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Young musician dies weeks after writing final song

<p>Cat Janice has died aged 31 with her family by her side.</p> <p>The young musician, who had a large following on TikTok, had been battling cancer since January 2022 when doctors diagnosed her with sarcoma, a rare malignant tumour. </p> <p>She was declared cancer-free on July 22 that same year, following extensive surgery, chemo and radiation therapy. </p> <p>The mum-of-one was sadly re-diagnosed with cancer in June last year and despite fighting hard in the second round of her treatments, Janice told fans in January that her cancer "won" and that she "fought hard but sarcomas are too tough".</p> <p>Janice's family have announced her passing in a statement shared to her Instagram. </p> <p>"From her childhood home and surrounded by her loving family, Catherine peacefully entered the light and love of her heavenly creator," they said. </p> <p>"We are eternally thankful for the outpouring of love that Catherine and our family have received over the past few months."</p> <p>Before she died, Janice publicly announced that all her music would be signed over to her 7-year-old son, Loren, to support him in the future. </p> <p>Just weeks before her death, she released her final song <em>Dance You Outta My Head </em> in the hope it would spread "joy and fun". </p> <p>"My last joy would be if you pre saved my song 'Dance You Outta My Head' and streamed it because all proceeds go straight to my 7-year-old boy I'm leaving behind," she said, before the song was released. </p> <p>The song went viral, and took he number one spot in several countries and the number five spot on the Apple Itunes globally.</p> <p>Her family have said that the love she received for her final song, was unbelievable parting gift she could have ever received.</p> <p>"Cat saw her music go places she never expected and rests in the peace of knowing that she will continue to provide for her son through her music. This would not have been possible without all of you."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Helen Mirren debuts new look on the runway at Paris Fashion Week

<p>Helen Mirren has proven yet again that style, glamour and beauty have no age limit, as she hit the runway at Paris Fashion Week to debut her new look. </p> <p>The 78-year-old acting legend showed off a wild crimped hairstyle as she donned a sparkly silver ballgown for L’Oreal's Walk Your Worth event, which took place under the Eiffel Tower on Sunday. </p> <p>Mirren beamed as she walked down the catwalk, exuding confidence and charm, with the who's-who of the fashion world watching on. </p> <p>Mirren appeared alongside fellow actress Elle Fanning, who also sparkled in a plunging gold fringed dress as the unexpected duo held hands. </p> <p>One fan tweeted, “Elle Fanning and Helen Mirren both played Catherine the Great in 2 TV series and I’m so here for this nod.”</p> <p>A host of other celebrities also walked in the fashion show, including Eva Longoria, Cindy Bruna, Andie MacDowell, Viola Davis, and many more. </p> <p>L’Oreal's event focused on women's empowerment, as messages of sisterhood and supporting women and female strength were displayed as stars walked the runway.</p> <p>The brand's website reads that the star-studded event is "inspiring all women to unapologetically show up in the world and walk towards their destiny in confidence" by "celebrating the beauty, the strength, and the potential of all women."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Beauty & Style

TV star dies at just 25, one week after his father

<p><em>Euphoria </em>star Angus Cloud has passed away at just 25, with family revealing that he struggled "intensely" following the recent loss of his father.</p> <p>A statement released by his family this morning announcing the devastating news. </p> <p>"It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today. As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways," the statement began. </p> <p>"Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss. <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend,</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">" they added. </span></p> <p>"Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence."</p> <p>"We hope the world remembers him for his humour, laughter and love for everyone. We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud. He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time. <a href="https://t.co/PLqkz5Rshc">pic.twitter.com/PLqkz5Rshc</a></p> <p>— euphoria (@euphoriaHBO) <a href="https://twitter.com/euphoriaHBO/status/1686137982003126273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>The official Twitter account for HBO and Euphoria have paid tribute to the star by sharing a photo of him on set with the caption: "We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud."</p> <p>"He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family," they added. </p> <p>"We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time."</p> <p>His co-star Javon Walton, who played Ashtray in Euphoria, also paid tribute to the star in an Instagram story with the caption: "forever family," followed by a red heart and white dove emoji. </p> <p>Cloud rose to fame in 2019, after the success of his role as Fezco on Euphoria. His character was a drug dealer who charmed the audience with his sweet nature, and his close relationship with Zendaya's character Rue. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

News

10 items you need to clean every week

<p>Don’t let these household chores be bumped to the bottom of your to-do list. These are the items that need to be cleaned every seven days.</p> <p><strong>1. Laundry</strong></p> <p>To prevent a huge pile of dirty clothes piling up, it is best to tackle the load weekly.</p> <p><strong>2. Bathroom surfaces</strong></p> <p>Although your counter and mirror may look clean, it is important to clean with a disinfectant wipe once a week to remove bacteria and germs that build up from everyday use.</p> <p><strong>3. Carpets and rugs</strong></p> <p>Carolyn Forte, the director of the Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, said, “If you don't vacuum, heavy dirt gets ground in and light dust sits on top.” It is especially important to vacuum the areas around the front and back doors where dirt is carried in.</p> <p><strong>4. Dusty furniture</strong></p> <p>Not only does dust look bad but it can be bad for your health and your furniture. Carolyn said, “Dust can be abrasive and can put fine scratches in the finish if something rubs against it.” Use a microfibre cloth to clean so you grab particles rather than spread them around.</p> <p><strong>5. Sheets</strong></p> <p>If you have the time to wash them every week, it is important to do so as germs, sweat, and body oils build up quickly.</p> <p><strong>6. Kitchen appliances</strong></p> <p>Clean your kitchen appliances with a disinfectant wipe each week to prevent a build-up of germs. "Kitchen appliances need to be cleaned of fingerprints and food bits,” Carolyn said.</p> <p><strong>7. Bathtub and shower</strong></p> <p>These places collect mildew and scum. It is important to remove this material with a bath scrubber every week.</p> <p><strong>8. Toilet</strong></p> <p>It is important to deep clean your toilet bowl every week. Carolyn recommends pouring a cup of bleach into the bowl and brushing it around the sides and under the rim. "Let it sit for five minutes as you move on to the next task.”</p> <p><strong>9. Kitchen floors</strong></p> <p>Kitchen floors can collect liquids and food crumbs without anyone even noticing. To prevent this, clean your kitchen floors weekly.</p> <p><strong>10. Mirrors</strong></p> <p>Clean mirrors will not only make your home look fresh but it will also make it easier to put makeup on.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Home & Garden

Know the signs of a heart attack this Heart Week

<p dir="ltr">Research conducted by Heart Smart Australia, an online health and wellbeing program, has revealed the concerning reality that only one third of Australians (38% of the 1,031 people surveyed) are able to recognise the symptoms of a heart attack, despite cardiovascular disease being attributed to <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/bundles/for-professionals/key-stats-cardiovascular-disease">25% of deaths in the country</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr">And during <a href="https://campaign.heartfoundation.org.au/heart-week">Heart Week</a>, which runs from May 1 to May 7, the organisation hopes to both raise awareness and educate everyone on the warning signs, from the obvious to the lesser known, to hopefully reduce an individual’s risk of heart disease.</p> <p dir="ltr">As explained on the official website for the initiative, Heart Week is “Australia’s national heart health awareness week” and “provides an opportunity for the Australian public and health professionals to start a conversation about heart health and take positive steps to reduce their heart disease risk.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Surprisingly, the generation with the least existing awareness are the Baby Boomers, with research showing that only 33% of them are typically able to recall all of the signs and symptoms.</p> <p dir="ltr">Roughly 98% of Australians were able to call one or more of the most common symptoms to mind, while only 55% were aware that fatigue is one of such signs. Fewer still - approximately 48% - could name nausea and vomiting as another. </p> <p dir="ltr">The numbers are far lower than ideal, and as leading cardiologist and Chief Medical Officer of Heart Smart Australia Dr Ross Walker explained, “heart attack can be a silent killer; therefore, it’s crucial that Australians are aware of all the symptoms, including the lesser-known ones such as fatigue, chest discomfort and vomiting.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you experience any of these symptoms, it's important to seek medical attention immediately. We know that acting quickly reduces damage to the heart and increases chances of survival - it really is this important. Life or death!"</p> <p dir="ltr">Cardiovascular disease (otherwise known as CVD) accounts for a staggering one hospitalisation every single minute in Australia, so this Heart Week, Dr Walker is calling on everyone to get on top of their health, to learn the symptoms, and to make the necessary changes towards reducing the impact and risk of CVD. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Heart Health Week is the perfect opportunity for Australians to take stock of their heart health and make positive changes to their lifestyle,” he explained. “For example, we know that implementing some simple changes can reduce the risk profile for developing CVD. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Looking at things like participating in regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, getting adequate sleep and eating a healthy, balanced diet are key."</p> <p dir="ltr">Some of Dr Walker’s main tips include forming strong social networks, not overlooking the importance of a healthy diet, exercising regularly, attending regular heart health check ups with medical professionals, and knowing the symptoms. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s not widely known, nor understood, but those with strong ties to friends and family fare better when it comes to lowering risk of heart disease. Regularly spend some guilt free time with loved ones - it’s for your heart,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">And as for diet, “Variety is key here. As well as a range of fruit and vegetables, including things like Omega 3’s and turmeric can work to decrease inflammation, a key risk factor for CVD.”</p> <p dir="ltr">For exercise, Dr Walker recommends a minimum of “5 or more active days”, with no less than two-and-a-half hours each week dedicated to physical activity.</p> <p dir="ltr">Heart health check ups are crucial, according to Dr Walker, who suggests that anyone over the age of 45 (or 30 for Indigenous Australians) should contact their doctor for a check up. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This check will include things like measuring blood pressure, cholesterol levels and assessing weight,” he noted. “Identifying risk works to pre-empt issues and is often an important preventative measure.” </p> <p dir="ltr">And when it comes to the symptoms, Dr Walker believes it to be imperative to recognise them, so that you can act immediately and get help as soon as possible if someone you know may be suffering from one, “as early treatment is strongly linked to better health outcomes”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Those all-important symptoms include chest pains - pressure and tightness - as well as dizziness and light-headedness, nausea or vomiting, indigestion, sweat, an unusually pale complexion, difficulty breathing and shortness of breath, and palpitations. </p> <p dir="ltr">Additionally, when dealing with a suspected heart attack in females, it’s important to watch out for breathlessness and general unwellness, tightness and discomfort of the arms, chest pains that are reminiscent of burning and trapped wind, as well as upper back pain and pressure in the area. </p> <p dir="ltr">For more information, and to learn more about the education and support on offer, head over to Heart Smart Australia’s official website: <a href="https://heartsmartaustralia.com/">https://heartsmartaustralia.com/</a> </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Body

Landlord rents out balcony for $300 a week

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

Real Estate

Roger Federer stuns with unlikely photo op

<p>Roger Federer has taken the world by storm with more than just his tennis prowess after posting a new picture to Instagram. </p> <p>The retired 20-time Grand Slam champion is in France for Paris Fashion Week with his wife, Mirka. Mirka had been turning heads with her outfit, with many believing the creature on her vest to be a nod to her husband, the GOAT, but it was Roger who seized the attention of fans with his surprising post. </p> <p>The image features Roger posing with all four members of K-pop sensation Blackpink - Jisoo, Jennie, Rose, and Lisa. </p> <p>The group, formed in 2016 and dubbed the world’s greatest girl group, boast their own following of 52.4m followers on Instagram.</p> <p>It appears that Roger’s four children are included in that impressive count, with Roger captioning the picture, “My kids said this was a definite IG post.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn9Dii3oSEF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn9Dii3oSEF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Roger Federer (@rogerfederer)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The meeting between international superstars immediately caught the attention of fans and friends, skyrocketing to over one million likes in one day. </p> <p>Fans of Blackpink are known affectionately as “Blinks”, and dozens took to Roger’s comment sections to express their surprise while questioning his position in the fan network.</p> <p>American teen tennis star and current World Number 7 Cori Dionne “Coco” Gauff asked, “blink????” </p> <p>“Your kids definitely understood their assignment,” declared one fan, referencing Roger’s caption.</p> <p>“Iconic!” The agreement came from none other than CEO of TAG Heuer, Frédéric Arnault. </p> <p>“You win everything,” commented London’s Instagram account, “now you’ve won at instagram!”</p> <p>Roger also posted the picture to his Twitter account, where the comments reflected those seen on Instagram, with the additional, “not sure if I’m jealous of Roger or Blackpink LOL.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">not sure if im jealous of Roger or Blackpink LOL</p> <p>— Iggy Wan (@officialiggywan) <a href="https://twitter.com/officialiggywan/status/1619451939045122050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Amid the excitement, many voiced their surprise at the unexpected meeting of stars. Others praised Roger’s kids for keeping the 41 year old on top of trends, with one writing, “Roger’s kids really keeping him updated with pop culture. Love to see it” to over 250 likes. </p> <p>Since both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have overtaken Federer’s Grand Slam victory tally, a debate has broken out as to whether or not he is the tennis GOAT. This doesn’t seem to be troubling Federer, who seems to be making the most of and enjoying his time away from the game. </p> <p>Although Federer did not attend the Australian Open, Djokovic took an opportunity to honour the retired champion, and expressed his support for Roger and his family, “he is enjoying life, for sure. It’s nice to see that. Obviously, for tennis, he has been one of the most important players ever to play the game. So, you know, big regards to him and his family.”</p> <p><em>Image: Twitter</em></p> <p> </p>

Family & Pets

Jimmy Barnes to undergo urgent surgery

<p dir="ltr">Jimmy Barnes has been forced to cancel his upcoming tour to undergo urgent surgery.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 66-year-old said the five decades rocking on stage and being bent at the waist will see him under hip and back surgery.</p> <p dir="ltr">His final performance will be held the first weekend of December at Valo Adelaide 500 before he goes in for surgery.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve been jumping off PAs and stomping around stages for nearly 50 years, but it’s finally caught up with me,” Barnes said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve had niggling back and hip issues for years, but things suddenly got a lot worse over the last few weeks and I’m now in constant and severe pain.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As everybody knows, it’s against my religion to blow out gigs but the doctors tell me I need an operation as soon as possible and it will really limit my movement for a few months.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Clhaq9ghZdX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Clhaq9ghZdX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jimmy Barnes (@jimmybarnesofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“As much as it kills me to inconvenience everyone, I have to get this fixed so I can jump around onstage for another 50 years.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Barnes joked that his family would have to deal with him playing his record Blue Christmas during his recovery.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The operation will keep me cooped up over summer and I’m a notoriously cranky patient, so I probably need to buy noise cancelling headphones for my family too – that way they’ll hopefully still be talking to me when I’m back on my feet,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">He thanked The Hoodoo Gurus for stepping in and covering his shows as it means “other bands will still get their chance to rock”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Literary travels – destinations made famous by your favourite writers

<p>Great writers have the ability to make a destination jump off the page. Here are five places made famous by great writers where you can step into the pages of your favourite book.</p> <p><strong>Myanmar</strong></p> <p>During the 1920s and 30s Burma (as it was called then) was a hub for the most famous writers in the world. George Orwell, Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham all lived here and the capital Yangon (Rangoon) was a buzzing party town and the most beautiful capital in the British Empire. </p> <p>Much has changed in modern day Myanmar, but travellers can still spend the night in the famous Strand hotel where Kipling used to write or travel up the Ayeyarwady River stopping at the small towns that Orwell made famous in <em>Burmese Days.</em></p> <p><strong>Bali</strong></p> <p>In 2006 Elizabeth Gilbert chronicled the breakdown of her marriage and her own recovery in the novel <em>Eat Pray Love</em>. After stints in Italy (eating) and India (praying), Gilbert set up camp in Ubud in the lush green hills of Bali to find a balance of the two – and ultimately found love. </p> <p>The book and subsequent film have brought a huge influx of travellers to Ubud, but it is still a quiet region of rice paddies, ancient Hindu temples and roadside stalls – though there is now a healthy dose of art galleries, small bars and boutiques added to the mix. Check into a villa and let the soul soothing begin.</p> <p><strong>St Petersburg</strong></p> <p>St Petersburg has been the inspiration for novelists from Russian greats like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky through to <em>The Bronze Horseman</em> trilogy by Paullina Simons. During the city’s famed white nights (a period from May to July where the sun barely sets and the city experiences near constant daylight) you can practically see Anna Karenina dashing through the streets in her finest. </p> <p>Russia is also home to more literary museums than any other country in the world and in St Petersburg you can visit the Dostoevsky museum in the apartment where he wrote <em>The Brothers Karamazov</em> or the National Pushkin Museum dedicated to Russia’s favourite poet.</p> <p><strong>Dublin</strong></p> <p>Dublin is one of only six UNESCO Literary Cities in the world, which is not surprising when you consider it’s the birthplace of James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and WB Yeats. Joyce’s <em>Ulysses</em> follows a day in the life of three Dubliners and fans can now take a self-guided walking tour around the city visiting the places mentioned in the book (there’s even a virtual tour online if you’re more of an armchair traveller). </p> <p>Visit the Dublin Writers Museum to learn about the city’s great literary history or head to Trinity College to see the legendary Book of Kells, an illuminated gospel manuscript dating from 800AD.</p> <p><strong>Cuba</strong></p> <p>To think of Cuba is to think of Ernest Hemingway; sitting at a bar, mojito in hand, cigar clamped firmly between his teeth. Papa, as he was known, lived in Cuba for more than 20 years and it was the setting for his last major fiction book, the Pulitzer Prize winning <em>The Old Man and the Sea</em>. </p> <p>The small fishing village of Cojimar, where Hemingway used to dock his boat, was the inspiration for the book and the old man is said to be based on Cojimar local Gregorio Fuentes. The village is largely unchanged, with narrow streets and a picturesque seafront – though expect to find a few tour buses stopped for photos by the bust of Hemingway. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Tips

Why Elon Musk’s first week as Twitter owner has users flocking elsewhere

<p>It’s been a week since Elon Musk strode into the Twitter headquarters with a kitchen sink, signalling <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/27/technology/elon-musk-twitter-deal-complete.html">his official takeover</a> of the company.</p> <p>Having had some time to let the news of his <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/how-will-elon-musk-pay-twitter-2022-10-07/">US$44 billion</a> (about A$70 billion) purchase “sink in”, Twitter users are now wondering what he’ll do with the platform.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in! <a href="https://t.co/D68z4K2wq7">pic.twitter.com/D68z4K2wq7</a></p> <p>— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1585341984679469056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>What’s Musk going to do with Twitter?</strong></p> <p>After months of <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5arm0">trying to walk away</a> from his commitment to buy the platform, and just before entering what was looking to be a long, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2022/09/30/elon-musk-texts-twitters-ceo-revealed-court-filings/8138829001/">potentially embarrassing</a> and costly court battle to enforce his original agreement, Twitter is now privately owned.</p> <p>If we wade through some of the early reactionary media punditry, we see Musk has paid far too much for a platform that has not yet fulfilled its business potential to investors, nor its social potential to users.</p> <p>This probably explains some of his first moves since taking over, such as <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/11/1/want-the-blue-tick-on-twitter-pay-up-8">planning to charge</a> users US$8 (adjusted by country) for a blue tick, and <a href="https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-fire-3700-twitter-employees-friday-50-percent-1849736018">threatening to fire</a> half of Twitter’s staff.</p> <p>He has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-fires-4-top-twitter-execs-including-ceo-parag-agrawal-2022-10">already fired</a> previous CEO Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal, head of legal Vijaya Gadde and general counsel Sean Edgett.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?</p> <p>— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587312517679878144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>Will Twitter turn into (more of) a bin fire?</strong></p> <p>Musk’s intentions were perhaps best signalled with <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1585841080431321088">his first tweet</a> after he bought the platform: “the bird is freed”.</p> <p>Before the purchase, one of his oft-tweeted criticisms of Twitter was that there were too many limits on “free speech”, and moderation would need to be reframed to unlock Twitter’s potential as a “de facto public town square”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy.</p> <p>What should be done? <a href="https://t.co/aPS9ycji37">https://t.co/aPS9ycji37</a></p> <p>— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1507777261654605828?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>There’s no doubt Musk is quite good at performative <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1585619322239561728?s=20&t=zbwsuDL05RH8n3VSJeiw7w">social media statements</a>, but we’re yet to see any actual changes made to content moderation – let alone Musk’s utopian vision of a digital town square.</p> <p>The “chief twit” has suggested the <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1586059953311137792">future appointment of</a> “a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints” that would be charged with making decisions about moderation and account reinstatements.</p> <p>This isn’t a new idea. Meta has convened such an oversight board since 2018, made up of former political leaders, human rights activists, academics and journalists. The board oversees content decisions and has been known to oppose CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s decisions, in particular his <a href="https://oversightboard.com/decision/FB-691QAMHJ/">“indefinite”</a> Facebook suspension of former US president Donald Trump after the US Capitol building riots.</p> <p>It’s unclear whether a council would convene to discuss Musk’s suggestion to “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/10/technology/elon-musk-donald-trump-twitter-ban.html">reverse the permanent ban</a>” Twitter imposed on Trump, or if Musk would allow a board to override his decisions.</p> <p>Nonetheless, Musk’s suggestion of a moderation board is a step back from his previously self-described “<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1499976967105433600?lang=en">free speech absolutist</a>” views on content moderation.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Starlink has been told by some governments (not Ukraine) to block Russian news sources. We will not do so unless at gunpoint.</p> <p>Sorry to be a free speech absolutist.</p> <p>— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1499976967105433600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Many <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/oct/28/elon-musk-twitter-hate-speech-concerns-stock-exchange-deal">have been concerned</a> his approach to moderation may fuel more hate speech on Twitter.</p> <p>In the past week, co-ordinated troll accounts have tried to test the limits of a Musk-run Twitter by flooding the platform with racial slurs. According to the US-based National Contagion Research Institute, the use of the N-word skyrocketed by <a href="https://twitter.com/ncri_io/status/1586007698910646272">more than 500%</a> on October 28. However, the head of safety and integrity at Twitter, Yoel Roth, said many of the offending tweets came from a <a href="https://twitter.com/yoyoel/status/1586542286342475776">small number of accounts</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.montclair.edu/school-of-communication-and-media/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/11/Montclair-State-SCM-Study-Increases-in-Twitter-Hate-Speech-After-Elon-Musks-Acquisition.pdf">Another study by</a> Montclair State University researchers found a massive spike in hateful terms in the lead-up to Musk’s acquisition.</p> <p>Both <a href="https://twitter.com/yoyoel/status/1586542287416217600">Roth and Musk</a> have confirmed “Twitter’s policies haven’t changed”. Rules on “hateful conduct” remain the same.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nearly all of these accounts are inauthentic. We’ve taken action to ban the users involved in this trolling campaign — and are going to continue working to address this in the days to come to make Twitter safe and welcoming for everyone. <a href="https://t.co/1hUnb1WYPZ">https://t.co/1hUnb1WYPZ</a></p> <p>— Yoel Roth (@yoyoel) <a href="https://twitter.com/yoyoel/status/1586542287416217600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>Musk remains a loose cannon</strong></p> <p>Perhaps more concerning than troll reactions is Musk’s decision to tweet and then delete <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/31/elon-musk-paul-pelosi-tweet-twitter">a conspiracy theory</a> about US house speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi. We could dismiss this as Musk’s love of <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Shitpost">sh-tposting</a>, but if the right to post disinformation and personal attacks is the kind of speech he wants to protect, it’s worth questioning what kind of public square he envisions.</p> <p>Musk takes a technocratic approach to the social issues that emerge from our use of online communication tools. It implies free access to technology absolves “free speech” of its cultural and social context, and makes it easily and readily available to everyone.</p> <p>This is often not the case. That’s why we need content moderation and protections for the vulnerable and marginalised.</p> <p>The other question is whether we want billionaires to have a direct influence on our public squares. If so, how do we ensure transparency, and that users’ interests are being upheld?</p> <p>In less bombastic reportage of the takeover, Musk this week directed Twitter to find more than US$1 billion in annual <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/musk-orders-twitter-cut-infrastructure-costs-by-1-bln-sources-2022-11-03/">infrastructure cost savings</a>, which will allegedly occur through cuts to cloud services and server space. These cuts could put Twitter at risk of going down during high-traffic periods, such as around election times.</p> <p>This might be where Musk’s digital town square vision fails. If Twitter is to resemble such a space, the infrastructure that supports it must hold up at the most crucial moments.</p> <p><strong>Where to go if you’re sick of Twitter?</strong></p> <p>While there’s so far no indication of a mass Twitter exodus, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/03/twitter-celebrities-leaving-elon-musk/">a number of users</a> are flocking elsewhere. Shortly after Musk acquired Twitter, #TwitterMigration began trending. In the week since, micro-blogging platform <a href="https://mastodon.social/explore">Mastodon</a> has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/nov/01/mastodon-twitter-elon-musk-takeover">reportedly</a> gained tens of thousands of followers.</p> <p><a href="https://mastodon.social/explore">Mastodon</a> is made up of independent, user-managed servers. Each server is owned, operated and moderated by its community and can also be made private. The downside is servers cost money to run and if a server is no longer running, all the content may be lost.</p> <p>Twitter defectors have also moved to sites such as Reddit, Tumblr, CounterSocial, LinkedIn and Discord.</p> <p>Of course, many will be waiting to see what Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey comes up with. While Dorsey retains a stake in Twitter, he has launched a decentralised social media network, Bluesky Social, which is now in beta testing.</p> <p><a href="https://blueskyweb.org/blog">Bluesky</a> aims to provide an open social network protocol. This means it would allow for multiple social media networks to interact with one another through an open standard.</p> <p>If this experiment is successful, it would be more than a competitor for Twitter. It would mean users could easily switch services and take their content with them to other providers.</p> <p>It would be a totally new user-focused model for social networking. And it might force traditional platforms to rethink their current data harvesting and targeted advertising practices. That might just be a platform takeover worth waiting for.<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/193857/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>Writen by Diana Bossio. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-elon-musks-first-week-as-twitter-owner-has-users-flocking-elsewhere-193857" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

The 5,000-year history of writer’s block

<p>Ann Patchett, who has written eight novels and five books of nonfiction, says that when faced with writer’s block, sometimes it seems that the muse has “<a href="http://www.annpatchett.com/titles#/thisisthestoryofahappymarriage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gone out back for a smoke</a>.”</p> <p>It doesn’t matter whether you’re an award-winning novelist or a high schooler tasked with writing an essay for English class: The fear and frustration of writing doesn’t discriminate.</p> <p>My most recent book, “<a href="https://broadviewpress.com/product/a-writing-studies-primer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Writing Studies Primer</a>,” includes a chapter on gods, goddesses and patron saints of writing. When conducting research, I was struck by how writers have consistently sought divine inspiration and intercession.</p> <p>It turns out that frustrated writers who pine for a muse or help from above are adhering to a 5,000-year-old tradition.</p> <div data-id="17"> </div> <h2>The first writers look to the skies</h2> <p>The first writing system, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/cuneiform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cuneiform</a>, arose in Sumer around 3200 BC to keep track of wheat, transactions, real estate and recipes. Scribes used clay tablets to record the information – think of them as early spreadsheets.</p> <p>Originally the Sumerian goddess of grain, <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Nisaba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nisaba</a> became associated with writing. She was depicted holding a gold stylus and clay tablet.</p> <p>As it was common for people to adopt a god or goddess for their professions, a new class of scribes latched onto Nisaba. Practice tablets from <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/367648" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schools that trained young scribes</a> invoke her name – “Praise be to Nisaba!” Poets trumpeted her influence and <a href="https://twitter.com/anctxtmodtablet/status/1097890316458360832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">credited her for giving beautiful handwriting</a> to diligent students.</p> <p>Her Egyptian counterpart was <a href="https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/seshat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seshat</a>, whose name <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Seshat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">translates to</a> “female scribe.”</p> <p>Identifiable by a stylized papyrus as her headdress and a stylus in her right hand, Seshat guided the reed pens of scribes as priests communicated with the divine.</p> <p>Writing was all about communicating with the gods, and the Greeks and Romans continued this tradition. They turned to the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, known collectively as <a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/nine-muses-0013523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Muses</a>. Calliope stands out most notably, not only because a musical instrument was named after her, but also because she was considered the foremost of the sisters for her eloquence.</p> <p>The Muses <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124242927020125473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have since evolved</a> into one overarching “muse” that serves as a source of inspiration.</p> <h2>Global gods and goddesses of writing</h2> <p>Gods and other legendary figures of writing are not limited to Western civilization.</p> <p>In China, the historian Cangjie, who lived in the 27th century B.C., is said to have created the <a href="https://www.ewccenter.com/cangjie-and-the-invention-of-chinese-characters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">characters of the Chinese language</a>. Legend has it that he was inspired by the pattern of veins on a turtle. (Back then, the Chinese <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Oracle_Bones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">often wrote on turtle shells</a>.)</p> <p>A <a href="https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Fu_Xi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">competing story</a> says that cultural folk hero Fuxi and his sister Nüwa created the system of Chinese characters circa 2000 B.C. Yet it is Cangjie’s name that lives on in the Cangjie Input Method, which refers to the system that allows Chinese characters <a href="https://www.cangjieinput.com/?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to be typed using a standard QWERTY keyboard</a>.</p> <p>In India, writers still invoke the elephant-headed Hindu god <a href="https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/blog/ganesha-chathurthi-birth-elephant-headed-god" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ganesha</a> <a href="https://www.thestatesman.com/features/common-writing-rooms-well-known-authors-lord-ganesh-1502544876.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">before putting ink to paper</a>. Known as a remover of obstacles, Ganesha can be especially meaningful for those struggling with writer’s block. There’s also <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Sarasvati/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saraswati</a>, the Hindu goddess of learning and the arts, who’s renowned for her eloquence.</p> <p>In Mesoamerica, Mayan culture looked to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Itzamna" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Itzamná</a> as the deity who provided the pillars of civilization: writing, calendars, medicine and worship rituals. His depiction as a toothless and wise old man signaled that he was not to be feared, an important characteristic for someone promoting an anxiety-inducing process like writing.</p> <h2>Enter the patron saints</h2> <p>In Christianity, <a href="https://theconversation.com/who-are-patron-saints-and-why-do-catholics-venerate-them-148508" target="_blank" rel="noopener">patron saints</a> are exemplars or martyrs who serve as role models and heavenly advocates. Various groups – professions, people with a certain illness and even entire nations – will adopt a patron saint.</p> <p>Within the Catholic Church, a range of patron saints can serve as inspiration for writers.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/st-brigid-the-compassionate-sensible-female-patron-saint-of-ireland-gets-a-lot-less-recognition-than-st-patrick-176659" target="_blank" rel="noopener">St. Brigid of Ireland</a>, who lived from 451 to 525, is the patron saint of printing presses and poets. A contemporary of the better-known <a href="https://theconversation.com/10-things-to-know-about-the-real-st-patrick-92253" target="_blank" rel="noopener">St. Patrick</a>, St. Brigid established a monastery for women, which included a school of art that became famous for its handwritten, decorative manuscripts, particularly the <a href="http://www.kildarearchsoc.ie/the-book-of-kildare/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Book of Kildare</a>.</p> <p>Following St. Brigit in Ireland is St. Columba, who lived from 521 to 597 and founded the influential abbey at Iona, an island off the coast of Scotland. A renowned scholar, St. Columba transcribed over 300 books over the course of his life.</p> <p>The influence of patron saints dedicated to literacy – reading and writing – continued long after the Middle Ages. In 1912, the <a href="https://www.css.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">College of Saint Scholastica</a> was founded in Minnesota in tribute to <a href="https://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/text/whatley-saints-lives-in-middle-english-collections-life-of-st-scholastica-introduction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholastica</a> (480-543), who with her twin brother, Benedict (died in 547), enjoyed discussing sacred texts. Both Italian patron saints came to be associated with books, reading and schooling.</p> <h2>Objects charged with power</h2> <p>Some writers may think supernatural figures seem a bit too far removed from the physical world. Fear not – there are magical objects that they can touch for inspiration and help, such as talismans. Derived from the ancient Greek word telein, which means to “fulfill,” it was an object that – like an amulet – protected the bearer and facilitated good fortune.</p> <p>Today, you can buy talismans drawn on ancient Celtic symbols that purport to help with the writing process. <a href="https://www.moonlightmysteries.com/pewter-talisman-for-poets-writers-and-actors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One vendor promises</a> “natural inspiration and assist in all of your writing endeavors.” Another supplier, <a href="https://www.magickalneeds.com/product/talisman-for-poets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Magickal Needs</a>, advertises a similar product that supposedly helps “one find the right word at the most opportune moment.”</p> <p>Others turn to crystals. A <a href="https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/831873886/healing-crystals-for-writers-writers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writer’s block crystals gift set</a> available through Etsy offers agate, carnelian, tiger eye, citrine, amethyst and clear quartz crystals to help those struggling to formulate sentences.</p> <h2>What makes a writer?</h2> <p>What drove the creation of divine beings and objects that can inspire and intercede on the behalf of writers?</p> <p>To me, it’s no mystery why writers have sought divine intervention for 5,000 years.</p> <p>Sure, tallying counts of sheep or bushels of grain might seem like rote work. Yet early in the development of writing systems, the physical act of writing was exceedingly difficult – and one of the reasons schoolchildren prayed for help with their handwriting. Later, the act of creation – coming up with ideas, communicating them clearly and engaging readers – could make writing feel like a herculean task. Ironically, this complex skill does not necessarily get easier, even with lots of practice.</p> <p>The romantic image of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/genius-in-the-garret-or-member-of-the-guild-60175" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writer in the garret</a> doesn’t do justice to the tedious reality of churning out words, one after another.</p> <p>In his memoir “<a href="https://stephenking.com/works/nonfiction/on-writing-a-memoir-of-the-craft.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On Writing</a>,” Stephen King reflected, “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” At the suggestion of a friend, the writer Patchett attached a <a href="http://www.annpatchett.com/titles#/thisisthestoryofahappymarriage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sign-in sheet to the door of her writing room</a> to ensure she wrote every day.</p> <p>No matter how accomplished a writer, he or she will inevitably struggle with writer’s block. Pulitzer Prize−winning author John McPhee, who began contributing to The New Yorker in 1963, details his writer’s block in a <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/04/29/draft-no-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2013 article</a>: “Block. It puts some writers down for months. It puts some writers down for life.” Another famous writer for The New Yorker, Joseph Mitchell, was struck by <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/magazine-32602862" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writer’s block in 1964</a> and simply sat and stared at his typewriter for 30 years.</p> <p>I’ve even wrestled with this article, writing and rewriting it in my head a dozen times before actually typing the first word.</p> <p>Poet and satirist Dorothy Parker <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/obituaries/archives/dorothy-parker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">once said</a>, “I hate writing; I love having written.”</p> <p>You and me both, Dorothy.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-5-000-year-history-of-writers-block-190037" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Books

Fat Bear Winner: ‘747’ lays b-ruin to rivals despite fishy voting

<p>After eating lots of tasty fish in preparation for the northern hemisphere’s winter, Brown bear 747 has been crowned the winner of the annual Fat Bear Week.</p> <p>The initiative, run by the US National Parks Service and multimedia organisation <em>explore</em>, gives the public a chance to vote for the biggest brown bear in Alaska’s Katmai National Park.</p> <p>Over one week, people cast their votes for eight nominated bears that have been gorging on river salmon in the lead up to their hibernation.</p> <p>After a summer of catching and eating fish – usually salmon – in the Brooks River, the bears reach peak size in early to mid-October.</p> <p>Shortly, they’ll go into a five-to-eight-month slumber, emerging after the coldest part of the Alaskan winter.</p> <p>The initiative shines a light on the behaviours and survival methods of the species which resides across northern hemisphere continents towards the Arctic Circle.</p> <p>Although brown bears are now extinct in much of central and southern Europe, some still persist in Romania and the Balkan states, and they remain across Russia, Alaska, Canada, the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau.</p> <p>It is also an important indicator species for other wildlife due to their wide habitat range, and play important ecological roles as seed dispersers, and lower-level species managers through predation.</p> <p><strong>Get stuffed! Cheating claims in lead up to Fat Bear final</strong></p> <p>Prior to the grand final between 747 and brown bear 901, a shocking case of voting fraud left organisers decidedly grizzly.</p> <p>A spam attack of votes during the semi-finals threatened to derail 747’s quest for a second Fat Bear crown.</p> <p>Fortunately, organisers were hot onto the bogus bruin ballots.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p218507-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> <p>“Like bears stuff their face with fish, your ballot box, too, has been stuffed,” Katmai organisers said on Monday.</p> <p>“It appears someone has decided to spam the Fat Bear Week poll, but fortunately it is easy for us to tell which votes are fraudulent. We have discarded the fake votes.”</p> <p>Publicly voted animal awareness competitions are notoriously prone to phony voting.</p> <p>The Guardian Australia Bird of the Year competition infamously saw a case of dodgy democracy in 2019 when a case of automated voting was detected by the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2019/nov/11/voter-detected-in-guardians-australian-bird-of-the-year-poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">avian electoral commission.</a></p> <p><em>Cosmos’</em> own Australian Mammal of the Year competition <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/amoty/too-much-love-for-the-mammals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was this year hit</a> by a bout of egregious electioneering when hundreds of spam votes were cast for some animals vying for the crown.</p> <p>Fortunately, as with Fat Bear Week, spotting and omitting a bad ballot is a straightforward task of, usually, spotting unusual voting patterns.</p> <p><em><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/fat-bear-2022-1.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="675" /></em></p> <p><em>2022 Fat Bear Week winner ‘747’ hunts for a tasty fish. Image: Courtesy L. Law via Katmai National Park.</em></p> <p><strong>747 does it again</strong></p> <p>Brown bear 747 – aptly named after a jumbo jet – claimed victory with 68,105 votes to rival 901’s 56,875.</p> <p>It was 747’s second premiership, having previously claimed the title in 2020. ‘480 Otis’ holds the record of four titles – exactly half the number of Fat Bear Weeks held.</p> <p>“Though he may be blissfully unaware of his two titles, the gains are real,” say the Fat Bear Week organisers.</p> <p>“In the bear world, fat is fit and these chunky contenders have been working tirelessly to pack on the pounds necessary for survival.”</p> <p>A record 1.027 million votes were cast in the 2022 edition of the event.</p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=218507&title=Fat+Bear+Winner%3A+%26%238216%3B747%26%238217%3B+lays+b-ruin+to+rivals+despite+fishy+voting" width="1" height="1" /></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/fat-bear-voting-winner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by Cosmos. </em></p> <p><em>Image: Courtesy L. Law via Katmai National Park.</em></p> </div>

Family & Pets

Say what? Here’s why you should check your hearing this September

<p dir="ltr">With Women’s Health Week held every September, it offers us a chance to really focus on the different aspects of our health that we might not think about in our day-to-day lives.</p> <p dir="ltr">For Lauren McNee, a clinical trainer and audiologist at Audika, this week provides the opportunity to check in with something many of us ignore: hearing loss.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Overall, Australians are not taking action to look after their hearing, with only one in five planning a hearing test in the next 12 months - compared to 39 percent who intend to get an eye test in the same period,” she tells <em>OverSixty</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Over 1.5 billion people live with some form of hearing loss, ranging from mild to profound loss that can affect one or both of your ears.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though we might not think about it all that much, we rely on our ability to hear to interact with the world around us, with the <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/hearing-loss#tab=tab_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Health Organisation</a> reporting that hearing loss can result in social isolation, loneliness and frustration, as well as $US 980 billion cost to the global economy each year.</p> <p dir="ltr">McNee says that taking the chance to check up on our ear health is particularly important as we age too, and should be among the various tests and check-ups we do to monitor our health.</p> <p dir="ltr">As we age, most of us will lose our hearing in some way, in a condition called presbycusis. According to the <a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/age-related-hearing-loss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Institue on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders</a>, most of us will experience a combination of noise-induced hearing loss - from listening to sounds that are too loud or last too long - as well as age-related hearing loss which can occur because of changes to our inner ear.</p> <p dir="ltr">For women, McNee says that those with hearing loss are <a href="http://archotol.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1835392">more likely to suffer from depression</a> - but there are some key signs to look out for to catch hearing loss early.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Some key signs to look for include difficulty following conversations, phone conversations may be unclear, people seem to be mumbling, difficulty locating where sounds are coming from, ringing or buzzing in the ears, or even finding that you have to keep turning up the volume on the TV or radio,” she explains.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When a person’s communication becomes limited due to hearing loss, this can result in withdrawal from social activities and can lead to isolation – which we know can be a gateway to experiencing symptoms of depression.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Who’s at risk of hearing loss?</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Though McNee says hearing loss “doesn’t discriminate”, there are some factors that can increase your risk of losing your hearing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It depends on a few factors, including your age and risk factors such as family history, occupation, and any pre-existing conditions like diabetes – which is known to be linked to hearing loss,” McNee explains.</p> <p dir="ltr">Whether our hearing loss is due to exposure or age, the damage and changes in our ears can’t be reversed.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, there are ways to protect your ears from other causes of hearing loss and reduce your risk of further loss.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you are exposed to loud noises regularly, like renovations, loud music or engines, make sure you are taking steps to protect your ears at those times by wearing appropriate hearing protection,” McNee suggests.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you like to listen to music, especially with ear bud headphones, make sure the volume is such that you can still hear others around you or keep listening time down.”</p> <p dir="ltr">McNee also suggests checking your hearing regularly, and that an annual check-up if you’re over the age 50 is best.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We usually recommend that people that aren’t exhibiting hearing loss, but are over the age of 50, get screened once a year just to be safe,” McNee says.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you are at high-risk of hearing loss, or you are exhibiting symptoms, it’s important to get tested as soon as possible. Early detection can help reduce the risk of other related conditions such as depression.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily, checking your hearing is a pretty quick and simple process, with tests offered in-person and online for free.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d617c227-7fff-f427-1c2a-dd98fef58d30"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Hearing

See the stars who stunned at Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture

<p dir="ltr">Paris Fashion Week sees stars, models, and celebrities of all sorts embrace the latest trends, and last week’s series of shows for the Haute Couture collection were no exception.</p> <p dir="ltr">With Haute Couture representing the intersection between tradition and innovation, those in attendance took the brief and ran with it.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stars mixed sheer panelling and 3D structures, and played with form, with black being the dominant colour.</p> <p dir="ltr">Notable looks included Robbie Williams’ floor-length black cape, British model Jourdan Dunn’s gravity-defying, box-like gown, and Naomi Campbells’ floor-length black trench and satiny leggings.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, the Princess of Thailand, Sirivannavari Nariatana, was among several attendees who bucked the all-black trend, instead opting for a double denim look complete with sky-blue heels and a gold chain.</p> <p dir="ltr">Check out more stylish looks below. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7412b182-7fff-b63f-4c01-af9fb901fc36"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Writer's hilarious yet emotional obituary for her mother brings the internet to tears

<p>A writer has brought the internet to tears over her hilarious yet poignant obituary for her late mother. </p> <p>Caity Weaver, a journalist for the New York Times, posted the heartfelt tribute to her late mother, Dr. Maureen Brennan-Weaver, who passed away on June 14th in her hometown in Pennsylvania. </p> <p>Caity's post has since gone viral, in which she described her late mother as "riotously funny" and "pathologically generous".</p> <p>In the tribute to her mother, Caity described her amazing ability to find a good deal and how she would use this skill to treat her loved ones. </p> <p>"Maureen was six-foot and loved strays of all species," Caity wrote. "She could outthink any opponent, was riotously funny and pathologically generous."</p> <p>"If you mentioned a thing you liked, she'd get you 11 when she found them at a great price."</p> <p>"Maureen's true joys were helping people, and anyone anywhere saving money. She briefly employed a skilled housekeeper but found her a more lucrative job."</p> <p>"She clipped coupons for diapers and left them in the grocery store baby aisle. Decades ago, she acquired a huge box of toothbrushes for pennies on the dollar and has kept her family in toothbrushes ever since."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Got the worst news I’ve ever gotten last week. My mom and I made each other cry laughing all the time. I hate to think about all the deals she’s going to miss out on. I hope she guides me to the best sales forever. <a href="https://t.co/dZoWdIu86C">pic.twitter.com/dZoWdIu86C</a></p> <p>— Caity Weaver (@caityweaver) <a href="https://twitter.com/caityweaver/status/1539735766863069190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Caity spoke of her mother's fearlessness, saying, "Maureen had a cackle that crashed through rooms. She died before discovering what, if anything, she was afraid of."</p> <p>In the obit, which has been retweeted more than 32,000 times, the writer joked that her mum's death "shocked all who loved her" since she was "ahead of schedule for the first time in her life."</p> <p>She added that Maureen is remembered by her husband of 33 years, John, who she provided "selfless care" throughout his "prolonged infirmity."</p> <p>Caity went on to explain that Maureen, who worked as a podiatrist, was "treasured" by her patients, who often "showered her with homemade treats."</p> <p>"Dr. Brennan-Weaver could not stop herself from buying shoes for patients if she spotted just what they needed while shopping. She categorically did not do house calls, except for patients she 'really liked'."</p> <p>Caity concluded the tribute with an emotional statement about her mother, saying, "No amount of time with the astonishing Maureen would have been enough for her family and friends, though she gave us enough toothbrushes and memories to last several lifetimes. Oh, how we loved her!"</p> <p>Many users were moved by Caity's tribute to her mother, with readers saying it made them "laugh and cry at the same time".</p> <p>One person praised her obituary and offered condolences, saying, "I’m sorry for your loss, but it seems we are to be the beneficiary of a number of her fine qualities for some years to come."</p> <p>Another person said, "I can only dream of writing a tribute like this, that captures someone’s exuberance and boundless generosity. I’m so sorry for your loss. She sounds simply wonderful."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Twitter</em></p>

Caring

Police officer called a hypocrite for defect on car

<p dir="ltr">A police officer who pulled over a man riding a defective motorbike has been called a hypocrite for having a smooth tyre. </p> <p dir="ltr">Theo Glibo was stopped by the police officer at a service station in Largs Bay, Adelaide for having an illegal blue light on his motorbike. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 24-year-old then spotted the officer’s front tyre which was “bald” and questioned why he was being ticketed while the car should also be unroadworthy. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m copping a defect and this cop has a bald tyre and he’s not even gonna defect his own car,” Theo said in his video. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m not going to put a sticker on it for something that’s going to be dealt with tomorrow,” the officer responded.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Why not? That’s what you’re doing with mine, you’re a hypocrite,” Theo continued. </p> <p dir="ltr">”If this was anybody else’s tyre, you’d defect it. Where’s the wear bar on that?” </p> <p dir="ltr">The officer agreed that Theo was right and that he would deal with his tyre when his shift ended.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You’re absolutely right, so I will defect that when I get back to my office,” the officer said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Theo’s video went viral to the point that South Australia Police had to release a statement to address the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">“South Australia Police are aware of the social media post relating to an interaction between a SAPOL employee and a member of the public where the police vehicle was identified to have a bald tyre,” the statement read. </p> <p dir="ltr">“SAPOL have taken steps to address this matter.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Mother of "stolen" four-month-old baby speaks out

<p>The mother of a four-month-old baby who was the accidental victim of a kidnapping has spoken out, revealing her own devastating childhood and her "wrong" split decision. </p> <p>Young mum Erika Carter had the fright of her life earlier this week when her <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/man-arrested-after-stealing-car-with-baby-inside" target="_blank" rel="noopener">car was stolen</a> from the north Adelaide suburb of Klemzig, with her son Jordan in the backseat. </p> <p>After a desperate two hour search from local police, Jordan was found safe in the car, which had since been abandoned, and was taken to hospital as a precaution. </p> <p>Speaking for the first time since the incident to 7News, Erika said she made the "wrong decision" by leaving her baby in the car alone while she went to pick up some essentials at the shops. </p> <p>“I went for a quick trip to get a loaf of bed and made the wrong decision to leave bubs for that split second,” she said.</p> <p>“And as I was paying for my bread, I heard my car rev and my heart just sunk."</p> <p>“I sprinted out after my baby boy and tried my best to get in front, but I couldn’t get to him, I was just yelling, ‘my baby, my baby Jordan’ and I thought the worst.”</p> <p>Carter said it was “the longest few hours of her life” as the police searched for Jordan. </p> <div> <p>“It’s sad we live in a world where we can’t trust what’s around us, and we can’t feel safe,” she said.</p> <p>“You just think, ‘give me my baby boy back, take whatever you want’, if that’s what it takes.”</p> <p>In a shocking coincidence, Erika revealed that she was also abducted when she was just 11 years old. </p> <p>“I got followed as I was walking my mum’s dog, and I was grabbed and put into a car,” she said.</p> <p>“But I wasn’t taken like Jordan was,” she explained.</p> <p>“My dog bit the abductor, and I managed to unlock the passenger’s door and get out."</p> <p>“But that took me years to get over.”</p> <p>Erika said her abductor was never caught.</p> <p>The 37-year-old man who stole Erika's car and son was arrested and charged with the abduction of a child, before he was refused bail. </p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News</em></p> </div>

Caring

Emotional Jimmy Barnes opens up about his "week from hell"

<p>Jimmy Barnes has opened up in a candid interview about his "week from hell", as he was rocked with three deaths after recovering from Covid-19 and cancelling his tour. </p> <p>Speaking with Nat Barr and Matt Shirvington on <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/entertainment/jimmy-barnes-opens-up-after-being-rocked-by-three-deaths-in-a-fortnight-c-7036564" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunrise</a></em>, the music legend said it hasn't been an easy time for his family. </p> <p>“It’s been a tough couple of weeks,” he said on Friday.</p> <p>“We lost three people who were really dear to us in a matter of a week.”</p> <p>Jimmy discussed the devastating losses, saying it began when <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/jimmy-barnes-reveals-family-tragedy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his sister Linda passed away</a>, just days before <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/jimmy-barnes-devastating-loss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his mother-in-law also tragically died</a>. </p> <p>Barnes said he and his family had gathered around his wife Jane’s mum and played music in her final days.</p> <p>“Jane’s mother was one of the people who passed away and literally on the day before she died we started singing in her room,” he explained.</p> <p>“It was like a rockfest, no wonder she wanted to escape,” he laughed.</p> <p>The music icon said singing his mother-in-law’s “favourite, beautiful songs as she left” was “the best gift” he could give her.</p> <div> <p>“The music helped us not only say goodbye but also to deal with those feelings, so it was very emotional.”</p> <p>Jimmy was also grieving the loss of a "dear friend" who worked in the music industry. </p> <p>He said, “In a week when you think that nothing else could break your heart, we lost our dear friend Warren Costello,” he wrote on social media at the time. </p> <p>Barnes was hit with the tragedies just weeks after recovering from a stint with Covid-19 in May, which forced the 66-year-old to cancel shows on his sold-out tour. </p> <p>“I thought I might be one of those people who was not going to get Covid ever. I was doing everything with the strict protocols on tour,” he explained.</p> <p>“Lo and behold, I got it while visiting my grandchild in New Zealand. I guess it had to happen sooner or later.”</p> <p>Despite the recent difficult weeks, Jimmy said he still relies on the power of music to bring him through the darkest days. </p> <p>He said, "I think music is not only something that brings you together, it is really great for the spirit."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Sunrise footage </em></p> </div>

Caring

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

<p>As Earth orbits the Sun, it ploughs through dust and debris left behind by comets and asteroids. That debris <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-why-meteors-light-up-the-night-sky-35754" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gives birth to meteor showers</a> – which can be one of nature’s most amazing spectacles.</p> <p>Most meteor showers are predictable, recurring annually when the Earth traverses a particular trail of debris.</p> <p>Occasionally, however, Earth runs through a particularly narrow, dense clump of debris. This results in a meteor storm, sending <a href="https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2020/09/how-newspapers-helped-crowdsource-a-scientific-discovery-the-1833-leonid-meteor-storm/#:%7E:text=The%20Leonid%20meteor%20storm%20was,know%20more%20about%20this%20phenomenon." target="_blank" rel="noopener">thousands of shooting stars streaking across the sky each hour</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=919&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=919&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=919&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1154&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1154&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465041/original/file-20220524-23-pixuou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1154&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Artist's impression of the great Leonid meteor storm of 1833" /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Artist’s impression of the 1833 Leonid meteor storm.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Adolf Vollmy (April 1888)</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>A minor shower called the Tau Herculids could create a meteor storm for observers in the Americas next week. But while some websites promise “the most powerful meteor storm in generations”, astronomers are a little more cautious.</p> <p><strong>Introducing comet SW3</strong></p> <p>The story begins with a comet called <a href="https://cometography.com/pcomets/073p.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3</a> (comet SW3 for short). First spotted in 1930, it is responsible for a weak meteor shower called the Tau Herculids, which nowadays appears to radiate from a point about ten degrees from the bright star Arcturus.</p> <p>In 1995, comet SW3 <a href="https://cometography.com/pcomets/073p.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suddenly and unexpectedly brightened</a>. A number of outbursts were observed over a few months. The comet had <a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1996A%26A...310L..17C/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">catastrophically fragmented</a>, releasing huge amounts of dust, gas, and debris.</p> <p>By 2006 (two orbits later), comet SW3 had disintegrated further, into <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/Comet_73P.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several bright fragments accompanied by many smaller chunks</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=723&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=723&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465044/original/file-20220524-16-tuml3t.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=723&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Animated images of comet 73P as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope" /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Fragments of comet 73P seen by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2006.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">NASA, ESA, H. Weaver (APL/JHU), M. Mutchler and Z. Levay (STScI)</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Is Earth on a collision course?</strong></p> <p>This year, Earth will cross comet SW3’s orbit at the end of May.</p> <p>Detailed computer modelling suggests debris has been spreading out along the comet’s orbit like enormous thin tentacles in space.</p> <p>Has the debris spread far enough to encounter Earth? It depends on how much debris was ejected in 1995 and how rapidly that debris was flung outwards as the comet fell apart. But the pieces of dust and debris are so small we can’t see them until we run into them. So how can we get an insight into what might happen next week?</p> <p><strong>Could history repeat itself?</strong></p> <p>Our current understanding of meteor showers began 150 years ago with an event quite similar to SW3’s story.</p> <p>A comet called <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/061078c0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comet 3D/Biela</a> was discovered in 1772. It was a short-period comet, like SW3, returning every 6.6 years.</p> <p>In 1846, the comet began to behave strangely. Observers saw its head had split in two, and some described an “archway of cometary matter” between the pieces.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465046/original/file-20220524-18-2sg6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Sketch of a comet split into two pieces, each with its own tail." /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Sketch of comet 3D/Biela in February 1846, after it split into (at least) two pieces.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Edmund Weiß</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>At the comet’s next return, in 1852, the two fragments had clearly separated and both were fluctuating unpredictably in brightness.</p> <p>The comet was never seen again.</p> <p>But in late November of 1872, an unexpected meteor storm graced northern skies, stunning observers with rates of more than 3,000 meteors per hour.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465047/original/file-20220524-22-d7c5zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A paiting showing meteors raining down over mountains" /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">The meteor storm of 1872.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Amedee Guillemin</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>The meteor storm occurred when the Earth crossed 3D/Biela’s orbit: it was where the comet itself should have been two months earlier. A second storm, weaker than the first, occurred in 1885, when the Earth once more encountered the comet’s remains.</p> <p>3D/Biela had disintegrated into rubble, but the two great meteor storms it produced served as a fitting wake.</p> <p>A dying comet, falling apart before our eyes, and an associated meteor shower, usually barely imperceptible against the background noise. Are we about to see history repeat itself with comet SW3?</p> <p><strong>What does this suggest for the Tau Herculids?</strong></p> <p>The main difference between the events of 1872 and this year’s Tau Herculids comes down to the timing of Earth’s crossing of the cometary orbits. In 1872, Earth crossed Biela’s orbit several months <em>after</em> the comet was due, running through material lagging behind where the comet would have been.</p> <p>By contrast, the encounter between Earth and SW3’s debris stream next week happens several months <em>before</em> the comet is due to reach the crossing point. So the debris needs to have spread <em>ahead</em> of the comet for a meteor storm to occur.</p> <p>Could the debris have spread far enough to encounter Earth? Some models suggest we’ll see a strong display from the shower, others suggest the debris will fall just short.</p> <p><strong>Don’t count your meteors before they’ve flashed!</strong></p> <p>Whatever happens, observations of next week’s shower will greatly improve our understanding of how comet fragmentation events happen.</p> <p>Calculations show Earth will <a href="https://www.imo.net/files/meteor-shower/cal2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cross SW3’s orbit at about 3pm, May 31 (AEST)</a>. If the debris reaches far enough forward for Earth to encounter it, then an outburst from the Tau Herculids is likely, but it will only last an hour or two.</p> <p>From Australia, the show (if there is one) will be over before it’s dark enough to see what’s happening.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><em><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465059/original/file-20220524-22-pmvu1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="View of the night sky showing the Tau Herculids radiant" /></a></em><figcaption><em><span class="caption">For observers across Australia, the Tau Herculids radiant is low in the northern sky around 7pm local time.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Museums Victoria/stellarium</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>Observers in north and south America will, however, have a ringside seat.</p> <p>They are more likely to see a moderate display of slow-moving meteors than a huge storm. This would be a great result, but might be a little disappointing.</p> <p>However, there is a chance the shower could put on a truly spectacular display. Astronomers are travelling across the world, just in case.</p> <p><strong>What about Australian observers?</strong></p> <p>There’s also a small chance any activity will last longer than expected, or even arrive a bit late. Even if you’re in Australia, it’s worth looking up on the evening of May 31, just in case you can get a glimpse of a fragment from a dying comet!</p> <p>The 1995 debris stream is just one of many laid down by the comet in past decades.</p> <p>During the early morning of May 31, around 4am (AEST), Earth will cross debris from the comet’s 1892 passage around the Sun. Later that evening, around 8pm, May 31 (AEST), Earth will cross debris laid down by the comet in 1897.</p> <p>However, debris from those visits will have spread out over time, and therefore we expect only a few meteors to grace our skies from those streams. But, as always, we might be wrong - the only way to know is to go out and see! <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/182434/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=322&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/465061/original/file-20220524-23-ilm484.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="The night sky at midnight, showing the Tau Herculids radiant." /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">By midnight (local time), the Tau Herculids radiant will have moved to the north-western sky, seen from across Australia.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Museums Victoria/Stellarium</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonti-horner-3355" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonti Horner</a>, Professor (Astrophysics), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Southern Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tanya-hill-121214" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tanya Hill</a>, Honorary Fellow of the University of Melbourne and Senior Curator (Astronomy), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/museums-victoria-1116" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museums Victoria</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/fragments-of-a-dying-comet-might-put-on-a-spectacular-show-next-week-or-pass-by-without-a-trace-182434" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Domestic Travel

”Fix the system not me”: A first for Australian Fashion Week

<p dir="ltr">In a first for the yearly week-long display of new Aussie fashion, adaptive clothing has taken the fore through a show solely focused on the underrepresented sphere of fashion.</p> <p dir="ltr">Day four of <a href="https://aafw.com.au/index" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Fashion Week</a> saw a collective of designers take to the runway with fashionable garments that can be worn by both abled and disabled people and were modelled by the very people who inspired them.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2d88adce-7fff-0d4e-c964-523093a299c6"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">JAM and Christine Stephens, two designers whose designs were featured, share a mutual goal: to act as a voice for the adaptive designers collective and highlight the possibilities for stylish fashion that is inclusive.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdcVj66rDK8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdcVj66rDK8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Australian Fashion Week (@ausfashionweek)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“We want to give people living with disabilities a choice. A choice in fashion, a choice to be included and a choice to be heard,” Jessie Sadler and Carol Taylor, two designers for Christine Stephens, said in a press release.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2b0c32f0-7fff-25fa-e0cb-321770502031"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Taylor, the co-owner and lead designer of the fashion label, said the collection was inspired by a quadriplegic groom-to-be who “would never know what it would be like to unwrap his able-bodied bride”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/fashion-week1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Models with disabilities took to the runway for the Adaptive Clothing Collective show. Image: Getty Images</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The outfits included multiple adaptive features, such as particularly magnetic button closures and zips to improve access for prosthetic users and even particularly contrasting colour choices.</p> <p dir="ltr">One model’s outfit, a sky-blue two-piece suit with contrasting magenta collars and inner linings, was inspired by their visual impairment that prevents them from distinguishing between darker colours, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.elle.com.au/fashion/adaptive-clothing-collective-australian-fashion-week-2022-27051" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elle Australia</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The runway featured disabled models throughout the show, including actress Chloé Hayden, who told <em><a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-au/2022/05/10974587/adaptive-fashion-runway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Refinery29</a></em> being asked to participate was an “out of this world” experience.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-785756bc-7fff-3cc7-b5d5-9adacdd5b24c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I grew up practising my model walk, doing personal little photo shoots, going to those Dolly model searches … I’m always jaw dropping at Australian Fashion Week,” she told the publication.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdcszIUBLKa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdcszIUBLKa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Chloé Hayden (@chloeshayden)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Following her appearance in the show, where she wore olive utility-style boots and a trench coat with the slogan ‘Fix the system, not me’, Hayden took to Instagram to share clips and her excitement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Australian Fashion Week’s first adaptive runway. Let it not be the last,” she captioned the post. “More posts to come once I stop projectile crying and stimming.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Lisa Cox, an author, consultant and disability influencer who modelled for Christina Stephens, said the opportunity made her feel “seen” by the industry.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I feel more accepted and I feel seen by an industry that I haven’t felt a part of since I became disabled over 16 years ago … I feel both honoured and privileged to be part of such a landmark event in Australian fashion history,” she told <em>Refinery29</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cox added that the absence of inclusivity in fashion has left her feeling unimportant and uncatered for - which she noted was also bad for those in the clothing business.</p> <p dir="ltr">“[It’s] offensive and it really hurts,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“But on the other hand, people with disabilities are consumers too so that attitude is just bad business. My legs don’t work but my credit card does!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Emma Clegg and Molly Rogers, the creators of JAM the label, said the “universal design” of adaptive clothing is more comfortable, convenient and accessible for everyone, and encourage non-disabled people to also give them a try.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Purchasing from and supporting Australian inclusive [and] adaptive fashion brands will prove to the Australian fashion industry that there is the demand out there, and they need to be including people with disability throughout their businesses,” they told <em>Refinery29</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It shouldn't be newsworthy that there is a designer with disabilities or clothes for people with disabilities at AAFW, but for now it must be celebrated,” Cox said. </p> <p dir="ltr">Whether you approach the issue from a position of fairness or business, with 20 percent of Australians living with a disability, it makes sense to design clothing that can be worn and enjoyed by everyone - and hopefully this show is just the first of many more.</p> <p dir="ltr">Here's a look at the styles appearing at the show.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-216d0ef3-7fff-5cbe-54b7-b8bfd22e2472"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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