Search

Loyalty programs may limit competition, and they could be pushing prices up for everyone

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexandru-nichifor-1342216">Alexandru Nichifor</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/scott-duke-kominers-1494057">Scott Duke Kominers</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/harvard-university-1306">Harvard University</a> Loyalty programs enable firms to offer significantly lower prices to some of their customers. You’d think this would encourage strong competition. But that isn’t always what actually happens. <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4377561">New research</a> shows that paradoxically, by changing the way companies target customers, loyalty programs can sometimes reduce price competition. The research also points to solutions. <h2>A win-win proposition?</h2> Joining a loyalty program is supposed to be a win-win. You – the customer – get to enjoy perks and discounts, while the company gains useful commercial insights and builds brand allegiance. For example, a hotel chain loyalty program might reward travellers for frequent stays, with points redeemable for future bookings, upgrades or other benefits. The hotel chain, in turn, records and analyses how you spend money and encourages you to stay with them again. Such programs are commonplace across many industries – appearing everywhere from travel and accommodation to supermarket or petrol retailing. But they are increasingly coming under scrutiny. In 2019, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/customer-loyalty-schemes-final-report">cautioned</a> consumers about the sheer volume of personal data collected when participating in a loyalty program, and what companies can do with it. Hidden costs – such as having to pay a redemption fee on rewards or losing benefits when points expire – are another way these schemes can harm consumers. But a larger question – how loyalty programs impact consumers overall – remains difficult to settle, because their effect on competitiveness is unclear. As the ACCC’s <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/customer-loyalty-schemes-final-report">final report</a> notes, on the one hand: "Loyalty schemes can have pro-competitive effects and intensify competition between rivals leading to competing loyalty discounts and lower prices for consumers." But on the other hand: "Loyalty schemes can also reduce the flexibility of consumers’ buying patterns and responsiveness to competing offers, which may reduce competition." <h2>How a two-speed price system can hurt everyone</h2> A new economic theory research <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4377561">working paper</a>, coauthored by one of us (Kominers), suggests that on competitive grounds alone, loyalty programs can sometimes harm all consumers – both ordinary shoppers and the program’s own members. It’s easy to see how the ordinary shopper can be worse off. Since a firm’s loyalty program enables it to offer discounted prices to its members, the firm can raise the base prices it offers to everyone else. Those not participating in the program pay more than they otherwise would have, and the firm can respond by saying “join our program!” instead of having to lower its price. But sometimes, even the program’s own members can end up worse off. When a given customer’s loyalty status is not visible to a firm’s competitors – as is the case in many loyalty programs today – it’s hard for those competitors to identify them and entice them to switch. The main way to compete for those customers becomes to lower the base price for everyone, but this means missing out on the high base margins achieved through the existence of your own loyalty program – remember, having a loyalty program means you can charge non-members more. It’s often more profitable for firms to just maintain high base prices. This, in turn, reduces overall price competition for loyal customers, so firms can raise prices for them, too. <h2>What’s the solution?</h2> Despite these effects on competition, loyalty programs still offer benefits for consumers and an opportunity for brands to form closer relationships with them. So, how do we preserve these benefits while enabling price competition? The research suggests an answer: making a customer’s loyalty status verifiable, transparent and portable across firms. This would make it possible for firms to tailor offers for their competitors’ loyal customers. This is already happening in the market for retail electricity. While there aren’t loyalty programs there per se, a consumer’s energy consumption profile, which could be used by a competitor to calibrate a personalised offer, is known only to their current electricity supplier. To address this, in 2015, the Victorian government launched a <a href="https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au">program</a> encouraging households to compare energy offers. This process involved first revealing a customer’s energy consumption profile to the market, and then asking retailers to compete via personalised offers. By opening information that might have otherwise been hidden to the broader market, this approach enabled firms to compete for each other’s top customers, in a way that could be emulated for loyalty programs. Such systems in the private sector could build upon “<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/guide/airline-status-matches-challenges/">status match</a>” policies at airlines. These allow direct transfer of loyalty status, but currently rely on a lengthy, individual-level verification process. For example, a design paradigm known as “<a href="https://hbr.org/2022/05/what-is-web3">Web3</a>” – where customer transactions and loyalty statuses are recorded on public, shared blockchain ledgers – offers a way to make loyalty transparent across the market. This would enable an enhanced, decentralised version of status match: a firm could use blockchain records to verifiably identify who its competitors’ loyal customers are, and directly incentivise them to switch. Both startups and established firms have experimented with building such systems. <h2>What next?</h2> New academic research helps us model and better understand when loyalty programs could be weakening supply side competition and undermining consumer welfare. A neat universal solution may prove elusive. But targeted government or industry interventions – centred on increasing the transparency of a customer’s loyalty status and letting them move it between firms – could help level the playing field between firms and consumers.<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/220669/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexandru-nichifor-1342216">Alexandru Nichifor</a>, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Melbourne, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/scott-duke-kominers-1494057">Scott Duke Kominers</a>, Sarofim-Rock Professor of Business Administration, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/harvard-university-1306">Harvard University</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/loyalty-programs-may-limit-competition-and-they-could-be-pushing-prices-up-for-everyone-220669">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

How 1920s high society fashion pushed gender boundaries through ‘freaking’ parties

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dominic-janes-347508">Dominic Janes</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/keele-university-1012">Keele University</a> The 1920s brought about a rise in androgynous fashion among a high society set that broke boundaries and caused controversy. This drew on a subculture that had existed for decades, perhaps centuries, but after the first world war gender-bending fashions became front page news. It was a time of upheaval. Established regimes were toppling across Europe. In Britain, women over 30 had finally been given the vote and there was widespread concern about the new hedonism of their younger “flapper” sisters. There was also a new market for novels, such as Radcylffe Hall’s <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/stories/articles/2019/4/1/radclyffe-hall-well-of-loneliness-legacy#:%7E:text=On%20November%2016%2C%201928%2C%20Biron,its%20immediate%20removal%20from%20circulation.">banned book</a> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20221121-the-well-of-loneliness-the-most-corrosive-book-ever">The Well of Loneliness</a> (1928) that focused on, rather than merely hinted at, queer lives. Daring male university students <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/tcbh/hwab036">started wearing makeup</a>. One of these was <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/cecil-beaton-an-introduction">Cecil Beaton</a>, the future celebrity photographer, who <a href="https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/ht24wj66t">delighted in cross-dressing</a> both on stage and off. Beaton became part of a set of high society socialites who were known as the “<a href="https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/cecil-beaton-bright-young-things/exhibition">bright young things</a>”. They were often socially privileged, many of them were queer and their antics were <a href="https://djtaylorwriter.co.uk/page10.htm">widely followed in the media</a> with a mixture of horror and fascination. The “things” took partying seriously and paid great attention to their outfits. They dressed to transgress. In 1920, high society magazine <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/freak-to-chic-9781350172609/">The Sketch reported</a> that what it termed “freak parties” were suddenly in vogue with the younger set. Before the war, <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/freak-to-chic-9781350172609/">articles had appeared</a> condemning unusual styles as “freak fashions”, but suddenly “<a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/freak-to-chic-9781350248083/">freaking</a>” was all the rage. Until this point, menswear had been heavily circumscribed. Black was the default colour for formal occasions and tweed for informal settings. But suddenly there was a circle who were keen to try out new looks, no matter how bizarre – or queer-looking – the results. <h2>Queer parties, queer fashions</h2> These styles were often worn as fancy dress, but they borrowed looks from marginalised queer communities such as feminine-styled queer men, some of whom made a living by selling sexual services. One such man was Quentin Crisp, whose memoir <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/324730/the-naked-civil-servant-by-quentin-crisp/">The Naked Civil Servant</a> (1968) was dramatised as a <a href="http://www.crisperanto.org/news/NCSusa2007.html">pioneering TV drama</a>. Another source of inspiration was the <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo3682948.html">freak show</a>. These displays, horrifying from a 21st century point of view, were a popular element of circuses at the time. They featured such stock characters as the muscled giant and the bearded lady, some of whom <a href="https://www.thehumanmarvels.com/annie-jones-the-esau-woman/">became celebrities</a> in their own right. Masquerade and fancy dress parties had long been a feature of urban social life, but the bright young things innovated in that they impressed less through the expense of their outfits and more through their queer implications. Many such parties were themed, such as a Greek-themed freak party that was hailed as the greatest “Dionysia” of 1929 (Dionysus being the Greek god of sex and pleasure). Androgynous and cross dressing looks were common and men such as Beaton designed their own frocks. In July 1927, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Her-Husband-was-a-Woman-Womens-Gender-Crossing-in-Modern-British-Popular/Oram/p/book/9780415400077">one magazine declared</a> that an event attended by Beaton’s friend Stephen Tennant dressed as the Queen of Sheba and bisexual actress Tallulah Bankhead dressed as a male tennis star was: “one of the queerest of all the ‘freak’ parties ever given in London”. <h2>The party’s over</h2> The Wall Street crash of 1929 led to a rapid shift in public mood. Economic recession led people to favour sobriety over flamboyance. Money for the parties ran out and media attention faltered. Gender-bending style vanished from the fashionable arena, although it persisted on inner cities streets. Quentin Crisp’s mode of <a href="https://bodleianshop.co.uk/products/british-dandies">queer dandyism</a> was daring for its time, but it only became extraordinary by virtue of his unwillingness to modernise. Seemingly he, and pretty much he alone, continued to wear the queer looks of the interwar period into the television age. He duly <a href="http://www.crisperanto.org/news/AnEnglishmanInNYmovie.html">became a transatlantic celebrity</a> late in life when he became the inspiration for Sting’s song <a href="https://www.sting.com/discography/album/189/Singles">Englishman in New York</a> in 1987. Cecil Beaton, meanwhile, became a leading photographer for Vogue magazine and was commissioned to take official <a href="https://www.rct.uk/cecil-beaton-1904-80">coronation portraits of Elizabeth II</a>. He also designed the fantastic dresses worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film <a href="https://www.tatler.com/article/in-cecil-beatons-show-stopping-designs-for-my-fair-lady-lies-a-story-of-tantrums-and-top-hats">My Fair Lady</a> (1964), inspired by the gowns he and his compatriots had dreamed up for themselves some 40 years earlier.<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/205893/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dominic-janes-347508">Dominic Janes</a>, Professor of Modern History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/keele-university-1012">Keele University</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/how-1920s-high-society-fashion-pushed-gender-boundaries-through-freaking-parties-205893">original article</a>.

Beauty & Style

Marine species are being pushed towards the poles. From dugong to octopuses, here are 8 marine species you might spot in new places

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gretta-pecl-128477">Gretta Pecl</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/curtis-champion-1373045">Curtis Champion</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/southern-cross-university-1160">Southern Cross University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zoe-doubleday-393169">Zoe Doubleday</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> If you take a plunge in the sea this winter, you might notice it’s warmer than you expect. And if you’re fishing off Sydney and catch a tropical coral trout, you might wonder what’s going on. The reason is simple: hotter water. The ocean has absorbed the vast majority of the extra heat trapped by carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases. It’s no wonder heat in the oceans is building up rapidly – and this year is <a href="https://theconversation.com/ocean-heat-is-off-the-charts-heres-what-that-means-for-humans-and-ecosystems-around-the-world-207902">off the charts</a>. That’s even without the likely arrival of El Niño, where the Pacific Ocean gets warmer than usual and affects weather all over the world. Our coastal waters <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/oceantemp/sst-outlook-map.shtml">are forecast</a> to be especially warm over the coming months, up to 2.5℃ warmer than usual in many places. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=605&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=605&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533327/original/file-20230622-27-cqb9j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=605&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption>Oceans around Australia are forecast to be much warmer than usual. SSTA stands for projected Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly, the difference between forecast ocean temperatures and a historical baseline period encompassing 1990–2012. Bureau of Meteorology</figcaption></figure> Many marine species live within a narrow temperature range. If the water heats up, they have to move, and if they don’t, they might die. So those that can move, are moving. In Australia, at least 200 marine species have <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.15634">shifted distributions</a> since 2003, with 87% heading south. This pattern is happening all around the world, both on land and <a href="https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-photos-captured-by-everyday-australians-reveal-the-secrets-of-our-marine-life-as-oceans-warm-189231">in the ocean</a>. This year, the warmer ocean temperatures during winter mean Australia’s seascapes are likely to be more like summer. So, the next time you go fishing or diving or beachcombing, keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready. You may glimpse the enormous disruption happening underwater for yourself. <h2>Here are eight species on the move</h2> 1. Moorish idol (Zanclus cornutus) Historic range: northern Australia Now: This <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/1/204/">striking fish</a> can now be seen south of Geraldton in Western Australia and Eden in New South Wales. This is a great fish for divers to spot on hard-bottomed habitats. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533373/original/file-20230622-21-6g6xk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="moorish idol" /></a><figcaption>Moorish Idols are heading south to escape the heat. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> 2. Branching coral (Pocillopora aliciae) Historic range: northern NSW Now: Look out for this <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/255">pale pink beauty</a> south of Port Stephens, not far from Sydney. Seemingly immovable species like coral are fleeing the heat too. They’re already providing habitat for a range of other shifting species like tropical fish and crab species. 3. Eastern rock lobster (Sagmariasus verreauxi) Historic range: common in NSW Now: South, as far as <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/167">it can get.</a> It’s now found in Tasmania and even in <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/westward-range-expansion-of-the-eastern-rock-lobster-sagmariasus-verreauxi-in-australia/8DE945E58E1DDA1A2BB7431065AAC8EC">South Australia</a>. This tasty greenish crustacean <a href="https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v624/p1-11/">doesn’t like heat</a> and has moved south into the territory of red southern rock lobsters (Jasus edwardsii). 4. Gloomy octopus (Octopus tetricus) Previous range: common in NSW Now: As far south as Tasmania. Look out for this slippery, smart invertebrate in <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/127">Tasmanian waters</a> this winter. You might even spot the octopus nestled down with some eggs, as this looks to be a <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/mf14126">permanent sea change</a>. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533376/original/file-20230622-17-lf2y8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="gloomy octopus" /></a><figcaption>The gloomy octopus is also known as the common Sydney octopus. Niki Hubbard, Wikimedia, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></figcaption></figure> 5. Whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) Previous range: northern Australia Now: <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/3/185">South of K'gari</a> (formerly known as Fraser Island). Classed as vulnerable in parts of the world, this tropical shark is a slow swimmer and never sleeps. It poses very little danger to humans. 6. Dugongs (Dugong dugon) Previous range: northern Australia Now: As far south as Shark Bay in WA and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-17/tweed-river-dugong-sighting-boaties-warned/102355438">Tweed River</a> in New South Wales. Our waters are home to the largest number of dugong in the world. But as waters warm, they’re heading south. That means more of us may see these elusive sea-cows as they graze on seagrass meadows. Some of the most adventurous have gone way out of their normal range – in 2014, a kitesurfer <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/articles/2021/07/26/are-dugongs-hitching-a-ride-south/">reported</a> passing a dugong at City Beach, Perth. As a WA wildlife expert says, dugongs may occasionally stray further south of Shark Bay but “given the recent warming trend […] more dugong sightings might be expected in the future” 7. Red emperor (Lutjanus sebae) and other warm water game fish Previous range: northern Australia Now: Appearing much further south – especially in WA. Look for <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/1/108/">red</a>, threadfin, and redthroat emperors in southwest WA as the Leeuwin current carries these <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/articles/2021/07/26/game-fish-follow-warm-route-south/">warm water species</a> south. As WA fisheries expert Gary Jackson has said, this current is a warming hotspot, acting like a warm water highway for certain marine species. These fish are highly <a href="https://goodfish.org.au/species/red-emperor/">sought after</a> by fishers. 8. Long-spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) Historic range: NSW and Victoria Now: Tasmania Look out for these <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/species/2/34/">spiky critters</a> in southern and western Tasmania. The larvae of these urchins have crossed the Bass Strait and found a new home, due to warming waters. Urchins are grazers and can scrape rocks clean, creating urchin barrens where nothing grows. That’s bad news for kelp forests and the species which depend on them. In response, Tasmanian authorities are working to create a <a href="https://fishing.tas.gov.au/community/long-spined-sea-urchin-management/long-spined-sea-urchin-strategy#:%7E:text=%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8BTackling%20the%20longspined%20sea%20urchin&text=Unchecked%2C%20the%20urchin's%20presence%20is,at%20around%2020%20million%20individuals.">viable urchin fishery</a> to keep numbers down. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533379/original/file-20230622-33216-7lslyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="long spined sea urchins" /></a><figcaption>Long-spiked sea urchins are voracious eaters of seaweed. <a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnwturnbull/32131133496/in/photostream/">John Turnbull/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></figcaption></figure> <h2>You can help keep watch</h2> For years, fishers, snorkellers, spearfishers and the general public have contributed their unusual marine sightings to <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/">Redmap</a>, the Australian citizen science project aimed at mapping range extensions of species. If you spot a creature that wouldn’t normally live in the waters near you, you can upload a photo to log your sighting. For example, avid spearfisher Derrick Cruz logged a <a href="https://www.redmap.org.au/sightings/1624/">startling discovery</a> with Redmap in 2015: A coral trout in Sydney’s waters. As he told us: “I’ve seen plenty of coral trout in tropical waters, where they’re at home within the coral. But it was surreal to see one swimming through a kelp forest in the local waters off Sydney, much further south than I’ve ever seen that species before!” How does tracking these movements help scientists? Many hands make light work. These vital observations from citizen scientists <a href="https://data-blog.gbif.org/post/gbif-citizen-science-data">have helped</a> researchers gain deeper understanding of what climate change is doing to the natural world in many places, from bird migrations to flowering plants to marine creatures. So, please keep an eye out this year. The heat is on in our oceans, and that can mean sudden change. <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/207115/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gretta-pecl-128477">Gretta Pecl</a>, Professor, ARC Future Fellow & Director of the Centre for Marine Socioecology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/curtis-champion-1373045">Curtis Champion</a>, Research Scientist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/southern-cross-university-1160">Southern Cross University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zoe-doubleday-393169">Zoe Doubleday</a>, Marine Ecologist and ARC Future Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> 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/marine-species-are-being-pushed-towards-the-poles-from-dugong-to-octopuses-here-are-8-marine-species-you-might-spot-in-new-places-207115">original article</a>. Images: Getty

International Travel

New reports show lockdowns may push into 2022

As Australia's Covid crisis rages on, it's been reported that Scott Morrison and national cabinet leaders are preparing for targeted lockdowns which will run into next year. This has been backed up by the PM’s own refusal to rule out 2022 lockdowns, when he stated “No one can give those guarantees.” “The virus is unpredictable and it would be irresponsible to do so,” Morrison added. According to The Australian, the Doherty Institute has prepared scenarios to be presented to national cabinet today which show the outcomes of the different approaches including the vaccination rates we need for Australia to start opening up. The Treasury department will then work on the economic cost of different outcomes and they will use this data to formulate our future COVID-19 policies. This news comes as Greater Sydney's lockdown has been extended by another month with NSW recording its worst day since the pandemic began on Thursday with 239 new infections. Hard-hit hot spot zones say they have an “unfair deal” The mayors from Sydney's eight hot spot zones have taken to social media and other means to state they feel they’re not being treated fairly. Cumberland mayor Steve Christou joined in today telling the Today show, his community was getting an "unfair deal". "I'm just here trying to do the best and represent the interests of my community, who, at the moment, are getting an unfair deal," he told the program. "They don't deserve this," he added. Growing push to restrict the unvaccinated There's a growing push to make moves to restrict the movements of the unvaccinated when Australia opens up after the pandemic. Speaking to 3AW, NAB boss Ross McEwan said a bank survey had found 80 per cent of the population planned to get the jab, while 10 per cent were undecided and 10 per cent were against it. McEwan said those who got the jab should be rewarded: “Let’s target the 80 per cent who do want to get the job done and get the vaccination into their arms. Then work on the 10 per cent who can be swung across. Then let’s open this economy up because everybody’s had a chance," he said. “Let’s get 90 per cent of the population vaccinated and give them freedom. For those that don’t want the vaccination, well they can stay at home.” he said. There are also plans to ease travel restrictions on those who are vaccinated, including international travel and quarantine-at-home when arriving back from overseas trips. Other plans include restrictions on restaurants and cinemas for those who aren’t vaccinated. Image: Getty Images

Caring

Insane moment teen pushes away huge mama bear

A teenager is lucky to have escaped with just a sprained finger after pushing away a mother bear to protect her pet dogs. Californian resident Hailey was caught on CCTV coming face-to-face with the black bear, which had climbed along her backyard fence with its two cubs. In a TikTok video, Hailey said she initially thought her dogs were barking at another dog or a squirrel. "I go to tell them to stop, and when I go over there to see what they're barking at, I'm like 'that's a funny-looking dog'," Hailey said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> A 17-year-old wasted no time fending off a huge bear, pushing it off a wall, before it could get to dogs—including her mother's service dog—in her backyard. <a href="https://t.co/5rjCTRJ8uH">https://t.co/5rjCTRJ8uH</a> <a href="https://t.co/6dJ14fLy2y">pic.twitter.com/6dJ14fLy2y</a> — ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1399773964629590016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2021</a></blockquote> The CCTV shows the two bear cubs scurrying along the brick fence to escape the four barking dogs, while the mother bear starts to swipe at the pets. Hailey then rushes towards the bear and pushes it off the wall. "By the time I get there, the bear is literally picking up one of my dogs," Hailey said. "I go over to the bear, I look it in the eyes and the first thing I think to do is push it. "I don't think I pushed her that hard, I just pushed her enough to make her lose her balance. "So she drops my dog and I run out of there." Hailey said she sprained her finger and scraped her knee but her, and her pets, were "all OK". A female black bear can weigh up to 80 kilograms.

Family & Pets

Amber Heard claims Johnny Depp “pushed Kate Moss down the stairs”

Amber Heard claims she was forced to intervene after Johnny Depp attempted to throw her sister Whitney Henriques down a flight of stairs, saying she remembered a “rumour” of the same thing happening to Kate Moss. Telling London’s High Court on Tuesday, the 34-year-old admitted to hitting Depp but justified her actions by saying it was in defence of her sister. “I did strike Johnny that day in defence of my sister, he was about to push her down the stairs,” she told the court about the alleged incident in March 2015. “The moment before that happened, I remembered information I had heard (that) he pushed a former girlfriend – I believe it was Kate Moss – down the stairs,” she said. “I had heard this rumour from two people and it was fresh in my mind. “In a flash I reacted in defence of her.” “For years, Johnny’s punched (me) and for years I had never even hit him. I never so much as landed a blow and I will never forget this incident … it was the first time after all these years (I hit him back),” she said. Eleanor Laws, QC, acting for Johnny Depp, said “you just added that bit in about Kate Moss. You’ve changed your story.” Heard denied it, saying “that’s always what it has been.” “This is the first time you’ve mentioned it, do you agree?” Laws pressed, to which Heard replied “I don’t know.” Kate Moss and Johnny Depp dated in the ‘90s when she was 20 and he was 31. Depp has denied hitting her while they were together. The court was also shown vision of Heard speaking at a hearing in the US on 13 August 2016 which she described stepping in to protect her sister and that she feared for her sister’s life. Depp has strenuously denied domestic violence against Heard.

Legal

Aussie woman opens up about cruise ship horror: “My partner tried to push me overboard”

A woman, who was lucky to survive a five-day cruise, has bravely discussed the terrifying moment her partner attempted to throw her off their balcony. Kim and her partner David James Fysh, 46, saved up to cruise from Sydney to Tasmania on Radiance of the Seas for almost a year before they embarked on their holiday. However, less than 48 hours after departing on October 16, their getaway quickly turned into a nightmare, reported A Current Affair. Kim claimed David was uninterested in the cruise they had worked so hard to experience, focusing his time on drinking and sleeping instead. She also alleged that her fiancé packed Valium for the cruise. After growing frustrated by his disinterest, Kim confronted him before the pair got into an argument about him wasting the holiday. Kim then said the argument took a violent turn. “He locked me outside on the balcony and pulled the room out looking for them (Valium) and then when he couldn't find them, he came outside on to the balcony,” she said. “Had me by the back of my arms and was trying to push me overboard and I was just screaming.” When asked if she thought she was going to die during the ACA interview, Kim replied with an emotional: “Yep.” “I was screaming, 'Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't throw me overboard.’” Remembering the terrifying ideal, Kim said her partner didn’t say much as he allegedly held her over the balcony. She explained that she managed to free herself because she was wearing a silky robe and “slipped out of his grip like a ninja”. After escaping from her attacker, she locked him on the balcony and called cruise staff immediately. David was arrested and charged with attempted murder after the cruise docked in Hobart. Police allege that David tried to throw Kim from the cruise balcony by grabbing her under the arms at 3:30am. Kim claimed that passengers in nearby rooms heard her piercing screams. In the emotional interview, Kim said her relationship with David had been volatile and she felt guilty she let the abuse get as far as it did. David pleaded not guilty at Hobart Magistrates Court on October 19 and bail was not granted. In February, the case will appear before the Supreme Court.

Travel Trouble

10 ways to push your weekly budget further

Here's some tips on how to make your shopping budget go further with a double-pronged (or forked, if you will) attack of wise spending and utilising leftovers. As superannuation fund <a href="https://www.equipsuper.com.au/blog/the-road-to-riches-starts-with-a-budget" target="_blank">Equip notes</a>, “Once you have a better understanding of your spending, and have identified ways to put a little extra aside, you can start to make some long term plans. You might be able to put that money towards a home deposit, a share portfolio, or even contribute a little extra to your super.” 1. Supermarket specials A tricky one, as sometimes offers tempt you to purchase something you didn't even want, or need. Step back and assess if it'll make a worthy addition to your cupboard, and how much you're actually saving. 2. Buy high volume One of the oldest tricks in the book - bulk purchases on everything from sacks of potatoes (we'll come back to that later) to fresh pots of herbs over the cut-and-packaged stuff will make your dollars go further. 3. Cook more than you need Whip up multiple portions so you take some in for lunch the next day, or freeze for later. 4. Chicken You can get a lot out of whole chicken, so roasting one up and using the flesh for sandwiches, soups, salads and pasta dishes makes a lot of economic sense. Or, most supermarkets stock cheap roast chickens available to buy. Better yet, find the times where they’re selling them for discounted prices. 5. Potatoes These humble spuds can be given a second wind by being fried up as hash browns; rolled into croquettes; or grated down into tasty latkes. You can even regrow your 'taters from the peelings - and it's not the only thing this trick works on... 6. Vegetable scraps It's true that many vegetables can be regenerated from roots, seeds and peel. Many of which require in-home watering before moving to soil, so if you have a garden or sunny window sill, it might be worth becoming an amateur gardener. 7. Coffee Everyone knows that caffeine is practically magic, and you can use the grounds as compost to help grow these aforementioned salvageable scraps. While we're here, the dregs can be used for a multitude of hacks - from homemade candles to hairdye. 8. Tea If you're more into tea than coffee, try re-brewing your leaves. Oolong, green and white tea can all be brewed at least a few times, and while Pu-Erh costs a bit more than average (about $17 for 100g from T2), it's worth investing in as this blend can provide multiple cuppas. 9. Fast food (no, really) Not a suggestion, as such, more of an attempt at redemption. If you find you've given in to a cheeky takeaway, you can still use those tricky-to-use leftovers. Your leftover fries can be cooked into a french fry frittata, or put into a waffle iron for some makeshift snacks. Also, if you're more likely to be tempted by a restaurant meal than a sinful serving of junk food, embrace the culture of the doggy bags. 10. The weekly shop Suss out your local area and see if there's a weekly fruit and veg market (if you've not done so already), as you can usually pick up groceries for far less than the supermarket chains.

Retirement Income

Why you should push your comfort zone (and take risks in life)

We all have a comfort zone and we're told, at least occasionally, we need to break out of it if we are to achieve our potential. Whether that's mountain climbing, moving to a new country or walking over hot fiery coals – or, for that matter, stand-up comedy, performance art or skydiving – getting out of the safety of everyday life and using elevated stress levels to attain success is a formula that those who do it for a living swear by. A comfort zone is succinctly defined by American writer Judith M. Bardwick in her book Danger in the Comfort Zone as "a behavioural state where a person operates in an anxiety-neutral position", and academic Andrew Jarden says breaking out of that state can be a good thing. Jarden, head of research at the Wellbeing and Resilience Centre at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute; and former senior lecturer in psychology at the Auckland University of Technology, says: "There is a link between failure and wellbeing known as 'positive failure' - essentially, [considering] the good things that can come from failure. Does it give you strength or build character? It can give you purpose, it's about personal growth and development. "[Positive failure is] good for you because it means you're pushing boundaries. If you're not failing [or at risk of failing], you're not really out of your comfort zone. "Also, most people don't like boredom. It's good to push ourselves." Performer Eli Joseph (stage name Victor Victorious) has been on the circuit for six years, displaying a range of artistic talents including burlesque, stilt walking and aerial acrobatics. Currently studying circus full time, he's called on to try new things like ventriloquism, regularly pushing himself out of his comfort zone and throughout his career he's used failure as a tool. "Without failure, there's no satisfaction in our successes. The harder I've had to work at learning movements or choreography, the more I enjoy being able to complete them, particularly when I'm upside down or dangling at heights. I take no pleasure or satisfaction in failure, it can hurt, it can be embarrassing, but every time I fail in a task, I'm one step closer to succeeding." As well as the ability to conceptualise failure, motivation is also a key aspect. For comedian, environmental scientist and early childhood educator, Lee Ray, it's the feeling of triumph that keeps her going. "Stand-up comedy is the most terrifying thing I do [...] I always spend the time leading into being on stage wondering how the hell I got myself into this situation and trying to think of legit ways that I can possibly get out of it "When you get off stage after a good show, the payoff for all of the nerves and terror is the euphoric release of all of those feel-good chemicals in your brain. 'Oh yeah, I remember why, that feels great'. I'm sure it is addictive." Riki Kees Jongenburger, a skydiving cameraman based in Nelson's Abel Tasman area, bikes, surfs, snowboards and rock climbs. He previously spent seven years as a nomad, visiting 19 countries and 32 cities and is building a residence off the grid with his partner of 10 years. "I think living off grid is great. It's a challenge, but I have learnt a lot of new skills [...] We have awesome friends and family who have helped us a lot. "I guess my competitive drive pushes me to better myself [...] I come from a family of three boys so I am pretty competitive." While our environment, such as growing up with ambitious siblings, does shape us, Jarden suggests that it's only a fraction of our being and that we have a greater power over who we are than we realise. "Everyone has a different recipe, but we can speculate 50 per cent of 'wellbeing' is down to genetics and the lottery of having parents who are happy and/or more likely to do things that push themselves. Forty per cent is up to the choices you make. Ten per cent is external factors, such as wealth or the country you were born in. So, most of it is actually in your control." Exploring your personal limits leads to new skills and a sense of accomplishment - but is everyone capable of doing so? Jongenburger, Joseph and Ray all agree, to varying degrees, that they are extroverts and Jarden confirms that this trait, as well as being open to new things, is prevalent in those who push themselves. Ray herself says while she loves what her profession has taught her, "it's not for everyone though, you do need to be quite robust". However, given that roughly half of our social-genetic make-up is made up of free will, such as choosing loyal friends and supportive partners, Jarden additionally says people can, and should, develop themselves to take more risks. "[It gets harder as we get older] because as we age we gain greater insight into our strengths and our values (what is important to us), and we basically get better at knowing and getting what we want and is important to us. "[People should] become their own experiment. Take a scientific approach to experimentation on the self. Develop the trait of curiosity in particular. "However, you need to factor in the risks and these need to be managed – and these need to be non-life threatening to yourself and/or others." Written by Janan Jay. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

Mind

Rollercoasters pushing the limits of size (and safety)

Universal's Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey has tormented many big and tall riders who discover at the last moment that their journey aboard the new attraction is forbidden because they don't fit in the "enchanted benches." The uncomfortable scene is a familiar one to anybody who has ever visited a theme park: The overweight rider becomes increasingly embarrassed as the ride attendant pushes and shoves with all his might on the over-the-shoulder restraint that stubbornly refuses to click closed. Everybody waiting in line knows what comes next: the walk of shame. "The walk of shame is an embarrassing experience," said Mike Galvan, who penned the Big Boy's Guide to Roller Coasters. "I've been there many times. It's disheartening." Galvan likens the straight back and flat seat on Forbidden Journey to an "old wooden chair" that provides little wiggle room for larger riders. "When the over-the-shoulder restraint comes down, if part of you is hanging over, whether it be your gut, your thighs or your shoulders, you're going to be very uncomfortable," Galvan said. While there are no height or weight maximums for Forbidden Journey, the safety restraints must be able to close properly in order for guests to ride, Universal officials said. Like many theme park attractions, Forbidden Journey has a tester seat near the entrance for visitors who might be worried they won't fit on the ride. But as big and tall riders will tell you, those tester seats often can be misleading. "I do not trust the accuracy of the test seats, no matter the park," Galvan said. "I can only suspect that the seat belts on the test seats are intentionally short to minimise the potential of riders getting the 'walk of shame' at the station. I've also had the opposite happen, where I made the test seats but was rejected from the actual ride." Galvan, 31, is a regular contributor to SFGAmWorld, a fan site for Six Flags Great America outside Chicago. In 2007, he was so overweight that he stopped going to theme parks because he no longer could fit on the rides. Over the next three years, he lost more than 59kg so he could return to his passion: roller coasters. Anybody who has ever been kicked off a ride because he or she was too big will tell you that theme park attractions are not designed for people who are heavier or taller than average. All theme parks have euphemistic names for "exceptional sized riders" or "guests of larger size" — those who are too fat or too tall to fit safely in an attraction seat. Some ride-makers even try to make accommodations with "big boy seats." How big is too big? Cedar Fair, the parent company of Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, and 10 other amusement parks, offers very specific size requirements for "guests of larger size." Cedar Fair warns that men over 1.9m or 102kg with a 40-inch waistline or 52-inch chest "may not be accommodated on some of our rides." The park operator says women over 91kg who wear a size 18 or larger could have trouble fitting on some rides. At Ohio's Cedar Point, some coasters such as Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster and GateKeeper have a 2m height maximum. Ohio's Kings Island institutes height maximums for a number of rides, including Firehawk (1.9m), Invertigo (2m) and Delirium (1.9m). Tennessee's Dollywood has 2m height maximums on a number of rides, including the Wild Eagle wing coaster. The Green Lantern: First Flight at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., has a height maximum of 6 foot 5 inches. Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia sets aside two rows of seats on the Alpengeist and Griffon coasters for riders with "chest measurements exceeding 52 inches." Splashin' Safari water park at Holiday World in Indiana uses a walk-on scale to ensure the maximum weight on the six-passenger Mammoth rafts doesn't exceed 476kg. Disney parks have no height or weight maximums on any attractions, according to officials. Disneyland famously replaced the 1964 boats on It's a Small World because the increasing waistlines of Americans were causing them to run aground — an assertion reported by MiceChat and vigorously denied by Disney officials. Theme park officials typically respond with prepared statements when asked about making accommodations for "riders with unique physical attributes" (such as this one from Six Flags): "We work closely with ride manufacturers to incorporate safety systems that are designed to accommodate people of average physical stature and body proportions. We require that all seatbelts, lap bars and shoulder harnesses be positioned and fastened properly. Due to the rider restraint system, guests of a larger size may not be accommodated on some rides." As has been well documented, Americans are getting fatter. The average weight for adult men has risen from 75kg in 1960 to 88kg pounds in 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The average weight for women increased from 63kg to 75kg pounds during the same period. Addressing the issue is complicated for ridemakers in part because every rider carries weight differently — with problem areas ranging from the hips, waist and stomach to the chest and shoulders. For big riders, coaster rideability varies from park to park. One of the biggest concerns for larger riders is what Galvan calls the "seat belt lottery." "It's absolutely amazing how from one row to another, the length of the seat belt will vary," Galvan said. "The only reason I can think for this irregularity would be off-season maintenance. Some rides are more egregious than others in this department." Older coasters by Arrow Dynamics and Schwarzkopf tend to be the easiest to ride for larger riders, according to Galvan's Big Boy's Guide to Roller Coasters. Some Bolliger & Mabillard rides can be tight fits, while others offer rows with larger seats, Galvan said. Vekoma, Gerstlauer and Mack Rides typically present few problems, while Premier and Intamin often prove difficult for bigger riders, he said. Intamin's suspended launch coasters such as Wicked Twister at Cedar Point and Volcano at Virginia's Kings Dominion cause the most problems for big riders, Galvan said. "The issue with these rides is the seat belt and the lack of an audible 'click' when pulling the restraint down," Galvan said. "Not to mention that you have the seat several feet off the ground, so you have to tippy toe or jump up to get into the seat. Depending on your body dimensions, you might not be able to maneuver yourself to get into the seat properly." There are no industry standards among ridemakers and amusement parks when it comes to accommodating bigger riders. Some parks require two locking clicks to secure a lap bar or over-the-shoulder restraint on a ride, while others insist on three clicks. Seat belt lengths can vary from ride to ride and row to row. "Most manufacturers, if not all, hoping to do business in the US are now offering optional 'jumbo' seats to buyers to fit larger adults," said Bob Dean of Florida-based Leisure Labs, which represents Mack Rides, Great Coasters International and Mondial. Matter of safety Parks cite safety concerns whenever a large rider is prohibited from a ride. In recent years, there have been several high-profile accidents involving larger riders being thrown from a theme park ride A man who weighed more than 136kg was seriously injured in 1999 when he was ejected from the Superman coaster at the now-defunct Six Flags Darien Lake. Six Flags argued that the man was too large for the ride's lap bar restraint to engage. Investigators said the rider's weight was a contributing factor in the death of a 132kg woman who fell out of the Perilous Plunge water ride at Knott's Berry Farm in 2001. In 2004, a 1.6m, 104kg man fell to his death from the Superman roller coaster at Six Flags New England. A state report found the overweight man's girth prevented a T-bar restraint from fitting firmly. What are your views on this topic? Share in the comments below. Written by Brady Macdonald. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a>

International Travel

Push for passport-free travel between Australia and New Zealand

Qantas boss Alan Joyce believes there should be passport-free travel between Australia and New Zealand. Joyce told a business meeting in Wellington, New Zealand that flying between the two countries should be just like a domestic flight, the Australian Financial Review reported. “We think that Australia-New Zealand should have as seamless access as possible. There's no reason why the travel between the two countries should be not like travel within New Zealand,” Joyce said on Tuesday. “It should be the same. It would make it easier for business travellers and it would make tourism a lot easier. From an infrastructure perspective what it does is improve our efficiency dramatically because we can use domestic terminals.” Passengers between the two nations would no longer need to clear customs or carry their passport. In 2016, there were 1.34 million short-term visitors to Australia from New Zealand and 1.315 million visitors to New Zealand from Australia. What do you think of the plan? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

News

Grandma muscles out push ups for a good cause

While many people half her age are struggling to get up from the couch in the afternoon, Lorraine Gould is muscling out push-ups for a very good cause. Lorraine has been doing 22 push ups each day as part of the 22 Push Up Challenge. This campaign sees people performing 22 push ups a day for 22 days, as a way to raise awareness and support soldiers who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Lorraine started the exercise to support her son, who is a solider. Lorraine told <a href="http://www.wellingtontimes.com.au/" target="_blank">Wellington Times</a>, “I’m a 50-odd-year-old grandmother, I gave it a good go. And I nominate someone else every day to take up the challenge.” What a lovely story. Lorraine sets an incredible example for people of all ages. Have you ever (or know someone who has) embarked on a similar challenge for a good cause? Share your stories in the comments. Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/08/couple-eats-61-year-old-wedding-cake/">Couple celebrates 61st anniversary by eating original wedding cake</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/grandma-dances-in-car-park/">Grandma hilariously breaks into dance in car park</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/90-year-old-to-graduate-university-with-a-phd/">90-year-old to graduate university with a PhD</a>

News

Tokyo’s incredible train-pushing phenomenon

Tokyo has one of the best-connected public transport systems in the world, but for some passengers that morning commute can be quite an experience. Certain train stations are flooded with commuters of a morning, making it virtually impossible for passengers to get on a train safely and of their own volition. This had led to the introduction of ‘pushers’. Pushers are train staff that literally push commuters onto crowded trains and help the doors close safely. As you see in the video above, it’s an art form! Commuters must be cooperative to make sure they all make it onto the train safely, and the pushers provide a little bit of helpful assistance when required. To see the pushers in action, watch the video above. Have you ever visited Tokyo, and while you were there did you brave the train system? What was the favourite thing about your visit? Share your story in the comments below. Video credit: YouTube / taka shima Related links: <a href="/travel/international/2016/06/japan-beach-illuminated-by-mysterious-natural-phenomenon/">Japan beach illuminated by mysterious natural phenomenon</a> <a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/04/10-incredible-things-to-do-in-tokyo/">10 incredible things to do in Tokyo</a> <a href="/travel/international/2015/12/shibuya-pedestrian-crossing-japan/">The busiest pedestrian crossing in the world</a>

International Travel

Tugboat pushed underwater by cruise ship

When we’re on a cruise, sitting in a deckchair, pigging out at the buffet table or relaxing in our cabin it can be difficult to remember the sheer power of the machinery required to transport thousands of people around the world in consummate style. But we bet the guy who owns this tugboat won’t be forgetting any time soon! In this video above a tugboat is completely submerged by the Norwegian Escape during her conveyance from the shipyard. In the cruise industry, conveyance, as you may remember from <a href="/news/news/2016/03/newest-cruise-ship-set-for-aussie-waters/" target="_blank">this article</a>, is a process undertaken by ships constructed at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. After the ship is complete it will make a trip backwards down the River Ems to get to the North Sea. But, as you can see from the above video, you don't want to be on the tugboat that gets in the cruise liners way between the shipyard and the open ocean! Related links: <a href="/travel/cruising/2016/04/princess-cruises-husky-puppy-program/">Princess Cruises husky puppy program</a> <a href="/travel/cruising/2016/04/new-shore-excursions-for-royal-caribbean-cruises/">New shore excursions for Royal Caribbean cruises</a> <a href="/travel/cruising/2016/04/10-river-cruise-ports-you-must-experience/">10 river cruise ports you must experience</a>

Cruising

Man fined $71 for riding push scooter through Sydney tunnel

Image credit: www.dailymail.co.uk A man who was filmed riding a scooter through Sydney’s busy Cross City Tunnel has been hit with a $71 after turning himself into Surry Hills police. The 42-year-old pushed his way through the tunnel yesterday about 3:30pm, much to the shock and frustration of surrounding drivers. The footage filmed by a passenger in a nearby vechile shows the smartly dressed man travelling in the tunnel's left lane with little sense of urgency. A spokesman for the Cross City Tunnel said the man forced several cars in the tunnel to slow down behind him, prompting warnings from staff. By the time road crews had arrived, the man had already left the area. Under NSW law, all foot scooters, skateboards and rollerblades are illegal to use on roads with speeds greater than 50 kilometres per hour or on any one-way road with more than one marked lane. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/01/man-gives-shivering-stranger-the-shirt-off-his-back/">Man gives shivering stranger the shirt off his back</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/01/eat-like-an-okinawan-and-live-until-100/">Eat like an Okinawan and live until you’re 100</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/body/2015/11/best-outdoor-exercise-options/">The best ways to exercise outdoors</a>

News

Space transformer pushes theatre's limits

It's a beautiful sunny day. You know the sort, the end of winter and finally the grey turns to bright and people are notably upbeat. Massey University students have done the hard slog of a Palmy winter and today the dull concrete of the main concourse has a silver shimmer. Jerseys are tied around waists and people are loitering and looking at a man under a blue tarpaulin – a moving creature. The man is Stephen Bain, the creature is also Stephen Bain. It is a performance, a contemplation of what is theatre and a reclamation and reinvention of a public space. Bain, as creature, has stolen a rubbish bin, spat it out and is now hugging a tree. People are looking sideways, questions are being asked, "what is he doing?", "is this the performance?", "why?", "who?", "art?". Some pretend not to see, some make a real effort not to look, others follow, intrigued, discussing in huddled groups. A girl stage whispers behind a hand: "does it mean something?" To Bain it does. He's the current Massey Universityartist in residence and, at the moment, the sky-bound flat at the top of Square Edge Community Arts is his home. Generally, home is Auckland and Winning Productions is work. Well, more of a way of life. He directs the theatre company, creating and taking original theatre off the stage and into unconventional spaces – art galleries, museums, shop fronts, places that people pass through, by or around. It's theatre, but not as we know it. Bain has a way of thinking that is beyond out of the box; it's more out of this world, and it's exciting. "A really motivating force for me is to try to reclaim what public is and allow people to be the public," he says. "I don't think there are many public spaces in New Zealand left, really. The way that we invigorate or create public spaces is we create commerce and that's supposed to be public, but it's not, it's actually owning places. You're owned by the place that's paying for it." People are starting to take ownership of this makeshift theatre space right now. It's 10 minutes into the performance and a crowd is forming and ideas are formulating: "I wonder what he's thinking", "he's being expressive", "art people are crazy". The way people respond is just as much a part of the performance as the blue plastic creature. "I became [less] interested in the main stage, things were becoming more market-driven and I realised that I didn't need an actual building. I come from the entertainment world, that's the bus that I drive but I am naturally a conceptual thinker." Out of that thinking has come productions that defy definition. Sound used in different ways is a feature of Winning Productions' works. Soundig is an interactive installation where the public are invited into a temporary structure to view recent archaeoacoustic findings beneath the city. Bain creates places for people to gather, discover, wonder and smile. And to grieve as well. The Wailing Chamber sees performers collect messages of grief from all around the city, then perform a ceremony to release the grief for good... cue rapturous wailing. It's all a bit mad, a bit wonderful and mixed in with a lot of innovation and free thinking. Bain collaborates with people he says are "as crazy and weird as I am". He says he gravitates to people that "feed" the mind. "A few years ago I had my friends around and we were working on some stuff and I realised, 'man, all of you guys are loonies, you are really strange people'." Bain studied architecture, which fits in with his spatial way of thinking. Many of his projects use structures. On his last visit to Palmerston North he brought a little house with him that he would park up in public spaces and sit in, inviting people to chat. A new project in development is an intimate theatre structure designed to float on water. The spaces that Bain now creates are conceptual places designed to hold ideas, perceptions and meaning, a hook to hang thoughts. Right now Bain is pursuing a bemused person down the university concourse. Ideas are batted around and moments of quiet contemplation are interjected with furious banter. A drama student has an epiphany. "We always search for meaning in things and do you know what? You actually can just let it be." The group falls silent, heads nod and the sun shines on. Written by Carly Thomas. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/technology/2015/10/iphone-photo-tips/">8 iPhone photo tips you’ll want to know about</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2015/10/gardening-is-healthy-study/">5 ways gardening is good for you</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2015/10/woman-discovers-she-is-a-grandma/">Lady’s reaction that she’s a grandma is priceless</a>

Art

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Loyalty programs may limit competition, and they could be pushing prices up for everyone

How 1920s high society fashion pushed gender boundaries through ‘freaking’ parties

Marine species are being pushed towards the poles. From dugong to octopuses, here are 8 marine species you might spot in new places

New reports show lockdowns may push into 2022

Insane moment teen pushes away huge mama bear

Amber Heard claims Johnny Depp “pushed Kate Moss down the stairs”

Aussie woman opens up about cruise ship horror: “My partner tried to push me overboard”

10 ways to push your weekly budget further

Why you should push your comfort zone (and take risks in life)

Rollercoasters pushing the limits of size (and safety)

Push for passport-free travel between Australia and New Zealand

Grandma muscles out push ups for a good cause

Tokyo’s incredible train-pushing phenomenon

Tugboat pushed underwater by cruise ship

Man fined $71 for riding push scooter through Sydney tunnel

Space transformer pushes theatre's limits

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Loyalty programs may limit competition, and they could be pushing prices up for everyone

How 1920s high society fashion pushed gender boundaries through ‘freaking’ parties

Marine species are being pushed towards the poles. From dugong to octopuses, here are 8 marine species you might spot in new places

New reports show lockdowns may push into 2022

Insane moment teen pushes away huge mama bear

Amber Heard claims Johnny Depp “pushed Kate Moss down the stairs”

Aussie woman opens up about cruise ship horror: “My partner tried to push me overboard”

10 ways to push your weekly budget further

Why you should push your comfort zone (and take risks in life)

Rollercoasters pushing the limits of size (and safety)

Push for passport-free travel between Australia and New Zealand

Grandma muscles out push ups for a good cause

Tokyo’s incredible train-pushing phenomenon

Tugboat pushed underwater by cruise ship

Man fined $71 for riding push scooter through Sydney tunnel

Space transformer pushes theatre's limits

Join Over60