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Fragments of a dying comet might put on a spectacular show next week – or pass by without a trace

As Earth orbits the Sun, it ploughs through dust and debris left behind by comets and asteroids. That debris <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-why-meteors-light-up-the-night-sky-35754" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gives birth to meteor showers</a> – which can be one of nature’s most amazing spectacles. Most meteor showers are predictable, recurring annually when the Earth traverses a particular trail of debris. Occasionally, however, Earth runs through a particularly narrow, dense clump of debris. This results in a meteor storm, sending <a href="https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2020/09/how-newspapers-helped-crowdsource-a-scientific-discovery-the-1833-leonid-meteor-storm/#:%7E:text=The%20Leonid%20meteor%20storm%20was,know%20more%20about%20this%20phenomenon." target="_blank" rel="noopener">thousands of shooting stars streaking across the sky each hour</a>. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=919&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=919&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=919&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1154&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1154&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1154&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Artist's impression of the great Leonid meteor storm of 1833" /></a><figcaption>Artist’s impression of the 1833 Leonid meteor storm. Adolf Vollmy (April 1888)</figcaption></figure> A minor shower called the Tau Herculids could create a meteor storm for observers in the Americas next week. But while some websites promise “the most powerful meteor storm in generations”, astronomers are a little more cautious. Introducing comet SW3 The story begins with a comet called <a href="https://cometography.com/pcomets/073p.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3</a> (comet SW3 for short). First spotted in 1930, it is responsible for a weak meteor shower called the Tau Herculids, which nowadays appears to radiate from a point about ten degrees from the bright star Arcturus. In 1995, comet SW3 <a href="https://cometography.com/pcomets/073p.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suddenly and unexpectedly brightened</a>. A number of outbursts were observed over a few months. The comet had <a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1996A%26A...310L..17C/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">catastrophically fragmented</a>, releasing huge amounts of dust, gas, and debris. By 2006 (two orbits later), comet SW3 had disintegrated further, into <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/Comet_73P.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several bright fragments accompanied by many smaller chunks</a>. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=723&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=723&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=723&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Animated images of comet 73P as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope" /></a><figcaption>Fragments of comet 73P seen by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2006. NASA, ESA, H. Weaver (APL/JHU), M. Mutchler and Z. Levay (STScI)</figcaption></figure> Is Earth on a collision course? This year, Earth will cross comet SW3’s orbit at the end of May. Detailed computer modelling suggests debris has been spreading out along the comet’s orbit like enormous thin tentacles in space. Has the debris spread far enough to encounter Earth? It depends on how much debris was ejected in 1995 and how rapidly that debris was flung outwards as the comet fell apart. But the pieces of dust and debris are so small we can’t see them until we run into them. So how can we get an insight into what might happen next week? Could history repeat itself? Our current understanding of meteor showers began 150 years ago with an event quite similar to SW3’s story. A comet called <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/061078c0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comet 3D/Biela</a> was discovered in 1772. It was a short-period comet, like SW3, returning every 6.6 years. In 1846, the comet began to behave strangely. Observers saw its head had split in two, and some described an “archway of cometary matter” between the pieces. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Sketch of a comet split into two pieces, each with its own tail." /></a><figcaption>Sketch of comet 3D/Biela in February 1846, after it split into (at least) two pieces. Edmund Weiß</figcaption></figure> At the comet’s next return, in 1852, the two fragments had clearly separated and both were fluctuating unpredictably in brightness. The comet was never seen again. But in late November of 1872, an unexpected meteor storm graced northern skies, stunning observers with rates of more than 3,000 meteors per hour. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A paiting showing meteors raining down over mountains" /></a><figcaption>The meteor storm of 1872. Amedee Guillemin</figcaption></figure> The meteor storm occurred when the Earth crossed 3D/Biela’s orbit: it was where the comet itself should have been two months earlier. A second storm, weaker than the first, occurred in 1885, when the Earth once more encountered the comet’s remains. 3D/Biela had disintegrated into rubble, but the two great meteor storms it produced served as a fitting wake. A dying comet, falling apart before our eyes, and an associated meteor shower, usually barely imperceptible against the background noise. Are we about to see history repeat itself with comet SW3? What does this suggest for the Tau Herculids? The main difference between the events of 1872 and this year’s Tau Herculids comes down to the timing of Earth’s crossing of the cometary orbits. In 1872, Earth crossed Biela’s orbit several months after the comet was due, running through material lagging behind where the comet would have been. By contrast, the encounter between Earth and SW3’s debris stream next week happens several months before the comet is due to reach the crossing point. So the debris needs to have spread ahead of the comet for a meteor storm to occur. Could the debris have spread far enough to encounter Earth? Some models suggest we’ll see a strong display from the shower, others suggest the debris will fall just short. Don’t count your meteors before they’ve flashed! Whatever happens, observations of next week’s shower will greatly improve our understanding of how comet fragmentation events happen. Calculations show Earth will <a href="https://www.imo.net/files/meteor-shower/cal2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cross SW3’s orbit at about 3pm, May 31 (AEST)</a>. If the debris reaches far enough forward for Earth to encounter it, then an outburst from the Tau Herculids is likely, but it will only last an hour or two. From Australia, the show (if there is one) will be over before it’s dark enough to see what’s happening. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="View of the night sky showing the Tau Herculids radiant" /></a><figcaption>For observers across Australia, the Tau Herculids radiant is low in the northern sky around 7pm local time. Museums Victoria/stellarium</figcaption></figure> Observers in north and south America will, however, have a ringside seat. They are more likely to see a moderate display of slow-moving meteors than a huge storm. This would be a great result, but might be a little disappointing. However, there is a chance the shower could put on a truly spectacular display. Astronomers are travelling across the world, just in case. What about Australian observers? There’s also a small chance any activity will last longer than expected, or even arrive a bit late. Even if you’re in Australia, it’s worth looking up on the evening of May 31, just in case you can get a glimpse of a fragment from a dying comet! The 1995 debris stream is just one of many laid down by the comet in past decades. During the early morning of May 31, around 4am (AEST), Earth will cross debris from the comet’s 1892 passage around the Sun. Later that evening, around 8pm, May 31 (AEST), Earth will cross debris laid down by the comet in 1897. However, debris from those visits will have spread out over time, and therefore we expect only a few meteors to grace our skies from those streams. But, as always, we might be wrong - the only way to know is to go out and see! <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;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/182434/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="The night sky at midnight, showing the Tau Herculids radiant." /></a><figcaption>By midnight (local time), the Tau Herculids radiant will have moved to the north-western sky, seen from across Australia. Museums Victoria/Stellarium</figcaption></figure> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonti-horner-3355" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonti Horner</a>, Professor (Astrophysics), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Southern Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tanya-hill-121214" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tanya Hill</a>, Honorary Fellow of the University of Melbourne and Senior Curator (Astronomy), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/museums-victoria-1116" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museums Victoria</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/fragments-of-a-dying-comet-might-put-on-a-spectacular-show-next-week-or-pass-by-without-a-trace-182434" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Domestic Travel

“Bizarre” Home and Away impersonator loses court appeal

Content warning: This article includes mentions of suicide. A female ‘catfish’ who impersonated a Home and Away star to attract women online and was found guilty of stalking has failed in her bid to overturn her conviction. Lydia Abdelmalek was found guilty of six counts of stalking three years ago after she impersonated Lincoln Lewis, the star who played Geoff Campbell in the popular soap. Though she first launched her appeal in 2019, the guilty verdict was upheld in Victoria’s County Court on May 26, as reported by <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7754837/home-and-away-catfish-loses-court-appeal/?cs=14231" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Canberra Times</a>. “I find the appellant was responsible for the stalking behaviour,” Judge Claire Quin told the court. Judge Quin described the case as “bizarre” and rejected evidence presented by Ms Abdelmalek. “I found her account confusing, deliberate and that she was deliberately evasive,” Judge Quin said. “Her account does not make sense.” The court also heard that a phone seized from Ms Abdelmalak’s home during the appeal in relation to another case contained “incriminating” evidence against her, according to the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-26/lydia-abdelmalek-lincoln-lewis-catfish-appeal/101099416" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a>. The court heard that the phone contained a wealth of material that “supported the accounts provided by the victims”, including hundreds of texts and pictures sent to the women she stalked, intimate photos, and Mr Lewis’ real voicemail. “Much of this material was not available at the time of the Magistrates’ hearing,” Judge Quin said. “The enormity of this behaviour could not be over exaggerated.” Ms Abdelmalek impersonated the TV star and used other aliases to stalk seven people over a four-year period starting from May 2011, in what one victim called “sick mind games”. One of Ms Abdelmalek’s victims who died by suicide wrote a statement prior to her death where she outlined the trauma she experienced from being tricked into believing the actor was in love with her. She said she felt tortured for the “sick fascination, perverse pleasure and unhealthy satisfaction” of her tormentor. Another victim said she went from being the life of the party to a recluse after what the sentencing magistrate described as a “calculated and cruel” offence. If you are experiencing a personal crisis or thinking about suicide, you can call Lifeline 131 114 or beyondblue 1300 224 636 or visit <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifeline.org.au</a> or <a href="https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/national-help-lines-and-websites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beyondblue.org.au</a>. Image: Heidelberg Magistrates Court

Legal

$2,300 “useless” umbrella sparks outrage

An umbrella created by two of the biggest names in fashion has gone viral online - but not for the reason you might expect. Chinese customers were surprised to discover that an upcoming collaboration between Adidas and Gucci includes an umbrella that isn’t designed to be waterproof despite costing 11,100 yuan ($AU 2314 or $NZ 2539). According to the <a href="https://www.gucci.com/uk/en_gb/pr/women/adidas-x-gucci/adidas-x-gucci-sun-umbrella-p-701872F12ZT4770" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gucci website</a>, the parasol does come with a disclaimer that reads: “This item is not waterproof and is meant for sun protection or decorative use”. As a result, the item has gone viral on Chinese social media platform Weibo, with a hashtag that translates to “the collaboration umbrella being sold for 11,100 yuan is not waterproof” being viewed 140 million times according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-18/gucci-adidas-s-leaky-1-644-parasol-faces-backlash-in-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomberg</a>. The <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61503469" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a> has also reported that people have responded with outrage, with one person calling it “a very big but useless fashion statement”. “As long as I’m poor, they won’t be able to trick me into paying for this,” another person said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> ⚠️warning！🤣⛽️ ☔️Umbrellas are not waterproof！<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/adidasxGucci?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#adidasxGucci</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/adidasoriginals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@adidasoriginals</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/gucci?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gucci</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VirtualWorld?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VirtualWorld</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/REALITY?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#REALITY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Blockchain?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Blockchain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CryptocurrencyNews?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CryptocurrencyNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Metaverse?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Metaverse</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFTCommunity?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFTCommunity</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFTcollectibles?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFTcollectibles</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFTartist?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFTartist</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nftcollector?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nftcollector</a> <a href="https://t.co/xmudzHHxrW">pic.twitter.com/xmudzHHxrW</a> — cubist👽🐼🧛‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧚‍♀️🤖 (@cubist_pg) <a href="https://twitter.com/cubist_pg/status/1525057625976877056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote> Others noted that the product may still be appealing to those who would use it as a fashion statement or to “show what they are worth”. “Those who are willing to pay to use luxury goods to show what they are worth,” one user wrote. “They don’t care about practicality.” A Gucci spokesperson told Beijing-based magazine Caijing that the umbrella was “not recommended for use as an everyday umbrella”, adding that it had “good collector’s value and is suitable for use as a daily accessory”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I do relate to that umbrella. I am pricey and useless. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/adidasxGucci?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#adidasxGucci</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/umbrella?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#umbrella</a> — Nishit Rangwala (@nishit_rangwala) <a href="https://twitter.com/nishit_rangwala/status/1527262762501480448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> The item has been promoted online ahead of its release on June 7, as part of the two brands’ new shared collection. Image: Gucci

Beauty & Style

Sink your teeth into Adam Liaw’s new podcast

Masterchef winner, celebrity chef, and writer Adam Liaw has added another string to his bow with the launch of his first podcast, How Taste Changed the World. The seven-part series, launched with Audible, sees Liaw explore the science and history behind our five tastes - salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami - and how they have impacted everything from economics and agriculture to why we pair red wine with meat. “I’m very excited to be launching my first podcast,” Liaw told OverSixty. “Taste has been the driving force behind human civilization since before it even began, and the food we choose to eat has more meaning that we can even imagine.” Each 30-minute episode is an immersive and thought-provoking deep-dive into each of the tastes, as well as what even counts as a taste and what the future looks like. Liaw doesn’t tackle these topics alone either, enlisting the help of experts and sharing his own anecdotes and stories, with snippets from Liaw’s kids thrown in. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/adam-liaw-podcast.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Adam Liaw tackles the five tastes in his new podcast. Image: Supplied In another first for the Malaysian-Australian chef, Liaw will be taking the stage on Wednesday, June 1, for Vivid Sydney’s Ideas Exchange’s 2022 series, Audible Live: Stories Made to be Heard. Liaw’s will be the first in a series of three talks, where he will discuss his podcast, calling upon the interviews featured in each of the episodes to explain how vital salt is to our biology and how it turned food into a commodity that has underpinned the global economy for thousands of years, as well as how our taste buds helped establish democracy and how our hankering for sweet things has been used to sell us soft drinks. “Vivid Sydney’s Idea Exchange is the perfect forum for big ideas, and it doesn’t get much bigger than how our own biology has shaped the world around us!” Liaw said. Tickets for Liaw’s talk are available <a href="https://tickets.vividsydney.com/event/audible-live-adam-liaw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K5Prbfh0VnE" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Adam Liaw’s Audible Original podcast, How Tastes Changed the World, launches on Tuesday 10 May and is only available on Audible. The podcast is free for Audible members and can be found at <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/audible.com.au/taste__;!!CN7PONKNpoI9!-mXF9S_F_DMqMCTDde2SaXD57CpMgwUTRkGnVv1CH7Cm624ZM0--rRnzo7njnX7eT8xFmcpa4foNnTLeBvzisMaawQ$" target="_blank" rel="noopener">audible.com.au/taste</a>. On 1 June, Adam will be taking part in Vivid Sydney’s Ideas Exchange with Audible Live: Stories Made to be Heard, during which he’ll discuss the podcast in further detail. Image: Supplied

Technology

What you need to know about road-tripping in the USA

1. The speed limit is only a suggestion The speed limit along most of the Interstate along the Gulf Coast is around 70mph (110km/h). Most use it as a guideline and tend to drive well over the limit. 2. The inside lane is the fast lane and the outside lane is the slow lane If you’re super unsure about this, quiz an uber driver or double check with your car rental company. If you’re a bit of a nervous driver, stick in the middle lane, which is more or less the ‘anything goes’ lane. 3. If a car has stopped on the verge, you’re supposed to change lanes away from the outside lane to avoid it This is something you may encounter several times. Whether it be a breakdown on the verge or someone being pulled over, be ready to change lanes. 4. Rental car companies HATE credit/debit cards and will charge you a large holding fee if you use one The holding fee could be up to $AUD700, so be prepared and make sure your card is fully loaded up. 5. In cities, many intersections have stop signs on every corner Don’t be that person who tunes out and doesn’t pay attention to detail. 6. Also when in cities, cars often give way to pedestrians There’s no rule that says cars have to stop for people wandering all over the road but more often than not they do. Observe at your own risk and urge on the side of caution. 7. Parking is always available Even in enormous cities like Los Angeles it is possible to park on the street, as there are more than enough car spaces to accommodate! Image: Shutterstock

Travel Tips

A KFC employee shares secrets behind the herbs and spices recipe

KFC lures in millions of customers per week worldwide, with most people flocking to the fast food chain for the world-famous fried chicken. A popular TV program in the UK called Secrets of the Fast Food Giants has lifted the lid on secrets behind the famous breadcrumb coating that gives KFC’s chicken its famous and distinctive taste. KFC worker Jo said the chain is fiercely protective of the flavouring and only a handful of people know the full recipe. “It’s kept in a vault in Kentucky,” she said. “Across KFC, only two or three people actually know the exact recipe.” “We have two different spice blenders so one factory does half of the blend, and then another does the second half and then packs it.” “So actually not one factory knows the complete recipe.” Jo also shared how the KFC buckets are made of a whole chicken cut into nine pieces. “That allows us to have the perfect ratio of our breading to chicken,” she explained. Meanwhile, popcorn chicken is made from chicken breast and coated in a light seasoning. Additionally, a million and a half pots of gravy are sold at KFC a week, and some diehard fans even put it away for Christmas Day. “This is an original recipe that has come from the fryers, we drain it overnight and then it goes into making our gravy,” according to the KFC employee. “It’s literally as you’d make gravy at home with those meat juices.” KFC was founded in 1954 and has 24,000 outlets globally. Image: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Andrew Symonds laid to rest in private service

Cricketing icon Andrew Symonds has been farewelled in a private funeral on Friday morning, ahead of a public service later that afternoon. Symonds’ wife and children were seen clutching his beloved Akubras as they gathered with friends, teammates and other family members of the cricketer at Riverway Stadium on the outskirts of Townsville, Queensland. The memorial comes <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/gone-too-soon-tributes-flow-for-andrew-symonds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly a fortnight after Symonds veered off a remote road</a> and fatally crashed his car. His wife Laura and their children Billy and Chloe were among the first to arrive at 10am, just an hour before the service began, and were followed a short time later by Symonds’ best friend and former teammate Jimmy Maher. Other cricketing greats also attended the service, including Adam Gilchrist, Ian Healy, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Glenn McGrath and Micthell Johnson, as well as West Indies batsman Brian Lara and NRL player Darren Lockyer. A note sent to guests told them “no tie necessary”, reflecting Symonds’ casual personal style and his frequent appearances at semi-formal events in shorts and t-shirts. Some guests took the brief seriously, arriving in chinos and button-up shirts, while others wore three-piece suits. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Andrew Symonds will be publicly farewelled this afternoon in Townsville. Fans are welcomed to join the service online from 2:30pm AEST on <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cricketcomau</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxCricket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxCricket</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/kayosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kayosports</a> <a href="https://t.co/E4rR5Sae18">pic.twitter.com/E4rR5Sae18</a> — Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/CricketAus/status/1530015862995816448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2022</a></blockquote> In lieu of flowers, guests were encouraged to donate to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Nigel Fairbain was the first to speak at the service, welcoming attendees to celebrate Symonds’ life. “The gratitude his family extends to you all, with the acknowledgement to people who have travelled long distances. “Rejoice in the life he led. Celebrate it and learn from it. “Andrew’s life was a life well-lived, albeit cut short too early.” Symonds’ two children both spoke after, followed by his mother Barbara and sister Louise. A video tribute was also delivered by former teammate Matthew Hayden. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/andrew-symonds-service1.jpg" alt="" /> Photos of Andrew Symonds, cricket hats and his cricket bat surrounded his coffin. Image: Twitter After the service, Gilchrist told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10859363/Andrew-Symonds-funeral-Townville-Riverway-Stadium-Australia-cricket-greats-wife-Laura-farewell-Roy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail Australia</a> that Maher delivered the best eulogy he’s ever heard. “He looked at the kids in the eyes and told them exactly what he thought Roy would want him to say,” Gilchrist told the publication. “The service was simply beautiful. I’ve not seen a congregation as moved as they were today - full of sadness, but also such beautiful memories of a guy who just gave so much of himself to so many people, unconditionally. “He was loyal, almost to a fault. Mischievous character, but he would do whatever it took to help others - in and off the field. “We’ve all spoken so much about Roy, and there’s barely been a mention of his cricketing exploits and he was one of the game's great exploits. Ricky Ponting said he’d pick him in any team in any format.” Following on from the morning’s service, a public service will be livestreamed on <a href="https://www.cricket.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cricket.com.au</a>, <a href="https://kayosports.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kayo Sports</a>, and <a href="https://www.foxsports.com.au/?_gl=1*qteu7l*_ga*YW1wLU50aDlQVWR6Yk41MU11RW5FRjdQRVE." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox Cricket</a> from 2.30pm. Image: Getty Images

News

Child actor becomes police chief in town he filmed in

The child actor who starred in Jaws has become the police chief of the same town the movie was filmed. Jonathan Searle played a small role in the popular movie in 1974 and almost 50 years later has funnily enough been named the police chief of Oak Bluffs, a town on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Having been a member of the town’s police force since 1985, Searle was promoted as chief on May 16 following a 3-1 with two other candidates. “I’m finding the whole thing quite funny myself!” “I’m clearly elated and I’m humbled and honored to have been offered the position,” he told Vineyard Gazette. “It’s something I’ve been working toward my whole career.” Image: Universal

Movies

News

Tennis player’s violent act leaves little boy in tears

A little boy was left startled and in tears after a Romanian tennis player’s racquet ended up in the crowd at the French Open on Thursday. Irina-Camelia Begu was 2-0 down in the third set of her second round match when she threw her racquet against a water box, according to <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/18697836/french-open-controversy-begu-child-throwing-racket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a>. However, the racquet bounced violently off the box and into the stands, leaving the young boy distraught and startled. Though the World No. 63 wasn’t defaulted, she did receive a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct after a tournament supervisor was consulted. Ms Begu later apologised to the little boy in question, posing for a photo with him and his parents. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://t.co/GnTbQ4w31V">pic.twitter.com/GnTbQ4w31V</a> — Sharapova Family (@MySugarpova) <a href="https://twitter.com/MySugarpova/status/1529794311487107073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote> “It’s an embarrassing moment for me. I just want to apologise,” Ms Begu said. “In my whole career I haven’t done something like this and I feel really bad and sorry. Sorry for the incident. “It was a difficult moment because I didn’t want to hit that racquet. “You hit the clay with the racquet but you never expect to fly that much.” Ekaterina Alexandrova, who Ms Bega went on to defeat 6-7 6-3 6-4 in that match, said she was “disappointed” to leave the competition “like that”. “I was trying to do my best but seems like the rules were against me,” she said. “This shouldn’t be happening. “I hope after today’s match rules will be improved for everyone’s safety. We are responsible for our racquet.” Journalists and viewers of the match quickly took to social media to question how Ms Begu avoided disqualification over the incident. “Folks, why are we still allowing this?” the New York Times’ Ben Rothenberg tweeted. “Begu didn’t throw the racquet especially hard but the consequences of her action shouldn’t be shrugged off by officials.” Photographer Ella Ling wrote: “I was there (I’m in that shot). Absolutely beggars belief how she was allowed to continue playing. Horrible.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Video: obviously it wasn’t intentional but I just can’t see how this is not a default. Kid started crying, mom and dad were concerned. A mess. <a href="https://t.co/ljQlkYckwu">https://t.co/ljQlkYckwu</a> — José Morgado (@josemorgado) <a href="https://twitter.com/josemorgado/status/1529793948507688962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote> The incident comes after Russian Andrey Rublev also escaped major punishment earlier on in the French Open after he slammed a ball in anger and it rebounded, flying past a tournament court assistant. “Seeing the Begu incident and Rublev incident from the other day, tennis officials really need to step up their game,” former world double No. 1 Rennae Stubbs said. “I think both should have been defaults. “We MUST start making players accountable for stupid decisions and those were both stupid decisions and could have been a lot worse.” Image: Getty Images

News

Tributes flow for Ray Liotta

Ray Liotta haș died suddenly at age 67, leaving Hollywood in mourning. The Goodfellas actor was in the Dominican Republic filming a movie titled Dangerous Waters, when he died in his sleep while next to his fiancé in their hotel room. An official cause of death is not yet known. Celebrities including Jamie Lee Curtis, Kristin Chenoweth, and Piers Morgan flooded social media to honour Ray's memory, with his Goodfellas co-stars leading the charge. Robert De Niro told <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ray-liotta-dead-hollywood-tributes-1235154625/">The Hollywood Reporter,</a> “I was very saddened to learn of Ray’s passing. He is way too way young to have left us. May he rest in peace.” Lorraine Bracco, who also appeared with Liotta in Goodfellas, shared that she was “utterly shattered” when she heard the news of his passing, <a title="pagesix.com" href="https://pagesix.com/2022/05/26/celebrities-react-to-ray-liottas-death/">Page Six</a> reports. “I am utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray. I can be anywhere in the world and people will come up and tell me their favourite movie is Goodfellas,” <a href="https://twitter.com/Lorraine_Bracco/status/1529868934463234048">she tweeted</a> along with a throwback photo with him. “Then they always ask what was the best part of making that movie. My response has always been the same … Ray Liotta.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I am utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray. I can be anywhere in the world & people will come up & tell me their favorite movie is Goodfellas. Then they always ask what was the best part of making that movie. My response has always been the same…Ray Liotta. <a href="https://t.co/3gNjJFTAne">pic.twitter.com/3gNjJFTAne</a> — Lorraine Bracco (@Lorraine_Bracco) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lorraine_Bracco/status/1529868934463234048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote> Seth Rogen, who worked with Liotta in the 2009 movie Observe And Report, was also in disbelief to hear that Liotta died, sharing that he was “a lovely, talented and hilarious person”. He said, “Working with him was one of the great joys of my career and we made some of my favourite scenes I ever got to be in. A true legend of immense skill and grace.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I can’t believe Ray Liotta has passed away. He was such a lovely, talented and hilarious person. Working with him was one of the great joys of my career and we made some of my favorite scenes I ever got to be in. A true legend of immense skill and grace. — Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sethrogen/status/1529876461611388933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote> Jamie Lee Curtis also paid tribute to the late actor, tweeting, “Ray Liotta has died. His work as an actor showed his complexity as a human being. A gentle man. So sad to hear.” Kevin Costner reflected on working with Ray in Field of Dreams, saying he leaves an "incredible legacy" in the film industry. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Ray Liotta has died. His work as an actor showed his complexity as a human being. A gentle man. So sad to hear. — Jamie Lee Curtis (@jamieleecurtis) <a href="https://twitter.com/jamieleecurtis/status/1529865195555737605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> RIP GOODFELLA Ray Liotta. I adored you. I love knowing you all those years ago. 😢 — Kristin Chenoweth (@KChenoweth) <a href="https://twitter.com/KChenoweth/status/1529865498250321920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Devastated to hear the news of Ray Liotta’s passing. While he leaves an incredible legacy, he’ll always be “Shoeless Joe Jackson” in my heart. What happened that moment in the film was real. God gave us that stunt. Now God has Ray. <a href="https://t.co/JQmk1PsuSK">pic.twitter.com/JQmk1PsuSK</a> — Kevin Costner & MW (@modernwest) <a href="https://twitter.com/modernwest/status/1529924892564635654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote> Image credits: Getty Images

News

Scott Morrison speaks for first time since election defeat

Former prime minister Scott Morrison has said he is “thankful” for his time in leadership and that he looks forward to becoming a “quiet Australian” again following Saturday’s federal election result. In his first interview since Labor claimed victory, Mr Morrison told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/federal-election-2022-scott-morrison-not-dwelling-on-loss/bfbdf117-adf4-4d59-8b5d-c1fbe519d6c7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2GB’s</a> Ben Fordham that he was “of course” disappointed but respected the democratic process. “You accept the result and you move on and you’re thankful for the opportunity that you’ve had to serve the country,” he said. “When I was standing there on the Saturday night I was very mindful of what was happening in Ukraine, there is a country fighting for its very liberty and here we are a democratic nation changing a government through peaceful means. “The party will come together, it’s not the first time the Liberal Party has lost an election.” With Mr Morrison announcing he would step down as leader of the Liberal Party on election night and members of the party <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/crackin-election-result-sends-liberal-party-spinning" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weighing in on its future direction</a>, Mr Morrison spoke positively about what would happen under its new leader. “The party will regroup and focus again under new leadership and I look forward to giving that new leadership every support and then going back to being a quiet Australian in the shire [of Sydney],” he said. Mr Morrison is set to remain in politics but it is still unclear if he will take on, or be given, a shadow ministry. “I’ve got no plans to go anywhere, I’m going back to the shire and re-establishing our life back there, getting the girls back into their routine - I just dropped them off at school this morning,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being a dad again, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to spend as much time as I would’ve liked with the family.” Mr Morrison wasn’t the only one to lose out in the election, with many of his colleagues, including former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, losing their seats. “Obviously devastated that Josh won’t be there. Josh was a huge part of the party’s future,” Mr Morrison said. He added that his faith and family were helping him keep a level head in the wake of the significant loss, and said he was leaving the job “not with regrets but with a great sense of gratitude”. “You’re just very humbled by the opportunity you’ve had, you can dwell on defeat or you can dwell on the things that led you to go and do what you did,” Mr Morrison said. “I leave not with regrets but with a sense of gratitude. “Three years later the country’s moved in a different direction, that’s the nature of politics. I’ve never been one to get particularly flattered in victory or pessimistic in defeat.” Though pleased that Labor was on track to form a majority government, Mr Morrison said the “teal independents” had made many election promises during the campaign and hoped they would be held to account by the next parliament. “They were very vicious and very brutal campaigns, talking to my colleagues about them, they played things very hard on the ground,” he said. “Anyway, politics can be a tough and brutal business.” When asked whether he believed the Coalition needed to ensure it didn’t move further to the right after losing some key moderates, the former PM refused to comment. Image: Getty Images

News

Tanya Plibersek apologises for likening Peter Dutton to Voldemort

Senior Labor MP Tanya Plibersek has apologised to Liberal MP Peter Dutton for likening him to Voldermort in a radio interview. Speaking to Scott Emerson on the 4BC radio station, Ms Plibersek was asked her opinion of Mr Dutton, who is almost certain to become the next leader of the Liberal party. "Well I think there will be a lot of children who have watched a lot of Harry Potter films who will be very frightened of what they will see at night, that's for sure," replied the Labor frontbencher. "What, are you saying he looks strange, he looks odd?" Emerson asked. "I am saying he looks a bit like Voldemort and we will see whether he can do what he promised he would do when he was last running for leader, which is smile more," she said. Mr Emerson said it sounded like she was attacking Mr Dutton over his looks. "No, I am just saying he is not the warm and friendly face of the Liberal party," she replied. "And if this last election taught us anything, it taught us that the Liberal Party has moved too far to the extremes of politics." Plibersek has since reached out to Dutton to apologise for her comments, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying her remarks were unacceptable. "I do want to change the way that politics functions in this country," Albo said. "People do have conflict fatigue." Plibersek is not the only Labor politician to attack the expected next Liberal leader this week, with Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan blasting Dutton as not being fit to be prime minister. "He's an extremist, and I don't think he fits with modern Australia at all," said Mr McGowan. "He doesn't seem to listen, he's extremely conservative and I actually don't think he's that smart." "I've seen him present on things [and] I don't really pick up there's much there." "As opposed to Scott Morrison, who is a clever guy, I don't pick up that Peter Dutton is fit to be prime minister." Image credits: Getty Images

News

Travel

What to pack for a cruise – and 6 things not to bring

Packing for a cruise is a lot like packing for any other holiday. You’ll want to bring comfy walking shoes for sightseeing and to leave your best jewellery at home. But there are other items – beyond seasickness medications – that expert cruisers never set sail without. Here, a few of our favourite professional cruisers tell us what you’ll find in their suitcases. Do: Stash all your pool items in your carry-on bag “You may not see your checked bag until late on your first day on board,” says Gene Sloan, cruise editor of USA Today. “It can take hours from the time you drop your bag off with the ship-side porters for it to arrive up in your room.” As a result, when we asked him what to pack for a cruise, he recommended stashing your swimsuit, sunglasses and suntan lotion in your day bag so you have them available immediately upon arrival. Do: Pack clothing that can be layered “Weather from port to port can vary significantly,” explains Colleen McDaniel, senior executive editor of CruiseCritic.com. “Packing layers can help combat temperature changes, without the need to pack multiple outfits that can take up precious room in your suitcase.” McDaniel adds that this is especially important in places where the weather is unpredictable. Don’t: Leave home without sunscreen and aloe vera “Chances are you’ll get more sun than you’re used to,” says McDaniel. “And while a good sunscreen can keep you from getting burned, aloe vera will give you some relief if you do.” So when you’re thinking about what to pack for a cruise, remember to buy the sunscreen and after-sun lotion at home – you could end up paying a markup on many ships. Do: Bring a portable charger or two If you’re someone who doesn’t like to unplug during a vacation, this one is a biggie – especially if you have more than one device or spend hours on social media or email. “You won’t have easy access to outlets around the ship,” explains Fran Golden, chief contributor of Porthole magazine. “And there may be a limited number of outlets in your cabin.” Do: Toss your portable mug in your bag Cruise ships often have complimentary coffee, and it’s usually part of the deck buffet. But your cabin isn’t, so many people go up on deck, grab a couple mugs of coffee first thing in the morning, and burn themselves as they walk back to their cabin. Mike Jirout, founder of the Ship Mate App, has this clever suggestion in his blog: If you’re a big coffee drinker, pack a portable mug with a lid in your suitcase. Travelling with kids? You’ll want sippy cups for their morning milk or juice. Do: Throw in some kitchen magnets “Little-known fact for those who haven’t cruised before: Cruise cabin walls are made of steel,” says McDaniel. “Packing magnets – or magnetic hooks – can help keep track of daily programs and other loose papers, or make it easy to hang items that need to dry. We’ve also used heavy-duty magnetic hooks for stashing away cameras, lanyards and even binoculars.” Do: Bring along a marker board If you’re travelling with a group of friends or family, magnetic marker boards are handy to bring along, says McDaniel. “Hang one outside your cabin door so that you can leave notes for your travel companions.” Now, you’ll never miss out on meeting spots or reservation details. Do: Pick up a pashmina Just because you’re heading to a tropical region, doesn’t mean you won’t want to bring a cover-up to use on board. “I always pack a shawl (a tan cashmere is my go-to-these days), even in tropical climates,” explains Golden, “because sometimes the air-conditioning on ships is intense.” Also, as ships reach full speed, the wind on outdoor decks picks up, and you’ll be happy you brought along a wrap. Do: Pack plenty of reading material “Make sure you have a couple of books on your Kindle or iPad, because for once in your busy life, on a cruise ship you will actually have time to read,” says Golden. “Sometimes I’ll even pick novels based on the destination where I am cruising, or a sea theme. If I have a balcony cabin, the balcony becomes my favourite reading spot.” Do: Invest in a small blow-up pool “One complaint that we hear a lot from those travelling with young kids,” says McDaniel, “is that many cruise cabin bathrooms don’t have bathtubs. A simple solution is to bring a small blow-up pool to place in the shower stall and use as a makeshift tub for the little ones.” Do: Bring your own hot sauce “Cruise lines do a lot of things right on ships, but for the most part, stocking condiments is not one of them,” says Sloan. (The exception is ketchup on kid-friendly ships, where it’s ubiquitous.) “You’ll find the occasional bottle of Tabasco on the buffet line of many ships, but little else with a punch.” Do: Pack some spare change Irons are a no-no at sea (too much of a fire hazard), but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck wearing just-pulled-out-of-a-suitcase clothing. Instead of showing up for dinner looking like an unmade bed, consider one of these tips. “Many cruise ships have self-service laundrettes that offer irons (and ironing boards) as well as pressing services (for a fee),” says McDaniel. Or some wrinkle-release spray Worried about wrinkles, but not into the idea of ironing on vacation? Try bringing along some wrinkle-release spray for a fast fix. It’s not a perfect solution, but it will certainly do in a pinch – and leave you more time for the pool or the spa. Do: Grab a bathroom-door organiser Bathroom counters are small on many ships, so Jirout suggests packing one of these compartmentalised organisers so you have a place to put your loose items. Best of all, it keeps them clean and prevents them from rolling around when the seas get rough. Don’t: Overpack Just because you don’t have to pack and unpack at every destination doesn’t mean you should allow yourself to overpack when it comes to clothing and shoes. “It’s liberating to travel light,” says Sloan, adding that (as we previously mentioned) many cruise ships have self-serve laundry machines. Don’t: Waste space on bottled water “Yes, bottled water can be expensive on ships, and yes, some lines let you carry on water in your bags so you can avoid buying it on board,” explains Sloan. “But why bother? There is all the water you could ever want for free out of the tap in your ship cabin. Contrary to what many people think, the water on cruise ships is perfectly potable. Bring an empty, reusable water bottle to fill up from the tap for off-the-ship excursions.” Don’t: Bring your own alcohol “Many cruise lines will confiscate any alcohol they find in your luggage,” says Sloan. “They want you to pay for their own, overpriced on-board alcohol.” That said, some cruise lines do let you bring on limited amounts of your own wine and alcohol; check the rules before embarking. Do: Think twice before you default to packing formal wear Gone are the days when every cruise had formal nights. Some have them – and they’re mostly optional – but many cruises are less dressy than ever before. So check the line’s dress code while considering what to pack for a cruise, and remember, it really depends on what type of cruise you’re taking whether you’ll need that gown. Expedition ships tend not to have formal nights, and they’re not the only ones. “River ships never have formal nights,” explains Walter Littlejohn, Crystal River Cruises Vice President and Managing Director. Chances are you won’t find them on kid-centric cruises, either. Do: Leave your drone at home Sure, they take great photos, but they’re not something you should try to stuff into your suitcase for your next cruise. “Only a handful of cruise lines allow drones on board, and restrictions run rampant,” says McDaniel. “Keep your drone at home.” Do: Reconsider that gym equipment “My favourite thing listed by some cruise lines under what not to bring is a hockey stick,” laughs Golden. “I have never seen anyone try, but I assume there are people who don’t go anywhere without a hockey stick.” As for hand weights and yoga mats for your regular workout, almost all cruise lines have fully stocked gyms. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/cruising/what-to-pack-for-a-cruise-and-6-things-not-to-bring?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Cruising

Insulting Wimbledon tradition to be scrapped

The All England Lawn Tennis Club will reportedly replace its Wimbledon honour boards ahead of the 2022 grand slam tournament. Titles before the names of its female champions will be withdrawn. Honorifics in front of female winners will be removed next month to “move with the times”, while the process of married women taking the initials and surnames of their husbands will also be updated. Since the tournament began in 1884, female champions had titles “Miss” and “Mrs” in front of their names, while the men didn’t. For example, former world No. 1 Ash Barty is currently immortalised as “Miss A Barty”, while 20-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic reads “N Djokovic”. Meanwhile, the name of Australian tennis legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley, who won Wimbledon in 1980, is written “Mrs R Cawley” because her husband’s name is Roger. As sports reporter Paul Dennett wrote last year: “Surely Wimbledon must do away with such outdated and insulting styling". “It is time to rewrite the honours board. Remove all the anachronistic instances of ‘Miss’ and ‘Mrs’ and get rid of the initials of female players’ husbands. ‘Miss. R. Cawley’ should be ‘Evonne Goolagong-Cawley’ and ‘Miss. J.M. Lloyd’ should be ‘Chris Evert’.” In 2019, Wimbledon stopped using terms “Miss” and “Mrs” when announcing the names of players during matches, a move that “surprised” Djokovic. “I thought that tradition was very unique and very special; I thought it was nice,” the Serbian said at the time. “It’s definitely not easy to alter or change any traditions here that have been present for many years. It’s quite surprising that they’ve done that.” The move comes after Wimbledon, widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious tennis event, was stripped of ranking points by the sport’s main tours in response to the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from the tournament, following the invasion of Ukraine. This essentially reduced Wimbledon to the status of a high-profile exhibition event. Image: Getty

Travel Trouble

Cafe won’t let guests leave until they finish their work

If you struggle a lot with procrastination then the only thing left for you to do is to book a ticket to Japan and head to this one cafe. Unless you procrastinate that too, but hear us out. Manuscript Writing Cafe in Tokyo is the one-stop destination for procrastinators looking to get their work done. There are 10 workstations and people are allowed to leave ONLY when they have finished their work. And the staff will make sure you have completed your projects as they come to check in on you at least six times an hour. They also bring with them free snacks, tea, coffee, water and high-speed wifi. Once you have completed all your tasks, you are given a paper with an orange stamp and you are free to leave. The video was shared to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@leanneinjapan/video/7095383871398694149?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> and has been viewed more than 624,000 times and has received around 120,000 likes with many commenting about how they need to be at the cafe all the time. “Yup, I definitely need to work there.. ah.. maybe later,” one wrote. “Kindness and torture at the same time,” someone commented. “I guess I'm bringing a sleeping bag,” another joked. “I’ll go later,” another joked about procrastinating their visit. “So essentially I'd be living there,” read another. Images: TikTok

International Travel

Final tuning for Pacific Explorer

Pacific Explorer is almost ready to set sail after almost two years of no cruises with one thing left to do. The ship’s five beautiful pianos have required some fine tuning from piano tuner Carol Johns after the keys were left abandoned during lockdown. The five pianos sat inside the ship without sounding a note and professional musician Carol knew it was her time to shine and tune them. “After nearly two and a half years, they’ve got themselves to under concert pitch so you have to lift them back up to get them in tune,” Carol said. “That happens with any piano but it’s exaggerated because of the time and being on a ship is a tough time for a piano. “It takes about two hours to tune a piano if you want to make it really beautiful because there are about 88 notes but there are more than 220 strings and they’ve all got to be tuned, some of them more than once.” Before cruises were banned from Australian shores, there were regular “ship calls” to ensure the pianos were always tuned. Image: Supplied

Cruising

Health

Podcast listeners may be more open-minded

Are you a big podcast listener? A <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265806" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new study</a> suggests that you may be more open-minded and intellectually curious than people who don’t listen to podcasts. Podcasts have become increasingly popular in recent years, with a reported 75.9 million podcast listeners in the US and 15.61 million in the UK as of 2020. Yet comparatively little research exists on how and why people listen to this type of on-demand audio content. “I mainly study social media use, but am an avid podcast listener,” explains Stephanie Tobin, a senior lecturer in psychology at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and first author on the new study. Tobin’s own favourite podcasts include <a href="https://www.fourbeers.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Two Psychologists Four Beers</a>, <a href="https://www.verybadwizards.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Very Bad Wizards</a>, <a href="https://www.chat10looks3.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chat 10 Looks 3</a>, and <a href="https://myfavoritemurder.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">My Favorite Murder</a>. “I was interested in applying the same methods we use to understand why people use social media to understand why people listen to podcasts,” she says. Together with co-author Rosanna Guadagno of Stanford University in the United States, Tobin surveyed a sample of around 300 people from several different countries about their podcast listening habits. The participants also completed the Big Five Inventory, a validated questionnaire designed to measure <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/big-five-personality-traits-4176097" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">key personality traits</a>. “We found that people who were more open to experience, more curious, and who enjoyed thinking more were more likely to have listened to a podcast,” Tobin says. This fits with earlier research showing that these traits are associated with use of new technologies and using online platforms to find information. On the other hand, participants who scored higher on their need to belong were less likely to be podcast listeners. This was surprising to Tobin, who had expected the opposite relationship. Nevertheless, podcast listeners who spent more hours per week listening were more socially engaged with the podcasts they listened to, and experienced stronger parasocial (one-sided) relationships with podcast hosts. “I’d be interested to follow up on the social aspects, perhaps by looking at the online communities that form around specific podcasts,” says Tobin. This article originally appeared in <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/social-sciences/podcast-listener-personality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a>. Image: Getty

Mind

Meghan Markle visits memorial of school shooting victims

Meghan Markle has visited a memorial dedicated to the 19 children and two teachers killed at school earlier this week. The victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas were between the ages of seven and 10, including teachers Irma Garcia and Eva Mireles. The Duchess of Sussex arrived at the memorial on Thursday and lay a bouquet of white roses among several others. She also walked past each of the white crossed which had the names of all the victims who lost their lives on Tuesday. Gunman Salvador Rolando Ramos, 18, was armed with a gun when he stormed the elementary school on Tuesday and killed the young victims and their teachers. He was then allegedly killed by the responding officers. The murdered children have since been identified as 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza, 10-year-old Alexandria Aniyah Rubio, 10-year-old Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, fourth grader Eliahana Cruz Torres, 9-year-old Eliana “Ellie” Garcia, 10-year-old Jackie Cazares, 10-year-old Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10-year-old cousins Jayce Luevanos and Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10-year-old Jose Flores, 10-year-old Makenna Lee Elrod, Maite Rodriguez, Nevaeh Bravo, 10-year-old Rojelio Torres, Tess Marie Mata, 8-year-old Uziyah Garcia, and 10-year-old Xavier Lopez. Teachers Irma Garcia, 46, and Eva Mireles, 44, selflessly put themselves in front of the children in defence but were also killed. Images: Twitter

Caring

Husband of Texas school shooting victim dies “due to grief”

The husband of one of the teachers killed in the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/21-dead-at-primary-school-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mass shooting in Texas</a> has suffered a heart attack and died just two days later. Joe Garcia was married to Irma Garcia, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/victims-of-the-texas-primary-school-shooting-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of two faculty members</a> who were fatally shot by 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Two days after his wife passed away, Mr Garcia died of a heart attack. The couple had been together since high school and leave behind four children, as reported by <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/joe-irma-garcia-texas-shooting-dead-b2088371.html?utm_content=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3ME_I96lfeL_U8FWo-YXPmPGGy96juTVn8iUtWhTNN6bBS1C7T0tfLRvE#Echobox=1653590028" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dallas News</a>. One family member confirmed his passing on Twitter, saying he “passed away due to grief”. John Martinez, Ms Garcia’s nephew, also took to Twitter to share his grief, writing: “EXTREMELY heartbreaking and come with deep sorrow to say that my Tia (aunt) Irma’s husband Joe Garcia has passed away due to grief”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> EXTREMELY heartbreaking and come with deep sorrow to say that my Tia Irma’s husband Joe Garcia has passed away due to grief, i truly am at a loss for words for how we are all feeling, PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY, God have mercy on us, this isn’t easy <a href="https://t.co/GlUSOutRVV">pic.twitter.com/GlUSOutRVV</a> — john martinez ❤️‍🔥 (@fuhknjo) <a href="https://twitter.com/fuhknjo/status/1529870121023557632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote> “I am at a loss for words for how we are feeling,” Mr Martinez continued. “PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY, God have mercy on us, this isn’t easy.” A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/joe-irma-garcia?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&utm_medium=more&utm_source=customer&fs=e&s=cl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page has been set up by Ms Garcia’s cousin to raise funds for the family and her funeral expenses, describing the 46-year-old teacher as “sweet, kind, [and] loving”. “She sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom,” the page says. “She was a hero. She was loved by many and will truly be missed.” In an update, her cousin shared the news of Mr Garcia’s death. “I truly believe Joe died of a broken heart and losing the love of his life of more than 25 years was too much to bear,” she wrote. As of publication, $USD 532,553 has been donated by more than 12,000 people, surpassing the $USD 10,000 goal at least 50 times over. Ms Garcia worked as a fourth grade teacher at Robb Elementary School for 23 years before she was killed and had been recognised for her excellence as an educator. In 2019, she was named as a finalist for the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching, which recognises exceptional teachers in the San Antonio area. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Eva Mireles and Irma Garcia were two of the greatest teachers Uvalde, TX has ever known. Their classroom was full of fun, growth, giggles, teamwork, and, most of all, love. Their legacy will live in the hearts of our community forever. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/uvaldestrong?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#uvaldestrong</a> <a href="https://t.co/Es95ZIURUi">pic.twitter.com/Es95ZIURUi</a> — Natalie Arias, M.Ed. (@natariastx) <a href="https://twitter.com/natariastx/status/1529332348415795200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2022</a></blockquote> Eva Mireles, a second teacher killed in Tuesday’s attack, shared a classroom with Ms Garcia and worked with both English and Spanish speaking students. Her cousin and grandmother shared their grief on social media, with her cousin describing her as a “beautiful” person. “My beautiful cousin! Such a devastating day for us all! My heart is shattered into a million pieces,” Arizmendi Mireles wrote. On the school’s website, Ms Mireles described herself as a mother of a college graduate and said she loved running and hiking with her “fun and loving” family. She leaves behind her husband, Robb Ruiz, a school police officer, and their daughter Adalynn Ruiz. Image: GoFundMe

Caring

Peter Dutton reveals rare skin condition after "appearance shaming"

Liberal MP Peter Dutton has revealed he suffers from a rare skin condition, following a <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/tanya-plibersek-apologises-for-likening-peter-dutton-to-voldemort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slating</a> from Labor MP Tanya Plibersek, who likened him to Voldemort. Dutton said he is not "bald by choice" and blames his hair loss on an unnamed condition. Responding on Thursday to Plibersek’s comments, Dutton said while he’s “not pretty” he will be an effective Liberal leader. “Look, it’s water off a duck’s back,’’ he told <a href="https://www.2gb.com/peter-dutton-breaks-silence-on-voldemort-jab/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">Ray Hadley on 2GB.</a> “You read all that sort of stuff online ... in the sewer of Twitter all the time, and I think it’s unfortunate." “But, you know, she’s apologised for that. I just don’t think you need to be nasty and mean.” He went on to tell Hadley that he was diagnosed with a mystery condition that caused his hair to fall out. “I’m not bald by choice. OK. And, you know, I was diagnosed with a skin condition a couple of years ago, which is just a reality of getting older as well,” he said. “So, you know, I’m not the prettiest bloke on the block, but I’m going to be pretty effective. And I love this country. We live in the best country in the world.” Tanya Plibersek apologised to Peter Dutton for likening him to the Harry Potter villain in a recent radio interview when asked of her opinion of the Liberal MP. Speaking to Scott Emerson on the 4BC radio station, Ms Plibersek said, "Well I think there will be a lot of children who have watched a lot of Harry Potter films who will be very frightened of what they will see at night, that's for sure." "What, are you saying he looks strange, he looks odd?" Emerson asked. "I am saying he looks a bit like Voldemort and we will see whether he can do what he promised he would do when he was last running for leader, which is smile more," she said. Image credits: Getty Images

Body

Lifestyle

Aussie town welcomes first baby in 15 years

A remote Australian town has welcomed its first baby in 15 years with the father just making the delivery after trekking a crazy 280km. Jessie Harvey rushed to Richmond Hospital in outback Queensland about 3am on April 30 when she started experiencing contractions. There were no midwives or births at Richmond Hospital and the doctor who had checked Jessie fainted soon after telling her she was 8cm dilated. The hospital called for help from the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and staff were relieved to have someone experienced on hand. However, the only problem was Jessie’s partner Sam McGrath was 280km away working on a remote cattle station at East Creek, Woodstock when he received the surprising news. He immediately jumped into his ute and drove the hundreds of kilometres and shockingly made it in time for his son’s birth. “I had just taken a sip out of my coffee when I got the call. I grabbed my bag and chucked it on the ute then had to high-tail it into town,” he told Daily Mail Australia. RFDS doctor Shima Ghedia helped deliver baby Darby who was welcomed into the world with cheers after being the first baby born in 15 years in the remote town. “It was honestly amazing everyone was so stoked, so happy to see a child being born [at Richmond],” Sam said. “It was pretty well a cheering vibe, everyone was quite ecstatic.” Image: Facebook

Family & Pets

The secret to keeping your skin hydrated in winter months

With the cold winter months well and truly settling in, it’s easy to feel like our healthy summer glow has been zapped and replaced with dry, dull, dreary skin. There are many environmental factors that can have our skin looking lacklustre in winter, with the main one being dryness and chill that results in dehydrated skin. While many people already have their trusted moisturiser well and truly implemented in their daily skincare routine, sometimes our skin needs a little extra help in colder months. One of the best ways to give our skin a much needed moisture surge is a face mask, whether it's a sheet mask, clay mask, gel mask, peel-off mask or cream mask. For instant hydration, you can’t go past an overnight mask that does all the hard work to revitalise your skin while you sleep. However, a lot of overnight masks can tend to be too thick and creamy, leaving your skin feeling oily and heavy when you get into bed. Enter: Dr LeWinn’s Ultra Collagen Surge Overnight Sleep Mask. <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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdu23fILiZv/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/Cdu23fILiZv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Dr LeWinn's Skincare Australia (@drlewinns)</a> </div> </blockquote> This ground-breaking mask challenges the status quo with a serum-based mask, making it lightweight and comfortable to use. The two-serums-in-one formula combines a Collagen Plumping Serum and Peptide Energising Serum to maximise this dreamy mask's efficacy for an effortless refreshed look as soon as you open your eyes. As well as delivering a much needed moisture surge, Dr LeWinn’s Ultra Collagen Surge Overnight Sleep Mask also firms and plumps up the skin for a younger looking complexion. The glossy serums are ultra-smoothing, helping to reduce fatigue, the appearance of wrinkles, and under eye bags for a silky smooth complexion. In a clinical study of the overnight mask, all 25 participants reported a huge increase in their skin’s hydration over just one week, as well as a return of their radiant summer low. Adding this revolutionary mask to your skincare routine will see you beating the winter blues so you can wake up feeling refreshed and looking at the top of your game. Dr LeWinn’s Ultra Collagen Surge Overnight Sleep Mask is available at <a href="https://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy/114287/dr-lewinn-s-ultra-r4-collagen-surge-overnight-sleep-mask-30ml">Chemist Warehouse</a>, <a href="https://www.priceline.com.au/dr-lewinn-s-ultra-r4-collagen-surge-overnight-sleep-mask-30-ml">Priceline</a> and Dr. LeWinn’s <a href="https://www.drlewinns.com.au/dr.-lewinn-s/shop-our-products/range/ultra-r4/p/ultra-r4-collagen-surge-overnight-sleep-mask-30ml/74478.html?lang=en_AU&utm_source=google_search&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_campaign=drl_ur4_overnight_sleep_mask&utm_term=2022">official site</a>. Image credits: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

Anthony Albanese's sweet tribute to his late mother

Australia's new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shared details of the first thing he did when he returned from his first official duty overseas. Just hours after Mr Albanese was sworn in as PM, he was on a plane to Tokyo for the Quad summit and talks with the leaders of the US, Japan and India. His return to Australia on Thursday also marked the 20th anniversary of his mother's death. "I travelled last night out to the cemetery to see her and have a chat," Albanese shared with Today. "It was a big deal, it was a private moment. I went by myself." Albanese, whose single mum Maryanne raised him in public housing, said the Labor party's win at the election was an emotional one and he wanted to lead by example for others in similar upbringings. "I hope that it gives people out there, whether they be single mums or people going through difficulties in life and their children, I hope that my journey does give people a bit of an uplift," he said. "It's not about me. As I said on Saturday night, no one gets there by themselves. You get there because people believe in you, because people provide you with support." Albanese shared his gratitude for his community, which supported him in the thousands after his election win. "The sense of feeling that was there on Saturday night when we came out of the house and saw my neighbours in Marrickville," he said. "It was reasonably late, I'm not sure what time it was - But around 11pm it was like the whole neighbourhood were on the street, just cheering." He said his win on the weekend said a lot about Australia and what people can achieve with the right support. "A change in direction is what I want to bring for this country - not just policy change, but culture change," he said. "I want to change the way that politics operates, I want it to be more inclusive. I want it to be more respectful." Image credits: Today / Instagram

Family & Pets

Kylie Minogue and Sharon Stone stun at Cannes red carpet

The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival has seen stars embrace the most glamorous of looks that could rival those spotted at the 2022 Met Gala - and it’s safe to say that Kylie Minogue and Sharon Stone’s gowns were among the highlights. Appearing for the screening of Elvis on Wednesday, the Neighbours alum and Aussie icon styled a stunning Versace corset dress featuring sheer panelling and a side split, accessorised with a jade-embedded Bulgari necklace. Minogue took to Instagram with clips from the night and photos, including a close-up shot of her Bulgari jewellery. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/minogue-necklace.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Kylie Minogue shared a close-up shot of the luxe jewellery she donned for the film festival. Image: @kylieminogue (Instagram) “Thank you @Versace & @Bulgari for the GLAM this evening,” she captioned a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd_0OEQrXkD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> from the night, adding that she “LOVED” Elvis and that its director, Baz Luhrmann, was “THE BEST”. Meanwhile, Sharon Stone walked the red carpet in a tightly-fitted red gown with intricate beading across the neckline and along the straps, completing the look with a bedazzled red handbag and a pair of Elvis’ signature aviator sunglasses. <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/Cd4R38rugSs/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/Cd4R38rugSs/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sharon Stone (@sharonstone)</a> </div> </blockquote> It wasn’t the only time Stone impressed the crowd with her look during the festival, having appeared in a heavily-embellished blue-and-white gown with a peplum skirt which her two accompanying male models removed to reveal a full-length body con dress at Sunday’s screening of Forever Young (Les Amandiers). The next day, the 64-year-old star was throwing up peace signs in another form-hugging gown - this time emerald green and bedazzled - ahead of the screening of Crimes of the Future, where she was photographed with her god-daughter Helena Gatsby. <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/Cd_aVnHsLrb/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/Cd_aVnHsLrb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Helena Gatsby (@helenagatsby)</a> </div> </blockquote> The 20-year-old later took to Instagram with photos of the pair, describing Stone as her hero and role model. “My hero forever, so honoured to be next to my role model. I love you and cherish you,” she captioned the post. Both Minogue and Stone received floods of praise for their looks, with fans describing them as stunning and “elegance personified”. “Absolute perfection Kylie!!” Donatella Versace, the fashion designer and sister of Versace’s founder, said of Minogue’s outfit. “A real diva 💚💚💚 loving this 30s vibe,” Lucio Di Rosa, the head of worldwide celebrities relations at Dolce & Gabbana, commented on a photo of Stone’s green gown. “Good Lord. You must teach me your ways!” Will & Grace star Debra Messing commented on Stone’s blue-and-white look. Images: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

Finance

Kochie sledged over his salary live on-air

Kochie has jokingly threatened to never have a guest on the breakfast show again after being ‘sledged’ over his salary. The Sunrise co-host was speaking to Carsales Editor-in-Chief Mike Sinclair on Thursday morning when the funny moment went down. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The <a href="https://twitter.com/kiaaustralia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KiaAustralia</a> Sportage has been named 2022's best mid-size SUV by <a href="https://twitter.com/carsales?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@carsales</a> 🚙 <a href="https://t.co/h4gKr09Av3">pic.twitter.com/h4gKr09Av3</a> — Sunrise (@sunriseon7) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunriseon7/status/1529613494395584513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote> Sinclair were showcasing a Kia Sportage after the vehicle was named the car website’s best mid-size SUV for 2022, when he took a crack at the well paid tv presenter. “What are they asking for it?,” Kochie asked, before receiving the eyebrow-raising response. “The Sportage range starts just under $40,000 and this one, which is the top of the range called the GT Line, this one is I think about $53,000. “So Kochie, I think somebody of your abilities, with your inflated pay packet, I’m sure you could afford it,” he teased. The stunned Sunrise star responded by firing back: “Oh, OK mate. I prefer the MG actually, that’s way better value.” ‘What? He was sledging me, so I’m going to sledge him back,” he told colleagues Natalie Barr and Mark Beretta as they burst into laughter. Images: Sunrise

Money & Banking

Kevin Spacey charged with four counts of sexual assault

Kevin Spacey has been charged with four counts of sexual assault. The former Hollywood megastar, 62, was charged by London’s Metropolitan Police and is due to appear in court. All of the counts are alleged to have happened between 2005 and 2013. Four of the alleged offences are said to have taken place in London, while the other is alleged to have happened in Gloucestershire, in the south-west of England. Robert Ainslie, head of the UK Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) special crime division, said: “The CPS has authorised criminal charges against Kevin Spacey, 62, for four counts of sexual assault against three men. “He has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. The charges follow a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation. “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr Spacey are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.” Police opened an investigation into the House of Cards star in 2017, following this Spacey was interviewed under caution by the police in 2019. His House of Cards character, Frank Underwood, had to be killed off after he was booted from the series as allegations emerged. Shortly after Spacey was ordered to pay the studio that created the show $US43.7million ($A61.62m) last year over breach of contract following sexual harassment claims. Image: Getty

Legal

Kate Moss takes to the stand to defend Johnny Depp

Kate Moss has taken to the stand in former boyfriend Johnny Depp's defamation trial, denying a rumour he had pushed her down a staircase. Moss’ testimony during this high profile court battle is a huge blow to Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard, as it contradicts claims the actress has made. Depp is suing Heard for $US50 million ($A70 million), saying she defamed him by saying she was a victim of domestic abuse in a newspaper opinion piece. His attorney previously called Kate Moss as a rebuttal witness after Heard had earlier testified about “rumours” of Depp pushing Moss down a flight of stairs. Moss, who dated Depp from 1994 to 1998, told the court that she slipped on a staircase and injured her back during a vacation the couple took in Jamaica. Depp rushed to help her, carried her to a room and called for help, she said. “I screamed because I didn’t know what happened to me and I was in pain and he came running back to help me and carried me to my room and got me medical attention.” Depp’s attorney asked Moss if Depp had ever pushed her down the stairs during the course of their relationship. “No. He never pushed me, kicked me or threw me down any stairs,” Moss testified. The high-profile court case is still ongoing.

Legal

Man accused of stealing $16,000 from wedding functions

A man has been accused of allegedly gatecrashing eight weddings and stealing a total of $16,000 and other gifts. The 24-year-old Melbourne man pretended to be a wedding guest at eight events from between April 2 and May 22. He allegedly stole $16,000 cash, jewellery and gift cards from at least three of the events. Bride Kellee Pace said she felt violated when she found out that the man had allegedly stolen some of her and her husband’s gifts and even wrote in their guest book. "It was the best wedding he'd apparently ever attended and he was feeling awesome and lucky on the night, three quarters of our wishing well was missing," she told Nine News. "We definitely felt really violated, we were mingling with people and he was downstairs drinking in the bar and we had no idea he was even there." The wedding industry shared his photo around before he was spotted at a Macedonian wedding by wedding planner Jasmine Arapovic. "My dad then put him in a bit of a headlock to make sure he didn't try and escape before I could have a chat with the venue manager to get them to put him in a room." Police arrested the man and he was slapped with 27 charges, including aggravated burglary, burglary, theft and going equipped to steal. Police will allege they found jewellery and gift cards when they searched a property on Tuesday. He has been granted bail and will appear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court on October 18. Images: Nine News

Money & Banking

Entertainment

How Studio Ghibli films can help us rediscover the childlike wonder of our connection with nature

Films with powerful environmentally centred narratives can <a href="https://time.com/5889324/movies-climate-change/">transform our thinking</a> and connect us with nature in ways that scientific papers cannot. For example, <a href="https://ghiblicollection.com/">Studio Ghibli</a>, a renowned Japanese film studio co-founded by animator <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/23/t-magazine/hayao-miyazaki-studio-ghibli.html">Hayao Miyazaki</a>, creates complex visual stories about human-nature relationships that transcend barriers of culture or age. A key message of Miyazaki’s work is that we must respect nature – or face our own destruction. Miyazaki’s films offer viewers moments of escape into fantastical worlds that nonetheless echo problems of modernity, demonstrating that it’s possible to portray complex environmental issues through animation in a way that retains mainstream appeal. As a conservation scientist and Studio Ghibli enthusiast, I’ve <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/10/2/35">analysed</a> the environmental themes in three of its most well-known films: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), My Neighbour Totoro (1988) and Princess Mononoke (1997). <h2>Nausicaä</h2> Nausicaä, released with a special recommendation from the <a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/">World Wildlife Fund</a> for Nature, tells the story of an apocalyptic event that wreaks havoc on global ecosystems. Surviving humans must coexist alongside the <a href="https://ghibli.fandom.com/wiki/Toxic_Jungle">Toxic Jungle</a>, a dangerous landscape filled with poisonous fungal spores. Most humans fear the Toxic Jungle and seek to destroy it. But what they don’t understand is that it’s cleansing the environment for their benefit. Miyazaki designed the film to mirror our society, where <a href="https://cusp.ac.uk/themes/s1/blog-np-goals-for-good/">prioritising</a> short-term materialistic growth over long-term environmental sustainability is predicted to lead to collapse. The film reminds us that being at war with nature ultimately ends in our <a href="https://theconversation.com/humanity-and-nature-are-not-separate-we-must-see-them-as-one-to-fix-the-climate-crisis-122110">demise</a>. To create a sustainable future, we must <a href="https://www.apu.ac.jp/rcaps/uploads/fckeditor/publications/journal/RJAPS33_6_Akimoto2.pdf">work with nature</a> rather than against it. <h2>My Neighbour Totoro</h2> In <a href="https://ghibli.fandom.com/wiki/My_Neighbor_Totoro">My Neighbour Totoro</a>, a pair of young sisters move to a house in the countryside with their father as their mother recovers from illness. The girls explore their new house and the surrounding forest, forming a friendship with a large forest spirit named Totoro. During <a href="https://theconversation.com/did-the-covid-lockdowns-work-heres-what-we-know-two-years-on-176623">UK lockdowns</a>, local green spaces became a <a href="https://theconversation.com/parks-and-green-spaces-helped-us-get-through-lockdown-but-not-everyone-has-equal-access-157308">haven</a> supporting my mental health and reminding me of my intrinsic connection to nature and to other humans. As I saw children spending more time playing on the grass or climbing trees, I realised the importance of <a href="https://activeforlife.com/unstructured-nature-play">unstructured playtime</a> in nature. Indeed, a growing body of <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30003638">research</a> suggests that children’s interactions with the natural world are invaluable for their wellbeing. In Miyazaki’s film, the young sisters become friends with Totoro, explore their surroundings, and discover their affinity for their environment. Totoro is depicted as a warm and nurturing mother figure, representing and encouraging the <a href="https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-does-nature-impact-our-wellbeing">healing effects</a> of communing with nature: which have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/14/wild-ideas-how-nature-cures-are-shaping-our-literary-landscape">well-documented</a> in research and culture. <h2>Princess Mononoke</h2> Princess Mononoke is set in <a href="https://www.japan-experience.com/plan-your-trip/to-know/japanese-movies/japan-from-princess-mononoke-1997">14th-century Japan</a>, a world where the constant battle between humans and <a href="https://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/kami">forest kami</a> (spirits) leads to casualties on both sides. In <a href="https://theconversation.com/japans-shinto-religion-is-going-global-and-attracting-online-followers-174924">Shinto</a>, a traditional Japanese religion, these kami are part of nature – but they’re not soft-natured entities. When humans refuse to respect their environment, they can seek revenge. The film’s most powerful kami is the Forest Spirit (<a href="https://ashleykress.tripod.com/princessmononoke/id10.html">Shishigami</a>), who is neither good nor evil but represents the pure power of nature. During the day, Shishigami appears as a deer. At night, it transforms into the eerie Night Walker. This transformation represents the duality of nature as a bringer of life and death, echoing how the natural world has the ability to both <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/02/beware-gaia-theory-climate-crisis-earth">support and destroy</a> humankind. Similarly, the antagonist of the film, Lady Eboshi, isn’t in fact a clear-cut villain. Although she wants to cut down the forest to feed iron mines, she’s also the kind, generous leader of Iron Town, providing a haven for social outcasts and espousing gender equality. Yet despite her wish to build a better society, her actions – however well-intentioned – will destroy the forest and the homes of the kami. This situation is a microcosm of ongoing <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-a-justice-issue-these-6-charts-show-why-170072">environmental justice</a> issues across the world, where poor and marginalised groups, including <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/01/World-Social-Report-2020-FullReport.pdf">Indigenous people and women</a>, suffer for the actions of the wealthy. In particular, although wealthy countries contribute the most to climate change, it’s poorer countries that must carry the greatest <a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate-change-global-warming-part-2-story.html">climate-related burdens</a>. As viewers of Princess Mononoke, we’re being encouraged to move beyond dichotomies of “us versus them”, thinking which allows groups with more power to distance themselves from those without: or even to <a href="https://unevenearth.org/2020/05/planet-of-the-dehumanized/">dehumanise</a> them altogether. Miyazaki’s work is a lesson in seeking intrinsic commonalities – what connects us rather than what divides – and using these to imagine fairer, more equal societies that live in harmony with nature. This article originally appeared on<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-studio-ghibli-films-can-help-us-rediscover-the-childlike-wonder-of-our-connection-with-nature-176612" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> The Conversation. </a> Image: Getty

Ellen’s surprise confession

Ellen DeGeneres has announced that she will end her talk show after almost 20 years on air. The 64-year-old announced in May last year that she would end her show after her reputation took a hit following reports of pay reduction, racism and intimidation toward crew members. On Thursday, she surprised guests that that would be the last episode to air before sharing how different her first episode was 19 years ago until today. “Twenty years ago, when we were trying to sell the show, no one thought that this would work. Not because it was a different kind of show, but because I was different," she said. "When we started this show, I couldn't say 'gay' on the show. I was not allowed to say 'gay.' I said it at home a lot. 'What are we having for gay breakfast?'" "We couldn't say 'gay.' I couldn't say 'we,' because that implied that I was with someone. "I sure couldn't say 'wife,' and that's because it wasn't legal for gay people to get married, and now I say 'wife' all the time. "Twenty-five years ago, they cancelled my sitcom because they didn't want a lesbian to be in primetime once a week. I said, 'Okay, then I'll be on daytime every day. How about that?'" Ellen then asked her DJ, Stephen Boss aka tWitch, for one final dance where the pair boogied in between the audience to Best of My Love by The Emotions. The host was also joined by Friends star Jennifer Aniston, singer Billie Eilish and Pink who shared memories from their first show. Ellen then ended the show by thanking her camera crew and audience saying that she hoped she inspired them through her shows. "If I've done anything in the past 19 years, I hope I've inspired you to be yourself. Your true, authentic self,” she said. “And if someone is brave enough to tell you who they are, be brave enough to support them, even if you don't understand. They're showing you who they are and that is the biggest gift anybody can ever give you. “And by opening your heart and your mind, you're gonna be that much more compassionate. And compassion is what makes the world a better place. “Thank you so much for being on this journey with me. I feel the love and I send it back to you. Bye." Image: YouTube

REVIEW: Top Gun: Maverick

Too-cool-for-school test pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) is brought back from the fold to train a batch of talented and cocky recruits for a life-and-death mission. They’re the best of the best in their class, lone wolves who are fueled by massive egos and a determination to outshine and outfly their peers. If Maverick can’t get these hot-heads to cool down and learn to work as a team, they might just not make it out of the mission alive. It’s a well-accepted fact that sequels are nowhere near as good as the original. Take for example, The Matrix, Fast and Furious and Lethal Weapon. The list goes on. Occasionally, there are pleasant surprises. Top Gun: Maverick is one of them. Director Joseph Kosinski takes everything great from the first film and repackages it into a sequel that feels new and faithful to the original at the same time. There’s the high-octane dogfights, shirtless game of sport on the beach and cheesy romance between Maverick and Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly). The opening sequence is nearly shot-for-shot the same as the one used in Top Gun - a reassuring indication that Kosinski is here to build on the first film and not pull it apart. Some 36 years have passed since the release of Top Gun in 1986. The sequel was first scheduled for release in 2019, but delayed until 2020 so producers could fine-tune the flight sequences. Its release was pushed back by another two years because of the Covid pandemic. Top Gun: Maverick may have been a long time in the making, and the wait time might have felt slow, but the film launches straight into the action, flying through the 2 hour and 17 minute long run time at Mach 10 - or 10 times the speed of sound. Maverick may be three decades older, but he certainly still has the ‘need for speed’ as much as he did when he was a young pilot. He’s still got the rebellious streak and disrespect for authority that frequently lands him in the office of his superiors - this time it’s Admiral Beau Simpson (Jon Hamm) breathing down his neck. Now Maverick is the teacher and he’s dealing with a bunch of cocky pilots. There’s Hangman (Glen Powell), Phoenix (Monica Barbaro), Payback (Jay Ellis) and Rooster (Miles Teller). Rooster is the son of ‘Goose’ - Maverick’s late friend who died after trying to eject himself from a falling F-14 in the first film. Maverick is still troubled by the death and it’s no help that Rooster is a spitting image of his father and as much an avid flier. Tensions rise, egos clash and old wounds are reopened. Maverick has beaten just about every challenge as a pilot in the sky but this may be the one that sends him shooting down in flames. Cruise was insistent on one condition on the release of the film: that it be shown in cinemas and not on streaming platforms like Netflix. He wanted audiences to be immersed in the adrenaline, to watch the fighter jets blast through the sky on the big screen and hear the deafening throttle of the engines on surround sound. Blood-pumping cinematic experiences like these ones are few and far to come by and, not unlike Cruise, may be on their way out. It’s like rear admiral Chester ‘Hammer’ Cain (Ed Harris) tells Maverick, “Your kind is headed for extinction.” Cruise turns as he is about to leave the office and looks defiantly at him. “Maybe so, sir. But not today,” he says. Strap in and prepare for take off. It’s going to be one hell of a last ride. Written by Aidan Wondracz

Movies

NASA’s Perseverance rover sends back Mars soundscape playlist

Nearly two years after its <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/mars-is-the-place-in-space-to-be/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">launch</a>, and almost 18 months after <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/mars-news-all-good/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">landing on Mars</a>, NASA’s Perseverance rover has hours of audio recordings from the red planet’s atmosphere. So, what does Mars sound like? On the whole, it’s quiet. Very quiet. But the recordings did pick up interesting weather events and changes which give us a better overall picture of Mars’s clime. Perseverance’s primary mission is to explore sediments in a dormant river delta on the edge of the 45 kilometre-wide <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/weekly-edition/one-year-mars-perseverance-rover/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jezero Crater</a>, to learn about the crater’s formation and hopefully find signs of ancient life. But microphones are light and cheap, so it made sense to add a couple to the rover’s instruments. The <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/engineering/the-bizarre-acoustics-of-mars/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first audio from Mars</a> was sent by Perseverance earlier this year. Now, a year’s worth of recording from the Martian atmosphere has been condensed into about five hours of sound. The findings are due to be presented by Baptiste Chide of the Los Alamos National Lab during a seminar, “Mars soundscape: Review of the first sounds recorded by the Perseverance microphones,” at the <a href="https://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">182nd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America</a> tomorrow, May 25, in Denver in the US. With no large dynamical natural phenomena, extant animal species (that we know of), industrial civilisation, or extreme weather events, you’d expect Mars to be pretty silent. And it is. Under the same conditions on Earth, sounds are 20 decibels louder than on Mars. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p192195-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.61 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/space/nasa-perseverance-rover-soundscape/#wpcf7-f6-p192195-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page spai-bg-prepared" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/" aria-invalid="false" /> </form> </div> </div> “It is so quiet that, at some point, we thought the microphone was broken!” says Chide. But, like giving a new music album a second run-through, closer listening revealed some fascinating phenomena. The group heard much variability in the wind and abrupt changes in the atmosphere, see-sawing from calm to intense gusts. The team noticed that the red planet’s soundscape is seasonal. During winter, carbon dioxide freezes in the polar caps. This causes changes in atmospheric density, and environmental volume fluctuates by about 20%. Atmospheric CO2 also causes high-pitched sounds in the distance to become fainter. The rover also used laser sparks to calculate the speed of sound’s dispersion, confirming a theory that high-frequency sounds travel faster than low frequencies. “Mars is the only place in the solar system where that happens in the audible bandwidth because of the unique properties of the carbon dioxide molecule that composes the atmosphere,” notes Chide. While the rover will continue to record audio as it travels across Mars’s surface, Chide believes that the technique could be applied to studies of other celestial bodies. Planets and moons with denser and more volatile atmospheres, such as Venus and Titan, may yield even more information as sound waves interact more strongly and travel further.  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=192195&title=NASA%E2%80%99s+Perseverance+rover+sends+back+Mars+soundscape+playlist" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/nasa-perseverance-rover-soundscape/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/evrim-yazgin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evrim Yazgin</a>. Evrim Yazgin has a Bachelor of Science majoring in mathematical physics and a Master of Science in physics, both from the University of Melbourne. Image: NASA </div>

Technology

Property

Woman buys her childhood home at auction

A young homebuyer has had an emotional win at auction, as she bought the home she grew up in. The auction was held at the home on election day in the Adelaide suburb of Para Vista, with Ray White’s chief auctioneer John Morris calling the sale a heartwarming result for the young woman. “Gemma was taken home to this house when she was born, and has now bought it back from the owners who her family sold it to in 2014,” Mr Morris said. “As you can imagine, it is a very special sale for her and her partner who was watching on Facetime,” he said. Gemma, 28, was the only bidder and bought the house for $460,000. Despite the emotional connection, Gemma said her childhood home was not originally on her radar when she started searching for a home. “My partner and I already have another house and we had been looking for another property as an investment,” she said. “As we were searching online, the house came up and I was surprised to see it listed for sale.” “We quickly spoke to our bank and decided to go for it.” “As my partner works away we weren’t able to come for the inspections, so I decided to go to the auction nevertheless.” “It was crazy. My parents were there too and it was a super emotional day for all of us.” Gemma lived in the house from 1994 to 2012, where she said she holds many fond childhood memories. “At the moment, I am not looking to move in. We want to do it up and see how it goes,” she said. Image credits: realestate.com.au

Real Estate

Jaw-dropping estate with 1km-long driveway up for grabs

A luxe country estate just two hours from Sydney has been <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-robertson-139186571?rsf=syn:news:nca:news:spa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed for sale</a> with an eye-watering price guide between $25-$27.5 million. The seven-bedroom, six-bathroom estate in the Southern Highlands, inspired by an iconic 19th century mansion in Point Piper, boasts two floors, an underground wine cellar that can store 4,200 bottles, and a kilometre-long driveway that provides the home with a high degree of privacy. Outside the 2000-square-metre home, the property also boasts rolling pastures, manicured gardens, a pool and a summer house. Having only been completed in 2007, Christie’s agent Darren Curtis said the home’s current owners have spent the last 14 to 15 years extensively changing its interiors. “The owners of the estate bought it in 2008 and over the past 14-15 years they’ve made a number of internal changes and major renovations made to the property,” Mr Curtis said. “Usually when people move into large luxury estates, they have to do up a few rooms here and there and clean up the gardens. This is one of those rare occasions where a person can move into a home and not have to tinker with it too much. “The buyers that are expressing their interest in this property include those looking for a seachange and a treechange, those returning from overseas - predominantly Chinese buyers - and (those with) a renewed interest in acreage homes.” Mr Curtis also told The Daily Telegraph that the wine cellar is well-insulated and stays the same temperature all year round. Located in the village of Robertson, which is a popular wine-tasting area, the estate’s guesthouse has been used as an Airbnb while the main home underwent renovations. “There’s certainly nothing in this area that has the same stature and weight as this estate, certainly nothing recently that compares to the $25m+ price tag,” Mr Curtis said. “It’s got a real gravitas to it, the walls are a third of a metre thick and teh current owners also spent quite a bit of time with 65 prime Welsh Black cattle on the 80 hectare estate.” Images: Realestate.com.au

Real Estate

How an Aussie senior inherited her long-term home from her landlord

An Australian senior has finally been able to retire after she received an incredible gift from her long-term landlord. Jane Sayner, 74, was used to a life of waking up to her 3am alarm to go and work at a fruit and vegetable market in Epping in order to pay her rent and make ends meet. However, Jane has now been able to turn off her early morning alarm for good after inheriting her home from her late landlord. Jane rented off St Albans multi-millionaire John Perrett, who famously left his $18-million fortune to the Royal Melbourne Hospital when he died in 2020. Mr Perrett was the local pharmacist in the suburb of Melbourne, but made his riches through clever investing, all while continuing to live humbly in the neighbourhood. While the majority of his generous donation to the hospital has gone towards technology and research in the renal department that delivered him a kidney transplant, his philanthropic nature wanted to ensure Ms Sayner did not have to worry about finding a new place during her own health battle. After renting the two-bedroom St Albans unit for 23 years, Jane was shocked to receive a call from her landlord before he died after a battle with Parkinson’s. While the pair were on good terms, Perrett’s offering was next level, as he left the home to Jane. Mr Perrett also left another property to another tenant in St Albans, while another flat he owned similar to Jane’s was sold for about $400,000 to go towards the hospital donation. Jane paid $250 a week in rent, which barely rose over the last two decades, and would never have been able to afford anything like what she had if her home had been sold following her landlord’s death. Instead of still having to wake up at 3am to work at the market full-time, Jane now enjoys the simple life of a retiree as she tends to her garden and dreams of travelling to Canada. Image credits: realestate.com.au

Real Estate

Tasmanian tower on the edge of the world finds new owner

A mediaeval Tasmanian house that appears to teeter on the edge of the world now has a new owner, who must really enjoy the solitude. Marketed recently for $3.5 million, "The Keep" in Tasmania's far northeastern region has to be one of the world's most stunning and remote properties. Constructed in the image of a Scottish fortified tower, the amazing structure at 535 New England Road in Goulds Country sits atop a 650-metre pinnacle, and its lonesome presence has made it a favourite of tourists and travel photographers alike. From its incredible vantage point, the property takes in 360-degree Bass Strait, forest and valley views, on the very edge of Tasmania's wild coastline. The only neighbours are the lights of the Eddystone Lighthouse at night, and myrtle, sassafras and tree ferns in the surrounding Blue Tier Forest Reserve. Built in 2009, The Keep has only just allowed tourists to see inside for the past two years – and since opening, has been at 90% occupancy, according to the listing. The owners who bought the property in 2019 transformed it from a private residence to guest accomodation - adding one of the greatest attractions, an outdoor granite bath. Images: Domain

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