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Landlord slammed for listing $300-a-week "coffin"

A Sydney landlord has sparked outrage online after advertising a “coffin” for rent at an astonishing price. A Reddit user shared the Facebook Marketplace advertisement for the “pantry room”, located in an apartment at the heart of Sydney’s CBD. The room contains just one single mattress that fills the entire width of the room, with no window and just a small patch of space between the bed and the room’s door. The questionable listing is advertised for $300 a week. Initially advertised as a “Penthouse small room” for $300 a month - or $75 a week - the Reddit user who found the ad confirmed this was false. “I have clarified with the person who posted this ad, it is $300/week to sleep in a CBD apartment pantry room,” they said. Fellow Reddit users were dumbstruck by the listing, saying that it goes to show how “out of hand” Australia’s rental crisis has become. “This is how far Sydney has fallen. F*** this shit,” one wrote. Another added, “At this point in the rental crisis I shouldn’t be surprised, but wow ... what a scam!” “Worst part is I guarantee people would consider it.” a third wrote. “Lol this is what I pay for a one bedroom apartment near the beach in Newcastle.” Another response read. Another noted, “It’s a cupboard - not a bedroom.” Others questioned if it was legal to rent the room as it has no window. According to the National Construction Code, in order for a bedroom to be “habitable” it has to have access to daylight and natural ventilation. Experts said this usually calls for a window. “That’s illegal anyways, every habitable room must have a window. You could report it,” wrote one Reddit user. “But my lord ... is that legal?” another questioned. Many users commented that they “weren’t surprised” given the lows that some landlords are going to in the current climate. “Amazed they didn’t put a bunk bed in there,” one wrote. Another added, “Yeah, I think the eternity I spend in a coffin will be time enough to enjoy these sorts of conditions.” While a third joked, “Would the person that rents this out please sub-let the top 30cm of this penthouse to me? I’d sleep in a submarine hammock bed up there. Say, $200 a week?” Image credit: Reddit

Real Estate

Landlord rents out balcony for $300 a week

As the housing crisis in Australia continues, one landlord has decided to capitalise on the desperation of renters by leasing a balcony for $300 a week in a bizarre listing. The landlord shared the “room” on Facebook, sharing photos of the enclosed balcony with city views, obscured by tarps and heavy curtains, along with a peculiar list of questions for prospective tenants. “Man Private Room Sydney Cbd. 1 boy only. $300/week,” the ad read. “Quick response 04******** Please kindly send me your information.” The ad then prompts tenants to list what items they will be bringing into the apartment, before the landlord asks applicants to provide their nationality. The balcony room is in Haymarket’s Miramar building in the Sydney CBD, although any views of the city skyline have been obstructed with silver tarpaulin, while the glass sliding doors leading to the actual apartment were concealed by blue curtains. A blue single mattress has been squeezed into one corner of the balcony room, opposite a small desk and TV, with both walls adorned with tropical-themed art. When the landlord was contacted on the phone by news.com.au, they answered several questions before refusing to speak further with a female journalist. He said he had received “a lot of interest” and several calls about the property, though wouldn’t specify how many people had been in touch. A three-bed, two-bath unit in the building sold for $1.15 million in September last year, while the estimated rental income for a two-bed, one-bath unit is $810 per week. Even a parking space in the Miramar can be rented out for $650 a month. The listing comes amid unprecedented pressure on the Sydney rental market, with record-low vacancy rates pushing prices sky-high. The median rent for a house in Sydney reached a record high of $650 per week at the start of the year, while the median rent for a unit was also at a high of $550. Tenants have little choice but to pay up, with the national vacancy rate at just 0.9 per cent. Image credits: Facebook

Real Estate

Banksy’s shredded work sells for 300 percent over estimated price

British street artist Banksy has reappeared in the headlines after his painting that shredded itself after it sold for $US 1.4 million ($AUD 1.9 million or $NZD 1.98 million) has been sold again, this time for an even greater sum. Love is in the Bin, formerly known as Girl With Balloon, <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/news/world/shredded-banksy-artwork-sells-at-auction-c-4240790" target="_blank">was sold</a> for $USD 25 million ($AUD 33.71 million or $NZD 35.37 million) at Sotheby’s in London. With a pre-sale estimate of 4 to 6 million pounds ($AUD 7.4-11.0 million or $NZD 7.75-11.52 million), the work was sold for more than three times its estimated price. The artwork consists of a half-shredded canvas depicting a spray-painted image of a girl reaching for a heart-shaped balloon, with half of the piece still in one piece within an ornate gold frame. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844914/banksy1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9a381196478843a3bd62b6f88e30edcb" /> Image: @Sotheby’s / Instagram When the artwork was first sold at Sotheby’s in 2018, a shredder embedded in the frame started tearing it just as the winning bid was made. Banksy later implied that the work was supposed to be turned entirely into scraps, but didn’t due to a malfunction. Sotheby’s said the work created by the stunt is “the ultimate Banksy artwork”. “It was a big moment because nothing like that had been done before,” art historian Matthew Israel told CNN in an earlier email interview. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bokt2sEhlsu/?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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bokt2sEhlsu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Banksy (@banksy)</a> </div> </blockquote> The self-destructing artwork was “entirely at odds with the aims of the auction house, where the condition of an artwork is paramount and the knowledge and expertise about it is core to its authority and value”, he explained. The most recent auction took the artist’s record for the highest sale price, beating the sale of Game Changer last year. That artwork sold for 16.7 million ($AUD 31 million or $NZD 32.47 million) to benefit UK hospitals, with the piece depicting healthcare workers as superheroes. Though the identity of the new owner of Love is in the Bin has not been revealed, Sotheby’s described the person as a female collector from Europe with a long-standing history with the auction house. The buyer can also choose to pay for the work in cryptocurrency. Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

Handyman builds his wife a pub in their garage for just $300

After eight weeks in lockdown, one Sydney man has had enough. Unable to visit the pub due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, Daniel Rule decided to bring the pub to him. His wife Kaylyn told Sunrise that she had mentioned to her husband that lockdown was making her miss going to her local pub for a cold one. Agreeing with her, Daniel pulled his resources and decided to build a pub in the garage of their Sydney home. “I honestly didn’t think it would happen as fast as it did - it was all done within a couple of hours,” Kaylyn told the Channel Seven breakfast show. The impressive set-up features a bar bench made out of wooden pallets, flashing lights and bar stools. Daniel purchased all the materials at a cost of $300, after browsing Bunnings Warehouse and local businesses on Facebook Marketplace. Kaylyn decided to document the construction process on her TikTok account, and the video has been viewed over half a million times. In the video, Daniel creates the bar by nailing together wooden pallets before sanding down the surface and applying varnish. He also mounts two shelves to the back bar to hold alcohol and a television for watching their favourite sports. Kalyn said the reaction to the video has been “crazy”. <div class="hide-print ad-no-notice css-qyun7f-StyledAdUnitWrapper ezkyf1c0"> “I just wanted to make the video so I could show our friends and family - we honestly didn’t think it would blow up like this.” <div class="hide-print css-drbrjk-StyledCardContainer e148s7sr3"> <div class="e148s7sr1 Card-Media css-m8orbs-StyledMedia-StyledCardMedia e1m2h3dd6"> <div class="Card-Media-Content css-1kaoam0-StyledMediaContent e1m2h3dd7">Image credit: TikTok @kaylyn.rule</div> </div> </div> </div>

Home & Garden

Hotel where Michael Hutchence died sells for 300 percent profit

The Intercontinental Hotel Double Bay, the spot where Princess Diana stayed in 1996 and INXS frontman Michael Hutchence was found deceased in 1997 has been sold for $180m to an apartment developer. Sources told the Wentworth Courier the deal was brokered by the Agency’s Steven Chen. The buyer, Melbourne apartment developer Fridcorp, later released a statement confirming the purchase of the refurbished 140-room hotel, refurbished by Bates Smart, and land in a joint venture with Piety Group from vendor Shanghai Group, who had paid $140m four years ago. The 3670-square-metre luxury hotel originally opened as a Ritz Carlton Hotel in 1991 and was the hotel of choice in the 90s for famous guests, including Princess Diana, Madonna, Bill Clinton, and Elton John. The circa $180m price tag is triple the $60m that the site sold for only eight years ago. It is understood the deal was done on Friday, May 7. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B3PG1gNlTij/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B3PG1gNlTij/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by InterContinental Double Bay (@intercontinentaldoublebay)</a> </div> </blockquote> Several other prominent Sydney-based apartment developers are known to have been interested in the hotel and given its record price, sources say it “Absolutely must be a development site”. In a statement sent to The Courier, Fridcorp confirmed the sale and noted that in 2011, Woollahra Council granted a permit to demolish the existing hotel and take advantage of the gorgeous harbour views by adding an eight-storey residential building and retail offering. Prior to this, the hotel was rebranded as the Sir Stamford Double Bay in 2001 and operated until 2009, then underwent a complete facelift and became the Intercontinental Sydney Double Bay in 2014.

Real Estate

Hospitalised driver cops fine after dodging flying couch

A driver has been handed a hefty fine after he reportedly swerved his car because a couch fell from a truck travelling in front of him. Jake Singer was driving with his girlfriend from Boca Raton, in the US state of Florida, on February 20 when a couch from a truck fell in front of him, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. Mr Singer swerved and flipped his car to avoid the couch. He and his girlfriend were both hospitalised as a result of the accident. Mr Singer told the Sun-Sentinel. People "could not believe" he and his partner were okay. However Mr Singer is not happy after he copped a fine over the crash. He told reporters a police officer arrived at the hospital to give him the ticket. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840155/driver.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/eda143eb9d7a4df3970552ec552ad352" /> Image: Twitter “TIL (today I learned) that if you swerve to avoid a flying couch on I-95N in FL [Florida], make sure not to change lanes or you’ll get a citation for improper lane change from FL Hwy Patrol [Florida Highway Patrol],” he tweeted. “Even if your car crashes into the median and flips over, totalled. (We’re both fine, somehow).” According to the paper, a police officer gave Mr Singer a US$166 (A$213) ticket for “failing to drive in a single lane”. Florida Highway Patrol Lieutenant Yanko Reyes said the ticket had to be issued. “Remember, in Florida it is recommended to have at least a two-vehicle length between your vehicle and the vehicles in front of you because that way you have enough time to react in case something like this happens, in case somebody brakes, in case debris falls on the roadway, you’re able to avoid any and all difficulties,” he told the Sun-Sentinel. The explanation didn’t sit well with Mr Singer, who took to Twitter to write: “I hereby challenge Lt Reyes to drive two car lengths behind a flying couch at 80mph (128k/h) and avoid it without leaving your lane. “Hope you have enough time to look at the totality of the circumstances.”

Legal

Foster mother to 300 children killed by COVID-19: “They’ve already lost their family

A woman who was a foster parent to over 300 children has tragically died following her COVID-19 diagnosis. Susan Braley devoted decades of her life giving kids a second chance at a happy family, and adopted 7 children along the way. And now, the hundreds of children taken under Braley’s wing are mourning the beloved mother’s death. Braley died after contracting COVID-19 and being rushed to hospital with low oxygen. However, even through her pain, she worried for her family. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839711/1280x720.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bba06c546fdf450ca7e254152805b264" /> During the ride there she told her grandson, Thomas Bartholomew, to make sure the family keep holiday traditions and always make sure to care for and feed anyone in need. "Right before my grandmother passed, I got to talk to her, you know, when they were wheeling her out, first thing I wanted to tell her was that I love you and thank you for everything you've done in my life," Bartholomew said, via ABC News 4. "And she said, 'I love you too'." Sadly, Braley's husband was later admitted to hospital as well. Braley died soon after her husband arrived at the same hospital as her. Now he's battling the virus in ICU as the hundreds of children they helped raise are grieving Braley and hoping for her husband's recovery. "They've already lost their first family, this is their second family and we have kids who are older who understand that," said Bartholomew. "Like Jazmin, who's 18 years old, she lost her mother and now she's lost her second mother. We don't want them to go through that experience." An online fundraiser has been set up to help raise money to support Braley's family. In just seven days, it has attracted over $24,000 in donations.

Caring

Give yourself some power: Why you should upgrade your recliners and sofas

Whether you’re returning home after a long day of work, or you’re sitting back and enjoying the fruits of your labour in retirement – you want to be as comfortable as possible, right? If you’re sitting on a couch that you’ve had for 20 years and you find yourself sinking into the spot you’ve been claiming as yours over that time, you might be in need of an upgrade. Or perhaps the sofa you bought last year just doesn’t seem to sit right in your living area anymore. Whatever the case, upgrading your current lounge to a <a href="https://www.la-z-boy.com.au/">new recliner or sofa</a> will not only enhance your comfort, it’ll change the aesthetics of your home. Here’s our tips on why you should upgrade, and what to consider: A mood enhancer If your old lounges and sofas are starting to look a little drab, it can really impact your mood when you’re trying to relax. It’s difficult to lie back and watch Netflix when in the back of your mind, all you can think about is how uncomfortable you feel. By upgrading to a new recliner or sofa, you will enhance your viewing pleasure, and you’ll feel much better for it. At the end of the day, your personal style and comfort are reflections of how you feel on the inside, and that upgrade might just hit the mark in feeling your best. Change is as good as a holiday You might have heard the saying that “a change is as good as a holiday”. So, when you can’t hit the airways and take off overseas, or you’re counting down the days when you can skip over the border to visit your family, making your home brighter and fresher can make a huge difference to the aesthetics of your home. Think bright colours, if life is feeling a little bit gloomy, or choose a design that’s sleek, elegant and sophisticated to match the person inside you want others to see shine through. Choosing the right upgrade – Power, Traditional, Contemporary and more! When upgrading your sofa, you want to make sure you’re getting something that is not only going to be the epitome of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.la-z-boy.com.au/comfort-guides-au" target="_blank">comfort</a>, but also one that’s going to go the distance. Although you’ll find there are plenty of options on the market, a <a href="https://www.la-z-boy.com.au/recliners/power">power recliner</a> is by far one of the most popular, allowing you to have full control over your seating position with the simple push of a button. Conventional style recliners, on the other hand, have a lever that you can pull, and it pulls the leg rest up, allowing you to lie back and relax. Either option is going to enhance your ultimate relaxation preferences. Traditional recliners, such as the <a href="https://www.la-z-boy.com.au/eden-rocker-recliner">Eden</a> and <a href="https://www.la-z-boy.com.au/serenity-rocker-recliner">Serenity</a> Rocker with La-Z-Boy, are guaranteed to suit any home design. They’re built to last, comfortable and affordable. Step things up a notch with the stylish Scandinavian-inspired designs, such as the <a href="https://www.la-z-boy.com.au/recliners/rolf-nordic-recliner">Rolf Nordic</a> or <a href="https://www.la-z-boy.com.au/recliners/asta-nordic-recliner">Asta Nordic</a>; or opt for something more contemporary to maximise your home’s space and aesthetics, with the <a href="https://www.la-z-boy.com.au/anika-onyx-rocker-recliner">Anika Onyx</a> or <a href="https://www.la-z-boy.com.au/duor-colorado-power-recliner">Duo® Colorado</a>. Or even a power option such as the <a href="https://www.la-z-boy.com.au/sofas-modulars/taylor-2-seater-twin-power-recliner">Taylor Twin 2 Seater Power Recliner</a>. If you want to upgrade even further, upgrade to leather from fabric, or customise any of your favourites with dozens of colours and textures, arms and bases for free. Bring out your internal designer, and give yourself some power, by making the choice that’s right for you and your personal style. The best option There’s no single best option – it really depends on your own comfort and style preferences. Power recliners come with various positions and settings, and the value in comfort and support you get is worth the extra upgrade. Both are easy to maintain provided they are looked after, and the fabric chosen is one that’s easy to clean. Regardless of which type of recliner or sofa you buy, if you choose one from a reputable brand like La-Z-Boy with generous warranties, you’ll have it for many years to come. This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with <a href="https://www.la-z-boy.com.au/">La-Z-Boy</a>.

Home & Garden

3.5 million Aussies to get $300 pay cuts

3.5 million Australians will lose $300 from their government funded $1,500 Job Keeper pay check from September 28. The new scheme was legislated earlier this month. As of now, Aussies receiving JobKeeper are eligible for $1,500 per fortnight. However, 28 September, those who are working more than 20 hours per week will receive $1,200 per fortnight. This is around 80 per cent of the minimum wage and is called Extension 1. The new system is two-tiered and those who work less than 20 hours per week will receive $750 per fortnight. "We are now extending and transitioning," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. "Transitioning and looking to a day when Australian communities don't need JobKeeper and when Australians can then run their businesses and hold their jobs sustained by a vibrant and growing economy instead." The first extension period runs until 4 January, and Extension 2 will kick in from that date and last until 28 March 2021. This scheme will see those working more than 20 hours per week eligible for $1,000 per fortnight, and those working less than 20 hours per week eligible for $650 per fortnight. To be eligible for Extension 1, businesses will need to show that their actual GST turnover declined 30, 50 or 15 per cent (depending on the size of your business) in the September 2020 quarter compared to September 2019. Businesses will also need to have satisfied the original decline in turnover test unless they are enrolling in JobKeeper for the first time. To meet the criteria for Extension 2, businesses will need to show their actual GST turnover declined 30, 50 or 15 per cent (depending on the size of your business) in the quarter ending 31 December 2020.

Money & Banking

Woman rescues $3000 couch using a $3 ALDI find

A woman has revealed how she made an incredible “$2549 saving” using a $3 product from ALDI. Alex Oates, from Melbourne, purchased an expensive second-hand couch online for $450, but when she went to pick it up she discovered it was in a “much worse state than the pictures showed”. Originally costing $2999 from Freedom Furniture, Alex was adamant that she could return it back to its original condition. “I probably searched Facebook Marketplace for two months until I found the couch I wanted,” the 30-year-old mum told news.com.au. “But when I picked it up it had heaps of stains that you couldn’t see in the photos. There were spot stains, pen scribbles and rub marks from their dog. It looked terrible.” <img style="width: 382.53968253968253px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837301/screen-shot-2020-08-11-at-121757-pm.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c9c62c6797d14681b84d09fc6533f5c2" /> Luckily for Alex, she previously invested in a Bissel machine - a popular upholstery cleaner - and decided to use Di San, a $3 stain remover from ALDI, to deep clean the couch. “I couldn’t guarantee it was going to work but it was worth a shot for a couple of hours of my time and a $2500 saving off buying it brand new,” she said. “I sprayed the spot stains with the Di San and let them sit while I removed the cushion covers and sprayed them before running them through the washing machine,” she explained. “I then got the Bissell machine and put the Di San solution into the tank and filled with water and cleaned the couch.” After two hours of hard work, Alex managed to remove all the stains except one, which was located at the bottom of the couch. “We are 100% happy with the results, hubby was very weary about it when I first said we would go second-hand but he’s now very happy with the couch.” The post quickly gained people’s attention, with many praising Alex for restoring the piece of furniture rather than buying it brand new. “OMG I love hearing stuff like this. Well done. You give me hope as I’m currently looking for a new couch myself and probably the same budget as well,” one woman wrote. “Looks fabulous … great score,” another said. “You did a great job, well done,” some added.

Home Hints & Tips

Couch culture: 6 months’ worth of expert picks for what to watch, read and listen to in isolation

We need ways of getting our culture hit from home - whether we’re sick, caring for others, playing it safe or just facing limited external options. We asked our experts for recommendations to help arts lovers stay connected. <h2>Listen</h2> I switch between big audio books I’ll struggle to find time to read (hello <a href="https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Middlemarch-Audiobook/B00FEZKJ5M">Middlemarch</a>) and new titles. Rachel Cusk’s collection of essays, <a href="https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Coventry-Audiobook/0571360610?qid=1584500317&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=771c6463-05d7-4981-9b47-920dc34a70f1&pf_rd_r=Q3SSQV28CHTEZE21837M">Coventry</a>, shows she is one of the most interesting writers around. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/musicshow/">The Music Show</a> on Radio National and podcast is hosted by Andrew Ford. The show’s range and eclecticism is matched by the wit and expertise of its incomparable host. - David McCooey, Deakin University Chill on the couch and listen to songs in Indigenous languages – the Australian Indigenous <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1AGsr7ME2iID9e2b6sBJU0?nd=1">playlist</a> compiled by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. There are some great audiobooks by Indigenous authors. Claire Coleman’s <a href="https://www.audible.com.au/pd/The-Old-Lie-Audiobook/0733643132?qid=1584500364&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=771c6463-05d7-4981-9b47-920dc34a70f1&pf_rd_r=VM2HAW7HSXKGNHY61FX8">The Old Lie</a> is a great start or the award winning novel by Melissa Lucashenko, <a href="https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Too-Much-Lip-Audiobook/1528885678?qid=1584500469&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=771c6463-05d7-4981-9b47-920dc34a70f1&pf_rd_r=8470PYBNQ824M1GYXBBD">Too Much Lip</a>. To learn more about what it is like to be an Aboriginal person in contemporary Australia listen to the short stories compiled by Anita Heiss, <a href="https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Growing-up-Aboriginal-in-Australia-Audiobook/1528815084?qid=1584500575&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=771c6463-05d7-4981-9b47-920dc34a70f1&pf_rd_r=SX3BKK34YCEA4X111890">Growing up Aboriginal</a>. (Meanwhile, let <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/jarjums">Little J and Big Cuzz</a> occupy the kids.) - Bronwyn Carlson, Macquarie University <h2>Read</h2> <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Disquiet-Penguin-Modern-Classics/dp/024120013X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WYAUSM0AG2YL&keywords=the+book+of+disquiet&qid=1584076892&s=books&sprefix=the+book+of+dis%2Caps%2C427&sr=1-1">The Book of Disquiet</a> is written as a fragmentary diary, tracing the struggle of an office worker to find meaning and beauty in his life. <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Discourses-Fragments-Handbook-Oxford-Classics/dp/0199595186/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=epictetus&qid=1584076909&s=books&sr=1-6">The Handbook of Epictetus</a>, written by a former slave in Ancient Rome, is a short, powerful example of our capacity to resist life’s difficulties. For Epictetus, we shouldn’t waste time and energy on that which we can’t significantly control, a wise approach indeed. - Jamie Parr, Australian Catholic University In George Eliot’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19089.Middlemarch">Middlemarch</a> (1871), Dorothea Brooke is young, charismatic, and intense. She wants to make the world a better place for everyone around her, and to devote her life to a great man. Unfortunately, she chooses the deeply mediocre Edward Casaubon, a clergyman who has been battling on into dusty middle age while not finishing his Key to All Mythologies. Dorothea’s moral and intellectual trajectory is compelling, but is only part of the wider tapestry of the middle English town of Middlemarch. - Robert Phiddian, Flinders University <a href="https://www.charlottewood.com.au/">Charlotte Wood</a> is one of Australia’s best novelists (I am resisting that horrifying urge to put the qualifier “best female” in, because she is one of our best novelists full stop). Her cunning new novel <a href="https://www.charlottewood.com.au/the-weekend.html">The Weekend</a> will tell you things about yourself and your friendships that you’d probably prefer not to know! Wood also launched <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-writers-room-with-charlotte-wood/id1489223383">The Writers Room</a> podcast in December. She talks to a bunch of intriguing writers and readers about their life and work. - Camilla Nelson, The University of Notre Dame Australia <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14201.Jonathan_Strange_Mr_Norrell">Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell</a>, by Susanna Clarke, is a sweeping tale of two magicians aiming to bring magic back into the modern world. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, with a beautiful languid style, the compelling plotlines are suited to a slow read. Also good preparation for Clarke’s next novel, <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/piranesi-9781526622426/">Piranesi</a>, due out later this year. For something different, <a href="https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/lore-olympus/list?title_no=1320&page=1">Lore Olympus</a> is a web comic based on the story of Persephone and Hades, with more than 100 episodes. Dreamy, funny, powerful – read in snippets, or dive in for a while. - Elizabeth Hale, University of New England <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9712.Love_in_the_Time_of_Cholera">Love in the Time of Cholera</a> (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) – a tale of obsessive love that lasts a lifetime – is not really about being sick, at least not with cholera. The disease metaphor draws together the lovesick central character Florentino Ariza and his elusive childhood sweetheart, Fermina Daza. It’s a charming escape into the old world of Latin America with plenty of irrational behaviour, such as Florentino eating flowers and drinking cologne so he can be surrounded by the scent of Fermina. By the end of the novel, the lovers are trapped on a riverboat bearing the yellow flag signalling the “plague” of cholera. Truly, a story for our times. - Donna Mazza, Edith Cowan University <h2>Look</h2> Even though the Louvre has closed, it is possible to take a <a href="https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne">virtual tour</a> of some of its exhibitions. Closer to home, Newcastle Art Gallery in the Hunter Valley also has a virtual tours of the collection and an exhibition of the work of <a href="https://www.nag.org.au/virtual-tour">Tim Maguire</a>. Galleries like the <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/">Art Gallery of New South Wales</a> suggest both thematic views and artist searches. Online visitors can create their own <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/artsets/">virtual exhibitions</a> and see what others have made. And <a href="https://artuk.org">Art UK</a> includes the digitalised art from 3200 British public collections. - Joanna Mendelssohn, University of Melbourne <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XOgCQu0pNHQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Curate your own exhibition with AGNSW Art Sets. When the Google Cultural Institute introduced its <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com">Arts & Culture App</a> in 2016, it became possible to visit Ivan Durrant’s portrait of Johnny O’Keefe, A little bit louder now, in the National Portrait Gallery, and examine it in extraordinary detail through the Art Projector function. Using the Art Zoom feature you could even engage with the entire life work of Johannes Vermeer in a virtual museum or take a selfie and check for your doppelganger in museums and galleries around the world. It’s a technology now used by many museums, including the <a href="http://www.lwgallery.uwa.edu.au/exhibitions/past/2019-exhibitions-archive/nikulinskynaturally">Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery</a> at the University of Western Australia, enabling visits to past exhibitions like Nikulinsky Naturally and <a href="http://www.lwgallery.uwa.edu.au/exhibitions/past/2019-exhibitions-archive/sculpturalsilver">Philip Noakes: Sculptural Silver</a> or current exhibitions through our website. - Professor Ted Snell, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery UWA <h2>Watch</h2> I’ve been recommending <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4378376/">Babylon Berlin</a> to everyone who will listen since the first season was released on Netflix in 2018. If you’re impatient with formulaic “golden age of TV” American productions, this, one of the most lavish non-English productions ever made, provides something quite different while still satiating that moreish television appetite. Set in a similar period, but a very different geopolitical context, is Park Chan-wook’s film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4016934/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">The Handmaiden</a>. Parasite has drawn interest to South Korean film but I’m not sure this 2016 film gets enough love. Sex, betrayal, con men, and a beautiful soundtrack. - Dan Golding, Swinburne University of Technology Watching <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7660850/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Succession</a>, I am so thrilled not to be irrationally rich. This stunning work connects the disease of a society with those inherent in family structures. With every episode, I think of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” And go buy the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hammer-Horror-Box-Set-Blu-ray/dp/B0193749RA">Hammer Horror</a> Blu-Ray Collection. The polished horror of 80s and 90s started with Hammer’s weirdly gothic hijinks. - Bruce Isaacs, University of Sydney The BBC’s 26-part epic 1974 TV costume drama <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075557/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">The Pallisers</a> is the perfect escape from our distraught present. Based on Anthony Trollope’s six novels, this is all about sex, ambition, and greed among the grandees of Victorian England. The costumes are fabulous and the acting is glorious. Here are classic English luvvies acting. A glittering Susan Hampshire fills the screen as Lady Glencora while Philip Latham’s Plantagenet Palliser oozes Victorian repression while hinting at explosive passion with a raised eyebrow. - Peter Hoar, Auckland University of Technology <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/channels/sbs-world-movies">SBS World Movies</a> is a treasure trove of world cinema with a high concentration of French, Japanese, Australian and American cult classics plus some quirky fresh(ish) offerings. The revolving door format means it’s worth checking regularly to see what’s new. My current picks are Martin Provost’s biopic <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2976920/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Violette</a> on French author Violette Leduc and David Lynch’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166896/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">The Straight Story</a> about a man who crosses the US on a lawnmower. The ultimate coronavirus film could be Patricia’s Rozema’s end-of-the-world survival guide <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2625810/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Into the Forest</a> with Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood. Finally, one cannot survive on streaming alone. You can’t run from the zombies with a face full of Doritos and blue light. The husband and wife team behind <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiP6wD_tYlYLYh3agzbByWQ">Fitness Blender</a> on YouTube are refreshingly normal - no high tech tights or steroid-induced bulk - just real and able to get you moving. - Sally Breen, Griffith University<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133632/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0ypRouzcfsM2JhPmqjef8K" width="100%" height="380" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/team#lucy-beaumont">Lucy Beaumont</a>, Deputy Section Editor: Arts + Culture, <a href="http://www.theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/couch-culture-six-months-worth-of-expert-picks-for-what-to-watch-read-and-listen-to-in-isolation-133632">original article</a>.

Movies

“Nothing wrong with writing 300 poems”: Delta Goodrem stalker defends actions

A man has been convicted of stalking after he went to Delta Goodrem’s home five times in one day and sent her 300 love poems. James Joseph Lafferty, 47, on Tuesday pleaded guilty in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court to three charges including stalking and intimidation, using a carriage service to harass, menace or offend, and failing to comply with a police direction. The Grafton man went to Goodrem’s Sydney CBD apartment on February 14 and attempted to leave a Valentine’s Day gift but was blocked by the concierge. The Grafton man returned four more times that day. On February 15, the Voice judge went down to the concierge desk to pick up a dress when Lafferty walked past and called out “Delta, Delta”. He then sent messages to Goodrem’s Instagram account including “I’m here”, “please come down and meet me”, and “I’m at concierge”. Police were called and Lafferty was arrested outside the building. He reportedly told police he had sent the singer 300 poems in the lead up to Valentine’s Day and said, “You’d think she’d at least reply”. Lafferty told the court that Goodrem’s “address is on Google anyway”. Legal Aid lawyer Richard Ikaafu said father-of-three Lafferty did not at any point threaten Goodrem’s welfare or safety. Magistrate Jane Mottley noted Lafferty’s previous convictions dating back to 1991 for aggravated break and enter whilst armed, drug possession, damage of property, trespass, drink driving, intimidation and, in January last year, assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Lafferty was placed on an 18-month community corrections order and fined $600. He was also ordered to stay away from Goodrem’s home. Following his sentencing, Lafferty told reporters there’s “nothing wrong with writing 300 poems to somebody” before adding, “It’s better than a sleazy one-liner in a nightclub, isn’t it?”

News

Woolworths’ $300 million wage scandal expands to include Dan Murphy’s and BWS staff

Woolworths Group chairman Gordon Cairns has revealed that the Woolworths underpayment scandal – which saw close to 6000 workers underpaid by $300 million across a decade – also involved staff from liquor arms Dan Murphy’s and BWS. Speaking to shareholders in Sydney today, Cairns said Woolworths had “fully expected” to discover more cases across the business, “and we have”, though “not to the same extent as in the supermarket business.” Cairns felt that that the fact so many staff members were underpaid was “incredibly disappointing”, he said at today’s annual general meeting. “It was brought to our attention by three of our team members in February this year. We immediately investigated, found their assertions about their individual circumstances to be correct, and we remedied. “We then began an across-the-board investigation, which continues given we are checking every shift for every salaried team member back as far as this has been an issue or records exist.” He proceeded to say that he and CEO Brad Banducci were “accept[ing] responsibility by voluntarily taking reductions in [their] pay” with Banducci forfeiting his short-term incentive while Cairns would face a 20 per cent reduction in his director fees. Back in October, Banducci had said that he was fully prepared for his bonus to be cut due to the underpayment incident. Last financial year, he pocketed $2.66 million as well as $4 million in bonuses. “I fully expect to have a conversation with the board on the consequences of this and I fully expect it will be impacting bonuses for myself and maybe there will be other things that come out of it,” he said. “We apologise to our team, we’re going to make it right, but it’s a very complex issue.” Law firm Adero Law has filed a class action against the grocery giant, saying the total amount is over $620 million. “Adero is instructed that current and former Woolworths employees have suffered underpayments and systemic wage theft during their employment at Woolworths on a far greater scale than the retail giant has disclosed,” Adero’s website stated. But Woolworths said it will “fully defend” the proceedings. “In the context of its commitment to fully remediate all affected salaried team members, Woolworths Group believes the class action proceedings are without merit,” the company said. “Woolworths estimates that the one-off impact for remediation is expected to be in the range of $200-300 million (before tax).”

Legal

BREAKING: Woolworths found to underpay workers by up to $300 million

Woolworths has been found to underpay nearly 6,000 of its employees by as much as $300 million due to non-compliance with the industry award. In a statement released by Woolworths this morning, the company revealed that it has failed to pay approximately 5,700 of its salaried workers across its supermarkets and metro stores in compliance with the General Retail Industry Award. The underpayments were identified by the company after it reviewed its workers’ salaries prior to implementing the company’s newest enterprise bargaining agreement. Here, inconsistencies were identified between the workers contractual salary obligations and what they were entitled to be paid under the new award, according to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/woolworths-underpays-workers-by-up-to-300-million-20191030-p535l5.html" target="_blank">Sydney Morning Herald</a>. "The review has found the number of hours worked, and when they were worked, were not adequately factored into the individual salary settings for some salaried store team members," the company said. "As a business we pride ourselves on putting our team first, and in this case, we have let them down. We unreservedly apologise," chief executive Brad Banducci said in a statement. "The highest priority for Woolworths Group right now is to address this issue, and to ensure that it doesn’t happen again." Underpayments could track as far back as 2010, and the company has estimated that the total cost of remediation is to be between $200 and $300 million. The company will make the first backpayments to the affected workers before Christmas.

Money & Banking

Why ALDI’s latest Special Buy will be worth queuing for

Fans of ALDI have learnt to love most of the items that come out of the grocery chain’s bi-weekly Special Buys range, and its latest release may just have ticked a few boxes for those looking to expand their furniture range. Among the chaos of waiting in line and rushing to find a good bargain, customers can invest in an item never-before-seen at ALDI – a $299 sofa bed. The affordable price means it may fly off shelves faster than anticipated so it's better to get in quickly. “The competitive retail, on-trend design and quality construction will make this a popular Special Buy,” an ALDI spokesperson told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/home/interiors/aldi-to-sell-affordable-sofa-bed-in-special-buys-deal-this-saturday/news-story/64760df1995d26e3851cbbf15e61b7c7" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. The couch comes with a solid wood frame and legs, durable fabric upholstery, and two bolster cushions with removable covers. To turn the sofa into bed, it comes with a click-clack mechanism. The item comes in two colours – grey and cream – and if you are planning to get your hands on one, the German retailer is urging shoppers to ensure they have someone to help them. “Product is likely to cause injury to customer if risk controls are not utilised,” it specifically states on the ALDI website. Only some stores across the country will stock this Special Buys deal, including: <ul> <li> Aurora </li> <li> Bell Park </li> <li> Bentleigh </li> <li> Bondi </li> <li> Brunswick </li> <li> Carnegie </li> <li> Charlestown </li> <li> Doncaster East </li> <li> Forster </li> <li> Gosford </li> <li> Highton </li> <li> Joondalup </li> <li> Kelvin Grove </li> <li> Lower Templestowe </li> <li> Manly </li> <li> Miranda </li> <li> Moonee Ponds </li> <li> Northcote </li> <li> Plenty Valley </li> <li> Preston </li> <li> Taree </li> <li> Tarneit Central </li> </ul> “Despite our careful planning, we apologise if selected items may sell out on the first day due to unexpected high demand,” ALDI warns on its site. The item will be available from Saturday, August 7. Scroll through the gallery above to see the ALDI sofa bed available from August 7.

Money & Banking

"They're still going overseas and buying leather couches": Kochie and Sam hit out at millennials on home ownership

David Koch and Samantha Armytage have taken a dig at millennials, suggesting they do not need any help to buy their own houses. The two presenters hit out at young people during a discussion about whether it is harder to buy a first house now than in the past on Sunrise Tuesday morning. In the segment, where the hosts talked with social commentator Jane Caro and Seven broadcaster Ben Davis, Armytage questioned whether the Coalition’s first homebuyer relief policy is necessary. “I’m not sure about this assumption that all 20-year-olds need their own houses,” said Armytage. “I didn't own a house at 20. You’re kind of meant to be a little bit broke at 20 if you’re at uni or you’re working your first job.” Caro explained that growing HECS debts and high rents make it “much more expensive now to be a young person”. She said, “It takes 10 years to save [for a house deposit] whereas it took our generation six years.” Koch responded, “They’re still going overseas and buying leather couches.” Armytage agreed, saying, “When I was 20 to 24, I was broke and paying off a HECS debt and paying rent … I paid my student debt, and it took me to my 30s.” She added, “It worries me when I agree with Kochie.” According to the morning show, 43 per cent of Aussies aged 20 to 24 and 17 per cent of those aged 25 to 29 are still living at their parents’ home. “It’s no surprise that some people are voting for first homebuyer relief, part of the Coalition policy,” said Davis. “It is harder to get ahead, whether you’re in your 20s or 30s or even 40s.” Ahead of the federal election on Saturday, the Coalition and Labor have promised to help out 10,000 first home buyers by guaranteeing a 15 per cent loan deposit from the government, making it easier for prospective buyers to reach the usual minimum of 20 per cent deposit. In the Liberal campaign launch on Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the program is not “free money” and that “they would still do all the normal checks on the borrowers to make sure they can meet their repayments”. Morrison told Channel Nine, “What I know is it will help first-home buyers into the market. Having to get only as little as a 5 per cent deposit rather than 20 per cent deposit, particularly for low- and middle-income earners, is a great assistance. “What it does is makes it that bit easier, ensures they can get into the market and once they do that they’re off and away.” Some commentators said the scheme would be <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-13/federal-election-2019-morrison-government-labor-first-home-buyer/11105806">ease the financial burden</a> for many first-home buyers, while others were more wary that debt would grow due to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/13/first-homebuyers-scheme-who-gets-it-and-will-it-work-explainer">bigger interest payments</a> over time.

How much do sedentary people really need to move? It’s less than you think

People who spend much of their day sitting may need to move around less than we thought to counteract their sedentary lifestyle, new research shows. Our research, published today in the <a href="http://www.onlinejacc.org/content/73/16/2062">Journal of the American College of Cardiology</a>, found about 20-40 minutes of physical activity a day seems to eliminate most health risks associated with sitting. That’s substantially lower than the one hour a day <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2018/06/05/bjsports-2017-098963">a previous study</a> has found. We spend almost all our waking day sitting, standing, or moving. The health impact of each one of these can be complex. For example, too much standing can lead to <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/3/176">lower back problems</a> and even a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/187/1/27/4081581">higher risk of heart disease</a>. But sitting for too long and not moving enough <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2712935">can harm our health</a>. Then there are people who sit for many hours and also get in reasonable amounts of physical activity. For example, someone who has an office job but walks to and from work for 20 minutes each way and runs two to three times a week easily meets <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ti-18-64years">the recommended level of physical activity</a>. While we know moving is better than sitting, what is far less clear is how much of a good thing (moving) can offset the harms of a bad thing (sitting). That’s what we wanted to find out in our study of almost 150,000 Australian middle-aged and older adults. We followed people enrolled in the <a href="https://www.saxinstitute.org.au/our-work/45-up-study/">45 and Up Study</a> for nearly nine years. We looked at links between sitting and physical activity with deaths from any cause, and deaths from cardiovascular disease such as heart disease and stroke, over that time. We then estimated what level of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity might offset the health risks of sitting. This kind of activity is strenuous enough to get you at least slightly out of breath if sustained for a few minutes. It includes brisk walking, cycling, playing sports or running. What we found People who did no physical activity and sat for more than eight hours a day had more than twice (107%) the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to people who did at least one hour of physical activity and sat less than four hours a day (the “optimal group”). But it wasn’t enough just to sit less. People who did less than 150 minutes of physical activity a week and sat less than four hours a day still had a 44-60% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than the optimal group. We also calculated the effect of replacing one hour of sitting with standing, walking, and moderate and vigorous physical activity. Among people who sit a lot (more than six hours a day) replacing one hour of sitting with equal amounts of moderate physical activity like strenuous gardening and housework, but not standing, was associated with a 20% reduction in dying from cardiovascular disease. Replacing one hour of sitting with one hour of vigorous activity such as <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/51/10/812">swimming, aerobics and tennis</a>, the benefits were much greater, with a 64% reduction in the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. What does it all mean? The great news for people who sit a lot, including sedentary office workers, is that the amount of physical activity needed to offset the health risks of sitting risks was substantially lower than the one hour a day <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2018/06/05/bjsports-2017-098963">a previous study</a> found. Even around 20-40 minutes of physical activity a day - the equivalent of meeting the <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ti-18-64years">physical activity guidelines</a> of 150 to 300 minutes a week – seemed to eliminate most risks associated with sitting. For people who sat a lot, replacing sitting with vigorous physical activity was better than replacing it with moderate activity; and replacing sitting with moderate activity or walking was better than replacing it with standing. What’s the take-home message? Our study supports the idea that sitting and exercise are two sides of the same <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2018/07/10/bjsports-2018-099640">health “coin”</a>. In other words, enough physical activity can offset the health risks of sitting. Should we worry about sitting too much? Yes, because sitting takes up valuable time we could spend moving. So too much sitting is an important part of the physical inactivity problem. We also know only <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-016-2736-3">a minority of adults</a> get enough physical activity to offset the risks of sitting. For those who sit a lot, finding ways to reduce sitting would be a good start but it is not enough. The most important lifestyle change would be to look for or create opportunities to include physical activity <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2019/02/15/bjsports-2018-100397">into our daily routine</a> whenever possible. How to widen our activity “menu” Not everyone has a supportive environment and the capacity to create opportunities to be active. For example, lack of time and physical activity being low on people’s list of priorities are the main reasons <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/5/3/47">why inactive adults</a> don’t exercise. Also, many do not have the motivation to power through a strenuous workout when they are juggling many other life challenges. There are no known remedies to a lack of time or low motivation. So, perhaps we need to add new approaches, beyond exercising and playing sport for leisure, to the “menu” of physical activity options. Incidental physical activity like active transportation – think <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/12/761">walking fast</a> or cycling part or all of the way to work – or <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2019/02/15/bjsports-2018-100397">taking stairs</a> are great ways to become or stay active without taking much extra time. Written by Emmanuel Stamatakis, Joanne Gale and Melody Ding. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-much-do-sedentary-people-really-need-to-move-its-less-than-you-think-114824">The Conversation</a>.

Body

Why active people put on more weight than couch potatoes

Governments are always telling us to eat less and exercise more to be healthier, but this presents an obvious problem. Being active is liable to make you hungrier, so there’s a risk you end up eating extra to compensate and putting on more weight than if you’d never got off the sofa in the first place. Dieticians dream of the day when they can design diets for people where they are more active but don’t get hungry in the process. Unfortunately, it’s trickier than you might think: We’re still searching for the mechanism that governs how the energy we expend translates into our level of appetite. And as we shall see, that’s by no means the only thing that makes this area complicated. In an ideal world, the human body would be wired to immediately detect changes in the amount of energy we use and then give us the appetite to eat the right amount to balance it out. Alas not: we all get hungry two or three times a day, sometimes more, regardless of what we are getting up to. Our bodies also release far stronger signals about our appetite when we haven’t eaten enough than when we’ve eaten too much. This poor daily feedback relationship helps to explain why obese people still experience strong feelings of hunger – that and all the cheap calorie-dense food that is widely available, of course. Mysteries of appetite There is much that we don’t understand about the effect of increased activity. Most of us burn different amounts of calories on different days – gym-goers have days off, while everyone has days where they walk round more shops, do more housework or whatever. Studies don’t find any clear relationship between these variations and the amount of food that the average person consumes on the day in question. But neither is it easy to say anything definitive. Most research has focused on people doing aerobic exercise, and has found, for instance, that while some highly trained and lean people tend to eat the right amount to compensate for the extra calories they burn, overweight people are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30777142">more prone</a> to over-eat. What could lie behind this difference? One possibility is that physiological processes change in people who do more exercise – for instance, their gut hormones might be released in different concentrations when they eat, potentially with a bearing on how much food they need. One longstanding question, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3055144">dating back</a> some <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13250128">60 years</a>, is where metabolism fits into the picture. Some <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23193010">important work</a> published in 2013 by a team in Leeds found that overweight people were hungrier and consumed more calories than thinner people. Since overweight people have a higher <a href="https://www.verywellfit.com/metabolism-facts-101-3495605">resting metabolic rate</a> – the rate at which the body burns energy while at rest – the group proposed that there was a correlation between this rate and the size of meals that people eat. The fact that people’s resting metabolic rates are stable, regardless of fluctuations in daily exercise, might help explain why exercise levels often have no bearing on how much we eat on the same day. Yet this doesn’t mean that resting metabolic rate actually determines how much food we eat. The team proposed that a person’s body composition, specifically their amount of muscle mass, might be governing their metabolic rate. If so, the metabolic rate might just be acting as an intermediary – routing the information about body composition through hypothalamic networks in the brain, which are believed to control appetite. Either way, this still needs further research. Our study To examine what happens in the real-life situation, rather than the lab setting, I’ve co-authored a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30659256">new study</a> that looks at what happens to people’s calorie intake on days when they are more active without deliberately taking exercise – this could be anything from a trip to the dentist to a day out at the beach with the children. We looked at 242 individuals – 114 men and 128 women. We found that their amount of activity did have a bearing on how much they ate, but that their resting metabolic rates influenced their appetites as well – in other words, overweight people tended to eat more. This is another step forward in understanding the relationship between activity and the calories we consume. But don’t expect this to translate into a magic formula for optimising everyone’s relationship with activity and food any time soon. There are many variables that have barely been taken into account by researchers. Most work has tended to focus on white men aged 20-30, for instance, yet there is evidence that women are more prone to compensate for extra physical activity by eating. Equally, different genetic characteristics are likely to be important – some people are more fidgety, for instance. Then there are differences in people’s psychology and to what extent they use food as a reward. People who have been losing or gaining weight will have different appetite signals to people whose weight is stable. The time of the activity in the course of the day is likely to make a difference, too. I doubt that in my lifetime we will reach a point where we can look at any person’s entire genetic make-up and tell them exactly what will work for them. What we can say from our study is that many people are liable to eat more when they are more active. Just moving more will not lead to spontaneously losing weight - people should be aware of this and watch how much extra they eat as a result. Written by Alex Johnstone. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-exercise-conundrum-sometimes-active-people-put-on-more-weight-than-couch-potatoes-heres-why-114251">The Conversation</a>.

Body

The surprising road rule that could cost you $300 and two demerit points

Cyclists are demanding for authorities to better enforce a little-known road rule that comes with a $330 fine and two demerit point punishment. In March 2016, safe-passing road rules were introduced which protects cyclists from motorists who fail to keep a safe distance when sharing the road. Newly released data shows that the worst offenders of this rule were found in NSW with Frenchs Forest, Sydney CBD and Kensington having the highest rate of incidents. Since the law has been introduced, only a small number of people have been fined – 65 to be exact, and out of those 65, 43 of those have come from Sydney, with residents from the area being the least compliant. According to Dulwich Hill cycle club member, David Maywald, seven fines were from the North Coast, six in the Hunter Region, four on the South Coast, three in regional New South Wales and two on the Central Coast. In 2017 alone, 1967 cyclists were reported to have been critically injured according to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/where-sydney-drivers-get-busted-for-not-giving-cyclists-space-20180902-p50199.html" target="_blank">Sydney Morning Herald</a>. “The burden of evidence and prosecution has fallen onto the victims of dangerous close passes,” said Mr Maywald. Lodging a petition, Mr Maywald is asking the New South Wales police to enforce the law, so cyclists are not faced with the burden of providing evidence of the offence. The petition has currently accumulated over 3000 signatures. “Every day the lives of decent hard-working cyclists are being threatened by a small minority of reckless drivers,” he wrote on change.org. A spokesperson for New South Wales police said that whoever believes an offence has been committed should report it to the police.

Legal

Coles forced to pay $300,000 to customer who slipped on iced coffee

Coles has been forced to pay $293,597.30 in damages to a tradesman who was injured after slipping on a puddle of iced coffee. The New South Wales District Court heard Paul Mansell, a self-employed glazier, explain how he fell over in a Coles store in Vincentia on the south coast. Paul was wearing thongs during the time of the incident and after slipping on the puddle, landed on the floor. “His right should and right side of his neck came into contact with the floor or a support post or his shopping basket, or perhaps all of those things,” said court documents viewed by <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/2017/11/22/13/18/nsw-tradie-awarded-295000-for-coles-slip-and-fall-accident" target="_blank">Nine News</a>. “Only one foot slipped. He had no opportunity to put out his hands to break his fall.” After the fall, Paul gave his contact details to the junior manager and was contacted the next day by a Coles manager who had watched the CCTV footage. The manager told Paul there was footage of another customer spilling iced coffee on the floor after taking the drink from a fridge inside the store. Paul asked for a copy of the footage at least five times but never received it and was later told the video had been deleted. Medical examinations revealed Paul suffered an “extensive tear” in his right shoulder, making him no longer able to run his business, which he was then forced to sell. Justice David Russell heard Coles employees were supposed to do floor inspections every hour and a half. He found Coles failed to uphold their duty of care to Paul and ordered Coles to pay him $293,597.30. The damages cover loss of earnings and past and future out of pocket expenses. Do you think this payout is fair? Tell us in the comments below.

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