Top Lifestyle News

In Wicker, the love interest is a man made of plaited twigs. In romantasy, women are getting it on with goblins, elves, minotaurs and mothmen. Is this bad news for heterosexual men?Apologies if this is too personal, but is there anything in your home that turns you on? A sleek standard lamp, say, or a sexy piece of kitchen kit? I’m casting an eye around here and wondering. I used to have the hots for my furry heated throw when it was sleek and glossy, but it’s so matted and grubby now, it gives me the ick. I still fancy the big kitchen cupboard, though. It is steely blue and so capacious, and its generous spice rack gives me a frisson every time I look inside.I’m prompted to ask by the release of Wicker, the loopy erotic fable in which Olivia Colman’s fisherwoman enjoys a mutually supportive, sexually satisfying partnership with Alexander Skarsgård, whom the basketmaker (Peter Dinklage) has woven from wicker. I haven’t seen it yet, but the trailer is joyful and the premise is sending people – mostly women – wild. Continue reading...

Venison casserole is as autumnal as fallen leaves, a glass of red and a fire in the grate. But who makes the best version?Because I don’t eat it very often, I always forget how much I like venison. Or, rather, how much I like it in certain contexts: the natural leanness of a wild animal doesn’t naturally lend itself to soloing in juicy burgers or sausages, but, when slow-cooked, it’s fabulous – rich in flavour, and soft enough to eat with a spoon, should you so desire. It also tends to be good value both in season and frozen for the rest of the year, and, as red meat goes, a pretty climate-friendly option (though not straightforwardly so, as this piece explains) that pairs beautifully with seasonal spuds and kales, and is even better when made ahead of time and reheated. In fact, it’s the perfect autumn and winter entertaining option, even if the only people you’re entertaining are yourselves, the dog and the cast of Celebrity Traitors. Continue reading...

She thinks the answer to the climate crisis is cutting CO2, he favours population control and North Sea oil and gas extraction. Can they make it through a meal together?Sam, 29, central LondonOccupation Compliance officer Voting record Sam is American so can’t vote in the UK yet, but when she can she intends to vote Green Amuse bouche She is an expert knitter. She started when she was five and makes socks, mittens, hat, jumpers – if you know Sam, she’s knitting you something Continue reading...

While Halloween is traditionally a family-oriented holiday and an occasion for children to dress up and go trick-or-treating, a unique spin on spooky season is taking off in Japan. ‘Jimi Halloween’ or ‘Mundane Halloween’ sees adult participants dress up as ordinary people in everyday life. They do highly specific tasks, embracing and celebrating unremarkable situations for the event, hosted by online magazine Daily Portal Z in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. Continue reading...

In the eight years since my graphic novel on death published, I’ve learned readers of all ages want to talk about loss and preserve their family’s storiesBecoming an author in my late 50s was unexpected, the result of my daughter Hallie’s own existential anxiety in her early 20s.Fearing my untimely demise, she begged me to write down advice that would cover all of life’s bases going forward. I agreed, but put the project off for years; it wasn’t until she cornered me with a laptop on vacation that I gave in. She asked countless questions, and I found, to my surprise, that I had plenty to say. Hallie helped shape the manuscript, and then spent a year painting its warmly emotional gouache illustrations.I lost a parent (or other loved one, including spouse or beloved pet) and your book helped me through.I gave the book to my kids and wrote my own notes in the margins.I can’t bear the thought of my mom or dad dying, but they don’t want to talk about it. I’m hoping that sharing the book with them will start some conversations. Continue reading...

Ghost hunting has changed in recent years due to AI chatbots, and paranormal enthusiasts are concernedGhost hunting is a tech-heavy pursuit. When Amy Waine and Jarrad Cutting investigate haunted locations, they’re loaded up with software of their own design, such as an app that assigns signals from a phone’s sensors to different words in a database. In the age of ChatGPT, the ghost-hunting pair is probing the world of AI. They describe one of their latest inventions, an app called GhostTube Seer, as “the world’s first AI Ghost Hunting tool”. In the hands of paranormal investigators, scientific tools like EMF meters (used to detect electromagnetic fields) are repurposed to identify changes and anomalies that they believe indicate supernatural activity. Seer is, in many ways, simply an expansion of that practice, another way to scan an empty room and believe that something may be there. The app, which requires a paid monthly subscription, has more than 1m downloads, according to its Google Play store listing.But for others in the ghost hunting world, AI is an unwelcome presence. Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, AI-generated ghost stories and images of the supernatural have flooded online spaces, so much so that popular forums like the r/Nosleep subreddit, meant for scary stories, have implemented a strict policy against AI-generated material. Continue reading...

Each Halloween, photographer Maja Baska roams the streets of North Katoomba with her analogue camera to document the local festivities, capturing everything from the delightfully banal to the genuinely terrifying Continue reading...

Copies of popular cosmetics and skincare products more likely to contain toxic substances, Trading Standards warnsMercury, lead and methanol have been found in counterfeit beauty products seized across the UK, Trading Standards has said.There is a rising problem with fake beauty products, with scammers selling copies of popular and expensive brands. Cosmetics, skincare and perfumes are now among the watchdog’s most commonly investigated fakes. Continue reading...