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Woman fined after paid car park gets set up around her parked vehicle

<p>Josephine Williams had been leaving her car in a gravel clearing at Westgate in Auckland, alongside other commuters to catch the bus into the city for months. </p> <p>The New Zealand woman was left with a "nasty surprise" when she returned from work on Monday to find a NZ $85 ($77) fine sitting on her windshield. </p> <p>"To my unfortunate surprise - and many others - I was greeted by an $85 parking ticket for a breach and a flyer from Wilson Parking saying paid parking had started that day," Williams told <em>Stuff</em>.</p> <p>"But what breach exactly was made? How was I supposed to know paid parking started that day when there was nothing at all displayed anywhere in the car park?"</p> <p>Williams claimed that the Wilson Parking car park had been set up around her already parked car, even providing dash cam footage that showed her pulling into the gravel clearing at 7.45am, with no paid parking signs or Wilson branding in sight. </p> <p>By 6pm, a large red and white Wilson sign had been put up at the entrance, with "12 hours for $4" written on it. </p> <p>"Wilson deliberately put their sign up sometime after 9am and then took it upon themselves to fine every single car that was already parked there from the morning," Williams said.</p> <p>"$85 is a lot of money - it would have been two weeks' worth of grocery shopping for me," she added. </p> <p>"I'm lucky that I know the law and my rights, but some other people might not. What about students or the elderly or people who don't know English well?"</p> <p>She estimated that there was usually around 50 and 100 cars in the gravel clearing. </p> <p>Wilson argued that the carpark was always there and they had just added more signage, but have since waived Williams' fine after she lodged a request to have it reviewed by Parking Enforcement Services. </p> <p>Wilson Parking also said that they had started to set up the car park and installed a "clear signage" on April 22. </p> <p>"It was not set up around parked cars on 29 April as suggested," a Wilson spokesperson said.</p> <p>"Several payments were made by customers via the Parkmate app from 22 April proving that signage on the site was clear and effective," they said.</p> <p>They added that on April 29 more signs were added to all entry points of the car park. </p> <p>"In acknowledgment of the increased signage added on the 29th at the entry we've made the decision to refund all payments made until 30 April and waive any breach notices issued up to this date."</p> <p>They also denied issuing any breach notices before the signs were put up.</p> <p>"Payment options were available and signed from 22 April - but no infringement notices were issued prior to the 29th."</p> <p><em>Images: Stuff</em></p> <p> </p>

Legal

Bruce Springsteen helps a fan skip school for his concert

<p>Bruce Springsteen has helped a fan skip school to attend his concert. </p> <p>While performing in San Francisco on his world tour, The Boss paused his performance to sign an absentee note for a fan who had missed class to attend the show. </p> <p>The fan, who was at the front of the barricade, held up a sign that read: "Skipping school. Sign my note?"</p> <p>Another concertgoer then captured the moment the 74-year-old rocker signed the note to a round of applause and cheers from his band and the crowd.</p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F794567008756785%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=0" width="267" height="476" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>"That is so awesome. Put tears in my eyes. A true hero," someone wrote in the comments on the Facebook video.</p> <p>"This is the best excuse note a teacher is ever going to see!!" another added.</p> <p>"So cool, Bruce is one of the true talent and a great man of many excuses," a third wrote.</p> <p>The adorable fan interaction comes just weeks after Springsteen returned to the stage for the first time in months after undergoing a lengthy health battle. </p> <p>Springsteen was forced to postpone his 2023 tour with the E Street Band after taking time off to recover from a peptic ulcer disease.</p> <p>Taking to the stage in Phoenix, Arizona, in the first show of the tour, he told the crowd mid-show, "Phoenix, first I want to apologise if there was any discomfort because we had to move the show last time...I hope we didn't inconvenience you too much."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Music

"First day of school": Charles Spencer shares unseen snap of Diana

<p>Charles Spencer has shared a previously unseen photo from his school days with his late sister Princess Diana. </p> <p>The sweet photo shows a young Charles and Diana in their school uniforms standing side by side on what was their first day of primary school in 1968.</p> <p>Earl Spencer, 59, captioned the photo, "My first day of school, in September 1968: my father took this photograph of me and my sister, Diana, just before he drove us to Silfield, a really lovely primary school in King's Lynn, Norfolk."</p> <p>"The headmistress was Miss Jean Lowe, a warm and thoughtful lady who loved her boys and girls."</p> <p>"I was there till 1972, when I headed off to the place I call - in my memoir - A Very Private School."</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5TfsiIoQL8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5TfsiIoQL8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Charles Spencer (@charles.earl.spencer)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Three years after the photo was taken, Charles was separated from his sister to attend a boarding school, Maidwell Hall Prep School.</p> <p>Throughout the Spencer children's schooling life, Diana was always "very protective" over her brother and "just wouldn't settle" in class until she knew he was okay. </p> <p>Charles told <a title="HELLO!" href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/516378/charles-spencer-shares-poignant-childhood-anecdote-princess-diana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>HELLO</em>!</a> that he and Diana had a unique bond when they were growing up. </p> <p>"My mother [Frances] left home when we were young – I was two or three, and Diana would have been five or six – so we were very much in it together," he said.</p> <p>Diana soon fell into a caretaker role, and would look after her brother after their mother left. </p> <p>"Diana looked after me because she was nearly three years older than me," Charles Spencer said.</p> <p>"She said that the worst part was hearing me cry down the hall because she was terrified of the dark and couldn't come to me."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Family & Pets

"Where did the time go": Jessica Alba's bittersweet update

<p>Jessica Alba has shared a bittersweet post of her two daughters Honor Marie, 15, and Haven Garner, 12, on their first day back-to-school. </p> <p>The doting mum took to Instagram to share the photos of her two girls with the sweet caption: “10th and 7th -where did the time go… (sigh 💔) my baby girls first day of school!"</p> <p>She also added the hashtags #momlifeisthebestlife #summerisofficiallyover #firstdayofschool.</p> <p>In the first photo, her daughters had their arms wrapped around each other as they posed for their mum in front of their house. </p> <p>In the second photo, the pair were cheesing hard, with their arms still wrapped around each other. Honor rocked a pair of baggy mum jeans, a white tank top and matching sneakers, while Haven had a similar aesthetic with pair black cargo pants, a light blue tank top and black and white sneakers. </p> <p>A few of the star's celebrity friends took to the comments to share their sentiment. </p> <p>"Wherever they went; they went beautifully 😍"<em> Basic Instinct </em>actress Sharon Stone wrote. </p> <p><em>How to Get Away with Murder</em> actress Viola Davies commented a few crying and red heart emojis. </p> <p>American actor and TV host Mario Lopez also commented red heart emojis. </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/CwgvQrgLIn2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwgvQrgLIn2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jessica Alba (@jessicaalba)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Fans also took to the comments to express their shock at how quickly time flies. </p> <p>"WHAT THE HECK!! Haven was just a baby!! 😩😩😩" wrote one person. </p> <p>"They are so cute!!!! And so grown up. Time flies!" wrote another. </p> <p>"Awww ❤️ can’t believe how fast time goes!!" commented a third. </p> <p>Alba shares her two daughters and 5-year-old son Hayes with her husband Cash Warren. The couple first met on the set of Fantastic Four in 2004 and tied the knot three years later. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

"Colossal prick" slammed over outrageous Bunnings parking

<p>A motorist in Perth has been slammed for their "extra selfish" parking act in the carpark of a Bunning's Warehouse. </p> <p>A frustrated fellow shopper captured the parking faux pas and posted the image of the car to Reddit, which shows a ute with an attached trailer parking over four spaces, including one reserved for people with disabilities.</p> <p>"There was no disabled badge and of course there is plenty of trailer parking available at Bunnings," the user wrote, adding that there were suitable bays available closer to the store's entrance.</p> <p>Fellow motorists and shoppers were shocked and appalled by the selfish act, with one Reddit user urging the author of the post to send the photo to both Bunnings and the local council, citing a $500 fine as a deterrent for the future.</p> <p>"Blocking the disabled bay gets extra selfish points," a user commented, while someone else vented, "Not content with being a colossal prick and taking up four spots, decides to go world-class and make one of those spots a disabled parking bay. Some f**king people."</p> <p>The post was flooded by outrage at the audacious parking, with users overwhelmingly agreeing that parking in spaces designated for disabled drivers is inexcusable.</p> <p>After being alerted to the post, Bunnings Regional Operations Manager Hayley Coulson expressed disappointment on behalf of the retailer. "We were disappointed to learn a customer recently used a disability parking bay for their trailer outside our Innaloo store, which our team was unaware of at the time."</p> <p>"These parking bays are incredibly important for the community and we remind our customers that they're only reserved for people with a disability or mobility restrictions."</p> <p>She added, "We're really focused on ensuring disability parking bays are always available for their intended use, and we do our best to communicate regularly with our stores to remind them that these bays are not to be compromised for any reason, at any time."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Reddit</em></p>

Legal

Man proposes to high school sweetheart after rekindling their romance

<p dir="ltr">Over 60 years ago, Thomas and Nancy met when they were in high school and fell in love. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite their feelings for each other, their romance didn’t last and they fell out of touch as life moved on. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sixty years on, Thomas and Nancy rekindled their relationship and spent three weeks having phone conversations to discover their affection for each other never died. </p> <p dir="ltr">Nancy then decided to fly to Thomas’ home state of Florida for an emotional reunion, and was shocked by the surprise she arrived at. </p> <p dir="ltr">Walking off the plane in the city of Tampa, Nancy was greeted by Thomas on one knee, delivering an emotional speech about how much he loves her, before he asked her to marry him. </p> <p dir="ltr">The heart-felt moment, captured by a fellow traveller and posted to TikTok, shows Thomas dressed up in a suit, waiting nervously for Nancy to arrive with a big smile on his face.</p> <p dir="ltr">Upon seeing her, he handed her a bouquet of roses and gave her a tender kiss before he pulled out his ring and started professing his love. </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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuQIG3Mr0GA/?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/CuQIG3Mr0GA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by PerezHilton.com (@perezhilton)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“My dear Nancy, it's been 60 years since we first met, 56 years since we first dated, 10 years since I last saw you, and 20 days since we began this,” he said, his voice shaky with emotion. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You have always been the one I've had a crush on, since your cheerleader days.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“It brings a smile to my face, it makes my heart skip a beat [to see you]. For the last three weeks, I have thought of you every day, every hour and have talked to you every night for hours.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have longed to see you again, hold you in my arms, and tell you how much you mean to me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“So Nancy, I come to you humbly today, June 30, with a proposal. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and cherish every moment we will have together.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“I love you more than words can express, more than you can ever comprehend. I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you and making you the happiest woman in the world.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Will you Nancy, give me the honour of being my soulmate in life? My partner in every sense of the word, my beloved wife forever? Will you marry me?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Nancy, who had started to cry while Thomas was talking, quickly said yes to the proposal, which resulted in Thomas cheering and a group of strangers who had stopped to watch clapping for the couple before they embraced in a big hug. </p> <p dir="ltr">The TikTok creator also shared a snap of Thomas and Nancy posing together while holding up a sign that read, “She said yes!”</p> <p dir="ltr">The video has gained millions of views, and it sparked a slew of comments from people who said they were “sobbing” over Nancy and Thomas' love story.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They were meant to be, nor time or distance tore them apart,” one person wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another said, “When two souls are meant to be, they will find each other.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

Disney star dies at just 29

<p>South Korean actress Park Soo Ryun, who starred in the K-drama Disney+ series <em>Snowdrop</em> has passed away aged 29.</p> <p>According to the <em>Mirror</em>, Ryun fell down a flight of stairs on June 11, at a property on Jeju Island, South Korea’s largest island, where she was scheduled to perform.</p> <p>The actress was reportedly taken to hospital for emergency treatment but was sadly pronounced dead by medics after she couldn't be revived.</p> <p>Ryun’s family have decided to donate her organs, according to K-pop website <em>Soompi</em>.</p> <p>The star’s mother told South Korean media, “Only her brain is unconscious, and her heart is still beating. There must be someone who desperately needs [organs]. “As her mother and father, we will be able to live comforted [by the thought that her heart] has gone to someone and is beating.”</p> <p>A fan account for the Snowdrop series posted a tribute for the late star, “A painful day. Heard [sic] to breathe,”</p> <p>“The most beautiful light, the most beautiful flower. Rest in peace.”</p> <p>Fans flocked to the comments to show their support.</p> <p>“Rest in peace, you will be in our hearts forever." one said.</p> <p>“Rest in peace.” another wrote.</p> <p>Ryun got her big break in 2018 when she appeared in the musical <em>Il Tenore</em>.</p> <p>She made her TV acting debut in 2021 with <em>Snowdrop</em> alongside Blackpink singer Jisoo.</p> <p>Another <em>Snowdrop</em> actress also passed away unexpectedly at age 29 in 2022.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

How Jurassic Park changed film-making and our view of dinosaurs

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/travis-holland-299087">Travis Holland</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a></em></p> <p>In June 1993, director Steven Spielberg released a film that unleashed a wave of technological change in film-making and simultaneously helped to revive popular interest in dinosaurs.</p> <p>Jurassic Park, based on Michael Crichton’s novel, spawned five blockbuster sequels as well as a multitude of spin-off games, toys, novels, and multiple animated television shows. It features a theme park housing de-extincted dinosaurs that break out of their confines and cause havoc.</p> <p>Underpinning the plot is clever genetic engineering that has allowed the Park’s scientists to assume they could control all aspects of the dinosaurs’ development, including their sex, much to their later horror when it becomes apparent such control was never possible.</p> <p>The film franchise has taken an average of over $1 billion dollars at the box office, <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/box-office/jurassic-world-dominion-box-office-billion-1235380452/">according to Variety</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QWBKEmWWL38?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>From puppets to CGI</h2> <p>According to industry legend and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20102096/?ref_=ttep_ep6">multiple documentaries</a>, Spielberg had planned to use only practical effects, including stop-motion Velociraptors and an animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex. However, well into the filming schedule, he was convinced to also include wholly digital dinosaurs after viewing test footage produced by staff at special effects house Industrial Light & Magic.</p> <p>In <a href="https://utpress.utexas.edu/9781477325308/">a critical history</a> of Industrial Light & Magic, Julie Turnock observes that the film “relied on a canny mix of large-scale mechanical effects cut together with a few digitally generated shots”. After its success, ILM embraced digital composition technology more fully and integrated it into many later films.</p> <p>As it stands, Jurassic Park features about 50 shots of digital-only prehistoric creatures, including the first full-body scene of a dinosaur – the sauropod Brachiosaurus - flocking Gallimumus, and the T. rex chasing a Jeep.</p> <p>Industrial Light & Magic <a href="https://www.ilm.com/vfx/jurassic-park/">now claims on their website</a> that “Suddenly, directors could imagine making films in which realistic animals, fantasy creatures, even digital people could perform without restraint.”</p> <p>Nowadays, films and television productions are replete with photoreal computer-generated animals and people and the next revolution in screen production has them projected live behind actors on a series of large screens known as “<a href="https://theasc.com/articles/the-mandalorian">the volume</a>”.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BPUEqvfQuHY?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Palaeontologists aren’t extinct</h2> <p>Shortly after seeing their first dinosaur, on-screen palaeontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill) suggests to his palaeobotanist partner Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) that the de-extinction success of Jurassic Park might make their profession redundant. Their colleague Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) responds, “Don’t you mean extinct?”</p> <p>But far from extinction, palaeontology and associated sciences have seen an extensive rebound in public interest in the thirty years since Jurassic Park was released.</p> <p>In 1975, palaeontologist Robert Bakker <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/24949774.pdf?casa_token=s5us3t_9TrQAAAAA:hxfVrmS11FACTHHYosZSqQMLDJRWJZTE3a4ggr7kIFauNoIvT8WjUJaZ5hxrKkFNqMcn3-68yiuLlH1tWU7k4o--xCDBpQwYPv4tXjF8KTIU8kpHo0vS">popularised the term “dinosaur renaissance”</a> to describe a spate of developing research findings which argued the creatures were endothermic (warm-blooded), active, and related to the birds rather than cold-blooded, slow and wholly extinct as had been the public perception for much of the previous century. This renaissance lasted from about the 1960s into the 1980s and Jurassic Park reflected many of these new orthodoxies.</p> <p>Bakker himself consulted for the film and was referenced by the character Tim Murphy. A Bakker lookalike also appeared in the sequel The Lost World, further reinforcing its role in reflecting these new perspectives.</p> <p>But the film also arrived at the dawn of yet another new age of dinosaur discoveries which Steve Brusatte, in his 2018 book <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781760780524/">The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs</a>, described as “the golden age of discovery”. Brusatte referred to the cohort of scientists making these newer discoveries as “men and women from many backgrounds who came of age in the era of Jurassic Park.” Among their findings are new understandings that many dinosaurs were feathered like their modern avian cousins.</p> <p>Elizabeth Jones recently chronicled the history of the field of “<a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300240122/ancient-dna/">ancient DNA</a>” science, noting the “Jurassic Park effect” playing out on this fascinating area of research:</p> <blockquote> <p>Even as scientists rejected the conclusions or the implications of the <em>Jurassic Park</em> narrative, they drew on the popularity of the book and movie to emphasise the importance of the technical enterprise in which they were engaged.</p> </blockquote> <p>And <a href="https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjes-2022-0131">a recent review</a> of the last 60 years of dinosaur research by celebrated palaeontologist Philip J. Currie suggested “public interest continues to be stimulated by a multibillion-dollar movie, media, and toy industry founded on our interest in dinosaurs.”</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530243/original/file-20230606-27-8gx3lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">A scene from Jurassic Park (1993)</span> <span class="attribution">IMDB</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>The Jurassic Park legacy</h2> <p>Dinosaurs have long featured in popular media such as films and television. The first animated dinosaur, Gertie, debuted as <a href="https://palaeomedia.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2019/07/24/meet-gertie-the-dinosaurus/">part of a vaudeville performance in 1914</a>. Dinosaurs, including a fearsome Tyrannosaurus featured in Disney’s groundbreaking and famed 1940 film Fantasia. But it was Jurassic Park which truly presented them as believable living creatures for the first time.</p> <p>Though the science of the film has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/feb/08/jurassic-park-dinosaur-inaccuracies">been widely criticised</a> since its release, Jurassic Park succeeded in revolutionising film-making and reigniting a public fascination with dinosaurs even as palaeontology itself underwent a boom in new research efforts. In <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/457392/did-i-ever-tell-you-this-by-neill-sam/9780241648988">his recent memoir</a>, actor Sam Neill described the film’s visuals as “a perfect collision of coming-of-age computer generated imagery… with state of the art puppetry”.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fb5ELWi-ekk?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>The sequels sequels and spin-offs have continued to adapt to changing social expectations, featuring <a href="https://theconversation.com/toss-aside-those-high-heels-how-jurassic-worlds-claire-dearing-lights-a-path-for-women-in-action-films-182334">strong female</a> and <a href="https://www.pride.com/geek/2022/7/21/jurassic-world-camp-cretaceous-goes-out-queer-roar">queer characters</a>, and even <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/jurassic-world-dominion-dinosaur-feathers">feathered dinosaurs</a> in response to changing scientific understandings.</p> <p>Perhaps the next Jurassic film will feature a full-lipped <a href="https://www-science-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/content/article/t-rex-lips-new-study-suggests">Tyrannosaurus</a>?<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203147/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/travis-holland-299087">Travis Holland</a>, Senior Lecturer in Communication, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-jurassic-park-changed-film-making-and-our-view-of-dinosaurs-203147">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Universal Pictures</em></p>

Movies

“They snack-shamed my three year old”: Mum fires up on school note

<p>An American mother has taken to social media to share her Pringle problem with the world. </p> <p>As Megan Peavey explained in her TikTok video, she’d sent her three-year-old son to school with some chips in his lunchbox to enjoy when snacktime rolled around. </p> <p>However, the staff at the school weren’t exactly of the opinion that Pringles were the right choice, going so far as to suggest Megan had purposefully done the wrong thing and given her child something ‘unhealthy’. </p> <p>“Look at what happened to me today,” she said in the now-private clip. “I sent my son to school with Pringles, which is a very age appropriate snack for a three year old.” </p> <p>She went on to explain that the school had responded by sending the boy home with his empty chip container, the line “please help us make healthy choices at school” written across it in bold black marker. </p> <p>“They wrote that on his Pringles cup,” she said, “they snack shamed my three year old, they snack shamed me, by writing that passive-aggressively on his trash.</p> <p>After asking viewers what they might do in that situation, she described how she got in touch with the school, calling them out on what they’d done, and they “did not label things as healthy and unhealthy” in their house “because that starts eating disorders”.</p> <p>“Do you think that’s ridiculous?” came her final question. “Because I f***ing do.” </p> <p>Megan later shared an update on the entire situation, outlining how she had spoken to the school’s director, and was told “it was passive-aggressive of me to keep sending Pringles after the note”. </p> <p>But, as she pointed out, she didn’t believe Pringles to be an ‘unhealthy’ snack like they did.</p> <p>“I consider things like Doritos, Cheetos, and Milky Way bars to be unhealthy,” she noted, before adding that she regularly sends her son to school with the likes of granola bars with his other snacks, and that she just would have appreciated the school speaking to her directly without leaping to the note. </p> <p>Megan stood her ground and didn’t apologise to the educators, before she “walked downstairs and I just checked my son out - we’re done there.”</p> <p>Her comments were flooded by fellow parents who were more than eager to back her up, with many noting that they may not have handled it so well themselves - one even wrote that she’d have sent her child with an entire tub and a handwritten “no thank you” the next day. </p> <p>“I cannot even explain how out of line and wild this seems to me - on the school's part," another said.</p> <p>“On his birthday…send pringles for EVERY kid in the class,” someone suggested.</p> <p>And one pre-k teacher even came forward to share her take, noting “never would I ever tell a family to 'make healthy choices'. My girls get a bag of chips with their sandwiches, along with fresh fruit."</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

“Misguided”: Schools replacing Mother’s Day in inclusivity bid ruffle feathers

<p dir="ltr">Attempts by schools to be more inclusive this Mother’s Day by celebrating “Parent’s” or “Family Day” has ruffled some parents’ feathers, with some critics arguing it was more about “eliminating mums” than involving diverse families.</p> <p dir="ltr">Montessori School - an inner Sydney school which covers preschool and primary - will be celebrating Mother’s Day with a “Parent’s and Carer’s” morning tea instead, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/fury-over-schools-banning-mothers-day/video/df83423e904e8752e42e2bb17b9f281d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Stanmore Kindy have switched to a “Parent’s Day” for “inclusive reasons”, with another “up-market” preschool in Sydney’s eastern suburbs also following suit.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <em>The Telegraph</em>, the latter school sent a letter home to families last week to advise them that they had “decided to change the name of our annual Mother’s Day breakfast to a Family Day Breakfast”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This will allow all families to be included,” the letter read.</p> <p dir="ltr">On NSW’s Mid North Coast, Bellingen Public School has also followed the trend, with the local Parents and Citizens’ Association running a stall for “Mother’s and Parent’s Day” with the aim of making the wording as inclusive as possible.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are hoping to have some gifts on the stall that will also suit dads who are doing both jobs,” the organisers told parents.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So keep that in mind too when considering gift donation ideas.”</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes after official advice for Mother’s and Father’s Day was issued by early childhood advocacy group Early Childhood Australia in April, offering a guide for including “diverse” families on both occasions.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We know Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are important days to celebrate, but they can be tricky for children from diverse families,” the advice read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Mother’s Day and Father’s Day present some challenges for families that don’t have a mum and dad.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The advice suggested that educators give children the option to make a gift for a “special adult” that isn’t necessarily their mum or dad to “avoid gender stereotypes in children’s crafts”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Steer away from cards with flowers for mum or ties for dad,” it added.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, Women’s Forum Australia chief executive Rachael Wong told <em>The Telegraph</em> that “Parent’s Day” could be just as insensitive as “Mother’s Day”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Perhaps the change has been made in a bid to be sensitive to those whose mothers are no longer around for various reasons, but what about those who no longer have any parents?” she asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Wouldn’t Parent’s Day also be insensitive? Given attempts to abolish terms like ‘mother’, ‘women’ and other female-related terms from the public discourse, it is reasonable to suspect that this is yet another attempt to erase women in a misguided attempt to be ‘inclusive’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The mother of one child who missed out on a Mother’s Day event agreed, saying she thought the name change was “part of a wider trend of eliminating mums, which is upsetting”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s nonsensical because same-sex female couples can celebrate Mother’s Day and same-sex male couples can celebrate Father’s Day,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A sensitive approach for children who don’t have mums is to have a ‘Mother’s and Special Friends Day’.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c901077a-7fff-d3d6-ff60-3b6940d45252"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Family & Pets

Shocking find in school boy’s lunchbox

<p dir="ltr">A mortified dad has shared how he found out he had mistakenly packed a beer in his young son’s lunchbox after the school called and asked him to pick up his child. </p> <p dir="ltr">The American dad and money mindset coach Will Meyers took to TikTok to share exactly how the situation came to be.</p> <p dir="ltr">Will explained that he accidentally packed one can of black Liquid Death (a sparkling water brand) and a can of Guinness beer, and the reason why the mixup occurred was because they were both black.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the video, Will said, “Well, I gotta go pick up my kid from school today because I made a big mistake.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Whenever my son was born, the best advice I ever got was you know more than you think you do, but today is not that day, let me show you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Will pointed out that one of the black cans is sparkling water and that his son, “likes for me to pack that in his lunch because it's awesome”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The other black can was a can of Guinness. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It looks like it's sparkling water, but it's definitely not sparkling water,” Will said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And now I've gotta go pick up my kid from school and try to explain this situation.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The clip went viral, attracting more than 2.7 million viewers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The majority of the comments were people empathising with the dad, writing ‘lol’ and sharing emojis.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others shared their own ‘dad horror stories’ of things they had mistakenly packed for their child to take to school. </p> <p dir="ltr">“My dad sent me to school with a Mike's hard lemonade in kindergarten, so I think it's just a normal dad thing,” one person commented. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I sent two packs of cigarettes in a bag of paper plates and napkins to my daughter's class,” another added.</p> <p dir="ltr">A teacher chimed in saying it’s a common mistake, “A kid brought in a can of White Claw thinking it was regular sparkling water, too”.</p> <p dir="ltr">One mum commented she once accidentally sent her son to school with his sibling’s nappy bag instead of his backpack. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Food & Wine

"I started walking the long way": many young women first experience street harassment in their school uniforms

<p>Can you remember the first time you were harassed in a public space? What comes to mind? Can you remember how old you were, or what you were doing? Perhaps this is not something you have personally experienced, although we know <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/everyday-sexism/">87% of young Australian women</a> have been harassed in public.</p> <p>We spoke to 47 adult women and LGBTQ+ people in <a href="https://www.streetharassmentjustice.com/">our recent study</a> on street-based and public harassment about their earliest memories of feeling sexualised, uncomfortable or unsafe on the street. Many mentioned they first experienced street harassment in their school uniforms. We heard variations of the phrase “it happened when I was in my school uniform” repeatedly from participants.</p> <p>For many, <a href="https://theconversation.com/whistling-and-staring-at-women-in-the-street-is-harassment-and-its-got-to-stop-38721">street harassment</a> began or became more frequent when they started wearing a high school uniform. Some participants, however, reflected on experiences from when they were even younger, wearing a primary school uniform. </p> <p>Studies from the United Kingdom have shown <a href="https://plan-uk.org/street-harassment/its-not-ok">35% of girls</a> wearing school uniforms have been sexually harassed in public spaces. Despite the importance of schools in the daily lives of young people, and the high rates of street harassment they experience, there’s been surprisingly little attention paid to the harassment of young people in school uniform. </p> <p>Findings from our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540253.2023.2193206">new research</a> show school-related harassment is a serious issue that has largely flown under the radar in Australia.</p> <h2>It happens beyond the school gates</h2> <p>We know young people experience <a href="https://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:55181/">sexual</a>, <a href="https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/GLSEN%202015%20National%20School%20Climate%20Survey%20%28NSCS%29%20-%20Executive%20Summary.pdf">homophobic and transphobic</a>harassment from their peers and even teachers while they’re at school. </p> <p>But participants also told us about harassment occurring outside their school grounds. This was perpetrated by strangers (usually individual adult men, or groups of adult men), while they were in uniform and, therefore, clearly identifiable as school children. </p> <p>This took many forms, ranging from catcalling, staring or leering, wolf-whistling, and being followed by men in cars while walking to school, through to public masturbation and men rubbing themselves against victim-survivors (usually while travelling to school on public transport), sexual assault and rape. </p> <p>As one interviewee told us, "walking from high school to home […] that’s where most of the harassment I’ve experienced happened […] As soon as I stopped wearing a school uniform it happened less. So that’s disgusting for a lot of reasons."</p> <p>As another interviewee shared, these experiences were really scary not just because of what was happening at that moment but because the perpetrator “knows which school you go to” because of the uniform worn.</p> <h2>The ‘sexy schoolgirl’</h2> <p>Why is it that young people – and particularly young women and girls – are so routinely harassed in school uniform? We found harassment of schoolgirls was seen as being culturally sanctioned through the “sexy schoolgirl” trope. </p> <p>As one interviewee noted, "when you go on Google images and search for ‘school boy’ it will come up with a five-year-old boy but then ‘school girl’ it will come up with the sexy school girl costume."</p> <p>Participants discussed being targeted because they were viewed as vulnerable and (paradoxically) as both sexually innocent and sexualised, "that was part of the allure for them [the perpetrators], the innocence of a schoolgirl, a fearful schoolgirl in that situation, was like hot to them, they were really getting off on it."</p> <p>Another interviewee told us, "I went from being an innocent child to a child that felt uncomfortable and didn’t know why I was sexualised – and I didn’t understand it because I didn’t understand what sex really was."</p> <p>Because they were so young, many participants often lacked a framework or language to understand their experiences. For many, these experiences were also so routine they simply formed part of the background hum of everyday life. </p> <p>It was often not until years after these formative experiences that participants were able to articulate them as sexual harm and reflect on the impacts. </p> <h2>Trying to avoid harassment</h2> <p>Across our interviews, many participants discussed changing the way they presented themselves or changing the routes they took to school. They often focused on changing their own behaviour and <a href="https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/the-right-amount-of-panic">made their lives smaller</a> in an attempt to avoid further harassment. </p> <p>For example, "I started walking the long way. I started just going through the main roads, avoiding the back streets, even though it was a longer walk to be extra safe."</p> <p>In the longer-term, participants commonly described feeling unsafe, hyper-vigilant, and distrustful of men in public spaces. </p> <h2>‘What if there’s a paedophile on the tram?’: school responses</h2> <p>Unfortunately, the view that victim-survivors are responsible for their own harassment was often reinforced by schools if harassment was reported. </p> <p>Numerous participants told us how they were reminded of school uniform policies (such as mandated length of skirts and dresses) when they went to teachers for help. </p> <p>One participant recounted an experience where her teacher asked, "Why would you wear your skirt like this [short]? Whose attention are you trying to get? […] what if there’s a paedophile when you’re on the tram home from school […] thinking ‘this is the best day of [my] life’."</p> <p>Others did not seek help from their teachers because of this focus on students’ appearance at school – they felt they would simply be blamed for what happened.</p> <p>These types of responses teach young people to think street harassment and other forms of gendered violence are their fault. It also tells them their bodies are sites of risk that need to be managed and contained to avoid harassment.</p> <h2>School uniform harassment is not ‘normal’</h2> <p>While schools and school-related contexts were often sites of harm for our participants, schools nonetheless have a vitally important role to play here. Harassment in school uniform should not be seen as a “normal” part of growing up. </p> <p>There is an urgent need to provide young people with a framework to understand their experiences.</p> <p>Educational efforts must challenge the idea that harassment must simply be endured. Instead, schools should help young people understand harassment as a form of violence, and offer safe and supportive spaces to talk with peers and adults about their experiences. This should be incorporated into existing sex and relationships education <a href="https://www.bodysafetyaustralia.com.au/">in an age-appropriate way</a>.</p> <p>Importantly, responses to harassment should never blame or implicate young people themselves. It’s time for outdated practices such as measuring school uniform length to be relegated to the past where they belong. </p> <p>In the words of one participant, “the length of my skirt is not influencing how much I learn”.</p> <p><strong><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au/">Kids Helpline</a> on 1800 55 1800 or <a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/">1800RESPECT</a> on 1800 737 732.</em></strong></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-started-walking-the-long-way-many-young-women-first-experience-street-harassment-in-their-school-uniforms-202718" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Caring

School principal forced out after parents complain statue of David is too rude

<p>Hope Carrasquilla, a US charter school principal, has been forced to resign from her position after a parent decreed an art lesson to be “pornographic”. </p> <p>Carrasquilla was given an ultimatum - either she stepped down, or she would face termination from the Tallahassee Classical School - according to the <em>Tallahassee Democrat</em>.</p> <p>“It saddens me that my time here had to end this way,” she told the publication. </p> <p>Carrasquilla also explained that she had been informed of her options by the school’s board chair, Barney Bishop. While Bishop has confirmed that he did hand down the ultimatum, he did not expand on why. However, Carrasquilla believes a Renaissance art lesson to be the main contributing factor. </p> <p>The lesson in question saw students study Michelgangelo’s classic <em>David</em>, as well as his <em>Creation of Adam </em>fresco painting, and Boticelli’s <em>Birth of Venus</em>. </p> <p>Apparently, the school is required to educate students about Renaissance art in their 6th grade. But for three parents this wasn’t reason enough, with each of them voicing their concerns about the lesson plan, while claiming that it had caused their children upset. </p> <p>Two of the parents simply wanted to have been notified about the content before it reached their children, but one had stronger feelings, branding the situation “pornographic”. </p> <p>Carrasquilla said that one of them was “point-blank upset”, and “felt her child should not be viewing those pieces.” </p> <p>But as she informed <em>HuffPost</em>, things were “a little more complicated than that”, before sharing that the school’s usual protocol would be to inform parents before their children are presented with classical art, such as David. </p> <p>According to the now-former principal, a “breakdown in communication” between herself, the direction of operations, and the art teacher has brought upon a kind of administrative oversight, and the parents had never received a letter about the lesson. </p> <p>This came after a new rule was passed in February, with the school board mandating that parents must be notified a fortnight before any “potentially controversial” was taught to students. Parents would also be presented with the option to review their child’s curriculum, as well as any related media, with a reminder to be sent a week ahead. </p> <p>“Parental rights are supreme,” Bishop explained, “and that means protecting the interests of all parents, whether it’s one, 10, 20, or 50.” </p> <p>As her story began to circulate around the globe, Carrasquilla went on to explain in a statement that for a year, Bishop had “expressed his displeasure with my leadership when parents became upset about policies or procedures not being followed to the T. </p> <p>“He was more concerned about litigation and appeasing a small minority of parents, rather than trusting my expertise as an educator for more than 25 years.” </p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Art

Florida’s plan to ban ‘period talk’

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Politicians in Florida are considering a draft law to strengthen state control over sex education in students.</p> <p dir="ltr">This would ban any lessons in schools teaching students about menstrual cycles before high school.</p> <p dir="ltr">The proposal comes after Florida’s Republican-dominated legislature, backed by Governor Ron DeSantis, passed various laws limiting discussion in schools of gender and sexuality, reducing the emphasis on diversity in public schools across the state. </p> <p dir="ltr">The latest proposal came from Republican Stan McClain which would allow instruction "acquired immune deficiency syndrome, sexually transmitted diseases, or health education” only from sixth grade through to 12, typically children aged 12-18. </p> <p dir="ltr">Girls generally have their first period between the ages of 10 and 15, but some do as young as eight. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Imagine a little girl in fourth grade, going to the bathroom and finding blood in her panties and thinking that she is dying," state representative Ashley Gantt, a Democrat, said in a social media post.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She doesn't actually know what's going on. And her teacher does not even have the ability to tell her that this is a part of life.”</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the bill passed the subcommittee by a 13-to-5 vote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Planned Parenthood said the legislation would take "total control from local school districts in approving sex ed curriculum and give it to the State Department of Education", in turn presenting a "reductive and binary view of sex" and stigmatising LGBTQIA+ students.</p> <p dir="ltr">Critics say conservative legislatures in the USA are trying to impose their own views on others, preventing students from having a well-rounded education. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Legal

Hilarious footage emerges of Sam Neill's James Bond screen test

<p dir="ltr"><em>Jurassic Park</em> star Sam Neill appeared on the <em>Today</em> show to discuss his career and new memoir 'Did I Ever Tell You This?' but the hosts had other plans.</p> <p dir="ltr">Karl Stefanovic, Sarah Abo and Brooke Boney managed to dig up an old screen test that left the 75-year-old red-faced.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Oh, my God, no - That is so cruel to play that, so cruel," a flustered Neil said, as footage from his <em>James Bond</em> audition started rolling.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the video, a young Neill armed with a gun and donning an unbuttoned shirt bursts into a bedroom-to the surprise of a naked woman- and says the famous line "My friends called me Bond, James Bond".</p> <p dir="ltr">Neill said he was thankful that he didn’t get the part and that someone else was chosen to do the role.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I felt so awkward all day that we made that thing and it just went on and on and on," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I am so relieved they offered it to someone else, they are welcome to it - you don't want to be the Bond that no-one likes, you know - that is a fate worse than death."</p> <p dir="ltr">Although he didn’t get the role of agent 007, the actor has starred in three of the J<em>urassic Park films, Event Horizon, The Dish and Peter Rabbit</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also told the <em>Today </em>show hosts that he never intended on becoming a professional actor and his success was completely unexpected.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I never really imagined I would have a career in film, let alone a career as an actor," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"At the rather advanced age of 30 I suddenly realised I could make a living at what I loved best and I never looked back until I wrote (the memoir) and it has been good to look back - it has been really good for me."</p> <p><em>Image: Today Show, Channel 9</em></p>

Movies

Ticked off trekker exposes family’s selfish act

<p>Australian bushwalkers are bristling at one family’s claim over an entire viewing platform in Victoria.</p> <p>A picture, shared to Reddit, shows a family - of at least four - taking over at Wilsons Promontory National Park with their set up. Camp chairs, bags, and meal trays can be seen around them, blocking access to the viewing point for anyone else who might like to enjoy what the park has to offer.</p> <p>The area - well known for its stunning vistas and bountiful wildlife - is a popular weekend retreat for tourists and locals alike, and Parks Victoria have revealed that it gets “extremely busy over summer”.</p> <p>“This family [is] taking up an entire sightseeing platform so nobody else can take photos,” the poster stated.</p> <p>“It’s a long weekend,” he continued below, “so Wilsons Promontory was very busy. A lot of people missed out on great photos and views because these people wanted it for themselves.”</p> <p>One had a simple, if not entirely beneficial solution, declaring that “confrontation is not always wrong.”</p> <p>“As I walked past, a guy said ‘that's just f***ing rude’,” the individual behind the post responded.</p> <p>“Especially in the case of entitled twats, I feel sorry for the kids though, they have parents who convince them shit like this is ok,” agreed another.</p> <p>“This park have rangers?” enquired one. “I'd be getting them to get those a***oles outta there.”</p> <p>“Despite being 2hrs from civilisation, it was packed because it's a long weekend here,” the original poster responded. “There's a huge campground nearby that was completely full.</p> <p>“But I didn't see any rangers all day, just a bus driver shuttling people up a mountain because the car park at the top would have been overflowing if everyone drove up.”</p> <p>Another shared their past experience with the spot, noting that they’d seen the same thing happen before, and that they’d just gone over and taken pictures anyway.</p> <p>“They then realised they were in the way,” they said of their encounter, “apologised, moved a little, and we had a chat about the weather. People do dumb s*** all the time without taking into consideration other people.”</p> <p>“I’m wondering this too if maybe they didn’t connect that it was a specific overlook platform at the time of the pic,” mused one responder.</p> <p>Meanwhile, another only had “never assume malice when stupidity will suffice” to say.</p> <p>Some, however, had a little more compassion for the family in the picture, writing that there were a lot of people “describing how they'd solve this problem. How about ‘excuse me, can I take some photos here?’ like a normal person?”</p> <p>“Exactly. I cringed. Like what if they just thought they stumbled upon the spot and were like ‘let’s picnic real quick’ and didn’t know people were going out of their way to find that spot or just that it’s a viewpoint spot,” another offered in agreement. “I have to sympathise, we’re all humans and hopefully it was not malicious. Just parents trying to have fun with their children?”</p> <p>“Duuuude, seriously,” one more wrote. “The ‘perpetrators’ might not even know [that] what they’re doing isn’t cool. It looks like they hiked out there and saw a decent spot to chill.”</p> <p><em>Images: Reddit</em></p>

Travel Trouble

“That was the first time I felt embarrassed”: Baz Luhrmann's daughter opens up on rumours

<p>Baz Luhrmann’s daughter Lilly has opened up about what it was like going through school with famous parents.</p> <p>The 19-year-old daughter of the globally-renowned<em> Elvis</em> director and his four-time Oscar winning wife, costume designer Catherine Martin, has been educated in both Australia and Manhattan.</p> <p>Speaking on an episode of the <em>Under the Gloss</em> podcast, Lilly said it was much harder growing up in Australia as her surname sparked more interest down under.</p> <p>She mentioned a time when she was being driven to school, and a story had emerged on the radio that her father was “gay”, citing a report that he and his wife slept in different bedrooms.</p> <p>“I did get followed to school by a truck that was paparazzi … They were bullying my dad there for a little bit there. I specifically remember I was driving in the car, on the radio, this guy was like, “Today we’re going to be discussing, is Baz Luhrmann gay? Breaking news, they sleep in two different bedrooms”,” Lilly said.</p> <p>“And I went to school, and the kids were like, “Is your dad gay?”</p> <p>“That was the first time I felt embarrassed … Not embarrassed, but more like, “Why are these people talking about my dad? Why are they making fun?” I’m like, “They just have different sleeping schedules".</p> <p>The 19-year-old didn’t specify when the incident happened but mentioned it was the “first time” she felt her upbringing wasn’t entirely normal.</p> <p>“I mean, I’m not traumatised for life by it. I’ve gotten over it. There’s worse things to go through. But it was the first time I was aware something was a bit amiss,” she said.</p> <p>“It was pretty intense in Australia, then we moved to New York, and no one cared. So that was really good.”</p> <p>After relocating to the states and changing schools, Lilly, who also has a younger brother, William, admitted she told students that her dad was in marketing because she was concerned about “friendships being in-genuine”.</p> <p>“For the first year, I lied about it. I made friends, and I had to tell them about my life … I was going to Paris, I’m from Australia, and they were like, “beep, beep, beep” this is not adding up, girl,” she said.</p> <p>“My best friend, who’s still my best friend, Chris, thought I was a compulsive liar. He started a whole rumour about me that I was making up my Aussie accent.”</p> <p>Soon after The Great Gatsby was released in 2013, the <em>New York Times</em> reported that Luhrmann and Martin, who have been married for over two decades, sleep on separate floors of their townhouse in New York.</p> <p>In an interview a few months after the release, Luhrmann told <em>The Daily Telegraph</em> that it was not just the case in New York but in all their homes, including their iconic Iona in Sydney.</p> <p>“For a very simple reason: just because we’re constantly surrounded by people,” he said.</p> <p>“And you know the Baz team and the CM team – they’re large teams, and they’re great, and we get together, but they all live different hours because they do completely different jobs.</p> <p>“But our rule is, no matter where we are and what we do – and I said it in passing, and I’m not sure I should have because it used to be our secret – every Saturday night, we stay in a hotel.</p> <p>“We have done that, I think, since we first realised public life would become a holiday you never come home from, and that was around the time of <em>Strictly Ballroom</em> (1992).”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Harry and Meghan break their silence on "boring and baseless" South Park episode

<p>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have broken their silence after being portrayed in an episode of <em>South Park</em>, in which they were ruthlessly mocked and ridiculed. </p> <p>The animated TV show released their newest episode, titled <em>The Worldwide Privacy Tour</em>, which depicted the royal couple embarking on a promotional tour for the Prince's new book titled "Waaaah". </p> <p>After the episode aired, reports emerged that Meghan Markle was left "upset and overwhelmed" by their merciless slating on the show, while a royal commentator speculated that the couple's lawyers were "casting an eye" over the cartoon series.</p> <p>Despite these claims, a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has debunked rumours that they would be suing <em>South Park</em> over the episode, blasting the claims as "boring and baseless" in a statement given to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/why-prince-harry-meghan-markle-will-not-sue-south-park-lawsuit-1782414" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">Newsweek</a>.</p> <p>The statement did not mention Harry and Meghan's personal feelings towards the episode, nor did it address claims that the couple's lawyers will be monitoring the show in order to see whether <em>South Park</em>'s creators launch any fresh attacks on the pair in the future.</p> <p>U.S. royal commentator Kristen Meinzer also told Newsweek that is was easy to see why the couple were not taking legal action. </p> <p>She said, "I highly doubt Meghan and Harry are suing a satirical cartoon that famously ridicules everyone."</p> <p>"If anything, they'll know they're in good company with other decent people who've been raked over the coals by the show."</p> <p>"For example, <em>South Park</em> has repeatedly ridiculed Al Gore and his efforts to combat climate change. They made fun of Steve Irwin for being killed by a stingray just a few weeks after his death."</p> <p>"They turned Rob Reiner into a punchline because of his weight. They've never been a bastion of good taste, and they've absolutely been offensive, but again, they're also a cartoon, not a news outlet—and Harry and Meghan are unlikely to take a cartoon to court."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

"You can’t park there, bro”: Perth valet smashes TWO lambos in costly mistake

<p>A valet driver at the Crown Hotel in Perth has found himself in hot water after smashing two Lamborghinis while trying to park one.</p> <p>The luxury vehicles belonged to billionaire Laurence Escalante and both were damaged after they collided in the hotel driveway, a spokesperson for Crown Perth said.</p> <p>Footage captured and shared by Jiu-Jitsu athlete Craig Jones shows the valet driver behind the wheel of a blue Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae, a car valued upward of $940,000, smashing into the rear of a purple Lamborghini.</p> <p>“Help! I’ve really f***ed it up.” The driver said in the footage before running out to assess the damage.</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/Coa-BoPDhZS/?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/Coa-BoPDhZS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Craig Jones (@craigjonesbjj)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In response to the crash, the driver claimed he was “trying to park it just like everybody else,” adding that the pedals were “too close together.” He then claimed he thought he was pressing the brake but instead hit the accelerator, causing him to crash into the rear of the purple Lamborghini.</p> <p>The owner of the luxury vehicles appeared to have witnessed the collision and could be heard questioning the driver.</p> <p>“What are you doing?” Jones said. "He moved it right in his rear ... you can’t park there, bro," he added.</p> <p>A spokesperson for Crown Resorts confirmed the accident is still under investigation, also informing the media there were “no injuries sustained.”</p> <p>"The safety of Crown’s team members and guests remains our priority," they said in a statement to News.com.au. "We are conducting a full assessment of the incident together with those involved.”</p> <p>The Crown is "working positively with us to fix the cars and put this behind us all,” a spokesperson for Mr Escalante told The West Australian. "We appreciate accidents happen and most importantly no one was injured," they said.</p> <p>A similar incident occurred in Sydney in 2018 when a valet driver parked a Porsche Carrera underneath another vehicle. As the driver attempted to park the Porsche, the car reportedly accelerated and ended up under a Sports utility vehicle (SUV).</p> <p>Police were notified and had to cut the driver, who was left unharmed, out of the vehicle.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram / @craigjonesbjj</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Headmistress, husband and daughter found dead on school grounds

<p>School principal Emma Pattison, the head teacher of private school Epsom College in Surrey, UK, has been found dead alongside her 39-year-old husband, George, and seven-year-old daughter Lettie on the school grounds.</p> <p>At just 45 years of age, Mrs Pattison was a very recent addition to the school, having joined the award-winning school in September 2022. </p> <p>While an investigation is underway, Surrey police have released a statement saying that they believe this to be an isolated incident with no third-party involvement. </p> <p>Epsom College has also released a statement following the discovery. </p> <p>“It is with the deepest sadness and regret that we have to announce the news of the deaths of Emma Pattison, Head of Epsom College, her daughter Lettie, and her husband George,” the statement reads. </p> <p>“Our thoughts, condolences and sympathies are with their families at this tragic time. The College is working with the Police in what remains an ongoing investigation. </p> <p>“We must now focus on the welfare and wellbeing of our pupils and staff, and work to ensure that they receive all the comfort, warmth and support required from the Epsom College community. </p> <p>“We ask that the public and the media respect the privacy of Emma’s family, and help us to prioritise the needs of our pupils. </p> <p>The news is heartbreaking and we need time and space to come together and process this loss. No further statement will be issued at this time.”</p> <p>Dr Alastair Wells, chair of the board of governors at Epsom College, said, “On behalf of everyone at Epsom College, I want to convey our utter shock and disbelief at this tragic news.</p> <p>“Our immediate thoughts and condolences are with Emma’s family, friends and loved ones, and to the many pupils and colleagues whose lives she enriched throughout her distinguished career.</p> <p>“Emma was a wonderful teacher, but most of all she was a delightful person. In time we will commemorate Emma and her family, in the appropriate way, and in line with the wishes of her family.</p> <p>“But for now, we ask that we are all given the time, space and respect we need to come to terms with this tragic loss."</p> <p>Pattison’s husband, George, was a chartered accountant who was director of a management consultancy firm called Tanglewood 2016, according to Companies House.</p> <p>Surrey Police’s Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey also said: “I want to give my assurance that we will conduct a thorough investigation into what took place last night and hope to be able to bring some peace in these traumatic circumstances.”</p> <p>Inspector Jon Vale, Epsom and Ewell’s borough commander, also said: “We’re aware that this tragic incident will have caused concern and upset in the local community.</p> <p>“While this is believed to be an isolated incident, in the coming days, our local officers will remain in the area to offer reassurance to students, parents, teachers, and the local community. I would like to thank the school and the community for their understanding and patience while the investigation continues.”</p> <p><em><strong>Don't go it alone. Please reach out for help.</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Headspace: 1800 650 890 or headspace.org.au</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: epsomcollege.org.uk</em></p>

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