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10 more facts you believe that aren't actually true

<p>We Showed you some of the most <a href="http://www.readersdigest.co.nz/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/51-favourite-facts-youve-always-believed-are-actually?items_per_page=All">believed 'facts' that are actually not true at all.</a> Here's ten new facts that are actually false.</p> <p><strong>1. Sugar = Hyperactivity</strong></p> <p>Studies have disproved this. Poor or rowdy behaviours still occur in children with sugar-free diets.</p> <p><strong>2. Bulls hate red</strong></p> <p>Bulls are colour-blind. They actually perceive the motions of the bullfighter’s cloth as a threat.</p> <p><strong>3. Your hair and nails keep growing after death</strong></p> <p>Wrong – but your skin tissue does recede, making them appear longer.</p> <p><strong>4. Celebrities die in threes</strong></p> <p>Of the celebs who have died since 1990, only in seven cases did three die in the same five-day period, according to data from the New York Times.</p> <p><strong>5. Bananas grow on trees</strong></p> <p>Actually, they grow on massive herbs that just resemble trees.</p> <p><strong>6. Bagpipes are Scottish</strong></p> <p>Sorry, <em>Braveheart</em> fans: they were prevalent in the Middle East centuries before Western Europe.</p> <p><strong>7. Adam and Eve ate an apple</strong></p> <p>They ate the forbidden “fruit” of the tree of knowledge – nowhere in Genesis does it say it was an apple.</p> <p><strong>8. Sleepers swallow eight spiders per year</strong></p> <p>Spiders usually don’t crawl into beds during night-time wanderings because they offer no prey. You probably swallow zero spiders per year.</p> <p><strong>9. All your fingernails grow at the same rate</strong></p> <p>Because blood flow stimulates nail growth, the nails on your dominant hand actually grow faster.</p> <p><strong>10. <span>Van Gogh cut off his ear for a lover</span></strong></p> <p><span>It was just a small piece of lobe, and he did it during a violent spat with Pat Gauguin. Whether Van Gogh then gave it to a local girl remains unknown.</span></p> <p><em>Written by</em> <em>David McCandless and Brandon Specktor. This article first appeared in </em><span><em><a href="http://www.readersdigest.co.nz/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/51-favourite-facts-youve-always-believed-are-actually">Reader’s Digest.</a></em></span><em> For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><span><em><a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRN87V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></em></span></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Caring

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4 ways your hair makes you look older than you are

<p>We’re always hearing about what we should do to make ourselves look younger, but we never seem to hear about what NOT to do. You might be surprised to learn some of the mistakes we’ve all been making with our hair without even realising.</p> <p><strong>1. The length is wrong</strong></p> <p>Many women think the secret to looking younger is maintaining long locks, but in fact, the opposite is usually true. Likewise, cutting it too short can add years to your look. It’s all about finding the right length for you – for example, if you’re self-conscious about a sagging jawline, avoid a chin-length cut.</p> <p>And no matter the length, styling is essential – even if your hair is ultra-short. “Too many women think a short cut is a free pass to forgo styling, but when hair has no polish, it can look matronly,” San Diego stylist Jet Rhys tells <a href="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/hair/tips/a24716/hair-care-tips/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Good Housekeeping</span></strong></a>.</p> <p><strong>2. You haven’t changed your hairstyle in years</strong></p> <p>What worked for you 10 years ago doesn’t necessarily work now. Think about it this way – are you still wearing the same clothes you wore 10 years ago? No! So why should your hair stay the same? Even if you have a minimal, classic cut, simply moving the part could reinvent your look entirely.</p> <p>You could also take years off your look simply by getting a fringe, as this can hide away any of those pesky forehead lines. Of course, bangs don’t suit everyone, so consult with your hairdresser to discuss what would work best for you.</p> <p><strong>3. The colour is wrong</strong></p> <p>If you’ve been dyeing your hair for years to avoid greys, it could be time to reassess the situation. As you age, your skin becomes lighter and more translucent, so the colour that suited you a few years ago may not today. If you’re not willing to grow out your natural grey, err on the side of caution and choose a lighter version of your natural colour to prevent creating a harsh contrast with your skin.</p> <p><strong>4. You’re not taking advantage of hair products</strong></p> <p>A little volumising spray and some shine-enhancing shampoo and conditioner could be exactly what you need to breathe new life into your hair. If you’re not sure where to start, ask your hairdresser – you’ll be blown away by all the high-tech products that exist these days.</p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, how may of these hair no-nos are you guilty of?</p>

Beauty & Style

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Are you getting enough zinc?

<p>A hundred years ago, zinc was abundant in many soils. Nowadays, most soils in the world are zinc deficient, except for soils predominantly from biodynamic farms. This means that, where once fruit and vegetables, and even grain-based foods such as breads and cereals, provided us with a small, steady top-up of zinc, the zinc levels in many of the foods we eat today are inadequate to avoid deficiency.</p> <p>Zinc is a superstar of a nutrient. It contributes to hundreds of processes inside your body, plenty of which are reflected on the outside. Zinc is critical for wound healing. Whether a cut on your finger, the place where a surgical incision was made, or the aftermath of a pimple, zinc is necessary for the skin involved in these traumas to heal and it helps to prevent scar formation.</p> <p>Zinc is also required for proper immune system function, as well as for the maintenance of vision, taste and smell. It is essential to the creation of over 300 enzymes necessary for you to have great digestion: the foundation of all health. Zinc even nourishes the scalp, helping to maintain the integrity and strength of hair, and low zinc levels have been linked with hair loss and a dry, flaky scalp.</p> <p>If you have a teenager at home with smelly feet that don't seem to get any better no matter how many times they wash them, it's likely to because of a zinc deficiency. Zinc is used in the production of sex hormones, and so when sex hormone production soars in teenage years, their requirements for this mineral skyrockets. A zinc deficiency may be the underlying cause of sex hormone imbalances in adults, contributing to lowered testosterone, PMS, fertility challenges or monthly breakouts.</p> <p>The recommended dietary intake (RDI) for a nutrient is the amount required to prevent a deficiency, not the amount needed for optimal health and great energy and vitality.</p> <p><strong>The RDIs for zinc across each age group are:</strong></p> <ul> <li>1-3 years: 3mg</li> <li>4-8 years: 4mg</li> <li>9-13 years: 6mg</li> <li>Boys: 14-18 years: 13mg</li> <li>Girls: 14-18 years: 7mg</li> <li>Men 19+ years: 14mg</li> <li>Women 19+ years: 8mg</li> <li>Pregnant women: 10–11mg</li> <li>Lactating women: 11–12mg</li> </ul> <p><strong>These days, our only real food sources of zinc include:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Food sources (per 100g)</li> <li>Oysters: 48mg</li> <li>Beef: 7mg (when cooked)</li> <li>Lamb: 3mg (when cooked)</li> <li>Eggs: 1.2mg (1 egg = 0.5mg)</li> <li>Seeds: 7mg (2mg per 30g serve)</li> </ul> <p>From looking at those food sources you can see that, realistically, we would probably need to be eating oysters every day to obtain enough zinc to avoid deficiency. But who eats oysters that often? So, if we look at bee, the next one on the list: for a woman to meet her minimum requirements, she would need to eat at least 800g of cooked beef a week. Men would need almost 1.5kg of cooked beef per week to meet their minimum needs.</p> <p>Yet, not only is this not practical but it isn't even advisable. Why? Well, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), one of the most evidence-based cancer research groups in the world, shares that to decrease the risk of colorectal cancer, we need to eat less than 500g of red meat per week.</p> <p>So how on earth are we supposed to get our zinc these days? The answer is that most of us aren't. Many people today are not getting enough of this vital mineral that is responsible for the taste and texture of food. It may be contributing to why young children today tend to be fussier with food than in the past.</p> <p><strong>Some signs of zinc deficiency may include:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Poor blood glucose management</li> <li>Sugar cravings</li> <li>Loss of appetite</li> <li>Poor resistance to infection</li> <li>Skin infections</li> <li>Easy skin scarring</li> <li>Lowered fertility</li> <li>White spots on finger nails.</li> </ul> <p>Zinc can be supplemented and, if it is, it is best taken before bed to maximise absorption.</p> <p><em>Written by Dr Libby Weaver. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

Body

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Are you drinking too much?

<p><span>Experts have warned that millions of people are overdoing it with their alcohol consumption.</span></p> <p><span>Heavy drinking can impact the health of livers, bones and brain cells. It can also increase the risk of depression, divorce and redundancy.</span></p> <p><span>“Heavy drinking has become normalised – alcohol is ingrained in so many areas of our lives and there is a lot of pressure to drink,” said Iqbal Mohiuddin, a consultant psychiatrist with a special interest in addictions and clinical lead at Serena House, a medical detox and treatment centre in London.</span></p> <p><span>“Many people I see either don't realise or are in denial about their alcohol consumption – I often suspect it's double what people admit to.”</span></p> <p><span>“Part of the problem is many of us have no idea how many units are in various drinks – it's nearly always more than you think – and can vary widely even among different types of wine and beers.”</span></p> <p><span>One tool used by medical professionals is the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tests). The 10-question test was developed in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and is key in helping to determine if someone has alcohol abuse problems.</span></p> <p><span>To complete the test, answer each question and write down your corresponding score.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><img width="498" height="425" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/40974/test-1_498x425.jpg" alt="Test 1"/></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><img width="499" height="210" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/40975/test-2_499x210.jpg" alt="Test 2"/></span></p> <p><strong>YOUR SCORE:</strong></p> <p>0-7: You are within the sensible drinking range and have a low risk of alcohol-related problems.</p> <p>8-15: Medium level of risk. Drinking at your current level puts you at risk of developing problems with your health and life in general, such as work and relationships. Consider cutting down (see below for tips).</p> <p>16-19: Higher risk of complications from alcohol. Cutting back on your own may be difficult at this level, as you may be dependent, so you may need professional help from your GP and/or a counsellor.</p> <p>20 and over: Possible dependence. Your drinking is already causing you problems, and you could very well be dependent. You should definitely consider stopping gradually or at least reduce your drinking. You should seek professional help to ascertain the level of your dependence and the safest way to withdraw from alcohol.</p> <p><strong>Overall:</strong></p> <p>A score of 1 or more on question 1 and question 3 indicates consumption at a hazardous level. Points scored above 0 on questions 4-6 (especially weekly or daily) implies the beginning of alcohol dependence. Points scored on questions 7-10 indicate alcohol-related harm is already being experienced. Over 8 indicates harmful or hazardous drinking.</p> <p>Severe dependence may require medically assisted withdrawal or detox due to the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms in the first 48 hours needing specialist treatment.</p> <p>“Some people manage to stop suddenly without any problems, but others may have withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, shakiness, sweating, increasing anxiety, headache and even hallucinations. In fact, going 'cold turkey' if you're a very heavy drinker is highly risky and could be fatal. Hence, it is not recommended,” said Dr Mohiuddin.</p> <p>If you fear you cannot cut down on your own, consult your GP and they can tell you about services available in your area to help you.</p> <p>“Another option is to attend a support group for drinking problems, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, where there are other people in your situation who understand and can give you support,” said Dr Mohiuddin. </p> <p>“There are meetings all over the world and they're free to attend.”</p>

Body

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Where the cast of Cheers are now

<p class="Default">It’s safe to say that the 1980s comedy show, <em>Cheers</em>, has to be one of the greatest shows in recent history. Run for a mighty 11 seasons, the show that ran from 1982 until 1993 sent fans wild with the crazy and memorable antics of a group of Boston “barflies”. So popular in fact in inspired spin-off, <em>Frasier</em>, with <em>Cheers</em> actor Kelsey Grammer. <em>Frasier</em> also aired for a whopping 11 seasons.</p> <p class="Default">Now more than 30 years since it first aired, we thought it was a great time to walk down memory lane, catch up with the cast of <em>Cheers</em> and see where they are now. To find out what they look like today, simply scroll through the gallery above.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>1. Sam Malone played by Ted Danson</strong></p> <p class="Default">One of the only three characters to appear in all of the episodes, some people say that Ted Danson's Sam Malone was an integral part of the show that held it all together.</p> <p class="Default">Since <em>Cheers</em>, Danson has appeared in a number of lead TV roles including <em>Becker, Fargo, CSI</em> and a new show, <em>The Good Place</em>.</p> <p class="Default">He has also starred in a number of popular movies like T<em>hree Men and a Baby, Made in America</em> and <em>Getting Even With Dad.</em></p> <p class="Default">After being nominated for 11 consecutive Emmy Awards for playing Sam in<em> Cheers</em>, in 1990 he finally won Best Actor in a Comedy and then again in 1993.</p> <p class="Default">He has two children and has been married and divorced twice.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>2. Diane Chambers played by Shelley Long</strong></p> <p class="Default">Although she started her career on television movies and by guest starring in shows including <em>MASH</em> and <em>The Love Boat</em>, playing Diane in <em>Cheers</em> made Shelley Long an overnight star.</p> <p class="Default">After just five seasons on the show, however, due to a desire to spend more time with her family, Long quit the show.</p> <p class="Default">After starting out her career with roles in, it was during her<em> Cheers</em> days she made her biggest impact on the silver screen when she won a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in 1984's <em>Irreconcilable Differences</em>. </p> <p class="Default">Long also went on to play the big screen version of Carol Brady, in the mid-90s film versions of <em>The Brady Bunch</em>. More recently she has also appeared on TV shows like <em>Modern Family</em>.</p> <p class="Default">Long has been married and divorced twice and has one daughter.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>3. Carla Tortelli played by Rhea Perlman</strong></p> <p class="Default">Also appearing in every episode of the show, Rhea Perlman's impatient waitress was well-known for her violent temper and disdain of almost everyone in the bar aside from Sam.</p> <p class="Default">Perlman had little success before <em>Cheers</em>. After the show she reprised her role as Carla on a few occasions, including on <em>The Simpsons</em> and <em>Cheers</em> spin-off <em>Frasier</em>.</p> <p class="Default">She has also made appearances in films including 1996's <em>Matilda</em> as the heartless mother, alongside real-life husband Danny DeVito.</p> <p class="Default">Perlman married DeVito in 1982 and they have three children.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>4. Norm Peterson played by George Wendt</strong></p> <p class="Default">As the theme song goes, <em>Cheers</em> was a place “where everybody knows your name”. This was certainly true for Norm.</p> <p class="Default">The running joke on the show, Norm is famed for his constant complaints about his never-seen-on-screen wife Vera and dry one-liners.</p> <p class="Default">Before getting into acting, Wendt was expelled from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana over poor grades and then moved into show business with his first job being sweeping a theatre floor.</p> <p class="Default">Following his break on<em> Cheers</em>, he had guest roles on <em>Taxi</em> and <em>MASH</em>. After <em>Cheers</em> he had a self-titled sitcom on CBS, but it was cancelled after eight episodes. Since he’s had a number of guest appearances, including <em>Only Fools and Horses</em> spin-off, <em>The Green Green Grass</em> in 2007. He also played Tweedledee in <em>Alice in Wonderland</em> in 1999.</p> <p class="Default">More recently he was in short-lived barbershop-based comedy series<em> Clipped</em>, while his recent Broadway credits include <em>Breakfast at Tiffany's</em> and <em>Elf - The Musical</em>. </p> <p class="Default">Wendt married to Bernadette Birkett in 1978 - who actually voiced of the mysterious Vera on <em>Cheers</em> and they have one daughter and two sons.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>5. Cliff Clavin played by John Ratzenberger</strong></p> <p class="Default">You find these types in every pub. The person who has a story/answer/useless fact for every occasion. If you go within close distance of said person, they will communicate with you, even if you don't plan on communicating with them. Cliff was this character in <em>Cheers</em> - a postal worker who lives with his mother and finds it very hard to talk to women and who sees Sam as a hero. Cliff had a heart of gold.</p> <p class="Default">Ratzenberger actually made his way into acting while working as a house framer in London. He also had small roles in <em>Superman, Superman II</em> and <em>The Empire Strikes Back</em>.</p> <p class="Default">While you won’t have seen him much after <em>Cheers</em>, you have almost certainly heard him, as Ratzenberger has appeared in every single Pixar film and is known as the studio's mascot, notably as Hamm the Piggy Bank in the <em>Toy Story</em> series.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>6. Ernie “Coach” Pantusso played by Nicholas Colasanto</strong></p> <p class="Default">Working behind the bar and generally not understanding anything going on around him, Coach was the lovable doofus of<em> Cheers</em>, who had a dimwit and was “borderline senile”.</p> <p class="Default">After a successful stint directing episodes of big name shows including <em>Starsky and Hutch, CHiPs, Columbo</em> and the original <em>Hawaii Five-O,</em> Nicholas came into <em>Cheers</em>.</p> <p class="Default">After he developed heart disease in the mid-1970s, he was sold set to retire from acting before being offered the role in <em>Cheers</em>. His health got worse as the show went on, although he kept it a secret from the cast and crew.</p> <p class="Default">He was eventually hospitalised during the third season in January 1985, and, although he was released in early February, he suffered a fatal heart attack on February 12 at home in Los Angeles.</p> <p class="Default">He was written out of the show as having died off-screen and a picture was placed on the set as a tribute.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>7. Rebecca Howe played by Kirstie Alley</strong></p> <p class="Default">Replacing Long at the start of season six, Rebecca was a businesswoman who took over running the bar after Sam sold it.</p> <p class="Default">Kirstie Alley had some success before<em> Cheers</em>, making her film debut in<em> Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan</em>, while she earned an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Rebecca in 1991.</p> <p class="Default">It was around this time she had huge success on the big screen alongside John Travolta and the voice of Bruce Willis in the <em>Look Who’s Talking</em> series.</p> <p class="Default">More recently she has entered reality TV, competing on <em>Dancing with the Stars</em> in the US in 2011 and taking part in Channel 4’s <em>Time Crashers</em> in 2015 – which challenged celebrities to complete various daily tasks from different time periods. She also appears as Nurse Hoffel in US comedy horror series <em>Scream Queens</em>.</p> <p class="Default">Allie has been married twice and has two children.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>8. Woody Boyd played by Woody Harrelson</strong></p> <p class="Default">Woody arrived at the bar in season four and became the new bartender and helped take the show to new heights of comedy through his dim-witted yet charming antics.</p> <p class="Default">Despite<em> Cheers</em> being Woody Harrelson’s first ever role, he is arguably the most successful of the cast, appearing in numerous hit films and television series, including Oscar Best Picture winner <em>No Country for Old Men, the Hunger Games</em> franchise and his Emmy-nominated role in HBO’s <em>True Detective</em>.</p> <p class="Default">He has twice been nominated for an Oscar for <em>The People vs Larry Flynt</em> and <em>The Messenger</em>, while his work as Woody earned him an Emmy in 1989.</p> <p class="Default">He is a father to three daughters with Laura Louie, whom he has been with since 1987 and married in 2008.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>9. Frasier Crane played by Kelsey Grammer</strong></p> <p class="Default">After entering <em>Cheers</em> as a guest character at the start of season three to help Sam through his break-up with Diane, intelligent psychiatrist Frasier Crane became a fixture at the bar.</p> <p class="Default">Two years before he joined <em>Cheers</em>, Kelsey Grammer made his television debut in 1982, with his most notable role coming in <em>Kennedy</em>, a miniseries based around the life of assassinated President John F Kennedy.</p> <p class="Default">His career took off with <em>Cheers</em>, and he portrayed his character for 20 years after spinning-off into the hugely successful Frasier, for which he won four Emmy Awards. The show ended in 2004 and Grammer began appearing in more films, scoring roles in blockbusters including <em>X Men: The Last Stand</em> and <em>Transformers: Age of Extinction</em> as well while he is well-known for his voice work, notably as the evil Sideshow Bob in <em>The Simpsons</em>.</p> <p class="Default">Grammer has been married four times and has seven children.</p>

TV

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Babies of Anne Geddes’ iconic photos: where are they now?

<p>Photographer Anne Geddes, known for her iconic portraits of cute babies in costume, has shared images of the little models, now adults.</p> <p>Australian born Geddes moved to Auckland in the late 1980s, where she began capturing cute babies, often with a nature theme. Some of her most popular pictures include chubby twins in cabbages, a smiling bub in a bed of roses and a tiny baby with wings resting on top of a toadstool.   </p> <p>There are a number of New Zealanders among the before and after series Geddes has shared on Instagram this week using the hashtag #<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/babylookatyounow/" target="_blank">babylookatyounow</a></strong></span>, including 23-year-old Danyon who is studying at the University of Auckland. </p> <p>Now a rower, he was an Easter bunny in a bucket in 1994. His image was used for greeting cards. "All your friends will know you were the sweet little bunny all those years ago," Geddes writes.</p> <p>In the same year, 22-year-old Erin was posed atop a toadstool when she was two weeks old. Erin has completed a degree in environmental science and biology at the University of Auckland, and settled in Wellington.</p> <p>From her first book, <em>Down in the Garden</em>, Geddes shares a photo of Ashleigh at six months old. The Auckland woman now holds a creative writing degree and works at Papakura Museum, Geddes says. </p> <p>"Well done Ashleigh - I'm proud of you! But yikes! All my babies are growing up way too fast," her caption reads. </p> <p>Other Geddes babies are working in South Island wineries, as builders, and as aged care assistants. </p> <p>Geddes books and calendars have been best sellers, and she has appeared on television with Oprah. </p> <p>Geddes also has a strong focus on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.annegeddes.com/philanthropy-1/" target="_blank">philanthropic work</a></strong></span>, particularly raising money to stop the spread of meningitis, her website says. </p> <p>See what the bubs look like today in the gallery above, and if you know a Geddes baby, the photographer encourages other people she snapped as babies to email her at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="mailto:babylookatyounow@gmail.com" target="_blank">babylookatyounow@gmail.com</a></strong></span>. </p> <p><em>First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>. Image credit: annegeddesofficial/Instagram.</em></p>

Family & Pets

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15 quotes that prove grandparents are the best

<p>They say there’s nothing like a mother’s love, but if anything comes close, it would have to be the love of a grandparent. From showering their littlies with love, gifts and smiles to teaching them about their family, life and the world, there’s no bond quite like that between a grandparent and their grandchild. To prove it, we’ve put together 15 of the most touching (and accurate) quotes about being a grandparent, and we think you’ll enjoy them.</p> <ol start="1"> <li>“A child needs a grandparent, anybody’s grandparent, to grow a little more securely into an unfamiliar world.” – Charles and Ann Morse</li> <li>“What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humour, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies.” – Rudy Giuliani</li> <li>“Our grandchildren accept us for ourselves, without rebuke or effort to change us, as no one in our entire lives has ever done, not our parents, siblings, spouses, friends — and hardly ever our own grown children.” – Ruth Goode</li> <li>“If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I’d have had them first.” – Lois Wyse</li> <li>“Being grandparents sufficiently removes us from the responsibilities so that we can be friends.” – Allan Frome</li> <li>“Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete.” – Marcy DeMaree</li> <li>“They say genes skip generations. Maybe that’s why grandparents find their grandchildren so likeable.” – Joan McIntosh</li> <li>“To become a grandparent is to enjoy one of the few pleasures in life for which the consequences have already been paid.” – Robert Brault</li> <li>“If nothing is going well, call your grandmother.” – Italian proverb</li> <li>“One of the most powerful handclasps is that of a new grandbaby around the finger of a grandfather.” – Joy Hargrove</li> <li>“Kids are hard – they drive you crazy and break your heart – whereas grandchildren make you feel great about life, and yourself, and your ability to love someone unconditionally, finally, after all these years.” – Anne Lamott</li> <li>“There are fathers who do not love their children; there is no grandfather who does not adore his grandson.” – Victor Hugo</li> <li>“What a bargain grandchildren are! I give them my loose change, and they give me a million dollars’ worth of pleasure.” – Gene Perret</li> <li>“A grandparent is someone with silver in their hair and gold in their heart.” – Unknown</li> <li>“Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.” – Alex Haley.</li> </ol> <p>Tell us in the comments below, what’s your favourite thing about being a grandparent?</p>

Family & Pets

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See what the “Mrs Doubtfire” children look like now

<p>It’s hard to believe it has been almost 24 years since the iconic Robin Williams comedy <em>Mrs Doubtfire</em> hit the big screen. In the years since, we’ve been treated to emotional <a href="/entertainment/movies/2016/04/deleted-mrs-doubtfire-scenes/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">deleted scenes</span></strong></a> plus a few <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2015/09/dirty-jokes-in-kids-movies/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">sneaky adult jokes</span></strong></a> hidden in the family favourite film, but today, we thought we’d check in with the child stars to see what they did after finding fame in <em>Mrs Doubtfire</em>. Read along and flip through the gallery above to see what they look like now.</p> <p><strong>Lisa Jakub (Lydia Hillard)</strong></p> <p>Jakub was just 15 years old when she starred as the eldest Hillard child. Now 38, she’s been retired from acting since 2001, when she married her long-time partner, former Hollywood theatre manager Jeremy Jones, and moved to Virginia. These days, she’s a writer, speaker and yoga teacher.</p> <p><strong>Matthew Lawrence (Chris Hillard)</strong></p> <p>Lawrence, 37, continues to act today – as do his two brothers Joey and Andrew. After <em>Mrs Doubtfire</em>, the brothers starred together in the short-lived sitcom <em>Brotherly Love</em>. Since then, he’s appeared on <em>Boy Meets World</em> and his brother’s sitcom <em>Melissa &amp; Joey</em>.</p> <p><strong>Mara Wilson (Natalie Hillard)</strong></p> <p>You might remember Wilson from her starring role in 1996’s <em>Matilda</em>. However, chances are you haven’t heard much from her since, as she quit acting in 2000 to focus on writing. Now 29 years old, Wilson has taken on minor roles in web series and animated shows.</p>

Movies

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Where is the cast of A Country Practice now?

<p>Can you believe that it’s been 35 years since the iconic Aussie soap <em>A Country Practice</em> graced our screens for the first time? Airing from 1981 to 1993 (and then briefly rebooted in 1994), the show was filled with drama, laughter, tears and some of the most lovable characters on Australian television. Guest stars such as Nicole Kidman, Baz Luhrmann, Toni Collette and even former Prime Minister Bob Hawke also paid a visit to the idyllic Wandin Valley. But just where is the cast of <em>A Country Practice</em> now? Let’s take a look.</p> <p><strong>Shane Porteous</strong>, who played Dr Terence Elliott, hasn’t done much television acting since the show, but continues to grace the stage, do voiceover work and write scripts. The 74-year-old lives in the Blue Mountains with wife Jenny and has three adult children, Fiona, Polly and Ben.</p> <p><strong>Brian Wenzel</strong>, who played Sergeant Frank Gilroy, is the oldest living cast member at the age of 87. Since the show, he has appeared in several Australian films and plays.</p> <p><strong>Lorrae Desmond</strong>, who played Shirley “Shirl” Gilroy, just celebrated her 84th birthday. After <em>A Country Practice</em>, she retired from television acting and switched her focus to writing musicals, plays, and a column in <em>That’s Life</em> magazine.</p> <p><strong>Joyce Jacobs</strong>, who played Esme Watson, had guest roles in films and the series <em>G.P.</em> before retiring in 2006. She sadly passed away in 2013 at the age of 91 after a decade-long battle with Parkinson’s disease.</p> <p><strong>Gordon Piper</strong>, who played Bob Hatfield, was forced to retire after losing both his legs in 1997. He passed away after a heart attack in 2004 at the age of 72.</p> <p><strong>Syd Heylen</strong>, who played Vernon “Cookie” Locke”, left the show in 1992 and died just four years later from a stroke.</p> <p><strong>Joan Sydney</strong>, who played Matron Margaret “Maggie” Sloan, left <em>A Country Practice</em> in 1990 and went on to have a recurring role in <em>Neighbours</em> as Valda Sheergold. The 78-year-old has one son, former Great Southern Rail CEO Tony Braxton-Smith.</p> <p><strong>Shane Withington</strong>, who played Brendan Jones, went on to play surf lifesaver John Palmer in <em>Home and Away</em>. The 58-year-old married his on-screen wife Anne Tenney in real life and the couple live in Pittwater, NSW, with their daughter Maddie, who is studying acting.</p> <p><strong>Anne Tenney</strong>, who played Melissa “Molly” Jones (and delivered one of the most heart-wrenching death scenes we’ve ever seen) co-starred in beloved Aussie film <em>The Castle</em> with Michael Caton and has appeared in several Australian series. She is 62 years old.</p> <p><strong>Grant Dodwell</strong>, who played Dr Simon Bowen, is now 64 and still a prolific actor, writer, director and producer. He has since worked on shows such as <em>Home and Away</em> and <em>Packed to the Rafters</em>. His daughter Celeste is also an actress, appearing in the upcoming film <em>Allied</em>.</p> <p><strong>Penny Cook</strong>, who played Victoria “Vicky” Dean Bowen, left the show in 1985 but returned in 1993. From 1992 to 1996, she was a presenter on the travel show <em>The Great Outdoors</em> and in 2007 became a recurring cast member on <em>Neighbours</em>.</p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, what’s your favourite Aussie television show?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/tv/2016/09/noni-hazelhurst-talks-a-place-to-call-home-and-logies-speech/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Noni talks candidly about new season of A Place to Call Home and that Logies speech</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/tv/2016/07/prisoner-where-are-they-now/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Where are the cast of Prisoner now?</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/tv/2016/08/best-shows-of-the-70s/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>10 best TV shows of the 1970s</em></span></strong></a></p>

TV

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The Waltons: where are they today?

<p>Who can forget <em>The Waltons</em>? We welcomed them into our homes and into our hearts in 1972 and were treated to nine seasons of wholesome family entertainment courtesy of John, Olivia, Grandma and Grandpa Walton, John-Boy, Mary Ellen and the rest. But where is the cast of the classic TV show today?</p> <p><strong>Ralph Waite (John Walton)</strong></p> <p>After <em>The Waltons</em>, Waite remained on the small screen with recurring roles on <em>Days of Our Lives</em>, <em>NCIS</em> and <em>Bones</em>. He also attempted to enter the political world, running for the US Congress as a Democratic candidate three times in the ‘90s but was unsuccessful. Waite sadly passed away in 2014 at the age of 85.</p> <p><strong>Michael Learned (Olivia Walton)</strong></p> <p>The three-time Emmy Award-winning matriarch of the Walton family, 77-year-old Learned left the show in 1979 reportedly due to a desire to avoid typecasting. Her next move was a starring spot in the short-lived but well-received drama <em>Nurse</em>, for which she won another Emmy. Since, she has appeared in soap operas such as <em>General Hospiral</em> and <em>The Young and the Restless</em>.</p> <p><strong>Richard Thomas (John-Boy Walton)</strong></p> <p>Now 64, after leaving The Waltons in 1977, Thomas rejoined the cast for three <em>Waltons</em> TV movies. He starred in the horror film <em>You’ll Like My Mother</em> alongside Patty Duke and appeared in Stephen King’s <em>It</em> before returning to a mostly TV-based career, landing roles in dozens of TV movies and series including <em>Law &amp; Order: SVU</em>.</p> <p><strong>Jon Walmsley (Jason Walton)</strong></p> <p>After <em>The Waltons</em>, the now-60-year-old Walmsley mostly gave up his acting career, save for a few guest appearances and roles in <em>The Waltons</em> movies. The talented multi-instrumentalist moved to focus more on music, composing, song writing and producing. He has worked with artists like Gregg Allman, John Mayall and Al Jardine of The Beach Boys.</p> <p><strong>Judy Norton Taylor (Mary Ellen Walton)</strong></p> <p>Post-<em>The Waltons</em>, Judy (now aged 58) was uncomfortable with her childlike perception despite being in her 20s, and in an effort to revamp her image posed for <em>Playboy</em> magazine. Aside from<em> The Waltons</em> movies, Norton Taylor has not returned to television, instead launching a chain of dinner theatres with her husband Robert Graves and trying to start a music career.</p> <p><strong>Mary Elizabeth McDonough (Erin Elizabeth Walton)</strong></p> <p>McDonough, 55, has mostly abandoned acting after contracting the autoimmune disease lupus. She has, however, returned to appear in all of <em>The Waltons</em> movies and has had guest spots on shows including <em>General Hospital</em>, <em>Will &amp; Grace</em> and <em>The New Adventures of Old Christine</em>. She wrote about her experiences on the show in the book <em>Lessons From the Mountain: What I Learned from Erin Walton</em>.</p> <p>Were you a fan of The Waltons? What was your favourite show of the ‘70s? Tell us in the comments below!</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/tv/2016/05/happy-days-cast-where-are-they-now/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Where are they now: cast of Happy Days</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/tv/2016/04/where-are-the-cast-of-mash-now/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>MASH: Where are they now?</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/tv/2016/04/cast-of-dynasty-today/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Dynasty: where are they now?</strong></span></em></a></p>

TV