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MedicAlert: The life-saving service that just got even better

While traditional MedicAlert IDs have long been trusted for their reliability, the company that currently protects more than four million members worldwide has taken a huge step forward in enhancing emergency care and personal safety by <a href="https://www.medicalert.org.au/qr-code" target="_blank" rel="noopener">integrating QR codes</a> into their medical IDs. These QR codes are a modern addition that provide rapid, comprehensive access to critical medical information, ensuring timely and accurate assistance in emergencies. When a MedicAlert QR code is scanned, first responders and healthcare professionals can immediately access the wearer’s detailed medical history. This includes information on allergies, chronic conditions, medications and emergency contacts, as well as your uploaded documents like Advanced Care Directives and specialist letters. The quick retrieval of this data can be lifesaving, especially in situations where every second counts. MedicAlert’s QR codes are designed to be user-friendly and secure. Scanning the code with a smartphone or any QR code reader directs the user to a secure webpage containing the medical profile of the ID wearer. This ensures that sensitive information is both accessible when needed and protected from unauthorised access. One of the standout features of MedicAlert QR codes is their global functionality. No matter where you are in the world, emergency responders can scan the code and access the information in multiple languages. This is particularly beneficial for travellers, providing peace of mind that their medical information is always within reach. <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-70799" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2024/10/MEDICALERT-22nd-May-2024-219_O60.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The information linked to a MedicAlert QR code can also be easily updated. This means any changes in medical conditions, medications or emergency contacts can be promptly reflected, ensuring that the most current information is available at all times. As a registered Australian charity, MedicAlert also ensures that all online data is securely stored within Australia, providing peace of mind regarding the privacy and protection of your personal medical information. Their commitment to safeguarding your health data while offering reliable and accessible emergency support makes them an invaluable ally in maintaining your wellbeing. For a limited time, get 60% off all stainless steel MedicAlert products with the discount code 60OVER60. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.medicalert.org.au/qr-code">https://www.medicalert.org.au/qr-code</a> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HkmBEXerAFQ?si=FFtmmhywyzu6EPUr" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Images: MedicAlert This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with MedicAlert

Caring

Rare footage captures secluded tribe emerging from the Amazon

Remarkable new footage has captured one of the world's most secluded tribes, who have been known for firing arrows at outsiders who get too close, as they emerged from the Amazon rainforest in Peru. The tribe were spotted near several controversial logging sites that have been making clearings throughout the forest, decimating their home lands. According to the Indigenous rights advocacy group Survival International, members of the Mashco Piro tribe, believed to be the biggest group of indigenous people living with no outside contact, were spotted near the Las Piedras River a few kilometres from tree-cutting projects in Southeastern section of the country. “This is irrefutable evidence that many Mashco Piro live in this area, which the government has not only failed to protect, but actually sold off to logging companies,” local Indigenous organisation Fenamad’s President Alfredo Vargas Pio said. Near the remote villages of Monte Salvado and Puerto Nuevo, the tribe emerged in search of food, with President Pio voicing concerns that violent fights could break out between loggers and the Indigenous people. He also added that the outside loggers could potentially bring new diseases to the area, which could wipe out the tribe. According to Survival International, Indigenous advocates have urged authorities to pull the certifications from the logging companies to protect the tribes. Logging company Canales Tahuamanu has been granted permission to log on the jungle land since 2002 with its invasive activity now sprawled out over 193 square miles, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/17/mashco-piro-tribe-photos-peru/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a> reported. The publication also reported that the firm also has a history of clashing with local tribes, although in the past, the firm said its workers have never reported seeing any Mashco Piro people and has complied with laws in Peru, where it is illegal to contact the tribe. Despite the Mashco Piro tribe’s seclusion, they have had limited contact with outsiders, with most of their rare contact resulting in violence, as they have been known for fire arrows at tourists boats and park rangers as warnings not to approach the area. Image credits: Survival International <div class="media image side-by-side" style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 24px; align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; width: 705.202209px; max-width: 100%;"> </div>

International Travel

"Love harder": Perth brothers farewelled at emotional memorial service

Six weeks after they were <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/tragic-new-details-emerge-over-aussie-brothers-missing-in-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot dead</a> while on a surfing trip to Mexico, Perth brothers Jake and Callum Robinson have been farewelled in a heart-wrenching private memorial on Saturday. The memorial took place in Perth’s Sacred Heart College, where the brothers attended high school, and hundreds gathered at the college to remember the brothers. It was also live-streamed for those who could not fit into the theatre at the college, with Callum's friends also watching on from America, where he spent the last 14 years of his life. In an emotional tribute, their parents, Debra and Martin Robinson, thanked loved ones abroad and in Australia for their endless support, and talked about how special their sons were. "We're not here to dwell on the where or the how or try to understand the why of their passing but instead to say goodbye to two young men and hopefully start the healing process for everyone," Mr Robinson said. “It’s hard to describe the feeling of when your adult children come and visit you, until it’s gone,” Mrs Robinson added. “They loved life and they followed their dreams. “They were intelligent, respectful men with so much more to offer the world.” The cover of a memorial brochure had the phrase: “LIVE BIGGER, SHINE BRIGHTER, LOVE HARDER”. With shaky voices, the grieving parents described how their two sons exuded “pure love”. "We loved that Jake was curious, kind and happy and never judgemental. Callum always made a conscious decision to wake up and be positive every day. He saw so much fun in life," Mrs Robinson said. "We look around the room today at everyone and it gives us strength, so thank you. "We have cried many tears and we will cry many more … We miss you beyond description, Callum and Jakie boy, please shine on us." Childhood friends Adam Moore and Simon Moore also shared anecdotes about their friendships with the brothers. Adam recalled how the two brothers always excelled "at any sport imaginable" and always had so much energy, and Simon spoke of their surfing adventures through the years. The brothers and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad were last seen alive on April 27. They were allegedly robbed for their car tyres and murdered while they were camping in the Baja California coastline. Three people have been <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/arrests-made-over-aussie-surfers-missing-in-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> over their suspected involvement in the robbery. Image: 7News

Caring

Jesse Baird's mother farewells her son in emotional memorial service

Slain TV presenter Jesse Baird has been farewelled by his loved ones at an emotional memorial service in Melbourne, one month after he was killed alongside his partner. Hundreds of friends and family packed into Melbourne’s Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre, all donning bright colours to remember the 26-year-old. Baird's mother Helen spoke about her "darling boy" in a tear-jerking tribute, saying, “My beautiful, generous, loving, precious, caring and talented boy, our hearts and lives are changed forever,” “I promise to fight for you and make you proud. My heart is broken my darling boy, and I love you more than this world." "Our hearts and lives are changed forever and there is less sparkle in the world. There will never be another you." Jesse's father Gary added, “You squeezed 100 years of life into 26 and our hearts are broken. You’ll be missed but never forgotten.” Kourtnee, Jesse's sister, battled through floods of tears to farewell her brother, saying, "You are the absolute light of my life. My biggest inspiration and my biggest cheerleader." Jesse's Studio 10 colleagues were also in attendance, with co-host Daniel Doody saying that Baird "was more than a co-worker, he was a brother, a best mate." "Just like all your live on-air appearances, I wish there was more time." Balloons spelling out Baird’s name adorned the convention centre’s stage alongside photos of him smiling at different stages in his life. After the service, the large crowd gathered outside to blow a flurry of bubbles. Image credits: 7News

Family & Pets

Veteran slams Australia Day “dawn service”

An Australian war veteran has slammed a Sydney council for their decision to hold a dawn reflection service on January 26th, saying it is “disrespectful” to those who fought and died for their country. The Anzac-day style service, held by Sydney’s Waverley council, will acknowledge the resilience and survival of First Nations people, recognising Australia Day as a “day of mourning” for many Indigenous Australians. Michael von Berg, a Military Cross recipient who served as a combat soldier in the Vietnam War, has denounced the council’s decision, saying dawn services should only be held on Anzac Day, as the events are synonymous with honouring past soldiers. “For God's sake. It's a disservice not only to the veteran community but also to First Nations soldiers who fought and died for their country,” he said. Mr von Berg, who claims to have served alongside Aboriginal soldiers on his first tour of Vietnam in the mid-1960s, questioned the purpose of the event, describing it as “cheap symbolism”. “Personally, a dawn service of this nature flies in the face of what they traditionally stand for, which is honouring soldiers,” he said. “This stuff doesn't help anyone. I have nothing but respect for First Nations people but there's got to be another way.” Mr von Berg urged Waverley Council to “seriously reconsider” the event, suggesting they “Hold it on another date.” However, Mayor of Waverley Council Paula Masselos hit back at criticism of the dawn service, given Australia Day was a day of mourning for many First Nations people. “As a Council that is committed to social justice, we understand that January 26 can be a difficult day for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and that many in our community are still coming to terms with the result of the Voice to Parliament referendum,” Mayor Masselos said. Australia Day, observed each year on January 26th, marks the landing of the First Fleet in 1788 when the first governor of the British colony of New South Wales, Arthur Philip, hoisted the Union Jack at Sydney Cove. But for many First Nations people, it is regarded as 'Invasion Day' or the 'Day of Mourning' because it marks the beginning of Australia's colonisation. Image credits: Getty Images / Facebook

Legal

"It's too late": Sister of mother who died waiting for ambulance speaks out

A Current Affair host Ally Langdon teared up during an interview with the heartbroken sister of Cath Groom, the Brisbane mum who <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/mother-dies-after-ambulance-fails-to-arrive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died after waiting for an ambulance</a> that never arrived. Groom had initially complained of severe chest pain in the hours before she was found dead by her son, Nicholas, on the morning of her 52nd birthday. Groom's sister, Bec McQuilty said that her family will never get over the tragedy, as she details exactly what happened that night. McQuilty said her sister had not only complained of severe chest pains, but was also vomiting profusely and had pain between the shoulder blades. She said Nicholas, Grooms's only son, called triple zero "multiple times" to request an ambulance, but after 90 minutes of no help, Groom decided to go to sleep. She got up at some point in the night, collapsed and died. "For a young boy to have to see his mum like that, it just shouldn't happen," McQuilty said. "He was petrified he didn't know what to do. "He's been taught through all his life that you can rely on these people and to make a phone call to triple zero and them not be there for him when they should have been, is just blatant neglect. "I will never forget the look on his face of just absolute despair." The A Current Affair broke down the moment McQuilty recalled Nicholas calling her in a panic after finding his dead mum. "I just think this hits all of us, hearing this," Langdon said. "That scene no doubt will haunt you for a long time." McQuilty shared that prior to Groom's passing the family was experiencing "the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in the space of 24 hours," after celebrating Nicholas' high school graduation on the Friday. "To get to such an incredible point of his high school graduation and just to be so proud of him on that day," McQuilty said. "I could see it in her face that she was just, you know, so so proud. "And literally 24 hours later he's finding his mother deceased, unnecessarily. "He's numb, he's angry and he's got a really long road ahead of him." Nicholas has now lost both parents, as his dad passed away when he was a baby. McQuilty revealed that her mum was admitted to the ER after finding out the devastating news and "never come back from this". "She herself was taken to the ER from just complete shock and her own heart," McQuilty said. "So I have my sister deceased in the house. I have my mom in the ER. "You know, it's just, no family, Ally, should ever ever have to go through what our family has gone through." McQuilty hopes that there will be changes made to emergency health system in the wake of her sister's death. "Put some more money into our hospital system and our health system maybe. "It's too late for my family, it's too late. But maybe that can save somebody else." Images: Nine/ A Current Affair

Caring

Lilie James farewelled in emotional memorial service

Friends and family of Lilie James have honoured the 21-year-old water polo coach in an emotional memorial service. The memorial was held at Danebank Anglican School in Hurstville in Sydney's south on Friday morning, with Lilie's loved ones making the sweet gesture at the service. Friends, family and members of her school community at St Andrew's Cathedral school where she taught were asked to show up in bright colours, to remember Lilie fondly and celebrate her life, despite it being cut short. In a statement, Ms James' father Jamie said the 21-year-old was a vibrant young woman who was "always on the go". "On top of working and studying Lilie loved coaching and playing water polo. She loved to dance," he said. "Even with her busy schedule, she always still made time to support her brother Max, her friends and family." "We cannot thank the community enough for their thoughts, prayers, generosity and messages through this difficult time." "From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for the many great memories we all share of Lilie." He concluded, "Lilie James we are so proud of you and thank you for sharing a wonderful and jam-packed 21 years together." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Family and friends are gathering at a private service in Sydney's south this morning, to farewell Lilie James - who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend and colleague, at her workplace, last month. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9News?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9News</a> <a href="https://t.co/BXkRYdPkj1">pic.twitter.com/BXkRYdPkj1</a> — 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) <a href="https://twitter.com/9NewsSyd/status/1725316273431527677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2023</a></blockquote> A white hearse arrived at the school at 9:30am on Friday morning, as friends and family cried and embraced each other during the procession. NSW Premier Chris Minns was also seen arriving to pay his respects, with as many as 500 mourners expected at the service. As per the wishes of Ms James' family, the memorial at Danebank was for friends and the school community only, while the service was live-streamed into St Andrew's Cathedral School for students and teachers to view together. Lilie James was working as an assistant water polo instructor for the elite inner-city school when she was found dead with horrific head injuries inside the campus gymnasium toilets on October 25th. Image credits: Nine News

Caring

How traditional Indigenous education helped four lost children survive 40 days in the Amazon jungle

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eliran-arazi-1447346">Eliran Arazi</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hebrew-university-of-jerusalem-855">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a> The discovery and rescue of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/four-missing-colombian-children-found-alive-jungle-sources-2023-06-10/">four young Indigenous children</a>, 40 days after the aircraft they were travelling in crashed in the remote Colombian rainforest, was hailed in the international press as a “<a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/06/11/miracle-in-the-jungle-colombia-celebrates-rescue-of-children-lost-in-amazon-rainforest_6030840_4.html">miracle in the jungle</a>”. But as an anthropologist who has spent more than a year living among the Andoque people in the region, <a href="https://www.academia.edu/100474974/Amazonian_visions_of_Visi%C3%B3n_Amazon%C3%ADa_Indigenous_Peoples_perspectives_on_a_forest_conservation_and_climate_programme_in_the_Colombian_Amazon">conducting ethnographic fieldwork</a>, I cannot simply label this as a miraculous event. At least, not a miracle in the conventional sense of the word. Rather, the survival and discovery of these children can be attributed to the profound knowledge of the intricate forest and the adaptive skills passed down through generations by Indigenous people. During the search for the children, I was in contact with Raquel Andoque, an elder maloquera (owner of a ceremonial longhouse), the sister of the children’s great-grandmother. She repeatedly expressed her unwavering belief the children would be found alive, citing the autonomy, astuteness and physical resilience of children in the region. Even before starting elementary school, children in this area accompany their parents and elder relatives in various activities such as gardening, fishing, navigating rivers, hunting and gathering honey and wild fruits. In this way the children acquire practical skills and knowledge, such as those demonstrated by Lesly, Soleiny, Tien and Cristin during their 40-day ordeal. Indigenous children typically learn from an early age how to open paths through dense vegetation, how to tell edible from non-edible fruits. They know how to find potable water, build rain shelters and set animal traps. They can identify animal footprints and scents – and avoid predators such as jaguars and snakes lurking in the woods. Amazonian children typically lack access to the sort of commercialised toys and games that children in the cities grow up with. So they become adept tree climbers and engage in play that teaches them about adult tools made from natural materials, such as oars or axes. This nurtures their understanding of physical activities and helps them learn which plants serve specific purposes. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A youg girl holding up an insect as her family works alongside" /><figcaption>A local Indigenous girl on an excursion to gather edible larvae. Image courtesy of Eliran Arazi, Author provided</figcaption></figure> Activities that most western children would be shielded from – handling, skinning and butchering game animals, for example – provide invaluable zoology lessons and arguably foster emotional resilience. <h2>Survival skills</h2> When they accompany their parents and relatives on excursions in the jungle, Indigenous children learn how to navigate a forest’s dense vegetation by following the location of the sun in the sky. <figure class="align-left zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=692&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=692&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=692&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Map of the Middle Caqueta region of Colombia." /></a><figcaption>Map showing where in Colombia the four lost children are from. Gadiel Levi, Author provided</figcaption></figure> Since the large rivers in most parts of the Amazon flow in a direction opposite to that of the sun, people can orient themselves towards those main rivers. The trail of footprints and objects left by the four children revealed their general progression towards the Apaporis River, where they may have hoped to be spotted. The children would also have learned from their parents and elders about edible plans and flowers – where they can be found. And also the interrelationship between plants, so that where a certain tree is, you can find mushrooms, or small animals that can be trapped and eaten. <h2>Stories, songs and myths</h2> Knowledge embedded in mythic stories passed down by parents and grandparents is another invaluable resource for navigating the forest. These stories depict animals as fully sentient beings, engaging in seduction, mischief, providing sustenance, or even saving each other’s lives. While these episodes may seem incomprehensible to non-Indigenous audiences, they actually encapsulate the intricate interrelations among the forest’s countless non-human inhabitants. Indigenous knowledge focuses on the interrelationships between humans, plants and animals and how they can come together to preserve the environment and prevent irreversible ecological harm. This sophisticated knowledge has been developed over millennia during which Indigenous people not only adapted to their forest territories but actively shaped them. It is deeply ingrained knowledge that local indigenous people are taught from early childhood so that it becomes second nature to them. It has become part of the culture of cultivating and harvesting crops, something infants and children are introduced to, as well as knowledge of all sort of different food sources and types of bush meat. <h2>Looking after each other</h2> One of the aspects of this “miraculous” story that people in the west have marvelled over is how, after the death of the children’s mother, the 13-year-old Lesly managed to take care of her younger siblings, including Cristin, who was only 11 months old at the time the aircraft went down. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Three Indigenous people in western clothes stood under trees in front of a wide building." /><figcaption>Iris Andoque Macuna with her brother Nestor Andoque and brother-in-law Faustino Fiagama after the two men returned from the search team. Iris Andoque Macuna., Author provided</figcaption></figure> But in Indigenous families, elder sisters are expected to act as surrogate mothers to their younger relatives from an early age. Iris Andoke Macuna, a distant relative of the family, told me: <blockquote> To some whites [non-Indigenous people], it seems like a bad thing that we take our children to work in the garden, and that we let girls carry their brothers and take care of them. But for us, it’s a good thing, our children are independent, this is why Lesly could take care of her brothers during all this time. It toughened her, and she learned what her brothers need. </blockquote> <h2>The spiritual side</h2> For 40 days and nights, while the four children were lost, elders and shamans performed rituals based on traditional beliefs that involve human relationships with entities known as dueños (owners) in Spanish and by various names in native languages (such as i'bo ño̰e, meaning “persons of there” in Andoque). These owners are believed to be the protective spirits of the plants and animals that live in the forests. Children are introduced to these powerful owners in name-giving ceremonies, which ensure that these spirits recognise and acknowledge relationship to the territory and their entitlement to prosper on it. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Woman in pink t-shirt sat on chair inside." /><figcaption>Raquel Andoke, a relative of the missing children and friend of the author. Image courtesy of Eliran Arazi, Author provided</figcaption></figure> During the search for the missing children, elders conducted dialogues and negotiations with these entities in their ceremonial houses (malocas) throughout the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Middle-and-Lower-Caqueta-River-region-State-of-Amazonas-Colombia-Map-from_fig1_255580310">Middle Caquetá</a> and in other Indigenous communities that consider the crash site part of their ancestral territory. Raquel explained to me: <blockquote> The shamans communicate with the sacred sites. They offer coca and tobacco to the spirits and say: “Take this and give me my grandchildren back. They are mine, not yours.” </blockquote> These beliefs and practices hold significant meaning for my friends in the Middle Caquetá, who firmly attribute the children’s survival to these spiritual processes rather than the technological means employed by the Colombian army rescue teams. It may be challenging for non-Indigenous people to embrace these traditional ideas. But these beliefs would have instilled in the children the faith and emotional fortitude crucial for persevering in the struggle for survival. And it would have encouraged the Indigenous people searching for them not to give up hope. The children knew that their fate did not lie in dying in the forest, and that their grandparents and shamans would move heaven and earth to bring them back home alive. Regrettably, this traditional knowledge that has enabled Indigenous people to not only survive but thrive in the Amazon for millennia is under threat. Increasing land encroachment for agribusiness, mining, and illicit activities as well as state neglect and interventions without Indigenous consent have left these peoples vulnerable. It is jeopardising the very foundations of life where this knowledge is embedded, the territories that serve as its bedrock, and the people themselves who preserve, develop, and transmit this knowledge. Preserving this invaluable knowledge and the skills that bring miracles to life is imperative. We must not allow them to wither away.<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/207762/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eliran-arazi-1447346">Eliran Arazi</a>, PhD researcher in Anthropology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (Paris)., <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hebrew-university-of-jerusalem-855">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</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/how-traditional-indigenous-education-helped-four-lost-children-survive-40-days-in-the-amazon-jungle-207762">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Caring

Restaurant under fire for denying entry to war veteran with service dog

A Perth restaurant has been slammed after denying entry to a US war veteran and his service dog. David Pearce and his English Labrador, Gunner, were denied entry to the Chinese restaurant Juice Bao Bao on May 19. Gunner is a certified service dog who assists Pearce through life as he suffers from PTSD, hearing loss and a brain injury. "I tried to explain he's a service dog and they have to allow us in and they said no service dogs, the owner doesn't want any dogs," Pearce said "It was embarrassing, [and] a bit humiliating.” Pearce sustained his injuries while serving in Iraq and Syria. He has served in the US military for nearly 20 years. He and Gunner have been “best buddies” for nine years. "He's saved my life a couple of times," Pearce said. Pearce has launched an official complaint to the Western Australian government following the ordeal. Juice Bao Bao manager Elaine Hsu took responsibility for the decision to refuse entry to Pearce. "That was my personal decision so that's my fault," she told 9News. "We want to sincerely apologise to him and we want to ask him to come here [for a] free meal. "[We will] make sure this [does] not happen again.” The restaurant has received a number of negative reviews since Pearce shared his story. "I'm not really interested in a free meal, although some dumplings would go down really nicely," Pearce said . "I'm just happy that they're changing their policy." Assistance and service dogs are legally allowed to enter any public venue if their certification is displayed on their vest and the owner can provide a service animal ID. Image credit: 9News / Nine

Travel Trouble

"I can't hear you!": New feature set to do away with subtitles

Nothing is more annoying than sitting in front of your TV, eager to watch your favourite show only for the dialogue to be completely wiped because of cars passing by or a plane taking off. Not being able to hear the dialogue in a TV show or movie, especially in an action or crime-driven blockbuster where anything exploding masks all dialogue has been an everlasting problem for viewers. Netflix has revealed that 40 per cent of subscribers have subtitles on at all times while surveys in the US and UK saw anywhere between 60 and 70 per cent of young viewers as frequent users of subtitles. If you’re using subtitles for the purpose of hearing the dialogue rather an accessibility reasons, streaming giant Amazon is introducing a new feature that could eradicate the need to turn them on because of the sound mix. The feature is called ”dialogue boost" and it raises the volume of the dialogue track relative to the score, ambient sound or effects. Although Amazon has so generously offered this solution to subscribers, the dialogue boost feature will only be available on a handful of Amazon Prime Video’s originals, like Beautiful Boy, Being The Ricardos, Jack Ryan and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. A similar feature already appears on some expensive sound systems and TV sets, but Amazon boasts it’s the first streaming platform to roll it out worldwide. To work the feature, select it from the audio and subtitles drop-down menu on an individual title, there will be two options to select from, “English Dialogue Boost: High” or “English Dialogue Boost: Medium”. The title page for a TV series or movie will show whether the dialogue boost is available. According to Variety, the helpful feature was originally designed for hearing-impaired viewers. Rest assured, if you struggle to hear the dialogue due to the sound mix, there's help on the way, granted it's exclusive to Amazon. Image credit: Shutterstock

A horse died on the set of The Rings of Power: more needs to be done to ensure the welfare of horses used in entertainment

The recent <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/rings-of-power-horse-death-lord-of-the-rings-peta-1235564884/">death of a horse</a> on the set of Amazon’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7631058/">The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power</a> is the latest incident raising questions about how humans use horses for entertainment and sport. While a statement from producers said the horses’s cardiac arrest occurred before the day’s filming began, animal rights activists PETA used the death to call on all screen producers to replace on-set horses with CGI and mechanical rig alternatives. The incident feeds into growing public concern about horse welfare on film and TV sets, at the track and in equestrian sports. But improving horse welfare is about more than just reputation repair – too often it’s about survival for horses and humans. <h2>Horse welfare in film and TV</h2> The riding of a horse over a cliff to its death for the movie Jesse James (1939) led to the establishment of <a href="https://humanehollywood.org/about-us/">American Humane</a>, which now oversees around 100,000 animals on more than 1,000 productions each year. While things have improved since the early days of film and television, deaths and mistreatment of horses still occur. In 1987, on the set of <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118307194">The Man From Snowy River II</a>, a seriously injured horse was killed using the blunt end of an axe. More recently, the high-profile series <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/the-real-story-behind-hbos-cancellation-of-luck">Luck</a>, starring Dustin Hoffman, was cancelled following the deaths of three horses. <h2>The good and bad of unprecedented global exposure</h2> In 2021, the Tokyo Olympics beamed to a global audience the excessive <a href="https://7news.com.au/sport/olympics/peta-calls-for-abusive-equestrian-events-to-be-axed-from-olympics-c-3703388">whipping and punching</a> of modern pentathlon horse Saint Boy and show jumper Kilkenny’s <a href="https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/kilkenny-suffers-nosebleed-during-olympic-individual-final">spectacular nosebleed</a> during the controversial show jumping program. While the bleed must have been obvious, officials did not intervene to stop the ride. Confronting images, and the perceived failure of organisers to protect the horses involved, brought into clear and global focus the indisputable welfare issues faced by horses competing at the elite level. The global outcry led to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9892093/Name-price-Kaley-Cuoco-offers-buy-horse-cruelly-punched-Olympics.html">actress Kaley Cuoco offering to buy Saint Boy</a> and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/02/modern-pentathlon-votes-to-ditch-horse-riding-after-tokyo-olympic-turmoil">withdrawal of the equestrian phase from modern pentathlon</a>. <h2>Risk to humans and horses</h2> Horse welfare does not just impact animals. Since the 1840s, 873 jockeys are known to have <a href="https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/2062/facts-and-figures-jockey-fatalities-australia/">died in race falls</a> in Australia. Internationally, the sport of eventing (where competitors complete three phases: dressage, show jumping and cross-country) reported 38 rider and 65 horse fatalities during or after competition between 2007-15. Riding horses is considered one of the most <a href="https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/evj.13934">dangerous of all sporting pursuits</a>, and the deaths of riders and jockeys, usually from falls, are common. Public concern about risk to horses and humans through horse racing and equestrian sports, as well as screen production, also <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/15/1987">threaten these industries’ social licence</a>. <h2>Better horse welfare is related to better rider safety</h2> Our research offers hope for the horse industry and for those passionate about riding horses. Last year, we <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159121003269">published a paper</a> demonstrating the link between horse welfare and rider safety. We asked riders how they cared for their horses and how their horses behaved when ridden – for example, we wanted to know how often horses were bucking or rearing. From this information, we calculated a relative welfare score for each horse. We also asked riders about their accidents and injuries. After analysing the data from over 400 riders, we found the higher the horse welfare score, the fewer accidents and injuries a rider reported. In a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08927936.2023.2176589">subsequent study</a>, we found horses with better welfare scores are more enjoyable to ride, most likely because they perform better and riders feel more in control, creating a win-win for horses and riders. <h2>Good horse welfare means more than good health</h2> Often good welfare is thought of in terms of an animal being healthy. While this is part of good welfare, good health alone is not enough – especially for a horse competing at the elite level or taking part in a film. Horses are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159117300710?casa_token=5E77h_TYKGEAAAAA:EUBGz7BTnACvpvB_3iYM-urXpBxJbS95G0-05yMRJEbMTg_SEeb_VnSoVgn35su8_aNOZEpSqctL">neophobes</a> – this means they find new things frightening – so most horses are likely to find a movie set or travelling to a new location stressful. The most up-to-date <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1870/htm">understanding of welfare</a> tells us that stress and poor mental health means poor animal welfare. When a horse is stressed or in pain they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159117300692">behave in a very predictable way</a> – they run away, panic, kick out or buck and rear. Yet, anecdotally and in the media, people seeing a horse behaving in this way often claim the horse is crazy, unpredictable or just plain mean. More likely, an “unpredictable” horse is suffering from poor welfare. As part of our research program, we have developed a <a href="https://hub.rspca.org.au/attachments/88">new framework</a> to help horse owners identify aspects of their care and training that diminish horse welfare. This information can be used to make modifications to improve horse welfare, and, importantly, can be applied to horses in any equine sector, including racing, sport and film and television. <h2>Investing in the future of horses in entertainment and sport</h2> Although a veterinarian assessed the recent horse death on the set of The Rings of Power as “unlikely to be associated with the horse’s participation in the film”, more can be done to protect horses and the industry. In Australia, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/7/1986">no specific standard exists for the use of animals</a> in filmed media, and each state and territory has differing risk management guidelines. An opportunity now exists for the industry to set a new standard for horse care and training. An easily executable first step for the industry could be to insist a scientifically trained and credentialed equine behaviour expert be involved in the recruitment and supervision of horse actors and their trainers at all stages of production. This would ensure horse actors are appropriately trained to be on set and that horses are trained using the most up-to-date ethical methods. Horse behaviour experts could also help in scene design to minimise horses’ exposure to stressful situations and identify tasks that are incompatible with good horse welfare. If these suggestions were to be adopted, the film and television industry would be setting the benchmark for horse welfare – and pressure other horse industries to follow suit. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-horse-died-on-the-set-of-the-rings-of-power-more-needs-to-be-done-to-ensure-the-welfare-of-horses-used-in-entertainment-202939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Images: The Rings of Power / Amazon

Streaming service giant pays woman 5 figures to watch content

If you think you spend too much time on Amazon Prime, think again as one lucky lady has snatched up her “dream” job with the streaming service. The woman, Alex Bain, 36, has been dubbed Prime Video’s “Buff”, and her job entails reviewing content for Amazon Prime, which came after the platform searched nationwide to fill the role of watching new content. Here’s the real kicker, the 36-year-old will be paid $40,000 for three months of viewing new content and sharing her opinions. She is not new to the scene of content review as she frequently posts to her Instagram, TikTok and Youtube reviewing various TV shows and movies. Upon seeing the advertisement from Amazon Prime, one of Bain’s friends encouraged her to apply. “Everything on it, it was like seeing a list of what would be my ideal job,” Ms Bain told NCA NewsWire. “I’m 36, so I want to do something I’m passionate about, so I decided to just go for it. “I got a phone call from Amazon saying I’d been short-listed, and I was like, ‘Oh my God!’” She said the time between applying for the role and being told she was successful went “so quickly”. Not long after, she received the news she was the lucky one chosen to fill the role. Image credit: Instagram

4 great movies to stream on Amazon, HBO, Netflix and Disney+

Nothing cures boredom like a great movie! Catch up on new releases and take a dive into the beloved classics. Bored? Let’s what a movie! Here are some of the goodies you can enjoy. Amazon: Smile (2023) <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Stars: Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Caitlin Stasey </li> </ul> Premise: After witnessing a strange and traumatic incident with a patient, Dr Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) begins experiencing unexplainable, terrifying occurrences. As terror takes over her life, Rose is on a desperate attempt to escape her new reality. HBO: Gravity (2013) <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller, Drama </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Stars: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris </li> </ul> Premise: This mind-blowing space thriller one seven Oscars! Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is on her first space shuttle mission. Veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) is commanding his last mission before retirement. Disaster strikes, and the shuttle is destroyed, with all communication with Earth eradicated. Watch them navigate their terrifying situation. Netflix: You People (2023) <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Genre: Comedy, Romance </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Stars: Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus </li> </ul> Get ready for some laughs with this movie, with a stellar cast - how could it NOT be funny? When Ezra (Jonah Hill) and Amira (Lauren London) fall in love, they know they’re not so well-suited, but love is love. An issue arises as they find themselves navigating societal expectations of being an interracial couple. Watch to find out if their love endures the culture clash! Disney +: Disenchanted (2022) <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Stars: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Maya Rudolph </li> </ul> 15 years after moving to the “real world” and marrying Robert (Patrick Dempsey) in Enchanted, and Giselle (Amy Adams) has grown unattached to the city. As she searches for her fairy tale life, the pair move to the suburbs, however, they soon find there are a completely new set of rules in their new suburb. Malvina Monroe (Maya Rudolph) runs the show in this suburb, and she’s not a massive fan of whimsical Giselle. In hopes of finding her perfect community, Giselle turns to magic, but it doesn’t work out in her favour. It’s then a race against time to figure out what her happy ever after really is! Image credit: Shutterstock

Movies

“You wouldn’t believe all I had to do to survive”: Man rescued after 31 days in the jungle

A Bolivian man has survived 31 days in the Amazon jungle. Jhonattan Acosta, 30, was hunting in northern Bolivia when he was separated from his four friends. He told United TV he drank rainwater collected in his shoes and ate worms and insects while hiding from jaguars and peccaries, a type of pig-like mammal. Acosta was finally found by a search party made up of locals and friends a month after he went missing. “I can’t believe people kept up the search for so long,” he said in tears. “I ate worms, I ate insects, you wouldn’t believe all I had to do to survive all this time.” He also ate wild fruits similar to papayas, known locally as gargateas. “I thank God profusely, because he has given me a new life,” he said. His family said they will still have to string all the details together regarding how Acosta got lost and how he managed to stay alive but will ask him gradually as he is still psychologically damaged after the experience. There has also been significant physical changes. Acosta lost 17kg, dislocated his ankle and was severely dehydrated when he was found, but according to those who found him, he was still able to walk with a limp. “My brother told us that when he dislocated his ankle on the fourth day, he started fearing for his life,” Horacio Acosta told Bolivia’s Página Siete newspaper. “He only had one cartridge in his shotgun and couldn’t walk, and he thought no one would be looking for him anymore.” As for his encounters with wild animals in the jungle, including a jaguar, his younger brother said that his brother used his last cartridge to scare off a squadron of peccaries. After 31 days, Acosta spotted the search party about 300m away and limped through thorny bushes, shouting to draw attention to him. Acosta’s brother, Haracio, said that he was found by four local people. “A man came running to tell us they’d found my brother,” he said. “It’s a miracle.” Acosta has since decided to give up hunting for good. “He is going to play music to praise God,” Haracio said. “He promised God that, and I think he will keep his promise.” Image credit: BBC News

Travel Trouble

Rita's Ripoff: Tassie author receives shock of her career

When Lian Tanner went online to see if her book was available for purchase in Australia, the last thing she could have expected to learn is that it was - under someone else's name. The award-winning Tasmanian author has written no few books over the course of her career, and only released Rita’s Revenge in 2022. But according to one of Amazon’s sale listings for the latter, Lian had nothing to do with it, instead declaring Emilio M Parks to be the author responsible for the 2023 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards shortlisted story. Tanner opened up to ABC Radio Hobart about her discovery, confessing that she was “absolutely shocked.” "Both had exactly the same cover, exactly the same blurb,” she explained of the two purchase options, “but one of them listed me as the author and the other one had this fellow Emilio M Parks listed as the author. "He had a whole list of books he had apparently written, including Rita's Revenge and Doctor Seuss books, and heaps of other stuff." She went on to comment that the mysterious Emilio M Parks came with a few red flags, noting that “there was no information listed on Amazon about the 'author', and his version of Rita only had 25 pages, when the real book runs to 351 pages. The stolen version was also selling at half the usual price.” Obviously he is hoping someone will come along and want to buy the book, not notice it's the wrong author listed, and then just click through and buy it. Their money's gone and it's too late. “It's a complete rip-off.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Apparently Emilio M Parks has ALSO written a book called Rita's Revenge. With exactly the same cover. And he's selling it on Amazon for half the price of mine. Weird coincidence, huh? He's also selling The Lorax. <a href="https://twitter.com/AllenAndUnwin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AllenAndUnwin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ripoff?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ripoff</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/theft?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#theft</a> <a href="https://t.co/lzE5UhoE6q">pic.twitter.com/lzE5UhoE6q</a> — Lian Tanner (@tanner_lian) <a href="https://twitter.com/tanner_lian/status/1629365601125949440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2023</a></blockquote> Allen and Unwin, the publishers behind legitimate copies of Rita’s Revenge, chimed in on the unfortunate theft, though digital publishing director Elizabeth Weiss’ take couldn’t have come as much comfort to Tanner or her fellow authors, simply stating that plagiarism like that “happens from time to time.” Tanner herself acknowledged the unfortunate likelihood of such events when she said that she’d “heard about entire books being stolen and published under a different title.” “That's much harder to pick up because you're not searching for your own title,” she added. "It happens a lot with translations. Someone will pick up a book that's published in English, translate it into a different language, and then put it up as their own work." However, all hope was not lost, with Weiss explaining that “sites like Amazon are pretty responsive. There is a particular channel we go through and if we can demonstrate the infringement of a title we hold the rights to, they're reasonably prompt [in] dealing with it. "We try to get on to it quickly but often it's the author who finds their own book online and raises the alarm. "Clearly they look identical. It's the same cover file but look at the price … it's a loss of sales but also a moral right infringement.” Weiss also shared advice with shoppers hoping to grab their next online bargain, telling them that “it’s always wise to be a bit careful”, and to double - even triple - check all the information on hand before adding to cart, even on large and “reputable sites like Amazon.” Images: Facebook

Books

“It isn’t a good move": Woolies under fire over massive change to popular service

Woolworths supermarket has caused a stir after implementing a major change to a popular shopping service. Woolies has dramatically increased the minimum spend for online shoppers who are using their Direct to Boot shopping service. Earlier this month, the retail giant upped its minimum spend from $30 to $50, which is a 66 per cent climb. The free service allows customers to shop online and collect it from their local Woolworths without having to leave their car. “We bring your groceries to you. We’ll pick it, pack it, and pop it in your boot for free,” Woolworths says. The increase in minimum spend is not sitting well with the public, with one shopper arguing that it is a disadvantage to vulnerable customers. “Increasing the minimum spend on click and collect/direct to boot orders is only going to make shopping harder on pensioners and people with disabilities who will now either be forced to buy items they don’t need or can’t afford, or made to physically shop for themselves when they might struggle,” one customer said. “It also makes it more frustrating for single person households when they don’t need to buy bigger amounts at a time.” “It isn’t a good move, and I hope you reconsider and look to go back to putting customers first.” “I’m not sure how this improves the way I shop or allows anyone to ‘enjoy greater convenience’ though. It actually reduces convenience.” The customer added. A Woolworths spokesperson defended the minimum spend increase, telling <a href="http://7news.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7NEWS</a>, “Our free direct to boot services and pick up has remained unchanged for a number of years,” “Earlier this month, the minimum spend was increased by $30 to $50.” “We’re continuing to let customers know about this change through our stores and online.” A Facebook user also came to the supermarket’s defence, saying that Woolies shouldn’t have to “lose money” because of the service. “It costs them to have someone pick your order and deliver it to your boot,” the user said. “It also means no impulse purchases in the store so they aren’t making any extra that way. Why should they lose money by delivering things to your boot?” Image credit: Getty

Food & Wine

Loyal service dog's emotional final flight

A service dog has been honoured on her final flight after being diagnosed with an untreatable cancer. German Shepherd Kaya was trained to support veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and was in the care of handler Cole Lyle. After years of loyal service to Cole, Kaya was diagnosed with terminal cancer and recently boarded a South West Airlines flight in the US to live out her final days at home by Cole's side. Kaya received the very best treatment on the flight, and was honoured by the pilot and her fellow passengers in a heart-warming moment that has since gone viral online. "We have a special guest on today's flight," the pilot said. "Kays is a German Shepherd service dog who has been with her handler, Cole, since 2014. She was specifically trained to help veterans cope with mental health issues." "Since the integration of the PAWS act, it is federal law that allows us to unify service dogs with Veterans with post-traumatic stress which was signed into law in 2021," continued the pilot. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 617px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7197534710090812715&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40southwestair%2Fvideo%2F7197534710090812715&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2Fea43bd3c48f54df8b328f42f35d8665a_1675806650%3Fx-expires%3D1676246400%26x-signature%3Drrq5YNMF5lC2JmunRKdaFD4SFQ4%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> "Sadly, Kaya was recently diagnosed with an untreatable cancer so we have the solemn honour of taking her on what will be her last flight as she goes home to rest where she was born and first met Cole." The pilot then encouraged the passengers to "show her some love", as cheering and applauding erupted for Kaya. The tear-jerking moment was captured and posted to TikTok by the airline, with the video racking up over 18 million views. The video was shared along with the caption:"We were honoured to fly our loyal friend and hero, Kaya, home to rest after a lifetime of hard work. Throughout her career, Kaya flew with us over 250 times to help establish the PAWS Act which united Veterans with service dogs." "We are so grateful to be a part of her legacy, and we thank her and her owner, Cole, for their many years of service." The comments were flooded with praise for the canine, with one person writing, "Bawling my eyes out. God bless you Kaya". Another wrote, "I'm literally in a puddle we Stan kaya she's so beautiful and perfect we love you sweet girl." "We don't deserve dogs," another simply said. It was later revealed in the comments of the video the Kaya had passed away at home by Cole's side. Image credits: TikTok

Family & Pets

Slain police officers farewelled in emotional memorial service

Queensland police officers Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold have been honoured for their service, after they were gunned down on a remote property last week. Thousands of people, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, paid tribute to the young officers in an emotional memorial service, which was telecast live across the nation. "Matthew and Rachel are side by side today. They're worthy of equal honours, they worked together, they served their community together, sadly they died together on the 12th of December," Police Chaplain Jeffrey Baills said. The officers were executed while responding to a missing persons check, but there was no mention of the men who inflicted the terror at the service. "Rachel and Matthew were just doing their job that day and the McCrow and Arnold families paid the ultimate sacrifice," Ballis said. "We have had a major attack on the police in Queensland, but… we will not be broken," Ballis said. Matthew Arnold, 26, was remembered by family friend Senior Sergeant Laura Harriss as a protector, leader and charmer. "Matt's smile and his charisma were his best tools and he used them relentlessly," Harriss said. Rachel McCrow, 29, had only been stationed in the town of Tara for six months when the shooting happened, as her best friends from the police academy spoke of the loveable larrikin who made friends with everyone. "Rach was so much more than the uniform she so proudly wore. She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, a colleague and an amazing mum to her beloved four-legged (dog) Archibald," Senior Constable Melissa Gibson said. Archibald, Rachel's blue heeler dog, sat calmly in the front row for the service. Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll paid tribute to the duo's courage, bestowing on both officers the highest of honours: two national police service medals and two from Queensland. Image credits: A Current Affair

News

Amazon’s resuscitation of Neighbours: can Aussie TV become good friends with streaming?

Many were shocked by the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/nov/17/neighbours-soap-opera-australia-to-return-on-amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> that Australian soap opera Neighbours would return to screens in 2023, courtesy of a new deal between production house Fremantle Australia and multinational digital streamer Amazon. Significantly, this announcement overturns many expectations about television in the age of streaming. When <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-03/neighbours-tv-show-cancelled-after-37-years/100880272" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news of Neighbours’ cancellation</a> broke earlier this year, streamers declined to offer a lifeline, with veteran cast member Stefan Dennis (aka Paul Robinson) lamenting that soaps seemed <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-loss-of-neighbours-is-a-loss-of-career-pathways-for-australias-emerging-screen-professionals-185289" target="_blank" rel="noopener">out-of-kilter</a> with the demands of streaming. Back in February, journalist <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/please-explain-1/everybody-needs-good-neighbours-now-neighbours-nee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Idato noted</a> streamers were focused on “short-order, very high quality” blue-chip programming, with long-running, continuing soaps like Neighbours presenting a less attractive option despite loyal fans and healthy audience numbers. After all, when axed by UK Channel 5, Neighbours was still attracting 1 million daily viewers in the UK alone. So what has changed? Why is Melbourne’s own beige yet beloved (by some) Neighbours positioned at the precipice of a new dawn in streaming’s evolution? <h2>What’s the value of Neighbours to a streamer?</h2> Amazon’s resuscitation of Neighbours is unprecedented in the Australian context, as it represents the first time a multinational streaming service has commissioned a stripped (weeknightly), continuing soap. Yet, in a global context, Neighbours seems to be part of a recent trend. This year, soaps in other significant Anglophone markets shifted from daily broadcast to online streaming: Hollyoaks in the UK and Days of Our Lives in the US. No one knows how this will play out for the US-based streamer and its new ad-supported, free streaming service <a href="https://www.amazon.com/adlp/freevee-about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon Freevee</a>. What we do know is there are very good reasons why a streaming platform could be interested in a show like Neighbours. The value of soaps is entrenched in industry lore. Since their transition from radio to television in the US during the 1950s, continuing soap operas have provided the backbone of many a network, ensuring consistent, returning and ardently loyal audiences. In doing so, soaps have a proven ability to weather the storms of radical technological and industrial change. A similar logic prevailed presumably in 2011, when Network 10 shifted Neighbours onto its new free-to-air channel <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Peach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10 Peach</a>. On the one hand, this move signalled a marginalisation of the prime-time soap. On the other hand, it was a means to lure a valuable audience to the fledgling multichannel. Idato refers to Neighbours as a “<a href="https://omny.fm/shows/please-explain-1/everybody-needs-good-neighbours-now-neighbours-nee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">library series</a>”: one with an extensive back catalogue of content. With 37 seasons and more than 8,000 episodes under its belt, Neighbours puts supposedly mega-series like Game of Thrones, The Simpsons and Supernatural to shame. Library series bring inventory and depth to a streaming service in a way that new content cannot, no matter how heavily promoted or highly produced it might be. Currently, streamers are looking not just to attract new subscribers, but to retain them by keeping them engaged with the platform. Series that come with their own in-built library of content developed over multiple years or decades can benefit streamers precisely by bringing with them their large, loyal audiences while offering countless episodes for fans to explore. The Fremantle/Amazon deal seems to signal something quite the opposite of previous predictions, pointing to the increase of “low-prestige” programming on streaming platforms and the rising tendency for streamers to adopt and adapt pre-existing televisual logics and strategies. We are seeing the resumption and resurrection of patterns of broadcast, free-to-air programming, not its demise. In the context of Amazon, one reason for this shift is likely the Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke’s confirmation last Thursday of <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/streaming-services-will-be-forced-to-meet-local-drama-quotas-burke-20221118-p5bzf5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government plans to introduce local content quotas for streaming</a> services. At the 55th annual Australian Writers Guild Awards, Burke stated he had already met with streamers to inform them of the forthcoming policy. In light of this development, Amazon’s renewal of Neighbours will help it to meet Australian content requirements. <h2>Has TV streaming reached maturity?</h2> It seems we are moving into a new, more mature phase of streaming television. Initially, streamers sought to loudly distinguish themselves from older forms of television, but they now seem less focused on branded distinction and more concerned with getting down to business. Like the networks that dominated TV in the 20th century, streamers now pursue multiple interests, popular taste communities and tried and tested formulas, alongside edgier-style, prestige programming like Sex Education and this year’s Australian reboot <a href="https://theconversation.com/teenage-misfits-messy-emotions-and-joyous-discussions-on-consent-heartbreak-high-is-a-bright-new-piece-of-television-188733" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heartbreak High</a>. Similarly, streamers are now reverting to old-style revenue models through the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/why-the-future-of-streaming-is-looking-unexpectedly-like-tv-s-past-20221121-p5c00d.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduction of ad-supported subscription tiers</a>. Television is changing, most notably in its separation from the broadcast programming schedule. But the logics of what attracts and retains audiences are far from obsolete – they are merely being updated for digital delivery. Soap operas are widely denigrated, but they can prove to be a guiding light in moments of media transformation. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/amazons-resuscitation-of-neighbours-can-aussie-tv-become-good-friends-with-streaming-195101" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation.</a> Image: Ten

Chokepoint Capitalism: why we’ll all lose unless we stop Amazon, Spotify and other platforms squeezing cash from creators

In 2020, the independent authors and small publishers whose audiobooks reach their readers via Audible’s <a href="https://www.acx.com/">ACX platform</a> smelled a rat. Audiobooks were booming, but sales of their own books – produced at great expense and well-reviewed – were plummeting. Some of their royalty statements reported negative sales, as readers returned more books than they bought. This was hard to make sense of, because Audible only reported net sales, refusing to reveal the sales and refunds that made them up. Perth-based writer <a href="https://www.susanmaywriter.net/single-post/audiblegate-the-incredible-story-of-missing-sales">Susan May</a> wondered whether those returns might be the reason for her dwindling net sales. She pressed Audible to tell her how many of her sales were being negated by returns, but the company stonewalled. Then, in October 2020, a glitch caused three weeks of returns data to be reported in a single day, and authors discovered that hundreds (and even thousands) of their sales had been wiped out by returns. Suddenly, the scam came into focus: the Amazon-owned Audible had been offering an extraordinarily generous returns policy, encouraging subscribers to return books they’d had on their devices for months, even if they had listened to them the whole way through, even if they had loved them – no questions asked. Encouraged by the policy, some subscribers had been treating the service like a library – returning books for fresh credits they could swap for new ones. Few would have realised that Audible clawed back the royalties from the book’s authors every time a book was returned. Good for Amazon, bad for authors It was good for Amazon – it helped Audible gain and hold onto subscribers – but bad for the authors and the performers who created the audiobooks, who barely got paid. Understanding Amazon’s motivation helps us understand a phenomenon we call <a href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/chokepoint-capitalism-9781761380075">chokepoint capitalism</a>, a modern plague on creative industries and many other industries too. Orthodox economics tells us not to worry about corporations dominating markets because that will attract competitors, who will put things back in balance. But many of today’s big corporations and billionaire investors have perfected ways to make those supposedly-temporary advantages permanent. Warren Buffett salivates over businesses with “<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/warren-buffett-moat-etf-simple-explanation-for-how-he-invests-and-its-easy-to-replicate-2017-10-1005613232">wide, sustainable moats</a>”. Peter Thiel scoffs that “<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/peter-thiel-competition-is-for-losers-1410535536">competition is for losers</a>”. Business schools teach students ways to lock in customers and suppliers and eliminate competition, so they can shake down the people who make what they supply and buy what they sell. Locking in customers and creators Amazon is the poster child for chokepoint capitalism. It boasts of its “<a href="https://feedvisor.com/resources/amazon-trends/amazon-flywheel-explained/">flywheel</a>” – a self-described “<a href="https://fourweekmba.com/amazon-flywheel/">virtuous cycle</a>” where its lower cost leads to lower prices and a better customer experience, which leads to more traffic, which leads to more sellers, and a better selection – which further propels the flywheel. <hr /> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <hr /> But the way the cycle works isn’t virtuous – it’s vicious and anti-competitive. Amazon openly admits to doing everything it can to lock in its customers. That’s why Audible encourages book returns: its generous offer only applies to ongoing subscribers. Audible wants the money from monthly subscribers and wants the fact that they are subscribed to prevent them from shopping elsewhere. Paying the people who actually made the product it sells a fair share of earnings isn’t Amazon’s priority. Because Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ famous maxim is “<a href="https://www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/the-cost-of-your-margin-is-my-opportunity">your margin is my opportunity</a>”, the executive who figured out how to make authors foot the bill for retaining subscribers probably got a bonus. Another way Audible locks customers in is by ensuring the books it sells are protected by <a href="https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/digital-rights-management-drm">digital rights management</a> (DRM) which means they are encrypted, and can only be read by software with the decryption key. Amazon claims DRM stops listeners from stealing from creators by pirating their books. But tools to strip away those locks are freely available online, and it’s easy for readers who can’t or won’t pay for books to find illegal versions. While DRM doesn’t prevent infringement, it does prevent competition. Startups that want to challenge Audible’s dominance – including those that would pay fairly – have to persuade potential customers to give up their Audible titles or to inconveniently maintain separate libraries. In this way, laws that were intended to protect against infringement of copyright have become tools to protect against infringement of corporate dominance. Once customers are locked in, suppliers (authors and publishers) are locked in too. It’s incredibly difficult to reach audiobook buyers unless you’re on Audible. When the suppliers are locked in, they can be shaken down for an ever-greater share of what the buyers hand over. <hr /> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <hr /> How a few big buyers can control whole markets The problem isn’t with middlemen as such: book shops, record labels, book and music publishers, agents and myriad others provide valuable services that help keep creative wheels turning. The problem arises when these middlemen grow powerful enough to bend markets into hourglass shapes, with audiences at one end, masses of creators at the other, and themselves operating as a chokepoint in the middle. Since everyone has to go through them, they’re able to control the terms on which creative goods and services are exchanged - and extract more than their fair share of value. The corporations who create these chokepoints are trying to “monopsonise” their markets. “Monopsony” isn’t a pretty word, but it’s one we are going to have to get familiar with to understand why so many of us are feeling squeezed. <a href="https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/monopoly">Monopoly</a> (or near-monopoly) is where there is only one big seller, leaving buyers with few other places to turn. <a href="https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/monopsony/">Monopsony</a> is where there is only one big buyer, leaving sellers with few other places to turn. In our book, we quote William Deresiewicz, a former professor of English at Yale University, who points out in his book <a href="https://www.chicagoreview.org/william-deresiewicz-the-death-of-the-artist/">The Death of the Artist</a> that “if you can only sell your product to a single entity, it’s not your customer; it’s your boss”. Increasingly, it is how the creative industries are structured. There’s Audible for audiobooks, Amazon for physical and digital versions, YouTube for video, Google and Facebook for online news advertising, the <a href="https://www.liveabout.com/big-three-record-labels-2460743">Big Three record labels</a> (who own the big three music publishers) for recorded music, <a href="https://pluralistic.net/2022/09/12/streaming-doesnt-pay/">Spotify</a> for streaming, Live Nation for live music and ticketing – and that’s just the start. But as corporate concentration increases across the board, monopsony is becoming a problem for the rest of us. For a glimpse into what happens to labour markets when buyers become too powerful, just think about how monopsonistic supermarkets bully food manufacturers and farmers. <figure class="align-right "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=966&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=966&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=966&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1214&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1214&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1214&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><a class="source" href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/chokepoint-capitalism-9781761380075">Scribe Publications</a></figcaption></figure> A fairer deal for consumers and creators The good news is that we don’t have to put up with it. <a href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/chokepoint-capitalism-9781761380075">Chokepoint Capitalism</a> isn’t one of those “Chapter 11 books” – ten chapters about how terrible everything is, plus a conclusion with some vague suggestions about what can be done. The whole second half is devoted to detailed proposals for widening these chokepoints out – such as transparency rights, among others. Audible’s sly trick only finally came to light because of the glitch that let authors see the scope of returns. That glitch enabled writers, led by Susan May, to organise a campaign that eventually forced Audible to reform some of its more egregious practices. But we need more light in dark corners. And we need reforms to contract law to level the playing field in negotiations, interoperability rights to prevent lock-in to platforms, copyrights being better secured to creators rather than publishers, and minimum wages for creative work. These and the other things we suggest would do much to empower artists and get them paid. And they would provide inspiration for the increasing rest of us who are supplying our goods or our labour to increasingly powerful corporations that can’t seem to keep their hands out of our pockets. <hr /> Chokepoint Capitalism: how big tech and big content captured creative labour markets, and how we’ll win them back is published on <a href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/chokepoint-capitalism-9781761380075">Tuesday November 15</a> by Scribe.<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/194069/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Writen by Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/chokepoint-capitalism-why-well-all-lose-unless-we-stop-amazon-spotify-and-other-platforms-squeezing-cash-from-creators-194069" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Getty Images

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