covid-19 Safety Rules

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Sky News presenter Kay Burley was absent from her regular show on Tuesday after apologising for breaking Covid-19 safety rules.
The TV host, who is facing an internal inquiry for what she described as “an error of judgment”, was not on air on Tuesday, and the show was instead presented by Sarah Hewson
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The broadcaster celebrated her 60th birthday at a “Covid compliant” restaurant on Saturday and later visited another venue to use the bathroom.
The gathering, which reportedly included some of her Sky colleagues, was held in London, which is under Tier 2 restrictions.
Kay Burley Joel Ryan/Invision/AP
On Monday evening, the presenter tweeted an apology, writing: “I want to apologise to you all for an error of judgment. On Saturday night I was enjoying my 60th birthday at a Covid compliant restaurant. I am embarrassed to say that later in the evening I inadvertently broke the rules.
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“I had been waiting for a taxi at 11pm to get home. Desperate for the loo I briefly popped into another restaurant to spend a penny. I can only apologise.”
Evening everyone
I want to apologise to you all for an error of judgment. On Saturday night I was enjoying my 60th birthday at a Covid compliant restaurant. I am embarrassed to say that later in the evening I inadvertently broke the rules. 1/2 — Kay Burley (@KayBurley) December 7, 2020
I had been waiting for a taxi at 11pm to get home. Desperate for the loo I briefly popped into another restaurant to spend a penny. I can only apologise 2/2 — Kay Burley (@KayBurley) December 7, 2020
Kay, who presents a daily breakfast show on Sky News, has grilled politicians on lockdown throughout the pandemic.
In May, she quizzed cabinet minister Michael Gove on the controversy over Dominic Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle.
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A Sky News spokesperson told The Guardian “a small number” of staff may have been involved in the incident and an internal review is now under way.
They said: “We place the highest importance on complying with the Government guidelines on Covid, and we expect all our people to comply.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--UK's First Vaccine Patient Margaret Keenan Pictured Being Given Pfizer Jab

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A 90-year-old grandmother has become the world’s first patient to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
Margaret Keenan was first in line to receive the jab at Coventry Hospital early on Tuesday morning, as dozens of hospital hubs across the country gear up to deliver millions of vaccines, and was soon followed by William Shakespeare from Warwickshire.
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Second patient to get the COVID jab at University Hospital Coventry - would you believe it....William Shakespeare from Warwickshire pic.twitter.com/y0LzxgbJ9w — Hugh Pym (@BBCHughPym) December 8, 2020
Wearing a bright blue Christmas t-shirt in support of the NHS, Keenan, who has lived in Coventry for over 60 years after moving from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, and will be 91 next week, said: “I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19, it’s the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year.”
This is the moment that 90-year-old grandmother Margaret Keenan returned to the ward at her local hospital in Coventry, after she became the first person in the world to receive the clinically-approved #COVIDVaccine this morning 👏🏾👏🏼👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/80yRjJLRhM — NHS Midlands (@NHSMidlands) December 8, 2020
The retired jewellery shop assistant, who was given the jab by nurse May Parsons amid emotional scenes at her local hospital, added: “I can’t thank May and the NHS staff enough who have looked after me tremendously, and my advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it – if I can have it at 90 then you can have it too.”
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Meanwhile, health secretary Matt Hancock said the start of the roll out of the vaccine meant there was “finally” a “way through” the coronavirus crisis.
He told Sky News: “I’m feeling quite emotional actually watching those pictures. It has been such a tough year for so many people and finally we have our way through it – our light at the end of the tunnel as so many people are saying.
Health Secretary @MattHancock tells @skynewssarah he thinks enough vulnerable people will be vaccinated by the spring to begin to lift #coronavirus restrictions.
Get the latest on #COVID19: https://t.co/W5Gk1IqLzX pic.twitter.com/fB8eWQqQvk — Sky News (@SkyNews) December 8, 2020
“And just watching Margaret there – it seems so simple having a jab in your arm, but that will protect Margaret and it will protect the people around her.
“And if we manage to do that in what is going to be one of the biggest programmes in NHS history, if we manage to do that for everybody who is vulnerable to this disease then we can move on.”
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Hancock also said that he hoped that care home residents would start getting the vaccine before Christmas, and stated the government had no intention of issuing immunity passports – adding that the vaccine cards being issued to patients were “standard NHS reminder cards” for the follow-up appointment for the second dose.
Boris Johnson also marked the occasion by thanking the NHS, the scientists who developed the vaccine, the volunteers and “everyone who has been following the rules to protect others.”
Today the first vaccinations in the UK against COVID-19 begin. Thank you to our NHS, to all of the scientists who worked so hard to develop this vaccine, to all the volunteers - and to everyone who has been following the rules to protect others. We will beat this together. https://t.co/poOYG1vHQe — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 8, 2020
Scottish first minister tweeted that footage of Keenan had left her with “a lump in the throat”, describing the start of the vaccination programme as a “milestone moment” in the fight against the virus.
Got a bit of a lump in the throat watching this. Feels like such a milestone moment after a tough year for everyone.
The first vaccines in Scotland will be administered today too. https://t.co/KKaEhf19Jo — Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) December 8, 2020
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Speaking to BBC Breakfast, NHS medical director Professor Stephen Powis said: “It was really, really emotional, I can’t tell you just how much emotion there was in that vaccination centre.
“This is a truly historic day, a turning point in this pandemic, another world-first for the NHS, the start of the largest vaccination programme in our history.”
During the interview Powis was also asked what his message was to people who might have concerns over the vaccine.
He said: “Vaccination is one of the safest forms of medicine.”
He added: “We know they work. This one has been tested in many thousands of people in clinical trials.
“And, of course, the independent regulator, the MHRA, has looked at it carefully, as it always does, and has given it the green light.”
The Mail on Sunday reported that the Queen, aged 94, would be among the first to receive the jab, in a move designed to boost public confidence in the immunisation programme. Buckingham Palace has not commented on the story.
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Patients aged 80 and above who are already attending hospital as an outpatient, and those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay, will be among the first to receive the life-saving jab, health officials said over the weekend.
Hospitals will also begin inviting over-80s in for a jab and work with care home providers to book their staff in to vaccination clinics.
Any appointments not used for these groups will be used for healthcare workers who are at highest risk of serious illness from the virus.
A small number of GP-led primary care networks will begin to deliver the jab during the week beginning December 14, with more than 1,000 practices across the country expected to join on a phased basis during December and in the coming months.
More vaccination centres treating large numbers of patients in sporting venues and conference centres will subsequently take part when further supplies of vaccine come on stream, officials have said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week

Does anyone have any advice for my 3 year old who wants to know how he can eat a different desert after deciding he doesn’t want to eat the one he just ate?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--We Really Disagree With This Ranking Of Festive Food. Do You?

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With all this tougher tier restriction talk, we turn to an even tougher tier ranking system – the Christmas Day menu.
When it comes to Christmas food, everyone has their favourites. Whether it be turkey over beef or roast potatoes over mash, we’re a nation divided on what deserves a place at the Christmas table – come on, we can’t even decide whether Scotch eggs are a substantial meal.
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Do you include Yorkshire puddings and peas at Christmas? Or are you a traditional trimmings purist? Do you devour a whole yule log, or do you prefer to lose some eyebrows while lighting a classic Christmas pudding on fire? Perhaps a lovely glass of Buck’s Fizz to start the morning off?
Search trend analysis from card company Thortful has revealed the nation’s favourite Christmas foods, ranking them by popularity.
The team conducted “desk research” to create a list of the top Christmas food traditions. Then, using this list, they analysed search volumes for each search term for December 2019 to create the tier list. But we can’t help but feel this ranking of Christmas food is just a bit... off.
So, in true festive style, we’ve analysed it – to every last detail.
Thortful.com Brits most googled festive food
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Firstly, let’s address the elephant in the room, shall we? Why is there an entire Christmas dinner ranked first (and vegan dinner ranked last)? Why aren’t they broken down into separate elements – because the separate elements, surely, are what makes up people’s favourites and worsts. It’s lazy, ranking lumping the whole thing together – and for that reason, I’m disqualifying those two.
Christmas dinner aside, we know roast potatoes and pigs in blankets are in their rightful places – but seriously, eggnog?! Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve tried eggnog in my life, and I’m assuming many others haven’t either.
Mince pies I can give or take, but they’re ranked far too high for my liking and should come between the ‘good’ and the ‘meh’ tier, depending on how well they’re made. (Shoutout to Waitrose, which ranked the highest in our taste test).
Brussels sprouts and bread sauce: I think we can all universally agree they belong in the ‘give it a miss’ tier because no one in their right mind would deliberately categorise them as actually being ‘good’. (Just me?)
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Several desserts make an appearance: chocolate, Christmas pudding, and the classic Italian sweet treat, panettone, are all in the ‘good’ tier. This is fine, I guess, but I still feel it’s a bit too generous of a ranking and they should be no higher than the ‘meh’ tier.
There’s a clear attempt to enrage the parsnip, gravy and stuffing lovers (a.k.a absolutely everyone) – all in the lower tiers. Gravy is the glue that ties everything together – a Christmas dinner would be ‘just fine’ before and, after a dousing of the brown liquid gold, it transforms whatever’s beneath it into ‘exquisite tier’. I demand justice for this.
One more bugbear, if I may. There are quite a few staples missing. Where’s the smoked salmon breakfast with champagne in hand? Where’s the pâté starter? Where are the Christmas crisps? The mighty cheeseboard with all the works (not just one lonely block of Stilton)?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--How To Embrace Alone Time (And Even Start Enjoying It)

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Listen to our weekly podcast Am I Making You Uncomfortable? about women’s health, bodies and private lives. Available on Spotify, Apple, Acast and wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Do you enjoy your own company? It’s a simple enough question, but before 2020, those of us who usually packed our calendars to their limits may have been stumped on the answer. But this year, we’ve had to confront head on our relationship with time spent alone.
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For some, the solitude this year has been excruciating, breeding loneliness and carrying a serious impact on our mental health. Others have found alone time empowering – enjoyable even.
“I now love doing things on my own. I’ve learned to occupy myself and not be afraid of being on my own, whereas I previously used to just dread not being around people and not being around friends,” one 28-year-old, from London, tells HuffPost UK. “So while this year’s had its fair share of disasters, I’m actually quite grateful for what it taught me.”
JGI/Jamie Grill via Getty Images
So, how can more of us embrace spending time alone? And can doing that mitigate feelings of loneliness? We chat to our guests about this in the latest episode of our Am I Making You Uncomfortable? podcast – our last of 2020 – where we learn there’s a big difference between loneliness and being alone.
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Disability advocate Shani Dhanda shares her experience of shielding this year and her advice for getting through periods of isolation, while Francesca Specter, founder of Alonement, talks about the benefits of choosing and celebrating time alone, for those of us who have access to that privilege.
We also hear from our listeners, who share their changing relationships with alone time throughout the pandemic. Here are just some of the things we learned.
Be proactive about it
You can’t expect to suddenly enjoy alone time, you have to be proactive about it, says Specter. A key part of this is scheduling solo activities in the same way you would a meet-up. Carve out time to watch your favourite show with your favourite snack, try out a new hobby, or visit a cafe alone. “A date with yourself is a date, that’s a valid plan that you can have in your diary,” Specter adds.
Forward planning may be particularly helpful if you’re planning to spend Christmas alone – or with just a partner or one friend – when you’d normally be in part of a big busy gathering. This might mean planning your menu, or scheduling in a festive run or bubble bath to start the day differently this year.
“That feeling of anticipation is important,” says Specter, adding that it can turn apprehension into excitement. “Being able to rewrite the rule book and break
away from tradition for one year is no bad thing, because there is opportunity.”
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Don’t rely on your phone
Dhanda says spending a lot of time alone while she was in and out of hospital as a child prepared her for shielding during the pandemic. She didn’t have a phone to keep her occupied – and advises finding other ways to entertain yourself, rather than losing hours to unfulfilling scrolling.
“I didn’t have a mobile phone to keep me occupied, but I was really creative and loved making things,” she says. “It’s great to know the things that you enjoy, but be open-minded as well to trying your hand at different things. Whether that means baking all day long, gardening, reading, there’s so much out there.”
dusanpetkovic via Getty Images
It’s okay to have a prop
The current tier rules in England mean you can no longer visit pubs, restaurants and cafes with those outside of your household in most areas of the country. This could make it the perfect opportunity to try solo dining, whether you live alone or just need a break from your partner or housemates.
Asking for a “table for one” can feel intimidating, but Specter recommends avoiding emotive qualifiers such as “just” – e.g. “just a table for one, please” – when entering the venue. You have as much right to be there as a couple and acknowledging this to yourself from the off will feel empowering.
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“Another thing I do that I would recommend is to take a prop, and that can be a newspaper or a book or a Kindle,” she says. “You will feel a bit more relaxed knowing there’s something there, even if you don’t look at it.” When you’ve nailed one solo dinner, the rest will become easier, Specter adds.
“Having dinner alone is wonderfully immersive. You notice the kindness of the waiting staff, the deliciousness of the food, the atmosphere of the restaurant, the people around you,” she says. “And once you’ve been able to enjoy that, despite the discomfort and the apprehension, you will go back.”
Ask yourself why you might be struggling
Despite coining a term for positive alone time, Specter says she still has days where being happy in her own company is a challenge.
“I think it’s about addressing that and thinking: ‘Why am I struggling to spend time alone today? Is that because I’ve got certain feelings I’m trying to avoid and I’m trying to escape them by being on WhatsApp all night?’” she says.
Working through these feelings is the “entry ticket” to enjoying your alone time, Specter adds, so don’t ignore them.
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Request alone time in a busy household
During our podcast episode we hear from a mum of three children under four, who says she’s felt lonely this year, despite constantly being surrounded by people. She tells us about the benefits of finding alone time even in a busy household – and how, conversely, this can actually reduce the loneliness of parenting in particular.
“When you’re just talking to toddlers, it can be a lonely time. I get followed everywhere, whether it’s the toilet, the shower, while I’m shoving biscuits in my face... So the same time as being surrounded by people all the time, it is possible to actually still feel lonely or at least want to be alone,” she says.
“I got better as the year went on at saying to my husband, ‘I’m just going to go
for a walk for 20 minutes, I’ll be back.’ And I think that made me a better, happier mum.”
Think about the payoffs
If you’ve got easy access to loved ones, you may be wondering why you should bother embracing alone time. But Dhanda says it’s helped her during moments where isolation has been necessary.
Specter adds that embracing positive alone time following a break up – and coining the term ‘Alonement’ for this approach to life – improved her mood and self-belief.
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“I became calmer. I became more confident. My self-esteem absolutely soared and it benefited me on a professional level because I was then able to spend that time journaling to work out what I wanted on a day-to-day level.” she says. “I also found myself more able to give to other people, because I had fulfilled my own needs.”
Recognise loneliness
Both of our podcast guests stress that loneliness is not the same as being alone, and just because you’ve started to embrace alone time, it doesn’t mean you’ll never be lonely again.
“It’s about being mindful of it, looking out for the signs and taking action about it so that you won’t feel that way, as much as you can,” says Dhanda.
Taking action to tackle your loneliness might mean telling a trusted loved one how you’re feeling, connecting with others online or reaching out to a charity for support (there’s a list of organisations at the bottom of this article that may help). You can also read our guide to dealing with pandemic loneliness.
Specter adds that making face-to-face plans where possible is key – and it’ll also add meaning to your alone time. “Without that balance, my solitude almost lacks flavour,” she says. “I’ve overdosed on it.”
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Useful websites and helplines
Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.
Covid-19 is more than a news story – it has changed every aspect of life in the UK. We are following how Britain is experiencing this crisis, the different stages of collective emotion, reaction and resilience. You can tell us how you are feeling and find further advice and resources here.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Of The 5 Love Languages, 'Receiving Gifts' Is The Most Misunderstood

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You’re reading Relationships DIY, a series full of tips, tricks and perspective on keeping your relationship healthy and happy during the pandemic.
In his long-standing New York Times bestseller The 5 Love Languages, author Gary Chapman — a Baptist pastor, church counsellor and speaker — first introduced his theory that people feel most loved when their partner expresses affection in their predominant “language.”
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The problem, he noted, is that we often show love to our significant other in the way we personally like to receive it — even though our preference usually differs from theirs. That’s why figuring out your partner’s love language is essential. (You can both take the online quiz, if you haven’t already).
Aja Koska via Getty Images Just because your love language is receiving gifts, doesn't mean you're materialistic or superficial.
Of the five, receiving gifts is the love language people tend to make some unkind and untrue assumptions about. Whether this is your primary love language or your partner’s, don’t be so quick to judge.
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“People seem to look down on the ‘receiving gifts’ love language and attach unfair judgments,” Nicole Saunders — a therapist in Charlotte, North Carolina, who recommends the book to her clients — told HuffPost. “They may consider a person with that language to be materialistic, frivolous and shallow.”
But that’s often not the case. Chapman explained that it’s not the price tag that’s important to this person — it’s the thought, care or effort that went into choosing or executing the gift. The right present makes this person feel seen, understood or appreciated.
“If you’re kind of lighthearted about it and just say, ’Oh, well their love language is gifts so I’ll just give them anything,′ but it’s not something they have an interest in, then it will not mean as much to them as if they realise, ‘Oh, you knew me well enough to know that I collect spoons’ or whatever it might be,” Chapman said.
“A thoughtful gift speaks more deeply than a gift given rather flippantly,” he added.
Authentic Images via Getty Images People with this love language tend to be moved by the thoughtfulness of gifts, not their monetary value.
In other words, don’t spring for a pair of fancy trainers just because they’re expensive if your partner isn’t into fashion. The value of the gift is about more than the item itself — it’s about what it symbolises.
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“To give a gift with meaning and thought behind it requires attention and empathy, which ultimately strengthens the relationship connection,” Saunders said. “And then the gift becomes a symbol of the sentiment, increasing its value.”
Let’s say, for example, that your girlfriend mentions in passing that she’s been homesick and craving her mum’s cooking. The next week, you surprise her with a plate of freshly baked cookies. Maybe the ingredients only cost you £10, but the fact that you remembered her comment, reached out to her family for the recipe and baked them (despite your lack of culinary skills) would probably mean more than a present you bought because it seemed flashy or impressive.
“People seem to look down on the ‘receiving gifts’ love language and attach unfair judgments.” - Nicole Saunders, therapist in Charlotte, North Carolina
That said, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to speaking any love language well, as we all have nuanced preferences. To become fluent in your partner’s particular dialect requires listening for clues (and taking notes so you don’t forget!) that will help you meet their individual needs. Know that experiential gifts — like a weekend trip, art class or tickets to a concert or game — can be just as appreciated as tangible gifts.
“Pay attention to the subtle likes, desires and pain points your partner expresses,” Saunders said. “For example, your girlfriend loves to get facials but does so rarely due to the expense. A great gift would be to figure out her favourite spa and purchase several treatments plus tip she can use throughout the year.”
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If your partner’s love language is gifts, don’t forget the special dates like birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and other milestones. Set reminders in your calendar so you don’t miss them.
“If you forget their birthday, for example, that is like a dagger in their heart,” Chapman said. “They’ll think, ‘They don’t think enough about me even to get me something on my birthday.’”
Equally important, though, is to sprinkle in “just because” cards and gifts throughout the year, no reason necessary.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Cat Burns Is The TikTok Superstar Who Went From Unknown To Miley Cyrus' Label Mate

In March, when the first lockdown hit, Cat Burns was just joining TikTok. Nine months later, she has over 680,000 followers: a seismic haul which ultimately led to her being signed by RCA Records, making her a label mate of Mark Ronson, Miley Cyrus and Zayn.
“I think at 100,000 I thought, ‘oh wow,’” Cat tells HuffPost UK. “Then when I hit 500,000 I thought ‘oh, I’ve actually amassed a following. This is mad’. And then I saw the billboard and thought wow, this is really kicking in, I did this in such a short space of time.’”
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In lockdown, Cat’s face was plastered around central London on giant TikTok promotions, including at Piccadilly Circus, a signifier of her fame spiralling upwards. Of course, she made a TikTok about it.
And why wouldn’t she? The app is close to the 20-year-old’s heart. Without it, she tells HuffPost UK, she wouldn’t be signed to a major label and have recently released her first single, Go.
That said, Cat insists major labels are still only just figuring out how to work with TikTok stars like herself.
Cat Burns Supplied
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“I think labels are still trying to understand TikTok, which is why they wanted to work with me,” Cat tells us.
In short, label execs simply couldn’t understand how Cat had gained such a huge following without any help. “They were just like, ‘how did you manage to do that?’ And then ‘how can we use that to help our other artists also do that?’”
Quite easily, according to TikTok: app information insists artists can reach large audiences without already having a following, or a successful video to their name. “Neither follower count nor whether the account has had previous high-performing videos are direct factors in the recommendation system,” they explain in a blog post.
Essentially this means anyone could potentially ‘make it’ based on purely having high quality content and no followers at all.
“Everyone’s kind of trying to figure out how I’ve managed to finesse the system.”
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So naturally, labels are trying to figure out how to help their artists rake in some of the audience figures Cat has carefully amassed by putting out what she calls “authentic, organic” content.
But she is the first to admit that it’s easier said than done and not as straightforward as it may seem.
“There’s definitely still a mystery, the algorithm has to like you basically,” she ponders. “Everyone’s kind of trying to figure out how I’ve managed to finesse the system.”
Finesse she did, and Go has crossed over to other platforms - it currently has over 130,000 plays on YouTube.
Cat says TikTok fame has translated IRL too: she’s often noticed out and about in London as the app becomes more and more mainstream. “If I’d go out with my friends there’d be someone that stared at me and asked, ’are you that girl from TikTok? Can I get a picture?” she says.
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Cat Burns Supplied
Being recognised was not on the cards prior to TikTok: the Londoner had met with labels in the years before her recent ascent but was met with rejections.
“Obviously what I was trying to do as a young Black female playing the guitar and doing pop music was not really seen in the mainstream music world, so to a lot of people, they don’t know it, and they’re like, ‘it’s not gonna work, it’s not gonna sell,’” she remembers.
“So I kind of had to prove that it would and I kind of unknowingly did that with TikTok.”
Now she has her following, Cat hopes to use her platform to engage more with the queer Black community particularly, and commends how the app throws up suggestions for genres and sounds labels may reject for not fitting an obvious template.
“I like to follow other Black creators because that is something that needs to be uplifted on the app, especially Black female creators,” she reflects. “In terms of Black British female queer spaces there are loads on TikTok, there’s a massive community but I’ve yet to meet them [in real life].”
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The app, she says, is rife with musical diversity - the type labels could take note of. “I was scrolling and this Black rock band, three girls, had said they’d really struggled going down the major route, and they posted their own stuff, shared it on TikTok and loads of people started supporting them.
“It opened up a discussion about why as Black people we feel like we can’t do other genres outside of R‘n’B or rap - they kind of sparked a conversation.”
Cat’s music is nowhere near either genre: she writes gentle melodic pop songs with surprisingly jaunty lyrics. In Go, about an ex who cheated on her, she warns: “Pack up your bags and go,” with all the listlessness of Lily Allen’s Fuck You.
Sonically, it’s a charm offensive but lyrically wrapped in a strong moral message about transparency in relationships. Lily, it turns out, was an inspiration, as were artists India Arie, Tori Kelly and Alessia Cara.
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“I try and have the lyrics and melody juxtaposed so that it’s heartbreak, but it’s quite fun.”” - Cat Burns
“I’ve always loved Lily,” says Cat. “I love the social commentary type of style she’s always had, and just her Britishness which I always wanted to do with my songs. I wanted to make sure I sing in my accent... I try and have the lyrics and melody juxtaposed so that it’s heartbreak, but it’s quite fun.”
“I have other songs which are quite deep and quite sad, but the melody and the beat is fun, so it’s putting a positive spin on something that might not be very happy.”
This positivity extends further, beyond her music, into a worldview that is clearly resonating with her hundreds of thousands of social media fans, some of which say in comments under her videos that they are learning to play the guitar and write music since they have discovered her. There’s the sense that she is clearly an addictive person to be around in the digital sphere, especially during a pandemic.
“I’m not really a serious person,” Cat concludes. “Even when I’m talking about serious things there’s always some light to it, because I think we should always see some light in something that is dark.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--V-Day Was Great, But Matt Hancock Needs Lots Of D-Days To Win The Covid Battle

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For some Britons, our constant cultural references to the second world war are tiresomely obsessive. And when Matt Hancock hailed the start of the UK’s historic Covid vaccination programme as “V-Day”, the Twitterati scepticism wasn’t hard to find.
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Yet for the over-80s, the generation who actually remember the war from real life rather than the movies, invoking that 1945 mix of relief and celebration may have had real resonance. Even in this super-cynical age, the footage of Margaret Keenan (90), William Shakespeare (81), or Martin Kenyon (91) doing their duty and calmly getting their jabs was a truly moving sight.
After hearing Mr Shakespeare praise the NHS staff who administered the vaccine, Hancock himself was certainly moved to tears. For the health secretary and his allies, the moment wasn’t just a triumph of global scientific progress, it was a vindication of his dogged belief that it was worth going early down the vaccine route even as others doubted that strategy.
Indeed, just seven weeks ago, the knives were out for Hancock among some in No.10 who felt his optimism was wearing thin. His allies tell me they recall this specific quote from one “Whitehall source”: “Matt Hancock is the only person here who thinks there is actually going to be a vaccine...it’s a running joke with other departments.”
Back in April, his pledge to test 100,000 people a day was dubbed “arbitrary” and “irrational” by Downing Street sources who felt the target would “come back and bite him”. In August, when he warned that a second wave was “a very serious threat” (presciently as it turned out) and further lockdowns may be needed, he was again slapped down by some in No.10.
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Some suspect the now departed duo of Cummings and Cain were behind the vitriol, which seems to have abated since they left the building. Still, maybe they were only their master’s voice, given that the PM himself was more focused on the “moonshot” of mass testing and drug treatments as a way out of the pandemic, rather than a vaccine breakthrough. Valid questions remain too about Hancock’s handling of ‘NHS Test and Trace’, at least the trace bit.
Still, when Hancock cited the more famous Shakespeare in the Commons today – “if you prick us, do we not bleed?” – he could have been referring not just to Covid jabs but to his own treatment by those on his own side these past nine months.
The health secretary was at pains today to repeatedly stress that for all the good news on the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine rollout beginning, it would be spring at the earliest before restrictions could start to be seriously lifted across the country. Once most of the most vulnerable 25m had had the jab, “we can rely on people’s personal responsibility to protect themselves rather than the current rules that we have in place”, he said. He had already booked his holiday in Cornwall for next summer, he said.
But Hancock was also clear about his nagging worries in the here and now. “I’ve still got this worry we can’t blow it now,” he said, pointing to signs that the virus was growing again in London and parts of Essex and Kent. It’s certainly true that case numbers nationally have stopped falling, thanks to some regional drivers.
While the north west and north east now look good bets to come out of Tier 3 curbs next week, the capital may swap places with them. In Wales too, the virus looks again to be scarily on the march, perhaps confirming that its short “firebreak” was followed by widespread arson. Give some of the public an inch and they take several miles, it seems. Like the north of England, Scotland seems to have had success with very tough restrictions, but all our politicians must worry that only the most extreme curbs seem to work.
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The spike in London and south East cases seems to have started even during the second lockdown. Was that down to restriction fatigue, or confusion about the rules or both? With a five-day incubation period, it may be that some of today’s cases result from the reopening of retail and hospitality last week.
Either way, high profile cases of Kay Burley and Rita Ora are probably typical of the way some people in London are simply ignoring the ban on household mixing in bars, restaurants and at home. Given the potential of Tier 1 light curbs to let the virus let rip again and given its spread across borough boundaries, there may be quite a few disappointed Tory MPs on that December 16 review date.
Add in the fact that we are going to see further relaxation for “Christmas bubbles” and you can see why Hancock is worried. The threat of a New Year third wave is now very real indeed. I suspect Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance, who are due before the Commons joint health and science committee tomorrow, will have to issue a fresh blood-curdling warning to the public to follow the rules. Be more like the jabtastic Margaret, William and Martin, each of whom has made big social sacrifices this year and still patiently plan for 2021.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Blow For Trump As Supreme Court Rejects Bid To Overturn Joe Biden’s Pennsylvania Win

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The Supreme Court has rejected last-gasp bid by Republicans to reverse Pennsylvania’s certification of president-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the electoral battleground.
The court without comment Tuesday refused to call into question the the certification process in Pennsylvania. Governor Tom Wolf already has certified Biden’s victory and the state’s 20 electors are to meet on December 14 to cast their votes for Biden.
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Biden won 306 electoral votes, so even if Pennsylvania’s results had been in doubt, he still would have more than the 270 electoral votes needed to become president.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Trump: It's 'Terrific' 15% of Americans Have Had Covid-19

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Donald Trump has said it is “terrific” that 15% of the US population have been infected with Covid-19 in one of the last bizarre press conferences of his presidency.
Speaking at a White House coronavirus vaccine event, the outgoing US president said on Tuesday: “I hear we’re close to 15 percent. I’m hearing that, and that’s terrific.”
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The one-term president was apparently referring to the theory of herd immunity.
Herd immunity refers to a situation where enough people in a population have immunity to an infection to be able to effectively stop that disease from spreading.
Some 70% of the US population of 330 million would need to be inoculated to achieve “herd” immunity from the virus.
Around 285,000 Americans have died with the disease and the pandemic is continuing to surge across the country.
Trump delivered the remarks at the top of a White House summit on vaccine development and distribution just before signing an executive order intended to ensure priority access for Covid-19 vaccines procured by the US government is given to the American people before assisting other nations.
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Donald Trump greets the crowd before he leaves at the Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Summit. Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images
But the executive order does not appear to have a clear enforcement mechanism. At the summit, Trump suggested he would invoke the Defence Production Act if needed. The act, which was passed in 1950, grants the president the power to expand industrial production of key materials or products for national security and other reasons.
“If necessary ... we’ll invoke the Defence Production Act, but we don’t think it will be necessary. If it is, it’s a very powerful act, as you know, because we’ve used it very, very successfully,” he said.
The executive order and the summit itself seemed designed in part to give credit to Trump, who lost the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden but has refused to concede, for the speedy development of the vaccine.
Trump said it is “terrific” that 15 percent of the population has been infected with COVID (we were at 11.7% as of Nov. 28, per CDC). He meant that as a suggestion we’re getting towards herd immunity, which would be around 70%. So, clearly, not close and very much not terrific — Sam Stein (@samstein) December 8, 2020
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It came on the same day a 90-year-old grandmother in the UK become the world’s first patient to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
Trump also used the event to reassert false claims about widespread electoral fraud when asked about why Biden officials had not been included.
“We’re going to have to see who the next administration is, because we won in those swing states and there was terrible things that went on. ... But whichever the next administration is will really benefit by what we have been able to do,” Trump said.
“Hopefully the next administration will be the Trump administration.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration declined an offer from Pfizer to buy more doses of its Covid-19 vaccine at the end of the summer, according to several reports.
The New York Times first reported on Monday that Pfizer offered to sell the US government more of its promising vaccine candidate, developed in partnership with the German company BioNTech.
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The US agreed to buy 100 million doses of the Pfizer drug in July, but the vaccine takes two injections to work, meaning the contract is only enough for 50 million people. At the time, there were several promising vaccine candidates, but none had shown widespread efficacy in late-stage, large-scale trials.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Kay Burley Confirms Time Off From Sky News After Speculation Presenter Taken Off Air Until New Year

Kay Burley has said she will not front Sky News in the coming weeks amid speculation she would not be at work again before 2021 after admitting breaking Covid-19 safety rules.
The TV host, 59, said she will be on a pre-planned holiday to Africa as she faces an internal inquiry for what she described as “an error of judgment”.
She was not on air on Tuesday, and the show was instead presented by Sarah Hewson.
Burley shared a message on Twitter saying she had always planned to take time off to visit “my beloved Africa”.
Sharing a video from a safari trip, she wrote: “Lovely people, whatever else you read be safe in the knowledge I was always heading to my beloved Africa on Friday to sit with lions. They kill for food not sport.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--All These Countries Played A Part In Delivering The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine

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All eyes were on Coventry Hospital early on Tuesday morning as 90-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first patient in the world to be injected with Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine.
“If I can have it at 90 then you can have it too,” she told the crowd of reporters who had gathered to capture the very start of the nation’s largest ever immunisation programme.
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The NHS has been widely praised for mobilising within a matter of days to start delivering jabs to some of the nation’s most vulnerable people, with plans for millions of people to have received the vaccine before Christmas.
But despite what Gavin Williamson and Alok Sharma say, the team behind its development, manufacturing, funding and delivery is a truly global one – relying on work that has been in progress for decades.
Here’s a look at the people around the world who have got us to this point:
The nurse who administered the first dose
On Tuesday morning May Parsons, who has worked for the NHS since arriving in the UK from the Philippines 17 years ago, became the first nurse ever to administer a Covid-19 vaccine to a patient.
She told ITV: “I’m really glad to be telling all the Filipinos in this country and everywhere in the world that we can make a difference and we do make positive contributions to humanity as it were.
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‘I was so proud to contribute to stopping the pandemic.’
May Parsons is the nurse to give the first Covid-19 vaccine in the world.
She’s worked at the trust in Coventry for 17 years since she arrived in the UK from the Philippines.
She speaks exclusively to @SwainITV. pic.twitter.com/sCL9VxDx8O — Good Morning Britain (@GMB) December 8, 2020
“I think it’s a historical event for Filipinos all across the globe, for making sure we’re all proud of what we’ve achieved, what we contribute to everyone and the care we give.
“I’m very proud to be saying to everyone that I’m a Filipino Briton today making history.”
There are more than 18,500 people of Filipino heritage currently working across the NHS, making up almost 2% of the total workforce – the third largest ethnic group following White British and Indian.
NHS workers from the Philippines have been disproportionally impacted by Covid-19, with a Nursing Times article from June quoting an estimate of around 50 coronavirus deaths among Filipino NHS staff.
The scientists who founded BioNTech
Özlem Tureci (l) and Ugur Sahin (r) shown on screen during an awards ceremony in early December. picture alliance via Getty Images
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Married couple Özlem Tureci and Ugur Sahin became billionaires in an instant after their startup BioNTech developed the successful vaccine being rolled out in the UK.
Both born into Turkish families who had emigrated to Germany, Tureci and Sahin met while working on an oncology ward in Homburg, and launched the company in 2008 after finding surprising gaps between medical advances and what was available to medical staff, the Washington Post reported.
With a team of 1,000 people working round the clock, within a month BioNTech had developed 20 candidate vaccines, before narrowing those down to four. Tureci and Sahin didn’t have the financial resources needed to fund trials, so turned to Pfizer, who they had already worked on flu vaccines with in the past.
The company also received a $442million (£331.3m) grant from the German government to help develop the vaccine, Forbes reported.
Speaking to the Washington Post before the rollout in the UK, Sahin said: “This is a new virus and a completely new situation for mankind.
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“That provides an opportunity to prove that the technology works and works faster than existing technologies.”
The company that financed the vaccine
A woman walks in front of Pfizer headquarters in New York City. VIEW press via Getty Images
While BioNTech produced the vaccine, the trials and production couldn’t have been facilitate without the financial support of a huge investor – which is where US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer comes in.
While the UK was the first country to approve the vaccine for use, as the New Scientist reports, the company has also applied for regulatory approval in the US, EU, Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand.
Founded in 1849 in New York City, the company produces a vast array of pharmaceutical products which are distributed worldwide. It used to employ 2,400 at a site in Sandwich, Kent, and still run a research unit in Cambridge, but its operations in the UK have been significantly scaled back in recent years.
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While several companies, such as Moderna, have secured government funding from the US government, Pfizer used $1billion of its own money to invest in the Covid-19 vaccine (£752m).
“A billion dollars is not going to break us,” CEO Albert Bourla told Forbes earlier in 2020.
The people actually producing the vaccine
Trucks are loaded at a Pfizer factory in Puurs, Belgium where Covid-19 vaccines are being produced for Britain. KENZO TRIBOUILLARD via Getty Images
Designed in Germany, funded by a US company, the vaccine itself is now being manufactured in Belgium at Pfizer’s Puurs factory.
According to the Brussels Times, the production of the jab has led to 150 new workers being employed by Pfizer at the site, where millions of doses have already been manufactured ready for shipping to the UK.
The first batch of vaccine vials arrived from Belgium on Thursday, and must be kept at around -70C before they are thawed ready for use. The window within which they remain viable is relatively narrow, placing increased pressure on the NHS to deliver as many vaccines as possible within a tight timeframe.
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In an interview with Politico, Pfizer spokesperson Koen Colpaert said Belgium had been picked as a site of investment by the company due its “high-tech expertise and training of its staff and the high level of academic research.”
The tiny town of Puurs is also conveniently located for worldwide distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine. According to Politico, Brussels Airport was one of the first to be certified by the International Air Transport Association for cargo transport of pharmaceuticals, and around half of the nation’s pharmaceutical production is exported outside of the EU.
The company has said it expects to produce up to 1.3bn doses of the vaccine by the end of 2021.
The team who discovered the genetic sequencing of the virus itself
Scientists in China were the first to discover the genome sequencing behind the virus itself, opening the door to scientists working to find a vaccine. STR via Getty Images
Within weeks of the first outbreak of Covid-19 in Wuhan, Chinese scientists had already discovered the genetic code of the virus itself.
Officials posted it publicly in January – before the virus was even known to have taken hold in Europe – allowing scientific research teams to get to work right away.
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With the genetic code in hand, scientists could start vaccine development work without needing a sample of the virus, buying teams around the globe extra time to start work.
During the deadly 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) outbreak, it took US scientists 20 months to go from genetic sequence to the first phase of human trials. By that time, the outbreak was under control.
But by January 2020, research groups worldwide were already executing plans to test vaccines, treatments and other countermeasures to stop Covid-19 from spreading globally.
While they were unable to contain the outbreak, the rapid identification of the genetic sequencing behind the virus helped scientists around the globe start on a vaccine much earlier than they were likely to have otherwise been able to.
The trial participants
A health care worker injects a syringe of the phase three Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine trial into a volunteer at the Ankara University Ibni Sina Hospital in Ankara, Turkey. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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Unlike Oxford’s vaccine trials, none of Pfizer’s trials took place in the UK.
Instead, trials were set up at 150 different sites in the US Germany, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil and Argentina.
According to Pfizer’s most recent update on their website, 41,135 of the participants had received a second dose of the vaccine candidate as of November 13, in stage three of the clinical trials.
Approximately 42% of global participants and 30% of US participants were from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, and 41% of global and 45% of US participants are 56 to 85 – the age group amongst those at highest risk of developing serious complications after catching Covid-19.
The scientists who discovered how to produce this type of vaccine
The leading vaccine candidates to tackle Covid-19, including the Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford and Moderna jabs use a novel type of vaccine made from messenger RNA, known as mRNA.
Rather than injecting the viral protein, a method used in many typical vaccinations, an mRNA vaccine actually injects genetical material.
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When these genetic instructions are injected into body, usually through the upper arm, the muscle cells translate them to make the viral protein directly in the body.
The development of this approach was led by Hungarian scientist Katalin Karikó, who – as The Telegraph reports – has been working on the science behind mRNA vaccines for years decades.
It wasn’t until 2005 that her team, which she ran alongside colleague Drew Weissman, finally established how to stabilise mRNA and package it into small particles to deliver it as a vaccine.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Karikó described the emotional moment she heard the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was highly effective in protecting against Covid-19.
“Redemption!” she exclaimed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Boris Johnson Heading For Wednesday Night Brexit Showdown In Brussels

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Boris Johnson will travel to Brussels on Wednesday for a make-or-break Brexit showdown with the EU.
The prime minister will have dinner with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is what is being seen as potentially the last chance to break the impasse in talks on a trade deal.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier earlier this week told MEPs that Wednesday was the final opportunity to reach an agreement.
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A failure to do so would see the UK crashing out of the transition period into World Trade Organisation rules for trade with the EU from January 1, which is predicted to be the most economically damaging Brexit outcome.
A No.10 spokesperson said: “The PM will travel to Brussels tomorrow for dinner with VDL to continue discussions on the future relationship between the UK and the EU.”
I look forward to welcoming UK Prime Minister @BorisJohnson tomorrow evening.
We will continue our discussion on the Partnership Agreement. — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 8, 2020
Von der Leyen said: “I look forward to welcoming [the] UK prime minister tomorrow evening.
“We will continue our discussion on the partnership agreement.”
It comes after the prime minister dropped controversial legislation that would have broken international law by allowing ministers to breach the withdrawal agreement (WA) he struck with the EU last year.
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The UK’s decision to bin the plans came after Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic struck an “agreement in principle” on how trade will work for Northern Ireland from January 1.
It has expectations from some observers that both sides are clearing the path for Johnson and von der Leyen to strike a wider deal on the future UK/EU relationship.
But others have suggested it could make a no-deal outcome easier by sorting out all outstanding issues in negotiations over the implementation of the WA.
At a Brussels press conference, Sefcovic said the deal on Northern Ireland removed “one big obstacle” to a wider agreement.
“I hope that this would create positive momentum for the discussions on the free trade agreement,” he said.
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“As you know we are still very far apart.”
He added: “We removed, I would say, one big obstacle from the way.”
It came after Johnson said on Tuesday that trade talks with the bloc were proving “very tricky” and that it was “very, very difficult” to make progress, but that he was hopeful about reaching a deal.
UK chief negotiator Lord Frost and Barnier spent Tuesday drawing up a list of remaining differences for the PM and von der Leyen to discuss at the dinner.
Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen PA
The showdown talks come ahead of a meeting of the 27 EU leaders at a European Council summit on Thursday and Friday.
Johnson said he hoped the “power of sweet reason” would triumph but Brussels had to accept there were limits to what terms the UK would be prepared to accept.
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Talks have faltered on the issues of fishing rights, the “level playing field” measures aimed at preventing the UK undercutting the EU on standards and state subsidies, and the way that any deal would be governed.
In a message to Brussels, the PM said: “Our friends have just got to understand the UK has left the EU in order to be able to exercise democratic control over the way we do things.
“There is also the issue of fisheries where we are a long way apart still. But hope springs eternal. I will do my best to sort it out if we can.”
Johnson acknowledged that there may be a point where it is “time to draw stumps” and accept that a deal is impossible.
“There are just limits beyond which no sensible, independent government or country could go and people have got to understand that.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Grandfather, 91, Charms World With Tale Of Getting Covid Vaccine

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Today’s news has been dominated by Margaret Keenan and William Shakespeare (yes, you read that right) – who were among the first people in the world to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine outside of a trial.
But 91-year-old Martin Kenyon wasn’t going to let them take all the limelight.
The grandfather bumped into a news team from CNN on his way home after getting his own coronavirus jab – and immediately charmed everyone.
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Speaking to the reporter outside Guy’s Hospital in London, Kenyon described how he had simply rung up on the first day of the vaccine rollout in the hopes of getting the jab.
“I rang up Guy’s Hospital, which know very well because I have lived in London most of my adult life, and I said: ‘What’s this thing, you’re doing the vaccination?’”
After asking him a series of “not very interesting” questions, the hospital told him he could come in for his jab that day.
“They said: ‘Well, come at half past 12,’” he explained. “Of course, I couldn’t damn well find anywhere to park my car, so I was late.
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“I went off and had a rather nasty lunch and then came back and they were ready for me.
“And no, it didn’t hurt at all – I didn’t know the needle had gone in until it had come out.”
this interview wins the day pic.twitter.com/HtnjnyLZwg — Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) December 8, 2020
Asked how he felt to be one of the first people in the world to receive the Pfizer vaccine, Kenyon replied: “I don’t think I feel about it at all. Except that I hope that I’m not going to have the bloody bug now.
“I don’t intend to have it because I’ve got granddaughters and I want to live a long time to enjoy their lives.”
But Kenyon’s family was still in the dark about his jaunt around the capital to get vaccinated.
“Nobody knows. You’re the first to know,” he told the reporter.
The nonagenarian finished the interview by saying: “I don’t intend to have it [Covid-19]. Well, there’s no point dying now, when I’ve lived this long, is there? I don’t plan to anyway.”
Kenyon’s appearance on the news has won him fans from across the world.
I would very much like to hear Mr Martin Kenyon's views every day, on everything from 'nasty lunches' to problems parking, not to mention educating journalists on the difference between inoculations and vaccinations. 😂👏#COVID19 #COVID19Vaccine #CovidVaccine https://t.co/yjyV1OMnJZ — Karyn Noble (@MsKarynNoble) December 8, 2020
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Mr. Martin Kenyon is a complete treasure❣ — Susan Peacock 🦚🍌 (@Licious1105) December 8, 2020
Martin Kenyon rings up Guys Hospital, leaves jabbed up and an international superstar https://t.co/kUrbeQ5ioC — Jonathan Reilly (@thejonnyreilly) December 8, 2020
Martin Kenyon. He is my hero and inspiration.
Do yourself a favour and watch this in full. Best of British 😂 https://t.co/mI8642A2OG — Peter Ruddick (@ruddick) December 8, 2020
His interview comes on the first day of the UK’s rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine – the biggest vaccination programme in the NHS’s history.
Care home staff and residents, people over the age of 80 and frontline health and social care workers will be among the first to receive the jab, designed by Pfizer and German company BioNTech.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Covid Vaccine: What The Results Of The Oxford Trial Tell Us

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The first ever peer-reviewed study of a coronavirus vaccine has confirmed that the Oxford University/AstraZeneca jab that could go to millions of Brits is “safe and efficacious”.
Interim results from phase 3 trials – the final stage of a vaccine trial, where it is administered to thousands of people – were published in medical journal The Lancet on Tuesday, confirming the jab has “a good safety record and efficacy”. Previously, only the most top-line results had been published, not the underlying data.
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The data have also been submitted to the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for approval. The UK government has already ordered 100m doses of the vaccine.
These results are the first to be published in a peer-reviewed paper, meaning that the data have undergone extensive scrutiny by other scientific experts. Interim results from the Pfizer and Modern vaccines have so far been published only in press releases.
Here’s what the results published today tell us.
The trials involved a total of 23,745 participants
Tuesday’s safety results are based on 23,745 adult participants in four trials that took place in the UK, Brazil and South Africa, monitored over a median period of 3.4 months.
The clinical efficacy results are based on 11,636 volunteers across the UK and Brazil.
All participants in the trial continue to be monitored for safety.
It has “a good safety record and efficacy”
Writing in the Lancet, researchers said the phase three trials showed the Oxford vaccine “is safe and protects against disease”.
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No hospitalisations or severe disease was reported in the participants who received the vaccine, they added.
“Our findings indicate that our vaccine’s efficacy exceeds the thresholds set by health authorities and may have a potential public health impact,” said Oxford’s Professor Andrew Pollard, a lead author of the study.
“Control of the pandemic will only be achieved if the licensing, manufacturing and distribution of these vaccines can be achieved at an unprecedented scale and vaccination is rolled out to those who are vulnerable.”
It has an overall efficacy of 70.4%
This figure was reached by pooling the results from two different dosing regimens.
One month apart, one set of volunteers received two identical doses while the other received a half-dose, and then a full dose. In the first group, the efficacy was 62%. In the second, 90%.
The combined analysis from both dosing regimens resulted in an average efficacy of 70.4%.
“Following the demonstration of vaccine efficacy in many preclinical studies, we now have clear evidence of efficacy in the trial results presented in a peer-reviewed publication today,” said Professor Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford.
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“Now under regulatory review, we hope that this vaccine will shortly be in use to start saving lives.”
Most of the participants were young and white
Most of the participants in the earlier trials (82%) were aged 55 and under, with researchers saying older participants were only recruited later.
Out of the 11,636 people in the analysis of vaccine efficacy, only 12% were older and 83% were white.
As a result, researchers said more detail is needed on how effective the vaccine is on older people.
This is particularly important as people aged 55 and over are particularly vulnerable to severe Covid-19.
Study author Dr Merryn Voysey, from the University of Oxford, said: “Since recruitment of older adults started later than in younger adults there has been less follow up time for these cohorts and less time to accrue Covid-19 cases. This means we have to wait longer to have sufficient data to provide good vaccine efficacy estimates in smaller subgroups.
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“In future analyses, with more data included as it becomes available, we will investigate differences in key subgroups such as older adults, various ethnicities, doses, timing of booster vaccines, and we will determine which immune responses equate to protection from infection or disease.
How does it work?
The Oxford vaccine – called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 – uses a harmless, weakened version of a common virus which causes a cold in chimpanzees.
Researchers have already used this technology to produce vaccines against a number of pathogens including flu, Zika and Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers).
Scientists have transferred the genetic instructions for coronavirus’s specific “spike protein” – which it needs to invade cells – to the vaccine.
When the vaccine enters cells inside the body, it uses this genetic code to produce the surface spike protein of the coronavirus.
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This induces an immune response, priming the immune system to attack coronavirus if it infects the body.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Video Shows How Much Face Shields Protect Against A 'Sneeze Vortex'

On their own, face shields can help protect the wearer from the bulk of larger droplets caused by a cough or sneeze a short distance away, but studies have found smaller aerosols can travel up and underneath the shield.
A study of healthcare workers found wearing a face shield reduced exposure to flu by 96% in the period immediately after a cough – from 18 inches away. But in the context of a smaller aerosol, the face shield was less effective, blocking only 68% of the cough.
In the half an hour period after a cough, during which the aerosol had dispersed throughout the room and larger particles had settled, the face shield was less effective, the study found – with researchers concluding that people wearing face shields can still inhale infectious airborne particles.
“They cannot be used as a substitute for respiratory protection when it is needed,” researchers said of face shields.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--Nigella Lawson's Ridiculous Pronunciation Of 'Microwave' Is Truly Iconic

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With her sumptuous and decadent style of cooking, a microwave isn’t something you’d commonly associate with Nigella Lawson.
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Until now, that is.
The TV cook has sent the internet into meltdown with her ridiculous pronunciation of the beloved kitchen gadget.
Nigella was cooking up a storm on her show Cook Eat Repeat on Monday night, revealing her method for the best mash potato.
As she prepared to pour in some full-fat milk, she told viewers she had pre-heated it in the microwave.
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Or as she put it, the “me-crow-wav-vay”.
Needless to say, a clip of Nigella saying “microwave” soon went viral online...
2020 has thrown a lot of curveballs at us but I was truly not expecting the way Nigella Lawson says microwave to be one of them — Nicholas Follows (@NicFollows) December 8, 2020
you will never hear me pronouncing microwave correctly again. thank you nigella lawson for changing my life — katie🪴 (@katiemedleyy) December 8, 2020
Thanks to @Nigella_Lawson I now know the RIGHT way to say microwave. Mee -Kro-wavé — Ashley Storrie (@ashleystorrie) December 8, 2020
.@Nigella_Lawson pronouncing microwave "me-cro-wah-vey" is Camp x — Peter D 🏳🌈 (@peteradav93) December 8, 2020
Eternally grateful to Nigella Lawson for letting us know we've all been mispronouncing microwave for the last 50 (or so) years. pic.twitter.com/tfXODGQRDp — andrew (@floellaumbagabe) December 8, 2020
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Canny stop thinking about the way Nigella Lawson says Microwave — 🦋Molly Leitch🦋 (@molly_leitch) December 8, 2020
Nigella Lawson saying 'Microwave' like this has made my Christmas already pic.twitter.com/ByXTDVIloq — Queen of Quizzes (@EtceteraWithEst) December 8, 2020
Thrilled @Nigella_Lawson has not only taught the nation how to correctly pronounce ‘nduja, but also mícrowavé. #cookeatrepeat — Matt (@Matt_in_London) December 7, 2020
How do I set Nigella Lawson’s pronunciation of microwave as my ringtone — Madeleine (@madsdugdale) December 8, 2020
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Of course, this isn’t the first time Nigella has raised eyebrows with her latest cookery series.
She sparked hilarity when she told viewers how to make avocado toast in October, which was later discussed on Gogglebox.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--A Drag Christmas With RuPaul’s Drag Race Star Nina West

A Drag Christmas With RuPaul’s Drag Race Star Nina West
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11 star, Nina West, talks about her new Christmas album and how the music video for single ‘Cha Cha Heels’ was inspired by queer director John Waters. And the launch of a new single ‘Santa Will Be Gone’ featuring The Vox Ensemble of Columbus Gay Men's Chorus. West, who is played by Andrew Levitt, also talks about finding a chosen family as a queer person if you have issues gaining acceptance in your family - something Levitt has experienced.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-08--No, Banksy Is Not Behind Those Mysterious Metal Monoliths

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Those mysterious metal monoliths that have been popping up worldwide?
Well, Banksy is not behind them.
“Nope,” a representative for the famed British street artist told HuffPost on Tuesday. (That was the extent of the statement.)
Ever since the first structure of its kind was spotted deep in a Utah desert last month, there had been speculation about whether the reclusive artist had a role.
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honestly, I could see Bansky having something to do with the monolith — Sebastian (@sebifashon) December 2, 2020
If you’re on a flight and you see a guy trying to stuff a stainless steel monolith in the overhead bin you just found Banksy. https://t.co/ev4gszd91Q — joeprogrammer (@joeprogrammer) December 3, 2020
My theory on the mysterious desert monolith is that it’s Banksy, not like a Banksy art piece but like Banksy IS the monolith — matt burdick (@matt_and_stuff) November 29, 2020
Am I the only one who saw the first monolith and just assumed it was Banksy — Sophie | BLM (@sheffner38) December 4, 2020
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The term “Planksy” began trending on social media as people suggested Banksy had something to do with similar-looking installations that had appeared on an Isle of Wight beach as well as in Romania, Las Vegas, the Netherlands and California.
Another art installation by Planksy. — Mac Na hEireann64🍀 (@heireann64) December 7, 2020
Banksy Planksy ? — Random Dan (@DanFromUranus) December 1, 2020
It’s still unclear who is behind them.
The Most Famous Artist, a Santa Fe-based art collective founded by Matty Mo, appears to have claimed credit for the Utah monolith, reported Mashable. That shiny metal tower, discovered in November during a helicopter survey of wild sheep, prompted speculation of alien placement. It has since disappeared, with only a pile of rocks and small piece of metal left behind.
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It was in position as far back as 2015, according to internet sleuths. Mo did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
A group led by artist Wade McKenzie, meanwhile, has taken responsibility for the California piece, The New York Times reported. McKenzie said he was inspired by the discovery of the Utah monolith.
A designer on the Isle of Wight told the BBC he was behind the structure that appeared on Compton Beach.
But the monoliths in Romania, the Netherlands and Las Vegas, as well as two newly sighted in Germany and Spain remain unclaimed.
So, marketing stunt or little green men?
The truth is out there.