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Fight breaks out of Bunnings sausage sizzle

<p dir="ltr">Three men have been captured in a bizarre fight, with the wild footage circulating on TikTok.</p> <p dir="ltr">The expletive-laden argument broke out just metres from a Bunnings sausage sizzle in an underground carpark.</p> <p dir="ltr">The fight was apparently over a parking spot, with a man at one point yelling, “Get the car out my f***ing way”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two of the three men continue eating their sausage sandwiches during the entire altercation - a fact pointed out by the TikTok user who shared the video, which immediately went viral and has racked up over 100,000 views.</p> <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7178344250172624129&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40dora_rinaldi%2Fvideo%2F7178344250172624129%3Fis_copy_url%3D1%26is_from_webapp%3Dv1&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2FoUhEIbpedgvRnqzQCntDAnBQmBn8I7t3jfjyv0%3Fx-expires%3D1671516000%26x-signature%3DhflwdY%252BMRp8WEdyPtZbrnfM1ghY%253D&amp;key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p dir="ltr">As the group of men argued loudly, those manning the sausage sizzle continued to calmly serve customers, with one calling out, “Do you want a sausage to calm down guys?” sparking laughter from onlookers.</p> <p dir="ltr">TikTok users were amused by the entire bizarre interaction, with one commenting, “What did you put in them damn sausages?”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Old mate treating the sausage sizzle as if it’s a drive thru,” another wrote, while another posted, “Love how he’s not gonna let a fight stop him from enjoying his Bunnings snag”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, several others pointed out that “Nothing comes between a person and their Bunnings sausage sizzle".</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

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Proof that Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman are our sweetest rock and roll couple

<p dir="ltr">Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman will forever be known as the sweetest rock and roll couple. </p> <p dir="ltr">The loved up couple once again proved that during one of Keith’s shows where Nicole made a surprise appearance on stage.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We love you Nashville,” a smiling Nicole said as Keith embraced her. </p> <p dir="ltr">She then turned to get off stage for her husband to start his show before telling him to “play some music”. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Happy wife, happy life. You guys know what I'm talking about,” Keith responds.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nicole later shared a stunning noir photo of her and Keith with their arms around each other backstage at the show in Nashville. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjeWh7NpWdG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjeWh7NpWdG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Nicole Kidman (@nicolekidman)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Fans went crazy at the photo, with many thanking the couple for being incredible and sweet during tour. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Nicole you looked amazing last night. I loved your outfit. I waved to you as I was very close to you. You and Keith are such a beautiful blessed couple. Love to you both and your family,” someone wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Love you two Nicole and Keith! You guys are so beautiful together!” another commented. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You two were the sweetest last night - I love seeing a couple still thriving together- gives us all hope,” someone else wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Do you know what I love the most about this photo? It’s the utter love the two of you share — you’re close, you're touching, you’re communicating, you’re supporting, you're in it together. Love it!” another read. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Music

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Microwave cinnamon roll

<p>If you find yourself craving a cinnamon roll at home, this single serve microwavable cinnamon bun recipe couldn’t be easier.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Serves:</span></strong> 1</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>⅓ cup and 1 tablespoon of oat flour</li> <li>½ teaspoon of bi-carb soda</li> <li>⅛ teaspoon of salt</li> <li>1 tablespoon of coconut oil, melted</li> <li>2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of mashed banana</li> </ul> <p><em>Filling</em></p> <ul> <li>2 soft pitted dates</li> <li>½ teaspoon of cinnamon</li> <li>Vanilla icing</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <p>1. Combine flour, bi-carb soda, and salt in a bowl.</p> <p>2. Melt coconut oil in microwave. Add bananas and oil to flour mixture.   </p> <p>3. Stir until a dough is formed and roll into a ball.</p> <p>4. To create the filling, dice dates and mash with a fork until they form a paste.</p> <p>5. Mix together with cinnamon.</p> <p>6. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a rectangle and straighten sides using a knife. Reincorporate cut dough into the rectangle, making sure that it is long.</p> <p>7. Spread filling across dough and, lengthwise, fold dough in half.</p> <p>8. Roll dough into a cinnamon bun shape.</p> <p>9. Place into a greased mug or ramekin and microwave for one and a half to two minutes.</p> <p>10. Top with vanilla icing.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Food & Wine

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A man’s unusual reaction to a ham roll five years on

<p dir="ltr">A UK-based father who claims he “cannot stop farting” after eating a ham roll in 2017, has launched a legal bid for $350,000.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tyrone Prades, 46, says the snack sparked life-changing flatulence which wakes him at night and embarrasses him in public.</p> <p dir="ltr">The ham sandwich’s victim reports he had a severe tummy ache within hours of consuming it at a Christmas market, and was then bed-bound for five weeks, his lawyers have allegedly told the High Court.</p> <p dir="ltr">He and others who ate at the same stall were said to have been infected with salmonella. Within hours of eating the ham roll, he had stomach cramps, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, the court heard. His lawyer, Robert Parkin, said he was sick for months and was still flatulent five years on with churning noises in his gut. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The claimant continues to suffer from excessive flatulence, which causes him a great deal of embarrassment.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The symptoms are, primarily, fatigue and altered bowel function associated with ‘churning’ within his abdomen and flatulence. The claimant’s stomach continues to make frequent churning noises to the extent his sleep can become disrupted.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Parkin claimed the ham had been contaminated with salmonella bacteria and other customers also fell ill.</p> <p dir="ltr">The barrister added: “The extent of the symptoms has been life-changing.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He said the stall was closed and deep-cleaned following Public Health England investigation.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Prades, of Chippenham, Wilts, is suing the operator, Frankfurt Christmas Market Ltd, for at least £200,000 (AU$347,014), although the company denies any blame.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-56df7068-7fff-2f29-58d6-273718966b4c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The company’s barrister, Philip Davy, admitted council environmental health officers found e.coli on a knife but no salmonella. The case will now go on trial at a later date.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Food & Wine

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"It's a miracle": Aussie hospital rolls out cancer treatment

<p dir="ltr">Two years ago, Tony Jiang was told he had advanced, terminal lung cancer. Today, he is fighting fit thanks to a new treatment requiring the pop of just one pill per day.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's a miracle. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm a patient," Jiang said.</p> <p dir="ltr">He reports that this a dramatic turnaround from the day he was diagnosed. Prior to diagnosis he suffered two months of a persistent cough which eventually landed him in hospital.</p> <p dir="ltr">"They didn't think about cancer because of my age, I never smoked, I had a pretty much healthy lifestyle."</p> <p dir="ltr">Doctor Vanessa Chin at St Vincent's Hospital Medical Oncologist said Jiang's right lung was filled with fluid.</p> <p dir="ltr">"By the time I'd met him he already had a tube inserted into that lung to drain off the fluid and a biopsy had been performed," Chin said.</p> <p dir="ltr">A tissue biopsy of Jiang's lung was sent off for genetic sequencing. Alterations in his cancer cells meant that he was eligible for a subsidised treatment, and no longer needed chemotherapy or radiation.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Just taking a tablet, one tablet every day and I'm just back to my normal life," Jiang said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jiang's doctor Chin said the tumours on his scans virtually disappeared and that he experienced very few side effects.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When we do scans it's actually hard to tell that he has anything wrong," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">New technology now allows pathologists at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital to test hundreds of genes in one go – a task that just two years ago was impossible.</p> <p dir="ltr">Anatomical pathologist Dr Tao Yang from St Vincent's Hospital said the technology used can load 24 patient samples at once and deliver results overnight.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine News</em></p>

Caring

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Exile on Main St turns 50: how The Rolling Stones’ critically divisive album became rock folklore

<p>In May of 1972 the Rolling Stones released their 10th British studio album and first double LP, <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/exile-on-main-street-96177/">Exile on Main St.</a> Although initial critical response was lukewarm, it is now considered a contemporary music landmark, the best work from a band who rock critic Simon Frith once referred to as “the poets of lonely leisure.”</p> <p>Exile on Main St. was both the culmination of a five-year productive frenzy and bleary-eyed comedown from the darkest period in the Stones’ history. </p> <p>By 1969 the storm clouds of dread building around the group had become a full-blown typhoon. First, recently sacked member Brian Jones was found dead, drowned in his swimming pool.</p> <p>Then, as the decade ended in a rush of bleak portents, they played host to the chaos of the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-01/how-the-rolling-stones-killed-the-hippie-dream-at-altamont/11747188">Altamont Speedway Free Concert</a>, a poorly organised, massive free concert, which ended with four dead including a murder captured live on film.</p> <p>Yet amidst all this the Stones produced <a href="https://greilmarcus.net/2020/03/22/the-end-of-the-1960s-let-it-bleed-12-27-69/">Let It Bleed</a> (1969) and <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/album/sticky-fingers-mw0000195498">Sticky Fingers</a>(1971), two devastating albums that wrapped up the era like a parcel bomb addressed to the 1970s. </p> <p>Songs like Gimme Shelter, the harrowing Sister Morphine, and Sway, which broods on Nietzche’s notion of circular time, exuded the kind of weary grandeur that would define Exile.</p> <h2>Rock folklore</h2> <p>The story behind Exile on Main St. has become <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXcqcdYABFw">rock folklore</a>. Fleeing from England’s punitive tax laws, the Stones lobbed in a Côte d'Azur mansion that was a Gestapo HQ during World War II. </p> <p>Mick Jagger was largely sidelined, spending much of the time in Paris with pregnant wife Bianca. The musicians were jammed into an ad-hoc basement studio, a cross between steam-bath and opium den, powered by electricity hijacked from the French railway system. The house was beset by hangers-on, including the obligatory posse of drug-dealers.</p> <p>Yet with control ceded to the nonchalant, disaster-prone Keith Richards – the kind of person a crisis would want around in a crisis – they somehow harnessed the power of pandemonium.</p> <p>The result was a singular amalgam of barbed soul, mutant gospel, tombstone blues and shambolic country, as thrilling in its blend of familiar sources as works by contemporaries <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/02/roxy-music-40-years">Roxy Music</a> and David Bowie were in the use of alien ones. </p> <p>Jagger shuffles his deck of personas from song to song like a demented croupier, the late, great drummer <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/24/arts/music/charlie-watts-dead.html">Charlie Watts</a> supplies his customary subtle adornments, and a cast of miscreants – most crucially, pianist Nicky Hopkins and producer Jimmy Miller – function as supplementary band members.</p> <p>All 18 tracks contribute to the ragged perfection of the document as a whole. Tumbling Dice and Happy are textbook rock propelled by a strange union of virtuosity and indolence. And there is an undeniable beauty to the likes of Torn and Frayed and Let it Loose, albeit a beauty that is tentative, hard-earned.</p> <p>The package is completed by its distinctive sleeve art, juxtaposing a collage of circus performers photographed by Robert Frank circa 1950 with grainy stills from a Super-8 film of the band and a mural dedicated to Joan Crawford.</p> <p>Exile confused audiences at first: Writer <a href="https://www.amazon.com/EXILE-MAIN-STREET-Rolling-Stones/dp/0028650638">John Perry</a> describes its 1972 reception as mixing “puzzlement with qualified praise”. The response of critic Lester Bangs was typical. After an initial negative review, Bangs came to regard it as the group’s strongest work. Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/album/exile-on-main-st-mw0000191639">confirms</a> that the record over time has become a touchstone, calling it a masterful album that takes “the bleakness that underpinned Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers to an extreme.”</p> <h2>Inspiration</h2> <p>The roll call of artists inspired by Exile is extensive, from Tom Waits and the White Stripes to Benicio del Toro and Martin Scorsese. But two album-length homages stand out. </p> <p>In 1986, underground punks Pussy Galore concocted a feral, abstract <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHAEkWcgBD8">facsimile</a> of the entire double-LP. In 1993, singer-songwriter Liz Phair used the original as a rough template for her acclaimed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW1nMJ4-2qM">Exile in Guyville</a>.</p> <p>Nonetheless, journalist Mark Masters notes that by the 1980s, the social and cultural circumstances that produced Exile were waning as acts such as Minutemen, Mekons, The Go-Go’s and Fela Kuti gave listeners access to fresh modes of rebellion.</p> <p>Circa 1972, the Rolling Stones deserved the title “greatest rock and roll band in the world.” That it is still claimed 50 years on shows how classic rock continues to overbear all that followed.</p> <h2>The grandfathers of rock</h2> <p>When in 2020 Rolling Stone <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/">magazine</a> made a half-hearted attempt to tweak the classic rock canon – elevating Marvin Gaye, Public Enemy and Lauryn Hill alongside or above Exile and the Beatles – the response was predictably unedifying. </p> <p>One reader complained that the magazine was catering to “young people with no musical history and older people who don’t know anything.” Others raged that rap is not music and the list was proof of rampant political correctness.</p> <p>Such archaic, ignorant language is typical of gatekeepers of the classic rock tradition. It is a language of exclusion, ensuring that exceptional new music by, say, <a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/fiona-apple-fetch-the-bolt-cutters/">Fiona Apple</a> (which sounds something like rock) or <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/listening-booth/the-hypnotic-spell-of-groupers-shade">Liz Harris</a> (which sounds rather different) will always be rated below what came before.</p> <p>The Rolling Stones have an inevitable, if ambiguous, relationship to all of this. In terms of race, writer Jack Hamilton <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2016/10/race-rock-and-the-rolling-stones-how-the-rock-and-roll-became-white.html">argues</a> that they were always “fiercely committed to a future for rock and roll music in which black music and musicians continued to matter.”</p> <p>How they intersect with gender is perhaps more troubling, though also <a href="https://scholar.google.com.au/scholar_url?url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13619460801990104&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=GvplYvGUEpyO6rQP_qe3mAs&amp;scisig=AAGBfm2sqr4oKv5EoKYSmkitlR44etMXqA&amp;oi=scholarr">conflicted</a>. While eminent female musicians such as Joan Jett, Carrie Brownstein and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRPpCqXYoos">Rennie Sparks</a> continue to champion the Stones, their role as leading purveyors of an inherently masculine, increasingly archaic musical form cannot be avoided.</p> <p>Exile on Main St. is a significant album made by a bunch of haggard rebels whose heyday (and rebellion) is past but whose art lives on in complex ways. </p> <p>Along with Sly and the Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On and Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night, it fits snugly into an aesthetic of washed out, narcotic-smeared masterpieces from the early seventies.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/exile-on-main-st-turns-50-how-the-rolling-stones-critically-divisive-album-became-rock-folklore-181704" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

Music

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Too bad, Dolly: Rock n Roll Hall of Fame responds

<p>After a quiet three days since <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/music/not-worthy-dolly-parton-bows-out-of-major-award">Dolly Parton’s declaration </a>that she’d like to drop out of the contest for the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame, the foundation has come out with a statement. Parton will remain on the ballot.</p> <p>With voting already underway, the Foundation's position is that, while her "thoughtful" statement is worth consideration, the Hall of Fame is a big tent that includes far more than core rock acts, and it will be left up to the voters.</p> <p>"All of us in the music community have seen Dolly Parton's thoughtful note expressing her feeling that she has not earned the right to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," the statement says. "In addition to her incredible talent as an artist, her humility is another reason Dolly is a beloved icon by millions of fans around the world."</p> <p>The statement continues, "From its inception, Rock and Roll has had deep roots in Rhythm &amp; Blues and Country music. It is not defined by any one genre, rather a sound that moves youth culture. Dolly Parton's music impacted a generation of young fans and influenced countless artists that followed. Her nomination to be considered for induction into to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame followed the same process as all other artists who have been considered."</p> <p>The Foundation goes on to reiterate that voting is already in process: "Dolly's recommendation, along with the other 16 nominees for the class of 2022 was sent out earlier this month to our 1200 general ballot voters, the majority of whom are artists themselves, for consideration for induction at our ceremony."</p> <p>It concludes, "We are in awe of Dolly's brilliant talent and pioneering spirit and are proud to have nominated her for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."</p> <p>Parton further explained her position in an interview with Fox Thursday morning: "Well, I didn't feel exactly right about that," she said, while being interviewed on the show Fox &amp; Friends.</p> <p>"Because my perception, and I think the perception of most of America — I just feel like that's more for the people in rock music. I've been educated since then, saying that it's more than that, but I still didn't feel right about it. It kind of would be like putting AC/DC in the Country Music Hall of Fame. That just felt a little out of place for me."</p> <p>Earlier this week, it was reported that sources close to the Hall's leadership said they were disinclined to do anything that would interrupt or subvert a vote already in progress, and were hopeful that Parton will change her mind if she is voted in.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Music

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How to roll away all your sore back blues

<p>We all know that working a 9-5 and sitting all day leads to various health problems. For me personally, it manifests itself through chronic back pain and tight hip flexors. </p> <p>Fortunately, there's a way for me to soothe these aches and pains from home. I've been using <a href="https://www.therabody.com/anz/en-nz/wave-roller-anz.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Therabody's Wave Roller</a> for the past week, and my back pain has significantly reduced. </p> <p>The Wave Roller is a Bluetooth-enabled vibrating foam roller that proposes benefits like increasing blood flow, enhancing mobility, and releasing tension. You can connect the roller to a free Therabody App, where you can find personalised recovery routines targeting all parts of your body, along with instructions and how-tos. </p> <p>Here are some of my initial thoughts. </p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/03_RizWaveroller01.jpg" alt="Therabody Wave Roller in use" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>My personal favourites are the mid back and upper back routines, which take up to 5 minutes to complete. Since most of the tension is in my upper body, which causes my lower back to overcompensate, I've decided to focus on these areas. </p> <p>The foam roller comes with a bag and charger and is reasonably lightweight, so you could easily carry it around. The foam itself is a high-density foam, and I like that you can customise the intensity and frequency of the vibrations. </p> <p>There are five customised vibration settings, with 5 being the highest and most intense. I could only handle up to the third setting or the medium-intensity.</p> <p>But, the higher the intensity, the more noise it produces, although I didn't mind it so much for the other benefits it provided. </p> <p>The routines are easy to follow, with pictures demonstrating each move and seamless transitions from one exercise to the next. I also liked that the intensity of the vibrations automatically changes according to what's best for that particular movement. </p> <p>I would have loved seeing a video demonstration before each routine, as I wasn't sure if I was doing some of the exercises quite correctly. </p> <p>I also found that the Wave Roller can be slippery to use in some movements, like when I tried it on my rotator cuffs. </p> <p>Despite this, the Wave Roller is a pleasure to use after a long day, when my muscles are the most tense. I find it a helpful tool in managing pain, soreness, and releasing tension. </p> <p>Although it is on the higher end of the price range compared to other foam rollers, I think it's worth the investment. The technology is advanced, and you can personalise the areas you want to work on using the step-by-step programs in their app. </p> <p>It also feels like you're getting a massage, but it's more personalised and customisable. </p> <p>If using the app seems intimidating or too complicated, you can use the Wave Roller by itself and adjust the intensity using the + and - buttons. </p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/02_RizWaveroller.jpg" alt="Therabody Wave Roller" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>In summary, here are the pros and cons to consider if you're thinking of purchasing one for yourself. </p> <p><strong>Pros: </strong></p> <ul> <li>Relieves soreness and muscle tension</li> <li>Variety of settings for the vibrations</li> <li>App integration </li> <li>Personalised programs that are quick and easy to follow</li> <li>3-hour battery life and it doesn’t take too long to charge</li> </ul> <p><strong>Cons: </strong></p> <ul> <li>The cost (RRP AU$249), but worth every penny! </li> <li>Medium to High setting intense and pretty noisy </li> <li>Depending on the exercise you do it can be quite slippery</li> <li>Video demonstrations before each exercise would be even better </li> </ul> <p>The Wave Roller series is available via the <a href="https://www.therabody.com/anz/en-nz/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Therabody website</a>. </p> <p>Images: Rizna Mutmainah &amp; Therabody</p>

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Rolling Stone ranks Australia’s 200 Best Albums of All Time

<p>If there's one thing music fans love to debate over, it's a "Greatest of All Time" list.</p> <p>The list causing the most recent debate comes from Rolling Stone, who have ranked the top 200 best albums to come from the Australian music scene.</p> <p>It came as no great shock that the list was conquered by Australian music greats AC/DC and their rock classic album <em>Back in Black</em>.</p> <p>First released in 1980, the record remains the second highest selling album in the world, with more than 50 million copies sold worldwide.</p> <p>Despite AC/DC taking out the top spot, the most impressive feat in the list comes from the two bands that managed to secure two spots each in the top 20 list.</p> <p>The first was Midnight Oil, for their 1982 album titled <em>10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1</em> – which came in at number 19 on the list – and their 1987 classic <em>Diesel and Dust</em>, which took out the number five spot.</p> <p>Then, equally as impressive, were Powderfinger, who secured the 18th spot with their 1998 album <em>Internationalist</em>, as well as the 16th spot with <em>Odyssey Number Five</em> (2000).</p> <p>Despite the list featuring a host of up-and-coming Aussie artists and their latest releases, the majority of the top 20 was reserved for the classics.</p> <p>Coming in second to AC/DC on the list was the massive INXS record <em>Kick</em>, which was first released in 1987.</p> <p>Also featured in the top 20 were John Farnham's <em>Whispering Jack</em> (1986), Cold Chisel's <em>East</em> (1980) and Crowded House's self-titled album from 1986.</p> <p>Kylie Minogue's 2001 album <em>Fever</em> was the highest ranking for a female artist, and was joined in the list by fellow female hitmakers such as Sia, Kasey Chambers and Sarah Blasko.</p> <p>Despite the top 20 being largely dominated by 20th century records, some relative newcomers pushed their way to the top.</p> <p>5 Seconds of Summer's 2014 self-titled album landing the number 17 spot, and Tame Impala's 2015 experimental record <em>Currents</em> came in at number 12.</p> <p>Although some newer artists were featured in the top spots on the list, the winners really go to show that there's nothing quite like some classic Aussie rock.</p> <p><strong>Check out the TOP 20:</strong></p> <p>20. Dr. G Yunupingu - <em>Gurrumul</em> (2008)</p> <p>19. Midnight Oil - <em>10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1</em> (1982)</p> <p>18. Powderfinger - <em>Internationalist</em> (1998)</p> <p>17. 5 Seconds of Summer - <em>5 Seconds of Summer</em> (2014)</p> <p>16. Powderfinger - <em>Odyssey Number Five</em> (2000)</p> <p>15. The Go-Betweens - <em>16 Lovers Lane</em> (1988)</p> <p>14. Regurgitator - <em>Unit</em> (1997)</p> <p>13. Nick Cave &amp; The Bad Seeds - <em>Murder Ballads</em> (1996)</p> <p>12. Tame Impala - <em>Currents</em> (2015)</p> <p>11. You Am I - <em>Hourly, Daily</em> (1996)</p> <p>10. Kylie Minogue - <em>Fever</em> (2001)</p> <p>9. Savage Garden - <em>Savage Garden</em> (1997)</p> <p>8. The Avalanches - <em>Since I Left You</em> (2000)</p> <p>7. Crowded House - <em>Crowded House</em> (1987)</p> <p>6. Silverchair - <em>Frogstomp</em> (1995)</p> <p>5. Midnight Oil - <em>Diesel and Dust</em> (1987)</p> <p>4. Cold Chisel - <em>East</em> (1980)</p> <p>3. John Farnham - <em>Whispering Jack</em> (1986)</p> <p>2. INXS - <em>Kick</em> (1987)</p> <p>1. AC/DC - <em>Back In Black</em> (1980)</p> <p>And you can peruse the full 200-strong list <a rel="noopener" href="https://au.rollingstone.com/rolling-stones-200-greatest-australian-albums-of-all-time/page/1/the-teskey-brothers-run-home-slow/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p> </p>

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Rolling media coverage of missing persons cases can add to the trauma for all families left behind

<p>The public has been privy to live footage of police operations. New South Wales police, dressed in overalls, scoured dense bushland to retrieve a small piece of fabric. Reports <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-21/another-piece-of-fabric-found-william-tyrrell-search-day-seven/100633540" target="_blank">suggested</a> the yet-to-be-analysed fabric may be linked to the case of missing boy William Tyrrell.</p> <p>William’s case – along with the location of Cleo Smith in Western Australia and recent developments in the case of missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay in Victoria – have been prominent news stories.</p> <p>Media interest can invite the public into the investigative process. But rolling media coverage can have an immediate and long-lasting effect on the families left behind. That’s not only the families of that particular case, but the families of other missing people, whose case isn’t in the news.</p> <p>Non-stop coverage can invade their privacy, raise and dash their hopes, and prolong their trauma.</p> <p><strong>More people go missing than ever make ‘news’</strong></p> <p>In 2020, Australia’s <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.missingpersons.gov.au" target="_blank">National Missing Persons Coordination Centre</a> had more than <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.missingpersons.gov.au/about" target="_blank">51,000 reports</a> about the safety and well-being of a missing person. Many of those cases are resolved within one month.</p> <p>Yet more than <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.missingpersons.gov.au/about" target="_blank">2,600 cases</a> are long term – when a person is missing for longer than three months.</p> <p>It’s rare for the families of people who are missing to have had any contact with the media before. So it’s difficult for families to navigate and manage media interest.</p> <p>Bruce Morcombe’s son Daniel was 13 when <a rel="noopener" href="https://danielmorcombe.com.au/daniels-legacy/" target="_blank">he was abducted</a> from the Sunshine Coast in December 2003. His remains were found in 2011.</p> <p>Bruce <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/minimising-distress-for-families-of-missing-children/13635622" target="_blank">told the ABC</a> how he managed the media interest. He said the disappearance, homicide and the criminal investigation created a groundswell of empathy.</p> <p>However, he said when the momentum slowed and it was looking like the case would become “cold”, the family and their supporters created media opportunities – to offer a new hook, a new angle – to continue community engagement.</p> <p>Families of missing people believe “someone, somewhere must know something”. Media offers the greatest capacity to reach that “someone”.</p> <p>However, media attention is not guaranteed and is not an <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348632071_Lost_from_the_conversation_Missing_people_and_the_role_of_Police_media_in_shaping_community_awareness" target="_blank">even playing field</a>. <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/06/cleo-smith-search-ends-in-joy-but-what-of-australias-other-missing-children" target="_blank">Attention only falls</a>, and priority given, to cases assessed as vulnerable. Cases the media deems newsworthy or those that reach high engagement (through liking, commenting and sharing on social media) also get attention.</p> <p><strong>How does this rolling media coverage affect families?</strong></p> <p>When the media provides rolling coverage of every tiny development in a missing persons case, it can raise hope for some families watching on. But for others, it can have the opposite effect.</p> <p>A <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280876972_'I_still_hope_but_what_I_hope_for_now_has_changed'_A_narrative_inquiry_study_of_hope_and_ambiguous_loss_when_someone_is_missing" target="_blank">2015 study of Australian families</a> I conducted as part of my PhD found increased hope also creates a “hope hangover”. Families told me this is where anticipation peaks but they need recovery time to manage the emotional assault of a possible resolution.</p> <p>Families of missing people also told me they have to remain resilient as other cases are solved, and the uncertainty of how long the investigation of their own loved one will take. In other words, media reporting of outcomes of one case can compound the trauma experienced by families of other missing people, whose case has not yet been resolved.</p> <p><strong>Then there’s the invasion of privacy</strong></p> <p>Privacy for these families is <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/missing-and-found-understanding-the-privacy-needs-of-missing-people-13786" target="_blank">also an issue</a>.</p> <p>Loren O’Keeffe, founder and chief executive officer of <a rel="noopener" href="https://mpan.com.au" target="_blank">Missing Persons Advocacy Network</a>, was buoyed by community interest to help the search over the five years her brother Dan was missing.</p> <p>When he was found, in traumatic circumstances, despite asking for privacy, she noticed the community felt a sense of ownership over Dan and the family’s story. Earlier this week, when Loren reflected about the location of her brother, she told me:</p> <blockquote> <p>[…] journalists incessantly ringing the doorbell, flooding inboxes demanding interviews, seeing awful commentary over social media – completely overwhelmed us when we needed space and silence to process our reality. It’s an unconscionable notion; desperate families that get media and public support for “search” are then obliged to share such raw grief and delicate detail at the debilitating time of “found”.</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Specific media quidelines would help</strong></p> <p>The reasons people go missing can be diverse and complex. These can be due to a crime, complex mental illness, suicide or misadventure. This means a number of different media guidelines or codes of practice could potentially come into play to shape media coverage.</p> <p>There are no Australian media guidelines specifically about reporting missing persons cases. They are needed.</p> <p>We may be able to learn from the success of <a rel="noopener" href="https://mindframe.org.au" target="_blank">Mindframe</a>, a national program that provides evidence-based recommendations for media reporting and public communication about suicide and mental illness, among other issues.</p> <p>The program has been developed and refined over two decades, providing a strong platform for collaboration between the media and people involved in mental health and suicide prevention, including those with lived experience of these issues.</p> <p>The guidelines do not restrict media reporting of the issues, but provide an opportunity for media and those working with the media to reflect on a number of issues. These include the types of content and messaging that may reduce risk of harm and distress, reduce stigma, and increase people’s willingness to seek help and offer help to others.</p> <p>Jaelea Skehan, director of <a rel="noopener" href="https://everymind.org.au" target="_blank">Everymind</a> (the organisation behind the <a rel="noopener" href="https://everymind.org.au/programs/mindframe" target="_blank">Mindframe</a> guidelines) told me that with media guidelines specific to missing persons, newsworthy coverage would still take place, but would also consider the potential impacts on those directly involved or impacted by similar experiences.</p> <p>Remember, the stories of the investigations of missing persons cases are not the full story of the life of the person who is lost or the families left behind.</p> <p>As the brother of a young woman missing for more than 30 years told me as <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280876972_'I_still_hope_but_what_I_hope_for_now_has_changed'_A_narrative_inquiry_study_of_hope_and_ambiguous_loss_when_someone_is_missing" target="_blank">part of my research</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Hope can get buried deep below, we [the families of missing people] are like icebergs. We don’t have rose coloured spectacles on, it’s like they have been ripped off. We see the world as it is. There is a lot that others don’t see.</p> </blockquote> <p>The community, when watching on, needs to remember that.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172487/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sarah-wayland-18783" target="_blank">Sarah Wayland</a>, Senior Lecturer Social Work, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-new-england-919" target="_blank">University of New England</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/rolling-media-coverage-of-missing-persons-cases-can-add-to-the-trauma-for-all-families-left-behind-172487" target="_blank">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: NSW Police (Facebook)</em></p>

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Rolling Stones forced to retire classic song

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">British rock band The Rolling Stones have decided to retire one of their most popular songs due to its unsavoury lyrics. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 1971 hit </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brown Sugar</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> had been cut from their current tour’s setlist, which had previously been the second-most-performed song in their catalogue. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After succumbing to social pressure, the track was pulled from their live shows, as the lyrics allude to the horrors of slavery in the US, which has caused a stir during the current climate of heightened cultural sensitivity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keith Richards, 77, was quizzed by the </span><a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-10-07/rolling-stones-charlie-watts-no-filter-tour"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LA Times</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> about the changes to the setlist, saying, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You picked up on that, huh?”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said, “I don’t know. I’m trying to figure out with the sisters quite where the beef is. Didn’t they understand this was a song about the horrors of slavery? But they’re trying to bury it.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first verse of the hit song depicts slaves being sold and beaten in Louisiana, with references to a “slaver” who whips “women just around midnight.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The famous chorus describes a non-consensual sexual encounter between a young female slave and the violent master, while also alluding to the use of heroin. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the next verse, the song describes the abuse suffered by slaves on a plantation. Lead singer Mick Jagger ends the tune by singing, “How come you taste so good … just like a black girl should.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’ve played </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brown Sugar</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> every night since 1970,” Richards told the newspaper.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“So sometimes you think, ‘We’ll take that one out for now and see how it goes.’ We might put it back in.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to </span><a href="https://www.setlist.fm/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">setlist.fm</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the controversial track has been played live 1136 times, second only to </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jumpin’ Jack Flash</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“At the moment I don’t want to get into conflicts with all of this s***,” Richards said of criticism of the song. “But I’m hoping that we’ll be able to resurrect the babe in her glory somewhere along the track.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mick Jagger has also previously shared his own criticisms of the song, as critics have called it “gross, sexist, and stunningly offensive.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I never would write that song now,” Jagger told </span><a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rolling Stone</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in 1995. “I would probably censor myself. I’d think, ‘Oh God, I can’t. I’ve got to stop. I can’t just write raw like that.’”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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Paul McCartney takes a dig at the Rolling Stones in candid new interview

<p dir="ltr">Legendary musician Sir Paul McCartney has reignited the rivalry between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones with a brutal burn in a recent interview.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an interview with<span> </span><em>The New Yorker</em><span> </span>this week, Sir McCartney said of the Stones, “I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Of his own band, he said, ”I think our net was cast a bit wider than theirs.”</p> <p dir="ltr">This isn’t the first time McCartney, 79, has described the Stones this way; in an interview with Howard Stern last year, he said that he thought the Beatles were the better band, adding that the Stones, “are rooted in the blues. When they are writing stuff, it has to do with the blues.</p> <p dir="ltr">”We had a little more influences... There’s a lot of differences and I love the Stones, but I’m with you. The Beatles were better.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Responding to his comments, Stones frontman Mick Jagger, 78, said in an interview with Zane Lowe, that there was “obviously no competition” between the two groups, and called McCartney a “sweetheart”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jagger went on to describe what he saw as the fundamental difference between the two bands, saying, “The big difference, though, is, and sort of slightly seriously, is that the Rolling Stones is a big concert band in other decades and other areas when the Beatles never even did an arena tour, or Madison Square Garden with a decent sound system.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They broke up before that business started, the touring business for real.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Beatles performed together from 1960 to 1970, while The Rolling Stones have been together for almost six decades since forming in 1962.</p> <p dir="ltr">Both being iconic 1960s rock bands, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones have always been compared, despite having vastly different sounds and career trajectories. Writing for<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-artists-147446/" target="_blank"><em>Rolling Stone</em></a><em>,<span> </span></em>musician, Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band guitarist and<span> </span><em>Sopranos<span> </span></em>actor Steve Van Zandt said of the two bands, “In '64, the Beatles were perfect: the hair, the harmonies, the suits. They bowed together. Their music was extraordinarily sophisticated. The whole thing was exciting and alien but very distant in its perfection.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Stones were alien and exciting, too. But with the Stones, the message was, "Maybe you can do this." The hair was sloppier. The harmonies were a bit off. And I don't remember them smiling at all. They had the R&amp;B traditionalist's attitude: "We are not in show business. We are not pop music."</p> <p dir="ltr">Fellow musician Elvis Costello described The Stones as “R&amp;B evangelists”, and said that compared to them, The Beatles sounded like “nothing else”, and made writing your own material “expected, rather than exceptional”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Mike Marsland/WireImage/Getty Images, Jeff Curry/Getty Images</em></p>

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Celebrities mourn Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Charlie Watts, the legendary drummer for The Rolling Stones, has passed away at the age of 80.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts,” the band said in a statement on Wednesday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/wi6333F6QF">pic.twitter.com/wi6333F6QF</a></p> — The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) <a href="https://twitter.com/RollingStones/status/1430209721567416323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Watt’s spokesperson added that the musician was “a cherished husband, father and grandfather” and “one of the greatest drummers of his generation”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bandmate Mick Jagger shared a simple tribute on social media, sharing a photo of Watts laughing while sitting at a drum kit on stage.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/MrPpJI0Hxd">pic.twitter.com/MrPpJI0Hxd</a></p> — Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) <a href="https://twitter.com/MickJagger/status/1430294856774135817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stones guitarist Keith Richards followed suit, sharing a single picture of a drum kit with a “CLOSED” sign draped over it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Watts played drums on all of the band’s 30 albums, was a jazz drummer in his earlier years, heading his own jazz band and getting involved in several side projects.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since the tragic news was announced, tributes to the drummer have poured in from music stars - including Sir Elton John, Slash, Lenny Kravitz, and fellow drumming legend Ringo Starr.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“A very sad day. Charlie Watts was the ultimate drummer. The most stylish of men, and such brilliant company,” Elton John wrote, sharing a photo of the pair. “My deepest condolences to Shirley, Seraphina and Charlotte. And, of course, The Rolling Stones.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">A very sad day. Charlie Watts was the ultimate drummer. The most stylish of men, and such brilliant company. My deepest condolences to Shirley, Seraphina and Charlotte. And of course, The Rolling Stones. <br /><br />@therollingstones <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharlieWatts?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CharlieWatts</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIP</a> <a href="https://t.co/9rjSSgioZL">pic.twitter.com/9rjSSgioZL</a></p> — Elton John (@eltonofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/eltonofficial/status/1430213430095630343?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lenny Kravitz had no words, sharing a photo of the drummer with his sticks with the caption: “The beat of The Stones. There are no words, every groove has spoken for itself.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ringo Starr also shared a picture, writing: “God bless Charlie Watts, we’re going to miss you man, peace and love to the family, Ringo.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CHARLIEWATTS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CHARLIEWATTS</a>. The beat of The Stones. There are no words, every groove has spoken for itself. <br />6/2/41 - 8/24/21 <a href="https://t.co/Lw2USKaxYH">pic.twitter.com/Lw2USKaxYH</a></p> — Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/LennyKravitz/status/1430221907899654156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/God?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#God</a> bless Charlie Watts we’re going to miss you man peace and love to the family Ringo 😎✌️🌟❤️🌈🎶☮️ <a href="https://t.co/3tSFg7EMQG">pic.twitter.com/3tSFg7EMQG</a></p> — #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) <a href="https://twitter.com/ringostarrmusic/status/1430214308101705730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fellow Beatle Paul McCartney said Watt’s death was a huge blow.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He was a lovely guy. Condolences to the Stones. A huge blow for them because Charlie was a rock,” McCartney said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“A fantastic drummer, steady as a rock. Love you, Charlie, will always love you. Beautiful man, and great condolences and sympathy to his family.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Beach Boy Brian Wilson also paid tribute to Watts, who he described as a “great drummer”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I feel terrible for Charlie’s family. Charlie was a great drummer and I loved the Stones music, they made great records. Love &amp; Mercy,” Wilson said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Celebrities outside the music world also shared their sympathies, with Monty Python star Eric Idle writing on Twitter: “Saddened by the loss of Charlie Watts. A kind and gentle man. He will be very missed.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Irvine Welsh, the author of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Trainspotting</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, also penned a tribute to the drummer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“RIP Charlie Watts. Always steadfastly came over as a no-nonsense honest broker in a situation where acclaim, wealth, pomposity and egotism could corrupt the sweetest of souls,” he shared on Twitter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The news comes several weeks after the drummer pulled out of The Rolling Stones’ upcoming US tour to recover from an unspecified medical procedure.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Mick Jagger / Twitter</span></em></p>

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Tasty rice paper rolls with persimmon

<p>Try this delicious meal with the perfect amount of sweetness. </p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>260g dried rice vermicelli</li> <li>8 16cm round rice paper wrappers</li> <li>8 medium butter lettuce leaves, washed</li> <li>8 large cooked king prawns, peeled, de-veined and sliced in half lengthways</li> <li>24 fresh mint leaves</li> <li>1 small Fuyu (crisp) persimmon, sliced</li> <li>1 small Lebanese cucumber, sliced</li> <li>24 fresh coriander leaves</li> </ul> <p><strong>Dipping sauce</strong></p> <ul> <li>1 tbs Japanese rice vinegar</li> <li>4 tbs hoisin sauce</li> <li>1 tbs unsalted peanuts (or almonds), roughly chopped</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method</strong></p> <p>1. Prepare rice vermicelli as per packet instructions, drain well.</p> <p>2. Combine all sauce ingredients for dipping.</p> <p>3. Place one rice sheet in warm water until just softened, remove from water and place on a clean, damp tea towel.</p> <p>4. Lay a lettuce leaf over the wrapper, top with two pieces of prawn horizontally, three mint leaves, a little persimmon, cucumber, rice vermicelli and three coriander leaves.</p> <p>5. Fold bottom of wrapper up over the filling, fold one side in, roll up tightly. Keep rolls under damp cloth while preparing remaining ingredients.</p> <p>6. Serve with dipping sauce.</p> <p><em>For more information and recipe ideas, visit <a href="https://www.persimmonsaustralia.com.au/">Persimmons Australia</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/recipes/rice-paper-rolls-with-persimmon" target="_blank">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Delicious pork belly and prawn fresh rice paper rolls

<p>Time to prepare 20 mins | Serves 4-6</p> <p>A great fresh-tasting starter or snack, and you can even get creative with the ingredients you put inside!</p> <p>“Although I love Vietnamese fried spring rolls, these fresh rice paper rolls are my favourite rolls to eat. They’re light and delicious and hugely popular in Vietnam as well as all around the world,” says chef Adam Liaw.</p> <p><em>Recipe from <u><a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fadam-liaw-s-asian-cookery-school-adam-liaw%2Fprod9780733634307.html">Asian Cookery School by Adam Liaw</a></u> (Hachette, RRP $49.99)</em> -.</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong>:</p> <ul> <li>300g pork belly, skin and bone removed </li> <li>1 tbsp salt </li> <li>100g dried rice vermicelli </li> <li>30 rice paper sheets </li> <li>3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce </li> <li>1 cup loosely packed mint </li> <li>1 cup loosely packed coriander or perilla </li> <li>300g cooked prawns, peeled, deveined and split lengthways </li> <li>1 bunch Chinese chives, halved </li> <li>1 cup Nuoc Cham* (see tip below), to serve</li> </ul> <p>*If you don’t feel like making it yourself or can’t find Nuoc Cham at your local Asian supermarket then try it with sweet chilli sauce or experiment with your favourite Asian dipping sauce.</p> <p><strong>Directions</strong></p> <p>1. Place the pork belly in a pot just big enough to fit it. Cover with cold water. Add the salt, bring the water to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the pork belly is cooked through. Remove from the water and allow to cool. Thinly slice the pork into 5cm wide slices no more than a few millimetres thick.</p> <p>2. Place the rice vermicelli in a large bowl and pour over plenty of boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes then drain, rinse in cold water, drain again and cut into 5cm lengths.</p> <p>3. Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water and dip a sheet of rice paper into the water until it slightly softens. (It will continue to soften out of the water.) Transfer the rice paper to a plate and place a pile of pork, lettuce, rice vermicelli and some mint and coriander on the paper in a line just in from the edge closest to you.</p> <p>4. Place a few prawns at the centre of the paper with the orange backs facing down and roll the paper, folding in the edges halfway along, as shown. Add a few spears of chives just before finishing the roll so the cut ends stick out of the top. Serve with Nuoc Cham.</p> <p><strong>Tips</strong>:</p> <ul> <li>Keeping the prawns separate from the other fillings is purely for presentation, so you can see the colourful backs facing outward through a single layer of rice paper.</li> <li>You don’t need to do all the work yourself – you can put the ingredients on platters on the dining table with bowls of warm water to dip the rice papers into and everyone can make their own.</li> <li>The filling of the rolls can be whatever you like. Try leftover <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/lemongrass-beef.aspx">Lemongrass Beef </a>or <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/porchetta-sliders-by-matt-moran.aspx">shredded chicken</a>. </li> </ul> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/fresh-rice-paper-rolls.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Enjoy some sweet mango and prawn rice paper rolls

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Enjoy a fun and sweet twist on a traditional dish.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Makes</strong>: 24</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Prep time</strong>: 30 mins</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Cooking time</strong>: 0 mins</span></p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">4 Calypso® mangoes</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2 x 250g packs Qukes® peeled into ribbons </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2/3 cup whole egg mayonnaise</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1/2 lime, juiced</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1 tbs hot chilli sauce</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">200g dried rice vermicelli noodles </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">36 cooked medium king prawns, peeled, deveined </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">24 (2 x 150g packets) rice paper wrappers </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1 small iceberg lettuce, shredded</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1 cup fresh mint leaves </span></li> </ul> <p><strong>Method</strong></p> <ol> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cut the cheeks from the mangoes and scoop the flesh from the cheeks. Roughly chop 1 mango cheek and place in small food processor. Add mayonnaise and lime juice and pulse until well combined. Remove to a bowl and swirl through the chilli sauce. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Thinly slice the remaining mango crossways, place onto a plate and refrigerate until required. </span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prepare the noodles following the packet directions. Refresh under cold water and drain well. Return to bowl. Cut into shorter lengths using kitchen scissors. Cut the prawns in half through the centre of the prawn so they still resemble prawn shape. </span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Working with one rice paper sheet at a time, submerge it in a shallow dish of luke-warm water for 3 seconds, it should still be firm. Place on a board and pat dry with paper towel to remove excess water. Place 4-5 mango slices down the centre of the rice paper sheet.</span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Top with 4 Qukes® slices, 3 pieces of prawns, lettuce, noodles and mint. Fold in the sides and roll-up firmly from the end closest to you to enclose the filling. Repeat to make 24 rolls. Serve with mango dipping sauce.</span></li> </ol> <p>Tip: <span style="font-weight: 400;">You can make the rice paper rolls up to 2 hours ahead. Place on plate and cover loosely with paper towel and plastic wrap</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recipe and photo courtesy of Calypso Mangoes.</span></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Pork and apple sausage rolls

<p><span>These sausage rolls are perfect for picnics, lunch boxes, party dishes or as a snack. </span></p> <p><strong><span>Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li><span>6 sheets frozen puff pastry, partially thawed</span></li> <li><span>1 egg, lightly beaten</span></li> <li><span>1 tbs black sesame or poppy seeds</span></li> <li><span>Tomato or barbecue sauce, to serve</span></li> </ul> <p><span>Filling</span></p> <ul> <li><span>1 tbs olive oil</span></li> <li><span>2 brown onions, peeled, coarsely grated</span></li> <li><span>8 slices thick white bread, crusts removed</span></li> <li><span>¼ cup milk</span></li> <li><span>2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, coarsely grated</span></li> <li><span>500g sausage mince</span></li> <li><span>500g pork mince</span></li> <li><span>½ cup flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped</span></li> <li><span>1 egg, lightly beaten</span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span>Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li><span> Preheat oven to 200°C fan forced. Lightly grease two large oven trays.</span></li> <li><span> To make filling, heat oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Set aside to cool 5 minutes.</span></li> <li><span> Meanwhile, tear the bread into small pieces. Place in a large bowl. Pour over milk. Stand 5 minutes. Squeeze and discard excess milk from the bread. Return bread to the bowl.</span></li> <li><span> Squeeze and discard the excess moisture from apple. Add apples to the bread and onion, mince, parsley and egg. Season. Use your hands to mix well.</span></li> <li><span> Place pastry sheets on a clean surface. Cut in half crossways. Spoon a heaped ½ cup of filling down the long side of each piece of pastry. Roll up to enclose. Brush tops with egg. Sprinkle with seeds. Cut each roll in half crossways.</span></li> <li><span> Place on oven trays, allowing room between each. Bake 50 minutes. Serve with sauce.</span></li> </ol> <p><strong><span>Tips:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li><span>Squeezing out excess moisture from apple will ensure the pastry is crisp.</span></li> <li><span>Partially thawed pastry is much easier to work with than fully thawed pastry. Remove one piece at a time from the freezer and stand for 3-5 minutes (depending on temperature of the day) on the bench before cutting and rolling.</span></li> <li><span>Sausage rolls can be frozen at the end step 4 or after cooking. Freeze in an airtight container for up to two months. Reheat from frozen in a 180°C oven.</span></li> <li><span>Unable to get good quality pork mince? You can use all sausage mince if you like.</span></li> </ul> <p><em><span>Recipe by Australian Onions.</span></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Try something different with vegetarian spring rolls

<p>Make restaurant quality spring rolls at home, with this easy to follow recipe. Serve with a splash of sweet chili sauce or soy sauce for extra flavour.</p> <p><strong>Serves: </strong>6</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>1 cup of vermicelli noodles </li> <li>1 cup of grated taro</li> <li>1 cup of grated choko</li> <li>1 cup of finely sliced Chinese mushrooms</li> <li>1 cup of thinly sliced green beans</li> <li>1 cup of sliced onions</li> <li>1 egg yolk</li> <li>9 rice paper sheets</li> <li>Cooking oil</li> <li>Salt and pepper for seasoning</li> </ul> <p><strong>Directions</strong></p> <ol> <li>Prepare the vermicelli noodles by soaking in boiling water until they are soft (then rinse with cold water)</li> <li>Separate the rice paper sheets. Each spring roll with require 1 1/2 rice paper sheets. Lay out the full size sheet and place the half sheet on top, on the side closest to you. </li> <li>Spoon a sixth of the mixture onto the rice paper where there is a double thickness. Roll the spring roll, tucking in the edges of the paper as you roll. </li> <li>Pour oil to a depth of around 2cm (1 inch) in a fry pan over a high heat</li> <li>Once the oil is hot, the spring rolls can be cooked. To test whether the oil is hot enough, place the tip of a wooden chopsticks into the oil. If the oil is hot, bubbles will form off the submerged portion of the chopsticks. Place the spring rolls in the pan so that the open flap from rolling the spring rolls is facing down in the pan. As the spring rolls cook, turn the rolls in the same direction as they were folded. </li> <li>When the spring rolls are golden brown they are ready to eat. </li> </ol> <p><strong>Tips</strong></p> <ul> <li>Choko is a vine plant, and highly versatile. It has a mildly sweet flavour and firm texture. Head to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.buyfruit.com.au/choko" target="_blank">buyfruit.com.au</a><span> </span>to find out more. </li> <li>Popular in Polynesian cuisine, Taro can be used as a substitute for potatoes, and can be found in most local grocery stores. Head to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.woolworths.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/website/woolworths/freshfoodideas/fresh+food+guides/whatsinseason/taro" target="_blank">Woolworths online</a><span> </span>to find out more. </li> <li>If unable to purchase Choko or Taro, you can easily replace these with other ingredients: think thinly sliced carrots and/or shredded Chinese cabbage.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Hungry Traveller’s Travel Bites.</strong></p> <p>From Australia, to Vietnam and from Italy to Ireland, The Hungry Traveller has combined his two greatest passions; food and travel, as he goes one an extraordinary trip around the world.</p> <p>The Hungry Traveller has been globetrotting for the last fifteen years and discovered that food always takes centre stage on his world-wide adventures. The book ‘Travel Bites’ details his experiences about food and culture in a unique and personal way.<span> </span><br />Each chapter includes a recipe for a dish inspired by the host country.</p> <p><em>“The Hungry Traveller combines two of the greatest pleasures of life, travelling and eating, to bring you a book full of fantastic sights, tastes and cultures.”</em><span> </span>– Linda Hall, Books Editor, Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper.</p> <p>A synopsis of ‘Travel Bites’ can be found on<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/books/travel-bites-the-hungry-traveller/p/9781908959133" target="_blank">Angus and Robertson</a>.</p> <p>Originally published by Wattle Publishing.</p> <p><span>Recipe: © The Hungry Traveller, Travel Bites, 2013</span></p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/vegetarian-spring-rolls.aspx">Wyza.com.au</a>.</em></p>

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"I was a virgin until I was 23": Elton John gets candidly honest about sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll

<p>Legendary music star Elton John has gotten very candid and honest about his journey in the new film <em>Rocketman</em>, which is a biopic about his life and path to stardom.</p> <p>The new film stars Taron Egerton as Elton and <em>Bodyguard<span> </span></em>and<em><span> </span>Game of Thrones s</em>t<em>ar</em> Richard Madden as his manager and lover, John Reid.</p> <p>In a new interview, Elton has revealed that he was a virgin until he was 23 – and this is played out in the film. </p> <p>“If I am telling my story, it has to be honest,” the now 72-year-old singer told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/elton-john-reveals-didnt-joyous-16180367" target="_blank"><em>Mirror</em></a>.</p> <p>“I was a virgin until then. I was desperate to be loved and desperate to have a tactile relationship.</p> <p>“When they tear their clothes off in the movie, that was how it happened. It was in San Francisco.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx7FGRcD_4j/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx7FGRcD_4j/" target="_blank">Many people have been asking me how I felt after watching the musical fantasy film #Rocketman. Check out the article in today’s Observer Magazine to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. Here’s the link: https://www.theguardian.com/global/2019/may/26/elton-john-in-my-own-words-exclusive-my-life-and-making-rocketman?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other @rocketmanmovie @obsmagazine</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/eltonjohn/" target="_blank"> Elton John</a> (@eltonjohn) on May 26, 2019 at 3:54am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Elton has also said that he wanted the film to celebrate gay lovemaking.</p> <p>“I’m so glad it’s in there because I am a gay man and I didn’t want to airbrush it under the carpet,” he said.</p> <p>“This is who I am and I was so joyous. When he is lying in my arms and I’m sitting back with a smile, I’m thinking, ‘Ah, I’m normal, I’ve had sex.’</p> <p>“When I grew up, my father told me if I masturbated, I’d go blind. At 13 years of age, I started to have glasses and I went, ‘Oh my God! This is coming true!’” he laughed.</p> <p>Elton added: “I’m proud<span> </span><em>Rocketman</em><span> </span>is the first major studio film with a gay love sex scene in it. If I’d left it out, I’d have felt I was cheating people.</p> <p>“If they don’t like it, I understand, but it’s part of who I am. That night was a very, very important part.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxxgK0Nj3cK/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxxgK0Nj3cK/" target="_blank">Happy Birthday, Bernie! 🎂 Your friendship changed my life and this month, the world can see it told in the #Rocketman 🚀 movie. Have an amazing day, I love you @bernietaupinofficial. 🚀 @rocketmanmovie</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/eltonjohn/" target="_blank"> Elton John</a> (@eltonjohn) on May 22, 2019 at 10:38am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Elton believes that he was saved by his partner of 25 years, David Furnish, 56, as well as their two children, Zachary, 8, and Elijah, 6.</p> <p>“There are still parts of being a performer which will lead to the dark side. But it doesn’t last long because I have David and I’ve my children. When my children are around, I never feel dark. I would never have thought I would be in a relationship for 25 years. I couldn’t last with any relationship because drugs came into it.”</p> <p>The film is set in the late 1960s and early 1970s and begins with Elton in rehab. The storyline is told in flashbacks and the singer-songwriter has been sober for almost 29 years.</p> <p>Elton explained: “Even though I was in a terrible state and I was doing a lot of drugs, I still kept working, I still kept making records and still kept touring and the music kept me alive. If I had stopped, I wouldn’t be here. It’s ­difficult to watch because I thought, ‘God, I don’t want to go back there.’”</p> <p><em>Rocketman</em> is in cinemas from this Thursday.</p>

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