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ChatGPT, DALL-E 2 and the collapse of the creative process

In 2022, OpenAI – one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence research laboratories – released the text generator <a href="https://chat.openai.com/chat">ChatGPT</a> and the image generator <a href="https://openai.com/dall-e-2/">DALL-E 2</a>. While both programs represent monumental leaps in natural language processing and image generation, they’ve also been met with apprehension. Some critics have <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/12/chatgpt-ai-writing-college-student-essays/672371/">eulogized the college essay</a>, while others have even <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/technology/ai-artificial-intelligence-artists.html">proclaimed the death of art</a>. But to what extent does this technology really interfere with creativity? After all, for the technology to generate an image or essay, a human still has to describe the task to be completed. The better that description – the more accurate, the more detailed – the better the results. After a result is generated, some further human tweaking and feedback may be needed – touching up the art, editing the text or asking the technology to create a new draft in response to revised specifications. Even the DALL-E 2 art piece that recently won first prize in the Colorado State Fair’s digital arts competition <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artificial-intelligence-art-wins-colorado-state-fair-180980703/">required a great deal of human “help”</a> – approximately 80 hours’ worth of tweaking and refining the descriptive task needed to produce the desired result. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Today's moody <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AIart?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AIart</a> style is... 🖤 deep blacks ↘️ angular light 🧼 clean lines 🌅 long shadows More in thread, full prompts in [ALT] text! <a href="https://t.co/tUV0ZfQyYb">pic.twitter.com/tUV0ZfQyYb</a> — Guy Parsons (@GuyP) <a href="https://twitter.com/GuyP/status/1612539185214234624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2023</a></blockquote> It could be argued that by being freed from the tedious execution of our ideas – by focusing on just having ideas and describing them well to a machine – people can let the technology do the dirty work and can spend more time inventing. But in our work as philosophers at <a href="https://www.umb.edu/ethics">the Applied Ethics Center at University of Massachusetts Boston</a>, we have written about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/mopp-2021-0026">the effects of AI on our everyday decision-making</a>, <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429470325-28/owning-future-work-alec-stubbs">the future of work</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-022-00245-6">worker attitudes toward automation</a>. Leaving aside the very real ramifications of <a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-12-21/artificial-intelligence-artists-stability-ai-digital-images">robots displacing artists who are already underpaid</a>, we believe that AI art devalues the act of artistic creation for both the artist and the public. <h2>Skill and practice become superfluous</h2> In our view, the desire to close the gap between ideation and execution is a chimera: There’s no separating ideas and execution. It is the work of making something real and working through its details that carries value, not simply that moment of imagining it. Artistic works are lauded not merely for the finished product, but for the struggle, the playful interaction and the skillful engagement with the artistic task, all of which carry the artist from the moment of inception to the end result. The focus on the idea and the framing of the artistic task amounts to <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-paul-mccartneys-the-lyrics-can-teach-us-about-harnessing-our-creativity-170987">the fetishization of the creative moment</a>. Novelists write and rewrite the chapters of their manuscripts. Comedians “write on stage” in response to the laughs and groans of their audience. Musicians tweak their work in response to a discordant melody as they compose a piece. In fact, the process of execution is a gift, allowing artists to become fully immersed in a task and a practice. It allows them to enter <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/flow-mihaly-csikszentmihalyi?variant=32118048686114">what some psychologists call the “flow” state</a>, where they are wholly attuned to something that they are doing, unaware of the passage of time and momentarily freed from the boredom or anxieties of everyday life. This playful state is something that would be a shame to miss out on. <a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p073182">Play tends to be understood as an autotelic activity</a> – a term derived from the Greek words auto, meaning “self,” and telos meaning “goal” or “end.” As an autotelic activity, play is done for itself – it is self-contained and requires no external validation. For the artist, the process of artistic creation is an integral part, maybe even the greatest part, of their vocation. But there is no flow state, no playfulness, without engaging in skill and practice. And the point of ChatGPT and DALL-E is to make this stage superfluous. <h2>A cheapened experience for the viewer</h2> But what about the perspective of those experiencing the art? Does it really matter how the art is produced if the finished product elicits delight? We think that it does matter, particularly because the process of creation adds to the value of art for the people experiencing it as much as it does for the artists themselves. Part of the experience of art is knowing that human effort and labor has gone into the work. Flow states and playfulness notwithstanding, art is the result of skillful and rigorous expression of human capabilities. Recall <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUOlnvGpcbs">the famous scene</a> from the 1997 film “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119177/">Gattaca</a>,” in which a pianist plays a haunting piece. At the conclusion of his performance, he throws his gloves into the admiring audience, which sees that the pianist has 12 fingers. They now understand that he was genetically engineered to play the transcendent piece they just heard – and that he could not play it with the 10 fingers of a mere mortal. Does that realization retroactively change the experience of listening? Does it take away any of the awe? <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/04/the-case-against-perfection/302927/">As the philosopher Michael Sandel notes</a>: Part of what gives art and athletic achievement its power is the process of witnessing natural gifts playing out. People enjoy and celebrate this talent because, in a fundamental way, it represents the paragon of human achievement – the amalgam of talent and work, human gifts and human sweat. <h2>Is it all doom and gloom?</h2> Might ChatGPT and DALL-E be worth keeping around? Perhaps. These technologies could serve as catalysts for creativity. It’s possible that the link between ideation and execution can be sustained if these AI applications are simply viewed as mechanisms for creative imagining – <a href="https://openai.com/blog/dall-e-2-extending-creativity/">what OpenAI calls</a> “extending creativity.” They can generate stimuli that allow artists to engage in more imaginative thinking about their own process of conceiving an art piece. Put differently, if ChatGPT and DALL-E are the end results of the artistic process, something meaningful will be lost. But if they are merely tools for fomenting creative thinking, this might be less of a concern. For example, a game designer could ask DALL-E to provide some images about what a Renaissance town with a steampunk twist might look like. A writer might ask about descriptors that capture how a restrained, shy person expresses surprise. Both creators could then incorporate these suggestions into their work. But in order for what they are doing to still count as art – in order for it to feel like art to the artists and to those taking in what they have made – the artists would still have to do the bulk of the artistic work themselves. Art requires makers to keep making. <h2>The warped incentives of the internet</h2> Even if AI systems are used as catalysts for creative imaging, we believe that people should be skeptical of what these systems are drawing from. It’s important to pay close attention to the incentives that underpin and reward artistic creation, particularly online. Consider the generation of AI art. These works draw on images and video that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/nov/12/when-ai-can-make-art-what-does-it-mean-for-creativity-dall-e-midjourney">already exist</a> online. But the AI is not sophisticated enough – nor is it incentivized – to consider whether works evoke a sense of wonder, sadness, anxiety and so on. They are not capable of factoring in aesthetic considerations of novelty and cross-cultural influence. Rather, training ChatGPT and DALL-E on preexisting measurements of artistic success online will tend to replicate the dominant incentives of the internet’s largest platforms: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/josp.12489">grabbing and retaining attention</a> for the sake of data collection and user engagement. The catalyst for creative imagining therefore can easily become subject to an addictiveness and attention-seeking imperative rather than more transcendent artistic values. It’s possible that artificial intelligence is at a precipice, one that evokes a sense of “<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/04/the-case-against-perfection/302927/">moral vertigo</a>” – the uneasy dizziness people feel when scientific and technological developments outpace moral understanding. Such vertigo can lead to apathy and detachment from creative expression. If human labor is removed from the process, what value does creative expression hold? Or perhaps, having opened Pandora’s box, this is an indispensable opportunity for humanity to reassert the value of art – and to push back against a technology that may prevent many real human artists from thriving. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-dall-e-2-and-the-collapse-of-the-creative-process-196461" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

"Just pure kindness": Richard E Grant's emotional gift after wife's death

Richard E Grant has shared the story of an incredibly thoughtful gift from his neighbour. The English actor said he was "undone" by his neighbour's gift, which was a heart-warming reminder of his late wife. Grant, 65, lost his wife, dialect coach Joan Washington, to lung cancer in September 2021. The actor shared an emotional video about the gift and how much it meant to him while he is continuing to grieve his loss. “I returned to the Cotswolds today for the weekend and the kind of violence in the silence as you long to hear the person that you can never hear again,” he began, looking visibly emotional. “What has completely floored me is to find that my incredibly generous neighbour Jules Bowsher has gifted me a comfort blanket, or a lap quilt as she calls it." “She has hand embroidered it over months, with all of my wife’s favourite poetry." “All of the names of the actors and coaches she worked with over the decades, films and stage plays that she coached on." “All the expressions that were common to our 38-year-long marriage.” The actor continued, “It includes little 3D pockets of happiness with keepsakes and trinkets, all referencing our long marriage.” “The amount of time she has taken to do this, it’s beyond measure as the kindness of friendship has undone me in the greatest spirit of Christmas as possible,” Grant said. “How can two little words, ‘Thank you,’ begin to adequately convey the enormity of what she has given me? “We’re not related. We’re not family or anything like that. Just pure kindness.” He finished by saying, “Thank you Jules. You’ve made a grown man cry with gratitude.” Fans flocked to comment on what a kind gift it was, sharing their admiration for the actor's thoughtful neighbour. “The hours that lovely lady must have spent, but to see how well received it has been, must give her pleasure too,” one follower wrote. <div> “What a kind lady,” wrote another. “I have lost my only son, and the kindness of people has blown me away; the world can be a hard place to be sometimes, but kindness truly takes over everything else, for sure.” Image credits: Instagram </div>

Caring

Mobile phone hoarding: e-waste not good news for the environment

What happened to your previous mobile phone after you upgraded or replaced it? Did it go in a drawer? A box in the garage, perhaps? Today marks International E Waste Day, with this year’s slogan, “Recycle it all, no matter how small!”, specifically targeting small devices with a high recycling value that are often hoarded for years before they become waste. It’s a timely reminder, as results from surveys conducted across Europe suggest that the roughly 5.3 billion mobiles and smartphones dropping out of use this year would reach a height of around 50,000 km if stacked flat and on top of each other. That’s well-and-truly over the average orbiting height of the International Space Station and about an eighth of the distance to the moon. “In 2022 alone, small EEE (Electrical and Electronic Equipment) items such as cell phones, electric toothbrushes, toasters and cameras produced worldwide will weigh an estimated total of 24.5 million tonnes – four times the weight of the Great Pyramid of Giza”, says Magdalena Charytanowicz of the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Forum, responsible for organising <a href="https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/events/international-e-waste-day-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International E Waste Day</a>. “And these small items make up a significant proportion of the 8% of all e-waste thrown into trash bins and eventually landfilled or incinerated.” With their valuable components of <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/critical-minerals-mining-australia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gold, copper, silver, palladium and other materials</a>, mobile phones ranked fourth amongst small Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) hoarded or unrecoverably discarded – that is put in draws, cupboards or garages – rather than repaired or recycled – or sent to landfill or for incineration. The surveys ran for four months from June 2022 and covered 8,775 households across Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, Romani, Slovenia and the UK and asked participants about common items such as phones, tablets, laptops, electric tools, hair dryers, toasters and other appliances. The top five hoarded small EEE products were (in order): small electronics and accessories (e.g., headphones, remotes), small equipment (e.g., clocks, irons), small IT equipment (e.g., hard drives, routers, keyboards, mice), mobile and smartphones, small food preparation appliances (e.g., toasters, grills). Italy hoarded the highest number of small EEE products, while Lebanon hoarded the least. You might recognise some of the reasons given, which included potential future use, plans to sell or give away, sentimental value, future value, use in a secondary residence or contains sensitive data. Others were also unsure how to dispose of the item or felt there was no incentive to recycle it, and some argued that they’d forgotten, didn’t have time or that the item didn’t take up very much space. This is a shame because such items, despite being small, pack a big punch in recyclability. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p218602-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> “We focussed this year on small e-waste items because it is very easy for them to accumulate unused and unnoticed in households, or to be tossed into the ordinary garbage bin”, says Pascal Leroy, Director General of the WEEE Forum, who have organised International E Waste Day. “People tend not to realise that all these seemingly insignificant items have a lot of value, and together at a global level represent massive volumes.” “These devices offer many important resources that can be used in the production of new electronic devices or other equipment, such as wind turbines, electric car batteries or solar panels – all crucial for the green, digital transition to low-carbon societies,” says Charytanowicz. <h4>What can be done about e-waste?</h4> At the governmental level, there are a number of initiatives including legislation that are coming into effect or being tightened up in order to address this increasing problem. “The continuing growth in the production, consumption and disposal of electronic devices has huge environmental and climate impacts,” says Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries. “The European Commission is addressing those with proposals and measures throughout the whole product life-cycle, starting from design until collection and proper treatment when electronics become waste.” “Moreover, preventing waste and recovering important raw materials from e-waste is crucial to avoid putting more strain on the world’s resources. Only by establishing a <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/can-a-circular-economy-eliminate-e-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">circular economy</a> for electronics, the EU will continue to lead in the efforts to urgently address the fast-growing problem of e-waste.” There is also a role for more education and communication. Launched today by UNITAR, the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), is the first self-paced e-waste<a href="https://www.uncclearn.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> online training course</a> open to anyone. A UNITAR certificate is available upon graduation of the roughly 1.5-hour course which aims to use scientific findings in a practical way for international training and capacity building,” says Nikhil Seth, UNITAR’s Executive Director. Finally, The WEEE Forum has been actively involved in collecting, de-polluting, recycling or preparing for re-use more than 30 million tonnes of WEEE and has also run communication campaigns for almost twenty years. “Providing collection boxes in supermarkets, pick up of small broken appliances upon delivery of new ones and offering PO Boxes to return small e-waste are just some of the initiatives introduced to encourage the return of these items,” says WEEE’s Leroy. At the personal level, all you have to do is quite your hoarding habits and recycle, instead! <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=218602&title=Mobile+phone+hoarding%3A+e-waste+not+good+news+for+the+environment" width="1" height="1" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/e-waste-mobile-phone-bad-news-environment/" 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 <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/clare-kenyon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clare Kenyon</a>. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

AI system sees beyond the frame of famous artworks

A new AI tool can provide a glimpse of what could potentially be going on beyond the frame of famous paintings, giving them a brand new life. OpenAI, a San Francisco-based company, has created a new tool called 'Outpainting' for its text-to-image AI system, DALL-E. Outpainting allows the system to imagine what's outside the frame of famous works such as Girl with The Pearl Earring, Mona Lisa and Dogs Playing Poker. DALL-E relies on artificial neural networks (ANNs), which simulate the way the brain works in order to learn and create an image from text. Now with Outpainting, users must describe the extended visuals in text form for DALL-E to “paint” the newly imagined artwork. Outpainting, which is primarily aimed for professionals who work with images, will let users 'extend their creativity' and 'tell a bigger story', according to OpenAI. US artist August Kamp used Outpainting to reimagine the famous 1665 painting Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, extending the background in the original style. The results show the iconic subject in a domestic setting, surrounded by crockery, houseplants, fruit, boxes and more. Other Outpainting attempts took a more creative turn, with one showing the Mona Lisa surrounded by a dystopian wasteland, and a version of A Friend In Need showing an additional table of gambling canines. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> “Outpainting: an apocalyptic Mona Lisa” by tonidl1989<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dalle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dalle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dalle2?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dalle2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aiart?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#aiart</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aiartwork?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#aiartwork</a> <a href="https://t.co/puYVxjyFMm">pic.twitter.com/puYVxjyFMm</a> — Best Dalle2 AI Art 🎨 (@Dalle2AI) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dalle2AI/status/1565168579376566278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Used DALL-E 2’s new “outpainting” feature to expand the world’s greatest work of art… <a href="https://t.co/0HXQzngt9P">pic.twitter.com/0HXQzngt9P</a> — M.G. Siegler (@mgsiegler) <a href="https://twitter.com/mgsiegler/status/1565398150482784256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote> DALL-E is available to more than one million people to create AI-generated images, all with a series of text prompts. DALL-E is just one of many AI systems infiltrating the art world, joining the likes of Midjourney and Imagen redefining how we create and appreciate art. Image credits: DALL-E - August Kamp

Art

Beverly Hills, 90210 star Joe E. Tata dead at 86

Beverly Hills, 90210 star Joe E. Tata has passed away at the age of 86 following a battle with Alzheimer’s. His devastating death was announced by Tata’s co-star Ian Ziering on Instagram, who paid tribute to the man who played Peach Pit owner Nat Bussichio on the show for 10 years. Ziering started off his post acknowledging the deaths of other colleagues, Jessica Klein one of 90210’s most prolific writers and producers, Denise Douse who played Mrs. Teasley, before sharing the heartbreaking announcement. “I’m very sad to say Joe E Tata has passed away. Joey was truly an OG, I remember seeing him on the Rockford files with James Garner years before we worked together on 90210,” his post began. “He was often one of the background villains in the original Batman series. “One of the happiest people I’ve ever worked with, he was as generous with his wisdom as he was with his kindness. “Though the peach pit was a 90210 set, It often felt like the backdrop to the Joe E Tata show. <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/ChsG7TirHFW/?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/ChsG7TirHFW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ian Ziering (@ianziering)</a> </div> </blockquote> “The stories of days gone by that he would share, incredible experiences in the entertainment industry that he was a part of would keep us all captivated. “He may have been in the back of many scenes, but he was a leading force, especially to us guys, on how to appreciate the gift that 90210 was. “My smile dims today but basking in fond memories moves him from my eyes to my heart where he will always be. “My sincere condolences go out to his family and friends, and everyone else he was dear too. “Rest In peace Joey.” Tata’s health began to deteriorate in 2014 but it was only in 2018 when he was officially diagnosed with Alzehimer’s “Now 86 years old, his illness has progressed to its final stages," Tata’s daughter Kelly wrote on a crowdsourcing page for her father. "He spends his days scared and confused. The few times I've seen him, there is relief and joy in his eyes." "Nat was a loving father figure to the kids of West Beverly High. In real life, my Dad, Joey, is honest, kind, and a truly incredible father." Images: Instagram

Caring

Prepare for a healthy holiday with this A-to-E guide

So your well-earned holiday is finally here. But before you pack your swim gear, magazines and camera, take a moment to think about your health. Experiencing an illness in a foreign destination can be very challenging. Obviously it will reduce the quality of your trip, but it can also leave travellers with unexpected costs and exposed to a foreign medical system. On occasion, serious complications can follow. More than <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/products/961B6B53B87C130ACA2574030010BD05">nine million Australians</a> travel internationally per year, with most trips undertaken by people between the ages of 25 and 55. The top ten <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/products/961B6B53B87C130ACA2574030010BD05">most popular destinations</a> for Australians are New Zealand, Indonesia, the USA, UK, Thailand, China, Singapore, Japan, Fiji and India. A range of new health problems can be encountered during travel, and existing health problems can be exacerbated. Staying healthy is all about being informed, prepared and sensible. The <a href="http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/11/09-1147_article">leading causes</a> of infection-related illness during travel are <a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i1937">travellers’ diarrhoea</a>, <a href="http://www.mja.com.au/journal/2002/177/4/9-infections-returned-traveller">respiratory infections and infections transmitted by mosquitoes</a>. Minimise your chances of experiencing these by following a simple ABCDE. <h2>A: Allow time to prepare</h2> Around popular holiday periods, it pays to allow plenty of time to book an appointment at a travel clinic, or a local medical clinic that offers travel vaccinations. Some vaccinations have two or three doses and may need four weeks for the course to be completed. Examples include vaccines for <a href="https://theconversation.com/zika-dengue-yellow-fever-what-are-flaviviruses-53969">Japanese encephalitis</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-rabies-virus-28654">rabies</a>. If travelling as a family, several visits may be required for preparing children for travel certain destinations. Keep in mind that your travel medicine practitioner may need detailed information about your exact itinerary, your past childhood vaccinations, your medical history and medications. If you have all this information readily available, you can get the most out of your travel consultation. If you have an existing medical condition, get checked out to make sure it’s being managed as expected. For example, blood pressure medications may need to be adjusted if your blood pressure is either too high or too low. Yellow fever immunisations and other live vaccines – those that contain active components – should be avoided if you are on medications that reduce your immunity, such as steroids like <a href="http://www.nps.org.au/medicines/hormonal-and-metabolic-system/corticosteroids-oral-and-injectable/prednisolone-corticosteroids-oral-and-injectable">prednisolone</a>. You may need alterations to immunosuppressive medications some weeks before you travel, or an official letter exempting you from a vaccine that is necessary for entry into certain countries (as is the case with yellow fever vaccine). <h2>B: Behaviour - think about it</h2> Holiday makers often seek to get out of their comfort zones. But it’s worth avoiding the temptation to completely let your hair down: behaviours you would never entertain in the home setting should be avoided in a foreign setting as well. You may also need to alter some of your daily living behaviours. Traveller’s diarrhoea can largely be avoided by using bottled water in any setting that you consume water, including staying hydrated, brushing your teeth, washing fruit and salads, and making ice blocks and other drinks. Eat food from venues that appear to adhere to good food hygiene standards – although this can be difficult to judge. Avoid hawker food or street food where items may have been left for long periods at temperatures where bacteria can multiply. When uncertain of hygiene standards, selecting packaged food is the safest choice. Respiratory infections are common in travellers. If you find yourself in a crowded setting where someone appears unwell and is coughing, create a distance to reduce the risk of being infected. Alcohol-based hand gels are useful to maintain hand hygiene and may protect you from infection due to common colds and other viruses that linger on surfaces. Smart packing is also important. You should travel with sunscreen and clothes that protect you from sun exposure, and repellent that has an active component to repel insects if travelling to an area where mosquitoes can transmit infections such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/zika-dengue-yellow-fever-what-are-flaviviruses-53969">dengue</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-zika-virus-pose-a-threat-to-australia-53557">Zika</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-world-can-cut-malaria-cases-by-90-in-the-next-15-years-47146">malaria</a>. Avoid acquiring a sexually transmitted infection by using barrier protection (condoms) for sexual intercourse. <h2>C: Check safety, and have a check up</h2> Review travel warnings at a reputable website, such as <a href="http://smartraveller.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx">SmartTraveller</a>. A general check up is advised to ensure your health is stable. Health conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes or a lowered immune system may put you at greater risk of travellers’ diarrhoea. Cancer or recent operations can increase risk of developing a <a href="http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2297171">blood clot</a>. Check ups are also a good opportunity to ensure that your vaccinations are up-to-date (see below). <h2>D: Drugs (medications) and vaccines are vital</h2> Medications that can reduce the time or severity of travellers’ diarrhoea are recommended for almost any destination, but particularly when travelling to developing countries where food hygiene standards can be variable. Examples include antibiotics such as azithromycin that treat bacterial causes of diarrhoea, and drugs such as tinidazole to treat parasitic causes of diarrhoea. Medications such as doxycycline or malarone that protect against being infected with malaria are recommended in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/distribution.html">some regions</a> within Africa, Asia, South America and the Pacific. <a href="https://theconversation.com/zika-a-rare-benign-virus-suddenly-turns-nasty-and-heads-for-the-us-52792">Zika virus</a> infection generally causes a mild illness or no symptoms at all. Pregnant female travellers are advised to avoid travel to a Zika endemic area. Couples planning a pregnancy in the near future should seek advice from a health professional if travelling to a Zika endemic country. If you’re travelling to destinations that are above 2500 metres (such Cusco in Peru), talk to your doctor about medications that help prevent or manage altitude sickness. The normal schedule of vaccinations provided to Australians may not cover you for illnesses found in your holiday destination. Extra vaccinations are necessary for certain destinations. For example, <a href="https://theconversation.com/zika-dengue-yellow-fever-what-are-flaviviruses-53969">yellow fever</a> is transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause anything from mild fevers to a severe illness involving multiple organs. Vaccination against yellow fever is required for entry into countries with known yellow fever transmission, and for returning back to Australia if visiting an area of known transmission. Australians may consider vaccinations against the following diseases before travel to popular holiday destinations: <ul> <li>Hepatitis A</li> <li>Hepatitis B</li> <li>Influenza</li> <li>Japanese encephalitis</li> <li>Meningococcal disease</li> <li>Rabies</li> <li>Tuberculosis</li> <li>Typhoid</li> <li>Varicella (Chickenpox) </li> <li>Yellow fever</li> <li>Cholera</li> <li>Measles</li> <li>Polio</li> <li>Tetanus</li> </ul> A full <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list/">list of countries and recommended vaccinations</a> has been compiled by the USA’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even if you’re previously been vaccinated for some of these conditions, as time passes you may require boosters to strengthen your immunity. <h2>E: Enjoy your trip!</h2> Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/prepare-for-a-healthy-holiday-with-this-a-to-e-guide-69552" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Domestic Travel

Outraged truckie overcharged $57k in tolls

A truckie who was wrongly charged $57,000 from NSW tolls has slammed the government for offering him credit in return, rather than a refund. Jason Clenton was one of the 45,000 motorists who were charged double on tolls. He slammed Transport for NSW’s offer of credit, which meant he would actually have to use $57,000 worth of tolls to get his money back. "This is an absolute joke by Transport NSW and E-Toll," he told 2GB. "As a business owner, I'm absolutely disgusted." Jason deactivated his account stating that the credit is “absolutely no good for me”. "I don't have an account from E-Toll because of the misuse of stealing money from our business account, unauthorised." Transport for NSW’s Chief Operations Officer Howard Collins apologised for the errors and says they are working on returning people’s money. "Transport for NSW apologises unreservedly once again to all our customers affected by these unacceptable errors. We continue to do everything we can to minimise any further customer impacts," he said. Roads Minister Natalie Ward also apologised for the damning error claiming it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Image: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

Last selfless act on behalf of teen killed on e-scooter

After their 13-year-old son was tragically killed in an e-scooter accident on Saturday, Calym Gilbert's heartbroken parents are making sure his legacy lives on. The young teenager and his friend were riding the e-scooters in Perth when they collided with a Ford Ranger at an intersection, "ejecting" both boys from the scooters and leaving them seriously injured. Calym's life-threatening injuries saw him places on life-support, with his parents making the devastating decision to turn off the machines on Wednesday, with Calym passing away a short time later. According to 7News, his parents have decided to donate their son's organs, allowing the teenager to "leave behind a legacy", by giving six other people a second chance at life. Ever since the incident, Calym's father has issued a plea for others to be careful on the road. "Wear a helmet," he told 7News. "He is our baby boy, the love of my life, ripped from us so suddenly and way too soon," his heartbroken mum added. A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-calym-gilbert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page has been set up by Calym's relatives to ease any financial "worry" in the wake of the boy's untimely death, with generous supporters already donating over $8,000 to the grieving family. "Calym had a gentle soul and would do anything to help all of those around him. Calym was full of life and love - his internal light filled any room and left a lasting impression on all those that knew him," the page says. Image credits: GoFundMe

Family & Pets

E-cigarettes are less effective at helping smokers to quit

<div><div class="copy">Sales of <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/society/twelve-myths-about-e-cigarettes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">e-cigarettes</a> – particularly those with high nicotine content, similar to traditional cigarettes – skyrocketed in the US in 2017. Proponents of e-cigarettes say this jump in sales should lead to a jump in those quitting smoking, pointing to some clinical trials as evidence of this.Unfortunately, this didn’t work out in practice. According to a new <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-056901" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paper</a> in BMJ Tobacco Control, e-cigarettes were linked to lower success rates for those who tried to quit smoking, and they weren’t any better at preventing relapses.The study examines data from a US national long-term study on smoking. The researchers looked specifically at data from 2017-2019, on 3,578 established smokers who’d recently tried to quit and 1,323 recent former smokers.“We found little evidence that smokers took part in the 2017 surge in e-cigarette sales, which was associated with the introduction of the high-nicotine JUUL e-cigarette,” says co-author Professor John Pierce, a researcher at UC San Diego and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Centre, US.“This is the first survey in which e-cigarettes were less popular as a smoking cessation aid than FDA-approved pharmaceutical aids. Not only were e-cigarettes not as popular, but they were associated with less successful quitting.”In 2017, over 12% of recent quitters reported using e-cigarettes to quit – either by themselves or with other aids. About 2.5% used other tobacco products, and 21% used pharmaceutical aids or <a href="https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/guide-quitting-smoking/nicotine-replacement-therapy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nicotine</a><a href="https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/guide-quitting-smoking/nicotine-replacement-therapy.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> replacement therapy</a>. Almost two-thirds of respondents (64%) didn’t use anything.By 2019, those who had used e-cigarettes were less likely to have successfully quit than those who’d gone cold-turkey – 10% versus 19%. In this study, “successful quitting” was defined as having gone 12 months without using tobacco products.However, the number of respondents who were using or planning to use e-cigarettes to quit had nearly doubled – to 22% of all respondents.The researchers stress that their study is observational – this data can’t show that e-cigarettes are the cause for these failed quitting attempts. But they do point out that their real-world data sits in contrast to other randomised clinical trials, which tend to slightly favour e-cigarettes over other quitting methods.“RCTs [randomised clinical trials] are usually conducted under optimal conditions, which means that they may not translate to the effectiveness of the product in community settings,” point out the authors in their paper.Image credits: Getty Images <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="height: 1px!important;width: 1px!important;border: 0!important" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=181614&title=E-cigarettes+are+less+effective+at+helping+smokers+to+quit" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /> </div><div id="contributors">This article was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/e-cigarettes-us-study-less-effective/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian. </div></div>

Mind

"Grief hits us like tsunamis": Heartbreak for Richard E Grant

Actor Richard E. Grant has shared how his heart is breaking following the death of Joan Washington, his wife of 35 years. Grant said he was overwhelmed by the support he received from fans, fellow actors, and loved ones. “[We’re] overwhelmed by the messages of love, condolence & support we have received from loved ones and strangers from all over the world and the appreciation from actors Joan taught over the years,” the Posh Nosh star wrote on Twitter. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Overwhelmed by the messages of love, condolence & support we have received from loved ones & strangers from all over the world & the appreciation from actors Joan taught over the years. Grief hits us like tsunamis as we try and put one foot in front of the other without her 💔 <a href="https://t.co/VDhpFQwmrh">pic.twitter.com/VDhpFQwmrh</a> — Richard E. Grant (@RichardEGrant) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardEGrant/status/1434221078696562691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote> “Grief hits us like tsunamis as we try and put one foot in front of the other without her.” Grant announced his wife’s passing on Twitter on Friday, sharing a video of him dancing with her to a song by the Platters. “ONLY YOU! Joan - Love of my Life & Giver of Life to our daughter Olivia,” he captioned the clip. “Our hearts are broken with the loss of your life last night. 35 years married & 38 together.” “To be truly known and seen by you, is your immeasurable gift. Do not forget us, sweet Monkee-mine.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> 🎵ONLY YOU!🎵Joan - Love of my Life & Giver of Life to our daughter Olivia. Our hearts are broken with the loss of your Life last night. 35 years married & 38 together. To be truly known and seen by you, is your immeasurable gift. Do not forget us, sweet Monkee-mine 💔💔💔💔💔💔 <a href="https://t.co/YcdVAVK1ja">pic.twitter.com/YcdVAVK1ja</a> — Richard E. Grant (@RichardEGrant) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardEGrant/status/1433723682870997001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2021</a></blockquote> Washington worked as a voice and dialect coach with many Hollywood stars during her long career. She worked with Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett, Jessica Chastain, and Vanessa Redgrace, as well as with actors on both Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Hollywood stars have since shared their tributes to the leading dialect coach, including Chastain. “My heart is broken,” she wrote on Twitter. “Joan Washington had such a profound impact on me, yes, as an artist, but mostly as a woman. Every day I was excited to go to work and giggle with Joan. “She was a barometer of truth with a wicked sense of humour. I loved her very much.” Mad Max and The Favourite actor Nicholas Hoult shared a message thanking Washington for her kindness. “I can never thank her enough for all her kindness, the lessons she taught me and the memories I’ll cherish,” he said. Comic and actress Dawn French also paid tribute to Washington. “Joan Washington will ALWAYS be remembered by those of us who knew her and were taught by her, as a PHENOMENAL WOMAN. So much love to Richard E. Grant and all the family,” French said. Image: Richard E. Grant / Instagram

Family & Pets

Deliciously simple: Cacio e pepe pasta sauce

If you like cheesy pasta, then you will love cacio e pepe. The sauce is quick, cheap and requires fewer than five ingredients to make. To get the most authentic flavour, use sharp, high quality Pecorino Romano cheese and grate it finely. Ingredients: <ul> <li>3 tbsp unsalted butter</li> <li>1 tsp cracked black pepper</li> <li>170g Grana Padano or Parmesan, grated</li> <li>70g Pecorino, grated</li> </ul> Directions: <ol> <li>Melt two tablespoons of the butter on medium heat.</li> <li>Add black pepper and cook until toasted.</li> <li>Add your choice of cooked pasta and the remaining butter, and add the Grana Padano</li> <li>Remove from the stove and add the Pecorino, stirring until the sauce has covered the pasta.</li> </ol> Recipe and image courtesy of <a href="https://www.cashnetusa.com/blog/14-classic-pasta-sauces-and-how-to-make-them/">SavingSpot</a>.

Food & Wine

Michelle Pfeiffer celebrates 25th wedding anniversary with sweet tribute

Michelle Pfieffer is letting fans see her life through her own lens – sharing a heart-warming image of her and her husband, TV writer and producer David E. Kelley. Together they have a long list of career achievements – some of Pfieffer's major roles include hit movies The Fabulous Baker Boys, Scarface and Dangerous Minds, while Kelley is the mastermind behind such TV shows as Picket Fences, Ally McBeal and The Practice. The glowing actress took to Instagram to share a sweet image of her and Kelley, smiling ear to ear with a glass of wine captioning it: “My #SundayLove on our recent wedding anniversary – the luckiest girl in the room for 25 years.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3Rf8HB7Sv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3Rf8HB7Sv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">My #SundayLove on our recent wedding anniversary - the luckiest girl in the room for 25 years.</a> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/michellepfeifferofficial/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Michelle Pfeiffer</a> (@michellepfeifferofficial) on Jan 20, 2019 at 8:48am PST </div> </blockquote> Just recently the actress decided to share more of her life with fans, joining Instagram less than a week ago. Since then, she has amassed over 66,000 Instagram followers and counting. The couple share two children together, Claudia Rose, 25 and John Henry, 24. Kelley and Pfieffer said ‘I do’ in November 1993. What are your tips for a successful long-lasting marriage? Let us know in the comments below.

Movies

E-biking my way through the South Island

Justine Tyerman is a New Zealand journalist, travel writer and sub-editor. Married for 36 years, she lives in rural surroundings near Gisborne on the East Coast of New Zealand with her husband Chris. In this piece, Justine tries her hand at e-biking in South Island. My fingers were frozen to the handlebars and the driving rain stinging my cheeks felt suspiciously like sleet as we pedalled stubbornly onwards and upwards into a head wind whipping straight off the Southern Alps. When we set out from Lake Ohau Lodge earlier in the day, we were determined to reach Tarnbrae Track summit on the Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail but we had failed to factor in the nasty barb on the tail end of Cyclone Debbie. Even on our zippy SmartMotion e-bikes, it was no fun so after an hour of pure masochism, we admitted defeat, turned back and slunk into the lounge at the lodge. As we jostled for position in front of the open fire alongside real McCoy cyclists who had battled the elements all day, we carefully omitted the letter ‘e’ while sharing biking stories and downing tummy-warming gluhwein. Luckily, no one spotted our e-bikes outside with their tell-tale grunty batteries. Not that the disapprobation of the pedalling purists worried me in the least. During our two weeks of e-biking in the South Island, we had faced everything from ridicule to admiration. It’s water off my high-vis back these days. E-biking has revolutionised my life and I’m immune to the ‘why-don’t-you-get-a-real-bike-you-wuss’ insults. Unkind jokes about the male anatomy have been slightly more difficult for my husband to cope with but he’d rather we shared active outdoor pursuits like e-biking on holiday than for him to have to relax on a beach or, worse still, hang out in cities, shops and cafes. He’d endure a multitude of insults to escape such torture. Any activity that makes me want to leap out of bed at the crack of dawn and spend the whole day with my legs going round in small circles rather than atrophying under a computer desk at work has got to be positive. Our recent autumn e-bike adventure began in Christchurch where we picked up two Kiwi-designed SmartMotion e-bikes from The Electric Bicycle Company and a self-contained motorhome from JUCY Rentals whom we nicknamed "Lucy" after the buxom lady on the outside. Then we were literally away laughing, heading for Hanmer where we explored forests pathways and St James Conservation area with its massive scree slopes, sparkling rivers and vast, open spaces. At Tekapo we rode alongside the swift, silent turquoise canals that link the McKenzie country lakes in the massive Waitaki hydroelectric power scheme, whizzing along at 30km/h. In Wanaka, we biked the Clutha River loop track from the river outlet to Luggate and back, a scenically spectacular route but a bit too steep and narrow for my noviciate e-bike abilities. The entire Wakatipu Basin is a network of immaculately-maintained hiking and biking trails so we were spoilt for choice there. We cycled along the Arrow, Kawarau and Shotover rivers, crossing a variety of historic suspension and purpose-built bridges. The tall poplars were resplendent in their autumn regalia and the necklace of mountains surrounding us had their first dusting of snow. The only time we rode on the open road was from Kinloch to the Greenstone Valley along the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Here we encountered one 4WD vehicle and a lone Frenchman named Hugo, who was walking the length of New Zealand on the 3000km Te Araroa Trail, The Long Pathway. That’s impressive, I thought as we powered on up the steep hill that lay ahead of him. The undulating gravel road took us across clear mountain streams and through dappled beech forests with the shafts of sunlight flickering like frames in an old movie. Lake Wakatipu is seldom like a mirror but that day, the whole lake was glassy calm. We also paid a visit to Paradise Trust Lodge to see the rebuild of the property after fire destroyed the historic homestead in 2013, a few months after we had stayed there on our first-ever cycle trip with Matt and Kate Belcher’s Revolution Tours. Manager Mandy Groshinski showed us the painstaking work undertaken to restore the place and how they had retained the three stone chimneys as a memorial to the original homestead. Following Mandy’s advice, we cycled a loop track through the forest, past rustic cottages with outside baths and saunas to "one of the most breath-taking views on the planet" — a vantage point high above the Dart River as it carves its way from deep within the Main Divide. Here in Paradise, we were literally in the presence of the gods, surrounded by mountains named Chaos, Poseidon, Nox, Cosmos, Minos and Pluto. We parked Lucy at Mrs Woolly’s super-friendly camping ground at Glenorchy, a temporary site, while an impressive complex — New Zealand’s first sustainable net zero energy campground — is under construction next door. Opening in late 2017, Camp Glenorchy will offer affordable huts, cabins, tent and campervan sites and facilities for trampers, school groups, families, educational workshops and conferences. The sky was studded with thousands of diamonds that night, heralding a clear, crisp dawn. While at Glenorchy, we took a day off cycling and went horse-riding with Ngai Tahu Tourism-owned Dart Stables. It was a peaceful, scenic, relaxing amble along grassy country lanes and across the broad shingle flats of the braided Dart River. Our only other cycle-less day was at Aoraki/Mt Cook where we hiked our favourite Hooker Valley track to the foot of the famous Cloud Piercer. She was hiding in a cloud shroud that day but her enthusiastic, mainly Asian fan club took photos of themselves with where she was supposed to be, regardless of the fact she was invisible. We were dressed in winter tramping gear and were astonished to see a couple of Japanese women shivering in street boots and flimsy dresses posing by the glacier lake. That night, we parked at White Horse Hill campsite near the Hermitage. Thanks to Lucy’s super-efficient gas power, we had hot showers and prepared dinner in a cosy, warm environment without setting foot outside in the near-freezing conditions. Not so a pair of bedraggled-looking German cyclists in a tent nearby, trying to cook on a tiny gas burner. We invited them to join us but they were happy doing their own thing. Next morning, they dismantled their saturated tent, packed their meagre belongings into a couple of saddle bags and pedalled off on the next leg of their quest to cycle the length of New Zealand on the 2500km Nga Haerenga Cycle Trail… in bitterly cold rain. Very impressive, I thought as we turned on the heating, ate a hearty cooked breakfast, loaded the e-bikes onto Lucy’s study back and set off on the final leg of our journey. Some time ago, we decided our days of roughing it were over and we needed a few creature comforts at our age. We love nothing better than to wander around the countryside in a comfy, self-contained motorhome with a couple of e-bikes on the back, going wherever the spirit wills and "the weather suits our clothes"… as the line from Midnight Cowboy goes. We had no fixed itinerary or agenda, the only focus of the day being to find a scenic biking trail which, for the first time in my life, could include hills, thanks to the brilliant invention of e-bikes. <a href="http://www.jucy.co.nz" target="_blank">Transport: JUCY Rentals Casa motorhome</a> <a href="/smartmotionbikes.co.nz/" target="_blank">E-bikes: SmartMotion electric bikes</a> <a href="http://www.dartstables.com" target="_blank">Horse riding: Dart Stables at Glenorchy</a>

Domestic Travel

Man brings new life to old electronics with beautiful sculptures

Electronics are one of the fastest-growing types of waste in the world, with many of our favourite devices only having a lifespan of three or four years. With this in mind, one artist has found a unique way to minimise his environmental footprint by recycling old, outdated televisions, computers and other devices into stunning insect sculptures. “They look very futuristic, they look very mechanical,” Hobart artist Steve Wakeling told the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-29/making-bug-sculpture-art-from-old-electronics/7794378" target="_blank">ABC</a>. “The wiring and the miniature detail that goes into the parts of a DVD player is amazing. They're very pretty. “The parts that go into the bugs, they're rare parts and they're getting rarer. Pretty soon you won't see them unless they're in art.” After looking through the gallery above, you may be shocked to learn that Wakeling has no formal art training, just an affinity for creating shapes. “Once you get the basic shapes together to look like a head, then you can add the fine detail like the horns, the eyes, the nose and everything.” To see more of his pretty sculptures, click here, and tell us in the comments below, have you ever reinvented an old object into something new? Images: Carol Rääbus / 936 ABC Hobart Related links: <a href="/entertainment/art/2016/08/works-of-art-made-with-plants/">Incredible works of art made with only plants</a> <a href="/entertainment/art/2016/08/woman-with-ms-turns-mris-into-art/">Woman diagnosed with MS turns her brain scans into art</a> <a href="/entertainment/art/2016/05/artist-creates-fashion-designs-with-food/">Artist creates incredible fashion designs using food</a>

Art

10 eBook exclusives you will love

Any e-reader convert will tell you how convenient, cost-effective and fun their Kindle, iPad, Kobo or other devices are. Plus, digital readers have the added bonus of eBook exclusives, which are only available to those who have e-readers. Here are 10 of the best from some of the most beloved authors around the world – best of all? They’re all under $3! <ol> <li><a href="https://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Febooks%2Fthe-scent-of-almonds-camilla-lackberg%2Fprod9780007479061.html" target="_blank">The Scent of Almonds</a> by Camilla Lackberg – Fans of Stieg Larsson will love this tightly plotted, bite-sized read by one of Sweden’s most popular writers.</li> <li><a href="https://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Febooks%2Fin-the-tall-grass-joe-hill%2Fprod9780575110359.html" target="_blank">In the Tall Grass</a> by Stephen King and Joe Hill – This father-son-penned short story is a tale of family and terror – what more would you expect from King and son?</li> <li><a href="https://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Febooks%2Flarger-than-life-jodi-picoult%2Fprod9781760111168.html" target="_blank">Larger Than Life</a> by Jodi Picoult – A prequel to Picoult’s novel Leaving Time, Larger Than Life follows unlucky-in-love (and in life) Alice Metcalf as she searches for meaning in her life.</li> <li><a href="https://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Febooks%2Fa-selection-of-smithereens-shaun-micallef%2Fprod9781742536194.html" target="_blank">A Selection of Smithereens</a> by Shaun Micallef – These six short essays lampooning everything from cornflakes to Winston Churchill will make you laugh and think.</li> <li><a href="https://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Febooks%2Fthe-serpent-claire-north%2Fprod9780356504490.html" target="_blank">The Serpent</a> by Claire North – Step back in time to 17th century Venice in the first instalment of The Gameshouse trilogy of novellas that redefine time travel stories.</li> <li><a href="https://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Febooks%2Fbullseye-david-baldacci%2Fprod9781743519837.html" target="_blank">Bullseye</a> by David Baldacci – Bullseye is the perfect read for Baldacci fans, bringing his beloved characters Will Robie and Oliver Stone (and the rest of the Camel Club) like never before.</li> <li><a href="https://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Febooks%2Fwater-from-the-sun-discovering-japan-bret-easton-ellis%2Fprod9781743294239.html" target="_blank">Water from the Sun & Discovering Japan</a> by Bret Easton Ellis – From the acclaimed author of American Psycho comes these two gripping social commentaries that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.</li> <li><a href="https://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Febooks%2Fpartners-john-grisham%2Fprod9781473642393.html" target="_blank">Partners</a> by John Grisham – The world’s bestselling writer of legal thrillers delivers a gripping new tale featuring characters from his novel Rogue Lawyer as they revisit how they first met.</li> <li><a href="https://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Febooks%2Fneil-gaiman-s-likely-stories-neil-gaiman%2Fprod9781472242594.html" target="_blank">Likely Stories</a> by Neil Gaiman – Likely Stories features four short tales from one of the UK’s most esteemed writers, showcasing exactly what makes him so popular.</li> <li><a href="https://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Febooks%2Ftroll-mountain-matthew-reilly%2Fprod9781760080624.html" target="_blank">Troll Mountain</a> by Matthew Reilly – Fans of the supernatural will love the first tale in Reilly’s Troll Mountain trilogy, which follows a young hero as he embarks on an impossible quest.</li> </ol> What’s the best short story you’ve ever read? Let us know in the comment section below. Related links: <a href="/entertainment/books/2016/09/best-historical-fiction/">6 of the best historical fiction books</a> <a href="/entertainment/books/2016/08/5-books-every-over-60-should-read/">5 books every over-60 should read</a> <a href="/entertainment/books/2016/07/6-of-the-best-books-about-war/">6 of the best books about war</a>

Books

Kindles compared: which one is the best?

I have a problem. It's a problem worth sharing. It's a problem I know others have. If an alert pops up on my screen, I cannot help checking it. Instant message, text message, email or alert, the allure is irresistible. It's enough to distract me from what I am doing at the time to flick into a new app, tab or screen to ensure it's nothing urgent. This is part-occupational necessity, part character flaw. And I'm not ashamed to admit it. For some it's the fear of missing out (Fomo), for me it's Fomsu - the fear of missing something urgent. This is why when I truly need to relax, I turn to a novel. A book can be guaranteed not to send you anything work related. No badges or alerts will pop up mid page; it won't ring; it won't sound a siren to signal an incoming problem. All it will do is take you from where you are to where the author wants you to be. For this reason, I have clung to the printed page as a life raft in the tumultuous sea of work-life balance. But also among my character flaws is the need for instant gratification - the latest New York Times bestseller when I want it - in a form that I can tuck into my handbag for flights. For this reason, I've used the Kindle app on my smartphone and tablet for the past couple of years and here my problem arises. My lit-laxation is constantly interrupted by work. The release of two new Kindle models proved the perfect opportunity to try an alternative. The top-of-the-range Voyage arrived in a few months ago and the latest version of the Paperwhite was released recently. Both provide a really good reading experience - with no interruptions. As a book lover, it's hard not to love both models. Both have an e-paper backlit screen, which means no more lights-on/lights-off fights in bed. But unlike other backlit devices, the light feels gentle on your eyes even at the end of a long day of screen time. Kindle has worked hard over successive models, to promote the Kindle as a screen that's not really a screen, even promoting its devices to parents keen to cut down on kids' screen time. The Voyage has the slight advantage over the Paperwhite after sundown in that it includes a function that automatically adjusts brightness depending in the light in a room. Both models have the same e-paper screen resolution with 300 pixels per inch, about twice as many as older models which means the text appears sharper. Even with text enlarged and reduced to maximum or minimum size, both are pleasantly readable and unpixelated. Both have a six-inch screen, which for this booklover is just the right size. The devices are a similar size and weight, with the Voyage housed in a slicker, slightly slimmer casing, while the Paperwhite feels reassuringly sturdy. I loved the slightly contoured casing, which made one-handed reading easy. Turning pages is achieved through a swipe on the screen, while the Voyage has the added feature of a page turns via an impression of the side of the device. This method produces a slight vibration, or satisfying "thunk", making page turns reassuring tactile. Both models include Kindle's 'X-ray' function which allows users to look up the meaning of words, or find multiple references to characters within the same book - handy for complex works or plot twists and turns. Like previous models, the Voyage and Paperwhite include discreet displays showing the percentage of book read and location. Both include the ability to bookmark a page and the capacity to move easily between books in your library (all sourced from Amazon). Both devices do exactly what they say on the box and little more. They are tools for reading books. The Voyage and Paperwhite feel low-tech when moving from a smartphone, with simple monochrome displays and a singular purpose, but again, this is part of the appeal. They do one thing and they do it well. They will not give you breaking news, light your way, or give you the latest from the NZX, but they will let you read a book, where and when you want it, without a single interruption. The Voyage is a sleek, reading device. The screen is brighter than the Paperwhite and the styling slicker. Whether this, and the additional page-turn functionality, is worth the $120 that separates the two will depend entirely on your budget. For me, the Paperwhite provided everything I needed, and I would spend the price difference on a few more books with which to while away my downtime. Are you a regular kindle user, or do you prefer the tangible feel of regular book? Let us know in the comments below. Written by Joanna Norris. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Related links: <a href="/entertainment/books/2015/11/real-books-are-better/">Why real books will always be best</a> <a href="/entertainment/technology/2014/07/never-pay-for-an-ebook-again/">NEVER pay for an ebook again</a> <a href="/entertainment/technology/2015/03/reading-tablet-in-bed-harmful/">You’ll think twice before using your tablet in bed after reading this</a>

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News

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Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

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Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

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ChatGPT, DALL-E 2 and the collapse of the creative process

"Just pure kindness": Richard E Grant's emotional gift after wife's death

Mobile phone hoarding: e-waste not good news for the environment

AI system sees beyond the frame of famous artworks

Beverly Hills, 90210 star Joe E. Tata dead at 86

Prepare for a healthy holiday with this A-to-E guide

Outraged truckie overcharged $57k in tolls

Last selfless act on behalf of teen killed on e-scooter

E-cigarettes are less effective at helping smokers to quit

"Grief hits us like tsunamis": Heartbreak for Richard E Grant

Deliciously simple: Cacio e pepe pasta sauce

Michelle Pfeiffer celebrates 25th wedding anniversary with sweet tribute

E-biking my way through the South Island

Man brings new life to old electronics with beautiful sculptures

10 eBook exclusives you will love

Kindles compared: which one is the best?

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