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"Absolute disappointment": Home and Away fans slam season finale

Fans of Home and Away have been left outraged after the finale of the 2024 season, with many claiming it was "boring and predictable". Viewers of the long-running Aussie soap were disappointed by the feature-length episode that promised "bloodshed" and "deadly consequences" and while it ended with two lives hanging in the balance. The show is set to return on January 13th and pick up where it left off, leading to the resolution that will see fans waiting almost two months for answers. After Thursday night's finale, hundreds of fans flocked to social media to share their annoyance over all the drama being crammed into the last 10 minutes of the episode, despite its 90-minute runtime. "Found the last episode so boring and predictable," one fan said. "How many more coppers are going to end up in jail?" "I have to say, that was ridiculously s**t for a season finale," another complained. "The best bit was the last 15 seconds." "That was the worst ending," someone else said, with another agreeing. "What an absolute disappointment for this year's final episode. Love Home and Away, but this was by far the worst final episode of the season ever." "I was so disappointed with the ending," another fan said. "I expected it to be more drama/suspense but it was quite boring in my opinion. Now an almost 2 month wait for the show to return." While many were disappointed, others were excited to see how the dramatic storyline is set to be resolved in the new year. "I'm so excited for the new season," one fan said. "What am l going to do without this lol it’s pretty sad when you so look forward to it at 7pm," another lamented. "I can't believe I've got to wait till next year, it's already killing me," someone else agreed. Image credits: Home and Away

Italian village offers $1 homes to Americans upset by US election results

An Italian village in Sardinia, Italy is offering one-euro homes to Americans seeking a new start following the results of the 2024 U.S election that saw Donald Trump being re-elected as president. Ollolai has long been trying to persuade outsiders to move in to revive the community after decades of depopulation. Now, it's selling dilapidated houses for as little as one euro — just over a US dollar or $AU1.60 — to entice Americans to move abroad. Following the November 5 outcome, they have launched a website aimed at potential American expats, offering cheap homes in hopes that those disappointed by the result and seeking a fresh start will snap up one of their empty properties. "Are you worned (sic) out by global politics? Looking to embrace a more balanced lifestyle while securing new opportunities?" the website read. "It's time to start building your European escape in the stunning paradise of Sardinia." Mayor Francesco Columbu told CNN that the website was specifically created to attract American voters in the wake of the presidential elections. The mayor loves the United States and is convinced Americans would be the best people to revive the community. "We just really want, and will focus on, Americans above all," he said. "We can't of course ban people from other countries to apply, but Americans will have a fast-track procedure. We are betting on them to help us revive the village, they are our winning card." The village is offering three tiers of accommodation: Free temporary homes to certain digital nomads, ($1.6) homes in need of renovations, and ready-to-occupy houses for prices up to $160,000. The mayor also set up a special team to guide interested buyers through every step of the process including finding contractors, builders and navigating required paperwork. "Of course, we can't specifically mention the name of one US president who just got elected, but we all know that he's the one from whom many Americans want to get away from now and leave the country," Columbo added. "We have specifically created this website now to meet US post-elections relocation needs. The first edition of our digital nomad scheme which launched last year was already solely for Americans." Photos and plans of available empty properties will soon be uploaded to the website. The website has since received nearly 38,000 requests for information on houses, with most of them coming from the United States In the past century, Ollolai's population has shrunk from 2,250 to 1,300 with only a handful of babies born each year. Over the last few years, this has dropped 1,150 residents. Image: Shutterstock

International Travel

Man dies after months-long wait for at-home care

A man has died after his almost year-long wait to receive his government-approved at-home care. Cyril Tooze, 86, was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/man-decides-to-end-his-own-life-after-waiting-for-at-home-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> for a Level 4 Home Care Package in January, but almost one year on, he was still waiting for access to the money to fund daily assistance with physical, medical and social tasks. After sharing his story with 7News in October, Tooze candidly admitted that he was pursuing the avenue of voluntary assisted dying, saying at the time, "There is no hope." Just weeks later, Tooze has passed away. While in hospital after suffering a fall, Mr Tooze passed away on Friday, weighing just 46kg. Independent federal Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie, who advocated for Mr Tooze to receive his government funding, said it had been an honour to have known him. "The man that I knew, he had such courage and such dignity to the very end," she said. "To the very end he wanted his situation to shed light and provide a human story for the 76,000 other older Australians who, just like him, are deteriorating, having accidents and injuring themselves while waiting for a Home Care package that they've been assessed as needing." "Despite a new Act being passed in the House of Representatives with urgency, there is no plan from the government to address the blown-out waiting list and the reality is that people are dying while they're waiting for Home Care." Federal aged care minister Anika Wells said her thoughts were with Mr Tooze's family and friends "as we mourn their loss but appreciate Cyril's life and his commitment to helping older Australians." Image credits: Nine

Caring

What’s the difference between liquid and powder laundry detergent? It’s not just the obvious

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-kilah-599082">Nathan Kilah</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> When shopping for a laundry detergent, the array of choices is baffling. All of the products will likely get your laundry somewhat cleaner. But what gets the best outcome for your clothes and your budget? Do you want whiter whites? Do you need enzymes? And what’s the difference between a powder and liquid detergent? As is often the case, knowing more about the chemistry involved will help you answer those questions. <h2>What is a detergent?</h2> The active ingredients in both laundry powders and liquids are “surfactants”, also known as detergents (hence the product name). These are typically charged or “ionic” molecules that have two distinct parts to their structure. One part interacts well with water and the other interacts with oils. This useful property allows surfactants to lift grease and grime from fabrics and suspend it in the water. Surfactants can also form bubbles. Metal salts dissolved in your water can limit the performance of the surfactants. So-called hard water contains lots of dissolved calcium and magnesium salts which can readily form soap scum. Modern laundry detergents therefore contain phosphates, water softeners and other metal “sequestrants” to stop the formation of soap scum. Phosphates can cause algal blooms in fresh water environments. This is why modern detergent formulations <a href="https://accord.asn.au/sustainability/phosphorus-standard/">contain smaller amounts of phosphates</a>. Many products also contain optical brighteners. These chemicals absorb ultraviolet light and release blue light, which provides the “whiter white” or “brighter colour” phenomenon. Laundry detergents typically contain fragrances. These aren’t essential to the chemistry of cleaning, but give the impression the clothes are fresh. Lastly, some laundry detergents contain enzymes – more on those later. <h2>What’s in laundry powder?</h2> While detergents and ingredients to avoid soap scum are the most important components, they aren’t the most abundant. The main ingredients in powders are salts (like sodium sulfate) that add bulk and stop the powder from clumping. Another common salt added to laundry powders is sodium carbonate, also known as washing soda. Washing soda (a chemical cousin of <a href="https://theconversation.com/vinegar-and-baking-soda-a-cleaning-hack-or-just-a-bunch-of-fizz-225177">baking soda</a>) helps to chemically modify grease and grime so they dissolve in water. Laundry powders also frequently contain oxidising agents like sodium percarbonate. This is a stable combination of washing soda and hydrogen peroxide. An additive known as tetraacetylethylenediamine activates the percarbonate to give a mild bleaching effect. Chemically, powders have an advantage – their components can be formulated and mixed but kept separate in a solid form. (You can usually see different types of granules in your laundry powder.) <h2>What’s in laundry liquid?</h2> The main ingredient of laundry liquid is water. The remaining ingredients have to be carefully considered. They must be stable in the bottle and then work together in the wash. These include similar ingredients to the powders, such as alkaline salts, metal sequestrants, water softeners and surfactants. The surfactants in liquid products are often listed as “ionic” (charged) and “non-ionic” (non-charged). Non-ionic surfactants can be liquid by default, which makes them inappropriate for powdered formulations. Non-ionic surfactants are good at suspending oils in water and don’t form soap scum. Liquid detergents also contain preservatives to prevent the growth of microbes spoiling the mixture. There are also microbial implications for inside the washing machine. Liquid products can’t contain the peroxides (mild bleaching agents) found in powdered products. Peroxides kill microbes. The absence of peroxides in liquid detergents makes it more likely for <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/1/195#B15-molecules-27-00195">mould biofilms to form</a> in the machine and for bacteria to be transferred between items of clothing. As an alternative to peroxides, liquids will typically contain only optical brighteners. Liquids do have one advantage over powders – they can be added directly to stains prior to placing the item in the wash. A recent “convenience” version of liquid formulas are highly concentrated detergent pods. Colourful and bearing a resemblance to sweet treats, these products have been found to be <a href="https://poisoncenters.org/track/laundry-detergent-packets">dangerous to young children and people with cognitive impairment</a>. Pods also remove the option to add less detergent if you’re running a smaller load or just want to use less detergent in general. <h2>So, what about enzymes?</h2> Enzymes are naturally evolved proteins included in laundry products to remove specific stains. Chemically, they are catalysts – things that speed up chemical reactions. Enzymes are named for the molecules they work on, followed by the ending “-ase”. For example, lipase breaks down fats (lipids), protease breaks down protein, while amylase and mannanase break down starches and sugars. These enzymes are derived from organisms found in cool climate regions, which helps them function at the low temperature of washing water. Running an excessively hot wash cycle can damage or denature the enzyme structure, stopping them from assisting in your wash. Think of an egg white <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-the-perfect-pavlova-according-to-chemistry-experts-196485">changing from translucent to white while cooked</a> – that’s protein denaturing. If your detergent contains enzymes, the washing temperature should be neither too hot nor too cold. As a guide, temperatures of 15–20°C are used in <a href="https://environment.ec.europa.eu/document/download/557d8ab5-4e75-41a4-a901-1548be7f685d_en">standard laundry tests</a>. <h2>Is powder or liquid better?</h2> We make consumer choices guided by performance, psychology, cost, scent, environmental considerations and convenience. It’s worth experimenting with different products to find what works best for you and fits your needs, household budget and environmental considerations, such as having <a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-can-some-plastics-be-recycled-but-others-cant-229270">recyclable packaging</a>. Personally, I wash at 20°C with half the recommended dose of a pleasant-smelling laundry powder, packaged in recyclable cardboard, and containing a wide range of enzymes and an activated peroxide source. Knowing a little chemistry can go a long way to getting your clothes clean. However, laundry detergent manufacturers don’t always disclose the full list of ingredients on their product packaging. If you want more information on what’s in your product, you have to look at the product website. You can also dig a little deeper by reading documents called <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-tiktok-trend-has-people-drinking-toxic-borax-an-expert-explains-the-risks-and-how-to-read-product-labels-210278">safety data sheets</a> (SDS). Every product containing potentially hazardous chemicals must have an SDS.<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/239850/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-kilah-599082">Nathan Kilah</a>, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/whats-the-difference-between-liquid-and-powder-laundry-detergent-its-not-just-the-obvious-239850">original article</a>. </div>

Home & Garden

Former Home and Away star's joyful baby news

Former Home and Away stars Rebecca Breeds and Luke Mitchell are expecting their first child together. The Australian actress and her co-star turned husband confirmed the happy news on Instagram. The 37-year-old actress made her little baby bump debut at the Adelaide Film Festival and shared a picture of herself on the red carpet looking stunning in a form-fitting pink dress. “VERY excited to share baby Mitchell and @kangarooislandmovie coming sooooooooon! Thanks @adlfilmfest for having us and everyone who came to support us🙏🤍,” she wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. The mum-to-be rested one of her hands on top of the baby bump as she proudly smiled for the cameras. The actress was at the festival for the premiere of her new film Kangaroo Island on the event's closing night. Her husband commented on the post with a series of heart-eyed emojis. Breeds' co-stars and fellow actors were quick to congratulate the couple in the comments. “Congratulations Bec and Luke! Very exciting news,” Home and Away star Lynne McGranger said. “Ahhhhh amazing you guys! This is the best news!” former Home and Away actress Jessica McNamee added. “Congrats!!!!!” A Perfect Pairing actor Adam Demos said. The couple first met on the set of Home and Away in 2009 and quickly became a fan-favourite off-screen relationship. Breeds played Ruby Buckton on the soap between 2008 and 2012, while Mitchell played Romeo Smith between 2009 and 2013. The couple tied the knot in January 2013 and went to live and work in the US for years before returning to Australia. Images: Instagram/ Seven

Relationships

Readers response: What’s the best book you’ve read recently, and what did you love about it?

With hundreds of new books on the market, it's hard to know what are the best to recommend. We asked our readers what the best book they've read recently is and what did they love about it, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. Helen Ulgekutt - The Venice Hotel by Tess Woods, loved it start to finish. Zoy Crizzle - The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Great book, so easy to read and an interesting story line. I loved it. Keralie Stack - I have just finished Fallen Woman by Fiona McIntosh. A good read. Karen Peardon - The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston. A great story. Nola Schmidt - The Perfect Passion Company by Alexander McCall Smith. It was clever, witty, and gentle. June Lennie - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. Interesting story set in different historical periods. Brilliantly written and researched. Christine Hayes - Where the Crawdads Sing, just beautiful. Sandra Moores - All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien. A great debut based in Cabramatta, very compelling read. Greg Cudmore - 'To Alpha From Omega'. Although very much Australian, its themes are universal. Denise Zephyr - The Days I Loved You Most. Such a beautiful story and a beautiful ending. Marie Chong - Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy. I love all her books, she tells a good story. Yvonne Bercov - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, couldn’t put it down. Image credits: Shutterstock

Books

"I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested": do driving apps help people break road rules?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/verity-truelove-1237331">Verity Truelove</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-nicolls-1299069">Michelle Nicolls</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oscar-oviedo-trespalacios-1417150">Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/delft-university-of-technology-1040">Delft University of Technology</a> Apps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze can tell drivers when they are approaching speed cameras or random breath testing stations. Countries such as Germany, France and Switzerland have banned apps from displaying these enforcement locations. But what effect are these apps having in Australia – are they helping drivers break road rules? Our new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524002972">paper</a>, published in the journal Safety Science, examined this question. We found this technology can, in some cases, contribute to people thinking they are invincible on the roads. However, we also found they can sometimes help people drive more safely. <h2>Being made aware of enforcement can help road safety</h2> We conducted focus groups and interviews with a total of 58 drivers from Queensland, to understand how the use of this technology influences perceptions of being caught for breaking road rules. One driver told us: "If I know it’s coming up, I’ll put my phone down. If I was, say, texting or checking something, but then like once a good few 100 metres away, I sort of pick it up again, depending though." Another said: "It sort of depends where I am driving, I guess. Like, if I am driving on a country road and there is a speed camera there I would probably slow down for the speed camera and then sort of speed up again once I am sort of past that; it sort of depends on the circumstances." We also found that, for some people, being made aware of enforcement locations can help drivers better regulate their speed. This helped them comply with road rules more consistently. Waze also shows the speed limit in the area, which further assisted some drivers to stick to the speed limit. One driver told us: "I’m a bit careful if I just look at the speedo and just double check that I’m on the right amount of speed." Another said: "It just gives you a warning like, ‘OK, you need to check your speed.’ Just to double-check you’re going on the right speed perhaps or when it’s a camera coming up." <h2>Concerning behaviours</h2> Concerningly, we also found some drivers who use these apps are looking at and touching their screens more than they otherwise would. This can distract drivers and increase their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524001097">risk of crashing</a>. One driver told us they post traffic updates on the app they use while driving, “which I know is wrong.” Another said: "Just hit the button on the phone. Just two steps after I go past the camera." Another driver told us: "It’s so helpful […] Especially if it’s, say, late night and I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested." One driver said: "I probably feel slightly more invincible, which is probably not a good thing." When asked why these apps are used, one driver said: "I guess the drug and the drink-driving." <h2>Apps can help and hinder road safety</h2> We know breaking road rules significantly contributes to <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/safety-and-mobility/global-status-report-on-road-safety-2023">crashes and road fatalities</a>, with deaths on Australian roads continuing to <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">increase</a> over time. On the one hand, when drivers are aware of enforcement measures like cameras and police, they are more likely to stop breaking the rules in those areas. That’s particularly true for behaviours such as speeding and using a phone while driving, we found. Using apps that flag where cameras and police are located also means drivers would be more exposed to enforcement activities than they otherwise would be on a normal drive. On the other hand, our results suggest some drivers are using these applications to break road rules more often in places where they think they won’t be caught. These apps are also not always completely accurate. For instance, even though Waze can display some police operation locations such as roadside breath testing, it can’t capture all on-road police activities. Further, camera locations are not always up to date or accurate. <h2>Weighing benefits against risks</h2> While these apps do have some benefits, it’s important to weigh these against the risks. It’s also important to recognise traffic enforcement isn’t just there to make you comply with road rules at a specific point; it is meant to remind you of the constant risk of being caught and to encourage consistent rule compliance. The goal is to ensure that drivers are following the traffic rules across the entire network, not just in isolated spots. With road fatalities at some of the <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">highest rates we’ve seen in recent years</a>, we need everyone to work together to stop more preventable deaths and injuries.<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/237664/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/verity-truelove-1237331">Verity Truelove</a>, Senior Research Fellow in Road Safety Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-nicolls-1299069">Michelle Nicolls</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oscar-oviedo-trespalacios-1417150">Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios</a>, A/Professor Responsible Risk Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/delft-university-of-technology-1040">Delft University of Technology</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/im-coming-home-from-a-party-and-i-dont-want-to-end-up-getting-arrested-do-driving-apps-help-people-break-road-rules-237664">original article</a>. </div>

Legal

Arguing with the people you love? How to have a healthy family dispute

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-robles-617248">Jessica Robles</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/loughborough-university-1336">Loughborough University</a> Unlike Britain’s royal family, most of us don’t have the option to move to another country when we don’t see eye to eye. But most of us have likely experienced disagreements with loved ones. <a href="https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/heritage/Site/Publications_files/CA_as_SOCIAL_THEORY.pdf">Conversations are designed to</a> do things – to start some action, and complete it – whether it’s a service transaction, an invitation to coffee or reassurance on a bad day. Our <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZnhyDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false">uniquely complex communicative system</a> has evolved to help us get things done in the social world. Arguments are part of this complex system. They can be unavoidable, necessary or even productive. But they can also be difficult. It can be hard to know what to do when tensions are high and harsh words are flying, particularly when it involves someone you’re close to. But research on how disputes unfold – and conversation more generally – offers some ideas about the best way to handle one. <h2>What is a dispute?</h2> There are many words for disagreeing, and there are plenty of academic theories describing what disputes are and why they happen. But arguments are not abstract models. They’re lived in, breathed in, sweated in and talked (or sometimes shouted) into being. Research focusing on <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/288351315.pdf">how disputes actually happen</a> shows they’re characterised by three types of features. First are the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378216606000488">vocal features</a>, which include talking in a higher pitch, louder and faster. Then, there are <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1750481310395452?casa_token=MCNQWEQD6HwAAAAA:8nbyXh-cgjWzfL3syRrwybRFQl_ddHIMy9tRIAwPRAFADrgHtR2LSl9ZoUFsVlnzWPjWaKQZZ9XEVA">embodied features</a> such as aggressive gestures and avoidant stances, such as turning away from someone. Finally, there are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01638539009544746?casa_token=BB9edpIE1oUAAAAA:FTK-JRJ2oCmG7BufkUAQX1k1_9C1Cvc12r5ynYPM6duFB-HDWhgef8Va-Rh5Z2XksR64oTcPmi4FAQ">interactional features</a> such as talking over each other, not listening or metatalk – <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/08351813.2020.1826765?casa_token=isJl2NJbSIkAAAAA:Mh-dXMfkBSGvEeoOWAoxLDjzbZ_eF-zbND-D8q4RAP5WHadqg1KUZDF_UnySFAcyb3LD-DF3BbGq1A">comments about the conversation</a> as it’s happening. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1354067X9953001?casa_token=Gje17vkyg_AAAAAA:ik_4Ze-4PIFLa6yjthOpztvJrtdVOokhRT73M8jDN4t1w0Bl7WzW2--d1vjZwanphorOH_r6jaVZdA">Displays of emotion</a> such as displeasure or anger, are also common. Participants might accuse each other of emotions or label their own emotions. Disputes happen for several reasons. What each person is doing can vary, from <a href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.530.8869&rep=rep1&type=pdf">complaints and accusations</a> to <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1348/014466610X500791?casa_token=r58ikQ5XFxEAAAAA:QR9wr0Fcz7q5BeSvL8soAIhKMNA1O9TcpcBaLleBKDvZ8Q5sPyX1OSg0OzSL5-xb8By5QbgNm9kHNhg">demands, threats or resistance</a>. They can be about many things – familial obligations, what to have for dinner, politics or how to plan a holiday. Luckily, disputes share elements <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2NxaC7nSetAC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false">with each other</a> and with conversation generally – so you don’t have to invent new strategies every time you’re caught in one. <h2>Affiliation and alignment</h2> When bickering with a friend or family member, there are ways to make them feel like you’re still on their side even if you disagree. If you can keep these in mind, and use them at the right time, you might stop your dispute from escalating into something harder to mend. The first thing is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0196.pub2">affiliation</a>, which means support for the other person or their view of things. Affiliation involves phrasing what you say so it’s best <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/08351810903471258?casa_token=yxnWxfDAEB8AAAAA:uoHEX2dlOS06wxwlHH7TOWmmfB51qMMbzg5tadx5SeRcf_5-vABUKQZtIt0Hchu4vUlFNfCX4qRi5A">understood and easier to respond to</a>. For example, saying “you’ve been to France before, right?” invites someone to share their experience – partly by including the tag “right” at the end, which at least requires a confirmation. It can also involve categorisation, the way we talk about or treat others as <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF00142771.pdf">certain types or group members</a>. For example, if you reduce the other person to a stereotype through labelling – by saying something like “girls always say stuff like that” or “OK, boomer” – you risk provoking a response to the insult, not to the action in which that insult was embedded. The second thing we expect from any conversation is alignment – cooperating with the direction of the conversation, such as accepting or denying a request. The opposite, disalignment, might occur when a request is ignored. Alignment has more to do with the sequence of the conversation, how the dispute unfolds over time. Asking for clarification – a practice known as <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0136100">repair</a> – or <a href="https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/prag.27.1.03rob?crawler=true">claiming a misunderstanding</a> can treat problems as fixable errors rather than moral failings or attacks. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0261927X17744244">Humour can diffuse</a> conflict escalation. <h2>How to have a healthy dispute</h2> In the course of a dispute, you need to think about when to bring these tactics out. They’re more likely to yield better outcomes earlier in the dispute. By the time it’s escalated, your responses may be viewed through the prism of the dispute and <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=eFSXDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT200&ots=6tM3fJnXr1&sig=Zchtur1abh25W7ERN5Q49ASRaJc#v=onepage&q&f=false">any offensiveness</a> you’ve already displayed toward each other. In cases like this, teasing can come across as contempt, for example, and claims to misunderstand as bad-faith mockery. It can feel like disputes take on a life of their own – as if the conversation uses us rather than we use it – and this is partly because conversation can seemingly take us along for the ride (consider the difficulty of turning down invitations). We invest our identities into conversations so disputes can seem to threaten us and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378216618304302?casa_token=1SbOpn_2k8MAAAAA:YQ2Yb9nt-ONsmBKmVzTCx8cfl76bS5nK6_Yd8zONBVJFdJ57vwgdBDJxsXfk0aUOhilRQAF-ABA">what we stand for</a> morally. This may be starker with family, whose opinions of us often matter more than friends or colleagues, for example. It’s always worth stopping to reflect on what a dispute is really for, whether what you’re saying lines up with your goals and whether taking a stand is worth it.<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/159565/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-robles-617248">Jessica Robles</a>, Lecturer in Social Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/loughborough-university-1336">Loughborough University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/arguing-with-the-people-you-love-how-to-have-a-healthy-family-dispute-159565">original article</a>. </div>

Family & Pets

What washing machine settings can I use to make my clothes last longer?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alessandra-sutti-1513345">Alessandra Sutti</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amol-patil-1513347">Amol Patil</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/maryam-naebe-1513346">Maryam Naebe</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> Orbiting 400 kilometres above Earth’s surface, the astronauts on the International Space Station live a pretty normal social life, if not for one thing: they happily wear their unwashed clothes <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/nasa-glenn-interns-take-space-washing-machine-designs-for-a-spin/">for days and weeks at a time</a>. They can’t do their laundry <a href="https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Keeping_your_underwear_clean_on_the_Moon">just yet</a> because water is scarce up there. But down here on Earth, washing clothes is a large part of our lives. <a href="https://bigee.net/media/filer_public/2013/03/28/bigee_domestic_washing_machines_worldwide_potential_20130328.pdf">It’s estimated</a> that a volume of water equivalent to 21,000 Olympic swimming pools is used every day for domestic laundry worldwide. Fibres from our clothes make their way into the environment via the air (during use or in the dryer), water (washing) and soil (lint rubbish in landfill). Most of this fibre loss is invisible – we often only notice our favourite clothing is “disappearing” when it’s too late. How can you ensure your favourite outfit will outlast your wish to wear it? Simple question, complex answer. <h2>Washing machines are not gentle</h2> When you clean the filters in your washing machine and dryer, how often do you stop to think that the lint you’re holding <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk-laundry-releases-microfibres-weighing-the-equivalent-of-1-500-buses-each-year-199712">was, in fact, your clothes</a>? Laundering is harsh on our clothes, and <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0250346">research confirms this</a>. Several factors play a role: the type of washing machine, the washing cycle, detergents, temperature, time, and the type of fabric and yarn construction. There are two types of domestic washing machines: top-loader and front-loader. Mechanical agitation (the way the machine moves the clothes around) is one of the things that helps ease dirt off the fabric. Top-loaders have a vertical, bucket-like basket with a paddle, which sloshes clothes around in a large volume of water. Front-loaders have a horizontal bucket which rotates, exposing the clothes to a smaller volume of water – it takes advantage of gravity, not paddles. Top-loading machines <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12541-010-0047-7">tend to be more aggressive</a> towards fabrics than front-loaders due to the different mechanical action and larger volumes of water. Washing machine panels also present many choices. Shorter, low-temperature programs <a href="https://clevercare.info/more-eco-temperature-tips">are usually sufficient for everyday stains</a>. Choose longer or <a href="https://iprefer30.eu/animations/UK/wash-brochure-uk.pdf">high-temperature programs</a> only for clothing you have concerns about (healthcare uniforms, washable nappies, etc.). Generally, washing machine programs are carefully selected combinations of water volume, agitation intensity and temperature recommended by the manufacturer. They take into consideration the type of fabric and its level of cleanliness. Select the wrong program and you can say goodbye to your favourite top. For example, high temperatures or harsh agitation may cause some fibres to weaken and break, causing holes in the garment. <h2>Some fabrics lose fibres more easily than others</h2> At a microscopic level, the fabric in our clothes is made of yarns – individual fibres twisted together. The nature and length of the fibres, the way they are twisted and the way the yarns form the fabric can determine how many fibres will be lost during a wash. In general, if you want to lose fewer fibres, you should wash less frequently, but some fabrics are affected more than others. Open fabric structures (knits) with loose yarns <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-98836-6">can lose more fibres</a> than tighter ones. Some sports clothing, like running shirts, are made of continuous filament yarn. These fibres are less likely to come loose in the wash. Cotton fibres are only a few centimetres long. Twisted tightly together into a yarn, they can still escape. Wool fibres are also short, but have an additional feature: scales, which make wool clothes much more delicate. Wool fibres can come loose like cotton ones, but also tangle with each other during the wash due to their scales. This last aspect is what causes wool garments to shrink when <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/004051756403400303">exposed to heat</a> and agitation. <h2>Go easy on the chemicals</h2> The type of detergent and other products you use also makes a difference. Detergents contain a soap component, enzymes to make stains easier to remove at low temperature, and fragrances. Some contain harsher compounds, such as bleaching or whitening agents. Modern detergents are very effective at <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/laundry-and-cleaning/laundry-detergents/review-and-compare/laundry-detergents">removing stains such as food</a>, and you don’t need to use much. An incorrect choice of wash cycles, laundry detergent and bleaching additives could cause disaster. Certain products, like bleach, can <a href="https://site.extension.uga.edu/textiles/textile-basics/understand-your-fibers/">damage some fibres like wool and silk</a>. Meanwhile, research on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749120366872?via%3Dihub">fabric softeners and other treatments</a> <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0233332&type=printable">continues</a> – there’s no one-size-fits-all answer about their potential impact on our clothes. <h2>Just skip laundry day</h2> So, how to ensure your clothes last longer? The main tip is to wash them less often. When it’s time for a wash, carefully read and follow the care labels. In the future, our washing machines will <a href="https://www.teknoscienze.com/tks_article/trends-in-laundry-by-2030/">recognise fabrics and select the wash cycle</a>. For now, that’s our responsibility. And the next time you throw your shirt into the dirty laundry basket, stop. Think of the astronauts orbiting above Earth and ask yourself: if they can go without clean laundry for a few days, maybe I can too? (Although we don’t recommend just burning your dirty undies, either.)<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/224064/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C1j6KLP492E?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alessandra-sutti-1513345">Alessandra Sutti</a>, Associate Professor, Institute for Frontier Materials, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amol-patil-1513347">Amol Patil</a>, Research Engineer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/maryam-naebe-1513346">Maryam Naebe</a>, Associate professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/what-washing-machine-settings-can-i-use-to-make-my-clothes-last-longer-224064">original article</a>. </div>

Home & Garden

Man decides to end his own life after waiting for at-home care

A terminally ill man has made the heartbreaking decision to end his life after waiting 10-month for end of life care. Cyril Tooze, an 86-year-old from South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, was approved for a Level 4 Home Care Package in January. The package - which is the highest available care for individuals with high-level needs under the federal government’s MyAgedCare scheme - would give Mr Tooze up to $59,594 annually for daily assistance with physical, medical and social tasks. But almost one year on from the approval, his funds and support have yet to be delivered. It’s understood his family, who live interstate, contacted the government to enquire about receiving an urgent reassessment, and were told he could be waiting another three to six months. Independent MP Rebekha Sharkie told reporters that his family were also told a reassessment “could delay it even longer”. While waiting for his vital funds, Mr Tooze - who suffers from terminal heart and lung conditions and regularly requires morphine for pain relief - has worsened and has been hospitalised after suffering a fall at home. Tired of waiting for help to arrive, Tooze has started the process of ending his life through South Australia’s voluntary assisted dying scheme. “There is no hope ... I don’t want to live my life laying in a bed waiting for something to happen,” he told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/terminally-ill-mans-heartbreaking-decision-to-end-his-life-after-10-month-wait-for-home-care-in-australia-c-16471785" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a>. “You can’t live like that, that’s unfair, we don’t deserve that in such a country as Australia.” Following the media coverage of his case, Tooze was contacted by the Aged Care Department, who said the package could temporarily be made available. Sharkie said Tooze’s situation was “shameful”, saying, “What devastates me is that Mr Tooze feels voluntary assisted dying is the only course available to him, and that is because we as a nation have failed him." “I would say, if Mr Tooze had that package in a timely manner, as he should have, he would probably be sitting at home now, making himself a cup of tea.” Anglicare Australia’s <a href="https://www.anglicare.asn.au/2024/09/20/life-on-the-wait-list-report-shows-older-australians-are-going-without-support/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">Life on the Wait List report</a> revealed that as of May 2024, 68,109 Australians had been approved for a Home Care Package but were facing wait times of up to 15 months to access it. Image credits: 7News

Caring

Uproar over council's bin "shaming" move

As councils around the country make big changes to the way we dispose of waste, one council's move has left an entire street in Melbourne "offended". On Wednesday morning, Essendon mum Kali took out her bins and thought nothing more of her weekly habit. It was when she came back after a coffee run that she spotted a tag that had "oh no" written in big red letters. "We found items that don't belong in your mixed recycling bin," the note read, identifying reusable shopping bags as the culprit. When she looked around all but one household on her street had the same yellow note. "I came back and saw all these tags on the bins, I thought 'That's a bit weird'," she told Yahoo News Australia. "It was the talk of the street," she said, after finding out that fellow residents were in "uproar" over the tags. Kali, a mum-of-two, has lived in her home for over nine years and said this was the first time she saw the tag on her bin. "It's just a bizarre thing to do," she said. "I thought it was funny that I got bin shamed. I'm sure we're all guilty of [recycling incorrectly], it's an easy mistake. "Our whole street was embarrassed about it," she added, saying "other neighbours were more offended". Kali is adamant that she didn't do anything wrong, as she ensures the bags in her bin were made out of paper, but said that "you don’t know who is putting things in your bin." A council spokesperson told Yahoo that the move was made to "inform" residents. "Council’s intention is to provide information to people at their homes through our kerbside bin education program to create more awareness, so everyone in the community can recycle right," the spokesperson said. "We understand that recycling can be confusing and that there may be a misunderstanding in what can and can’t go into a recycling bin." Images: Yahoo News

Home & Garden

$15 Kmart hack that'll transform your kitchen

Who doesn't love a cheap hack? For the past few months shoppers have been obsessed with a $15 bathroom item from Kmart, but not for its intended use. Shoppers have used the retailer’s 3 Tier Floor Caddy, which was originally designed to organise toiletries and save floor space, as a coffee station that's not only practical, but looks nice as well. One shopper took it to the next level, by using the $31 Flexi Storage Decorative Shelving from Bunnings and attaching it to two of the Kmart floor caddies to display plants alongside the DIY coffee station. She initially bought the shelves to install on her kitchen wall, but after finding out they weren't sturdy enough, it has been sitting in her home, until she saw the Kmart caddy hack. “I bought these floating shelves from Bunnings but after reading the reviews I found that people had said they are not great! And I was too lazy to take them back,” she wrote. “Then I saw this Kmart hack with the shower caddies and I’m very happy with the result.” Shoppers were impressed with the finished results, praising the "incredible" idea. “This looks excellent. Like you, we have a small kitchen with very limited shelving. You’ve inspired me to do the same,” one wrote. “Awesome, looks amazing,” another added, while a third commented, “That’s so clever, thanks for sharing”. However a few others didn't get the hype, with one saying: “I don’t get coffee stations. Not saying it’s bad. Just think it creates more clutter." Image: Facebook/ Kmart

Home & Garden

NRL legend calls for help to get newborn baby home

NRL legend Jesse Ramien and his partner Shell are pleading for help to get their newborn baby home after Shell's traumatic birth experience in Bali. The Cronulla Sharks player and his wife travelled to Bali for a friend's wedding while Shell was 33 weeks pregnant, who was cleared by her doctor before their trip. However, after just three days into their holiday, Shell went into early labour which quickly led to an emergency C-section, with mum under anaesthetic and baby boy Teo needing five minutes of resuscitation. Baby Teo was rushed into a neonatal intensive care unit, with his parents not able to meet him until the day after he was born. The family has been torn apart since with the parents still yet to hold Teo, who remains in an incubator, and older son Tallen returning home after Shell’s mother rushed to Bali to help. It is not known when the family can return to Australia, as Teo's condition is still unstable. “There’s just so much uncertainty here. We’ve been told by doctors it could be four weeks before our baby is okay to travel, but that could quickly change to five, six, or seven weeks, who knows,” Ramien told <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/sharks-star-jesse-ramiens-impassioned-plea-for-help-from-the-australian-government-to-source-flight-to-bring-baby-back-to-australia/news-story/1208830641c06ecb8c2450b95eeabece" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">News Corp</a>. “We’re doing everything to contact the Australian embassy to see how we can get home both as quickly as possible, so that our boy can get the medical attention he needs.” A family friend has set up a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/need-your-help-to-fly-our-boy-teo-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page to help the couple get home with their baby on an emergency flight, with $45,000 of their $100,000 goal already raised. “I’ll play for nothing just to get our baby boy home safely,” Ramien said. Shell, who received clearance from her obstetrician and the airline before travelling, ensured her pregnancy was covered by a top travel insurance package, however baby Teo’s medical costs — tallying more than $20,000 so far — are not included, while the total costs to get Baby Teo home could exceed $130,000. Ramien has been sharing updates on Instagram, posting a picture of his new son with the caption, “Home soon my boy,” while Shell added, “Won’t be long my boy, we'll be home soon.” Image credits: Instagram / GoFundMe

Caring

"One of the best": Home and Away stars pay tribute to colleague

Former and current stars of Home and Away have paid tribute to their colleague, who has passed away after a battle with cancer. Bruce Murray, who worked as a key grip behind the scenes of the show, has died just one year after going public with his diagnosis of oesophageal cancer. The news of his passing has rocked the show, with cast mates taking to social media to share their stories of their time with Bruce. "Love you Brucey, you beautiful thing," Emily Weir, who plays Mackenzie Booth said on Instagram. What a man, never a dull moment on the set or on the dance floor," Sarah Roberts, who played Willow Harris on the show before leaving in 2021, wrote. "One of the reasons I loved going to work... couldn't stop giggling at his jokes and his dance moves. I'll miss you Brucey!" "One of the best gone too soon," Home and Away's head of makeup and hair, Laura Vazquez posted on Instagram. "Will miss you, mate. Can't believe I won't be seeing you again. RIP Brucey, you absolute legend." Murray's diagnosis with stage four oesophageal cancer was made public in October 2023, when his loved ones launched a GoFundMe page to help raise money for his family as he underwent treatment. "Recently our beloved, good friend, Bruce Murray was diagnosed with Stage 4 Oesophageal Cancer which has unfortunately gone into his blood stream and formed multiple cancers on his bones – ribs, spine, collar bone, sacrum, and hips," the GoFundMe page's message read. Many Home and Away alumni contributed to the GoFundMe, including Ada Nicodemou, Matt Little, Georgie Parker, Jessica Tovey, Stephanie Panozzo, Pia Miller, Ethan Browne, Axle Whitehead, and Philippa Northeast as well as numerous other anonymous donations and donations from producers and other Home and Away staffers, with the page raising $51k for Bruce's treatment. Bruce is survived by his wife of 19 years, Shelley Murray – who is a costume designer and head of the Home and Away wardrobe department – and their two children. Image credits: Instagram

Caring

Ian Thorpe lists luxury home at a discount

Ian Thorpe has returned his luxury Woollahra townhouse to the market for a price of $3.5 million. The Olympic gold medallist previously listed it on the market for $3.7 million in September last year but failed to find a buyer at that price. The townhouse boasts four-bedrooms and three-bathrooms and sits on 250sqm of land. It also has an outdoor swimming pool and a beautiful outdoor tropical garden. Thorpe purchased the home in December 2017 for $2.75 million and has since done extensive renovation work to the property. He remodelled the terrace and added in stylish sliding doors. It also features open plan living areas perfect for families. "It's completely private and secluded," letting agent Courtney Wong told The Sydney Morning Herald in 2023. A description for the property reads: "For those seeking a private escape with all the comforts of a luxury home, this is everything you could have dreamed of and more. "A true gem tucked away at the quiet rear of a boutique block of only six, this residence represents the perfect mix of modernity and the natural world with its contemporary architectural design in a tranquil leafy setting." Images: Ray White Double Bay/ Instagram

Home & Garden

Why Lisa Marie Presley kept son's body at home for two months after his death

Lisa Marie Presley was so heartbroken by the loss of her only son, Benjamin Keough, at just 27-years-old in 2020, that she kept his body in her home for two months after his death. The star revealed this in her memoir From Here to the Great Unknown, which was finished by her daughter Riley Keough after the 54-year-old’s death in January 2023, according to Page Six. In the book, Lisa Marie opened up about the extent of her grief, saying that she had to force herself to "fight" to stay alive for her remaining children, and one of the ways she coped was not saying goodbye to Benjamin right away. “My house has a separate casitas bedroom and I kept Ben Ben in there for two months. There is no law in the state of California that you have to bury someone immediately,” Lisa Marie wrote. “I found a very empathetic funeral homeowner. I told her that having my dad in the house after he died was incredibly helpful because I could go and spend time with him and talk to him. She said, ‘We’ll bring Ben Ben to you.’” The room was kept at around 12 degrees celsius to preserve his body, and the star continued saying that she felt “fortunate that there was a way that I could still parent him, delay it a bit longer so that I could become okay with laying him to rest.” Another reason why she decided to keep his body was because she wasn't sure whether to bury him in Hawaii or at Graceland, the Memphis estate where Elvis died and is buried. At one point, Riley and Lisa Marie decided to honour Benjamin by getting matching tattoos of his name, which was inscribed in the same place where Benjamin had his tattoos. Riley recalled the odd moment Lisa Marie brought in the tattoo artist into her home. “Lisa Marie Presley had just asked this poor man to look at the body of her dead son, which happened to be right next to us in the casitas. I’ve had an extremely absurd life, but this moment is in the top five," Riley wrote in the memoir. Lisa Marie acknowledged that it was odd, and soon after the tattoo day, they "got the vibe" that Benjamin wanted to be laid to rest. “Even my mum said that she could feel him talking to her, saying ‘This is insane, Mum, what are you doing? What the f**k!” The family held a funeral for Benjamin in Malibu, and he was buried at Graceland alongside Elvis, and now Lisa Marie as well. Image: Copetti/Photofab/ Shutterstock Editorial

Family & Pets

Aussie family's refusal to sell family home could land them a $60m fortune

An Aussie family that repeatedly said no to selling their much-loved family home to developers could land them a $60million in Australia's booming property market, but the defiant family refuses to sell. A year ago, the Zammit family from Quakers Hill in Sydney's north west caught worldwide attention when they refused to sell their 20,000 sqm parcel of land to developers who had purchased all the other land around them. The family received offers of up to $50m to sell their home to complete the new development named The Ponds, but they refused to sell. That didn't deter developers who are still offering the owners a massive amount of cash to sell their homes, with offers reportedly around $60m now, meaning the family have earned another $10m or 20 per cent over the past year. According to PropTrack home prices in Quakers Hill have risen by 8.5 per cent over the past 12 months, meaning that the Zammits would have earned at least another $4.25 million. The median price of a home in Quakers hill is now at $1.172m, around a decade ago it was $700,000. Last year, one of the property owners, Diane Zammit, 50, told news.com.au that the neighbourhood used to be “farmland dotted with little red brick homes and cottages." “Every home was unique and there was so much space – but not any more. It’s just not the same,” she said. It is estimated that 50 houses could fit on the block of land if they chose to sell, but some of their neighbours reportedly don't want them to, as they like living in a cul-de-sac. Ray White Quakers Hill agent Taylor Bredin previously praised the family for staying put. “The fact that most people sold out years and years ago, these guys have held on. All credit to them," he told 7News. “Depending on how far you push the development plan, you’d be able to push anywhere from 40 to 50 properties on something like this, and when subdivided, a 300 square metre block would get a million dollars.” Images: Channel 7

Money & Banking

Offering end of life support as part of home care is important – but may face some challenges

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-tieman-378102">Jennifer Tieman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> Earlier this month, the government announced <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-has-a-new-plan-for-residential-aged-care-heres-whats-changing-238765">major changes</a> to aged care in Australia, including a A$4.3 billion <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-governments-home-care-changes-mean-for-ageing-australians-238890">investment in home care</a>. Alongside a shake up of home care packages, the Support at Home program will include an important addition – an <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/support-at-home-fact-sheet.pdf">end of life pathway</a> for older Australians. This pathway will allow access to a <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/support-at-home/features">higher level</a> of in-home aged care services to help Australians stay at home as they come to the end of their life. Specifically, it will provide an extra A$25,000 for palliative support when a person has three months or less left to live. This is a positive change. But there may be some challenges to implementing it. <h2>Why is this important?</h2> Older people have made clear their preference to remain in their homes as they age. For <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0269216313487940">most people</a>, home is where they would like to be during their last months of life. The space is personal, familiar and comforting. However, data from the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/research/classifying-place-death-australian-mortality-statistics">Australian Bureau of Statistics</a> shows most people who die between the ages of 65 and 84 die in hospital, while most people aged 85 and older die in residential aged care. This apparent gap may reflect a lack of appropriate services. Both palliative care services and GPs have an important role in providing medical care to people living at home with a terminal illness. However, being able to <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/815-dying-well.pdf">die at home</a> relies on the availability of ongoing support including hands-on care and assistance with daily living. Family members and friends often provide this support, but this is not always possible. Even when it is, carers may <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38533612/">lack confidence and skills</a> to provide the necessary care, and may not have enough support for and respite from their carer role. The palliative care funding offered within Support at Home should help an older person to remain at home and die at home, if that is their preference. Unless someone dies suddenly, care needs are likely to increase at the end of a person’s life. Supports at home may involve help with showering and toileting, assessing and addressing symptoms, developing care plans, managing medications, wound dressing, domestic tasks, preparing meals, and communicating with the person’s family. Occupational therapists and physiotherapists can assist with equipment requirements and suggest home modifications. End of life supports may also involve clarifying goals of care, contacting services such as pharmacists for medications or equipment, liaising with organisations about financial matters, respite care or funeral planning, as well as acknowledging grief and offering spiritual care. But we don’t know yet exactly what services the $25,000 will go towards. <h2>What do we know about the scheme so far?</h2> The Support at Home program, including the end of life pathway, is scheduled to start from <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/support-at-home-fact-sheet.pdf">July 1 2025</a>. We know the funding is linked to a prognosis of three months or less to live, which will be determined <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-15/new-payment-aims-to-make-it-easier-for-people-to-die-at-home/104347984">by a doctor</a>. Further information has indicated that an older person can be referred to a <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/support-at-home/features">high-priority assessment</a> to access the end of life pathway. We don’t know yet what this means, however they don’t need to be an existing Support at Home participant to be eligible. The pathway will allow 16 weeks to use the funds, possibly to provide some leeway around the three-month timeline. Although more details are coming to light, there are still some things which remain unclear. Home care providers will be looking for details on what can be covered by this funding and how they will work alongside primary care providers and health-care services. Older people and their families will want to know the processes to apply for this funding and how long applications will take to be reviewed. Everyone will want to know what happens if the person doesn’t die within three months. <h2>Some challenges</h2> Ready availability of appropriate supports and services will be crucial for older people accessing this pathway. Home care providers will therefore need to assess how an end of life pathway fits into their operational activities and how they can build the necessary skills and capacity. Demand for nurses with palliative care skills and allied health professionals is likely to increase. Providing end of life care can be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33096682/">especially taxing</a> so strategies will be needed to prevent staff burnout and encourage self-care. How pathways are implemented in rural and remote areas and in different cultural and community groups will need to be monitored to ensure all older people benefit. Effective coordination and communication between home care, primary care and specialist palliative providers care will be key. Digital health systems that connect the sectors could be helpful. Family engagement will also be very important. Escalation pathways and referral pathways should be established to enable appropriate responses to emergencies, unexpected deterioration, and family distress. Finally, <a href="https://bmcpalliatcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12904-023-01155-y">accurately determining</a> when someone will die can be difficult. Knowing when the last three months of life starts may not be easy, particularly where frailty, cognitive issues and multiple health concerns may be present. This might mean some people are not seen as being ready for this pathway. Others may not be willing to accept this prognosis. An older person may also be expected to live with a terminal illness for many months or years. Their palliative care needs would not be met under this pathway. Despite these challenges, the announcement of an end of life pathway within the home care program is timely and welcome. As a population we are living longer and dying older. More details will help us be better prepared to implement this scheme.<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/239296/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-tieman-378102">Jennifer Tieman</a>, Matthew Flinders Professor and Director of the Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/offering-end-of-life-support-as-part-of-home-care-is-important-but-may-face-some-challenges-239296">original article</a>. </div>

Retirement Life

‘We’re all Muriel’: why we still love Muriel’s Wedding, 30 years on

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-french-12625">Lisa French</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> P.J. Hogan’s classic Australian film Muriel’s Wedding is 30 and it plays as well today as it did when it had its world premiere. Muriel might have been “terrible” – but the film was a great success. Australians love to laugh at themselves, and everyone loves an underdog. Muriel’s Wedding took more than A$15 million at the box office in Australia — making it one of the <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/australian-films/feature-film-releases/top-australian-films">highest-grossing</a> Australian feature films of all time. As fun as the film is with its kitsch aesthetic, bold colour palette and garish costumes, it has a unique mix of comedy and serious drama. It slips from the absurd to painful realism, with more depth than your average comedy and a twist in the plot that made it an original take on the genre. While Australians generally have received it as hilarious, audiences elsewhere were more attuned to the tragedy, such as Muriel’s mother Betty’s suicide following relentless bullying, and Rhonda’s illness and disability. But it worked for audiences everywhere who warmed to the representation of friendship, its emotional compassion and critique of the narrow mindedness of small-town communities. <h2>‘We’re all Muriel’</h2> Sometimes it is the stars who can bring in an audience and make a film successful. However, although there were a lot of experienced actors in Muriel’s Wedding, Toni Collette (Muriel) and Rachel Griffiths (Rhonda) – whose performances were exceptional – were both playing lead and supporting roles for the first time in a feature film. It was also Hogan’s first feature, so it is unlikely star power drew in audiences (although all of them were to become stars, and Hogan later directed My Best Friend’s Wedding with Julia Roberts, one of the <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/08/best-romantic-comedies-list">top romantic comedies of all time</a>). It did, however, have a wonderful trailer. I asked Rachel Griffiths what she thought was the key to the film’s success and she identified its universality: it translated for an array of audiences and enabled broad identification. She described the film as having one foot in the grotesque and the other in Ridley Scott’s 1991 getaway heist Thelma & Louise – another film about female friendship, independence and individual growth. Griffiths gave the example of going with the film to New York on its release and discovering it was wildly meaningful to the LGBTQIA+ community. In conversation with a gay man in his late 20s, he described it as a parable for AIDS, which at that time was in full-blown crisis. According to Griffiths, he said: “We’re all Muriel. We don’t fit in.” <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/laHqRJeXeVU?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Growing up in small towns where they are “the freak”, with closet musical tastes, he said: <blockquote> We’re the outcasts in our family. Our fathers belittle us for being feminine. We escape to the big smoke with the promise of becoming ourselves and following our own journey. We replace our families who have rejected us with our chosen family who celebrate us. </blockquote> And when one of their own is struck suddenly by this terrible affliction, like Rhonda, they are sent home in humiliation, to be looked after, which is their worst fear. The aspiration is to be rescued by the adopted family and taken back to the big city and shown unconditional love. Griffiths says: <blockquote> That’s the ending and the survival story of both Rhonda and Muriel, you go back to that kind of pride moment, to be proud of who you are. </blockquote> For Griffiths, Rhonda and Muriel have “a kind of blood-sister friendship, a bond that can’t be broken”. We all long for that deep acceptance. It is a parable of inclusion, where Muriel and Rhonda truly see and accept each other and themselves. <h2>A feminist film</h2> I asked Griffiths if Muriel’s Wedding was received as feminist when it was released. She replied it wasn’t at the time it was made, but more recently this has come up. Her explanation of why this wasn’t considered 30 years ago is informative regarding film criticism. She elaborated that the critics at the time were 90% male and their take on feminism expected powerful female lead characters who pursue their goals and achieve in the face of competition. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oykn8YgGkJs?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> In this story, there is a girl escaping patriarchal control. Muriel’s father, Bill Heslop (Bill Hunter), is a bully and narcissist who blames everyone else – especially the women – for his failures. Griffiths aligns Muriel to the Cinderella myth because in the beginning she sees her value will only be ascribed to her once she marries. The film, Griffiths said, is “a fundamental kind of feminist journey”. The central focus is Muriel’s personal growth in rejecting ideology that promotes romantic coupling as the pinnacle of happiness for women. Instead Muriel embraces her own worth and her friendship with Rhonda. Marriage is portrayed as a patriarchal structure that ideologically binds women – the marriages are variously fraudulent, starting with Tanya and Chook, then Muriel and, ultimately, her mother. There are many elements that make Muriel’s Wedding an Australian classic, from the universal themes and relatability to how the story is able to extend beyond national borders. The film leaves us with admiration for resilience in the face of adversity, signalled by Muriel and Rhonda grinning assuredly at each other in the final scene. It is a unique and very real comedy/drama with a highly engaging aesthetic and a feminist message. It is an opportunity to laugh at ourselves, despite quite a lot of tragedy and adversity — which is a very Australian thing to do! The author wishes to thank Rachel Griffiths who was interviewed in Melbourne on August 17 2020.<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/236793/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-french-12625">Lisa French</a>, Professor & Dean, School of Media and Communication, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Image credits: Miramax 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/were-all-muriel-why-we-still-love-muriels-wedding-30-years-on-236793">original article</a>. </div>

Movies

Transforming homes and lives: The rise of Compact Home Lifts

In an era where ageing in place has become increasingly important, homeowners are constantly looking for clever solutions to maintain their independence and comfort. Enter the game-changing alternative to traditional stairlifts: <a href="https://compactlifts.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Compact Home Lifts</a>. These sleek and discreet elevators are revolutionising how people navigate their multi-storey homes, offering a perfect blend of functionality, style and peace of mind. For anyone considering home mobility solutions, Compact Home Lifts present a compelling case. Unlike bulky stairlifts that can radically alter the appearance of existing staircases, these lifts occupy less than a square metre of floor space, seamlessly integrating into almost any room of your house. But the real beauty lies in their versatility and minimal impact on your home's aesthetics. One of the most attractive features of these lifts is their self-supporting design. With no need for structural walls, installation is neat and non-invasive, preserving the integrity of your home. The fully contained motor and self-supporting rails ensure that the lift can be installed with minimal disruption to your daily life. Any concerns about energy consumption are quickly dispelled too when you learn that these lifts plug into a standard socket and use less power than boiling a kettle! This energy efficiency not only makes them environmentally friendly but also keeps operating costs low. <h2>Planning for the future</h2> While some homeowners may require a home lift immediately due to mobility issues, others are taking a proactive approach. By installing a Compact Home Lift, they’re future-proofing their homes, ensuring they can continue to enjoy their beloved space for years to come. This forward-thinking strategy eliminates the need for costly and emotionally taxing moves or extensive home renovations to accommodate single-floor living. <h2>Customer satisfaction and expert installation</h2> Compact Home Lifts has garnered an exceptional reputation, boasting impressive ratings from customers on Google. Their dedicated team of expert installers ensures that both homeowners and their properties are treated with the utmost care and professionalism. One satisfied customer, Kenneth S, shared his experience in August 2024, writing: “Cannot say enough good things about the team at Compact Home Lifts. They have been wonderful in every stage (including post installation). If you need a home lift, I recommend these guys.” <h2>Tailored solutions and expert advice</h2> Understanding that each home and homeowner's needs are unique, Compact Home Lifts offers personalised consultations. Their experts visit your property to help determine the optimal location for your lift and address any questions or concerns you may have. This tailored approach ensures that you receive a solution that perfectly fits your home and lifestyle. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2024/09/Article-Image-Body-3-Wheelchair-1280.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> As Australia’s number one small home lift provider, Compact Home Lifts stands out with its rapid service, cost-effective solutions and small footprint designs. They offer a range of models, including wheelchair-accessible options, catering to diverse mobility needs. Perhaps one of the most reassuring aspects of choosing Compact Home Lifts is their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Each installation comes with a 7-year warranty, providing homeowners with long-term peace of mind (T&Cs apply). <h2>Embracing independence and comfort</h2> By choosing a Compact Home Lift, homeowners aren’t just investing in a mobility solution; they're investing in their future independence and quality of life. These lifts offer the freedom to move safely between floors, maintaining access to all areas of your home without the need for assistance. Compact Home Lifts represent a significant leap forward in home mobility solutions. They offer a perfect balance of functionality, aesthetics and peace of mind, allowing homeowners to continue enjoying the homes they love for years to come. As we look to the future of ageing in place, it's clear that these innovative lifts will play a crucial role in maintaining independence and enhancing the quality of life for countless individuals. For more information, watch the video below or visit the <a href="https://compactlifts.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Compact Home Lifts</a> website. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5TQEcW-lNe4?si=DonQNooUcOkadDdR" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Compact Home Lifts.

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