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‘To truly forget life for a while – a reprieve and a reward’: why Australians love going to the cinema

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ruari-elkington-105955">Ruari Elkington</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a> Australians have had plenty of time in the last 100 years to work out what they value about cinema-going and why it matters. Head to any cinema and catch the Val Morgan advertising in the pre-show. Take a closer look at the date the company was founded. Not 1984, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Morgan">but 1894</a>. That’s more than 125 years of “Making Messages Memorable” on Australian screens. We have a deep and abiding love for cinema in this country. Over the last century, the experience of going to the movies has both shifted significantly (<a href="https://villageroadshow.com.au/-/media/VRL-Corporate-Media-Library/Documents/Press-Releases/2017/5-December-Gold-Class-Celebrates-20-Years.pdf">we invented Gold Class, you know</a>) and somehow remained resolutely enduring in terms of appeal. My colleague Tess Van Hemert and I have spent the last two years <a href="https://research.qut.edu.au/dmrc/projects/resilient-screens-investigating-the-value-of-australian-cinema-exhibition/">researching</a> the cultures and practices of cinema-going and how cinema sites shape that experience. A typical response in our research was: "I love the cinema experience. It’s a bonding experience, if it’s good it’s an emotional and cathartic experience." <h2>‘A reprieve and a reward’</h2> Cinemas <a href="https://www.bfi.org.uk/industry-data-insights/reports/measuring-economic-value-cinema-venues">are a catalyst</a> for social, cultural and economic activity wherever they operate, from single-screen regional sites to major multiplexes in suburban shopping malls. Cinema, our participants said, is the “ideal” way to watch a movie: "I like to sit as close as I can to the screen so that the ‘real’ world is completely blocked out. I am immersed in & in awe of the film only. To truly forget life for a while – a reprieve & a reward." Cinemas also mirror communities back to themselves. We may go in alone, as a couple or with family and friends, but in the cinema we form a community. When reflecting on returning to the cinema between COVID lockdowns, one person spoke of seeing American Utopia "There were only about 10 people in the cinema. We didn’t know each other but we all started spontaneously dancing, first in our seats, and then everyone ran down to the floor in front of the screen to dance together. It was like a mini music festival when live music was banned." Despite the cost, despite the hassle, despite the need to leave the couch, Australians turn up time and time again to cinemas. In 2023, the Australian box office generated nearly <a href="https://if.com.au/australian-box-office-neared-1b-in-2023/">A$1 billion</a> (although this is down on <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/asia/australia-annual-box-office-drops-1203476275/">pre-COVID figures</a>). Four of the top ten highest grossing films of all time in Australia have been released <a href="https://www.valmorgan.com.au/2022-at-the-movies">since the pandemic began</a>. Australian census data tells us cinema-going remains Australia’s <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities#:%7E:text=44%25%20of%20people%20attended%20the,popular%20cultural%20venue%20or%20event">most popular</a> cultural activity. <h2>‘Being able to switch off’</h2> When cinemas face closure – or shut temporarily, as they did during the pandemic – the outpouring of community support can galvanise a community and remind them of all the times and ways in which they valued that access to that experience. One participant spoke of seeing their first film in the cinema after the pandemic: "It made me appreciate the whole cinema experience more. Getting out and being able to switch off was a welcome change." In our research, we observed how cinemas began to <a href="https://www.palacecinemas.com.au/blog/the-cinema-why-we-love-it/">articulate</a> their value to community through the pandemic period of forced closures. In the <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/243758/">large-scale national audience research</a> we conducted in partnership with Palace Cinemas the value audiences derive from cinema-going was as diverse as the programming. They remembered specific films, such as watching the opening credits of Force Awakens with a crowd of avid fans, or feeling like they were “experiencing summer in Italy” while watching Call Me By Your Name. They focused on memories of the people they were with, such as feeling “all grown up” while seeing arthouse films with their dad when they were a kid. <h2>‘Float in the memory’</h2> They spoke about the feelings they had before during and after the screening and the experience overall. One respondent wrote of loving the end of a film: "the quiet few minutes as the credits roll and you float in the memory of the film. This only happens for me when I see it in the cinema." Another participant spoke about leaving the cinema and: "doing a walk around the block thinking about the movie, still thinking about the movie driving home." One participant said they love “being able to have respectful (unbothered) alone time publicly”. Clear in this data is that memorability – and the experience of cinema – is far more nuanced than the simple appeal of watching a big film in a big room on a big screen. Cinemas continue to serve Australian communities in far more complex way than simply movies and popcorn. Cinema has always battled headwinds. Since radio, cinema has constantly faced in-home entertainment technology that was supposed to knock it over completely – TV, colour TV, cable, satellite, VHS, DVDs and now streaming. Each time, the desire for people to come together in a space and watch something unique in a way they can’t find anywhere else, with a level of engagement they can’t find anywhere else, has prevailed. We all have a kitchen at home, but we still love going out to restaurants. Disney, Warner Bros and Australia’s own Birch Carrol and Coyle all celebrated 100 years of operation in 2023. To sustain another century, more research is needed to better understand how cinema-going must continue to evolve to meet shifting audience expectations.<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/222597/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ruari-elkington-105955">Ruari Elkington</a>, Senior Lecturer in Creative Industries & Chief Investigator at QUT Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/to-truly-forget-life-for-a-while-a-reprieve-and-a-reward-why-australians-love-going-to-the-cinema-222597">original article</a>.

Movies

"Am I being too sensitive?": Woman's dilemma after partner forgets 60th birthday

A woman has shared her dilemma on how to approach her partner of 30 years, after he forgot her 60th birthday. "It's my 60th birthday today, and my partner of 30 years has not acknowledged it. Should I tell him?" she titled her post on Reddit. "It's my actual birthday today, and whilst we have planned a big party for next weekend, when I woke up this morning I expected a 'Happy Birthday!' and a smile," she continued. "I didn't get anything. He started my coffee but he does that almost every morning. "At first I thought maybe he forgot but now I am thinking that he thinks he doesn't have to say anything because we are having a big party this weekend. "Am I being too sensitive? Should I tell him? If so, how?" she asked in her post. Hundreds of Reddit users took to the comments to share their thoughts on how to approach the situation, with a few sharing crafty solutions of their own. "I'd make a joke of it. 'I can't believe they moved my birthday!' Or 'I saw on the TV we should ask easy questions to check for dementia- I'll ask you first, when's my birthday?'" one user playfully suggested. "I'm going to say the absolute minimum I'd expect for ANY birthday is my wife wishing me a Happy Birthday. Don't let it fester and ruin your day - just ask him about it" another added. One user saw the bright side of things and said: "He's handed you the best birthday present of all - the opportunity to use this against him for the next twenty years. "I'd be rubbing my hands with glee. Happy Birthday!" "Happy Birthday. Go out and buy a large cake. Eat it all yourself. Nobody need ever know" to which she responded: "there is a Costco not that far away. Go big or go home." Another Redditor came up with an elaborate plan on how she could get her partner's attention. "Purchase this 'Acknowledge Me' t-shirt of WWE wrestle Roman Reigns. Then write 'Birthday' on a piece of card and use some tape to stick on the t-shirt. 'Acknowledge Me Birthday.' Then just wear it around the house," they said. The woman was onboard with the plan, but luckily she didn't need to apply any of their crafty solutions and shared an update. "He just came up to my home office and gave me a big hug, admitting he had forgotten because he was so focussed on both work and next weekend's party," she wrote. "He apologised sheepishly, which was exactly the best outcome possible. Now I have both my birthday acknowledged as well as a fine story and/or bit of ammo to be saved for another day. "So there you go. I've cancelled the 'acknowledge me' t-shirt order, and shall now share my Costco cake with him instead of eating it from across the table, glaring. "Thank you everyone for the very fine passive aggressive suggestions which made me smile. Much appreciated!" Image: Getty

Relationships

"Did you forget?": Nicole Kidman hounded by angry fans

Nicole Kidman, the famous Aussie star with a Hollywood career spanning four decades, has found herself embroiled in controversy after she proudly announced her collaboration with fashion house Balenciaga. The announcement, made via Instagram, featured Kidman showcasing the brand's latest designs during their Fall 2024 show in Los Angeles. However, the excitement from Kidman was met with a swift and vehement response from fans who couldn't overlook the brand's troubling past. Balenciaga had <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/why-people-are-calling-for-nicole-kidman-to-be-cancelled" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously come under fire</a> for a controversial photoshoot that sparked widespread criticism and accusations of "paedophilia" and "child exploitation". The offending campaign featured children clad in bondage harnesses and costumes, causing an immediate uproar online. The hashtag #cancelBalenciaga trended across social media platforms at the time, putting immense pressure on the fashion brand to issue an apology. Despite the global backlash last year, Kidman's recent association with Balenciaga has reignited the flames of discontent. Fans flooded the comments section of her Instagram post with expressions of disappointment and frustration. One user implored Kidman, stating, "Seriously? Come on Nic. You're better than this. UGH." Another echoed the sentiment, saying, "No. You too. Did you forget? This designer has been cancelled. They promote ads the public didn't want. It was wrong." The criticism did not stop there, with another fan expressing their disappointment: "Well, that's disappointing, but not surprising, really." Another comment labelled Kidman's decision as "disgusting", highlighting the continued disapproval of Balenciaga's controversial past. This incident raises questions about celebrities' responsibilities when endorsing brands and the impact of their choices on public opinion. Kidman, who has previously shared her approach to online criticism, has made it clear that her preference is to avoid such feedback to maintain creative freedom. In a recent interview, she revealed, "Don't tell me, I don't really want to know – it will stop me doing what I want to do." Kidman acknowledged the existence of hurtful comments but emphasised her commitment to staying true to her choices. While Kidman's determination to navigate her career with a focus on personal choices and creative freedom is understandable, her association with a brand that has faced severe backlash for controversial practices inevitably places her in the centre of a heated public debate. As the controversy unfolds, it remains to be seen how Kidman will address the mounting criticism and whether this incident will prompt a response from Balenciaga. Images: Instagram

Beauty & Style

Is it normal to forget words while speaking? And when can it spell a problem?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/greig-de-zubicaray-1468234">Greig de Zubicaray</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a> We’ve all experienced that moment mid-sentence when we just can’t find the word we want to use, even though we’re certain we know it. Why does this universal problem among speakers happen? And when can word-finding difficulties indicate something serious? Everyone will experience an occasional word-finding difficulty, but if they happen very often with a broad range of words, names and numbers, this could be a sign of a neurological disorder. <h2>The steps involved in speaking</h2> Producing spoken words involves several <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190672027.013.19">stages of processing</a>. These include: <ol> <li> identifying the intended meaning </li> <li> selecting the right word from the “mental lexicon” (a mental dictionary of the speaker’s vocabulary) </li> <li> retrieving its sound pattern (called its “form”) </li> <li> executing the movements of the speech organs for articulating it. </li> </ol> Word-finding difficulties can potentially arise at each of these stages of processing. When a healthy speaker can’t retrieve a word from their lexicon despite the feeling of knowing it, this is called a “tip-of-the-tongue” phenomenon by language scientists. Often, the frustrated speaker will try to give a bit of information about their intended word’s meaning, “you know, that thing you hit a nail with”, or its spelling, “it starts with an H!”. Tip-of-the-tongue states are relatively common and are a type of speech error that occurs primarily during retrieval of the sound pattern of a word (step three above). <h2>What can affect word finding?</h2> Word-finding difficulties occur at all ages but they do happen more often as we get older. In older adults, they can cause frustration and anxiety about the possibility of developing dementia. But they’re not always a cause for concern. One way researchers investigate word-finding difficulties is to ask people to keep a diary to record how often and in what context they occur. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01190/full">Diary studies</a> have shown that some word types, such as names of people and places, concrete nouns (things, such as “dog” or “building”) and abstract nouns (concepts, such as “beauty” or “truth”), are more likely to result in tip-of-the-tongue states compared with verbs and adjectives. Less frequently used words are also more likely to result in tip-of-the-tongue states. It’s thought this is because they have weaker connections between their meanings and their sound patterns than more frequently used words. Laboratory studies have also shown tip-of-the-tongue states are more likely to occur under <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13825585.2019.1641177">socially stressful</a> conditions when speakers are told they are being evaluated, regardless of their age. Many people report having experienced tip-of-the-tongue problems during job interviews. <h2>When could it spell more serious issues?</h2> More frequent failures with a broader range of words, names and numbers are likely to indicate more serious issues. When this happens, language scientists use the terms “anomia” or “<a href="https://www.aphasia.com/aphasia-library/aphasia-types/anomic-aphasia/">anomic aphasia</a>” to describe the condition, which can be associated with brain damage due to stroke, tumours, head injury or dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease. Recently, the actor Bruce Willis’s family <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/16/health/frontotemporal-dementia-definition-symptoms-wellness/index.html">revealed</a> he has been diagnosed with a degenerative disorder known as primary progressive aphasia, for which one of the earliest symptoms is word-finding difficulties rather than memory loss. Primary progressive aphasia is typically associated with frontotemporal or Alzheimer’s dementias, although it can be associated with other <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3637977/">pathologies</a>. Anomic aphasia can arise due to problems occurring at different stages of speech production. An assessment by a clinical neuropsychologist or speech pathologist can help clarify which processing stage is affected and how serious the problem might be. For example, if a person is unable to name a picture of a common object such as a hammer, a clinical neuropsychologist or speech pathologist will ask them to describe what the object is used for (the individual might then say “it’s something you hit things with” or “it’s a tool”). If they can’t, they will be asked to gesture or mime how it’s used. They might also be provided with a cue or prompt, such as the first letter (h) or syllable (ham). Most people with anomic aphasia benefit greatly from being prompted, indicating they are mostly experiencing problems with later stages of retrieving word forms and motor aspects of speech. But if they’re unable to describe or mime the object’s use, and cueing does not help, this is likely to indicate an actual loss of word knowledge or meaning. This is typically a sign of a more serious issue such as primary progressive aphasia. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroimaging">Imaging studies</a> in healthy adults and people with anomic aphasia have shown different areas of the brain are responsible for their word-finding difficulties. In <a href="https://direct.mit.edu/jocn/article-abstract/35/1/111/113588/Neural-Correlates-of-Naturally-Occurring-Speech">healthy adults</a>, occasional failures to name a picture of a common object are linked with changes in activity in brain regions that control motor aspects of speech, suggesting a spontaneous problem with articulation rather than a loss of word knowledge. In anomia due to primary progressive aphasia, brain regions that process word meanings show a loss of nerve cells and connections or <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0148707">atrophy</a>. Although anomic aphasia is common after strokes to the left hemisphere of the brain, the associated word-finding difficulties do not appear to be distinguishable by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945215003299">specific areas</a>. There are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02687030244000563">treatments</a> available for anomic aphasia. These will often involve speech pathologists training the individual on naming tasks using different kinds of cues or prompts to help retrieve words. The cues can be various meaningful features of objects and ideas, or sound features of words, or a combination of both. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002199241730014X">Smart tablet</a> and phone apps also show promise when used to complement therapy with home-based practice. The type of cue used for treatment is determined by the nature of the person’s impairment. Successful treatment is associated with changes in activity in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0093934X14000054">brain regions</a> known to support speech production. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for primary progressive aphasia, although <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13607863.2019.1617246">some studies</a> have suggested speech therapy can produce temporary benefits. If you’re concerned about your word-finding difficulties or those of a loved one, you can consult your GP for a referral to a clinical neuropsychologist or a speech pathologist. <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/212852/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/greig-de-zubicaray-1468234">Greig de Zubicaray</a>, Professor of Neuropsychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/is-it-normal-to-forget-words-while-speaking-and-when-can-it-spell-a-problem-212852">original article</a>.

Mind

"Shameful": Betting company slammed for 9-11 themed "Never Forget" promo

DraftKings, a prominent sports betting company in the US, has found itself in hot water on social media this past Monday when it featured a parlay with a 9/11 theme on its mobile app – on the 22nd anniversary of the infamous terror attacks of September 11. Social media users were quick to share screenshots of the DraftKings app late on Sunday night, revealing a parlay named "Never Forget". This special parlay entailed wagering on the New York Mets, New York Yankees, and New York Jets to secure victories on Monday, marking the 22nd anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre. The parlay's description urged users to "Bet these New York teams to win tonight on 9/11," drawing sharp criticism from the online community. Many expressed their disapproval of DraftKings seemingly attempting to profit from the solemn occasion. The parlay remained accessible on the app throughout Sunday night and into Monday morning, further fuelling public discontent over the sports betting company's decision. However, DraftKings eventually removed the parlay on Monday and issued an official apology for its inclusion. Their statement read, "We sincerely apologise for the featured parlay that was shared briefly in commemoration of 9/11. We respect the significance of this day for our country and especially for the families of those who were directly affected." Bret Eagleson, who leads the 9/11 Justice organisation, an advocacy group representing families and first responders, strongly condemned DraftKings' offer as "tone-deaf". Eagleson, whose father, Bruce, tragically lost his life in the World Trade Centre attacks, emphasised to the Associate Press: "It is shameful to use the national tragedy of 9/11 to promote a business. We need accountability, justice, and closure, not self-interest and shameless promotion." DraftKings did not disclose how many individuals placed bets as a result of the 9/11-themed offer, leaving questions unanswered regarding the status of those wagers - whether they remain valid or if they have been cancelled. Images: Twitter (X)

Legal

Not just a youth movement: history too often forgets older protesters

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/effie-karageorgos-453765">Effie Karageorgos</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a> Recent sustained anti-coal action by Blockade Australia in the Hunter Valley has brought public protest back into the news cycle. Activists have <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-21/coal-protests-block-rail-lines-to-newcastle-port/102504056">occupied trains, railway lines and machinery</a> in an attempt to obstruct coal production and broadcast their message about the climate crisis. Under recent <a href="https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/research/commentary/explainer-what-are-your-rights-to-protest-australia#:%7E:text=In%202022%2C%20Tasmania%20passed%20anti,%E2%80%9C%E2%80%A6">anti-protest legislation</a> in New South Wales, which has been matched by similar laws in other states, some protesters have been charged by police for their activism. Internationally, protesters faced with arrest have devised new ways to protest. Recently, Iranian activists have started engaging in “<a href="https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-research/policy-topics/international-relations-security/civil-upheaval-iran-why-widespread">micro-protests</a>”, which are small-scale protests over a shorter period of time, to evade arrest. My historical research into the infrastructure of protest, using the anti-Vietnam War campaign in New South Wales as a case study, has found that many Australians who did not or could not actively or publicly protest similarly found “quieter” ways to express their opposition to the conflict. <h2>The youth are revolting</h2> In the popular Australian imagination, it seems the protester is a young person creating a public spectacle – holding up a sign, occupying a building or marching down a city street, even though older activists regularly play a part in protest movements. Many might think of figures like <a href="https://theconversation.com/lidia-thorpes-mardi-gras-disruption-is-the-latest-in-an-ongoing-debate-about-acceptable-forms-of-protest-at-pride-200713">Lidia Thorpe</a> disrupting the 2023 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade or ongoing protests by <a href="https://www.schoolstrike4climate.com/">School Strike 4 Climate</a>, which have shown how willing young people are to agitate for their collective futures. But, in fact, one of the two anti-coal activists charged on last month for occupying a train in Singleton, New South Wales, is <a href="https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/news?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGZWJpenByZC5wb2xpY2UubnN3Lmdvdi5hdSUyRm1lZGlhJTJGMTA3MTc3Lmh0bWwmYWxsPTE%3D">64 years old</a>. My research shows our public memory of protest doesn’t come close to capturing everyone who used their energies to protest Australian involvement in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, so we need to shift our idea of both protest and the protester to understand the potential scope of activism. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Thm03IUiJ6U?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Quiet protest</h2> Vietnam War-era protest organisations, such as the Association for International Cooperation and Disarmament, Save Our Sons, Youth Campaign Against Conscription and the Vietnam Moratorium Campaign, were aware of how important “quiet protest” was to the wider movement. They <a href="https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/1JkmeexY">continually appealed to supporters</a> for help selling buttons, putting up posters, selling raffle tickets, filling envelopes, leafleting and other clerical work. These were all carried out by people who were opposed to the war, and are all considered acts of protest. Social movement theorists agree that time and availability are crucial in drawing people to protest. As far back as 1974, the sociologist <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/002188637401000206">Anthony Orum</a> wrote: "Without people who have time on their hands, great revolutions would probably never get off the ground." <h2>Time and capacity</h2> But what of those who did not have the time or capacity to march on streets, but who still saw themselves as part of the anti-Vietnam War movement? The <a href="https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/1l4dPbX1">administrative records</a> of protest organisations held in the <a href="https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/">State Library of New South Wales</a> let us into the lives of such people. These include Ian Robertson, a full-time Macquarie University student, whose parents had banned political activity because they feared it would disrupt his studies. Another silent protester was a Mrs Thomson, who was too busy organising her daughter Sue’s wedding to participate in anti-Vietnam protest activities. Public servants were also not permitted to publicly support the movement. Most such records come from elderly members of the movement. In November 1969, Mabel Wilson, who in her words was “six years an octogenarian,” sent $5 to the <a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C96428">Committee in Defiance of the National Service Act</a>, writing: "I admire your courage and am completely in sympathy with your ideals. Alas! I am very old […] As you can see I can be of practically no use to you – or anyone […] My heart is with you all the way." Similarly, on March 21 1970, Doris J Wilson of Asquith sent a donation to the Northern Districts Vietnam Moratorium Group with a letter saying: "I am past the age where I can do very much more than be just a voice." On September 14 1970, L.T. Withers sent the same group a letter saying: "Congratulations for what you have accomplished. I feel rather guilty at being so useless […] myself and my wife are not as energetic as we used to be as the years are catching up on us a bit. I have enclosed a small donation to your local funds […] I would also be grateful if you could keep me informed of your activities." Ruth Fryer of Hornsby sent a letter on February 9 1971 with a $3 donation: "Sometimes you wish you were young & strong again! But the hard work seems to be left to the young ones." These Australians, among many others, were interested in the anti-Vietnam campaign and wanted to be involved as much as they could, given their limitations. <h2>The infrastructure of historical protest</h2> Studying the infrastructure of historical protest organisations shows us that we need to expand our idea of what a protest movement is and who it includes if we want to achieve the present-day goals of activist campaigning. These findings are exciting because they capture a larger group of Australians in the protest tradition, and move past a limited, and often ableist and ageist, vision of protest to incorporate many others who feel just as strongly about the issues governing their lives.<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/208472/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/effie-karageorgos-453765">Effie Karageorgos</a>, Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/not-just-a-youth-movement-history-too-often-forgets-older-protesters-208472">original article</a>.

Legal

“A letter that someone will never forget”: Charles’ $43,000 job offer

Charles and Camilla have put out a call for help with their royal duties, searching for a passionate wordsmith to pen responses to the thousands of letters they receive each year. Their request comes in the form of a one-year contract <a href="https://theroyalhousehold.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-3/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/4/opp/2849-Assistant-Correspondence-Officer/en-GB">posted to the palace’s official website</a>, for an individual to “support the important work of The King and The Royal Family”. Coincidentally, the position advertises a start date of May 2023 - the same month in which King Charles III’s coronation will take place. The royals are offering a wage slightly above the United Kingdom’s minimum wage of 10.42 GBP (~19.45 AUD) per hour, with prospective writers looking at an hourly rate of 11.79 (~22.01) on top of the advertised “benefits”. According to the job listing, the ideal candidate is someone who dreams of “drafting a letter that someone will never forget” as part of a like minded team committed to supporting the royal family and engaging with the public. “Thousands of letters addressed to The Monarch and Royal Family are received every year,” the ad explains. “Working as part of the Correspondence team, your challenge will be to ensure that each one receives a timely and well composed response. “Every day you will respond to letters sent by the public regarding social, community and national matters, drafting bespoke responses to answer varying and often unique queries.” Reportedly, the letters sent in one year to the late Queen Elizabeth II amounted to around 70,000, so it’s no small surprise that the family have opted to call in reinforcements to make sure each one receives a thoughtfully crafted response. “It's working in a team with a shared and unique purpose,” the website notes, “engaging with the public whilst supporting The King's role. This is what makes working for The Royal Household so exceptional … Recording and monitoring all correspondence, you'll be proud of the number of letters you handle and this will drive you to deliver consistently high standards. “In this way, you will help to support the important work of The King and The Royal Family.” Unsurprisingly, the ad calls for someone who is confident in their ability to process large volumes of work according to strict deadlines, and who preferably has previous experience in administrative duties. “Excellent written and verbal communication skills” are, of course, a given. The listing hints at a digital sidekick, noting that applications should “have strong IT skills” that they can apply to “bespoke systems”, as well as a “keen eye for detail” to deliver their work quickly and accurately. Most of all, however, enjoyment in a team-based environment is crucial, while an interest in current affairs couldn’t hurt - especially in such a “truly unique environment”. Images: Getty

Money & Banking

The part of your teeth you’ve been forgetting to brush

Like so many things in life, brushing your teeth is a matter of quality over quantity. There’s no point in brushing your teeth four times a day if you’re doing it the wrong way. Jessica Hilburg, DDS and associate dean for clinical affairs at the NYC College of Dentistry, was recently asked by the Huffington Post about the most-common errors people make when they give their mouth the old once-over. "Sometimes people forget to brush the insides of their teeth, the surfaces that face the tongue and the palate," Hilburg said. "Sometimes people forget these areas because we don't see them when we look in the mirror. Food and plaque can buildup in these areas so it's just as important to brush there as it is on the front of our teeth where we can easily see." Hilburg added not brushing your teeth long enough or using the wrong amount of pressure while brushing your teeth is equally incorrect and can ultimately be damaging. "Applying too much pressure while brushing could damage gums and be abrasive to the teeth," she said. "Applying too little pressure while brushing just isn't as effective and will not remove the plaque as well as using gentle pressure. (Also) just rubbing the toothbrush back and forth in long strokes will not do as good a job as the short strokes because the short strokes allow you to get in between the teeth much better." She added, "The 'right amount of pressure' is pressure that feels comfortable, does not crush the bristles of the toothbrush (too much pressure) and of course leaves your teeth feeling and looking clean." What are your thoughts? Image: Getty

Caring

20 little things everyone forgets to clean – but shouldn’t

We’re all doing our best to keep our homes clean these days. However, there are things even the most experienced cleaner can forget to clean. For example, did you know that your keyboards are a hotbed of bacteria? Or when was the last time you cleaned your shower curtain? To make sure your house is as clean as it can be, here are the 20 little things everyone forgets to clean. Refrigerator Your fridge could make you sick if you don’t clean it every once in a while. NSF International swabbed 20 kitchens as part of its 2013 Household Germ Study, and two of the germiest places were the vegetable and meat compartments in refrigerators. First, unplug the fridge and empty it out. Toss old containers and expired food, and wipe everything down with multipurpose spray. Soak drawers in warm water and scrub them clean with dish soap. Pillows Yes, you can place down and fibrefill pillows in the washing machine. Wash two at a time following the instructions on the care label. Otherwise, warm water on a gentle cycle will do the trick. The same settings work for your comforter (which can also use a washing). Windowsills and window tracks It’s easy to tell when your windows are dirty, but windowsills and tracks often go unnoticed. Dust away any loose dirt and dead bugs (or use a vacuum with a brush attachment). Use a spray bottle of white vinegar to spray the area and let it sit for a minute. Wipe with paper towels and use Q-Tips for those hard-to-reach areas. Kitchen drawers and cabinets It’s probably a good idea to keep the places you store all your food and dishes clean, right? Empty them out (preferably one at a time to avoid unnecessary clutter), toss expired food, and wipe everything down. Before returning everything to its rightful place, see if there’s any dishware you haven’t used all year. It would probably be better off donated. Outdoor furniture Make sure your outdoor furniture looks good as new before you start using it – nobody wants to sit on a dirty seat, or worse, a spider! Garage Organising your garage is just as important as actually cleaning it. You’d be amazed how much stuff accumulates in there over time – and how much you actually don’t need. Shower curtain Soap scum and mildew stains are haunting your shower curtain, but it doesn’t take long to clean them. All the cards in your wallet You use them almost every day, probably without thinking of how many times you touch them and how few times you’ve actually cleaned them. One in 10 bank cards were contaminated with faecal matter, according to a 2012 study. Wipe the card with a damp cloth or anti-bacterial wipe, then gently scrub the magnetic strip with an eraser. Keys Keys are another item you use daily, so they can definitely use a wash. To keep them clean and prevent rust, scrub with lemon and salt and rinse with dish soap. If they’re already rusty, soak them in a vinegar and water mixture for 20 minutes, rinse, then put them back in for another 30 minutes. This ensures the rust comes out completely. Garbage bins Its name implies that garbage bins are supposed to be dirty, but washing them out with a hose every once in a while will make taking out the rubbish a slightly less painful chore. Doorknobs Considering how many people are constantly touching them, knobs and drawer handles aren’t cleaned nearly often enough. Take a few minutes and wipe down the most touched knobs in your house. Area rugs Vacuuming rugs is easy enough to remember, but lift them up and you’ll find a whole lot of dirt and dust hiding in plain sight. Small appliances This includes microwaves, toasters, blenders, coffee pots, and any other small cooking appliances in the kitchen. Give each one a thorough cleaning, then be sure to clean underneath them as well. Toys Your child’s rubber ducky is a sneakily perfect location for mould. Take necessary precautions to prevent and remove mould on any bath toys. For that large bin of dolls and plastic trains, enlist your kids to help. Spend an afternoon going through toy bins, separating ones they want to keep and ones to donate and clean each toy before putting it back. Computer and TV screens First things first: make sure your devices are turned off and cooled off before you start cleaning. Wipe away dust and loose dirt with a soft cloth. Dip that cloth into a solution equal parts water and isopropyl alcohol and wring it out (it should be damp, but not wet). Gently wipe the screen and dry with a second cloth. Reusable grocery and laundry bags Think of all the places these bags have been: the floor, the boot of your car, the kitchen bench, the table at the laundromat. It’s time to give them a good cleaning. Throw them in the washing machine on a hot water regular cycle with the rest of your clothes. It can go in the dryer, too. Reusable water bottles You’re helping the environment. You’re staying hydrated. Now use your reusable water bottle to stay healthy and add it to your next load of dirty dishes. Keyboards When was the last time you cleaned your keyboard? If you can’t remember when it might be time to get on that. Keyboards can be home to staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria that can cause potentially serious infections in humans, according to a 2018 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Showerhead The next time you’re cleaning your bathroom, make sure you give special attention to your shower head. The bacteria commonly found on shower heads led to an increased risk of respiratory illnesses, according to 2018 research by the American Society for Microbiology. In fact, bacteria found on showerheads even led to an increased prevalence of lung disease according to the research. Sink trap Most of us know probably know that bathroom sinks are not the cleanest of surfaces. But did you know exactly how dirty your sink trap was? Sink traps caused an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant bacteria at an Israeli hospital, according to research published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology in 2018. Now, you certainly don’t want that happening in your own home. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/20-little-things-everyone-forgets-to-clean-but-shouldnt?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Home & Garden

Forget plastic surgery! These 7 makeup tricks could completely transform your features

Nose contouring instead of a nose job If you find your nose too big, too wide, or too something else, get ready to transform it with contouring. For the uninitiated, contouring is the process of strategically placing bright concealer or highlighter on areas you want to catch light, making them more pronounced, and darker products on places where you want to create shadows, making them less noticeable. There are specific contouring techniques for each nose shape, but in every case, you’ll want to apply concealer that’s two shades lighter than your skin tone to the bridge of your nose, and a greyish-brown or dark taupe colour (a powder or liquid) to cover bumps, wide nostrils, or hook shapes. Always blend the light and dark colours into place using a beauty blender sponge or a rechargeable makeup brush, which evenly disperses granules of makeup in thin, even layers for an airbrush-like finish. The results are like an instant nose job – no surgery required! Strategic eyeliner instead of an eye lift Oh, the wonders of a good eyeliner. Whether your eyes are too small, too big, too down-turned or too something else, applying eyeliner in the proper style and colour is the perfect way to visibly alter their shape. To open up the eyes, adding white liner to the lower lash line creates an optical illusion as it acts as a continuation of your eyes, making them look bigger. For down-turned eyes, nothing works better than a reverse cat eye in black liner. For hooded lids, apply smokey eyeliner to enhance the outer corners for the illusion of lift. Shading cheekbones instead of fillers Women have been turning to pricey injectable fillers to fake supermodel cheekbones, but there’s a much easier – and cheaper – way. For this no-fuss three-step process, all you need is your trusty contour kit (foundation that is two shades lighter than your skin tone, plus a base that is two shades darker), which you will use to outline and highlight the apples of your cheeks. First apply the one-shade lighter cream foundation on your cheekbones to draw light; then apply the two-shades darker base below the cheekbones to help those areas recede. Finish with a pop of pink or peach on the apples of your cheeks, and dab a few drops of liquid highlighter at the top of cheekbones. Blend, et voila – Hollywood cheekbones. Smoothing foundation instead of botox Many foundations are prone to caking, cracking and flaking, which are likely to make any wrinkles and blemishes more noticeable instead of concealing them. If you want your face to look younger, one of the easiest ways is by smoothing skin. That means starting with a primer, which smooths the canvas of your face, like a painter would spackle and prime walls before applying colour. Follow with a satin foundation for a silky smooth, practically Photoshopped face. Overlining lips instead of injectable plumpers Less is definitely more here, but this tiny adjustment will make a huge difference in the appearance of your lips. The trick is to first apply a neutral-coloured, matte lip liner all over your lips; then trace slightly outside the lines. Don’t venture more than a few millimetres beyond your natural lip line, as that looks too obvious (and a little scary). You can also strategically choose the areas you want to overline, like the cupid’s bow or bottom lip instead of the entire rim. Once you’ve overlined, apply your favourite matte lipstick not only to your lips, but onto the overlined area as well. A matte finish will hide the line you’ve added, whereas shiny lipstick emphasises it. Chisel your chin with powder instead of surgery If your jawline isn’t quite as sharp as you’d like, shaping powder is an easy way to get more definition. Take a greyish-brown powder (nothing too orange) and apply it along your jaw line from behind your ear all the way down to the tip of your chin. Repeat this application on the other side of your jaw. Blend the powder down your neck so that there aren’t any noticeable lines or colour differences. You’ll absolutely love the look of your sharp new bone structure. Slim your silhouette Though some celebrities manage to rock a round face, the rest of us can feel insecure about so-called chipmunk cheeks. A great way to slim your face is to use a contour stick and bronzer to hollow out the cheeks, then apply blush and highlighter above the bronzer to make your cheekbones more pronounced. This will not only elongate your face shape, but will give you those model-like chiselled cheeks. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/beauty/forget-plastic-surgery-these-7-makeup-tricks-could-completely-transform-your-features" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Beauty & Style

Going travelling? Don't forget insurance!

Over the past year, <a href="http://www.afta.com.au/uploads/582/181030_october_afta-travel-trends-report_final.pdf">Australians took almost 11 million international trips</a>. We’re <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.DPRT">among the world’s leading</a> international travellers on a per-capita basis. Australians took <a href="http://www.afta.com.au/uploads/582/181030_october_afta-travel-trends-report_final.pdf">more than 3.5 million trips to Asia</a> in the past year. Indonesia (especially Bali), Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Cambodia are the most popular destinations in the region. This is especially the case for young Australian travellers, who are attracted by low prices, the range of activities, and the easy-going lifestyle. However, all international travel involves risks. You may have an accident or illness that lands you in hospital; you may even need to be repatriated to Australia. So it’s important to take out appropriate insurance for your trip. <h2>No, the consulate won’t pay</h2> In the late 1970s, travel insurance companies struggled to convince 50% of Australian international travellers to purchase travel insurance. Now <a href="https://smartraveller.gov.au/guide/all-travellers/insurance/Documents/2018-survey-of-Australian-travel-insurance-behaviour.pdf">around 90%</a> purchase health insurance. Travellers aged under 30 are <a href="https://smartraveller.gov.au/guide/all-travellers/insurance/Documents/survey-travel-insurance-behaviour-web.pdf">much more likely to travel without insurance cover</a> than any other age group. Around 82% of international travellers aged 18-29 have insurance. Young men are <a href="https://smartraveller.gov.au/guide/all-travellers/insurance/Documents/2018-survey-of-Australian-travel-insurance-behaviour.pdf">more likely to refuse travel insurance</a> than women. This is concerning because young men are <a href="https://smartraveller.gov.au/guide/all-travellers/insurance/Documents/survey-travel-insurance-behaviour-web.pdf">more likely to engage in risky behaviour</a>, such as riding motorbikes or risky drinking, and the peer pressure to take a dare remains strong. Some men, particularly those travelling in groups, imagine themselves to be bulletproof. Some Australians still naively believe their government will bail them out if they become sick or are injured and aren’t covered by travel insurance. But while Australian diplomatic legations <a href="https://smartraveller.gov.au/services/pages/consular-services-charter.aspx">can provide details</a> of local doctors and hospitals in an emergency, they won’t pay for medical or psychiatric services or medications. Check the fine print Some insurance claims run to hundreds of thousands of dollars, especially if the person requires extensive treatment in an intensive care unit. Most reputable travel insurance companies offer substantial medical coverage. They <a href="https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/travel-insurance/">generally provide unlimited cover</a> for any illness or accident experienced overseas. This includes covering the costs of treatment, hospitalisation, medication, surgery and, if necessary, evacuation or repatriation. Some cheaper policies may require travellers to pay an excess on their premium for unlimited medical coverage. Travellers are covered for tropical diseases such as Malaria, Zika and other conditions which can be contracted while travelling. Many adventurous travellers engage in high risk activities but these are not necessarily covered by travel insurance policies. Travellers who plan to ski, bungee jump, mountaineer, abseil, trek or engage in other risky activities, should choose your insurance cover carefully. This <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/travel/money/travel-insurance/buying-guides/insurance">Choice guide</a> is a good place to start. It explains traps and exclusions that may apply to insurance cover for loss, injury or illness. Few travel insurance companies will cover policy-holders for treatment related to pre-existing medical conditions, including pregnancy or heart attacks at any age. Travellers who need medical treatment from injuries incurred while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol may also have their claims rejected. Australians who are injured in a motorbike accident abroad <a href="http://www.canstar.com.au/travel-insurance/want-ride-motorbike-overseas/">may find their claims rejected</a> if they don’t have a motorbike licence in Australia and especially if they aren’t wearing a helmet (even if it isn’t required in the country they’re riding in). Insurance companies’ definition of a senior can range from age 50 to over 80, but in many cases premiums will rise from age 75. Some travel insurance companies have more stringent fitness requirements and require more medical documentation for senior travellers, especially those who have previously had a heart attack. Reading the fine print of an insurance policy or obtaining expert advice is one of the least glamorous aspects of travel planning but it’s an essential part of minimising risk for your trip.

Travel Tips

Noel Gallagher admits to forgetting classic Oasis lyrics on stage

Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher has admitted he often forgets lyrics to his classic songs while performing on stage. He confessed that sometimes he has to “make s*** up” when he forgets the lyrics mid-song in front of his adoring fans. Noel said he stumbles over the words in the band's biggest hits, including Don’t Look Back in Anger, which spent several weeks atop the charts after its release in 1996. During a conversation with The Sun newspaper, he said, “Brain freeze, I get it. I get them when I’m doing gigs to 70,000 people.” “As the next line is coming I think, ‘Seriously, what is the next line to this song?’ You’re thinking, ‘I genuinely don’t know what it is’. “Somehow it falls out of the sky. But sometimes I just have to make s*** up,” he said. The rockstar also branded musicians who regularly cover hits by Bob Dylan as dull. Noel, who is currently compiling a covers project of his own making, said, “Everybody does Bob Dylan covers albums — it’s boring.” The rocker is working on a unique covers album, after he said he wouldn’t care if he never wrote an original song again. He insists he would “be happy with what he’s done” with his extensive catalogue that has won over fans all around the world. His covers album will have a unique spin on hits by Burt Bacharach and The Smiths that Noel recorded in his own home studio. Image credit: Getty Images

Music

“Forget about me”: Samantha Armytage tells Natalie Barr to move on

Samantha Armytage has told Natalie Barr to forget about her and focus on hosting Sunrise. Appearing on KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O show on Tuesday morning, Armytage was asked how she felt about Barr’s recent interview with Women’s Weekly. Barr addressed her relationship in the interview with the magazine, saying: “We got along very well in the office, for sure. But the truth is we didn’t really see each other outside the office. We had vastly different lives, I guess. We were in different places. She was hanging with her friends, and I was spending time with my family. So, yes, we were in different places.” When asked about Barr’s interview, Armytage brushed off the question. “Yeah, well, look, I mean it’s better to be talked about than not, isn’t it, in this life,” she said. “I thought everyone might forget about me when I was having my little TV sabbatical, but it seems they’re not.” She added: “There’s nothing interesting going on there, honestly. I’m just doing my thing, out in the country.” Following the interview, the discussion escalated on social media. The Kyle and Jackie O Twitter account shared the interview with the caption: “So was there beef on-set between @sam_armytage & @natalie_barr? Let’s ask Sam!” Armytage responded by sharing the interview to her own Twitter account, adding: “Look.. I’m out. Nat’s wanted the job forever.. & she’s finally got it. She just needs to get on & enjoy it - & forget about me.. (even though I’m unforgettable) #peaceout”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Look.. I’m out. Nat’s wanted the job, forever.. & she’s finally got it. She just needs to get on & enjoy it - & forget about me..(even though I’m unforgettable 😜😂😂😂.) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/peaceout?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#peaceout</a> <a href="https://t.co/HXU60pBvps">https://t.co/HXU60pBvps</a> — Samantha Armytage (@sam_armytage) <a href="https://twitter.com/sam_armytage/status/1406762169543266305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2021</a></blockquote> Her claim that Barr had “wanted the job forever” goes against what Barr has said in previous interviews since she took on the co-host role. “I’m just not that person [to host],” Barr told Kyle and Jackie O in March. “If Sam had wanted to stay there for another 10 years, that was fine with me.” Barr said it was a pep talk that pushed her to take on the job when it was offered to her. “He said, ‘If you sit there and say no and you’re listening to someone else do it, you’ll regret it’,” Barr said. Image: Samantha Armytage / Instagram

Why we become more forgetful with age – and what you can do about it

How is it that we are able to remember some events in great detail whereas other memories seem to fade away over time? Our memory changes with age, so that we may have a memory slip on a trip to fetch something from the next room, but we’re still able to recall important events from history with great detail. But why? One important aspect of memory formation and retention is the associations we build between the information we later try to remember and other details. For example, when and where the event took place, who was there, or the feelings we felt at the time. These details not only help us as clues to search our memory, but they also allow the mental time travel we all experience when we recall those detailed memories, so that it feels like we can relive an experience in our minds. Scientists refer to this experience as recollection, and some distinguish it from familiarity, which refers to the general feeling that we have experienced something before, but are not quite able to put our finger on all of the <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/quirks-memory/201208/nagging-feeling-familiarity-face">details of the event</a>. For example, you see someone at the supermarket or on public transport who instantly seems very familiar, but you cannot recall who they are. The experience of familiarity is very fast – you can quickly detect that you may know the person – but recollecting the details of who they are comes a bit more slowly (hopefully before they approach you). This is an example of how the processes differ on a subjective, or what’s called a phenomenological, level. What's going on in the brain Apart from the behavioural and phenomenological differences that make the familiarity versus recollection of a face seem distinct from each other, research <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17636547">has also indicated</a> that different areas of the brain underlie the phenomena. The hippocampus, within the medial temporal lobes of the brain, is strongly involved in forming the associations that help to give rise to recollection, whereas the nearby perirhinal and entorhinal cortices appear to be more important for familiarity. Research has shown that the ability to retrieve details of an event and the phenomenological experience of recollection decline as people get older, whereas familiarity remains relatively the same <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19100756">regardless of age</a>. Studies have also shown that the structural integrity of the hippocampus <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15703252">declines</a> with increased age, whereas the entorhinal cortex showed minimal changes in volume. In other words, areas of the brain such as the hippocampus that are important for recollection tend to decline in volume, whereas the areas that support familiarity remain more intact as people get older. Scientists also know that memory does not work as a flawless tape-recorder: it is often the case that we not only forget information, but also misremember it, even if we feel as if we recollect an experience vividly and accurately. That older adults are increasingly unable to retrieve specific details of an event means they could be more susceptible to <a href="http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/False_memory">experiencing false memory</a>. How to stop memories from slipping So what can be done to deter or reverse these changes in older age? While there is no magical pill or super food that can protect us, research suggests a number of strategies that can help ameliorate some of the more difficult impacts of ageing on our memories. One popular suggested solution is to do as many crosswords and sudoku puzzles as possible. It is a perfectly intuitive idea: if we think of the brain like a muscle, then we should exercise that muscle as much as possible to keep it sharp and fit. Yet, so far there is scant evidence to support this belief. At best, you can expect to get very good at doing crosswords and sudoku, but the transfer of those skills to other kinds of abilities that are further away, such as being better able to reason abstractly or remember more information, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26082279">is less supported</a> by research evidence. So, you should certainly keep doing crosswords if you enjoy doing them, but do not believe or <a href="http://www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/brain-training.html">buy into the hype</a> that such brain training will ward off cognitive decline or dementia. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/149112/original/image-20161207-18057-1e9o4i4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> Exercising the mind. jgolby/shutterstock.com The method more likely to help is to simply engage in more physical exercise, particularly aerobic exercise. The <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12661673">research</a> regarding the benefits of exercise not only to your physical health but also to your mental health and abilities is much more settled than that of brain training. This does not have to be strenuous exercise that involves running marathons. Something as simple as brisk walking, or anything that gets your heart pumping and causes you to break a sweat, shows strong benefits to your memory performance. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21282661">Research</a> has also indicated that areas of the brain such as the hippocampus which are important for memory show increases in volume as a result of aerobic exercise. So the best advice for improving your memory is to use that half hour you might have spent doing a sudoku puzzle to go for a nice walk with a friend instead.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/70102/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vanessa-loaiza-321785">Vanessa Loaiza</a>, Lecturer, Department of Pyschology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-essex-1291">University of Essex</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-become-more-forgetful-with-age-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-70102" target="_blank">original article</a>.

Mind

Forget more compulsory super: Here are 5 ways to actually boost retirement incomes

This morning the Grattan Institute releases its <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/">submission</a> to the government’s <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/review/retirement-income-review">retirement incomes review</a>, a review called in anticipation of five annual increases in compulsory superannuation contributions, scheduled to begin in July 2021. Our research shows the super increases aren’t necessary. For most Australians, retirement incomes are <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-should-worry-less-about-retirement-and-leave-super-at-9-5-106237">already adequate</a>. Since higher super contributions will come <a href="https://theconversation.com/think-superannuation-comes-from-employers-pockets-it-comes-from-yours-130797">at the expense of wages</a>, the scheduled increases should be abandoned. But there are big problems the review will need to confront. Here are <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/">five changes</a> that would tackle them. <h2>1. Boost rent assistance</h2> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317733/original/file-20200228-24685-y74ele.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /> While most Australians are comfortable in retirement, the system is failing too many poorer Australians, especially low-income women and retirees who rent. Senior Australians who rent privately are more likely to suffer financial stress than homeowners or renters in public housing. And it will get worse because young Australians on lower incomes are <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-charts-on-poorer-australians-bearing-the-brunt-of-rising-housing-costs-87003">less likely</a> to own homes than in the past. The government’s priority should be boosting <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/rent-assistance/how-much-you-can-get">rent assistance</a>, which has not kept pace with rent increases. Raising rent assistance by 40%, or roughly A$1,400 a year for singles, would cost just $300 million a year if it applied to pensioners, and another $1 billion a year if extended to other renters. A common concern is that boosting rent assistance would lead to higher rents. But that’s unlikely: households would not be required to spend any of the extra income on rent, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/rudds-rental-affordability-scheme-was-a-1-billion-gift-to-developers-abbott-was-right-to-axe-it-122854">most would not</a>. <h2>2. Ease the age pension asset test</h2> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317738/original/file-20200228-24664-1yln6g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /> While retirement incomes are adequate for most retirees, the age pension <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/age-pension/how-much-you-can-get">assets test</a> excessively penalises people who save more for their retirement. Before January 1, 2017 retirees with assets above the threshold lost $1.50 of pension per fortnight for every $1,000 of assets above the threshold. In 2017 the Coalition lifted the threshold but also lifted the withdrawal rate to $3 of pension per fortnight for each $1,000 of assets. The changes resulted in very high effective marginal tax rates on retirement savings, so much so that a typical worker who saves an extra $1000 at age 40 increases their retirement income by only $25 each year, or $658 over 26 years of retirement, which is a <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/money-in-retirement/">negative return</a> on money saved for decades. The age pension withdrawal rate should be cut to $2.25 per fortnight for each $1,000 of assets above the threshold. This would cost the budget about $750 million a year. For middle and high-income workers, this change would have a bigger impact on retirement incomes per government dollar expended than boosting compulsory super. <h2>3. Boost Newstart</h2> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317734/original/file-20200228-24685-1m16m5p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /> <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/newstart-allowance">Newstart</a>, together with the disability support pension, provides an important safety net for Australians who are unable to work right through to retirement age. Yet while the <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/age-pension">age pension</a> and <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/disability-support-pension">disability support pension</a> are indexed to wages, Newstart is not. It only climbs in line with inflation. It should be increased by $75 a week and then indexed to wages going forward. This would <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/sep/17/push-to-raise-newstart-allowance-by-75-a-week">cost a lot</a> but it would help the <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-charts-on-what-a-newstart-recipient-really-looks-like-125937">growing legions</a> of older Australians, many of them women, who find themselves among the long-term unemployed in the years leading up to retirement, or are forced to retire early. And it would lift many more younger Australians out of poverty. <h2>4. Include the home in the pension assets test</h2> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317739/original/file-20200228-24701-1urtm3l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /> <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/soaring-cost-of-housing-for-poorest-australians-is-driving-inequality-grattan-institute-20190906-p52ot2.html">Falling rates of home ownership</a> mean we are at risk of creating an underclass of retirees who rent. And our retirement incomes system makes this worse by favouring homeowners over renters. Once a person is retired, their home is <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/age-pension/how-much-you-can-get/assets-test/assets#assetstestlimits">treated differently</a> to their other assets. Which is why <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/elderly-in-1mplus-homes-raking-in-63bn-in-pensions/news-story/30cbe2423577d46f5489ec39b673f8f4">$6 billion</a> in pension payments go to people with homes worth more than $1 million. It’s time for more of the value of the family home to be included in the pension assets test. Counting more of the home above some threshold (such as $500,000) would be fairer and would save the budget up to $2 billion a year. No pensioner would be forced to leave their home. Pensioners with valuable homes could continue to stay at home and receive the pension under the Government’s <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/pension-loans-scheme">pension loans scheme</a>, which recovers debts only when homes are eventually sold. <h2>5. Fix super tax breaks</h2> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317743/original/file-20200228-24676-1whwfak.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /> Superannuation tax breaks <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-01/complete_tbvs_web.pdf">cost a lot</a> – tens of billions each year in foregone revenue, with half the benefits flowing to the top one fifth of income earners, who already have enough resources to fund their retirements. And the costs are set to climb further as super balances climb. The cost of the earnings concessions alone is set to climb from $17.4 billion to $20.8 billion over the next four years. Three reforms would keep them in check. <ul> <li> Voluntary contributions from pretax income should be limited to $11,000 a year. This would save the budget about $1.7 billion a year. </li> <li> Contributions from post-tax income should be limited to $250,000 over a lifetime, or to $50,000 a year. It won’t save the budget much in the short term, but in the longer term it will plug a large hole in the tax system. </li> <li> Earnings in retirement – currently untaxed for people with <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Super/Withdrawing-and-using-your-super/Transfer-balance-cap/">superannuation balances less than $1.6 million</a> – should be taxed at 15%, the same as super earnings before retirement. Doing so would save the budget about $2 billion per year at first, and much more in future. </li> </ul> These changes to super taxes free up money to help Australians who need help without hurting the retirement prospects of middle Australians. Australia’s retirement incomes system works well, but there are things that need fixing. The reforms we propose would make retirement fairer, save taxpayers’ money, and ensure that all Australians can enjoy a comfortable retirement free from poverty. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-coates-154644">Brendan Coates</a>, Program Director, Household Finances, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168">Grattan Institute</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonathan-nolan-575166">Jonathan Nolan</a>, Associate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168">Grattan Institute</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/forget-more-compulsory-super-here-are-5-ways-to-actually-boost-retirement-incomes-132655">original article</a>.

Retirement Income

"How do you forget your baby?" Mum causes chaos on train

A British mother accidentally caused chaos after she reportedly "forgot her baby" on a train. She was separated from her child at Peckham Rye station in South East London at around 5 pm yesterday. A South Eastern spokesperson confirmed that it had received a call for help from a mother “to advise she had become separated from her child at Peckham Rye station (on Wednesday) evening”. “The unaccompanied child was helped off the train at the next stop (Nunhead) by station colleagues while the mother travelled on the next service to collect the child. “Both are safe and well, and the service was back on the move with a five-minute delay.” Passengers were surprised to discover the reason for the delay was due to a woman forgetting her child. “The last reason I expected my train to be delayed at its stop was because ‘a mother left her baby on the train at the previous stop’ and they’ve had to hold it there so she could come and collect it,” one user wrote. “I mean how do you forget YOUR BABY.. A WHOLE BABY.”

Family & Pets

Experience a side to South Africa you’ll never forget

A journey to South Africa with <a href="https://www.gate1travel.com.au/africa/south-africa">Gate 1 Travel</a> isn’t just an opportunity to experience one of the most soul-stirring adventures on earth – you’ll also revel in quality accommodation, be expertly guided by knowledgeable tour managers and receive personal attention above and beyond your expectations. For many people, an African safari represents one of the ultimate bucket-list experiences of a lifetime. In order to make the most out of your trip, <a href="https://www.gate1travel.com.au/africa/south-africa">Gate 1 Travel</a> has all the tips and tricks you’ll need to make your South African safari a safe and memorable one. On Safari in South Africa – tips for a once-in-a-lifetime experience Heading to South Africa on safari is an adventure many can only dream about. Seeing lions, buffalos, elephants and many more up close in their natural habitats is a breath-taking experience that leaves you hungry for more. However, as exciting as it is to see these gorgeous animals in the place they call home, it’s important to remember the following tips in order to stay safe as you experience everything this amazing country has to offer. 1. Follow all directions provided by your guide While on safari, it’s very important that you follow all directions provided by your guide in order to ensure the safety of the group. Prior to your first safari, your driver/guide will review “safari etiquette”, addressing – among other issues – off-road driving and hazards, interaction with animals and many other important details. Wildlife listed in the itinerary are based upon optimal conditions and therefore subject to change. While on tour you will be reminded by your guide of local safety and ecologic procedures to ensure both your safety and the protection of the wildlife. 2. Remember to charge your camera to capture those iconic moments As you’re in the heart of the wild, it’s important to keep your camera charged and at the ready just in case a herd of elephants stroll past your vehicle. It can be frustrating realising that you’re up close and personal with some of the most beautiful wildlife in the world, but unable to capture the experience to remember it later on. Normal precautions are to be followed as well for your safety, which include remaining in close proximity to your driver/guide and vehicle, avoiding tall grass and keeping noise to a minimum so as not to attract extra attention. <div style="padding: 56.25% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/188826983" style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div> 3. Don’t feed the animals Although it might be exciting to see the Big Five while on safari – lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards and rhinos – it’s important to refrain from littering, feeding any animals or leaving behind any food waste whatsoever in the parks. This is because litter upsets the natural diet of the animals and can lead to a dependence upon people. Another tip is to not purchase, collect or remove any animal products, rocks, seeds, plants or nests from the wild as it’s important to leave as little impact on the habitats as possible. 4. Bring snacks for a picnic in the National Parks (but brace yourself for big visitors!) There are designated picnic sites inside the National Parks and reserves. Due to frequent use, wildlife tends to avoid these areas – with the exception of primates, reptiles, birds and small mammals. Since picnic sites are open, it’s possible that a larger animal, such as an elephant, may wander through. 5. Relax whenever you can With so much to see including Table Mountain in Cape Town, Shark Alley where great white sharks are known to feed, or heading off on a wine tour, it can be tough to remember that you’re able to relax on holidays. Some tours, like <a href="https://www.gate1travel.com.au/africa/south-africa">Gate 1 Travel</a>, make sure not to rush their travellers and provide additional nights in key destinations so that you have a chance to explore while on holidays. <a href="/Gate%201%20Travel">Gate 1 Travel</a> also offer additional tours, so there’s always another inspiring destination to add to your list! Scroll through the gallery to discover just a taste of what’s on offer with <a href="https://www.gate1travel.com.au/africa/south-africa">Gate 1 Travel</a> in South Africa. This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with <a href="https://www.gate1travel.com.au/africa/south-africa">Gate 1 Travel</a>.

International Travel

How often do people forget things about one another?

A new acquaintance needs to be reminded of your name while you are having a conversation. A colleague forgets your plan to meet for coffee and schedules a conflicting meeting. A friend books a table for the two of you at a restaurant but it slips her mind that you don’t like sushi. We have all been on the receiving end of another person’s memory failure, and have forgotten important things about people ourselves. Until recently, however, we haven’t been able to understand these experiences and their consequences with much beyond anecdotes. My research group decided to change that. We undertook a <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-39692-001">systematic study</a> of the experience of being forgotten. We wanted to find out what a typical experience looks like – who is involved, what gets forgotten, and how often it happens to people. We also wondered how people were affected and whether there was any measurable impact on the relationship afterwards. To find out, we used a combination of methods. In one strand, we asked about 50 people to keep a daily diary over two weeks. They had to record all occasions in which they were forgotten and give some details about the experience when it happened. In another strand, we constructed social interactions in our laboratory in which another 50 participants discovered that someone else had forgotten most of the details of a previous conversation. We then recorded how it made them feel. Finally, we showed several hundred people stories in which someone was forgotten or remembered. We asked for their reaction and what they thought of the people involved. What we found One of our most surprising discoveries was how frequently things about people were forgotten. On average, our diary keepers reported being forgotten about seven times over a two week period – once every other day. And it wasn’t only people who had just met one another; people were forgotten with similar frequency by acquaintances, co-workers, classmates, flatmates and friends. The type of memory failure did depend on who was doing the forgetting. Complete failures of recognition were relatively rare (9%), and limited mainly to new or casual types of relationships. Personal details were forgotten most often (48%), especially in less close types of relationships such as acquaintances. In closer relationships such as friendships, people most often forgot something about past interactions or shared experiences (26% of all the memory failures). For example, one participant recorded a close friend telling her a story about a party that the participant had also attended. Closer relationships also provided the most examples of people forgetting obligations or promises (“I had a ‘date’ on Skype today with my boyfriend but he forgot”). This type of forgetting was relatively rare overall (8%), however. Another surprise was that people tended to be very understanding about memory lapses. They usually made an excuse for the forgetter – “She met too many people in the last couple of days.” Only in about one in five instances did a person explicitly link the memory failure to a lack of investment in them or the information, such as saying “I don’t think she found the place where I am from to be interesting or worth remembering.” What it means So do you need to worry about forgetting during social interaction? In the minority of cases where people explain memory failure through a lack of investment, the answer is obviously yes. As you might expect, these instances made people feel substantially less important and less close to the person who forgot them. Yet even in the majority of cases where people excused the forgetter, there was still some negative effect on the relationship. Despite providing excuses, people tended to feel a little less important and close to the person as a result. In short, people are usually very understanding about memory failures, but they do still hurt a bit. So might it improve our relationships if we made more effort to remember things about people? We think it probably would. In preliminary follow-up work, we have found that prompting participants to make clear that they remember the details of a past social interaction improved their ability to communicate that they care about others. We can’t yet say with certainty how effective bolstering memory might be for improving social interaction, but it is definitely better than forgetting people.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/103494/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Written by Devin Ray, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Aberdeen. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/how-often-do-people-forget-things-about-one-another-we-decided-to-find-out-103494" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.

Relationships

Is my forgetfulness normal?

We all forget things from time to time. For example, how many of us have walked into a room only to forget why we went there in the first place? Or forgotten the name of a new acquaintance only moments after they’ve introduced themselves? These are common experiences, but if these memory lapses turn persistent or progressive it could be a sign of something else. “A person with forgetfulness may lose their car keys, but a person with dementia may lose their car keys and then forget what the car keys are actually used for,” explains Alzheimer’s Australia CEO, Carol Bennett. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and affects 80 per cent of people with dementia. While memory loss is the most common symptom of dementia, other symptoms may include confusion, personality change, apathy and withdrawal or an inability to perform everyday tasks. According to Bennett, dementia will present itself in many different ways and symptoms may vary between individuals. “For some people it won’t be memory loss, rather they may experience visual-spatial differences. For example, someone with dementia may put their glass down under the table or above the table and drop the glass. They may misjudge stairs, because they lose their capacity to judge physical space,” she said. Early signs of alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s Australia advise some warning signs include: 1. Remembering events, words, names or objects: A person with dementia may progressively forget common words or names and may even forget part or all of an event. In healthy people, there may be the occasional lapse but words are usually on the tip of the tongue and memories are vague, rather than completely forgotten. 2. Understanding stories: Dementia causes a decline in the ability to follow story lines in TV shows, films, books or any other storytelling form of entertainment. 3. Performing everyday tasks: In someone with dementia, everyday tasks like dressing and cooking can become quite arduous, whereas a healthy person will not have any difficulty unless physically impaired. 4. Following directions: Healthy people should be able to follow written and verbal directions without any difficulty. Someone with dementia, on the other hand, is increasingly unable to follow these cues. <a href="https://fightdementia.org.au/">Read the full checklist on the Alzheimer’s Australia website.</a> Younger onset dementia While dementia is more common in people over 65, sadly there are more than 24,000 Australians in their 30s, 40s, 50s and early 60s affected by the disease. “Dementia in the under 65s is often misdiagnosed. There’s a lack of information, even among health professionals,” adds Bennett. One theory is that people with younger onset dementia tend to present with problem solving and behavioural issues, and as a result, these individuals can be mistakenly diagnosed with depression. There are different types of dementia and symptoms are variable. However, if you or a loved one is worried, see a GP or ask for a referral to a neurologist who can complete a series of medical and psychological tests to determine the cause. Your doctor may talk to you about your medical history, perform cognitive, psychiatric and/or neuropsychological testing, or request blood and urine tests to screen for illnesses which could be responsible for dementia-like symptoms. Bennett explains, when it comes to younger onset dementia, early intervention is key. “Early diagnosis makes a huge difference to the outcome. Unfortunately it is a very progressive condition, especially in younger onset where it tends to progressive more quickly. The sooner you can provide support the better. Early intervention keeps people out of hospital and residential aged care,” she adds. Preventing dementia: help at hand “There isn’t a one size fits all, it’s about keeping your mind active,” advises Bennett. In fact, experts say that the changes in the brain that lead to dementia begin up to 15-20 years before symptoms first appear. Lifestyle changes, such as keeping physically active, eating the right foods and challenging the mind, all reduce the risk. <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/six-ways-to-keep-your-mind-sharp.aspx">Click here</a> for six fun and simple ways to reduce your risk for dementia and keep your mind sharper for longer. Alzheimer’s Australia has also developed a Brainy App, which can help determine your ‘brain health’ and assist you with completing brainy activities using a score system. Download the free app <a href="http://yourbrainmatters.org.au/a-little-help/brainyapp">here</a>. Ready for something new? Take the Your Brain Matters 21 challenge! Always dreamt of speaking Spanish, learning the violin or finally mastering a soufflé? Keeping your mind active by doing new things is a fun way to establish brain healthy habits visit: <a href="http://yourbrainmatters.org.au/challenge">Your brain matters</a>. You can also call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500 for support and advice regarding health, financial and counselling services in your area. Written by Mahsa Fratantoni. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/health/wellbeing/is-my-forgetfulness-normal.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Retirement Life

“Forget voting for me”: Samuel Johnson’s desperate plea on DWTS

He’s the fan favourite, and expected to be crowned winner of this year’s Dancing With The Stars, but Samuel Johnson doesn’t want fans to vote for him. Instead, the Gold Logie winner has a different request – to donate 55 cents to his cancer charity Love Your Sister instead of spending the same money on the text message to put forward a vote. In a heartfelt post to Facebook over the weekend, the actor made a plea for viewers to skip over an SMS vote and instead donate to his charity made in honour of his sister, Connie, who passed away in September 2017 after a long battle with cancer. “Being that SMS votes cost 55c and NONE of the proceeds go to charity, I’m asking that you forget voting for me and consider donating 55c to cancer research instead?” Johnson’s post read. “I’ve even created a special 55c button! Unforch it’s not deductible, because it’s less than two bucks. “I cannot work harder for your donation and appreciate your consideration regardless.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BV7-qbpgSsh/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BV7-qbpgSsh/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Love Your Sister (@loveyoursister)</a> on Jun 29, 2017 at 1:38pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Johnson further went on to thank his fans for their support, describing his time on Dancing With The Stars as a “magnificent” experience. “If I get the boot, it won’t be because I f**ked up. No way. I am so happy that I’ve not repped you poorly,” he wrote. “So thanks for inspiring me to get clean and clear. Thanks for giving me something to dance for.” The winner of DWTS will be awarded $50,000 for their chosen charity as well as the mirrorball trophy. Viewers are able to vote for their favourite celebrity to stay on the show by voting via SMS for 55 cents a pop or a maximum of once a day online. Johnson retired from acting in 2016 to focus on fundraising money for Love Your Sister, which he ran with his late sister Connie Johnson. Have you been watching Samuel Johnson compete on Dancing With The Stars? Tell us in the comments below.

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