The Vortex review 'Character assassinations over cocktails'

 Posted on May 17, 2024  |  2 minutes  |  345 words  |  Aldo Pusey

TheatreReviewGate theatre, Dublin Noël Coward's drawing room play about a 1920s socialite and her decadent son is as riveting and barbed as everIn this play that became a sensation in 1920s London, Noël Coward wrote the best role for himself. Co-directing its premiere, he took the part of Nicky, a young pianist returning from a spell in the citadel of decadence, Paris, with some dubious new habits. In his absence, his socialite mother, Florence, has amused herself with the latest in a succession of lovers half her age, while her poisonously catty friends roll their eyes over her vanity and obsession with youth. [Read More]

What, if anything, is the difference between a wonk, a geek, a nerd and an anorak? | Notes and Queri

 Posted on May 17, 2024  |  1 minutes  |  208 words  |  Aldo Pusey

ETHICAL CONUNDRUMSWhat, if anything, is the difference between a wonk, a geek, a nerd and an anorak? Terry Norman, Ammanford, Wales In the US there are significant differences between these words. A "wonk" is an expert on a practical matter, especially in government, as in "policy wonk". A "nerd" is knowledgeable about arcane matters such as science and computers but has social skills. A "geek" is a nerd with no social skills. [Read More]

Author of fake Holocaust memoir ordered to return $22.5m to publisher | Publishing

 Posted on May 16, 2024  |  3 minutes  |  546 words  |  Kary Bruening

Publishing This article is more than 9 years oldAuthor of fake Holocaust memoir ordered to return $22.5m to publisherThis article is more than 9 years oldMisha Defonseca, whose book claims she was raised in hiding by wolves, must give back damages she had won from publisherMisha Defonseca, the author of a fake memoir about how she was raised by wolves during the second world war, has been ordered to pay $22. [Read More]

Fears grow of all-out Israel-Hezbollah war as fighting escalates

 Posted on May 16, 2024  |  7 minutes  |  1401 words  |  Valentine Belue

Israel This article is more than 1 month oldThis article is more than 1 month oldMany in Israel see Hezbollah as a greater threat than Hamas and consider a new war in Lebanon to be inevitable Israel-Gaza war – live updates When the news first broke of the Hamas attack early on 7 October, Itai Reuveni and the other reservists in his paratrooper battalion packed their bags and arrived at their muster point well before their call-up came from the army. [Read More]

How to make pine | Food

 Posted on May 16, 2024  |  3 minutes  |  585 words  |  Chauncey Koziol

Word of Mouth blogFoodHow to make épineAs the British use the berries of the blackthorn to make sloe gin, in France an aperitif is flavoured with the leavesAs you may know I am a bit of an infusion enthusiast. The process could not be simple or quicker - just stick some spice / leaf / fruit in alcohol with a bit of sugar, leave it a few days / weeks / months, filter out the bits and bottle. [Read More]

Is my wifes masturbation killing our sex life?

 Posted on May 16, 2024  |  3 minutes  |  451 words  |  Valentine Belue

Sexual healingSexShe does it in secret and never wants to make love afterwards – but where does it leave me in the scheme of things? My wife loves me, and she’s had multiple orgasms when we’re together, but from time to time she likes to go solo. I’m 65 and she’s 60 – we’ve been married for 40 years – so I know what she likes. During the day, she’ll go into the bedroom and lock the door – there’s really only one reason she would do that (though I never try to get in). [Read More]

My left foot | Life and style

 Posted on May 16, 2024  |  8 minutes  |  1606 words  |  Valentine Belue

The ObserverLife and styleMy left footAcid, knives and even liquid nitrogen did nothing to shift Nick Jones's stubborn verruca. But just as he was about to give up, he discovered the power of flowers'How are the feet?' 32-year-old Tariq Khan enquires when we meet at the Marigold Clinic in the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. He invites me to take off my shoe and sock and clamber on to a couch and then peers at my foot. [Read More]

Sorribes Tormo defends herself against criticism following Kato default | French Open 2023

 Posted on May 16, 2024  |  4 minutes  |  735 words  |  Aldo Pusey

French Open 2023 This article is more than 7 months oldSorribes Tormo defends herself against criticism following Kato defaultThis article is more than 7 months oldKato disqualified after accidentally striking ball girl with ballSpaniard and doubles partner Bouzkova protested warningSara Sorribes Tormo has defended herself against intense criticism following the controversial default of Miyu Kato from their French Open third-round doubles match on Sunday. Kato, meanwhile, has lodged an appeal against the default. [Read More]

The 50 best albums of 2022 | Music

 Posted on May 16, 2024  |  29 minutes  |  6052 words  |  Kary Bruening

From left … Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé and Charli XCX. Illustration: Guardian Design/Greg Noire/Genevieve Tate/Getty ImagesIn an unprecedented year of change in music, albums of all genres confounded expectations – from vulnerable rap to pop with gravitas. Listen your way to our No 1 album of the year The 20 best songs of 2022 More of the best culture of 2022 by Safi Bugel, Shaad D'Souza and Laura Snapes50Phoenix – Alpha ZuluPeople are fond of criticising Phoenix frontman Thomas Mars for writing cryptic or nonsensical lyrics. [Read More]

The restaurant kitchen where everyone has HIV: 'We want to challenge stigma'

 Posted on May 16, 2024  |  5 minutes  |  1061 words  |  Kary Bruening

CanadaA Toronto pop-up is the first of its kind anywhere, and was born out of a recent poll suggesting many still fear sharing food with someone HIV positive Until recently, few of the chefs had ever set foot in a restaurant kitchen. Now they were slicing up hunks of skirt steak and gently coaxing pomegranate seeds out of their peels as they readied an elaborate four-course dinner for more than 100 patrons. [Read More]