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Harry and Meghan named "2023's biggest losers"

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been crowned "the biggest losers of 2023" by highly influential entertainment magazine The Hollywood Reporter. The publication released its annual list of winners and losers, with celebrities like Taylor Swift, Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig making the winners list. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the other hand topped this year's list of losers, which included Twitter/X/Elon Musk, and the streaming series Yellowstone. The publication wrote that this year's list reflected "some of the industry’s biggest success stories — and most embarrassing missteps." Royal commentator Victoria Arbiter said that this is a huge blow for the royal couple, as The Hollywood Reporter is considered an "industry bible that people pay attention to". "It is humiliating in Meghan's home town and they refer to the couple's - and I quote this - 'whiney documentary', that 'whiney biography' and the horrible South Park episode," she said in an interview with Nine's Today. Despite being crowned this year's biggest losers, Arbiter said that the couple are looking forward to a better year ahead. "It is time to leave the royal family behind and really establish what it is they want to do and make positive steps forward if they plan to be successful in 2024," she said. "We've been promised a number of different things via rumours over the past year, with talk of Meghan's website The TIG relaunching and she was going to launch a lifestyle brand similar to Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop. "Netflix paid $3 million pounds for rights to a book Harry and Meghan said they would turn into a rom-com, however we haven't had further development on those plans." The royal commentator added that Harry and Meghan will need to build consumer trust and avoid "negative, scandalous headlines that follow them everywhere", as they approach the new year. "Hollywood doesn't do well with negativity," she said. Check out the full list <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hollywood-winners-losers-2023-1235712279/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: Getty

The 4 biggest gift-giving mistakes, according to a consumer psychologist

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/julian-givi-1395671">Julian Givi</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/west-virginia-university-1375">West Virginia University</a> A good gift can elicit a surge of happiness and gratitude in the recipient. It also feels great to give, <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-point-of-holiday-gifts-173306">with psychologists finding</a> that the joy of giving a gift is more pronounced than the pleasure of receiving one. Unfortunately, there are times when you receive a gift and you have to force a smile and fake your gratitude. I’m a consumer psychologist <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wjAq_TcAAAAJ&hl=en">who specializes in gift-giving research</a> – in particular, gift-giving mistakes. Here are four of the most common ones. <h2>1. Prioritizing the big reveal</h2> One way givers can err is by focusing too much on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721416656937">the moment the recipient will open the gift</a>. Givers want their gift to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/675737">desirable</a>. They hope <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2011.03.015">to surprise</a> the recipient and <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2733341">put a smile</a> on their face. A chocolate fondue fountain might meet these criteria – it’s quirky and sure to elicit curiosity and smiles from onlookers. However, when people receive a gift, they care less about the moment the bow comes off, and instead think about the weeks and months ahead. People want gifts that are <a href="https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/1023703/volumes/v45/NA-45">useful</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/675737">reliable</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2011.03.015">meet their needs</a>. How often would a chocolate fondue fountain realistically be used? Compare that to a new coffee maker, which could see action every day. Sure, it isn’t a novelty – and probably won’t elicit “oohs” and “ahhs” on Christmas Day – but the recipient will be quite happy to have it on hand when their alarm rings each morning. <h2>2. Unique and new are overrated</h2> Another factor that can lead givers to go wrong involves unwritten rules for what constitutes good gift-giving practices. Givers often focus on these rules more than they should. For example, they may <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.023">avoid giving the same gift</a> to someone in back-to-back years because this goes against the norm of giving a unique gift each year. Givers also often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1348/014466604x23428">refrain from giving used products</a> as gifts because this violates the unspoken rule that a gift should be brand new. In contrast, recipients are quite open to gifts that violate these norms. If someone loves a certain type of wine, they’re <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.023">more than happy to receive it</a> in subsequent years. And if one digital camera is lightly used but possesses several innovative features, while another is new but has fewer features, people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1348/014466604x23428">are happy to receive the used one</a>. <h2>3. Being risk-averse</h2> Givers can make missteps when they avoid gifts that they see as too risky. Consider sentimental gifts, like a scrapbook or a nostalgic memento. Studies have shown that recipients <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2017.06.002">love these gifts</a>; they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000036">elicit happiness for extended periods of time</a>. Givers, however, tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2017.06.002">shy away from sentimental gifts</a> because they see them risky – sure, they could be a home run, but they could also whiff. Doubts can creep into shoppers’ heads as they consider sentimental gifts: What if it comes across as sappy? What if the recipient thinks I’m being cheap? And so people tend to opt for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S105774081730044X">safer, superficial gifts</a> that they assume will be at least somewhat well-liked. Or, to continue with the baseball analogy, givers are happy to take the sure single. As another example, consider material goods versus experiences. When giving gifts, people often opt for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucy010">tangible objects over experiences</a> because material goods are on the safer side – almost everyone could use a new appliance or a new shirt. Experiences are trickier; they require a bit more of an understanding of who the recipient truly is – not everyone loves going to see the symphony. Yet recipients tend to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1281">more open to experiences than givers anticipate</a> – and these gifts <a href="https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/1017575/volumes/v42/NA-42">are actually more likely to make people happier</a> than material goods. <h2>4. Does the thought really count?</h2> Givers can also err by wanting their gift to appear especially thoughtful. Of course, recipients appreciate thoughtfulness – but not when it comes at the expense of receiving something that’s actually useful. This plays out when givers are shopping for multiple people. They’ll often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/674199">choose unique gifts for each recipient</a>, rather than give the same gift to everyone, because a distinct gift for each person will make them feel as though they put more time and effort into gift selection. People do this even if they realize that some recipients will be receiving less desirable gifts. You’ll also see this happen with <a href="https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/1020146/volumes/v43/NA-43">gift cards</a>. Givers often choose specific gift cards – to a particular clothing store or restaurant, for example – that reflect the interests or tastes of the recipient. But recipients are more open to gift cards that give them more flexibility and freedom – think an Amazon or Visa gift card. That way, they can decide whether to splurge on a new sweater, dine out at their favorite restaurant – or do both.<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/195169/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/julian-givi-1395671">Julian Givi</a>, Assistant Professor of Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/west-virginia-university-1375">West Virginia University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-4-biggest-gift-giving-mistakes-according-to-a-consumer-psychologist-195169">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Goldie Hawn shares biggest Hollywood regret

When Goldie Hawn’s name was read as the winner of the 1970 Best Supporting Actress Oscar, one might have expected the actress to be front and centre to accept the award. But that couldn’t have been further from the truth - the then 25-year-old was instead tucked up in bed, sound asleep ahead of an early call for her upcoming movie There’s a Girl in My Soup. And now, the Hollywood heavyweight has confessed that that may just be the biggest regret of her entire career. It was April 7, 1970, and the budding actress had only a few film credits to her name, as well as a coveted Academy Award nomination for her work in Cactus Flower. The awards ceremony was being held in Los Angeles’ Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and the nominated actress was an entire ocean away in London, when Fred Astaire took to the stage, opened the life-changing envelope, and read out Goldie’s name. And while 63.1 million Americans tuned in live to witness the moment, Goldie was instead watching the inside of her eyelids. “I never got dressed up, I never got to pick up the award,” Goldie told Variety, “I regret it. It’s something that I look back on now and think ‘it would have been so great to be able to have done that.’ “I forgot it was on TV that night,” she continued. “Then I woke up to a phone call at like four in the morning, and it was a man’s voice and he said ‘hey, congratulations, you got it.’” Goldie went on to explain that she’d asked what the man was talking about, before being informed that she “got the Academy Award for best supporting actress”, and that despite her shock, she was able to thank him, before calling her parents and having a much-needed cry. The actress admitted that part of the problem - her reason for not attending - was that she hadn’t expected to win. Cactus Flower was her first ‘real’ role in a movie, and she was nominated alongside a number of talented, established actresses. The likes of Sylvia Miles, Dyan Cannon, and Susannah York were her ‘competition’. Raqual Welch accepted the award on Goldie’s behalf, and until 2023, Goldie had never watched the moment her name was read from that winner’s envelope. It was Jimmy Kimmel - host of the 2023 ceremony - that encouraged her, while the two were on their way to a mutual friend’s party. “He said ‘did you ever see the part where you’re being announced by Fred Astaire?’” Goldie recalled, “and I said ‘Fred Astaire?!’ He’s my idol.” She then explained that she hadn’t known Fred was the one who announced her as the winner, and that when she finally saw the moment unfold, she found herself overcome with emotion. Goldie’s honesty and genuine attitude towards her life and career have followed her from that fateful moment on, a lesson that she told Variety had first been passed down from her father. “You’ve got to work for a living, stay compassionate, and stay realistic,” she said, “and I’m passing that on because that was what my father taught me: stay in reality, don’t get taken away with everything.” And Goldie’s reality may just see her make an anticipated return to the silver screen, with the actress noting that she’d take a step out of retirement for the right role - perhaps something that let her have fun with a “wild, crazy character” or even a sequel to one of her existing films, maybe even another film with her beloved long-term partner, Kurt Russell. “We all have dreams,” she concluded, “but it’s how we fulfil them.” Images: Getty

Movies

Why why WHYYYY Tom Jones' biggest hit is ‘cancelled’

Choirs have been informed that they are no longer allowed to perform Welsh singer Tom Jones’ classic “Delilah” during international rugby matches at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. The announcement, made on Wednesday, came after allegations of misogyny, sexism, racism, and homophobia within the Welsh Rugby Union. Prior to banning the song, claims of a toxic culture within the WRU’s governing body were made public during a TV documentary, and chief executive Steve Phillips issued his resignation. Previously in 2015, the WRU had removed “Delilah” from its Test match playlists and half-time entertainment, but now guest choirs have been asked not to perform it. “‘Delilah’ will not feature on the playlist for choirs for rugby internationals at Principality Stadium,” a spokesperson for the stadium confirmed. “Guest choirs have also more recently been requested not to feature the song during their pre-match performances and throughout games,” he continued, “the WRU condemns domestic violence of any kind. "We have previously sought advice from subject matter experts on the issue of censoring the song and we are respectfully aware that it is problematic and upsetting to some supporters because of its subject matter." The lyrics of concern, written in the 1960s, reference a woman’s murder at the hands of her jealous partner. “I crossed the street to her house and she opened the door. She stood there laughing,” the song goes, “I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more.” The decision to ban the song has been met with mixed response, with many unsure that it was the right step towards tackling the WRU’s issues - or if it was even a step at all. “All the things they need to do,” tweeted WRU wing Louis Rees-Zammit, in what is believed to be a comment on the situation, “and they do that first…” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> All the things they need to do and they do that first….😶 — Louis Rees-Zammit ⚡️ (@LouisReesZammit) <a href="https://twitter.com/LouisReesZammit/status/1620804107392155654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2023</a></blockquote> “Wrongheaded,” was what Welsh Conservative shadow sport minister Tom Giffard said of the decision. “One that amounts to simple virtue signalling, designed to ease the pressure the WRU are currently under. Calls to ban the song span at least the last decade, yet the WRU have chosen now to act.” He went on to state that people would rather see “institutional change” within the WRU, with better working practices and a refined complaint process. But, as he put it, “instead they are choosing to ban a much loved Tom Jones song. This action will solve nothing." Images: Getty

Music

The biggest winners and losers of the Oscar nominations

The nominees for the 95th Academy Awards were announced overnight, with fan favourites in for a shot at snagging the coveted Oscar awards. Actors Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams made the announcements from the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Some nominees came as no surprise to avid film fans, while others were a shock, with some favourite apparently snubbed by the Academy. Sci-fi comedy drama Everything Everywhere All At Once scored 11 Academy Award nominations, the most for any film in 2023, with Best Picture well within their sights. All Quiet on the Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin came in second with a total of 9 nominations each. Australian actor Cate Blanchett was honoured with a chance at Best Actress for her leading performance in the psychological drama Tár. Cate is a favourite in this category, and a win would see her with three Oscar awards to her name. In the Best Actress category, many were shocked to see Viola Davis snubbed for her work in the historical drama The Woman King. Viola had been a contender for the award all season, with recognition at the BAFTA Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Australia’s own Baz Luhrmann missed out on a nomination for his directing work on Elvis, but the film didn’t miss out entirely, bagging nominations in eight categories, including the sought after Best Picture. James Cameron, director of Avatar: The Way of Water, best known for directing Titanic, did not receive a nomination for Best Director either. Catherine Martin, the most awarded Australian in the history of the Oscars with four wins to her name, received two nominations for her work on Elvis for both Costume Design and Production Design. The nominees for Best Actor came with no surprises, though many thought Tom Cruise may feature there for his performance in Top Gun: Maverick. Hugh Jackman also missed out on a nomination in this category for his work in The Son. Despite snubs in other categories, most films were acknowledged with multiple nominations, though perhaps not always in the areas they wanted. Fans were certain the likes of The Woman King, Babylon, and The Whale would be up for a chance at Best Picture, but each was left disappointed when the list of contenders was announced. With six nominations, Top Gun: Maverick looks set to take home at least one award, but all eyes are on Tom Cruise and his chance for a first Academy Award win. While he wasn’t nominated for Best Actor, the film did secure itself a chance at Best Picture, with many praising the Academy for honouring a box office success. The winners of the 95th Academy Awards will be announced on March 13 (Australian time), with comedian Jimmy Kimmel set to host the event. Image: Getty Images

Movies

The three biggest revelations from Harry and Meghan's documentary

The first instalment of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's docuseries has been released, with the couple dropping major bombshells about life in the royal family. The first half of the series has largely revolved around the beginning of the couple's relationship and Meghan joining the royal family, while also touching on the first few dramatic encounters with paparazzi. Here's the biggest revelations from the series so far. Meghan meeting the royal family Meghan spoke of the first time she met Prince William and Kate Middleton, sharing how she didn't realise the level of formality the royal family carried outside of official engagements. She said, “Even when Will and Kate came over and I met her for the first time, I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot." “I’m a hugger I’ve always been a hugger. I didn’t know that could be jarring for a lot of Brits.” “I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality out on the outside, carried through on on the inside. “That there is a forward facing way of being then you close the door and you go phew, great we can relax now." “But that formality continues on both sides and that was surprising to me.” Meghan and Harry also shared details of Meghan's first meeting with the late Queen Elizabeth, with Harry admitting the situation was "weird". He said, “(Meghan) had no idea what it all consisted of, so it was a bit of a shock to the system for her,” he said. “How do you explain (to people) to bow to your grandma? And that they’ll need to curtsy? Especially to an American – it’s weird.” Meghan described the “surreal” and unexpected moment she realised she’d be meeting the monarch, and that it had been sprung on her at the last minute by her then-boyfriend. “We were in the car and we were going to Royal Lodge for lunch and he goes, ‘Oh, my grandmother’s here – she’s going to be there after church’,” she recalled. “And I remember in the car driving up, he says, ‘you know how to curtsy right?’ And I thought it was a joke.” “I didn’t know what I was doing,” she admitted. Harry's warning to Meghan about the paparazzi During the early days of Harry and Meghan's relationship, Meghan was still living in Canada and working as an actress when she encountered a pack of “9 or 10” paparazzi as she left a florist. “They were all sort of blocking the cars, going, ‘Hey, how you doing, Meghan?’, and I said ‘Oh, thanks, stay warm guys,’” the Duchess of Sussex recalled. The next day, she’d gotten a very strict instruction from her new boyfriend to ignore paparazzi from then on. “I remember (Harry) saying the next day, ‘You can’t talk to them’,” Meghan said. “And I was like, ‘I’m just trying to be pleasant, I don’t know what to do, I’ve never dealt with this before’, and he said, ‘Yes, but the UK media is saying you love it. You’re smiling. You love it.” Harry then likened the treatment of Meghan by the paparazzi to how Princess Diana was also treated, making him very concerned for his wife. "The majority of my memories are of her [Diana] being swarmed by paparazzi," he says. Harry made several comparisons with his wife and Diana, saying "To see another woman in my life go through this feeding frenzy.. That's hard. It is really the hunter vs the prey". The couple felt they had to lie in their engagement interview When the couple got engaged in 2017, they had a sit-down interview on the BBC to discuss their milestone, which the Sussexes have now revealed was completely "rehearsed". Meghan called the interview an "orchestrated reality show", saying they "weren't allowed" to tell their true story when faced with questions about their relationship. Earlier on in the docuseries, they shared how they first began talking on Instagram before meeting for their first date, but were forced to change their story for the BBC chat. The second and final instalment of the docuseries will air on December 15th. Image credits: Netflix

Frequent flyer discusses the biggest sins of travelling

A frequent traveller has shared what she believes are the biggest sins of travelling. Posting a series of videos on TikTok, frequent flyer and travel influencer Tinx bluntly exposed the “worst things” people can do in airports and on planes. The 32-year-old regularly flies between London and New York to visit family, and understands that having to deal with the annoying behaviours of fellow passengers is not an easy task. Now Tinx, whose real name is Christina Najjar, has voiced her frustrations with her followers, revealing the “worst” behaviours that make for “awful travellers”, while urging anyone who is guilty of such sins to “take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror before you travel again.” While there are many things travellers can do that annoy their fellow holiday-goers, Tinx said being “unprepared” is the worst travel sin of all. “Let's begin with people that are unprepared at the front of the security line. It's a security line, you know what's coming, and yet there are still people who are fumbling around with their laptop like a child who forgot their homework.” "'Do I have to take off my jacket?’ Yes, spoiler alert, you always have to take off your jacket. Please keep the theatrical water chugging to the Uber,” she joked. Next up, Tinx trashed the “gate crowders” for their lack of awareness. “Next, let's discuss the gate crowders, they haven't even put up our flight on the little digital board and you're crowding around the gate like it's the stampede from The Lion King, grinding your foot into the ground like you're about to run with the bulls,” she said. “Aside from the fact that you're in group five, I got to tell you buddy, we're all going to the same place, we're all getting on the same plane.” Lastly, the influencer explained her anger at the other passengers who are “a**holes” when it comes to the overhead bins. “It always baffles me with the bins because it's very simple, just don't be an a**hole.” “Put your overstuffed away suitcase and your ugly little personal item in the seat in front of you,” she said. Many of Tinx’s viewers agreed with her travel qualms, with the comments being flooded with additional faux pas that get under the skin of frequent flyers. One user said, “How about those who as soon as the plane is stopped and the seatbelt sign is off they rush to the front of the plane.” Another commented, “What about the people that go back and forth in the aisle trying to choose a seat that suits their preference while other people are boarding?” Image credits: TikTok

Travel Tips

"A tunnel of grief": King Charles' biggest regret from Princess Diana's funeral

A royal biographer has revealed the one regret King Charles has from Princess Diana's funeral. According to author Christopher Andersen, the monarch "deeply regrets" making his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, join the procession behind their mother's coffin. “I think it haunts him because it haunts them, and they’ve spoken about it,” he told <a title="www.usmagazine.com" href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/king-charles-regrets-william-harry-procession-at-dianas-funeral/">Us Weekly</a>. “I’ve written that I believe it’s a form of PTSD.” The writer of the new biography, The King: The Life of Charles III, added that while researching the book, he learned that the Prince Harry has found it “triggering” to fly into London at times. “[He said] it reminds him of that day when he had to walk behind the coffin, and they were more or less bullied into doing it by the palace – by the men in grey who really run the palace, the people that Diana used to complain about,” he explained. “[Charles, Earl Spencer], Diana’s brother … has also said that he felt that he was tricked into doing it and regrets it. “He said it was like walking through a tunnel of grief.” At the time of their mother's death, Prince William was 15 and Prince Harry was just 12-years-old. Princess Diana died at age 36 after being chased by paparazzi in Paris, resulting in the fatal car crash in 1997. “I think both William and Harry thought, ‘Who are these strangers who never met her?’” said Andersen. “So, they were angry about what had happened. And Charles, I think, understands that to some extent he was responsible for them having to suffer through [that].” Image credits: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Johnny Ruffo opens up about biggest fear

Aussie star Johnny Ruffo has shared an update on his battle with terminal brain cancer and opened up about the one thing that scares him above all else. The former Home and Away star told <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/johnny-ruffo-shares-biggest-fear-amid-brain-cancer-battle/news-story/f1adaa768aa06f838dfe1ac9af0e4d94" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a> that he hasn’t given up the fight against his brain tumour, which first appeared in 2017, but that he is also thinking about the possibility of death. Speaking about his biggest fear, the 34-year-old revealed that he was scared that his immediate family, including his partner Tahnee Sims, wouldn’t be around him when he dies. “I’m scared for my brother, my mum, Dad and Tahnee that they won’t be here with me [when I die],” he told the outlet. “There is no way my family will all be here. The likelihood of that is [slim]. It would be ideal if everyone was there – not for my sake, but theirs.” During the interview, Ruffo became emotional while speaking about Tahnee, who he described as his “guardian angel”. “She is living with it as much as I am. She is here with me every step of the way. I’m so very grateful to have her by my side, I don’t know what I would do without her,” he said. <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/CjUyMHXOvxt/?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/CjUyMHXOvxt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tahnee Sims (@tahneesims)</a> </div> </blockquote> Ruffo, who shot to fame as a finalist on the 2011 season of X Factor, has been candid about his battle with cancer, giving fans the devastating update that <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/johnny-ruffo-s-devastating-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it was terminal</a> in an interview with The Project co-host Carrie Bickmore in August. “At some point it will get me, but I’m still fighting, still kicking on,” he said at the time. “Looking up my diagnosis and my tumour, the average life expectancy was three years. And for me it’s now been five years. I’m already winning. My goal now is to try and help as many people as I can and also live a happy life.” In the weeks before he broke the news, the West Australian <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/johnny-ruffo-marks-five-years-since-cancer-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marked five years since he was diagnosed</a> and released his first book, a memoir titled No Finish Line. Image: @johnny_ruffo (Instagram)

Caring

The biggest surprise for first-time cruisers

Cruising is a holiday option that has grown in popularity in the past few years. Life at sea has been great for some Over60 members and for others, it was a bit of a shock. Here are the surprises Over60 members had on their first cruise. 1. “2012 cruise on Pacific Jewel, the second last day my husband blocked the toilet everyone came from nowhere. Staff were magnificent, we laugh about it now but we had a perfect cruise.” – Jenny Taylor 2. “The ridiculous price of drinks.” – Dave Brimecombe 3. “Beautiful birthday cake delivered to my cabin.” – Ursula Cupitt and “Cake free on my birthday.” – Carol Heffernan 4. “How calm the ship was and how well it rode through the rough seas, loved every bit of it.” – Beverley Dwyer 5. “Golden Princess in 2015 broke down for four hours in the Tasman Sea once generators were going [so we had a] big party top deck.” – Joy Swanson 6. “In 2004 on the Pacific Sky, the staff all remembered your name... been on 10 now and am not stopping any time soon.” – Vicki Shaw 7. “Our cabin flooded but they did launder all our things that got wet.” – Jennifer Grace 8. “My first surprise was how small the room was, they must have used a wide-angle lens when they took the pictures for the brochure.” – Valarie Hawkins 9. “We got upgraded to a balcony cabin on the Arcadia in 2014. My first trip back to England since we arrived as £10 poms in March 1952.” – Peter Andrews 10. “Having a very rough trip but not getting sea sick.” – Wendy Fidler 11. “How to be relaxed.” – Margaret Hunter 12. “The size of the ship.” – Veronica McDonald 13. “Wonderful humour! Everyone’s enjoying their holiday!” – Judy Leak 14. “A little man sitting on my toilet with shoes on and after a loud scream I realised he was made of toilet paper.” – Elizabeth McDonald 15. “In 1972, Iberia cyclone and no stabilizers and I was the only passenger in First Class(!) that didn’t get sea sick! Who knew!” – Sue Cassell What was your biggest surprise on your first cruise? Let us know in the comments below.

Cruising

The biggest beauty trends this year

We’re already halfway through the year, and a new study has ranked the beauty trends that have been the biggest hits for 2022 so far. The study, conducted by <a href="https://heydiscount.co.uk/consumer-research/the-biggest-2022-skincare-and-beauty-trends-most-popular-beauty-trends-of-2022-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hey Discount</a>, analysed views on TikTok videos, Instagram hashtags and web searches to compile the list, which ranges from experimental makeup looks to simplifying skincare routines. Without further ado, here are the top ten beauty trends for 2022, as ranked by Hey Discount. 1. Retinol Skincare has been a major focus in 2022, and retinol is one of the products that has taken social media by storm. A derivative of vitamin A, retinol has been used for decades but has seen a surge in popularity that has resulted in it appearing in an array of popular serums and creams. Though the benefits vary from person to person, they generally include a reduction in fine lines and the appearance of blemishes, improved collagen production and the correction of pigmentation issues. According to the study, the hashtag #retinol garnered 1.2 billion views on TikTok and was used in 635,767 posts on Instagram. 2. Graphic liner The basic eyeliner trends of 2021 have been overtaken by a resurgence in sixties and seventies styles, with graphic liner being worn by celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Gigi Hadid. In comparison to the previously popular, perfectly symmetrical cat-eye look, graphic liner is a beginner-friendly option that emphasises creativity and unique designs over perfection. Under the hashtag #graphicliner, the study found there were one billion TikTok views and 655,325 posts on Instagram. 3. Gua sha The traditional Chinese practice of Gua sha, meaning ‘to scrape petechiae (red or purple spots on skin caused by minor bleeding from blood capillaries)’, is often used to treat chronic pain, reduce puffiness in skin and help with lymphatic drainage. Though it has been practised since the 1300’s during the rule of the Ming dynasty, it has only recently become a popular trend and has skyrocketed to the fore of the beauty world due to social media. The study found that the hashtag #guasha has been viewed 976.9 million times on TikTok and used in 502,093 posts on Instagram. The top 10 list See the full list of the Top 10 Beauty Trends of 2022 rankings below: <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Retinol </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Graphic Liner </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Gua Sha </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> SPF </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> DIY Skincare </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Lip Scrub </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Ombre Lips </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Glass Skin </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Hyaluronic Acid </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Niacinamide </li> </ol> Image: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

What’s taking the biggest toll on our mental health?

The new Labor government arrives at a time of mounting mental health strain: Australians have endured COVID, extreme weather events and financial stress from increased living costs. The new government has a lot to fix in the mental health system but policy priorities should be guided by the voices of Australians. To learn more about the nation’s priority mental health concerns, our <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0268824" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new research</a> surveyed more than 1,000 adults aged 18 to 85 across the nation. Without being prompted, participants consistently highlighted three major issues: the mental health service system, financial stress, and social disconnection. A strained mental health system The COVID pandemic added pressure to an already <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/news-media/speeches/mental-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strained mental health-care system</a>. Countless Australians – many experiencing mental ill-health for the first time – were left without appropriate support. Participants described overwhelming barriers to accessing treatment, including high costs, wait-lists and inaccessibility: <blockquote> The out of pocket expense makes receiving regular, effective psychological treatment prohibitive, especially as a single parent. – female, late 30s, NSW When people are in crisis, they need the help at that time. Not six months down the track when an opening finally becomes available at the counselling centre. – non-binary person, early 70s, Tasmania </blockquote> Financial stress Respondents shared how the pandemic “pressurised” other mental health triggers, like financial stress, as JobKeeper and the Coronavirus Supplement were wound back and cost of living increased. A NSW woman in her late-20s living with a disability shared that prior to receiving the Coronavirus Supplement: “I felt it would be better to kill myself than try and make it work”, but with the supplement, “For the first time in years money wasn’t so tight.” The removal of the supplement was described by another as: <blockquote> crushing and damaging to your mental health – female, late 20s, Tasmania </blockquote> The low payment amount after the supplement was removed was not seen as “sufficient income to live a ‘reasonable life’”. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467066/original/file-20220606-58478-ztwpxb.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/467066/original/file-20220606-58478-ztwpxb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467066/original/file-20220606-58478-ztwpxb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467066/original/file-20220606-58478-ztwpxb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467066/original/file-20220606-58478-ztwpxb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467066/original/file-20220606-58478-ztwpxb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467066/original/file-20220606-58478-ztwpxb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Person wringing their hands" /><figcaption>Cost of living pressures have had a significant impact on Australians’ mental health. <a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/qbTC7ZwJB64" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unsplash/Ümit Bulut</a></figcaption></figure> Together, the stress of low incomes and the return of demanding mutual obligation requirements for JobSeeker (the <a href="https://www.acoss.org.au/media_release/acoss-analysis-shows-mutual-obligation-requirements-are-causing-harm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">often-unrealistic</a> set of job-related tasks which recipients must undertake to keep receiving payments) worsened some peoples’ mental health, making recovery difficult. <blockquote> The social welfare system isn’t equipped to support those of us who struggle to work because of mental health issues. I cry every day at my full-time job and would like to focus on recovery, but the tiny rate of Centrelink payments means I keep struggling through – female, early 30s, Victoria </blockquote> With increasing living costs, a NSW man in his late 20s reported “stressing about having money to make ends meet […] the cost of food going up, and not having money to heat my home in winter”. He described making difficult financial decisions like choosing to “not eat” in favour of “making sure my dog is fed”. Many spoke of financial stress in relation to housing as a key priority for their mental health, particularly “unaffordable housing prices” (female, early 30s, NSW) and “prohibitive rent” (female, late 60s, Victoria). Social disconnection Many described a lack of social and community connection as a mental health priority, perhaps unsurprising with COVID lockdowns and strict border controls. Some felt this was linked to a lack of physical spaces for socialising: <blockquote> We need facilities for people and communities to socialise in a healthy environment. Get rid of the poker machines and make pubs a place where people can openly socialise again – male, late 40s, NSW </blockquote> Others sensed a broader cultural shift away from valuing community: <blockquote> We need supportive communities […] We are too ‘private’ don’t share our troubles, don’t ask for help – female, late 40s, NSW [S]ociety has become very individually focused and less about support – male, late 40s, Victoria. </blockquote> Building resilience The voices of diverse Australians included in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0268824" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our study</a> provide clear guidance for the government to build a more resilient and mentally healthy future. Labor’s election promise to re-instate the <a href="https://www.alp.org.au/policies/regional-mental-telehealth-services" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telepsychiatry Medicare item</a> in regional and rural areas is important, but the government must address other pressing service issues, including long wait-times and high costs. The government also needs to address the causes of mental ill-health, such as financial insecurity and social disconnection. While Labor has promised to tackle <a href="https://www.alp.org.au/policies/secure-australian-jobs-plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">job security</a> and <a href="https://www.alp.org.au/policies/safer-and-more-affordable-housing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">housing affordability</a>, it didn’t back an increase to income support benefits. This should be revisited. In 2021, <a href="https://alp.org.au/media/2594/2021-alp-national-platform-final-endorsed-platform.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Labor</a> committed to addressing loneliness and social isolation, although no related election promises were made. Doing so would require changes outside the “health” portfolio. We need a whole-of-government <a href="https://mentalhealththinktank.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/BuildingMentallyHealthyFutures_YouthRecoveryPlan.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social and emotional well-being lens</a> on all federal policies. Finally, our study highlighted that drivers of poor mental health are further strained in disaster settings, such as pandemics or extreme weather events. As the Labor government develops its <a href="https://www.alp.org.au/policies/disaster-readiness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disaster readiness plan</a>, mental health impacts – in addition to economic and infrastructure impacts – must be a key consideration. If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.<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/184148/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marlee-bower-1000885" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marlee Bower</a>, Research Fellow, Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/maree-teesson-1274573" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maree Teesson</a>, Professor & Director of The Matilda Centre. Chair, Australia's Mental Health Think Tank, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/scarlett-smout-1350860" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scarlett Smout</a>, PhD Candidate and Research Program Officer at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use and Australia's Mental Health Think Tank, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Sydney</a> 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/whats-taking-the-biggest-toll-on-our-mental-health-disconnection-financial-stress-and-long-waits-for-care-184148" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Mind

“The world’s biggest not-a-potato”

A New Zealand couple who thought they had grown the world’s largest potato have been informed that it actually isn’t a potato. Colin and Donna Craig-Brown were weeding their garden on a small farm in Hamilton, when his hoe hit something hard under the ground. Colin bent down to make sure it was a potato and tasted the strange looking object, confirming to his wife that it was a “potato”. The couple named it Dug, took it for walks and even dressed it up when they finally decided to submit the heavy 7.8kg find to the Guiness Book of Records. The record for the world’s largest potato is currently held by someone in Britain, who grew a massive potato weighing just under 5kg. Unfortunately, Colin and Donna’s dreams were shattered when they were told Dug was in fact not a potato. “Sadly the specimen is not a potato and is in fact the tuber of a type of gourd. For this reason we do unfortunately have to disqualify the application,” the email read. He said he couldn’t fight their conclusion because they had submitted Dug’s DNA for testing. “What can you say? We can’t say we don’t believe you, because we gave them the DNA stuff,” Colin told <a href="https://apnews.com/article/worlds-largest-potato-doug-a440afd3c656018c585078ed3ac18970" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AP</a>. Despite the disappointment, Colin and Donna still care for Dug who now sits in their freezer. “I say ‘gidday’ to him every time I pull out some sausages. He's a cool character,” he said. “Whenever the grandchildren come round, they say, ‘Can we see Dug?'" “Dug is the destroyer from Down Under. He is the world’s biggest not-a-potato.” Image: Instagram

Food & Wine

Readers respond: What is your biggest screw-up in the kitchen?

We asked our readers what their biggest disaster in the kitchen was, and it turns out not everyone can be a culinary expert! From microwave explosions to inedible ingredients, here's just a few of your biggest cooking mishaps. Scolie Simpson - Years ago a lady and I were talking about our first microwave disasters and and she told me that when they got theirs she need to do quite a few boiled eggs for some party thing .So she put either a dozen or 2 in the microwave and went to watch TV. All of a sudden they heard an almighty bang and when she looked the door had blown off and there was egg in every part of the kitchen. The friend next door couldn't stop laughing and said that she should have pierced each egg. She went back to just boiling them. Pamela Crowe - First married, home from work, put oil in pot, turned on hot plate, forgot to buy mince. Went to butchers. Got back to flat, apparently the oil exploded - black ash over every surface. Gay Sharran Gold - I decided to whip up egg whites for a pavlova. I had put the beaters in the mixmaster in reverse unknowingly! I turned it on full throttle and stood there within seconds with egg white through my hair, in my eyes and down my face, sticking to the curtains, dripping down the window and all over the cupboards and floor!! Heather Widjaja - Put chicken bones on the stove to make stock. Forgot to turn the burner off and went out for six hours!!!! Came home to a house full of smoke, disgusting smell and luckily just a ruined saucepan, but a house still standing. Maureen Ivan Notsch - Cooked a chook with the plastic bag with giblets still inside it. Roula May - Sprayed chicken Kiev with fly spray instead of oil! Chook Milne - Used Mr Sheen instead of canola spray on my cake tin.. lucky everyone survived. Vicki Newbury - Made tuna patties and used what I thought was plain flour to roll them in, turned out it was actually custard powder, didn’t realise until they were cooking in the pan, needless to say the whole lot went into the bin. Dawn Croft - When microwaves were brand new I reheated a tuna pasta. It was great. I commented that everyone said that you couldn't get crispy topping in the microwave but my cheese was great. Didn't realise till I went to wash up my Tupperware container that my crispy topping was the plastic from my Tupperware. I survived! Sue Anderson - Made gravy with drinking chocolate instead of Gravox… thought it looked a bit funny so added Parisian Essence. First bite of the roast was a bit exciting for all. Kaye Brown - Making toffee. Everything including the pot was thrown out, after we’d convinced the neighbours and the fire brigade all was fine. Cheryl Millard - Melting chocolate In the microwave. Not knowing that the chocolate doesn’t lose its shape so kept zapping . No bottom left in bowl but chocolate still in its squares. Michael L Carrigg - Entering the kitchen, told to stay out as a youngster and has kept me in good stead ever since, except to make coffee. Gail Fredericks - Forgot to put yeast in the bread maker. Ended up with a very nice brick. Image credits: Getty Images

Home & Garden

“The biggest and brightest yet”: Vivid returns to Sydney

The iconic festival of lights is returning to Sydney after two years, in what event organisers have said will be a “fresh experience” for visitors. Vivid Sydney is expected to return from Friday, May 27, bringing with it 47 installations and projections that will be scattered around the Sydney CBD, as well as a continuous 8-kilometre-long Light Walk from the Sydney Opera House to Central Station. In a statement, Stuart Ayres, the Minister for Tourism and Sport, said the program would deliver joy and discovery to the CBD, plus even more reasons for visitors to descend on Sydney. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/vivid-2022-1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The installation, ‘Future Natives’, will see 200 species of birds line the long Light Walk from the Opera House to Central Station. Image: Chris Daniel/Vivid “The 2022 program will be the biggest and brightest yet, with many festival-firsts, providing even more reasons for Sydneysiders and visitors from around the country - and all over the world - to immerse themselves in our city at its creative best,” he said. Must-see installations from this year’s program include: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> For Sydney With Love, a projection of work by Sydney artist Ken Done’s 80-year love story with the city on Custom House; </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Earth Deities, a multi-limbed avatar built by Western Sydney artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran featuring animated fire and electricity and placed in The Rocks; </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Convergence, an immersive journey through the disused Goods Line railway at Central Station that will be the largest scale laser installation in the festival’s history; </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Future Natives, a way-finding sculpture installation spread across the Light Walk featuring a flock of 200 Sydney bird species, built by Sydney artist Chris Daniel. </li> </ul> <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/vivid-2022-3.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> 'For Sydney With Love' will be splashed across Sydney's Custom House as part of the festivities. Image: Spinifex Group/Vivid Writing for the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/insiders-guide-to-vivid-sydney-2022/P3GV2TFKWYQC6CYGAAM5KG27EY/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>, Festival Director Gill Minervini said Vivid would be the perfect time for New Zealanders to visit, and it would be the best time to explore beyond the tourist hotspots and be immersed in the city “at its creative best”. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/vivid-2022-2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Boasted as the largest scale laser installation the festival has hosted, ‘Convergence’ is a light and sound show bound to engage all the senses. Image: Mandylight/Vivid “If you’re planning a trip to Sydney, I find most visitors don’t know about the city’s great neighbourhood villages - where you’ll find all the locals relaxing,” she suggested, adding that she recommended visitors also pick up some great local wine. “Paddington, Newtown, Balmain, Parramatta, Cronulla all possess their own unique character and celebrate the essence of what makes Sydney authentically unique: its people, places and heart.” Image: Jessica Maurer & Kane Sullivan/Vivid

Domestic Travel

Actor cops 20 years for biggest Ponzi scheme in Hollywood history

Small-time actor Zachary Horwitz has admitted to operating a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. He has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.The United States Department of Justice said in a news release that Horowitz "raised at least US$650 million [aprox. $910 million] with bogus claims that investor money would be used to acquire licensing rights to films that HBO and Netflix purportedly had agreed to distribute abroad."In October, Horowitz pleaed guilty to a United States federal securities fraud charge and admitted to running the Ponzi scheme. He was originally arrested in April 2021.He received a 20 year sentence, and must pay more than US$230 million (approx. $322 million) in restitution.Prosecutors said it was the biggest Ponzi scheme in Hollywood history.The 35-year-old actor was accused of putting some of the money in his personal accounts and using the money for purchasing a personal residence for approximately US$5.7 million (approx. $8 million) in cash, taking trips to Las Vegas and flying on chartered jets, according to a complaint filed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.Horwitz is better known by his stage name "Zach Avery," and has spent the past decade acting in around a dozen mostly low-budget films.Image: Getty

Legal

More than 200 Australian birds are now threatened with extinction – and climate change is the biggest danger

Up to 216 Australian birds are now threatened – compared with 195 a decade ago – and climate change is now the main driver pushing threatened birds closer to extinction, landmark new research has found. The <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Animals-and-plants/Scientific-Committee/Determinations/Preliminaries/conservation-assessment-mukarrthippi-grasswren.pdf">Mukarrthippi grasswren</a> is now Australia’s most threatened bird, down to as few as two or three pairs. But 23 Australian birds became less threatened over the past decade, showing conservation actions can work. The findings are contained in a new <a href="https://ebooks.publish.csiro.au/content/action-plan-australian-birds-2020">action plan</a> released today. Last released in 2011, the action plan examines the extinction risk facing the almost 1,300 birds in Australia and its territories. We edited the book, written by more than 300 ornithologists. Without changes, many birds will continue to decline or be lost altogether. But when conservation action is well resourced and implemented, we can avoid these outcomes. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434641/original/file-20211130-21-1i8g2ou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="small bird perches on twig" /> Without change, threatened birds such as the southern emu wren, pictured, will be lost. Barry Baker <h2>The numbers tell the story</h2> The 216 Australian birds now at risk of extinction comprise: <ul> <li>23 critically endangered</li> <li>74 endangered</li> <li>87 vulnerable</li> <li>32 near-threatened.</li> </ul> This is up from 134 birds in 1990 and 195 a decade ago. We assessed the risk of extinction according to the <a href="https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/RL-2001-001-2nd.pdf">categories and criteria</a> set by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in its <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/assessment/red-list-index">Red List</a> of threatened species. As the below graph shows, the picture of bird decline in Australia is not pretty – especially when compared to the global trend. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434586/original/file-20211129-22-xrs2e5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> Authors supplied <h2>What went wrong?</h2> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434618/original/file-20211130-24-11eplat.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="two black birds nuzzling" /> Birds are easily harmed by changes in their ecosystems. Dean Ingwersen/BIRDLIFE AUSTRALIA Birds are easily harmed by changes in their ecosystems, including introduced species, habitat loss, disturbance to breeding sites and bushfires. Often, birds face danger on many fronts. The southeastern glossy black cockatoo, for example, faces no less than 20 threats. Introduced cats and foxes kill millions of birds <a href="https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/media/eeufmpqx/112-the-impact-of-cats-in-australia-findings-factsheetweb.pdf">each year</a> and are considered a substantial extinction threat to 37 birds. Land clearing and overgrazing are a serious cause of declines for 55 birds, including the swift parrot and diamond firetail. And there is now strong evidence climate change is driving declines in many bird species. A good example is the Wet Tropics of far north Queensland. Monitoring at 1,970 sites over 17 years has <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.23.453540v1">shown</a> the local populations of most mid- and high-elevation species has declined exactly as climate models predicted. Birds such as the fernwren and golden bowerbird are being eliminated from lower, cooler elevations as temperatures rise. As a result, 17 upland rainforest birds are now listed as threatened – all due to climate change. The Black Summer <a href="https://www.awe.gov.au/sites/default/files/env/pages/ef3f5ebd-faec-4c0c-9ea9-b7dfd9446cb1/files/assessments-species-vulnerability-fire-impacts-14032020.pdf">bushfires</a> of 2019-20 – which were <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-020-00065-8">exacerbated</a> by climate change – contributed to the listing of 27 birds as threatened. We estimate that in just one day alone – January 6, 2020 – about half the population of all 16 bird species endemic or largely confined to Kangaroo Island were incinerated, including the tiny Kangaroo Island southern emu-wren. Some 91 birds are threatened by droughts and heatwaves. They include what’s thought to be Australia’s rarest bird, the Mukarrthippi grasswren of central west New South Wales, where just two or three pairs survive. Climate change is also pushing migratory shorebirds towards extinction. Of the 43 shorebirds that come to Australia after breeding in the Northern Hemisphere, 25 are now threatened. Coastal development in East Asia is contributing to the decline, destroying and degrading <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14895">mudflat habitat</a> where the birds stop to rest and eat. But rising seas as a result of climate change are also <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2013.0325">consuming</a> mudflats on the birds’ migration route, and the climate in the birds’ Arctic breeding grounds is <a href="https://www.fullerlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Wauchope-et-al-2017.pdf">changing</a> faster than anywhere in the world. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434625/original/file-20211130-17-1o8c7vz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="dead bird lies one charred ground" /> The Black Summer bushfires devastated some bird populations. James Ross/AAP <h2>The good news</h2> The research shows declines in extinction risk for 23 Australian bird species. The southern cassowary, for example, no longer meets the criteria for being threatened. Land clearing ceased after its rainforest habitat was placed on the World Heritage list in 1988 and the population is now stable. Other birds represent conservation success stories. For example, the prospects for the Norfolk Island green parrot, Albert’s lyrebird and bulloo grey grasswren improved after efforts to reduce threats and protect crucial habitat in conservation reserves. Intensive conservation efforts have also meant once-declining populations of several key species are now stabilising or increasing. They include the eastern hooded plover, Kangaroo Island glossy black-cockatoo and eastern bristlebird. And on Macquarie Island, efforts to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/26198759.pdf">eradicate</a> rabbits and rodents has led to a spectacular recovery in seabird numbers. The extinction risk of nine seabirds is now lower as a result. There’s also been progress in reducing the bycatch of seabirds from fishing boats, although there is <a href="https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/conservation/marine-and-coastal/marine-conservation-services/reports/final-reports/antipodean-albatross-fisheries-overlap-2020.pdf">much work</a> still to do. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434639/original/file-20211130-13-1suwehz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="lyrebird under leaves" /> The Albert’s lyrebird has been a conservation success. Barry Baker <h2>Managing threats</h2> The research also examined the impact of each threat to birds – from which we can measure progress in conservation action. For 136 species, we are alarmingly ignorant about how to reduce the threats – especially climate change. Some 63% of important threats are being managed to a very limited extent or not at all. And management is high quality for just 10% of “high impact” threats. For most threats, the major impediments to progress is technical – we don’t yet know what to do. But a lack of money also constrains progress on about half the threats. What’s more, there’s no effective monitoring of 30% of the threatened birds, and high-quality monitoring for only 27%. Nevertheless, much has been achieved since the last action plan in 2010. We hope the new plan, and the actions it recommends, will mean the next report in 2030 paints a more positive picture for Australian birds.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172751/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-garnett-4565">Stephen Garnett</a>, Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-darwin-university-1066">Charles Darwin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/barry-baker-1295242">Barry Baker</a>, University associate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-200-australian-birds-are-now-threatened-with-extinction-and-climate-change-is-the-biggest-danger-172751">original article</a>. Image: Shuttershock

Family & Pets

Bride reveals her biggest wedding mistake

Image: Tiktok US woman Nicole Pellegrino, who married earlier this year said you should never show anyone your wedding dress before the big day. In a video shared to her TikTok account, Nicole advised to only show your dress to your nearest and dearest, The Sun reports. “Grab your mum and your mother-in-law…that’s ALL” She captioned the post that has been viewed almost 400,000 times. In the short clip, Nicole explained showing a photo of her dress to “anybody who asked” was her biggest wedding mistake. “Do not show anyone your wedding dress before your wedding day and here’s why,” she wrote. “I was showing mine to literally anybody who asked, I’m not kidding, whether it was a friend, a distant relative, a co-worker, I was dollin’ photos of that dress out like hot cakes, and I regret it.” She said that she could tell by people’s expression if they didn’t like her dress, even if they didn’t say it. “People are bad liars and no matter how hard they try, if they don’t like your dress when you show them that photo, it will show on their face. Their true feelings will show,” she said. “So even if you truly love your dress and feel great in it, those little opinions will subconsciously start to taint your perspective of your own dress.” She advised that you should only bring people you really trust with you shopping, and only let people in this small circle see your dress in advance of the wedding. “Instead, grab two to three people that you really trust, and you want their opinions on the dress, take them shopping with you, have them support you throughout the way – only show them,” she said. “That way, on the big day, it’s a big surprise for everybody, all your bridesmaids will see it for the first time, it’s really special, and you don’t have to deal with people’s opinions.” Since sharing her experience, tiktok users have been quick to thank Nicole. “This is REALLY good advice,” commented one person. “Yes 100 per cent agree with this. The dress I’m going to wear isn’t a basic dress; some people have given me really negative feedback on it,” another TikTok user said. “Yes! I can relate to this. I’ve had so many doubts about my dress over the past few weeks all because of one person’s comment and my reaction,” a third person commented. Despite the negative feedback, Nicole wore her chosen dress with confidence on her big day. In a separate video, the newlywed could be seen standing on a balcony overlooking a body of water wearing her strapless white gown with beaded detailing. “I’m never taking it off” she said.

Beauty & Style

The biggest rip offs in retirement and how to avoid them

Superannuation has revolutionised the way people retire, as many ordinary, working Australians are finding themselves entering retirement with more than a million dollars in retirement savings. While this should set them up for a long and happy life, living with financial security, sadly it means many will become the victims of various rip-off schemes. Rip off schemes that can be easily avoided with a little bit of knowledge. Online Scams The most obvious are on-line scams. ASIC estimates Australians lose some $30 million to online scams every year and sadly, once your money is lost, there is very little that can be done to get it back. Online scams come in many forms, from bogus emails just appearing on your computer requesting you to send money to clear a tax debt or outstanding judgement, to the infamous on-line love affair scams. The best advice is just don’t. Don’t send money to an online bank account and never give your bank account details or identification documents like your driver’s license to anyone online without knowing exactly who you are dealing with. Simplistic Investments The next biggest scam to avoid is investments that are simply too good to be true. The most common are companies promoting investments they describe as being like term deposits or secured against property, but which offer a much higher return. Typically, if you dive into these investments you will learn your funds are being used to provide ‘mezzanine’ finance to property developers and instead of being secure, usually, they are totally at risk should the development not prove profitable. Watch out for family Unfortunately, another keyway retirees end up losing money is at the hands of their family or loved ones. Too often on entering retirement, people will discuss with their loved ones just how much money they have in superannuation. In doing so, it is easy for family members to think you can or should spare just a little of it and give it to them. The best way to avoid all of this is to never discuss your finances in detail with family members or loved ones. Unless you are very confident about your financial situation, you should keep every cent of retirement savings to provide for you in retirement. Self-managed super Self-managed super funds can be a great vehicle for creating wealth but typically, they lose their reason for being in retirement and just become a time consuming and costly way of keeping your superannuation savings. This money can be saved by simply closing the SMSF and moving your savings into a quality retail fund. Typically, you will have the same level of control over your savings as you do with an SMSF but at a fraction of the cost. Be wary of retirement homes Finally, many people choose to move into retirement homes for the easier lifestyle they offer and for the support and comfort of having a strong community around them. However, this can often end in tears. Make sure you find a good solicitor to review any paperwork and ensure your financial rights and obligations are fully explained to you before you sign on the dotted line so you know exactly what you can expect in the future. Image credit: Shutterstock This article first appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/money/the-biggest-rip-offs-in-retirement-and-how-to-avoid-them" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a>.

Retirement Income

Hotel inspector reveals biggest secrets

I worked as a hotel inspector and photographer for seven years at Forbes Travel Guide and Oyster.com (a TripAdvisor company). Though it sounds like a made-up job for a protagonist in a rom-com, I can assure you that inspecting and photographing hotels was very much my real life. I really did get paid to order room service, sit by infinity pools, and ensure the cocktails were made with high-quality booze. I also had to count closet hangers, photograph bathtub grime, and memorise hotel staff names and uniforms. For Forbes Travel Guide, I anonymously booked two to three nights in luxury hotels. I ran each hotel through a series of identical service and facility tests to give it a star rating (yep, that’s how Forbes assigns five-star hotels). The hotels were almost always ultra-expensive and emphasised personalised service and stunning locations. At Oyster, the hotel staff usually knew I was coming and gave me a tour and access to take photographs. I’d often spend the night, but not always. After visiting, I’d write a hotel summary and guide explaining the hotel’s pros, cons, location, rooms and features, accompanied by the photographs. The two jobs were vastly different, but over the span of my career, I’ve slept in several hundred hotels for review purposes on five continents. The hotels ranged from tiny bed-and-breakfasts in Italy to enormous all-inclusive resorts in Cozumel to trendy boutique hotel openings in Los Angeles. Here are some of the hotel secrets I learned over the years. And no, I never experienced bed bugs! Do your hotel research on TripAdvisor If you’re taking a holiday based on a destination, and not to specifically visit one famous hotel, start with a TripAdvisor search of the area. I used to work for TripAdvisor, but it really is the best travel site for reading reviews from past guests, looking at photos, and getting an idea of the different room types and rates without the hotel’s marketing department getting in the way. You can also filter results to look at large hotels or zero in on properties with specific features like all-inclusive rates, swimming pools, adult-only, beachfront, or within a few kilometres of tourist attractions like national parks, beaches and ski lifts. Book with the hotel directly Hotel booking websites, like TripAdvisor and Hotels.com, are an easy online way to figure out which hotels in your price range have open rooms. But once you’ve decided where to stay, book directly with the hotel. For one thing, most hotel inspectors book directly. You might be flagged as a hotel critic or writer and be given special treatment. Note that hotel inspectors are actually trained to look for special treatment, and we might abandon an inspection if we think we’ve been flagged by staff. After all, we’re trying to figure out how hotels actually treat real guests. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cash in on a suite upgrade or complimentary bottle of Champagne. More importantly, third-party booking sites usually get the worst and tiniest rooms – the rooms that haven’t yet been renovated or are located near the noisy ice machine. Hotels usually keep the best rooms for themselves to sell directly to guests. If you find a great deal on a third-party booking site, the hotel will often price match it to keep your business with them directly. Accountability is also important. If something goes wrong, like the need to cancel or change the dates of stay, the hotel is way more likely to work with you to find a solution or reschedule for the same price if you’ve booked with them. There are lots of third-party hotel booking reservation horror stories out there. Don’t trust the decorative bedding One of the things I miss most about my hotel inspecting days is how comfortable and cosy a hotel bed can be. Freshly ironed Italian sheets, perfectly plumped down pillows and multi-thousand dollar California king-size mattresses are a real bedtime treat. But! Stay away from the decorative elements of the bed. Those decorative pillows and runners likely aren’t getting washed between guests. And if the housekeeping staff stores bedding elements on the floor during turndown service? Just tuck them in the closet for the rest of your stay. Ew. Be direct about your needs I know it’s old-fashioned, but part of my process as a hotel inspector at Forbes Travel Guide was to call the hotel’s reservation hotline and make a booking with their reservation team. Yes, it took longer. But, it’s an ideal time to have a chat with a staff member about your hotel needs. This is the best time to tell the hotel if you’ll be arriving early (there are no guarantees prior to check-in time, but staff can flag your room to be cleaned first). You can also request a room on a higher floor, away from the elevator, or with non-adjoining rooms. Want reservations at their restaurant? Let them know. Need a spa appointment? Now’s the time. The reservationist’s job is to convey all of this data to the front desk and housekeeping teams so they can take care of the details before you arrive. If you don’t want to book on the phone, there should be a comment section where you can type in special requests. At higher-end hotels, a staff member will likely reach out to you prior to arrival to make sure everything’s arranged to your liking. And make sure to mention if you’re celebrating a birthday or anniversary. You just might get a bottle of wine or dessert to mark the occasion, like I did when I celebrated a birthday in Hawaii. The hotel staff sent a bottle of pineapple wine and a birthday cake. Check out the fitness centre for freebies Sure, you can work out in the fitness centre if you want. But even if you’re taking a break from working out while on holiday, stop by the hotel gym. It’s often stocked with bottled water, fresh fruit and energy bars that you can grab. Large hotels and resorts also offer fun classes like outdoor yoga, beach walks and meditation that you might want to check out. For more freebies, ask the concierge desk if they have any coupons or discount codes for tourist activities, restaurants, shops or water parks. And if you need little extras like shampoo, a toothbrush, or another robe – call housekeeping and ask politely. Written by Megan Wood. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/travel/travel-hints-tips/10-hotel-secrets-from-a-former-hotel-inspector">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

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