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“Selfish” husband leaves wife behind for first class upgrade on their honeymoon

A woman has shared her frustration over a journey she took with her new husband to their honeymoon destination. The wife’s “selfish” husband was quick to ditch her on their way to Mexico for their honeymoon after he was offered an upgrade to business class. The woman took to Reddit to share the story of what began at the airport shortly after their wedding, while also explaining that as a frequent flyer, she had racked up a hefty amount of points. In comparison, her new husband is an anxious flyer, who often relies on her to keep him calm during take off and landing. “When I booked our flights I requested to use my points if an upgrade to business class became available, but made it clear I only wanted this upgrade if two seats became available... and then I basically forgot about it,” the wife explained in a Reddit thread. “Then comes the day of our flight. I was so excited for this trip, I checked us in online, all is going well, and then when we go to board, the employee scanning our boarding passes stops us.” “She says it seems that my husband was upgraded to business class, but only him and asks if that is okay.” The wife immediately replied, “No, we are on our honeymoon and would like to stay together”, however, her husband interjected, saying, “No it’s fine, I’ll go to business class.” Approximately 500 of her hard earned points went to his upgrade, while she was left alone in economy for the trip. Stunned by his response, she said: “I look at him in complete shock and he tells me that I fly all the time and have been in business class before, but he hasn’t. So he deserves a chance to experience it. “I see we are holding up the line, so I feel like I just need to agree and get on the plane. “To say I am p***ed off is an understatement.” After boarding the flight, the woman became overcome with emotion over her new husband’s actions. “Within maybe five to 10 minutes of sitting there, trying to hold back tears because my husband left me alone on our flight during our honeymoon — and use my points for his upgrade no less, he starts to text me saying he feels anxiety over flying.” Instead of expressing sympathy, she decided to ignore his texts. “I stopped looking at my phone,” the wife said. Just one hour into the flight, her husband began looking for her in economy class. “He comes to the back of the plane to find me, offers me half of his business class breakfast and asks me why I was ignoring him... because he was scared and needed me to tell him it’d be okay since I am such an experienced flyer,” she explained. “I told him maybe he should have thought about that before leaving me alone before our honeymoon even really began.” “He gets angry, tells me that this may be the only time he gets to fly business class and he was giving me half his breakfast to make up for it so I could at least be supportive of his genuine fear.” When they landed in Mexico, she tried to just “move on and forget” about what her husband did so they could enjoy their honeymoon. “But he guilt tripped me about not comforting him via text before take off and now I am wondering if I am being unreasonable and should have just let him enjoy his time in business class and assure him it’d be okay?” she wondered. She asked the internet whether she was being the a**hole for not being supportive of her husband. Many jumped to the wife’s defence, with one suggesting, “Definitely not the a**hole. Tell your husband actions have consequences and since he wanted to be in business class without you, he gets to fly without you. The fact he did this on your honeymoon trip just makes it worse.” Image credits: Getty Images

Travel Trouble

Flight cancelled after parents demand free upgrade for their child

A flight was delayed for hours before being ultimately cancelled after two parents demanded that their child was upgraded to first class for free. A plane in China was grounded for three hours after the parents caused a ruckus with the cabin crew, and were eventually kicked off the aircraft. According to a fellow passenger, the argument kicked off when an unsupervised child began to sob uncontrollably after boarding a flight from Chengdu to Beijing. As it turned out, the inconsolable toddler’s parents were seated in first class but had only bought their child an economy ticket. It was then that the angry dad confronted the staff, demanding that his son be moved to first class at no extra cost. According to the South China Morning Post, the irate dad explained that because he had already paid for two first class tickets, his child’s upgrade should be free. In the clip shot by a fellow passenger, the outraged dad began berating a group of passengers, crew members, and security guards as they repeatedly explained why his child isn’t entitled to an upgrade. “Stop swearing at me,” fumed the father. “You have no right to do that.” When a security guard attempts to de-escalate the situation, the parent lays into him, shouting: “What gives you the right to order me about?” This prompts a woman to retort: “You’ve wasted too much of our time and we won’t tolerate it any longer.” After three hours of back and forth, the couple were eventually kicked off the plane, while the flight was cancelled. The entitled passenger has since been rinsed on social media with one commenter fuming, “This man is so selfish.” Others suggested solutions for the father that didn’t involve the airline giving the man an extra first-class seat. “He can switch seats,” advised one person. “Let him sit in economy class, and have the mum take care of the child in the first-class cabin.” Some on social media were quick to chastise the airline for their handling of the situation, with one person writing, “Keeping the quarrel going for hours? The problem-solving skills of the crew are poor.” Image credits: Twitter

Travel Trouble

Eye-watering price tag for "remarkable" first class Titanic menu

A first class dinner menu from the Titanic has been found and sold at an auction in England for £84,000 (around $162,000 AUD) on November 11. The water-stained menu was dated April 11, 1912 just three days before the ship hit an iceberg, ultimately meeting it's ill-fated end causing over 1500 deaths. Wealthy passengers at the time were spoiled with choice, with oysters, salmon, beef, squab (baby pigeon), spring lamb among other dishes on the menu, and that's not including dessert. Auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son said it was unclear how the menu made it off the ship intact, but the slight water damage suggests that it was recovered from the body of a victim. The rare artefact, which is over 111 years old belonged to amateur historian Len Stephenson, from Nova Scotia, Canada, who passed away in 2017. No one knew he had it, including his family, who only discovered it after going through his belongings following his death. “About six months ago his daughter and his son-in-law, Allen, felt the time was right to go through his belongings,” auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said. “As they did they found this menu in an old photo album. “Len was a very well thought-of historian in Nova Scotia which has strong connections with the Titanic. The body recovery ships were from Nova Scotia and so all the victims were taken back there. “Sadly, Len has taken the secret of how he acquired this menu to the grave with him.” Stephenson worked at a post office and would talk to people, collect old pictures and write letters for them, which might be how he got the rare artefact. According to the auctioneer, no other first class dinner menus dated April 11, 1912 have been recovered from the titanic making this “a remarkable survivor from the most famous Ocean liner of all time”. “There are a handful of April 14 menus in existence but you just don’t see menus from April 11. Most of them would have gone down with the ship,” Aldridge said. “Whereas with April 14 menus, passengers would have still had them in their coat and jacket pockets from earlier on that fateful night and still had them when they were taken off the ship," he added. A few other items recovered from the Titanic were also sold, including a Swiss-made pocket watch recovered from passenger Sinai Kantor which fetched £97,000 (around $187,000 AUD). A tartan-patterned deck blanket, which was likely used during the rescue operation also sold for £96,000 (around $185,000). Images: Henry Aldridge & Son of Devizes, Wiltshire

Cruising

"You've been bumped": Vietnam vet slams Qantas for booting him from business class

Qantas has come under fire for booting a Vietnam war veteran from his paid seat in business class so that a young Qantas "tech" – later revealed to be a pilot – could travel in the luxury seat in his place. Stephen Jones, 78, and his wife were travelling home to Adelaide after a holiday in Christchurch. Their flight was passing through Melbourne on its way to their home in Adelaide, and the pair were enjoying coffee in the Melbourne airport lounge – just 30 minutes before they were set to continue their journey – when they were given the bad news by Qantas staff. "I went up to the desk and the Qantas employee there said, 'I've got some bad news for you, you've been bumped'," Mr Jones told Melbourne’s <a href="https://www.3aw.com.au/vietnam-war-veteran-booted-from-business-class-for-younger-qantas-employee/">3AW</a> radio program with Ross & Russ. "It didn't register at first," continued Mr Jones. "I wasn't quite sure what 'bumped' meant... I said, 'What?', and she said, 'Yes, I'll have to re-issue your ticket for economy class. We have a tech who's flying to Adelaide and his contract states that he must fly Business Class." Mr Jones then explained that while he retreated to his economy seat, the Qantas employee was seated next to his wife up in business class, and that "he wouldn't even look at her". Mr Jones went on to explain that, after filing a letter of complaint, he was offered 5000 Frequent Flyer points in return for the downgrade and an apology. Mr Jones, who served in Vietnam in a combat unit in the 1960s, claimed he turned down the offer of 5000 points, saying, “I don’t think anything is going to change until there’s ramifications for Qantas, or costs for Qantas when they upset their customers.” Justin Lawrence, Partner at Henderson Ball Lawyers, later told the 3AW radio show hosts that there’s little customers can do about such a move by the airline and said it was “standard operating procedure”. “Unfortunately, their terms of carriage allow them to do this sort of thing – this happens so often they’ve actually got a term for it, buckle up, they call this 'involuntary downgrading,'” he said. “They’ll overprescribe business class or first class, they will need to bump someone out, and they’ll do it almost immediately prior to the flight – not just Qantas, they all do it." “Any time you go to a travel agent or online to Qantas to buy a seat, and we think we’re buying a seat in a particular class, there are no guarantees that when that plane takes off, you’ll be sitting in that class.” Mr Jones said he understood that Qantas pilots were entitled to rest comfortably on their way to another flight, but the ordeal was “unsettling and made me a little irritable”. Image credits: Getty Images

Travel Trouble

Qantas slapped with class action lawsuit

Qantas is staring down the barrel of a class action lawsuit, after being accused of prioritising its financial interests over its contractual commitments to customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The legal action was initiated on Monday August 21 in response to the airline's failure to provide refunds totalling more than a billion dollars to its customers. Echo Law, the plaintiff firm, contends that Qantas deceived customers and essentially held their funds, effectively treating them as interest-free loans. Andrew Paull, a partner at Echo Law, asserts that Qantas acted unlawfully by introducing a flight credit program in response to border closures caused by the pandemic. Instead of promptly refunding customers for cancelled flights, the airline, in numerous instances, retained the funds for an extended period to bolster its financial performance. Paull notes that Qantas' own terms and conditions stipulate refunds when cancellations occur outside their control. He points out that the magnitude of the claim has grown due to Qantas' prolonged inaction in addressing these issues. The class action is not only aiming to secure redress for pending refunds but also seeks compensation for delayed reimbursements. Paull alleges that Qantas has been "unjustly enriched" by withholding money owed to its customers. He equates the interest accrued on these retained funds over the past three years to a substantial sum. This legal action marks the latest episode in a series of challenges faced by Australia's largest airline due to the pandemic's far-reaching repercussions, which severely disrupted its operations. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has expressed concern and pressured the company to simplify the refund process following a surge in customer complaints. Consumer advocates have also criticised Qantas for delays in refunding customers. Choice, a consumer advocacy group, even bestowed a "shonky award" upon Qantas due to reports of customers using credits being required to pay extra. Paull estimates that approximately $400 million in refunds remains outstanding to date. He asserts that Qantas prioritised safeguarding its financial position over honouring its commitments to customers during the pandemic, potentially misleading customers by presenting the travel credits as acts of goodwill rather than a fulfilment of contractual obligations. Responding to the lawsuit, a Qantas spokesperson stated on Monday that the airline had not yet received the lawsuit. The spokesperson categorically rejected the allegations, asserting that Qantas had already processed over $1 billion in refunds arising from COVID-19-related credits for customers impacted by lockdowns and border closures. Moreover, the spokesperson refuted claims that Qantas derived financial gains from delaying refund disbursements, highlighting the substantial revenue loss of $25 billion and $7 billion in losses due to the pandemic. (Qantas has subsequently repaid significant portions of its pandemic debts and recently reported substantial profits after receiving substantial financial support from taxpayers during the pandemic period.) Qantas also dismissed allegations of delayed refund payments to affected customers. The spokesperson emphasised that the airline has consistently communicated the refund process to customers when flights were canceled. However, Paull contends that Qantas has created formidable barriers for customers seeking to exercise their consumer rights, including unfulfilled promises of callbacks and refunds that were granted but never processed.

Legal

Can’t afford a gym membership or fitness class? 3 things to include in a DIY exercise program

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lewis-ingram-1427671">Lewis Ingram</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-bennett-1053061">Hunter Bennett</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saravana-kumar-181105">Saravana Kumar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> With the rising cost of living, gyms memberships and fitness classes are becoming increasingly unaffordable. But the good news is you can make <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28655559/">just as much progress at home</a>. Cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and flexibility are the <a href="https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/publications-files/acsms-exercise-testing-prescription.pdf?sfvrsn=111e9306_4">most important</a> components of fitness. And each can be trained with little or no equipment. Let’s look at why – and how – to fit them into your DIY exercise program. <h2>1. Cardiovascular endurance</h2> Cardiovascular endurance exercise (or “cardio”) forces the heart and lungs to increase the supply of oxygen to the working muscles. Heart disease is a <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death">leading cause of death</a> and cardiovascular endurance exercise helps keep the heart healthy. The best thing about cardio is you don’t need any fancy equipment to do it. Walking, jogging and running are great options, as are cycling, skipping rope and swimming. There are two approaches to maximise cardiovascular endurance: <ul> <li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8897392/">high-intensity interval training</a> (HIIT) – short bouts of hard exercise (around 80% to 95% of your maximum heart rate) interspersed with lower intensity recovery periods (around 40% to 50% of your maximum heart rate) </li> <li> <a href="http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26664271/">low-intensity steady-state</a> (LISS) exercise – aerobic activity performed continuously at a low-to-moderate intensity (around 50% to 65% of your maximum heart rate) for an extended duration. </li> </ul> Both are great options. While high-intensity interval training can be more time efficient, low-intensity steady-state training might be more enjoyable and easier to sustain long-term. No matter what you choose, <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">aim for</a> a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardiovascular exercise each week. For example, you could try 30 minutes, five days per week of low intensity cardio, or 25 minutes, three days per week of high-intensity activity, or a combination of the two. How do you know if you’re exercising at the right intensity? Smart watches that measure heart rate can help to monitor intensity. Or you can rely on the good old-fashioned <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25536539/">talk test</a>. During low-intensity activity, you should be able to speak in full sentences. Conversely, short phrases (initially) or single words (towards the end) should be all that’s manageable during high-intensity exercise. <h2>2. Muscle strength</h2> Next is muscle strength, which we train through resistance exercise. This is important for bone health, balance and metabolic health, especially as we age and our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30276173/">muscle mass and strength declines</a>. Aim for two days per week of whole-body resistance exercise performed at a moderate or <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">greater intensity</a>. Try to build two weekly sessions that target the major muscle groups. This could include: <ul> <li>squats – lower to the ground from standing by bending the hips, knees, and ankles while keeping the chest up tall before returning to standing by straightening the hips, knees and ankles</li> </ul> <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.physio-pedia.com/Hip_Hinge">hinges</a> – fold forward at the hips by pushing your bottom back to the wall behind you, keeping your back straight. A slight bend in the knees is fine but aim to keep your shins vertical </li> <li> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7196742/">push-ups</a> – if a full push-up is too difficult, you can place your hands on a raised surface such as a step or a chair </li> <li> horizontal and vertical pull ups – using something like a portable chin up bar, which you can buy from sports supply stores </li> <li> vertical pushes – pushing an object (or weight) vertically from the top of your chest to an overhead position. </li> </ul> Once you have selected your exercises, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35873210/">perform</a> 2–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions at a moderate to greater intensity, with about 90 seconds rest between each set. As you progress, continue to challenge your muscles by adding an extra set to each exercise, or including dumbbells, changing body position or wearing a backpack with weights. The goal should be to progress slightly each session. However, if you have any underlying health conditions, disabilities, or are unsure how best to do this, see an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist. <h2>3. Flexibility</h2> Improved flexibility can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/">increase your range of motion</a> and improve your ability to manage daily life. While we don’t know the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/">best means of increasing flexibility</a>, the most basic and readily accessible is static <a href="https://www.topendsports.com/testing/flex.htm">stretching</a>. Here, we lengthen the muscle – for example, the hamstrings, until we feel a “stretching” sensation. Hold that position for 15–30 seconds. While the precise intensity of this stretching sensation <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26347668/">remains elusive</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29506306/">around 5–10 minutes</a> per week per <a href="https://exrx.net/Lists/Directory">muscle group</a>, spread across five days, seems to provide the best results. <h2>How to stick with it?</h2> The best exercise is the one that gets done. So, whatever you choose, make sure you enjoy it. After all, it’s about creating an ongoing commitment to exercise that will deliver long-term health benefits. It’s also important to ensure you’re ready to exercise, especially if you have any underlying health issues, have been previously inactive, or are unsure how to start. A <a href="https://www.ausactive.org.au/apss">pre-exercise screening</a> can help you to determine whether you should see a doctor or allied health professional before starting an exercise program and for guidance on the next steps. <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/206204/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lewis-ingram-1427671">Lewis Ingram</a>, Lecturer in Physiotherapy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-bennett-1053061">Hunter Bennett</a>, Lecturer in Exercise Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saravana-kumar-181105">Saravana Kumar</a>, Professor in Allied Health and Health Services Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cant-afford-a-gym-membership-or-fitness-class-3-things-to-include-in-a-diy-exercise-program-206204">original article</a>.

Body

How much one man paid to fly First Class forever

One man grabbed the opportunity of a lifetime back in 1990 and is now reaping the benefits of his hard work. 69-year-old Tom Stuker who was a car dealership consultant at that time, paid an eye watering $US510,000 — $A770,000 for United Airlines lifetime pass to passengers. The married father of two described this as “the best investment” he’s made and has taken full advantage of his lavish first class travel perks in seat 1B. Stuker has flown a total of 23 million miles according to the Washington Post, with 2019 being his record year where he flew 373 flights covering 1.46 million miles. If converted to cash, those flights would have cost him $2.44 million. Among the unlimited travel miles, Stuker is also treated like a VIP, with a special check-in station that has a door which takes him straight to the security queue. He also has access to VIP airport lounges with free fine dining, spa treatments, showers and sleeping quarters. In 2011 Stuker hit the 10 million mile mark which prompted the airline to name a 747 after him. In 2019 he hit the 20 million mile mark which he celebrated mid-air with a champagne toast that he shared with other passengers aboard the same flight. Stuker remained humble as he talked with all the other passengers and even topped up their glass of bubbles as they congratulated him on this milestone. “It’s not about the places I go, it’s about the people I meet,” he said to the passengers via the plane's intercom. “I wanted to say thank you to all of you who shared this moment with me,” Stuker continued. “To be able to celebrate 20 million on my favourite airline in the whole world, it’s everything.” Stuker initially found out about the lifetime pass when his colleague told him American Airlines was offering it. He then approached United airlines and said: “ ‘you’re going to lose me as a customer’ and they said ‘we have the same thing’,” he told Chicago-based TV station WGN News. Sadly, for others who want to follow in his footsteps that offer doesn’t exist anymore, but there are still similar passes available, Stuker said. “They came out to my office, they presented it and I did the number crunching and made a really good business decision because that’s what I bought the pass for — to save money on my business travel. “They still have programs that do that, just not the unlimited.” It’s been 33 years and Stuker still spends most of his time flying, unable to stay off a plane for more than a week. He has travelled to over 100 countries using his unlimited United pass and is generous enough to share this experience with his wife, taking her on over 120 “honeymoons”. Image: Instagram

International Travel

"Too busy marching": Debate rages over fiery Anzac Day post

A man has shared a controversial claim on Twitter about Australia’s relationship to Anzac Day, sparking a fiery debate. Australians and New Zealanders gathered to commemorate the 108th anniversary of the landing of Anzac troops at Gallipoli in World War I on April 25th. Services were held all over both countries to mark the day of remembrance. On May 34th, Brad Turner, who says he is a former Navy submariner and AFP officer, took to Twitter to argue that the values of the annual celebration were “no longer reflected” by Australia. He notably called out Australia’s confrontation with China on behalf of the US. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Australia is a society that dutifully gets up early every April 25 to gather, Mach & remember our Dead. Speeches are made, politicians speak of sacrifice & honour whilst possessing or embodying neither. That same society that holds paramount ideals of egalitarianism, mateship &… <a href="https://t.co/sbHHbRiYAF">pic.twitter.com/sbHHbRiYAF</a> — Brad Turner (@tur14865416) <a href="https://twitter.com/tur14865416/status/1650394428841037826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2023</a></blockquote> “Australia is a society that dutifully gets up early every April 25 to gather, march and remember our dead,” he wrote in the post, which has been viewed more than 20,000 times. “Speeches are made, politicians speak of sacrifice and honour whilst possessing or embodying neither. That same society that holds paramount ideals of egalitarianism, mateship and sacrifice is forgotten on the other 364 days of the year. “On those days Australia marches right past veteran suicides, war crimes, illegal wars and widespread inequality and corruption. Is it really a day of remembrance? Or is it theatrics so society can pretend they care about victims of war or our conduct as a country with an aim to feel better about apathy and inaction as a nation towards these things. “We don’t notice any of these things because we are too busy marching. But this time it’s headlong into another pointless American war with China. The things we celebrate about our nation on Anzac Day are sadly no longer reflected in Australia’s actions. They have not been in some time.” Several people online took the same stance as Mr Turner. “I don’t like Anzac Day. It overlooks our follies in joining Britain and US wars. WWII was noble. The rest were con jobs to enrich the industrialists. Our people have all these solemn events only to assuage their ‘je ne c’est quoi’ because they don’t feel any guilt but should,” one wrote. “Our politicians spend more on memorial monuments and museums that they can put their name on a plaque on the wall than they do for the actual veterans who are suffering from PTSD or other ‘souvenirs’ they have brought back from their tours,” another said. “Flag waving patriotism has taken over Anzac Day. We are one step away from parades of military hardware while the populace salute. What should be a reflection on the horrors of war has become it‘s celebration. John Howard did this,” a third added. “Listening to the Labor government yesterday follow in the footsteps of the Coalition, justifying spending billions antagonising China at America’s request is not the ‘lest we forget’ I think about,” a fourth wrote. Others fired back and said Anzac Day was still important. “Mate … it’s about remembering the sacrifice and loss of our mates … lest we forget,” one wrote, adding, “I don’t worry about [politicians] anymore grandstanding on the day. It’s our day not theirs to remember our mates.” Another wrote, “It is tradition. It separates the fluff of ordinary living to reflect on sacrifice not only of the dead, of lives unlived, of the unfathomable grief but also of the living dealing with the trauma and moral injury of tooth and claw war. It is not a celebration which distracts.” “I understand this perspective, but at the same time I ask myself — is there any harm in this form national reflection? I agree there have been some military follies following the absolute necessity of WWII, but would add that there is no guarantee that the next engagement is such,” a third wrote. Image credit: Shutterstock

News

Rod Stewart's ultimate surprise for like-minded hobbyists

Rod Stewart has paid a surprise visit to a local business in Sydney's west, mingling with like-minded hobbyists. On Wednesday night, the 78-year-old rockstar took to the stage of Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena in front of 21,000 adoring fans, performing his classic hits in a signature leopard print jacket. But just hours before, he stopped in at Woodpecker Model Railways, a model train store located in Pendle Hill, in search of model trains to add to his vast collection. "Look who casually walked into our shop," the business shared on their Facebook page, alongside a photo of staff members smiling with the rock legend. <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwoodpeckermodelrailways%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0Nfb2LeEtR5yXAcfCiBW8g4GVLqncdVbNz9AKJnZVwFzB345DUXMDt3C6ZvcGpReyl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="504" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> "That's amazing!!!" one follower wrote on Facebook. "WOW how awesome !! Lucky you !!I think I would be in total admiration [and] shock if Rod walked into a shop I owned or was in lol," another said. "A very accomplished modeller..... sings a bit as well....." another wrote. Rod Stewart has long been known as a <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/property/real-estate/rod-stewart-s-hidden-track-inside-his-beverly-hills-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">keen model train builder</a>, revealing in a 2019 interview with Railway Modeller magazine that he had been working on a giant and intricate model of a United States city at home for the previous 23 years. Following his admission in the interview, BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine suggested Stewart did not build the model himself, to which Stewart rebutted as he called into Vine's show to set the record straight himself. "I would say 90 per cent of it I built myself," Stewart insisted to Vine. "The only thing I wasn't very good at and still am not is the electricals, so I had someone else do that." "A lot of people laugh at it being a silly hobby, but it's a wonderful hobby," he said. Image credits: Facebook

Music

Salon owner loses $40,000 from one $60 deposit

When beautician Thuy Le received a call from a supposed customer’s ‘husband’ regarding an accidental payment, she could never have foreseen the devastating turn her life would take from that point on. The mother of two, whose husband is living with Parkinsons and unable to work, recounted how her harrowing ordeal started with that one phone call, and the man on the other end requesting she return the $60 his wife had ‘accidentally’ paid. Le checked her bank statements to verify his story, and after noting one deposit that matched, she transferred the funds into the account he provided. She did not provide any of her own personal information, her passwords, or any critical numbers for her accounts. And yet, in the time to follow, Le could only watch in horror as more withdrawals were made from her account, into the very same one owned by the customer’s ‘husband’. The withdrawals totalled a devastating $41,600 stolen from Le’s life savings. Le also recounted how she was refused access to her business account, and that she got in touch with her bank as soon as she realised what had happened, suspecting she had been scammed. Her quest for support in her time of need was cut short, with the financial institution placing the blame solely on Le and ruling that they were not liable for the losses she had endured - this was despite the suspicious withdrawals raising no alarm with the bank, and the lack of personal information involved in the scam. Of their questionable red flag system, the bank claimed that it is “nearly impossible for an unauthorised third party to guess”, referencing the way that the logins for the costly transaction all succeeded on the very first try. Furthermore, as stated in a letter to Le, they declared that “the only reasonable explanation for these logins would be that your online banking credentials were known to the unauthorised third party, which would be in breach of the passcode security requirements.” “I am in financial hardship,” Le admitted of her dire situation, and the need to have the funds returned for her family and her husband’s crucial medication. “I have two little kids, I have a husband with Parkinson’s disease, he cannot work,” she continued. “We are still in the process of applying for government help and I have carried the financial burden on my shoulders.” While Le’s bank offered $200 to resolve her complaint, she was offered no further assistance, and took matters to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, hoping to have her money returned to her. “I can’t sleep,” she confessed. “I want to know why this happened to me and how it happened to me. “I’m not a liar, not a criminal, not a fraud.” Images: Supplied to 7News, Facebook

Money & Banking

Let’s dance! How dance classes can lift your mood and help boost your social life

If your new year’s resolutions include getting healthier, exercising more and lifting your mood, dance might be for you. By dance, we don’t mean watching other people dance on TikTok, as much fun as this can be. We mean taking a dance class, or even better, a few. A growing body of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17482631.2020.1732526">research shows</a> the benefits of dance, regardless of the type (for example, classes or social dancing) or the style (hip hop, ballroom, ballet). Dance boosts our wellbeing as it improves our emotional and physical health, makes us feel less stressed and more socially connected. Here’s what to consider if you think dance might be for you. <h2>The benefits of dance</h2> Dance is <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1077800417745919">an engaging and fun</a> way of exercising, learning and meeting people. A review of the evidence <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17482631.2020.1732526">shows</a> taking part in dance classes or dancing socially improves your health and wellbeing regardless of your age, gender or fitness. Another review focuses more specifically on benefits of dance across the lifespan. It <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2021.1950891">shows</a> dance classes and dancing socially at any age improves participants’ sense of self, confidence and creativity. Researchers have also looked at specific dance programs. One UK-based dance program for young people aged 14 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14647893.2011.561306">shows</a> one class a week for three months increased students’ fitness level and self-esteem. This was due to a combination of factors including physical exercise, a stimulating learning environment, positive engagement with peers, and creativity. Another community-based program for adults in hospital <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2020.1725072">shows</a> weekly dance sessions led to positive feelings, enriches social engagement and reduced stress related to being in hospital. If you want to know how much dance is needed to develop some of these positive effects, we have good news for you. A useful hint comes from a <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-2672-7">study</a> that looked exactly at how much creative or arts engagement is needed for good mental health – 100 or more hours a year, or two or more hours a week, in most cases. <h2>Dance is social</h2> But dance is more than physical activity. It is also a community ritual. Humans have <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/223398">always danced</a>. We still do so to mark and celebrate transitory periods in life. Think of how weddings prompt non-dancers to move rhythmically to music. Some cultures dance to celebrate childbirth. Many dance to celebrate religious and cultural holidays. This is what inspired French sociologist <a href="https://iep.utm.edu/emile-durkheim/">Emile Durkheim</a> (1858-1917) to explore how dance affects societies and cultures. Durkheim <a href="https://archive.org/search?query=external-identifier%3A%22urn%3Aoclc%3Arecord%3A689172179%22">saw</a> collective dance as a societal glue – a social practice that cultivates what he called “collective effervescence”, a feeling of dynamism, vitality and community. He observed how dance held cultures together by creating communal feelings that were difficult to cultivate otherwise, for example a feeling of uplifting togetherness or powerful unity. It’s that uplifting feeling you might experience when dancing at a concert and even for a brief moment forgetting yourself while moving in synchrony with the rest of the crowd. Synchronous <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/529447">collective activities</a>, such as dance, provide a pleasurable way to foster social bonding. This is due to feelings Durkheim noticed that we now know as transcendental emotions – such as joy, awe and temporary dissolution of a sense of self (“losing yourself”). These can lead to feeling a part of something bigger than ourselves and help us experience social connectedness. For those of us still experiencing social anxiety or feelings of loneliness due to the COVID pandemic, dance can be a way of (re)building social connections and belonging. Whether you join an online dance program and invite a few friends, go to an in-person dance class, or go to a concert or dance club, dance can give temporary respite from the everyday and help lift your mood. <h2>Keen to try out dance?</h2> Here’s what to consider: <ul> <li> if you have not exercised for a while, start with a program tailored to beginners or the specific fitness level that suits you </li> <li> if you have physical injuries, check in with your GP first </li> <li> if public dance classes are unappealing, consider joining an online dance program, or going to a dance-friendly venue or concert </li> <li> to make the most of social aspect of dance, invite your friends and family to join you </li> <li> social dance classes are a better choice for meeting new people </li> <li> beginner performance dance classes will improve your physical health, dance skills and self-esteem </li> <li> most importantly, remember, it is not so much about how good your dancing is, dance is more about joy, fun and social connectedness. </li> </ul> In the words of one participant in our (yet-to-be published) research on dance and wellbeing, dance for adults is a rare gateway into fun, "there’s so much joy, there’s so much play in dancing. And play isn’t always that easy to access as an adult; and yet, it’s just such a joyful experience. I feel so happy to be able to dance." Images: Getty <em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/lets-dance-how-dance-classes-can-lift-your-mood-and-help-boost-your-social-life-197692" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Body

Just 25% of businesses are insured against cyber attacks. Here’s why

In the past financial year, the Australian Cyber Security Centre received <a href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/reports-and-statistics/acsc-annual-cyber-threat-report-july-2021-june-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">76,000 cyber-crime reports</a> – on average, one every seven minutes. The year before, it was a report every eight minutes. The year before that, every ten minutes. The growth of cyber crime means it is now arguably the <a href="https://www.aon.com/2021-global-risk-management-survey/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top risk facing any business</a> with an online presence. One successful cyber attack is all it takes to ruin an organisation’s reputation and bottom line. The estimated cost to the Australian economy in <a href="https://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/newsroom/news/cybercrime-estimated-42-billion-cost-australian-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 was $42 billion</a>. To protect itself (and its customers), a business has three main options. It can limit the amount of sensitive data it stores. It can take greater care to protect the data it does store. And it can insure itself against the consequences of a cyber attack. Cyber-insurance is a broad term for insurance policies that address losses as a result of a computer-based attack or malfunction of a firm’s information technology systems. This can include costs associated with business interruptions, responding to the incident and paying relevant fines and penalties. The global cyber-insurance market is now worth an estimated US$9 billion (A$13.9 billion). It is tipped to grow to <a href="https://www.munichre.com/content/dam/munichre/contentlounge/website-pieces/documents/MunichRe-Topics-Cyber-Whitepaper-2022.pdf/_jcr_content/renditions/original./MunichRe-Topics-Cyber-Whitepaper-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US$22 billion by 2025</a>. But a big part of this growth reflects escalating premium costs – in Australia they increased more <a href="https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/au/news/cyber/whats-driving-up-cyber-insurance-premiums-in-australia-417542.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">than 80% in 2021</a> – rather than more business taking up insurance. So coverage rates are growing slowly, with about 75% of all businesses in Australia having no cyber-insurance, according to 2021 figures from the <a href="https://insurancecouncil.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cyber-Insurance_March2022-final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insurance Council of Australia</a>. Challenges in pricing cyber-insurance</p With cyber-insurance still in its infancy, insurers face significant complexities in quantifying cyber risk pricing premiums accordingly – high enough for the insurers not to lose money, but as competitive as possible to encourage greater uptake. A 2018 assessment of the cyber-insurance market by the <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/20_0210_cisa_oce_cyber_insurance_market_assessment.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency</a> identified three major challenges: lack of data, methodological limitations, and lack of information sharing. Lack of historical loss data means insurers are hampered in accurately predicting risks and costs. Because of the relative newness of cyber crime, many insurers use risk-assessment methodologies derived from more established insurance markets <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP67850.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">such as for car, house and contents</a>. These markets, however, are not analogous to cyber crime. Companies may be hesitant to disclose information about cyber incidents, unless required to do so. Insurance carriers are reluctant to share data pertaining to damage and claims. This makes it hard to create effective risk models that can calculate and predict the likelihood and cost of future incidents. So what needs to be done? Deakin University’s <a href="https://cybercentre.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation</a> has been working with insurance companies to understand what must be done to improve premium and risks models pertaining to cyber insurance. Here is what we have found so far. First, greater transparency is needed around cyber-related incidents and insurance to help remedy the lack of data and information sharing. The federal government has taken two steps in the right direction on this. One is the <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/focus-areas/consumer-data-right-cdr-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consumer Data Right</a>, which provides guidelines on how service providers must share data about customers. This came into effect in mid-2021. The other is the government’s proposal to amend <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r6940" target="_blank" rel="noopener">privacy legislation</a> to increase penalties for breaches and give the Privacy Commissioner new powers. Second, insurers must find better ways to measure the financial value and worth of the data that organisations hold. The primary asset covered by cyber insurance is the data itself. But there is no concrete measure of how that data is worth. The recent Optus and Medibank Private data breaches provide clear examples. The Optus event affected millions more people than the Medibank Private hack, but the Medibank Private data includes <a href="https://www.afr.com/technology/privacy-fallout-from-medibank-hack-will-be-widespread-20221023-p5bs75" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sensitive medical data</a> that, in principle, is worth far more than data regarding just your personal identity. Without an accurate way to measure the financial value of data, it is difficult to determine the appropriate premium costs and coverage. Cyber insurance is a new, specialised market with significant uncertainty. Given the ever-increasing risks to individuals, organisations and society, it is imperative that insurers develop robust and reliable risk-based models as soon as possible. This will require a consolidated effort between cyber-security experts, accountants and actuaries, insurance professionals and policymakers.<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/193533/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Writen by Jongkil Jay Jeong and Robin Doss. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/just-25-of-businesses-are-insured-against-cyber-attacks-heres-why-193533" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

“I am not a villain”: Woman refuses to switch plane seats for a family

A woman from the US has defended her decision to not move from her first class plane seat so a family could sit together. In a series of now-viral videos, Maresa Friedman detailed her awkward experience on a recent Delta airlines flight, in which she was asked to move to a different seat. Maresa said a family of three wanted her to move from her allocated seat so they could all sit closer together. After specifically booking her chosen seat in first class, Maresa politely declined their request. "I am not a villain for not moving from the seat in first class I paid full fare for," Friedman, a mother-of-two, captured her clip on TikTok. "I am also a mum so it's called PLANNING AHEAD." In a series of follow up videos, the frequent traveller said it wasn’t fair to be expected to move just so the family could sit together, especially when they hadn’t planned their seats ahead of time. She also suggested the family should’ve moved to economy class if they all wanted to sit in the same row. "If the airline bumps you or moves you or whatever, totally fair, so the suggestion I gave was basically like, ‘Oh if all of you want to sit in together, in a row, since first class is two seats and two seats, I'm sure you could ask the people behind you, I think they would be super pumped to sit [in first class] so that the three of you could be together'," Friedman said. "To which, of course, I just got 'the look'. The flight attendant just looked at me like… 'That was a good suggestion'." Friedman said the family shot her "side eyes" and "death stares" for the duration of the flight because of her refusal to move. "It didn't stop this mom from [giving me] side eye, I was getting looked at, she was talking about me," she added. "If you book with the airline, because this has happened to us as a family of four who travels together, they will group your reservation together. So, the only time that you might be separated is if you miss a flight or a connection." She then offered a piece of advice to fellow travellers who insist on asking people to switch seats: purchase travel insurance. "Things like travel insurance will not only prevent problems like this, you can actually use travel insurance to file claims to get many back or rebook on another carrier," she added. "So again, all preventable." After sharing her series of videos, Maresa was flooded with comments from people who claimed she was being unfair, to which she doubled down on her position by claiming it’s not her responsibility to “accommodate '' other travellers. "Before you come for me, I have two kids, so I have been there, even in the early stages and I would buy my baby a seat next to me, but when you book with the airlines, you have to tell them to book your reservations together and that you're travelling with a minor," she continued. Friedman added, "And by the way, the few times that I did switch seats in my lifetime, it was horrific, never again." Image credits: TikTok

Travel Tips

Loretta Lynn was more than a great songwriter – she was a spokeswoman for white rural working-class women

Loretta Lynn’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/04/arts/music/loretta-lynn-dead.html">death at the age of 90</a> marks the end of a remarkable life of achievement in country music. Her dramatic life story – retold in the 1980 award-winning film “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080549/">Coal Miner’s Daughter</a>,” based on <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/loretta-lynn/coal-miners-daughter/9781538701690/">Lynn’s 1976 biography</a> – made Lynn a household name. She grew up in poverty in a small Kentucky mining town, marrying and starting a family as a teenager before reaching unprecedented heights of commercial success as a recording artist of modern country music. But as a <a href="https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/music/faculty/faculty-directory.host.html/content/shared/arts-sciences/music/new-faculty-profiles/vander-wel-stephanie.html">scholar of gender and country music</a> and author of “<a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p084959">Hillbilly Maidens, Okies, and Cowgirls: Women’s Country Music, 1930-1960</a>,” I know that Lynn represented more than just star power and fame in country music – she spoke to the concerns of women, especially white working-class women in rural and suburban America. <h2>Speaking up, singing out</h2> Lynn’s rise in the 1960s took place when country music appeared tied to conservative politics. It was a time when Merle Haggard’s “<a href="https://academic.oup.com/california-scholarship-online/book/28551/chapter-abstract/238414028?redirectedFrom=fulltext">Okie from Muskogee</a>,” with its attacks on counterculture, marijuana and draft-card burning, became a populist anthem for the country’s cultural conservatives. In contrast, Lynn’s songwriting continued the legacy of <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-kitty-wells-20120717-story.html">Kitty Wells</a>, <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/09/25/country-music-hall-famer-jean-shepard-dead-82/76568704/">Jean Shepard</a> and other women in country music who were willing to speak up about the concerns of American women. Lynn’s songs defied societal expectations by connecting her musical representations of working-class and rural women to broader social issues affecting women across the U.S. She aimed for her music to articulate the fears, dreams and anger of women living in a patriarchal society. It railed against those who idealized women’s domestic roles and demonized outspoken feminists. <h2>‘There’s gonna be some changes’</h2> Specifically, for a generation of predominantly white women in the 1960s and 1970s who did not identify as urban or college-educated feminists, Lynn’s music offered candid conversations about their private lives as wives and mothers. As Lynn <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/loretta-lynn/coal-miners-daughter/9781538701690/">stated in her autobiography</a>, her audience recognized her as a “mother and a wife and a daughter, who had feelings just like other women.” She did this through clever and witty songwriting and lyrical techniques that combined the vernacular of her audience with her resonant voice. Meanwhile, the song arrangements of Owen Bradley of Decca Records directed Lynn’s musical talents to a broad audience. He combined the edgier sound of honky-tonk instrumentation – electric guitars, pedal steels and fiddles – with the polish of the Nashville sound by including the smooth sounding vocal harmonies of the vocal quartet the <a href="http://www.jordanaires.net/">Jordanaires</a>, as heard in numerous country, gospel and rock ‘n’ roll recordings. This provided a sound of strength and conviction to accompany Lynn’s bold and forthright songs as she laid bare the double standards of gender roles. With her assertive and resonant voice, Lynn, in her 1966 track “<a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/loretta-lynn-best-lyrics-songwriting-175002/">Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)</a>,” warns men not to expect women to be waiting at home, sexually available for them after they’d spent the night drinking: <blockquote> Well, you thought I’d be waitin’ up when you came home last night You’d been out with all the boys and you ended up half tight Liquor and love, they just don’t mix Leave that bottle or me behind And don’t come home a drinkin’ with lovin’ on your mind </blockquote> In a similar vein, Lynn, who <a href="https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/loretta-lynn/coal-miners-daughter/9781538701690/">claimed that her songs about wayward husbands</a> were inspired by her fraught marriage to Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn, confronted the “other woman” in songs such as 1966’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough” and 1968’s “Fist City.” <h2>A lasting legacy</h2> Fully aware that her personalized accounts became political messages for her fan base of women, Lynn co-wrote and recorded “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/10/04/loretta-lynn-the-pill/">The Pill</a>” in 1975. It was a rare foray into the topic of women’s reproductive rights for country music. In typical fashion, though, Lynn approached the issue from the perspective of a rural working-class woman: <blockquote> I’m tired of all your crowin’ How you and your hens play While holdin’ a couple in my arms Another’s on the way This chicken’s done tore up her nest And I’m ready to make a deal And ya can’t afford to turn it down ‘Cause you know I’ve got the pill </blockquote> The song’s sexual innuendos about cavorting roosters and hens incorporated the double entendres and humor of early blues and country, while providing a frank discussion about female sexual pleasure. It also addressed the right for women to take control over their bodies and reproduction. The song came out just two years after <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/410/113/">the Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade</a>, granting women the ability to govern their own reproductive health through abortion. Indeed, Lynn commented on the Supreme Court’s ruling in her autobiography “Personally, I think you should prevent unwanted pregnancy rather than get an abortion. It would be wrong for me. But I’m thinking of all the poor girls who get pregnant when they don’t want to be, and how they should have a choice instead of leaving it up to some politician or doctor who don’t have to raise the baby.” Her recording “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/10/04/loretta-lynn-the-pill/">The Pill</a>” spoke to married women who wanted to be able to space out their children and prevent unwanted pregnancies so that they could pursue educational and professional opportunities. In interviews, Lynn discussed at length how female listeners flocked to her after concerts, relieved to find a public figure with whom they felt comfortable to discuss birth control. Not everyone was thrilled, though. Male country <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/after-country-stations-banned-loretta-lynns-the-pill-it-became-her-biggest-pop-hit">disc jockeys banned</a> “The Pill” from the airwaves. Nonetheless, the recording became her biggest seller in 1975 and furthered Lynn’s reputation as a spokeswoman for white rural working-class women. Her music also inspired the women in country music who followed her to further explore issues of gender roles. Lynn’s legacy lives on in the music of female country artists – such as <a href="https://www.reba.com/">Reba McEntire</a> and <a href="https://www.mirandalambert.com/">Miranda Lambert</a> – who learned from Lynn how to create music that confronts and triumphs over the societal obstacles that women face. While all of country music will mourn the death of Lynn, it is perhaps her female fans who will feel the loss more acutely. Lynn gave them a social and political voice, and helped make country music a genre relevant to the complexities of women’s lives. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/loretta-lynn-was-more-than-a-great-songwriter-she-was-a-spokeswoman-for-white-rural-working-class-women-191932" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Locals rally after 12-year-old has business shut down

A 12-year-old boy has gained the support of his local community after his snack-selling business was shut down by council. Jesse Lane was earning some tidy profits from selling cold drinks, insect repellent, dog treats and sunscreen in a tent on the Bondi to Coogee walk in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Despite his success, the venture was shut down after two locals complained that he shouldn’t be making profits on public land. The complaints came after Randwick Council rejected Jesse’s trading application because he didn’t have insurance. But even when he acquired insurance months later, the application was rejected again. With his tent stall facing a forced closure, locals have rallied around Jesse. “Jessie is the hard-working kid who sets up and sells a number of things for hot and thirsty walkers and their pets,” one person shared on Facebook. “The world needs more kids to drive to work hard for themselves and not sit around and play video games all day. “His parents must be so proud of him and people should mind their business, if the kid wants to make money and work on his weekends good on him.” Susan Ley, the deputy leader of the Liberal party, chimed in to support the youngster, saying he should be commended for “having a go”. “We won’t have the small businesses and entrepreneurs of tomorrow if we don’t back them today,” she said. “This is a foolish decision @RandwickCouncil and it should be reversed. “Local community (equals) happy, 12-year-old kid having a go … what’s the problem?” In August, Yahoo News reported that Randwick Council confirmed that there had been a “number” of complaints about Jesse’s business. "He was initially selling drinks but has expanded to include a range of products including sunscreen, insect repellent and dog treats," a council spokesperson told 2GB radio. “While we admire the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of the young man, there are restrictions on commercial operations in public parks. “Council received a number of complaints from people concerned about the precedent of commercialisation of the park as well as concern about the safety and welfare of a young boy trading and handling money in a public place.” “Council has carefully considered the application. Unfortunately, it has determined that the activity is not consistent with the primary use of the land and it is not in the public interest for a proliferation of these types of activity along the length of the coastline.” Image: 7News

Money & Banking

9 tips for starting a business

Always dreamed of starting a business? Well, there’s no better time than the present. Here’s nine tips to help get you started. Whether you’d like to take your passion for sewing, cooking or helping others further, or if you wouldn’t mind a bit of extra money in retirement, starting a business can not only keep your mind and body active, but you’ll be benefiting the wider community. The new wave of entrepreneurialism isn’t young Richard Branson types, its people in their 50s and 60s who have skills in a range of trades or activities and the time to invest in getting a business off the ground. Dr Alex Maritz, associate professor of entrepreneurship at Swinburne University of Technology, says senior entrepreneurship is a significant phenomenon across the globe. “Sixty is the new 50. People aged 50-65 have a higher rate of entrepreneurial activity than those aged 20-34, so what are you waiting for?” he says. “This is the fastest growing segment of entrepreneurship across the globe.” If you think you have what it takes to start your own business, here’s a few of Dr Maritz’s tips for getting started. 1. Make a profit from your passion A hobby to supplement your income is always first prize. Your mature skills and social aptitude drive your motivation, skills and, more importantly, the opportunity to achieve. Risk and reward are always a trade-off, but better so when you do something you enjoy doing. 2. Surround yourself with likeminded people Network with other seniorpreneurs who are also starting new ventures. Just think of all those combined skills and professional services you may obtain at mates’ rates. Even sports clubs for seniors are fantastic networking opportunities. Positive environments promote proactivity, innovation and calculated risk-taking. Network with niche organisations such as Seniors Australia. 3. Work anywhere you want Starting a business no longer necessarily requires a brick and mortar office or storefront. If you do require an office, share space at incubators and networks. Flexibility is the name of the game. Virtual offices are the domain of entrepreneurs. 4. As you grow seek help from part-timers Manage your resource cost and remember, the best human resource is usually shared. And it’s not always physical, many services are offered and procured online. Do not overcommit by hiring permanent staff. Fixed costs are dead weight! 5. Get creative if you need funding Friends and family are always a great option to top up the finances to start your business. Other options include grants, contests and crowd funding. Suppliers may well provide valuable credit terms. Use your own credit history to secure additional funds. 6. Top up your skills Upskill your entrepreneurship education and training (classes and online). This may sound cumbersome, but enhancing your business acumen pays dividends. If you go to classes, it’s a valuable networking opportunity as well. Most providers also offer online modules. 7. Get savvy online Remember, 97 per cent of consumers search the internet for goods and services. A website and blog go a long way to enhancing your referrals, customer retention and related sales. Even if your business is not online, a virtual presence is essential. 8. Working on the go with your mobile Similar to making your workspace fit your lifestyle, your mobile device (smartphone) is your new mobile office. Real time communication necessitates real time response; not just a by-product of your office environment. 9. Spread the word with social media Hand in hand with digital and internet technology, this is an ideal entrepreneurial marketing avenue open for start-ups. Scan the many online tutorials to assist in this regard. If you’d like to share your thoughts, get resources and connect with likeminded people, take a look at SeniorPreneurs.org. Co-founded by Dr Maritz, it’s a social community of people over 50 who have a passion for business start-ups. Image: Getty

Money & Banking

"Stop slapping him!": Carriage horse collapses in busy street

The horrifying moment a carriage horse breaks down in the middle of a busy New York City street has angered animal activists. Heartbreaking footage shows the horse's knees buckling, possibly due to the weight of the carriage it's been pulling all day in the heat, when it fell to the ground. The driver could be seen shouting multiple times at the horse, known as Ryder, to “get up” and slapping it to get up. “What if I slapped you around like that, bro?” one person can be heard saying. “Stop slapping him,” another woman called out. “I’m trying to get him up, alright,” the driver said, as he once again whipped the horse with the reins. The driver then removed the carriage with the help of an onlooker as police arrived and sprayed Ryder with water. Ryder then attempted to get up several times but failed until an adrenaline shot was administered. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> BREAKING: This horse COLLAPSED while pulling a carriage in NYC, likely from heat exhaustion, and has been down for over an hour. Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more. <a href="https://t.co/vXBVRJRjPB">pic.twitter.com/vXBVRJRjPB</a> — PETA (@peta) <a href="https://twitter.com/peta/status/1557504250359361537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2022</a></blockquote> After an hour or so, the horse was back on its feet and was taken to an unknown location to be looked at. Tony Utano, President of Transport Workers Union Local 100 slammed those who attacked the driver for jumping to conclusions saying the horse, Ryder, was suffering from EPM. “We thank everyone for their concern about Ryder, one of the beloved Central Park carriage horses,” he said. “The veterinarian believes Ryder has EPM, a neurological disease caused by possum droppings. “This is another example why people shouldn't rush to judgement about our horses or the blue-collar men and women who choose to work with them and care for them.” However, this did not stop animal rights group PETA from calling out the practice, which constantly puts horses in danger. “This horse COLLAPSED while pulling a carriage in NYC, likely from heat exhaustion, and has been down for over an hour,” PETA wrote. “Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more.” Many other supporters have called for the ban of carriage horses to be replaced with electric vehicles. Images: Twitter

Family & Pets

New discovery reveals last moments of Pompeii’s middle class

A series of new finds in Pompeii’s archaeological park have shed light on the final moments of middle class Romans before they were buried beneath volcanic ash and debris from Mount Vesuvius. Plates, glasses, vases, amphorae and terracotta objects left behind in chests and cabinets have been recovered from four rooms in a house that was first excavated in 2018. Gabriel Zuchtriegal, the director of the popular Italian tourist destination, said the discovery revealed precious details about the ordinary citizens of the city. “In the Roman Empire there was a significant proportion of the population which fought for their social status and for whom the ‘daily bread’ was anything but taken for granted. It was a social class that was vulnerable during political crises and famines, but also ambitious to climb the social ladder,” Dr Zuchtriegal <a href="http://pompeiisites.org/en/comunicati/the-discovery-of-furnishings-from-the-house-of-the-lararium-in-regio-v-a-snapshot-of-middle-class-pompeii/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a>. “In the House of the Lararium at Pompeii, the owner was able to embellish the courtyard with the lararium and the basin for the cistern with exceptional paintings, yet evidently funds were insufficient to decorate the five rooms of the house, one of which was used for storage. “In the other rooms, two on the upper floor which could be reached by a mezzanine, we have discovered an array of objects, some of which are made of precious materials such as bronze and glass, while others were for everyday use. The wooden furniture, of which it has been possible to make casts, was extremely simple. “We do not know who the inhabitants of the house were, but certainly the culture of otium (leisure) which inspired the wonderful decoration of the courtyard represented for them more a future they dreamed of than a lived reality.” In the rooms on the lower floor of the house, all of the furnishings were able to be recovered by creating casts of the furniture. One bedroom even contained the remains of a bed frame and trace fabric from the pillow, similar to three cot-like beds unearthed last year in another Pompeiian home believed to be slaves’ quarters. Next to the bed, archaeologists found a bipartite wooden chest that was left open when the owners fled. Although heavily damaged by beams that crashed onto it during the eruption, it still held an oil lamp decorated with a relief of the Greek god Zeus being transformed into an eagle. A small, three-legged table was found next to the trunk, with a ceramic cup containing glass ampules, and two small plates sitting on top. In the storeroom, they found a wooden cupboard with its backboard still intact and the shelves caved in. Many of the items from the upper floor were found in the rooms below, including everyday items such as ceramic vessels, two bronze jugs, a bronze bowl with a beaded base, and an incense burner in the shape of a cradle. One of the unique and most interesting finds was a small cast of waxed tablets, made up of seven triptychs (carvings with three panels) that have been tied together by a small cord. Images: Parco Archeologico di Pompei

International Travel

Business class traveller “shocked” at meal

A traveller flying business class has slammed the on-flight meal he received which left him “shocked”. The passenger was flying back to Korea from Hawaii on a Korean Air flight and had ordered a steak dish for the trip. A flight attendant arrived and placed the steak with a side of gravy, potatoes and vegetables on his table. The man shared a photo of the meal, comparing the steak to the size of his credit card. "This is a business class steak meal. Looking back at it again, I'm still shocked," the man wrote. He also revealed that no passengers were offered any blankets or alcoholic drinks during the flight. Despite this, he still commended the efforts of the flight attendants who did their best to ensure everything ran smoothly. "I don't want any misunderstandings as the service of the flight attendants was still the best," he wrote. A Korean Air spokesperson addressed several issues in a statement, saying the staff and service shortages were due to Covid. "On some overseas routes, it is inevitable that the supply of in-flight meals will be limited only on flights departing from foreign destinations due to local quarantine policies such as border closures due to COVID-19," the statement read. Image: Naver Cafe

Travel Trouble

Want to cut your chance of catching COVID on a plane? Wear a mask and avoid business class

A Florida court recently <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-19/florida-judge-voids-us-mask-mandate-for-planes-other-travel/100998116">overturned mask mandates</a> on planes in the United States, saying the directive was unlawful. That decision is now <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/covid19-masks-on-us-flights-justice-department-appeals-easing-of-rules/a960d39c-dff4-4198-935c-c5b5c5b40551">under appeal</a>. Before that, Australian comedian Celeste Barber <a href="https://twitter.com/djokaymegamixer/status/1514836909620572162">told her social media followers</a> a passenger sitting next to her on a recent flight took off her mask to sneeze. So wearing masks on planes to limit the spread of COVID is clearly a hot-button issue. As we return to the skies more than two years into the pandemic, what is the risk of catching COVID on a plane? And does it really matter where on the plane you are? <h2>So many variables</h2> It’s impossible to give a precise answer about your risk of catching COVID on a plane as there are so many variables. For instance, not all countries and <a href="https://twitter.com/British_Airways/status/1503729049050353665">airlines</a> require passengers to wear masks or <a href="https://www.nationalworld.com/lifestyle/travel/where-can-i-travel-without-a-vaccine-countries-that-allow-unvaccinated-passengers-and-entry-requirements-3528913">be vaccinated</a>. Some countries and airlines require a negative COVID test within a certain timeframe before flying, others have <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/covid19/vaccinated-travellers/temporary-visa-holders/leaving-australia">scrapped that requirement</a> entirely. Then there are different rules that may apply if you’re flying domestically or internationally, or <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/covid-19/international-travel/proof-of-vaccination">leaving or entering</a> a country. That’s before we start talking about the virus itself. We know more recent variants have emerged (Omicron and the sub-variant BA.2, for example), that are <a href="https://aci.health.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/critical-intelligence-unit/sars-cov-2-variants">much more easily transmitted</a> than the original virus or the Delta variant. We don’t know how transmissible future variants or sub-variants will be. So we can only talk in general terms about the risk of catching COVID on a plane. All up, your risk <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477893921001745">is very low</a>, but the measures airlines put in place help achieve that. You can also reduce your personal risk further in a number of ways. <h2>Air flow and HEPA filters</h2> Air flow is designed to largely <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477893920304117">travel vertically</a>, from the ceiling to the floor, to reduce the potential spread of contaminated air through the plane. The height of the seats acts as a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8013760/">partial barrier</a> to air movement from rows in front and behind you. Cabin air is also replaced <a href="https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2443/2020/10/HSPH-APHI-Phase-One-Report.pdf">every two to three minutes</a> with a half-half mix of recycled and fresh air. To see <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7588538/">how this works in real life</a>, researchers looked at how the virus spread on a long-haul flight when an infected person (the index case) sat in business class. Twelve of 16 people who were infected on the plane sat within a few rows of this person; another was a flight attendant. This suggests limited spread of contaminated air through the rest of the plane. Recycled air is also filtered through high-efficiency particulate air (or HEPA) filters. These remove <a href="https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2443/2020/10/HSPH-APHI-Phase-One-Report.pdf">more than 99%</a> of viral particles, further reducing the risk of droplet or airborne transmission. <h2>Masks</h2> Well fitted masks or respirators (worn properly) can reduce your risk of contracting COVID on a flight. That’s why many airlines say wearing a mask is a condition of flying. For example, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ina.12979">modelling</a> of several known transmission events on planes demonstrates an advantage if both the infected person and others around them wear masks. <h2>Vaccination</h2> Some countries, such as Australia, require entering travellers to be <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/covid-19/international-travel/proof-of-vaccination">fully vaccinated</a>. This <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00648-4/fulltext">lowers the risk</a> of someone becoming sick with COVID. <h2>Pre-flight COVID testing</h2> Not all flights require a negative COVID test before boarding. For those that do, the time frame before a flight varies, as does the type of test required. However, we know tests do not detect every single COVID case. A range of factors can influence test sensitivity (ability to detect COVID). These include the type and <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/covid-19-rapid-antigen-self-tests-are-approved-australia">brand</a> of test you take, whether you have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8761676/">symptoms</a>, your <a href="https://ebm.bmj.com/content/early/2022/01/04/bmjebm-2021-111828">age</a>, and the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8761676/">viral variant</a>. You can also still test negative two days before a flight and catch COVID in the meantime. <h2>Sanitisation</h2> Airlines may do additional cleaning of high-touch areas, and overnight disinfection, to reduce the spread of COVID through touching contaminated surfaces. However, the risk of transmission by this route is <a href="https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2443/2020/10/HSPH-APHI-Phase-One-Report.pdf">low</a> compared to the risk of catching COVID through breathing in infectious droplets and aerosols. <h2>When and where are you most at risk?</h2> The closer you are to the infected person Most transmission occurs within <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477893920304117">two to three rows</a> of an infected person. If you sit next to someone who is coughing or has other symptoms you might ask to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7665738/">move seats</a> if spare seats are available. <a href="https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2443/2020/10/HSPH-APHI-Phase-One-Report.pdf">Distance</a> yourself from others if you can, particularly when getting on and off the plane. You might also avoid sitting close to the toilets as passengers will hang about in the aisles waiting to use them, particularly on long flights. The longer the flight The risk increases with long- versus <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33650201/">short- or medium-haul</a>flights. During long-haul flights passengers are also more likely to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ina.12979">recline their seats</a>. This somewhat reduces the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8013760/">protection upright seats</a> provide in reducing air movement between rows. If you or others are not wearing a mask or wearing it properly You can breathe infectious particles in and out via your nose as well as your mouth, so don’t wear your mask under your chin or nose. The risk also increases when everyone takes off their masks during food service. You might choose not to eat or drink on short flights to avoid this. Alternatively you might bring a snack to eat before food service begins, or <a href="https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2443/2020/10/HSPH-APHI-Phase-One-Report.pdf">eat after</a> those around you. If you contaminate your food or your face You can catch COVID through touching your food or face with contaminated fingers. Sanitise your hands regularly and <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9176589">train yourself</a> to not touch your face. If you are in business class Based on limited reports, the transmission risk appears higher in business class. This is possibly because of <a href="https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12992-021-00749-6">more interruptions to mask wearing</a> due to greater service of food and drinks. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-cut-your-chance-of-catching-covid-on-a-plane-wear-a-mask-and-avoid-business-class-180333" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

International Travel

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Let’s dance! How dance classes can lift your mood and help boost your social life

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“I am not a villain”: Woman refuses to switch plane seats for a family

Loretta Lynn was more than a great songwriter – she was a spokeswoman for white rural working-class women

Locals rally after 12-year-old has business shut down

9 tips for starting a business

"Stop slapping him!": Carriage horse collapses in busy street

New discovery reveals last moments of Pompeii’s middle class

Business class traveller “shocked” at meal

Want to cut your chance of catching COVID on a plane? Wear a mask and avoid business class

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

“Selfish” husband leaves wife behind for first class upgrade on their honeymoon

Flight cancelled after parents demand free upgrade for their child

Eye-watering price tag for "remarkable" first class Titanic menu

"You've been bumped": Vietnam vet slams Qantas for booting him from business class

Qantas slapped with class action lawsuit

Can’t afford a gym membership or fitness class? 3 things to include in a DIY exercise program

How much one man paid to fly First Class forever

"Too busy marching": Debate rages over fiery Anzac Day post

Rod Stewart's ultimate surprise for like-minded hobbyists

Salon owner loses $40,000 from one $60 deposit

Let’s dance! How dance classes can lift your mood and help boost your social life

Just 25% of businesses are insured against cyber attacks. Here’s why

“I am not a villain”: Woman refuses to switch plane seats for a family

Loretta Lynn was more than a great songwriter – she was a spokeswoman for white rural working-class women

Locals rally after 12-year-old has business shut down

9 tips for starting a business

"Stop slapping him!": Carriage horse collapses in busy street

New discovery reveals last moments of Pompeii’s middle class

Business class traveller “shocked” at meal

Want to cut your chance of catching COVID on a plane? Wear a mask and avoid business class

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