I scattered my dad and mom’ ashes within the yard of my childhood dwelling on New 12 months’s Eve 10 years in the past, drunk on grief and prosecco, and buzzed on a borrowed joint and rancid fruitcake.

This wasn’t precisely how I’d deliberate to memorialize my dad and mom. The night had began innocently sufficient. Just a few hours earlier, I had been sipping tea and spooning my cat beneath a waning moon, with a brand new Ikea comforter and a contemporary bag of Swedish fish. I had resigned myself to a night devoid of social expectations and alcohol, of endlessly looking for the right plan and of the frustration of by no means discovering it.

“This 12 months might be totally different,” I informed myself.

I made a decision I’d watch different individuals have a good time as I counted all the way down to midnight with bottomless cups of decaf Earl Gray, grilled cheese on rye and a wildly optimistic listing of resolutions for my new Moleskine planner.

My night can be easy, quiet, contemplative and sober. No hangover. No waking up with a stranger. No regrets. No “Why does my mouth style like cigarettes?” or “Why is my tongue orange?” (It’s Cheetos, Shanti, it’s at all times Cheetos.)

I’d be contemporary when others had been foggy, quietly gloating as I jumpstarted the New 12 months with key motion objects from my “morning self-care” listing: meditation, a dawn swim and a few kind of heat beverage involving turmeric. There can be planks, sit-ups, yoga or Pilates from my “simply do it” train listing, adopted by vegan chickpea curry from my “wholesome consuming within the new 12 months” listing.

And sure, I’d completely work on the “the place to scatter Mother & Dad” listing.

It had been 12 years since dropping my mother to a mind tumor, and 4 years since dropping my dad on my forty first birthday. It wasn’t till after he died that I discovered my mother’s ashes on the foot of his mattress, wrapped in her favourite gentle blue cotton sweater and nestled between a chilly sizzling water bottle and a thick pair of wool socks. My dad had been sleeping together with her ashes for eight years, a discovery that, to me, was each triumphant and heartbreaking.

And no, I’d completely not drink the bottle of prosecco burning a gap in my fridge door. Effectively, perhaps only one glass. Or eat the stale fruitcake that my neighbor left for me on the porch three weeks in the past.

I had all of it found out. Till I didn’t.

Three hours later and I’m wasted, wildly flinging fistfuls of my dad and mom’ ashes into the air as I flail across the backyard in my pyjamas with a joint in my mouth, an empty bottle of prosecco at my naked toes, and a Swedish fish caught to my scalp.

My cat is pensively watching from the window – too confused to be bothered.

In an unlucky twist, a robust gust of wind is propelling the ashes again at me, mixing with the heavy condensation within the air to create a thick paste that covers my physique like some kind of exfoliating mud masks. All of a sudden I’m shrouded in gritty powder.

I’m blissfully unaware and it’s most likely for the perfect. I’m shuffling across the gravel path and straining to sing over my “Excessive College Daze Mega Combine” blasting from an previous boombox on the balcony – largely 80s tracks with a little bit of 70s Blondie thrown in. I dug out the battered cassette tape from a dusty Vans shoebox within the attic after downing the second half of the Italian bubbly and gorging myself on what I believed to be the final Swedish fish (lest we overlook the one atop my head).

It’s round this time that I keep in mind that my roommate has a joint stashed in her sock drawer. I justify the heist as a result of technically it was meant for me – a “medicinal providing” to induce some much-needed sleep after my dad died.

Seeing as how I by no means took her up on her supply, I determine: “What higher time to spark up that dangerous boy? It’s New 12 months’s Eve!”

“Two puffs,” I whisper. “Two puffs and I’ll put it again. She’ll by no means understand it was gone.”

I’m not a lot of a drinker, and even much less of a stoner. I’d be extra more likely to overdose on sugar or black tea, however someplace between Footage of You and Coronary heart of Glass, I discover myself floating on a cloud of sophomoric bliss. I’m euphoric.

I’m circling the salvia (my dad’s favourite plant) as How Quickly Is Now? shuffles into earshot after I’m all of a sudden consumed with what I consider to be, past an inexpensive (or sober) doubt, the best-laid plan of my life.

“It’s time to set my dad and mom free. Of their backyard, right here and now!”

I throw my arms above my head, rejoicing in my resolution, however sadly I’m preaching to an empty crowd. The neighbors have shut their home windows and I’m fairly certain my cat has already fallen asleep.

Consider me, this type of impromptu, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pyjama-pants plan wasn’t on any of my lists. Nor was it included within the plethora of grandiose memorial plans I had been tirelessly turning over in my grieving mind since dropping each of my dad and mom.

And boy did I’ve plans: poetry and processions, festive lighting and a smorgasbord of associates, household and meals. Faraway lands and distant shores. I’d scatter the ashes in India, Greece or Hawaii.

I had thought of someplace nearer to dwelling just like the Sierras or the San Francisco Bay, however my dad had had a nasty expertise with a rattlesnake at 4,000ft and my mother thought the bay was too chilly and foggy, so these had been out.

For all of those years, I had thought my plan needed to be excellent. I assumed it needed to be as lively and love and pleasure as my mom and father had been.

Ultimately, it was all these issues, and we by no means left dwelling. I’ve realized that life so hardly ever goes to plan.

I wakened on New 12 months’s Day within the bathtub, nestled in a humid seashore towel in what seemed to be the failed aftermath of hosing ashes off my physique, judging by the paste-like mess caught to me. I felt comparatively good regardless of the circumstance. As I watched my cat sleeping peacefully on my toes, I felt a way of reduction I hadn’t skilled in a really very long time.

And all I might suppose was: “Why does my mouth style like fruitcake?”

• Do you’ve got an opinion on the problems raised on this article? If you want to submit a response of as much as 300 phrases by e mail to be thought of for publication in our letters part, please click on right here.

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker returned to the lineup for Tuesday’s 117-112 loss to Memphis after lacking 5 video games with a left groin pressure.

Booker final performed Dec. 19 in a loss to Indiana. He scored 16 factors vs. Memphis, lacking 16 of 20 photographs whereas meting out 9 assists in half-hour.

Booker is averaging 24.7 factors, 3.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists per sport this season.

The Suns, who misplaced for the sixth time in seven video games, performed with out Jusuf Nurkic, serving the second of his three-game suspension for his involvement in a battle with the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. Bradley Beal left the sport within the first half with a left hip contusion.

Although nobody fouled out, there have been 54 fouls referred to as within the sport and 58 free throws tried. Grizzlies large man Jaren Jackson Jr. completed with 38 factors and 10 rebounds within the win, going 10-for-17 from the road.

Blake Full of life’s civil rights criticism towards Justin Baldoni is not simply dominating headlines. It is also inspiring different actresses to talk out towards the poisonous masculinity and on-set harassment they are saying they’ve skilled themselves.

In separate social media posts this week, Kate Beckinsale and Abigail Breslin shared their very own tales about harassment and retaliation, describing them as a part of an industrywide downside. And whereas they did not identify many names, they each pointed to Full of life’s high-profile case because the impetus for talking up.

“What it has highlighted is that this machine that goes into impact when a girl complains about one thing legitimately offensive, upsetting, dangerous, or no matter on this business,” Beckinsale mentioned in her Instagram video.

Months after the discharge of Full of life’s film It Ends With Us, she filed a prolonged criticism with California’s Civil Rights Division accusing Baldoni — her co-star and director — of sexually harassing her and violating her bodily boundaries, prompting her to boost considerations throughout filming.

Within the criticism, which was printed by the New York Occasions in mid-December, Full of life additionally alleges that Baldoni and his manufacturing studio, Wayfarer, then retaliated towards her by hiring a disaster publicity agency to smear her fame throughout the film’s promotional cycle this summer season.

Bryan Freedman, an lawyer for the studio, instructed NPR that Full of life’s claims are “categorically false” and “one other determined try and ‘repair’ her unfavourable fame.” However penalties for Baldoni have been swift: His expertise company dropped him, his podcast co-host publicly give up and a world women-focused nonprofit rescinded a solidarity award it had given him simply weeks earlier.

Full of life’s criticism — which could possibly be the precursor to a lawsuit — contains 1000’s of pages of texts and emails between Baldoni and his representatives, which her attorneys say have been obtained by means of a subpoena. She hasn’t spoken publicly past the authorized submitting.

“I hope that my authorized motion helps pull again the curtain on these sinister retaliatory ways to hurt individuals who converse up about misconduct and helps shield others who could also be focused,” Full of life instructed The Occasions in an announcement.

Within the days since, a rising variety of Hollywood actresses have come ahead to thank Full of life for doing so — and to help in lifting that curtain.

Beckinsale says she has “about 47 million” related tales

Beckinsale posted an Instagram video on Monday detailing examples of poor working situations on varied movie units and the retaliation she mentioned she’s skilled for talking out about them.

Talking into the digital camera, Beckinsale harassed that she does not know Full of life or Baldoni personally and wasn’t on the set of It Ends With Us herself — however in her personal profession has amassed “about 47 million tales just like this.”

The British actress, who made her on-screen debut in Kenneth Branagh’s 1993 adaptation of A lot Ado About Nothing, is understood for her roles in motion movies like Van Helsing, Complete Recall and the Underworld franchise.

Beckinsale described being “felt up” by a trusted crew member on a movie when she was 18, and having her considerations dismissed by each actresses she instructed — together with one who was “identified for being a supporter of ladies.”

She additionally recalled engaged on a movie set the place her co-star was “drunk day-after-day,” which resulted in lengthy hours that stored her from seeing her daughter. She mentioned elevating these considerations solely ended up hurting her, as individuals on set referred to her in pejorative phrases and the studio dismissively gave her a motorbike “so I may trip across the studio lot whereas I used to be ready.”

Editor’s word: The next video incorporates profanity which some viewers could discover offensive.

A few of the penalties have been bodily, she mentioned. She cited two situations the place she was placed on such a strict weight loss plan and train routine for a film that she misplaced her interval, and spoke of being compelled by her personal publicist to do a photoshoot whereas bleeding from a miscarriage.

Beckinsale additionally mentioned she had been harmed in a “very unsafe struggle state of affairs” with two completely different actors in two completely different movies.

“I used to be gaslit and made to really feel like I used to be the issue — blamed and ostracized, unnoticed of forged dinners, not spoken to — as quickly as I discussed there was an issue,” she added.

The one particular person Beckinsale talked about by identify was disgraced former producer Harvey Weinstein, whose a long time of alleged sexual misconduct fueled the worldwide #MeToo motion once they got here to mild in 2017. Beckinsale says within the video that she was lucky sufficient by no means to have been harassed by Weinstein, however described how he would blacklist actors who turned down his tasks.

Beckinsale says she usually hears males say the local weather has gotten higher since over time — however was fast to dispute that notion.

“I am grateful to Blake Full of life for highlighting the truth that this isn’t an archaic downside that nobody’s dealing with — that is persevering with,” she mentioned. “After which when it does occur, a machine goes into place to completely destroy you.”

Breslin breaks her silence on the since-dismissed lawsuit towards her  

Abigail Breslin — whose 2006 starring position in Little Miss Sunshine propelled her to fame at age 10 — additionally took to social media to share her ideas.

“In mild of latest occasions concerning the try and destroy the profession and livelihood of a fellow actress and girl, I’ve felt compelled to write down this, as I’ve sadly been topic to the identical poisonous masculinity all through my life,” Breslin, now 28, wrote in a Tumblr put up that she additionally shared on Instagram.

Breslin went on to debate a kind of experiences, commenting publicly for the primary time on a since-withdrawn lawsuit filed towards her final yr by producers of her 2024 movie Labeled.

“When a swimsuit was filed towards me by a former employer, (the swimsuit was withdrawn), after making a confidential criticism towards a coworker for unprofessional habits, I had the foolish and naive impression that they might imagine me,” Breslin wrote.

Based on Selection and different leisure information shops, the producers of Labeled sued Breslin after she made accusations towards her older male co-star, Aaron Eckhart.

The criticism, obtained by Selection, says manufacturing on the movie “virtually floor to a halt” after Breslin accused Eckhart of “aggressive, demeaning and unprofessional habits” that “positioned her at varied instances in peril.” The lawsuit says the on-set producer investigated and “discovered no proof” to help Breslin’s “wild, hysterical and imaginary allegations” towards her co-star. Her refusal to be alone with Eckhart in sure scenes additionally compelled them to spend $80,000 in lodging, in response to courtroom paperwork cited by Selection.

A consultant for Breslin instructed Individuals on the time that the actress “categorically denies all contended allegations towards her and unequivocally stands by her assertion, which she confidentially supplied to SAG,” referring to the actors’ union.

NPR has reached out to representatives for Eckhart, who has not commented publicly on the lawsuit or the allegations inside it. Jeffrey Konvitz, who represented the producers within the lawsuit, confirmed to NPR that the case was settled by the events and dismissed, however declined to remark additional.

“As a substitute of being believed and guarded, a swimsuit was filed towards me for having the audacity to talk up,” Breslin wrote. “I used to be publicly shamed and defamed within the course of. A fame I had cultivated for over 2 a long time had now been tainted as I turned the loopy, paranoid and, to cite immediately, ‘hysterical and wild’ girl, who apparently simply had it in for males.”

Breslin expressed her disappointment that the #MeToo motion did not result in extra lasting modifications as she had hoped. She mentioned she’s realized that experiences like hers have grow to be the norm, and that “behind closed doorways — to them — we’re nonetheless simply noisy ladies.”

“To vary the narrative, we don’t want extra ladies to scream,” she mentioned. “We simply want much more males to close up and pay attention.”

Different actresses converse up in help of Full of life 

A lot of different actors have come ahead to indicate their help for Full of life within the days since information of her criticism broke.

She’s acquired public encouragement and thanks from a number of individuals concerned in It Ends With Us, from e book writer Colleen Hoover to co-stars Jenny Slate and Brandon Sklenar.

Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera and Amber Tamblyn — mates of Full of life’s since they starred collectively within the Sisterhood of the Touring Pants movies of the early 2000s — issued a joint assertion of solidarity.

“We’re struck by the truth that even when a girl is as sturdy, celebrated and resourced as our buddy Blake, she will face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a protected working surroundings,” they wrote. “We’re impressed by our sister’s braveness to face up for herself and others.”

Kate Beckinsale, the British star of movies corresponding to Love & Friendship, Canary Black and the Underworld sequence, has posted a video on social media in response to Blake Energetic, who’s concerned in a authorized battle with It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni. Beckinsale says she has been “assaulted” and “felt up” on movie units, and was insulted and known as “a cunt” and “a bitch” when she complained.

Beckinsale says that, whereas she has by no means met Energetic or Baldoni, she has been “following as lots of people have, the scenario”, and that it highlights “this machine that goes into impact when a lady complains about one thing legitimately offensive, upsetting, dangerous, no matter, on this business”.

Within the video, Beckinsale recounts her personal destructive experiences, saying she has “47 million tales” like this. She says: “On the age of 18, [I was] felt up by someone that I actually trusted on a crew. Went to the lead actress, who’s recognized for being a supporter of girls, and stated this has occurred and was instructed, ‘No, it didn’t.’ I went to a different actress, crying, and stated I’d simply been assaulted by this man and once more instructed, ‘No, you haven’t been.’”

Energetic filed an 80-page authorized grievance in opposition to Baldoni, alleging inappropriate behaviour in the course of the making of It Ends With Us, in addition to a smear marketing campaign in opposition to her. Baldoni denies the claims, and says he’s planning to file a counterclaim. Energetic’s allegations have attracted vast assist from different excessive profile figures within the business together with Amy Schumer, America Ferrera, Amber Heard and the It Ends With Us creator Colleen Hoover.

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Beckinsale says she has twice been put in “unsafe conditions” in film combat scenes. “There’s a sure type of actor who will get type of a thrill out of legally having the ability to hurt a lady throughout a combat sequence. And I used to be harmed, to the purpose the place there have been MRIs proving it. And truly what occurred was I used to be gaslit and made to really feel like I used to be the issue, blamed and ostracised … as quickly as I discussed there was an issue.”

Beckinsale describes the behaviour of a “drunk” male co-star whose lack of ability to study his strains precipitated intensive delays, that means she was unable to see her younger daughter in the course of the shoot. “He’s clearly going via one thing, and I’ve full sympathy for that, however … the studio’s response was to provide me a motorcycle so I may experience across the studio lot whereas I used to be ready. Then, after all, I used to be known as a cunt and a bitch. At one level throughout a take, I used to be known as ‘You silly bitch.’”

Beckinsale additionally recollects having to deal repeatedly with physique picture points. She needed to hearken to a gaggle of individuals saying, in her earshot: “What the fuck are we going to do? How will we make her enticing?” She says she was “placed on such a strict food regimen and train programme” that she stopped menstruating. In one other occasion, she was pressured to participate in a photoshoot the day after a miscarriage. “I stated, ‘I don’t need to … I’m bleeding out a miscarriage’ and [the publicist] stated, ‘You need to otherwise you’ll be sued.’”

In a prolonged caption to her video, Beckinsale provides: “It is rather, very, very straightforward to foment hatred in opposition to actresses, as was seen within the transcripts of conversations … between the publicists and disaster staff concerned on this case. Complaining about abuse mustn’t beget extra abuse, notably at work the place there needs to be inviolable safeguarding in place, and it shouldn’t be anticipated of girls who’ve been harmed, insulted, harm, shamed or in every other approach abused.”

“There are far too many casualties of this, lots of whom I do know personally, and it actually falls to each women and men in our business to be a part of stamping this out for good.”

We’re almost there; 2024 is sort of over, and what a 12 months it has been for all of us at QVH!

Because the clock turns in direction of one other new 12 months and 2025 beckons on the stroke of midnight, let’s take a look at a number of the highlights of the previous twelve months right here at our implausible hospital.

We’ve picked out simply a number of the unbelievable achievements of the previous 12 months, and we all know this barely scratches the floor of the work our individuals do day in time out to offer world class take care of our sufferers, so thanks to everybody.

• This brings us to an excellent place to begin – in 2024, our sufferers mentioned we have been the most effective within the nation within the CQC Grownup Inpatient Survey. Queen Victoria Hospital finest at school in nationwide survey – Queen Victoria Hospital
  Thanks to our sufferers for giving us a 5 star assessment!
• Our employees assume we’re doing properly too, proven by the outcomes of the 2023 NHS Workers Survey which got here out in March – Workers say QVH is without doubt one of the high specialist hospitals to work in – Queen Victoria Hospital
  Look out for 2024 outcomes early subsequent 12 months.
• Persevering with with our implausible leads to surveys, our Most cancers sufferers give us thumbs-up in nationwide survey – Queen Victoria Hospital, saying we have been the most effective in nation. One other huge thanks to our sufferers for offering the entire helpful suggestions for us.
• We’ve been a world famend hospital, identified for innovation and excellence in care, for many years and on a late August day in 2024, we held an occasion to recognise this – QVH celebrates eightieth anniversary of C-Wing – Queen Victoria Hospital.
  There may be now a Canadian maple tree planted near the principle entrance to commemorate the particular relationship we can have perpetually with our Canadian buddies.
• We’re pushed to offer excellence in care, and that’s why we should at all times look to put money into the most effective medical gear – Hospital invests £750,000 to enhance entry to diagnostics – Queen Victoria Hospital.
• We even went throughout the water to France. Ward Supervisor Kim heading out to Paris with ParalympicsGB – Queen Victoria Hospital Kim Brinkworth, who can often be discovered on C-Wing, was the Lead Nurse for ParalympicsGB, the place she met up with Will Bayley, who narrowly misplaced his gold medal match on this 12 months’s Paralympic Video games. QVH Charity ambassador Will does QVH proud in Paris. – Queen Victoria Hospital

 

• It’s additionally been a busy 12 months for QVH Charity as we enhance consciousness of the charity model and proceed to develop partnerships with native companies. Our charity ambassadors have helped us in doing this, however lots of our colleagues have additionally been supporting – Hospital consultants and QVH colleagues get on their bike for Charity – Queen Victoria Hospital
  They and others helped elevate 1000’s for the charity in 2024. Thanks to everybody who supported our magnificent seven!
• We’re at all times eager to recognise and assist consciousness days that happen all year long, and this 12 months we teamed up with different blue mild providers for a extremely essential day QVH joins forces with hearth and rescue providers throughout the area for Nationwide Burn Consciousness Day – Queen Victoria Hospital
  This was the primary time this had occurred throughout the area and the partnership work was highlighted on native tv.
• We’ve additionally celebrated different days reminiscent of Worldwide Nurses Day and World AHP Day, and moreover taken time to have a good time our particular person and collective achievements with our annual Star Awards ceremony.
• We’ve mentioned goodbye to previous buddies, welcomed many new faces and wish to the long run too, with our new technique plans for the subsequent 5 years being ratified QVH new technique to go earlier than Board – Queen Victoria Hospital
• To achieve our ambitions, 2024 additionally noticed the launch of our new imaginative and prescient and values.
  Our imaginative and prescient is to be a centre of excellence that rebuilds lives and helps communities for a more healthy future. Our new values are:

We’ll do that at this time, the final of 2024, and tomorrow, the primary of a brand new 12 months, and we are going to proceed to attempt for excellence on daily basis, as we at all times have.

Blissful New 12 months to all sufferers, colleagues, supporters and buddies.

He’s remembered as considered one of Scotland’s funniest comedy icons, whose annual Hogmanay sketches had Scots audiences laughing into the brand new 12 months.

However the late Rikki Fulton might have been a Hollywood star as an alternative, in accordance with considered one of his closest pals, fellow comedian actor Tony Roper.

Fulton, who died in 2004, is finest remembered for his Scotch and Wry sketch present, which ran on New 12 months’s Eve from 1978 till 1992, drawing as much as two million viewers in Scotland.

However he additionally carried out in movies, together with the 1983 thriller Gorky Park, alongside William Harm and Lee Marvin.

Fulton was chosen to play KGB Main Pribluda due to his “evil eyes”, however Glasgow cinema audiences couldn’t take their favorite comedian significantly on display screen.

Roper, 83, who appeared alongside Fulton in Scotch and Wry, mentioned that regardless of the response in his native metropolis, Fulton might simply have been a Hollywood star enjoying villains.

Chatting with interviewer George Mair forward of a BBC Scotland documentary, Rikki, to be proven on Hogmanay [TUES DEC 31], Roper mentioned Fulton had the uncommon potential to be brilliantly humorous or lethal critical and show uncooked feelings for the cameras.

And he in contrast Fulton with the nice American Oscar profitable actor Walter Matthau.

He mentioned: “Rikki was intrinsically humorous, it didn’t matter what he was saying. He was a grasp of mime, his timing, his seems round and his pauses… the best way he constructed on amusing.

“However he was an actor earlier than he grew to become a comic book. With high Hollywood actors, you’ll be able to see every part they’re considering with out them actually doing something and he had that potential. It was fairly sensible.

“I’ve little question he might have been an excellent (straight) actor if he hadn’t achieved comedy.

“He talked a couple of director who forged him in Gorky Park as a result of he had probably the most evil eyes, and he did.

“In my view, if he was going to be a (Hollywood) star he would have been the baddie. He had the look and every part that will go along with somebody who was the baddie in movies.

“It could be a bit like Walter Matthau. He began off because the baddie in each movie he did after which went into mild comedy and he was excellent.

“To me, Rikki had the identical potential as Walter Matthau to persuade you he was one evil son of a bitch however in one other movie a genial lovable man, like in The Odd Couple.

“Rikki had that sort of expertise and talent in spades. You didn’t see a lot of the baddie however he did have it.

“Lots of people can act however only a few have the comedic genius that Rikki had so I assumed that was at all times going to return out.

“He bought inside the very soul of Scottish audiences and (after that) folks can’t take you as a straight actor any longer.

“I feel that’s what occurred with Rikki, he was taken up by his personal reward, which was elegant.”

Rikki celebrates the life and legacy of Scotland’s “King of Hogmanay”, marking a century since his start within the East Finish of Glasgow and 20 years since he died.

His razor-sharp wit and iconic characters reminiscent of Supercop, the Reverend I. M. Jolly and Francie and Josie — the comedy duo he fashioned with Jack Milroy — captured the hearts of the nation.

The programme tells of Fulton’s upbringing in Glasgow and the way he fell in love with the theatre as a toddler.

It additionally tells how in 1941, on the age of simply 17, he joined the Royal Navy and went to struggle. He was serving on board HMS Ibis the next 12 months when the ship was torpedoed within the Mediterranean, killing two thirds of these on board.

Fulton spent a number of hours within the water earlier than he was rescued.

Roper, who wrote Fulton’s life story within the play “Rikki and Me”, mentioned: “Rikki was within the sea fairly some time earlier than he was picked up, and plenty of his shut pals died within the sea round him.

“Each wars did an terrible lot to folks, and so they tried to cover it. It made them totally different folks after they got here out and Rikki might have been a type of unfortunates, who suffered very badly.

“The enormity of being at sea, chilly and that happening for hours, I puzzled how he got here by way of that.

“Performing is an escape for a lot of actors and Rikki wouldn’t have been alone there.

“Appearing permits you to take a vacation away from your self and grow to be someone else. The power to make someone snicker is a really potent drug and I feel that performed uppermost in his life.”

Fulton and Milroy grew to become megastars in Scotland within the Nineteen Sixties.

Roper mentioned: “Francie and Josie have been Scotland’s Laurel and Hardy. They have been completely big, and so they dwell on for folks like myself.”

Rikki options contributions from his Scotch and Wry co-stars Roper Juliet Cadzow and Claire Nielson, together with fellow Scots actors together with Alex Norton, Gavin Mitchell and Sanjeev Kohli.

* Rikki is on BBC One Scotland Tuesday 31 December, 10pm.

Rikki Fulton’s personal church minister has mentioned it was “unnerving” to have Reverend I. M. Jolly in his congregation.

Fulton is finest remembered for his depressing minister character, mockingly named Jolly.

His “Final Name” monologues have been a send-up of Late Name, a late-night TV sermon of the time.

Fulton, who had been a confirmed atheist, parodied ministers who he mentioned have been usually “lower than joyful”.

He turned to faith later in his life after affected by sickness, and attended New Kilpatrick Church in Bearsden, the place Rev Alistair Symington was minister.

Talking on BBC Scotland documentary, Rikki, to be proven on Hogmanay [TUES DEC 31] Rev Symington says: “It was within the church the primary time I met him.

“I noticed him sat within the pew and naturally I noticed I. M. Jolly sat there. It’s barely unnerving.

“It was the start of this nice sustained friendship we had. We talked about all types of issues to do with religion, to do with life, to do with household and to do with canine.”

* Rikki is on BBC One Scotland Tuesday 31 December, 10pm.

Associated

Washington Commanders tight finish Zach Ertz caught the game-winning landing on Sunday evening towards the Atlanta Falcons. The win improved Washington to 11-5 and clinched a playoff berth.

It has been a miracle season for the Commanders. Ending 4-13 final season, hiring a brand new teaching workers, and flipping over half of the roster shouldn’t have had Washington competing for a playoff spot this season.

Due to a roster led by phenomenal rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and a number of veterans, like Ertz and Bobby Wagner, Washington gained 11 video games for the primary time since 1991. And the Commanders nonetheless have one regular-season sport remaining.

Ertz defined after the sport when he thought this crew might be good and made a hilarious, unplanned remark relating to the New York Jets.

“It was actually about guys coming collectively,” Ertz stated. “And it didn’t occur in a single day, however I did assume as soon as we acquired all collectively and I noticed the expertise and coaching camp and also you go to the Jets towards a crew that we thought was going to be good I’d of, you possibly can erase that [laugh]. Go towards the joint practices and we felt like we have been enjoying towards some good defenses that we have been going to have an opportunity to be good.”

Ertz was referring to the Commanders’ joint practices with the Jets. On the time, it regarded like New York could have gotten the higher finish of these practices, however right here we’re, heading into Week 17, and Washington sits at 11-5, whereas the Jets are 4-12.

Ertz, being the professional he’s, shortly returned to his remark and apologized.

“I apologize to these guys, man, that didn’t imply to return out like that, but it surely simply felt like we had the expertise to do one thing,” Ertz stated.

Ertz stated what everybody else thought: The Jets have been alleged to be good.

Earlier than the season, nobody had the Commanders successful 11 video games and going to the playoffs, whereas the Jets gained 4 video games with Aaron Rodgers.

That’s why the video games are performed on the sector.

The Cookie

Metropolitan Market

Now, you didn’t suppose we have been going to neglect The Cookie, did you? For the grand finale of our Cookie Countdown, we’re singing the hyperbolic but warranted praises of Seattle’s most important cookie. 

Usually, I chafe at issues that smugly proclaim themselves “the” definitive model of one thing (see: Alison Roman’s “The Stew”), however on this case, Metropolitan Market’s signature cookie has earned its moniker as a result of it truly is simply that good. “The Cookie,” as its hordes of devotees confer with it in hushed tones of reverence, has been a continuing companion for me since I went to varsity in Tacoma and spent numerous hours roaming the aisles of the Metropolitan Market on Proctor.

Served underbaked and heat from the oven, it’s a marvel of engineering and a real chocolate lover’s cookie, that includes a squidgy dough sure along with not one however two forms of melty, luxurious Callebaut Belgian chocolate (each bittersweet and semisweet). Toasted walnuts add crunch, dimension, and a whisper of earthy, nutty bitterness, whereas a sprinkle of fleur de sel balances all of the flavors. It’s the best calling of a chocolate chip cookie, the apotheosis of Ruth Graves Wakefield’s authentic Toll Home recipe. If I used to be pressured to call a single flaw, it is perhaps that the crinkly paper wrapper suggests it’s appropriate for sharing—I are inclined to disagree.

Aspect notice: When you’re a peanut butter fiend like me, or maybe not into chocolate or walnuts, don’t sleep on The Cookie’s lately launched sibling, an equally divine model of the traditional peanut butter cookie. It’s full of peanut butter taste and has a texture I can solely describe as “fudgy.” I bought a bit plastic cup of their peanut butter cookie bites to deliver to a picnic this summer season, and let’s simply say it didn’t survive the automotive journey.

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We’re counting all the way down to 2025 by sharing a few of our favourite cookies on Slog day by day in December! As a result of life is tough, and sugar helps. Will issues get bizarre? Perhaps! There might have been a small fireplace throughout the first picture shoot! However hopefully, you will additionally uncover some new favourite treats to take pleasure in this season. Observe our each day suggestions right here! 🍪

Barcelona utilized for brand new gamers’ licences for Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor with the Spanish FA (Rfef) on Tuesday, whereas the membership denied claims of requesting any delay from governing our bodies for his or her registrations.

The announcement was made hours earlier than the midnight registration deadline.

Barcelona misplaced a second attraction to register the gamers for the rest of the season on Monday, with the membership unable to fulfill La Liga’s wage cap.

“Barcelona informs that it has utilized for a brand new licence for the gamers Daniel Olmo and Pau Victor to the Rfef,” the Catalan membership mentioned in an announcement. “The membership wish to deny having requested or receiving any moratorium to any governing physique for these inscriptions.”

Barcelona signed Olmo in August for round €55m (£45m) however the attacking midfielder was registered for less than the primary half of the season.

The membership managed to register Olmo and ahead Víctor after long-term accidents saved first-team gamers out of the squad for months, permitting them to allocate a portion of their wages. Article 77 of La Liga guidelines permits golf equipment to quickly use as much as 80% of a participant’s wage on another within the occasion of damage.

Efforts to increase each registrations have hit repeated roadblocks, with Barcelona’s appeals dismissed by La Liga and numerous judicial authorities.

Whereas Olmo and Víctor shall be free brokers after the deadline, Barcelona might meet the financial necessities to signal them earlier than the switch market closes in February. Nevertheless, in keeping with the Rfef guidelines, a participant can’t be signed by the identical membership twice in the identical season. Olmo, a Spain worldwide, has a clause in his contract that enables him to unilaterally depart ought to the membership fail to register him.

Barcelona plan to boost funds by promoting VIP field seats on the Camp Nou stadium, probably producing over €100m euros, topic to La Liga approval.

The Spanish league mentioned afterward Tuesday, nonetheless, that Barcelona “haven’t offered any various that, in compliance with La Liga’s financial management rules, would permit them to register any participant as of Jan. 2.”

The membership is presently third in La Liga, trailing leaders Atlético Madrid by three factors, and can play towards Barbastro within the Copa del Rey on Saturday.

51 years in the past, Hunter S. Thomp­son wrote Fear and Loathing on the Cam­paign Path ’72, which “continues to be con­sid­ered a form of bible of polit­i­cal report­ing,” not­ed Matt Taib­bi in a fortieth anniver­sary edi­tion of the ebook. Concern and Loathing ’72 entered the canon of Amer­i­can polit­i­cal writ­ing for a lot of rea­sons. However if you happen to’re look­ing for one bot­tom-line expla­na­tion, it prob­a­bly comes right down to this: Says Taib­bi, “Thomp­son stared proper into the flam­ing-hot solar of disgrace­much less lies and cyn­i­cal horse­shit that’s our pol­i­tics, and he described precise­ly what he noticed—in all probability at seri­ous value to his personal males­tal well being, however the ben­e­match to us was [his leg­endary book].”

Thomp­son could have reached some jour­nal­is­tic apogee together with his cov­er­age of the ’72 Nixon-McGov­ern cam­paign. However his polit­i­cal writ­ing arduous­ly stopped there. The Gonzo jour­nal­ist cov­ered the ’76 elec­tion for Rolling Stone magazine­a­zine. And inevitably he crossed paths with Jim­my Carter (RIP), the even­tu­al win­ner of the elec­tion. Above, Thomp­son recollects the day when Carter first made an impres­sion upon him.

It hap­pened on the Uni­ver­si­ty of Geor­gia Faculty of Legislation on Could 4, 1974. Communicate­ing earlier than a gath­er­ing of alum­ni legal professionals, Carter upset their cel­e­bra­to­ry occa­sion when he dis­man­tled the crim­i­nal jus­tice sys­tem they had been so happy with. And Carter par­tic­u­lar­ly caught Thomp­son’s atten­tion when he traced his sense of social jus­tice again to a music writ­ten by Bob Dylan:

The oth­er supply of my underneath­stand­ing about what’s proper and unsuitable on this soci­ety is from a buddy of mine, a poet named Bob Dylan. After lis­ten­ing to his data about “The Bal­lad of Hat­tie Automotive­ol” and “Like a Rolling Stone” and “The Occasions, They Are a‑Altering,” I’ve discovered to appre­ci­ate the dynamism of change in a mod­ern soci­ety.

I grew up as a landown­er’s son. However I don’t suppose I ever actual­ized the prop­er inter­re­la­tion­ship between the landown­er and people who labored on a farm till I heard Dylan’s file, “I Ain’t Gonna Work on Magazine­gie’s Farm No Extra.” So I come right here converse­ing to you right this moment about your sub­ject with a base for my infor­ma­tion discovered­ed on Rein­maintain Niebuhr and Bob Dylan.

You possibly can learn the total textual content of Carter’s speech right here. It’s additionally price watch­ing a relat­ed clip under, the place Thomp­son elab­o­charges on Carter, his well-known speech and his alleged imply streak that put him on the identical aircraft as Muham­mad Ali and Son­ny Barg­er (the god­fa­ther of The Hells Angels).

Observe: An ear­li­er ver­sion of this publish first appeared on our website in 2012. With the go­ing of Pres­i­dent Carter, it appeared like an excellent time to deliver it again.

Relat­ed Con­tent 

The two,000+ Movies Watched by Pres­i­dents Nixon, Carter & Rea­gan within the White Home

Hear the Uncen­sored Orig­i­nal Ver­sion of “Hur­ri­cane,” Bob Dylan’s Protest Tune About Jailed Field­er Rubin “Hur­ri­cane” Carter (1976)

Hunter Thomp­son Explains What Gonzo Jour­nal­ism Is, and How He Writes It (1975)