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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/live/2016/dec/23/who-cares-about-calories-at-christmas-join-our-festive-live-look-at-the-week
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| Should Jedism be a religion? Catch up on our live look at the week | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| 5.04pm GMT | |
| 17:04 | |
| Thanks everyone | |
| Sarah Marsh | |
| We are officially heading off for Christmas, have a great next few days everyone! | |
| 3.51pm GMT | 3.51pm GMT |
| 15:51 | 15:51 |
| Christmas on Facebook v the reality of it: share your stories | Christmas on Facebook v the reality of it: share your stories |
| Sarah Marsh | Sarah Marsh |
| Christmas is a time of family gatherings, presents, overindulgence and cheesy films. In the modern age, what was once a relatively private affair is now a lot more public. The buildup is filled with festive selfies, and Christmas day itself is spent taking pictures of food and snoozing relatives. But how much of what we share on our social media stream reflects reality? | Christmas is a time of family gatherings, presents, overindulgence and cheesy films. In the modern age, what was once a relatively private affair is now a lot more public. The buildup is filled with festive selfies, and Christmas day itself is spent taking pictures of food and snoozing relatives. But how much of what we share on our social media stream reflects reality? |
| We want to hear from our readers about their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram lives during the festive period, compared with their real lives. How did you really feel when you took that photo of you out Christmas shopping in a Santa hat? Did the perfect-looking pudding you made actually taste as great as it looked? Tell us your stories, anonymously or otherwise here. | We want to hear from our readers about their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram lives during the festive period, compared with their real lives. How did you really feel when you took that photo of you out Christmas shopping in a Santa hat? Did the perfect-looking pudding you made actually taste as great as it looked? Tell us your stories, anonymously or otherwise here. |
| 3.30pm GMT | 3.30pm GMT |
| 15:30 | 15:30 |
| Why Andy Martin, documenter of a changing Sunderland, has left his city | Why Andy Martin, documenter of a changing Sunderland, has left his city |
| Karl Whitney | Karl Whitney |
| Karl Whitney is the author of Hidden City: Adventures and Explorations in Dublin (Penguin). | Karl Whitney is the author of Hidden City: Adventures and Explorations in Dublin (Penguin). |
| A few months ago, I heard that Andy Martin, a photographer from Sunderland, was leaving the city after many years documenting its streets and buildings. It felt like the time to write about his work. Martin’s photos have a haunting quality that, to my mind, capture a side of the city that speaks of both its industrial past and its haunted present. His pictures are the result of his nocturnal rambles through Sunderland, climbing into disused buildings: swimming pools, police stations, condemned blocks of flats. His photos are highly distinctive products of his own obsession with one city, while also gesturing towards a wider issue facing regional towns and cities: will regeneration be enough to counter the effects of increased austerity? | A few months ago, I heard that Andy Martin, a photographer from Sunderland, was leaving the city after many years documenting its streets and buildings. It felt like the time to write about his work. Martin’s photos have a haunting quality that, to my mind, capture a side of the city that speaks of both its industrial past and its haunted present. His pictures are the result of his nocturnal rambles through Sunderland, climbing into disused buildings: swimming pools, police stations, condemned blocks of flats. His photos are highly distinctive products of his own obsession with one city, while also gesturing towards a wider issue facing regional towns and cities: will regeneration be enough to counter the effects of increased austerity? |
| 2.58pm GMT | 2.58pm GMT |
| 14:58 | 14:58 |
| What hairdryer do you need this Christmas? | What hairdryer do you need this Christmas? |
| Samuel Gibbs | Samuel Gibbs |
| Testing hairdryers is a complicated business. Almost every one of them claims fancy things such as an “ultimate shine” or “effortless de-frizzing” with some promising to deliver cinema-quality hair in the time it takes to make a cup of tea. Sadly the reality is way different.But when you sit down and actually use these things you realise that the end result relies on much more than just the machine – the hair type matters almost as much. Some hair types are a lot happier to sate than others. People with short hair can almost get away with much more than someone with tight, luscious locks.When it came to putting five of the top-end hairdryers to the test, we had to assemble a group of testers capable of putting them through their paces for as many hair types and scenarios as possible. The results were surprising.For instance, you’d expect every hairdryer costing £100 or more to come with every tool under the sun, but many lack a diffuser – essential for trying to dry tight curls. And then a dryer that suits one type of hair isn’t necessarily a winner for all. | Testing hairdryers is a complicated business. Almost every one of them claims fancy things such as an “ultimate shine” or “effortless de-frizzing” with some promising to deliver cinema-quality hair in the time it takes to make a cup of tea. Sadly the reality is way different.But when you sit down and actually use these things you realise that the end result relies on much more than just the machine – the hair type matters almost as much. Some hair types are a lot happier to sate than others. People with short hair can almost get away with much more than someone with tight, luscious locks.When it came to putting five of the top-end hairdryers to the test, we had to assemble a group of testers capable of putting them through their paces for as many hair types and scenarios as possible. The results were surprising.For instance, you’d expect every hairdryer costing £100 or more to come with every tool under the sun, but many lack a diffuser – essential for trying to dry tight curls. And then a dryer that suits one type of hair isn’t necessarily a winner for all. |
| 2.20pm GMT | 2.20pm GMT |
| 14:20 | 14:20 |
| Your underwhelming Christmas images | Your underwhelming Christmas images |
| James Walsh | James Walsh |
| One of the weirder things I do at the Guardian is cultivate our underwhelming series, whereby readers send in pictures of stuff at the apex of averageness. So we’ve had underwhelming Halloween, underwhelming British holidays, underwhelming ghosts, and underwhelming pictures of fog. Occasionally we ask for underwhelming pictures, and you ignore us and send nice ones instead. | One of the weirder things I do at the Guardian is cultivate our underwhelming series, whereby readers send in pictures of stuff at the apex of averageness. So we’ve had underwhelming Halloween, underwhelming British holidays, underwhelming ghosts, and underwhelming pictures of fog. Occasionally we ask for underwhelming pictures, and you ignore us and send nice ones instead. |
| I started the series as I felt the middling, meh, and occasionally outright terrible photos sent in by our readers were just as worthy of attention as the good ones. | I started the series as I felt the middling, meh, and occasionally outright terrible photos sent in by our readers were just as worthy of attention as the good ones. |
| In a world increasingly dominated by worries about fake news, fake lives - or rather, the often idealised versions of our lives we choose to reveal on social media - is a phenomenon equally as worthy of attention. So how refreshing to see images that reveal the banality and occasional bleakness of modern existence. | In a world increasingly dominated by worries about fake news, fake lives - or rather, the often idealised versions of our lives we choose to reveal on social media - is a phenomenon equally as worthy of attention. So how refreshing to see images that reveal the banality and occasional bleakness of modern existence. |
| Also, some of them are pretty funny. | Also, some of them are pretty funny. |
| It’s not late to send in your images - our assignment will be open until it’s time to take the Christmas tree down to the skip. | It’s not late to send in your images - our assignment will be open until it’s time to take the Christmas tree down to the skip. |
| 2.17pm GMT | 2.17pm GMT |
| 14:17 | 14:17 |
| Sarah Marsh | Sarah Marsh |
| The Jedism question has certainly divided us | The Jedism question has certainly divided us |
| 1.43pm GMT | 1.43pm GMT |
| 13:43 | 13:43 |
| Should Jedism be made an official religion? | Should Jedism be made an official religion? |
| Stuart Heritage | Stuart Heritage |
| The Charity Commission for England and Wales has declared that Jedism isn’t a real religion. And, really, that’s probably best for everyone. | The Charity Commission for England and Wales has declared that Jedism isn’t a real religion. And, really, that’s probably best for everyone. |
| I can see why people wanted it to be a religion. After all, since Jedism is largely a hodgepodge of hooey platitudes about supernatural forces and eternal life, it shares a lot in common with almost all major religions. | I can see why people wanted it to be a religion. After all, since Jedism is largely a hodgepodge of hooey platitudes about supernatural forces and eternal life, it shares a lot in common with almost all major religions. |
| But just imagine if the commission had granted its application. Then Jedism would have become a religion, with leaders and dogma and fundamentalists and guilt. It would stop being fun almost instantly. Let’s just keep Star Wars as a receptacle for space monsters and laserguns, OK? | But just imagine if the commission had granted its application. Then Jedism would have become a religion, with leaders and dogma and fundamentalists and guilt. It would stop being fun almost instantly. Let’s just keep Star Wars as a receptacle for space monsters and laserguns, OK? |
| 1.18pm GMT | 1.18pm GMT |
| 13:18 | 13:18 |
| Is the US death penalty on its way out? | Is the US death penalty on its way out? |
| Ed Pilkington | Ed Pilkington |
| This week I reported on the health of the US death penalty, and concluded that it was very sick indeed, arguably on its way out. Executions, as well as new death sentences, are at historic lows. The piece prompted interesting emails from people who questioned whether I was being too optimistic in saying capital punishment in the US is dying, given the history. They have a point. In the 1970s the death penalty was ended for four years by the US supreme court, but in 1976 it was allowed to start again and it came back with a vengeance. The emails made me think that maybe we are in another temporary lull. The death penalty ain’t over til it’s over, and until it is, those who care about human rights need to remain vigilant. | This week I reported on the health of the US death penalty, and concluded that it was very sick indeed, arguably on its way out. Executions, as well as new death sentences, are at historic lows. The piece prompted interesting emails from people who questioned whether I was being too optimistic in saying capital punishment in the US is dying, given the history. They have a point. In the 1970s the death penalty was ended for four years by the US supreme court, but in 1976 it was allowed to start again and it came back with a vengeance. The emails made me think that maybe we are in another temporary lull. The death penalty ain’t over til it’s over, and until it is, those who care about human rights need to remain vigilant. |
| What do you think? Share your views in the comments. | What do you think? Share your views in the comments. |
| 1.14pm GMT | 1.14pm GMT |
| 13:14 | 13:14 |
| Rachel Obordo | Rachel Obordo |
| Some of you have shared your Christmas song choices with us: | Some of you have shared your Christmas song choices with us: |
| Anything Christmassy sung by Karen Carpenter ... | Anything Christmassy sung by Karen Carpenter ... |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT7tbkeFYqM | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT7tbkeFYqM |
| Happy Christmas all. And thanks to Martin, Sarah, Matthew and Rachel for some really good Socials. | Happy Christmas all. And thanks to Martin, Sarah, Matthew and Rachel for some really good Socials. |
| Christmas is all about familyTim Minchin sums it up quite nicelyWhite Wine in the Sunhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCNvZqpa-7Q | Christmas is all about familyTim Minchin sums it up quite nicelyWhite Wine in the Sunhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCNvZqpa-7Q |
| Others are discussing Alexandra’s article on calories at Christmas: | Others are discussing Alexandra’s article on calories at Christmas: |
| I love Christmas with all the trimmings. But if I want to still fit in my wheelchair, and to be able to transfer (stand up and move from wheelchair to seat etc) safely, I need to be careful what I eat on every day of the year. | I love Christmas with all the trimmings. But if I want to still fit in my wheelchair, and to be able to transfer (stand up and move from wheelchair to seat etc) safely, I need to be careful what I eat on every day of the year. |
| You go right ahead and eat whatever you choose at Christmas time. But please, don't try to bully me to match what you eat (I'm looking at you, work colleagues at Christmas lunch). It should be OK for me to eat what I choose at Christmas time too. | You go right ahead and eat whatever you choose at Christmas time. But please, don't try to bully me to match what you eat (I'm looking at you, work colleagues at Christmas lunch). It should be OK for me to eat what I choose at Christmas time too. |
| If I knew how many calories I consumed on christmas day there would be a two causes for a heart attack. | If I knew how many calories I consumed on christmas day there would be a two causes for a heart attack. |
| I'm not a big fan of the trimmings. They just clutter up the plate, and take up valuable room that would be better utilised by roasties.Of them all, I dislike pigs in blankets the most. Always too greasy and salty for my taste. | I'm not a big fan of the trimmings. They just clutter up the plate, and take up valuable room that would be better utilised by roasties.Of them all, I dislike pigs in blankets the most. Always too greasy and salty for my taste. |
| Turkey does not stimulate salivary glands and I don't eat it. I don't mind putting on 10,000 calories but I draw the line with a regrettable meat that resembles chewing sawdust. | Turkey does not stimulate salivary glands and I don't eat it. I don't mind putting on 10,000 calories but I draw the line with a regrettable meat that resembles chewing sawdust. |
| Calories at Christmas? As somebody who, in everyday life, is - how shall I put it? - no stranger to the dessert trolley, it's not impossible that I will lose weight at Christmas. Seriously! | Calories at Christmas? As somebody who, in everyday life, is - how shall I put it? - no stranger to the dessert trolley, it's not impossible that I will lose weight at Christmas. Seriously! |
| I stay at home and get some treats but I don't do the big meal. A few years ago I just couldn't be arsed to cook so headed straight for the cheeseboard. (Cheese is my favourite food anyway.) So now I buy a few things I want and that's it. So, Christmas Day is basically a cheese and wine party for me. | I stay at home and get some treats but I don't do the big meal. A few years ago I just couldn't be arsed to cook so headed straight for the cheeseboard. (Cheese is my favourite food anyway.) So now I buy a few things I want and that's it. So, Christmas Day is basically a cheese and wine party for me. |
| It's great getting to the end of Christmas Day and still being able to move. | It's great getting to the end of Christmas Day and still being able to move. |
| 1.00pm GMT | 1.00pm GMT |
| 13:00 | 13:00 |
| The picture desk's photographer of the year | The picture desk's photographer of the year |
| Joanna Ruck | Joanna Ruck |
| This year we have received around 12 million photographs to the Guardian picture desk, between us we will have looked at every one of those. Despite the huge numbers, certain photographers consistently catch your attention. We started our Photographer of the Year award four years ago to recognise the outstanding work done by photojournalists everywhere. This year we had a shortlist of 12 amazing people but Carl Court had stood out to us all year. He was also one of our most published photographers throughout the year, due to the sheer variety of subjects he covered and the consistently high standard of his work. | This year we have received around 12 million photographs to the Guardian picture desk, between us we will have looked at every one of those. Despite the huge numbers, certain photographers consistently catch your attention. We started our Photographer of the Year award four years ago to recognise the outstanding work done by photojournalists everywhere. This year we had a shortlist of 12 amazing people but Carl Court had stood out to us all year. He was also one of our most published photographers throughout the year, due to the sheer variety of subjects he covered and the consistently high standard of his work. |
| What’s been your favourite photo so far this year? Let us know in the comments. | What’s been your favourite photo so far this year? Let us know in the comments. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.01pm GMT | at 1.01pm GMT |
| 12.39pm GMT | 12.39pm GMT |
| 12:39 | 12:39 |
| Christmas listening | Christmas listening |
| Martin Belam | Martin Belam |
| I’m not going to lie. I am a big fan of Christmas songs - and the cheesier the better. Earlier this week we were driving to visit some friends in Kent, and it was a chance for me to dig out my massive Christmas playlist and get the kids singing along in the back of the car. As well as the usual suspects, I’ve also been trying to expand their understanding of Christmas music with some more recent efforts, like The Futureheads Christmas Was Better in the 80’s, Erasure’s Snow Globe album, and the ridiculously nostalgic A Christmas We Deserve, which ABC released this year. | I’m not going to lie. I am a big fan of Christmas songs - and the cheesier the better. Earlier this week we were driving to visit some friends in Kent, and it was a chance for me to dig out my massive Christmas playlist and get the kids singing along in the back of the car. As well as the usual suspects, I’ve also been trying to expand their understanding of Christmas music with some more recent efforts, like The Futureheads Christmas Was Better in the 80’s, Erasure’s Snow Globe album, and the ridiculously nostalgic A Christmas We Deserve, which ABC released this year. |
| But if you want a more relaxing Christmas listen, then can I point you in the direction of a series of classical Christmas playlists that the Guardian put together a couple of years ago? We asked trumpeter Alison Balsom, pianist Stephen Hough, tenor Ian Bostridge, mezzo Sarah Connolly, the King’s Singers and the legendary John Rutter to pick their festive favourites. It’s a lovely change of pace. | But if you want a more relaxing Christmas listen, then can I point you in the direction of a series of classical Christmas playlists that the Guardian put together a couple of years ago? We asked trumpeter Alison Balsom, pianist Stephen Hough, tenor Ian Bostridge, mezzo Sarah Connolly, the King’s Singers and the legendary John Rutter to pick their festive favourites. It’s a lovely change of pace. |
| And while listening to those, why not marvel at this delightful over-analysis of whether Stay Another Day by East 17 is actually a Christmas song or not. | And while listening to those, why not marvel at this delightful over-analysis of whether Stay Another Day by East 17 is actually a Christmas song or not. |
| 12.38pm GMT | 12.38pm GMT |
| 12:38 | 12:38 |
| Rachel Obordo | Rachel Obordo |
| Your views so far on calorie counting and Christmas in general – you can click on the comments to get involved | Your views so far on calorie counting and Christmas in general – you can click on the comments to get involved |
| Calories!, at nearer 80yrs than 70yrs I don't give a toss and a very merry xmas to you. | Calories!, at nearer 80yrs than 70yrs I don't give a toss and a very merry xmas to you. |
| Christmas is the one day you can indulge without any guilt, I like to eat about 20,000 calories, go heavy on the bread sauce, then smash through a gram of top quality coke and sleep with my sister in law. Guilt free. | Christmas is the one day you can indulge without any guilt, I like to eat about 20,000 calories, go heavy on the bread sauce, then smash through a gram of top quality coke and sleep with my sister in law. Guilt free. |
| Even at 51 I still get excited about Christmas. But then I feel all let down. Last year mutha bought me some wine glasses from Morrisons. She didn't even bother wrapping them, just left them in the carrier with the price still on (3.99 or thereabouts). I died a little inside - more to do with mutha just not caring about stuff now (she's 89) rather than the actual prezzie. | Even at 51 I still get excited about Christmas. But then I feel all let down. Last year mutha bought me some wine glasses from Morrisons. She didn't even bother wrapping them, just left them in the carrier with the price still on (3.99 or thereabouts). I died a little inside - more to do with mutha just not caring about stuff now (she's 89) rather than the actual prezzie. |
| 12.08pm GMT | 12.08pm GMT |
| 12:08 | 12:08 |
| Who counts calories on Christmas day? | Who counts calories on Christmas day? |
| Alexandra Topping | Alexandra Topping |
| When one of my editors on the news desk asked me to write a story about the calories in a typical Christmas dinner, I must admit the idea did not fill me with festive cheer. Indeed, it’s possible I called him a grinch. Who cares how many calories you consume on Christmas day? Who can clear their head long enough from the roastie binge haze to even tot them up? I am not a calorie counter, but writing this piece did give me pause for thought. It was the pigs in blankets that got me – a whopping 58 calories per little pig. Normally I wouldn’t think twice about wolfing down half a packet, but maybe this year will now be different. Four max. Ok, maybe five. Will knowing how many calories you’re consuming make you hold back this year? | When one of my editors on the news desk asked me to write a story about the calories in a typical Christmas dinner, I must admit the idea did not fill me with festive cheer. Indeed, it’s possible I called him a grinch. Who cares how many calories you consume on Christmas day? Who can clear their head long enough from the roastie binge haze to even tot them up? I am not a calorie counter, but writing this piece did give me pause for thought. It was the pigs in blankets that got me – a whopping 58 calories per little pig. Normally I wouldn’t think twice about wolfing down half a packet, but maybe this year will now be different. Four max. Ok, maybe five. Will knowing how many calories you’re consuming make you hold back this year? |
| 11.54am GMT | 11.54am GMT |
| 11:54 | 11:54 |
| Welcome to our festive social | Welcome to our festive social |
| Sarah Marsh | Sarah Marsh |
| Hello! There are only two days to go until Christmas Day, so we will be having a festive themed social today. We encourage you to join us, with a drink and mince pie stash nearby. | Hello! There are only two days to go until Christmas Day, so we will be having a festive themed social today. We encourage you to join us, with a drink and mince pie stash nearby. |