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Flight attendant reveals why you should never use the toilet paper on a plane

<p dir="ltr">A flight attendant has revealed the gross reason why you should never use the toilet paper on a plane journey. </p> <p dir="ltr">The seasoned cabin crew member, an American woman named Cheryl, shared the three things she would never do on a plane after seeing what really goes on behind closed doors on an aircraft. </p> <p dir="ltr">Her first tip for any traveller was not to use the toilet paper in a plane bathroom. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sharing her tips in a TikTok video, she wrote, "If you examine the toilet paper, I promise you're going to see water droplets on it, or what you think are water droplets."</p> <p dir="ltr">"I don't think we can trust most men to make it in the toilet on a normal day, let alone flying at 36,000 feet with turbulence."</p> <p dir="ltr">To combat this, the flight attendant recommends bringing a travel pack of tissues in your hand luggage to use instead. </p> <p dir="ltr">She also warned her viewers against wearing shorts on their next flight.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I would never wear shorts on a plane. You're going to freeze to death," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cheryl pointed out another valid reason to opt for long pants on a flight, stating, "Say we have an evacuation. You have to go down the slide. Your butt cheeks are going to be sizzled off.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Lastly, Cheryl urged travellers to never book less than a three-hour connection between flights.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Delays can happen for a million and one reasons. The likelihood that you're going to miss your connection is pretty high if you're booking shorter than three hours," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Why are people putting toilet paper in the fridge?

<p>Recently, people on social media have been advising you to replace that box of bi-carbonate of soda (baking soda) in the back of your fridge with a roll of toilet paper.</p> <p>Does this weird trick work? We asked kitchen and appliance experts to see what the pros had to say!</p> <h4>Why put toilet paper in the fridge?</h4> <p>Ruiz Asri, editor of Honest Food Talks, says toilet paper’s absorbency is behind this hack. “Moisture in the refrigerator often contributes to mildew and unpleasant odour,” Asri says. The toilet paper absorbs excess moisture, along with foul smells. References to toilet paper in the fridge can be found as far back as 2015. But its dedicated use of it as an odour absorber seems to be more recent, with videos appearing on TikTok and Facebook.</p> <p><strong>Does it work?</strong></p> <p>Yes, to a point. While TP will absorb odours, other options are more efficient, take up less space and generate fewer odd looks from houseguests. Amy, from the parenting blog Amy &amp; Rose, has tried the TP technique. She had some fishy smells in the fridge, and her daughter suggested that she try the toilet paper hack. So did it work?</p> <p>“In my experience, somewhat,” she says. But here’s the catch: It’s just a temporary fix.</p> <h4>Alternative fridge odour busters</h4> <p>So if you want something longer lasting that takes up less space, read on for some alternate odour-fighting strategies.</p> <p><strong>Bi-carbonate of soda</strong></p> <p>Bi-carbonate of soda (also known as bi-carb and baking soda) is the go-to solution for many households. It caught on in the 1970s, when one manufacturer promoted it as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical cleaning. By 1994, a US newspaper reported “more refrigerators are likely to have bi-carb than working light bulbs.”</p> <p>Bi-carb is a base material, which means it neutralises acids. Because most odours are acidic, it can cut off the smell at the source. (Side note: After deodorising a fridge with bi-carb, don’t use the contents of that box for baking. Cooking can reactivate those acids and contaminate your cake.) As the bi-carb interacts with more acids, it becomes less effective. Most people will need to replace it every three months.</p> <p><strong>Black cumin seed oil</strong></p> <p>Corinne Segura, a building biologist practitioner and founder of My Chemical-Free House, has first-hand experience with fridge odours. “When food went bad in my fridge, it left a lingering foul odour,” she says. “I used black cumin seed oil, which has a deodorising effect, to clean up the smell.”</p> <p>Segura credits this to the essential oil’s ability to deodorise methyl mercaptan, a chemical that produces a rotten scent. “I mixed five drops of black cumin essential oil with 1 tablespoon of dish soap and applied it in a thick layer to all the plastic components inside the fridge,” she says. “I let it sit for two hours before washing it off. This worked well to get rid of foul odours in the fridge.”</p> <p><strong>Activated charcoal </strong></p> <p>Activated charcoal captures the particles that cause bad smells, just like toilet paper. It’s available as a powder, in pre-cut filters or as fabric you can cut to size. It functions by collecting the volatile compounds given off by smelly items, reducing odour. Swap out the charcoal every month or so to keep it effective.</p> <p><strong>Vanilla extract</strong></p> <p>For those who prefer a more pleasant scent, especially around their food, Asri offers a particularly sweet recommendation. “Soak a cotton wool ball in vanilla extract and place it in the refrigerator,” he says. “This combats bad odours and leaves your fridge smelling like a bakery.”</p> <p><strong>Crumpled newspaper and charcoal </strong></p> <p>If you want a deep-clean on your fridge or freezer at minimal expense, go with one paper product that’s even cheaper than toilet paper. Fill up a particularly stinky fridge with crushed charcoal and crumpled newspaper (you can buy unprinted newsprint paper).</p> <p>You’ll need to replace the newspaper every day for about a week, but it’s a low-cost way to deal with a foul-smelling situation.</p> <h4>UV light purifier</h4> <p>If you gravitate towards high-tech solutions, consider a fridge with a UV light filter. “Ultraviolet light can destroy bacteria, mould and other pathogens,” says Alexander Hill, a sales rep for UK-based Appliance Depot. “Some fridge purifiers use UV light to sanitise the air and surfaces inside the fridge, thus reducing the source of many odours.”</p> <p>Take that, toilet paper.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/diy-tips/why-are-people-putting-toilet-paper-in-the-fridge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Home & Garden

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"Rest in paradise": Tina Turner's son passes away

<p>Tina Turner's son has died at age 62 after taking his own life. </p> <p>Ronnie Turner, the second-born son of the legendary singer, died on Thursday morning after police were called to his home in Los Angeles, according to reports from TMZ.</p> <p>Despite the best efforts of emergency services to revive him, Ronnie died at the scene. </p> <p>Ronnie's wife Afida announced the devastating news in an emotional post on Instagram.</p> <p>"My god Ronnie Turner a true angel, huge soul highly spiritual, my husband, my best friend my baby..." she captioned a series of photos. </p> <p>Tina Turner also shared a tribute to her late son in a short post on social media, alongside a black-and-white photo of herself grieving.</p> <p>"Ronnie, you left the world far too early," she wrote. "In sorrow I close my eyes and think of you, my beloved son."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl9Y5HtDRav/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/Cl9Y5HtDRav/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tina Turner (@tinaturner)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Ronnie had battled several health issues in the past, including cancer.</p> <p>This is the second time in four years Turner's family has been rocked by tragedy, after the singer's eldest son Craig died by suicide at age 59 in 2018.</p> <p>"I think Craig was lonely, that's what I think really got him more than anything else," Turner said in an interview with Gayle King in 2019.</p> <p>"I have pictures all around of him smiling, and I think I'm sensing that he's in a good place. I really do."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

News

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New details emerge after Coolio heads to 'Gangsta's Paradise’

<p dir="ltr">In the wake of the death of Coolio, the rapper behind the iconic ‘90s hit <em>Gangsta’s Paradise</em>, new details of his final moments have emerged.</p> <p dir="ltr">After the Grammy-award-winning artist was found unresponsive in the bathroom of a friend’s LA home on September 28, paramedics frantically worked to save him for 45 minutes before stopping.</p> <p dir="ltr">Coolio, who was born Artis Leon Ivey Jr, was found on the bathroom floor after he had gone in and not returned for “a while”, according to <em>TMZ</em>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3e291696-7fff-d63f-69b6-2faeb3d14919"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">He was later pronounced dead at the scene, with paramedics reportedly believing he suffered a cardiac arrest.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is sad news. I witness first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry. Rest In Peace <a href="https://twitter.com/Coolio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coolio</a> <a href="https://t.co/vCeyn08Vsi">https://t.co/vCeyn08Vsi</a></p> <p>— Ice Cube (@icecube) <a href="https://twitter.com/icecube/status/1575295135516020737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Jarez Posey, Coolio’s friend and manager, confirmed the 59-year-old had died on Thursday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Posey told <em>TMZ </em>that the rapper had travelled to LA to sort out an issue with his passport ahead of his performance in Germany the following weekend.</p> <p dir="ltr">As tributes flowed for Coolio, one fan shared a story highlighting a kind and thoughtful side to him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So much respect for the man!” the fan wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My schoolfriend was murdered in ‘97 and Coolio sent flowers to his funeral in London because he had heard he was a fan.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Along with a rap career that kicked off in the 1980s, Coolio also built a career in film and TV, including roles in <em>Batman & Robin</em> (1997), <em>The Nanny</em>, <em>Charmed</em>, and as a voice actor in <em>Futurama </em>and <em>Gravity Falls</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also went on to release the reality TV show <em>Cooking with Coolio</em>, followed by the show <em>Coolio’s Rules</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">But it was <em>Gangsta’s Paradise</em>, which featured on the soundtrack of the film<em> Dangerous Minds</em>, that earned him his Grammy award in 1996 and elevated him to stardom.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a recent interview, Coolio said it was a song “that transcends generations”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I didn’t use any trendy words ... I think it made it timeless.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Michelle Pfeiffer, who starred in <em>Dangerous Minds</em>, quickly shared a tribute to the artist after his passing.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d5677dd1-7fff-fb08-22b6-14f1c8ef51c6">“Heartbroken to hear of the passing of the gifted artist Coolio,” she captioned a clip from the film where <em>Gangsta’s Paradise</em> plays.</span></p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjEs3_XAkp6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjEs3_XAkp6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Michelle Pfeiffer (@michellepfeifferofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“A life cut entirely too short. </p> <p dir="ltr">“As some of you may know I was lucky enough to work with him on <em>Dangerous Minds</em> in 1995. He won a Grammy for his brilliant song on the soundtrack - which I think was the reason our film saw so much success.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I remember him being nothing but gracious. 30 years later I still get chills when I hear the song. Sending love and light to his family. Rest in Power, Artis Leon Ivey Jr. ❤️”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Compton-born artist leaves behind ten children, including six he shared with ex-wife Josefa Salinas.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-b0856cb6-7fff-1263-cefc-8412cc1c156d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @coolio (Instagram)</em></p>

Caring

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Whether in war-torn Ukraine, Laos or Spain, kids have felt compelled to pick up crayons and put their experiences to paper

<p>“They still draw pictures!”</p> <p>So wrote the editors of an influential collection of children’s art that was <a href="https://www.afsc.org/document/they-still-draw-pictures-1938">compiled in 1938</a> during <a href="https://theconversation.com/ukraines-foreign-fighters-have-little-in-common-with-those-who-signed-up-to-fight-in-the-spanish-civil-war-178976">the Spanish Civil War</a>. </p> <p>Eighty years later, war continues to upend children’s lives in Ukraine, Yemen and elsewhere. In January, UNICEF <a href="https://www.unicef.org/globalinsight/reports/prospects-children-2022-global-outlook">projected</a> that 177 million children worldwide would require assistance due to war and political instability in 2022. This included <a href="https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/yemen-crisis">12 million children in Yemen</a>, <a href="https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/syrian-crisis">6.5 million in Syria</a> and <a href="https://www.unicef.org/appeals/myanmar">5 million in Myanmar</a>.</p> <p>The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 added 7 million more children to this number. To date, more than half of Ukraine’s children <a href="https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/war-ukraine-pose-immediate-threat-children">have been internally or externally displaced</a>. Many more have faced disruptions to education, health care and home life.</p> <p>And yet they, too, still draw pictures. In March, a charity called <a href="https://www.uakids.today/en">UA Kids Today</a>launched, offering a digital platform for kids to respond with art to Russia’s invasion and raise money for aid to Ukrainian families with children.</p> <p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7bfZyk8AAAAJ&amp;hl=en">As a scholar who studies</a> the ways wars affect societies’ most vulnerable members, I see much that can be learned from the art created by kids living in war-torn regions across place and time.</p> <h2>A century of children’s art</h2> <p>During <a href="https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/boer-war">the Boer War</a> – a conflict waged from 1899 to 1902 between British troops and South African guerrilla forces – relief workers sought to teach orphaned girls the art of <a href="https://blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/archivesandmanuscripts/2017/08/24/the-archive-of-emily-hobhouse-now-available/">lace-making</a>. During World War I, displaced children in Greece and Turkey learned to weave textiles and decorate pottery <a href="https://neareastmuseum.com/2015/08/13/every-stitch-a-story-near-east-industries/">as a means of making a living</a>. </p> <p>Over time, expression has replaced subsistence as the driver of children’s wartime artwork. No longer pressed to sell their productions, children are instead urged to put their emotions and experiences on display for the world to see. </p> <p>Novelist <a href="https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2015/novemberdecember/feature/the-talented-mr-huxley">Aldous Huxley</a> hinted at this goal in his introduction to the 1938 collection of Spanish Civil War art. </p> <p>Whether showing “explosions, the panic rush to shelter, [or] the bodies of victims,” <a href="https://library.ucsd.edu/speccoll/tsdp/frame.html">Huxley wrote</a>, these drawings revealed “a power of expression that evokes our admiration for the childish artists and our horror at the elaborate bestiality of modern war.”</p> <p><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/herbert-read">Herbert Read</a>, a World War I veteran and educational theorist, organized another show of children’s art during World War II. Unlike Huxley, Read found that scenes of war did not dominate the drawings he collected from British schoolchildren, even those exposed to the London Blitz. In a pamphlet for the exhibition, he highlighted “the sense of beauty and the enjoyment of life which they have expressed.”</p> <p>While the shows discussed by Read and Huxley differed in many ways, both men emphasized the form and composition of children’s artwork as much as their pictorial contents. Both also expressed the view that the creators of these drawings would play a critical role in the rebuilding of their war-torn communities. </p> <h2>A political tool</h2> <p>As with the children’s war art made during Huxley and Read’s time, the images coming out of Ukraine express a mix of horror, fear, hope and beauty.</p> <p>While planes, rockets and explosions appear in many of the pictures uploaded by <a href="https://www.uakids.today/en">UA Kids Today</a>, so do flowers, angels, Easter bunnies and peace signs.</p> <p>The managers of this platform – who are refugees themselves – have not been able to mount a physical exhibition of these works. But artists and curators elsewhere are beginning to do so.</p> <p>In Sarasota, Florida, artist Wojtek Sawa <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/new-sarasota-exhibit-features-artwork-of-ukrainian-children-coping-with-war">has opened a show</a> of Ukrainian children’s art that will be used to collect donations and messages from visitors. These will later be distributed to displaced children in Poland.</p> <p><a href="https://warchildhood.org/">The War Childhood Museum</a>, based in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, had recently concluded traveling exhibitions in Kyiv and Kherson when the Russian invasion started. The museum’s managing director, who has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-crimes-schools-d1e52368aced8b3359f4436ca7180811">spoken</a> out strongly about the need for cultural heritage protection in war, was able to retrieve several dozen artifacts from these shows a few days before the fighting commenced. Those toys and drawings, which tell the story of children’s experience during Russia’s previous effort to gain control of the Donbas region in 2014, <a href="https://warchildhood.org/2022/02/24/updates-from-ukraine/">will be featured</a> in shows opening elsewhere in Europe in 2022.</p> <p>By capturing the attention of journalists and the public, these exhibitions have been used to raise awareness, solicit funds and inspire commentary.</p> <p>However, children’s art from Ukraine has not yet played a role in political deliberations, as it did when peace activist Fred Branfman shared his collection of drawings by Laotian children and adults <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/us/fred-branfman-laos-activist-dies-at-72.html">during his 1971 testimony</a> before Congress on the “<a href="https://legaciesofwar.org/about-laos/secret-war-laos/">Secret War</a>” the U.S. had been conducting in Laos since 1964. </p> <p>Nor is it yet clear whether this art will play a part in future war crimes trials, as the art of Auschwitz-Birkenau internee Yahuda Bacon <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/01/25/for-child-survivors-drawing-is-therapy-and-a-tool-of-justice">did during</a> the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann.</p> <h2>Windows into different worlds</h2> <p>Art historians <a href="https://www.massey.ac.nz/%7Ealock/hbook/bremner.htm">once thought</a> children’s drawings, no matter where they lived, revealed the world in a way that was unshaped by cultural conventions. </p> <p>But I don’t believe that children in all countries and conflicts represent their experiences in the same way. The drawings of children imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps during World War II are not formally or symbolically interchangeable with drawings made by children exposed to America’s bombing campaign in Laos. Nor can these be interpreted in the same way as images produced by Ukrainian, Yemeni, Syrian or Sudanese children today.</p> <p>To me, one of the most valuable features of children’s art is its power to highlight unique aspects of everyday life in distant places, while conveying a sense of what can be upended, lost or destroyed. </p> <p>A Laotian child’s <a href="https://legaciesofwar.org/programs/national-traveling-exhibition/illustrations-narratives/">drawing</a> of a horse that “ran back to the village” from the rice field after its owner was killed by a bomb offers a small window into the lives of subsistence rice farmers. The desert landscapes and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-30/yemen-s-historic-tower-houses-are-under-threat">urban architecture</a> of Yemen are equally distinctive, and Yemeni children’s drawings highlight those differences even as they express aspirations that viewers around the world may share.</p> <h2>The challenges of preservation</h2> <p>As an academic who has also worked in museums, I am always thinking about how artifacts from today’s conflicts will be preserved for exhibition in the future.</p> <p>There are significant challenges to preserving the drawings and paintings young people produce. </p> <p>First, children’s art is materially unstable. It is often made on paper, with crayons, markers and other ephemeral media. This makes it dangerous to display originals and demands care in the production of facsimiles. </p> <p>Second, children’s art is often hard to contextualize. The first-person commentaries that accompanied some of the Spanish Civil War drawings and most of the Laotian images <a href="https://library.ucsd.edu/speccoll/tsdp/frame.html">often provide</a> details about children’s localized experience but rarely about the timing of events, geographic locations or other crucial facts. </p> <p>Finally, much children’s war art suffers from uncertain authorship. With few full names recorded, it is hard to trace the fates of most child artists, nor is it generally possible to gather their adult reflections on their childhood creations. </p> <p>By noting these complications, I don’t want to detract from the remarkable fact that children still draw pictures during war. Their expressions are invaluable for documenting war and its impact, and it’s important to study them.</p> <p>Nevertheless, in researching children’s art, it is necessary to reflect that scholars and curators are – like the child artists themselves – often working at the limits of their knowledge.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/whether-in-war-torn-ukraine-laos-or-spain-kids-have-felt-compelled-to-pick-up-crayons-and-put-their-experiences-to-paper-181458" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

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Cruise ship rescues 20 refugees

<p dir="ltr">A cruise ship has rescued 20 refugees from a small boat near Cuba, amid a growing number of cruising vessels assisting refugees they encounter while at sea.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Carnival Paradise</em> was sailing between Mexico and Cuba when at least 20 refugees were spotted on what appeared to be a rowboat.</p> <p dir="ltr">Vici Sheffield, a travel agent who was on the <em>Carnival Paradise</em> during the rescue, shared an image of the refugees online, revealing in the comments that passengers were told the refugees were taken aboard for “their own safety”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We just saved a boat in distress. Wow. First time for me,” she captioned the photo on her Facebook page, Vici’s Travels.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3e34d37b-7fff-f97a-52a7-db64213281c7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Thankful they were spotted and the ship turned around.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The boat was reportedly drifting at the time it was spotted, with the Carnival cruise ship slowing and turning around to assist those on board.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In accordance with maritime law, we have taken them aboard our vessel and have notified all of the appropriate authorities,” the captain announced to cruise passengers, per <em><a href="https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-cruise-ship-rescues-refugees-from-overloaded-boat/77811" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CruiseHive</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the weather was clear, sunny and relatively calm at the time, the rowboat appeared visibly overloaded and in poor condition.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was left adrift when the passengers were helped onto the cruise ship, with some containers left aboard.</p> <p dir="ltr">Having left Tampa, Florida, on July 20, the <em>Carnival Paradise</em> was scheduled to visit Roatan, Honduras, followed by Cozumel, Mexico, before returning to Tampa on August 4.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0d40b04b-7fff-2392-9222-7c63786def0d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The Carnival cruise ship's rescue comes just days after <em>Carnival Sunrise</em> rescued 12 Cuban refugees that were adrift to the south of Key West.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">A <a href="https://twitter.com/WPLGLocal10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WPLGLocal10</a> viewer cruising on the <a href="https://twitter.com/CarnivalCruise?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CarnivalCruise</a> Sunrise sent us this video from the ship as it came to the aid of 12 men stranded in a small boat south of Key West yesterday. The men, believed to be Cuban migrants, were later turned over to <a href="https://twitter.com/USCGSoutheast?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USCGSoutheast</a>. <a href="https://t.co/2Rd0Uh7wID">pic.twitter.com/2Rd0Uh7wID</a></p> <p>— Chris Gothner (@Chris_Gothner) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chris_Gothner/status/1553410507079651328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><em>Mardi Gras</em>, Carnival's flagship, rescued at least 22 refugees in two separate incidents in June, while Royal Caribbean International's <em>Allure of the Seas</em>, Celebrity Cruise Line's <em>Celebrity Apex</em>, and Carnival's <em>Carnival Magic</em> have also been involved in rescues this year.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2c6d9f20-7fff-3afe-fd76-ffc3224127f7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Vici Sheffield</em></p>

Cruising

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Reporter stops live broadcast to save drowning child

<p dir="ltr">A Channel 7 reporter has been hailed a hero after rescuing a child during his live broadcast.</p> <p dir="ltr">Paul Burt was in Surfers Paradise in Queensland when a 10-year-old boy behind him got caught in a rip.</p> <p dir="ltr">Burt immediately stopped his reporting and jumped into the water to help the child who was with his family of inexperienced swimmers from Pakistan.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There was a 10-year-old boy ... that got dragged out into this fierce gutter, and of course into this rip,” Burt told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/gold-coast/gold-coast-reporter-stops-live-cross-to-save-drowning-boy-in-rough-surf-c-6693814" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a> after rescuing the boy. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Being of a light weight he managed to stay afloat and come in adjacent to the southern side of the gutter.</p> <p dir="ltr">“About four or five of us jumped in and basically pulled him back to the beach.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He explained that the boy had taken in a “fair bit of water in” and was treated by paramedics on scene.</p> <p dir="ltr">Burt took the opportunity to warn swimmers not to risk their lives because they may not get that lucky.</p> <p dir="ltr">Watch the incredible footage <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/gold-coast/gold-coast-reporter-stops-live-cross-to-save-drowning-boy-in-rough-surf-c-6693814" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: 7News</em></p>

Caring

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Secret court papers revealed in Prince Andrew case

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A secret legal settlement between Virginia Giuffre and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/on-the-show/giuffre-epstein-agreement-made-public-c-5175529" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">has been made public</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, as Prince Andrew attempts to dismiss Giuffre’s lawsuit against him.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Court papers, which have been sealed since 2009, revealed that Giuffre received $USD 500,000 ($NZD 736,332) from Epstein, who she claims trafficked and abused her.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The royal filed the settlement as part of an attempt to dismiss Giuffre’s case against him, in which she alleged he sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In her lawsuit, Giuffre accused Andrew of abusing her at two of his homes, as well as forcing her to have sex at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/30/ghislaine-maxwell-what-happens-next-charges-sentencing" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">recently convicted</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of five charges including recruiting and grooming teenage girls and sex trafficking a minor.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations, and has </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/prince-andrew-s-latest-claims-in-lawsuit" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">previously moved to dismiss the lawsuit</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by claiming it was “unconstitutional” under the Child Victims’ Act, since Giuffre was above New York’s age of consent at the time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He also attempted to block proceedings on the grounds that Giuffre was no longer a US citizen three days before the settlement was released. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, a federal judge rejected the claims and ordered his lawyers to turn over key legal documents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the release of Giuffre’s settlement, the prince’s legal team argue that the agreement shields him from liability due to provisions that prevent her from taking legal action against “any other person or entity” who could have been a defendant.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">NEW: A 2009 settlement agreement between Epstein and <a href="https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VRSVirginia</a> for $500k has been unsealed. Prince Andrew's lawyer's hope a clause in it (which says "potential defendants" in lawsuits brought by Giuffre are protected from liability) will see her sexual abuse lawsuit dismissed. <a href="https://t.co/750Iv5q4vh">pic.twitter.com/750Iv5q4vh</a></p> — Omid Scobie (@scobie) <a href="https://twitter.com/scobie/status/1478052106061836288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The document states that once Giuffre, referred to by her maiden name, received the funds that she agreed to “remise, release, acquit, satisfy and forever discharge the said second parties and any other from all, and all manner of, action and actions of Virginia Roberts, including state or federal, cause and causes of action”. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though Andrew was not mentioned in the document, his attorneys said the settlement released him from liability.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Giuffre settled her sex-traffickinig and sexual-abuse claims against Epstein in 2009,” his lawyers said in a court filing on October 29. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In doing so, she provided Epstein with a general release of all claims against him and numerous other individuals and entities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“To avoid being dragged into future legal disputes, Epstein negotiated for this broad release, insisting that it cover any and all persons who Giuffre identified as potential targets of future lawsuits, regardless of merit - or lack thereof - to any such claims.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrinceAndrew?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrinceAndrew</a>'s legal team is arguing that bc <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JeffreyEpstein?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JeffreyEpstein</a> paid a settlement to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VirginiaGiuffre?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VirginiaGiuffre</a>, she can't pursue him for his alleged sexual assault crimes against her. That sounds like "Yes I did it, but my friend Jeffrey paid the girl."</p> — Peter Murphy (@PeterWMurphy1) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterWMurphy1/status/1478076434308427777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They argued that Andrew’s status as a “senior member of the British royal family” meant he belonged to “one of the expressly identified categories of persons” who were “released from liability under the release agreement”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As a third-party beneficiary of the release agreement, Prince Andrew is entitled to enforce the general release contained therein.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A representative for Giuffre’s lawyers said the document’s release was “irrelevant to Ms Giuffre’s claim against Prince Andrew” as it doesn’t mention him, as reported by </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/03/jeffrey-epstein-prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Guardian</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He did not even know about it. He could not have been a ‘potential defendant’ in the settled case against Jeffrey Epstein both because he was not subject to jurisdiction in Florida and because the Florida case involved federal claims to which he was not a part,” the representative said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The actual parties to the release have made clear that Prince Andrew was not covered by it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Lastly, the reason we sought to have the release made public was to refute the claims being made about it by Prince Andrew’s PR campaign.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andrew’s legal team will argue for the dismissal on Tuesday in New York, where US District Judge Lewis Kaplan will decide whether Giuffre will be blocked from suing the prince.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Legal

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5 clever uses for Christmas wrapping paper and cards

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After opening presents and reading cards from our loved ones and friends, we’re often left with piles of wrapping paper that need to be dealt with.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rather than throwing it straight into the bin, some can be recycled or repurposed into items that have that little bit of sentimental value.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here are </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://pop.inquirer.net/117417/10-diy-tips-for-recycling-your-christmas-gift-wrappers-and-cards" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">five</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> clever and crafty uses for your wrapping paper and cards this Christmas.</span></p> <p><strong>Confetti</strong></p> <p><strong><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846531/wrapping-paper1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d993d6a78ab74456ac1a7f3e6e5ad702" /></strong></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: One Good Thing by Jillee / onegoodthingbyjillee.com</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An easy and cost-effective way to recycle wrapping paper, you can make the confetti just in time for any New Year’s parties or events you’ve planned. Just run the paper through a shredder or take to it with scissors and it’s ready to be used.</span></p> <p><strong>Drawer liners</strong></p> <p><strong><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846530/wrapping-paper2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/aeb39c63c2ef4199af0cadba93257641" /></strong></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Making Home Base / makinghomebase.com</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re someone who meticulously unwraps your gifts or you have some spare paper lying around, this hack could be perfect for you. Simply follow </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.makinghomebase.com/how-to-make-drawer-liners/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">this tutorial</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to line your drawers with the paper and give them a bright, new look with minimal effort.</span></p> <p><strong>Book wrappers</strong></p> <p><strong><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846529/wrapping-paper3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b2c873ce9d28408aa95a3aef003f5dce" /></strong></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Eighteen25 / eighteen25.com</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a similar vein to drawer liners, wrapping paper can also be used to brighten up your stationery. Follow this easy </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://eighteen25.com/wrapping-paper-book-covers/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">tutorial</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to give your planners, notebooks, and journals that extra bit of colour and personality.</span></p> <p><strong>Bookmarks</strong></p> <p><strong><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846527/wrapping-paper4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b064416ccfc045b99b1769b262e9f01d" /></strong></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: The Frugal Girls / thefrugalgirls.com</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With this DIY project, you can turn your Christmas cards and discarded wrapping paper into a bookmark you can gift or keep for yourself. To make them, gather up your cards, a hole punch, and some ribbon, and follow this six-step </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://thefrugalgirls.com/2010/01/how-to-make-homemade-bookmarks-from-cards.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">tutorial</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. As for the wrapping paper, you can use it to add some extra decorations to your bookmarks.</span></p> <p><strong>Homemade envelopes</strong></p> <p><strong><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846528/wrapping-paper5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/234a72cc71a24fed8cf1701e7abe9b7e" /></strong></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Creative Green Living / creativegreenliving.com</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wrapping paper can also be repurposed to make envelopes. Whether you want to send friends letters or save them for birthday and Christmas cards, follow this </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.creativegreenliving.com/2012/12/how-to-make-envelopes-from-magazine.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">tutorial</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to make envelopes that are even more personalised.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

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Lindsey Buckingham claims Fleetwood Mac didn’t work “on paper”

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fleetwood Mac guitarist and songwriter Lindsey Buckingham has admitted that the band’s unique characters didn’t necessarily fit together. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reflecting on the band’s success and longevity, the 72-year-old believes that their “synergy” was greater than their individual parts. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said, "Early on, soon after joining Fleetwood Mac, I realised that we were the kind of group who didn’t – on paper – belong in the same group together.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"But yet that was the very thing that made us so effective.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"There was a synergy there, where the whole became more than the sum of its parts. What happens is that you begin to understand that, and accept it as a gift."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lindsey was ousted from Fleetwood Mac in 2018 due to a </span><a href="https://www.smoothradio.com/artists/fleetwood-mac/stevie-nicks-lindsey-buckinghams-quit-split/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">reported</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> “disagreement over the band’s upcoming tour,” and was replaced by Crowded House’s Neil Finn.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lindsey, who released his seventh solo album in September, also claimed that “inside politics” is the reason why Fleetwood Mac haven’t released a studio album since the 2003 release of </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Say You Will</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite receiving international success and recognition during his time in Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey said that losing fans while he pursues his solo project was bound to happen. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said, “Fleetwood Mac is this big machine, and my solo endeavours are this smaller machine.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I’ve always done what I’ve wanted to do, basically, and I think the realisation I had to come to was being willing to lose some of the huge audience Fleetwood Mac have in order to pursue that.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It’s just a trade-off you have to be willing to make in order to do things on your own terms."</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Music

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Will you learn better from reading on screen or paper?

<p>Research now suggests that if you really need to learn something, you’re better off with print.</p> <p>Studies have shown that when people read on-screen, they don’t completely understand what they’ve read, as well as when they read it in print. Even worse, we don’t realize we’re not getting it. For example, researchers in Spain and Israel took a close look at 54 studies comparing digital and print reading. Their 2018 study involved more than 171,000 readers. Comprehension, they found, was better overall when people read print rather than digital texts. The researchers shared the results in <em>Educational Research Review</em>.</p> <p><strong>The question is, why?</strong></p> <p>Reading is reading, right? Not exactly. Reading is reading, right? Not exactly. Maryanne Wolf works at the University of California, Los Angeles. This neuroscientist specializes in how the brain reads. Reading is not natural, she explains. We learn to talk by listening to those around us. It’s pretty automatic. But learning to read takes real work. Wolf notes it’s because the brain has no special network of cells just for reading.</p> <p>To understand text, the brain borrows networks that evolved to do other things. For example, the part that evolved to recognise faces is called into action to recognise letters. This is similar to how you might adapt a tool for some new use. For example, a coat hanger is great for putting your clothes in the closet. But if a blueberry rolls under the refrigerator, you might straighten out the coat hanger and use it to reach under the fridge and pull out the fruit. You’ve taken a tool made for one thing and adapted it for something new. That’s what the brain does when you read.</p> <p>It’s great that the brain is so flexible. It’s one reason we can learn to do so many new things. But that flexibility can be a problem when it comes to reading different types of texts. When we read online, the brain creates a different set of connections between cells from the ones it uses for reading in print. It basically adapts the same tool again for the new task. This is like if you took a coat hanger and instead of straightening it out to fetch a blueberry, you twisted it into a hook to unclog a drain. Same original tool, two very different forms.</p> <p>As a result, the brain might slip into skim mode when you’re reading on a screen. It may switch to deep-reading mode when you turn to print.</p> <p>That doesn’t just depend on the device, however. It also depends on what you assume about the text. Naomi Baron calls this your mindset. Baron is a scientist who studies language and reading. She works at American University in Washington, D.C. Baron is the author of <em>How We Read Now</em>, a new book about digital reading and learning. She says one way mindset works is in anticipating how easy or hard we expect the reading to be. If we think it will be easy, we might not put in much effort.</p> <p>Much of what we read on-screen tends to be text messages and social-media posts. They’re usually easy to understand. So, “when people read on-screen, they read faster,” says Alexander at the University of Maryland. “Their eyes scan the pages and the words faster than if they’re reading on a piece of paper.”</p> <p>But when reading fast, we may not absorb all the ideas as well. That fast skimming, she says, can become a habit associated with reading on-screen. Imagine that you turn on your phone to read an assignment for school. Your brain might fire up the networks it uses for skimming quickly through TikTok posts.</p> <p><strong>Where was I?</strong></p> <p>Speed isn’t the only problem with reading on screens. There’s scrolling, too. When reading a printed page or even a whole book, you tend to know where you are. Not just where you are on some particular page, but which page — potentially out of many. You might, for instance, remember that the part in the story where the dog died was near the top of the page on the left side. You don’t have that sense of place when some enormously long page just scrolls past you. (Though some e-reading devices and apps do a pretty good job of simulating page turns.)</p> <p>Why is a sense of page important? Researchers have shown that we tend to make mental maps when we learn something. Being able to “place” a fact somewhere on a mental map of the page helps us remember it.</p> <p>It’s also a matter of mental effort. Scrolling down a page takes a lot more mental work than reading a page that’s not moving. Your eyes don’t just focus on the words. They also have to keep chasing the words as you scroll them down the page.</p> <p>Mary Helen Immordino-Yang is a neuroscientist at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She studies how we read. When your mind has to keep up with scrolling down a page, she says, it doesn’t have a lot of resources left for understanding what you’re reading. This can be especially true if the passage you’re reading is long or complicated. While scrolling down a page, your brain has to continually account for the placement of words in your view. And this can make it harder for you to simultaneously understand the ideas those words should convey.</p> <p>Another reseacher found that length matters, too. When passages are short, students understand just as much of what they read on-screen as do when reading in print. But once the passages are longer than 500 words, they learn more from print.</p> <p>Even genre matters. Genre refers to what type of book or article you’re reading. The articles here on <em>Science News for Students </em>are nonfiction. News stories and articles about history are nonfiction. Stories invented by an author are fiction.</p> <p>If you want to do better in school or even your career, it’s not quite as simple as turning off your tablet and picking up a book. There are plenty of good reasons to read on screens and as the pandemic taught us, sometimes we have no choice.</p>

Books

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Tax avoidance, evasion, and the Pandora Papers

<p>What’s the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion?</p> <p>The difference used to matter. Evasion was illegal. It meant not paying tax that was due. Avoidance meant arranging your affairs so tax wasn’t due.</p> <p>Australian media mogul Kerry Packer used the distinction as a complete defence when he told a <a rel="noopener" href="https://youtu.be/LnwYoOeWZGA?t=312" target="_blank">parliamentary committee</a> in 1991 he was "not evading tax in any way, shape or form. Of course, I am minimising my tax. Anybody in this country who does not minimise his tax wants his head read".</p> <p>The Pandora Papers — the biggest-ever leak of records showing how the rich and powerful use the financial system to maximise their wealth — shows the distinction has lost its meaning.</p> <p>The dump of almost <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/" target="_blank">12 million documents</a> lays bare the ways in which 35 current or former leaders and 300 high-level public officials in more than 90 countries have used offshore companies and accounts to protect their wealth.</p> <p>Only in some of the cases could their activities be categorically declared illegal.</p> <p><strong>Tax havens are legal</strong></p> <p>Here’s how tax havens are used. Trusts and companies are set up in places with low tax rates and secrecy laws such as the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, the US state of Delaware and the Republic or Ireland.</p> <p>If, for example, a wealthy celebrity or a politician wants to buy a new yacht or a luxury villa but doesn’t want to pay tax or stamp duty or expose their wealth to scrutiny they can get their lawyer or accountant to do it through such a trust.</p> <p>For somewhere between <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/global-investigation-tax-havens-offshore/" target="_blank">US$2,000 and US$20,000</a> to set up the trust, the name of the real owner or beneficiary can be hidden.</p> <p>It isn’t illegal for the celebrity or a politician to move their money (so long as it is theirs to begin with). Assets within the trust are subject to local tax laws (sometimes zero tax) and local secrecy laws (sometimes complete secrecy).</p> <p><strong>Legal, but used by criminals</strong></p> <p>These legal means of using complex networks of secret entities to move around money are the same as those used by criminals.</p> <p>Alongside the likes of India’s cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar, Colombian pop singer Shakira and Elton John in the Panama Papers are Italian crime boss <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/global-investigation-tax-havens-offshore/" target="_blank">Raffaele Amato</a>, serving a 20-year jail sentence for weapons and drugs trafficking, and the deceased British art dealer <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/oct/05/offshore-trusts-used-pass-on-looted-khmer-treasures-leak-shows-douglas-latchford" target="_blank">Douglas Latchford</a>, suspected of smuggling looted treasures and money laundering.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425189/original/file-20211007-13-1cp8an9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Colombian singer Shakira is one of the celebrities named in the Pandora Papers as using offshore companies. Others are Elton John, Ringo Starr, Julio Iglesias and Claudia Schiffer." /></p> <p><em> <span class="caption">Colombian singer Shakira is one of the celebrities named in the Pandora Papers as using offshore companies. Others are Elton John, Ringo Starr, Julio Iglesias and Claudia Schiffer.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gregory Payan/AP</span></span></em></p> <p><strong>It’s far from clear these arrangements should be legal</strong></p> <p>The big question raised by the Pandora Papers is why any hiding of private wealth from tax authorities ought to be legal.</p> <p>The International Monetary Fund estimated in 2019 that tax haven deprived governments globally of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2019/09/tackling-global-tax-havens-shaxon.htm" target="_blank">US$500 billion to US$600 billion</a> per year.</p> <p>To put that into perspective, the estimated cost of vaccinating the world against COVID-19 is <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/11/briefing/biden-g7-vaccine-donations.html" target="_blank">US$50-70 billion</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425571/original/file-20211009-23-13m746j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425571/original/file-20211009-23-13m746j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a></p> <p><em> <span class="caption">OECD chief Mathias Cormann has brokered a deal for a global minimum corporate tax rate.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">OECD (CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO)</span></span></em></p> <p>Some of what’s been uncovered in the Pandora Papers is illegal (“evasion”) but much might not be (“avoidance”, aided by anonimity).</p> <p>The effect is the same. Dollars that ought to have been paid in tax are withheld and used for the benefit of people who aren’t keen to admit to owning them.</p> <p>Over the weekend the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, now led by Australian Mathias Cormann, brokered a deal under which 136 countries agreed to charge multinational corporations a tax rate of at least <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oecd.org/tax/international-community-strikes-a-ground-breaking-tax-deal-for-the-digital-age.htm" target="_blank">15%</a>, making tax havens harder to find.</p> <p>Ireland, previously used as tax haven, signed up.</p> <p>The nations concerned did this because because, even where legal, the use of tax havens costs billions.</p> <p>We’ll soon have to consider removing a distinction in law that vanished in practice some time ago.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/169353/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alex-simpson-225991" target="_blank">Alex Simpson</a>, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174" target="_blank">Macquarie University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/the-pandora-papers-show-the-line-between-tax-avoidance-and-tax-evasion-has-become-so-blurred-we-need-to-act-against-both-169353" target="_blank">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em> Image: <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Aekawit Rammaket/Shutterstock</span></span></em></p>

Money & Banking

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From the Red Centre to the green tropics, Australia’s Outback presents a palette like no other

<p><strong>By Reader's Digest, in partnership with APT</strong></p> <p>From the sunburnt sands and ochre-hued escarpments of its Red Centre to the lush green rainforests of Tropical North Queensland, Australia’s Outback packs a punch when it comes to the kaleidoscope of colours on show. <a href="https://www.aptouring.com.au/?utm_source=readersdigest&amp;utm_medium=advertorial&amp;utm_content=20200302_outback2020_readersdigest_native&amp;utm_campaign=outback2020">APT</a> has been operating tours in the Outback for more than 50 years, and are experts in tailoring holidays to showcase the best of each magical region.</p> <p><strong>A world of rainforest and reef</strong></p> <p>In Cape Tribulation, rainforest-clad mountains tumble down to meet the coastline, where pure white sands and turquoise waters dazzle. This is the only place on Earth where two World Heritage-listed sites meet – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. The Daintree is the oldest tropical lowland forest in the world and is home to thousands of species of birds, animals and reptiles. Here, giant fan palms, emerald green vines and ancient ferns tangle together, forming a dense rainforest that makes you feel as though you are stepping into Jurassic Park.</p> <p><em style="font-weight: inherit;">On tour</em></p> <p>APT offers an 11-day 4WD adventure through Cooktown &amp; Cape York. Arrive in Cairns and transfer to Port Douglas, where you’ll spend a night at the luxurious Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort. Travel to Mossman Gorge in Daintree National Park and set off on a Dreamtime Gorge Walk. Explore Cape Tribulation and Cooktown then visit Split Rock, an intriguing Indigenous rock art site. Take a helicopter flight into the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve before continuing north to the tip of Cape York. Here, set out on a walk to the tip of the peninsula and enjoy a helicopter flight for an aerial perspective on this incredible landscape.</p> <p><strong style="font-style: inherit;">Be moved by the outback’s heart</strong></p> <p>As the light shifts and changes throughout the day, so does the landscape at Uluru – the Outback’s spiritual heart. At sunrise, feel an overwhelming sense of calm as you watch this mighty monolith come to life against a pastel-coloured sky. In the afternoon, Uluru appears as an ochre-brown hue, scored with dark shadows. As the sun begins to set, it bathes the rock in burnt orange, then a series of deeper and darker reds, before it finally fades into charcoal as night falls. Spend a night at the Field of Light and savour dinner under the stars, accompanied by the soothing sounds of the didgeridoo. With Uluru in the background, watch in awe as 50,000 soft lights cover the desert floor behind you.</p> <p><em style="font-weight: inherit;">On tour</em></p> <p>On APT’s 11-day Central to South Explorer tour, start your journey in Uluru, where you’ll embark on a base tour at sunrise and experience a night at the Field of Light. Learn about the history of opal mining in Coober Pedy then travel along the iconic Oodnadatta Track to WIlliam Creek. Take an included scenic flight over spectacular Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre before journeying to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. While here, spend two nights at the Ikara Safari Camp – the perfect base for exploring Wilpena Pound National Park. A winery lunch in Adelaide’s Clare Valley is the perfect ending to your journey.</p> <p><strong style="font-style: inherit;">Getting your fill of Lake Eyre</strong></p> <p>Few sights in Australia stir the soul more than that of the normally dry Lake Eyre filling with water and suddenly teeming with life. The lake, properly known as Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, relies on monumental rains in Queensland and the Northern Territory for water to begin to flow into it. Last year saw the lake reach levels unseen for almost half a century, and it is hoped that 2020’s northern monsoon season will see the region once again alive with fish surging through the rivers that feed Lake Eyre, and its surface thronged with an array of birdlife including hundreds of thousands of pelicans. In a land battling drought and bushfires, the vision of water shimmering on the surface of the lake is life affirming. And it is something to be treasured and celebrated, so take this rare chance to go with the flow.</p> <p><strong><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.413612565445px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843791/red-centre-2-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5655363ea89d4bf1b0684a7bf50cfbba" /></strong></p> <p><strong>Paradise found amid corals and blooms</strong></p> <p>Stretching over 1,100 kilometres of seemingly untouched coastline, Western Australia’s Coral Coast is a marine paradise like no other. Here, waves lap lazily on pristine white-sand beaches and turtles sweep through sheltered turquoise bays.</p> <p>The crystal-clear waters of Ningaloo Marine Park harbour the world’s largest fringing reef. Beneath the surface, you’ll find dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, and more than 500 species of fish. There’s more to discover on land, where colourful blankets of native wildflowers burst into bloom between August and September along the spectacular Wildflower Way. For a whole new perspective on the region, take to the skies on a helicopter flight over the Dampier Archipelago. The staggering contrast between brilliant white beaches, aquamarine waters, and the rugged red Pilbara landscape is a breathtaking sight – one that can only be experienced from the air.</p> <p><em style="font-weight: inherit;">On tour</em></p> <p>Board the MS Caledonian Sky in Broome and navigate the remote islands of Western Australia’s Coral Coast on a 15-day small ship expedition cruise and 4WD adventure. Discover life below the surface while snorkelling the clear waters of this marine paradise. Disembark in Geraldton and continue the adventure as you explore Kalbarri National Park and the eerie limestone Pinnacles. To finish up your journey, there’s a stay in a luxury eco-tent on the beautiful Rottnest Island.</p> <p style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><em style="font-weight: inherit;">This </em><em>article originally appeared on <a href="mailto:https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/from-the-red-centre-to-the-green-tropics-australias-outback-presents-a-palette-like-no-other">Reader's Digest.</a></em></p> <p><em>Photos: Reader’s Digest</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Tasty rice paper rolls with persimmon

<p>Try this delicious meal with the perfect amount of sweetness. </p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>260g dried rice vermicelli</li> <li>8 16cm round rice paper wrappers</li> <li>8 medium butter lettuce leaves, washed</li> <li>8 large cooked king prawns, peeled, de-veined and sliced in half lengthways</li> <li>24 fresh mint leaves</li> <li>1 small Fuyu (crisp) persimmon, sliced</li> <li>1 small Lebanese cucumber, sliced</li> <li>24 fresh coriander leaves</li> </ul> <p><strong>Dipping sauce</strong></p> <ul> <li>1 tbs Japanese rice vinegar</li> <li>4 tbs hoisin sauce</li> <li>1 tbs unsalted peanuts (or almonds), roughly chopped</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method</strong></p> <p>1. Prepare rice vermicelli as per packet instructions, drain well.</p> <p>2. Combine all sauce ingredients for dipping.</p> <p>3. Place one rice sheet in warm water until just softened, remove from water and place on a clean, damp tea towel.</p> <p>4. Lay a lettuce leaf over the wrapper, top with two pieces of prawn horizontally, three mint leaves, a little persimmon, cucumber, rice vermicelli and three coriander leaves.</p> <p>5. Fold bottom of wrapper up over the filling, fold one side in, roll up tightly. Keep rolls under damp cloth while preparing remaining ingredients.</p> <p>6. Serve with dipping sauce.</p> <p><em>For more information and recipe ideas, visit <a href="https://www.persimmonsaustralia.com.au/">Persimmons Australia</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/recipes/rice-paper-rolls-with-persimmon" target="_blank">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Heading for Paradise

<p>Justine and Chris Tyerman set off on a road trip to Central Otago... with no idea where they will end up each day. </p> <p>‘Fancy a South Island motorhome road trip this winter... since we can’t travel overseas?’ I asked my husband while he was enjoying a beer by the fire one chilly evening in May.</p> <p>Knowing his hyperactive tendencies, I quickly added biking, hiking and skiing to the mix.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 300.78125px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838559/3-on-a-calm-day-the-mountains-are-perfectly-reflected-in-the-mirror-waters-of-the-lagoon-at-glenorchy.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/250001b025aa47f7909fef91f3310fef" /><br /><em>On a calm day, the mountains are perfectly reflected in the mirror waters of the lagoon at Glenorchy. ©Camp Glenorchy Eco Retreat</em></p> <p>There was a flicker of interest, especially when I flashed a photo of a luxurious late- model Maui Cascade motorhome in front of him, hinted at the possibility of trialling a couple of brand new Wisper Wayfarer ebikes and reminded him that now we were both ‘seniors’, skiing had just got a lot cheaper.</p> <p>‘What about the weather?’ Chris asked. ‘We’ll freeze to death in a motorhome down south in the winter.’</p> <p>‘Nope. The Cascade has a super-efficient heating system... but we’ll take hot water bottles... just in case.’</p> <p>Fast forward to late August — we duly arrived at Queenstown Airport, collected our smart four-berth motorhome from the nearby Maui depot and set about finding storage for our all bulky ski gear, ebikes, suitcases and enough provisions to last a month. My husband has a fear of running out of food.</p> <p>‘If only you could learn to travel lightly,’ came the predictable comment from Chris, to which I replied, predictably, ‘If only you could learn to buy just what we need.’</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 300.78125px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838560/3-on-a-calm-day-the-mountains-are-perfectly-reflected-in-the-mirror-waters-of-the-lagoon-at-glenorchy-copy-2.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/defe5a53d85f43f583d7a86e0e3d013b" /><br /><em>Our four-berth Maui Cascade motorhome at the head of Lake Wakatipu. Picture by Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>Investigating the motorhome, we discovered to our surprise and delight that the skis, boots and poles fitted perfectly in the spacious under-floor compartment, the clothes in the wardrobe and drawers, the empty cases in the over-cab storage, the food in the fridge and kitchen cupboards, one ebike on the rear rack, (sans battery because of weight restrictions), and one inside, wrapped in an old duvet with gloves on the peddles and handlebars.</p> <p>Mission accomplished, we were away laughing... literally. We had no idea where would end up that day. We had been advised to plug into a mains-powered site on our first night in order to fully charge the batteries but thereafter, being fully self-contained, we could freedom camp for up to three days using battery and gas power.</p> <p>After stopping briefly to cushion the cutlery, crockery and pots and pans with tea towels to stop the clattering, the big rig trundled along smoothly and quietly. Chris found the driving effortless with great vision from such an elevated position.</p> <p>The heady sense of freedom took a while to sink in. We had to reprogramme ourselves to the fact we had no fixed itinerary, no bookings or check-in/check-out times and no commitments. The sole focus of every day was to meander along at a leisurely pace driving no more than a few hours, and find stunning spots to stop for lunch, dinner, hiking, ebiking and overnighting.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 301.5625px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838557/gettyimages-1076492536-640x640.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/311c3553b6054a5cb22831244d4ff8dd" /><em>Justine on her Wisper Wayfarer ebike. Picture by Chris Tyerman</em></p> <p>At the Frankton intersection, we had the choice of left to Glenorchy or right to Arrowtown. Chris pointed left, I nodded, and we set off for the idyllic little settlement at the head of Lake Wakatipu, just 50 minutes from Queenstown on one the world’s most scenic lakeside drives. In the pre-Covid era, finding parking space to pull over at the popular observation point at Bennett’s Bluff to photograph the breath-taking view of the lake and mountains would have been well-nigh impossible but we had the road to ourselves that day. We’ve driven that route dozens of times but we’re always spellbound by the vast expanse of the teal-blue lake enclosed on all sides by jagged peaks and gleaming glaciers.</p> <p>We reached Glenorchy by mid-afternoon, leapt on our Wisper Wayfarers and explored the Heritage Trail, an excellent track and boardwalk that begins at the famous Glenorchy boatshed on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and weaves its way through wetlands and lagoons inhabited by native birds, across paddocks and the local golf course. On a calm day, the mountains are perfectly reflected in the mirror waters of the lagoon. The views of Mt Earnslaw/Pikirakatahi and the surrounding ranges are spectacular.</p> <p>No wonder they call this place Paradise... but ironically, it’s not named for the heavenly scenery. To be continued...</p> <p><em>Justine Tyerman travelled courtesy of </em><a href="https://www.maui-rentals.com/nz/en?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=justine-tyerman"><em>thl</em></a><em> in a </em><a href="https://www.maui-rentals.com/nz/en/motorhome-hire/4-berth-campervan-cascade?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=justine-tyerman"><em>Maui 4-berth Cascade motorhome,</em></a><em> and rode a </em><a href="https://wisperbikes.co.nz/"><em>Wisper Wayfarer ebike</em></a><em> courtesy of </em><a href="http://www.electricbikes.co.nz/"><em>Electric Bikes NZ.</em></a></p>

International Travel

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Meghan Markle's bombshell court papers

<p><span>Meghan Markle has made incredibly sensational claims in bombshell court papers that she felt “unprotected” by the Royal Family’s “institution.”</span><br /><br /><span>The Sun has reported the Duchess is suing Associated Newspapers Limited (who own The Daily Mail).</span><br /><br /><span>She stated in numerous documents that she was unable to defend herself, which left her friends “rightly concerned for her welfare when pregnant”.</span><br /><br /><span>The 38-year-old went on to claim she felt “tremendous emotional distress” by media coverage, while her pals felt “silenced” by Kensington Palace and unable to defend her.</span><br /><br /><span>The legal documents also revealed that Meghan denied saying in a personal letter that she felt “victimised” by her father.</span><br /><br /><span>Meghan is suing ANL for publishing the personal letter to her dad, although the media group claims Mr Markle made it public after five of her pals gave an interview about it to People magazine.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCHigKNAG-x/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCHigKNAG-x/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Dr Music (@drmusiic)</a> on Jul 1, 2020 at 4:24pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>The Duchess today named the pals, although they are only referred to as A, B, C, D and E in the papers, and they could now be called to testify at a trial.</span><br /><br /><span>People magazine previously described them as “Meghan’s inner circle – a longtime friend, a former co-star, a friend from LA, a one-time colleague and a close confidante’”.</span><br /><br /><span>However the royal has denied authorising her friends to speak out to defend her in the magazine article.</span><br /><br /><span>She said she learned an article about her was due to appear shortly before it was published, but did not know it would be in People magazine or its contents.</span><br /><br /><span>The possible trial would focus on whether Meghan had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the contents of the letter to her dad.</span><br /><br /><span>In 2019, the dad told the Mail on Sunday the the five-page letter was a “dagger to the heart” which left him feeling “devastated”.</span><br /><br /><span>Meghan though, says she didn’t feel “victimised” by him, and dismissed claims she told him she had “only one father”.</span><br /><br /><span>She felt he “raised concern Mr Markle had consistently allowed himself to be manipulated by the tabloid media despite her trying to persuade him not to speak to them for his own good”.</span></p> <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/CCHevIQJx8I/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><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/CCHevIQJx8I/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">I will always love you. . . . . #harryandmeghan #royalfamily #royal #sussex #queen #babyarchie #royalwedding #meghanmarkle #princeharry #kensington #queenelizabeth #buckingham #royals #couple #love #royalty #style #dress #princessDiana #princeharry #tb #new #foryou</a></p> <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/harryandmeghansource/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Sussex Royal Fan Page</a> (@harryandmeghansource) on Jul 1, 2020 at 3:51pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>The Duchess says she believes she is entitled to a “reasonable expectation of privacy” and thought its contents would never be published.</span><br /><br /><span>In the documents, Meghan also spoke on that she believed her Royal Wedding made Britain $1.8 billion in tourism cash.</span><br /><br /><span>The Duchess believes the money that was raised from the wedding at Windsor Castle in May 2018 “far outweighed” the contribution stumped up by the taxpayer towards security.</span><br /><br /><span>Her legal team have stated the royal wedding was “not, in fact, publicly funded, but rather personally financed by HRH The Prince of Wales”.</span><br /><br /><span>The royal wedding that finished with a huge firework display, cost an estimated $57 million.</span><br /><br /><span>The legal team’s documents said: “Any public costs incurred for the wedding were solely for security and crowd control to protect members of the public, as deemed necessary by Thames Valley Police and the Metropolitan Police.”</span><br /><br /><span>Meghan also said she believes she should be allowed to do land work like her cousin-in-laws, Beatrice and Eugenie, and also mentioned Prince Michael of Kent.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCG9TJpnUOA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCG9TJpnUOA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by ♛ 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝒮𝓊𝓈𝓈𝑒𝓍𝒯𝑒𝒶𝓂 (@thesussexteam)</a> on Jul 1, 2020 at 10:59am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>She named the trio while clarifying that members of the royal are, in fact, allowed to undertake paid work.wnd hit back after it was stated in legal papers that she is “a member of the royal family and does not undertake paid work”.</span><br /><br /><span>Meghan said it was wrong to say as “several member[s] of the Royal Family do ‘undertake paid work’ including, for example, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York and Prince Michael of Kent”.</span><br /><br /><span>Princess Beatrice works in finance and consulting and Princess Eugenie is a director at a London art gallery.</span><br /><br /><span>Meghan is estimated to have made around $7.2 million from her acting career before marrying Prince Harry.</span><br /><br /><span>Since quitting royal life she has resumed her career and recently narrated the Disney film Elephant.</span><br /><br /><span>In the legal documents, Meghan added that she “was also the founder of the commercially successful lifestyle website The Tig”.</span></p>

Legal

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“It works!”: Mum reveals genius hack to save toilet paper during pandemic times

<p>An Aussie mum has shared her latest hack that makes toilet paper last longer.</p> <p>She shared the hack on the<span> </span>Mums Who Budget &amp; Save<span> </span>Facebook page, the mum explained that she squashes the toilet paper roll down before placing it on the holder.</p> <p>This hack means that the toilet paper can’t spin easily on the holder, meaning her kids use less toilet paper with each trip to the loo.</p> <p>“Kids home from school?,” the mum wrote.</p> <p>“Going through toilet paper faster than usual?</p> <p>“Try squashing the roll - so it doesn’t spin so quickly and then not as much will be pulled off.”</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7835581/toilet-paper-body.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a647a15db7834275bab8756cf6c8c96a" /></p> <div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p><em>Photo credit: New Idea Food</em></p> <p>Others described it as a game-changer and the hack has thrilled other mums.</p> <p>“Mind blowing!,” one mum said.</p> <p>“I’m definitely trying this - for me!”</p> <p>“Will be doing this for hubby,” another shared, adding: “I hear that toilet roll holder spin &amp; I just cringe!”</p> <p>“My kids would just pull it until it stops.”</p> <p>“How can something so simple be so genius,” a third person said.</p> <p>Others shared their hacks, including measuring a line that was three or four squares long.</p> <p>“Draw a line three or four squares down,” she advised. “Easy measurement for all.”</p> <p>One mum said that removing the roll all together is an easy fix.</p> <p>“[This is the same as] me putting the toilet paper out of my kids reach so he has to yell out to me to ration out to him,” she wrote.</p> <p>“We don’t put it on the roll as kids use a lot less when it not on,” another agreed.</p> </div> </div> </div>

Home & Garden

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Why paper maps still matter in the digital age

<p>Ted Florence is ready for his family trip to Botswana. He has looked up his hotel on Google Maps and downloaded a digital map of the country to his phone. He has also packed a large paper map. “I travel all over the world,” says Florence, the president of the international board of the <a href="https://imiamaps.org/">International Map Industry Association</a> and <a href="https://www.avenzamaps.com/">Avenza Maps</a>, a digital map software company. “Everywhere I go, my routine is the same: I get a paper map, and I keep it in my back pocket.”</p> <p>With the proliferation of smartphones, it’s easy to assume that the era of the paper map is over. That attitude, that digital is better than print, is what I call “technochauvinism.” In my book, <em><a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/artificial-unintelligence">Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World</a></em>, I look at how technochauvinism has been used to create an unnecessary, occasionally harmful bias for digital over print or any other kind of interface. A glance at the research reveals that the paper map still thrives in the digital era, and there are distinct advantages to using print maps.</p> <p><strong>Your brain on maps</strong></p> <p>Cognitive researchers generally make a distinction between surface knowledge and deep knowledge. Experts have deep knowledge of a subject or a geography; amateurs have surface knowledge.</p> <p>Digital interfaces are good for acquiring surface knowledge. Answering the question, “How do I get from the airport to my hotel in a new-to-me city?” is a pragmatic problem that requires only shallow information to answer. If you’re traveling to a city for only 24 hours for a business meeting, there’s usually no need to learn much about a city’s layout.</p> <p>When you live in a place, or you want to travel meaningfully, deep knowledge of the geography will help you to navigate it and to understand its culture and history. Print maps help you acquire deep knowledge faster and more efficiently. In experiments, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.10.014">people who read on paper consistently demonstrate better reading comprehension</a> than people who read the same material on a screen. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0165551512470043">A 2013 study</a> showed that, as a person’s geographic skill increases, so does their preference for paper maps.</p> <p>For me, the difference between deep knowledge and surface knowledge is the difference between what I know about New York City, where I have lived for years, and San Francisco, which I have visited only a handful of times. In New York, I can tell you where all the neighborhoods are and which train lines to take and speculate about whether the prevalence of Manhattan schist in the geological substrate influenced the heights of the buildings that are in Greenwich Village versus Midtown. I’ve invested a lot of time in looking at both paper and digital maps of New York. In San Francisco, I’ve only ever used digital maps to navigate from point to point. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know where anything is in the Bay Area.</p> <p>Our brains encode knowledge as what scientists call <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.10.014">a cognitive map</a>. In psychology-speak, I lack a cognitive map of San Francisco.</p> <p>“When the human brain gathers visual information about an object, it also gathers information about its surroundings, and associates the two,” wrote communication researchers Jinghui Hou, Justin Rashid and Kwan Min Lee <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.10.014">in a 2017 study</a>. “In a similar manner to how people construct a mental map of a physical environment (e.g., a desk in the center of an office facing the door), readers form a ‘cognitive map’ of the physical location of a text and its spatial relationship to the text as a whole.”</p> <p>Reading in print makes it easier for the brain to encode knowledge and to remember things. Sensory cues, like unfolding the complicated folds of a paper map, help create that cognitive map in the brain and help the brain to retain the knowledge.</p> <p>The same is true for a simple practice like tracing out a hiking route on a paper map with your finger. The physical act of moving your arm and feeling the paper under your finger <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/06/smarter-living/memory-tricks-mnemonics.html">gives your brain haptic and sensorimotor cues</a> that contribute to the formation and retention of the cognitive map.</p> <p><strong>Map mistakes</strong></p> <p>Another factor in the paper versus digital debate is accuracy. Obviously, a good digital map is better than a bad paper map, just like a good paper map is better than a bad digital map.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/@mitpress/3-recommendations-to-combat-technochauvinism-9099b257b92c">Technochauvinists</a> may believe that all digital maps are good, but just as in the paper world, the accuracy of digital maps depends entirely on the level of detail and fact-checking invested by the company making the map.</p> <p>For example, a <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/20/business/la-fi-tn-apple-google-maps-lost-20121220">2012 survey by the crowdsourcing company Crowdflower</a> found that Google Maps accurately located 89 percent of businesses, while Apple Maps correctly found 74 percent. This isn’t surprising, as Google <a href="https://www.google.com/streetview/understand/">invests millions in sending people</a> around the world to map terrain for Google StreetView. Google Maps are good because the company invests time, money and human effort in making its maps good – not because digital maps are inherently better.</p> <p>Fanatical attention to detail is necessary to keep digital maps up to date, as conditions in the real world change constantly. Companies like Google are constantly updating their maps, and will have to do so regularly for as long as they continue to publish. The maintenance required for digital content is substantial – <a href="https://www.pprune.org/private-flying/601767-maps-obsolete.html">a cost that technochauvinists often ignore</a>.</p> <p>In my view, it’s easier to forgive the errors in a paper map. Physical maps usually include an easily visible publication date so users can see when the map was published. (When was the last time you noticed the date-of-last-update on your car navigation system?) When you are passively following the spoken GPS directions of a navigation system, and there is, say, an unmarked exit, it confuses the GPS system and causes chaos among the people in the car. (Especially the backseat drivers.)</p> <p><strong>The best map for the job</strong></p> <p>Some of the deeper flaws of digital maps are not readily apparent to the public. Digital systems, including cartographic ones, are more interconnected than most people realize. Mistakes, which are inevitable, can go viral and create more trouble than anyone anticipates.</p> <p>For example: Reporter Kashmir Hill has written about a Kansas farm in the geographic center of the U.S. that has been <a href="https://splinternews.com/how-an-internet-mapping-glitch-turned-a-random-kansas-f-1793856052">plagued by legal trouble and physical harassment</a>, because a digital cartography database mistakenly uses the farm’s location as a default every time the database can’t identify the real answer.</p> <p>“As a result, for the last 14 years, every time MaxMind’s database has been queried about the location of an IP address in the U.S. it can’t identify, it has spit out the default location of a spot two hours away from the geographic center of the country,” Hill wrote. “This happens a lot: 5,000 companies rely on MaxMind’s IP mapping information, and in all, there are now over 600 million IP addresses associated with that default coordinate.”</p> <p>A technochauvinist mindset assumes everything in the future will be digital. But what happens if a major company like Google stops offering its maps? What happens when a <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/19/16910378/government-shutdown-2018-nasa-spacex-iss-falcon-heavy">government shutdown</a> means that <a href="http://satnews.com/story.php?number=827160505">satellite data</a> powering smartphone GPS systems isn’t transmitted? Right now, ambulances and fire trucks can keep a road atlas in the front seat in case electronic navigation fails. If society doesn’t maintain physical maps, first responders won’t be able to get to addresses when there is a fire or someone is critically ill.</p> <p>Interrupting a country’s GPS signals is also a realistic cyberwarfare tactic. The U.S. Navy has resumed training new recruits in <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11931403/US-navy-returns-to-celestial-navigation-amid-fears-of-computer-hack.html">celestial navigation</a>, a technique that dates back to ancient Greece, as a guard against when the digital grid gets hacked.</p> <p>Ultimately, I don’t think it should be a competition between physical and digital. In the future, people will continue to need both kinds of maps. Instead of arguing whether paper or digital is a better map interface, people should consider what map is the right tool for the task.</p> <div><a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/artificial-unintelligence"></a><em>MIT Press provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.</em><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></div> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/meredith-broussard-659409"><em>Meredith Broussard</em></a><em>, Assistant Professor of Journalism, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/new-york-university-1016">New York University</a></em></span></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-paper-maps-still-matter-in-the-digital-age-105341">original article</a>.</em></p>

Retirement Income

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Trouble in paradise? Kate Middleton shrugs off hand on shoulder from Prince William

<p>Duchess Kate set tongues wagging in her and Prince William’s latest TV appearance on<span> </span><em>A Berry Royal Christmas</em>.</p> <p>She appeared to shrug off her husband’s hand when he placed it on her shoulder as they were speaking with volunteers on the show.</p> <p>The pair hosted a Christmas party for charity workers and volunteers who will spend their holiday period working with former <em>Great British Bake Off</em> judge Mary Berry for the BBC.</p> <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/B6GlHWlJYEW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><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/B6GlHWlJYEW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A Berry Royal Christmas.🎄The Duchess of Cambridge has revealed that one of 19-month-old Prince Louis' first words was Mary because he recognised Mary Berry in a cookbook. William and Catherine have joined the former Bake Off presenter in a Christmassy TV special. Click the link in our bio to find out more.👆#MaryBerry #RoyalFamily #bake #bbcnews</a></p> <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/bbcnews/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> BBC News</a> (@bbcnews) on Dec 15, 2019 at 10:16am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Fans were quick to point out how awkward the encounter was.</p> <p>“She moved with a quickness,” commented one fan on Twitter, while a second wrote: “Awkward! Too awkward!! They should have cut it out!”</p> <p>Another noted: “Kate shaking off William’s hand on her shoulder during #ABerryRoyalChristmas.”</p> <p>Another added: “What just happened here???? Ouch!”</p> <p>“I really can’t stop watching this,” said another Twitter user, while a second penned: “Very awkward indeed.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Kate shaking off William's hand on her shoulder during <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ABerryRoyalChristmas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ABerryRoyalChristmas</a> <a href="https://t.co/NyzjdKC3rk">pic.twitter.com/NyzjdKC3rk</a></p> — Caitlin McBride (@mcbride_caitlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/mcbride_caitlin/status/1206688540991655936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">16 December 2019</a></blockquote> <p>However, some other Twitter users had another theory.</p> <p>“I like the way they interact, it’s professional. I don’t want to see excessive hand holding and back rubbing. It’s awkward, like you’re intruding on a private moment,” commented one, while a second added: “They’re not supposed to show PDA.”</p> <p>”Why can’t people just be content with the fact that she didn’t feel a PDA was appropriate at that moment/at that event,” said another via social media. “It wasn’t about them, it was about all the volunteers.”</p> <p>Kate also shared a sweet story about how she stays up late to bake a cake before each child's birthday.</p> <p>“It’s become a bit of a tradition that I stay up until midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing and I make far too much,” said Kate.</p> <p>“But I love it.”</p>

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Delicious pork belly and prawn fresh rice paper rolls

<p>Time to prepare 20 mins | Serves 4-6</p> <p>A great fresh-tasting starter or snack, and you can even get creative with the ingredients you put inside!</p> <p>“Although I love Vietnamese fried spring rolls, these fresh rice paper rolls are my favourite rolls to eat. They’re light and delicious and hugely popular in Vietnam as well as all around the world,” says chef Adam Liaw.</p> <p><em>Recipe from <u><a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fadam-liaw-s-asian-cookery-school-adam-liaw%2Fprod9780733634307.html">Asian Cookery School by Adam Liaw</a></u> (Hachette, RRP $49.99)</em> -.</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong>:</p> <ul> <li>300g pork belly, skin and bone removed </li> <li>1 tbsp salt </li> <li>100g dried rice vermicelli </li> <li>30 rice paper sheets </li> <li>3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce </li> <li>1 cup loosely packed mint </li> <li>1 cup loosely packed coriander or perilla </li> <li>300g cooked prawns, peeled, deveined and split lengthways </li> <li>1 bunch Chinese chives, halved </li> <li>1 cup Nuoc Cham* (see tip below), to serve</li> </ul> <p>*If you don’t feel like making it yourself or can’t find Nuoc Cham at your local Asian supermarket then try it with sweet chilli sauce or experiment with your favourite Asian dipping sauce.</p> <p><strong>Directions</strong></p> <p>1. Place the pork belly in a pot just big enough to fit it. Cover with cold water. Add the salt, bring the water to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the pork belly is cooked through. Remove from the water and allow to cool. Thinly slice the pork into 5cm wide slices no more than a few millimetres thick.</p> <p>2. Place the rice vermicelli in a large bowl and pour over plenty of boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes then drain, rinse in cold water, drain again and cut into 5cm lengths.</p> <p>3. Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water and dip a sheet of rice paper into the water until it slightly softens. (It will continue to soften out of the water.) Transfer the rice paper to a plate and place a pile of pork, lettuce, rice vermicelli and some mint and coriander on the paper in a line just in from the edge closest to you.</p> <p>4. Place a few prawns at the centre of the paper with the orange backs facing down and roll the paper, folding in the edges halfway along, as shown. Add a few spears of chives just before finishing the roll so the cut ends stick out of the top. Serve with Nuoc Cham.</p> <p><strong>Tips</strong>:</p> <ul> <li>Keeping the prawns separate from the other fillings is purely for presentation, so you can see the colourful backs facing outward through a single layer of rice paper.</li> <li>You don’t need to do all the work yourself – you can put the ingredients on platters on the dining table with bowls of warm water to dip the rice papers into and everyone can make their own.</li> <li>The filling of the rolls can be whatever you like. Try leftover <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/lemongrass-beef.aspx">Lemongrass Beef </a>or <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/porchetta-sliders-by-matt-moran.aspx">shredded chicken</a>. </li> </ul> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/fresh-rice-paper-rolls.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

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