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Six towns you recognise from every movie

<p>Think you recognise that film location? Think again. Filmmakers have a long history of using classic “small town USA” locations for their imagined communities or substituting other cities to stand in for more famous (and expensive) locals – often with a bit of digital trickery on the side.</p> <p><strong>Kanab, Utah</strong></p> <p>If you’ve ever seen a movie about the Wild West, then you’re familiar with Kanab. Hollywood discovered the small town just north of the Arizona border way back in 1924 and classic films like Stagecoach, Union Pacific, Buffalo Bill and Fort Apache were all filmed here, as well as the TV series The Long Ranger and Gunsmoke. It’s the quintessential cowboy town and enthusiastically embraces its movie heritage with memorabilia displayed just about everywhere and even a Kanab Walk of Fame.</p> <p><strong>Wilmington, North Carolina</strong><strong><em><br /></em></strong></p> <p>This coastal city of less than 100,000 people is sometimes referred to as “Wilmywood” in recognition of the 300 or so films and TV series that have been shot here. Frank Capra started the trend in 1983 when he filmed part of Firestarter in the town and since then movies as diverse as Weekend at Bernie’s, Cape Fear and The Jackal have all made use of the mild climate, ocean views and picturesque scenery. There’s a good chance that your kids (or grandkids) were fans of the 90s teen series Dawson’s Creek, which was also filmed in the town.</p> <p><strong>Vancouver</strong></p> <p>It’s a bit of a Hollywood secret, but the Canadian city of Vancouver is used as a stand in for lots of American cities, from New York to San Francisco and everywhere in between. Production costs are much lower than in the United States and directors have found that the city and its surrounds can pass for plenty of places south of the border. Jackie Chan’s Rumble in the Bronx, the Scary Movie series, Juno, I, Robot and Rise of the Planet of the Apes are just a few you might recognise.</p> <p><strong>Astoria, NYC</strong></p> <p>Everyone has heard of Brooklyn and the Bronx in New York City, but how about Astoria? This small Queens neighbourhood frequently stands in for its more famous cousins in some of the most iconic gangster movies of all time. Goodfellas, A Bronx Tale and Serpico were all filmed here and you can have a drink or a meal at one of the real establishments that feature in the movies.</p> <p><strong>Budapest, Hungary</strong></p> <p>Want a top-notch European location without the hefty price tag? Then head to Budapest. The eastern European capital has stood in for Moscow, Munich and Buenos Aires in all sorts of films. While undeniably beautiful, Budapest’s skyline and monuments aren’t as recognisable as many European cities so it is easier for filmmakers to be elusive about the destination. The city has starred in A Good Day to Die Hard, Evita, The Raven and Underworld.</p> <p><strong>Taipei, Taiwan</strong></p> <p>When filmmakers want a generic Asian backdrop, they are increasingly turning to the Taiwanese capital of Taipei. Traditionally, cities like Bangkok or Hong Kong would be used but savvy filmgoers are becoming familiar with what these cities look like so it is harder to pretend. Local boy Ang Lee shot his Oscar winning Life of Pi here as well as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Expect to see many more films featuring Taipei – Martin Scorsese is shooting there right now.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

International Travel

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"Whose nana is that?": Adorable moment kindy kids don't recognise the Queen

<p>In the wake of Queen Elizabeth's passing, an adorable video has resurfaced of Her Majesty's 2000 trip to Western Australia.</p> <p>Out of the Queen's 16 trips to Australia, her visit to Vasse Primary School, Busselton, is being fondly remembered after the resurgence of a video on TikTok.</p> <p>The video has since gone viral, as the hilarious footage shows the monarch being taken aback when several students asked who she was.</p> <p>In the video, the Queen is brought into the pre-primary classroom and is asked separately by two young students, “What’s your name?”</p> <p>On both occasions, the Queen does not reply, and appears quite shocked by the question.</p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 610px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7081233294037110021&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40itnarchive1955%2Fvideo%2F7081233294037110021%3Fis_copy_url%3D1%26is_from_webapp%3Dv1%26q%3Donthisdayitnp%26t%3D1663198266691&amp;key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;">At the end of the video, a young boy named Jake seemed as equally confused about the identity of the older lady visiting his class.</div> <p>Talking to ABC, the school’s former principal Brian Devereux recalled he heard one student yell out, “Whose nana is that?”</p> <p>“I got sent an article from London from The Daily Telegraph saying that clearly education in Australia was lacking somewhat, because these children at this particular school didn’t know who Her Majesty was,” he said.</p> <p>Devereux said he remembered the shock when he was first told who was going to be visiting the school.</p> <p>“I had only been appointed to this school for a few weeks when I got a phone call from my boss who said, ‘Would you be prepared to host an important visitor?’ And I said, ‘Oh, yes. Who did you have in mind?’,” he said.</p> <p>“He said, Elizabeth Windsor — and I said, ‘Oh, is she in education or something?’</p> <p>“And my boss said to me, after a little bit of a pause, ‘Brian, does the word Her Majesty or Queen ring any particular bells with you?’ I said, ‘Are you joking?’.”</p> <p>Despite the hilarious fumbles from the children, Devereux said it was an incredible day.</p> <p>“It was a particularly special day, I must admit, it was just lovely,” he said.</p> <p>“She was quite personable, she paid attention to everything she was told.”</p> <p>Image credits: TikTok</p>

Family & Pets

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Arabic calligraphy recognised by UNESCO

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">UNESCO has added Arabic calligraphy to its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, after receiving a proposal from 16 Arabic speaking countries. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The proposal was led by Saudi Arabia, which declared 2020 and 2021 as the “Year of Arabic Calligraphy”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a statement published by the government of Saudi Arabia, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the country’s Minister of Culture, said, “We welcome the inscription of Arabic calligraphy, which is the result of the Kingdom championing this treasured aspect of authentic Arabic culture.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A statement from UNESCO describes the art of Arabic calligraphy as “the artistic practice of handwriting Arabic script in a fluid manner to convey harmony, grace and beauty.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Calligraphy was originally invented to improve the legibility of Arabic script, and later became a more expressive way for artists to create unique motifs. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The form has continued to evolve as artists have used different media to create the calligraphy, including honey, black soot, saffron, and even spray paint.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As opposed to physical sites that are granted UNESCO World Heritage status, intangible cultural heritage applied to precious cultural practices. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other heritage practices such as games, hunting practices, dances, culinary treasures and dialects have also been recognised by UNESCO in the past.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Art

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A new artistic call for us to recognise the connections of Country is a testament to the power of Aboriginal knowledge

<p>Wilam Biik (Home Country) is a multi-layered conversation between Country, people and ancestors that surges with the power of Aboriginal connectivity.</p> <p>The first major exhibition curated by Wurundjeri and Dja Dja Wurrung woman Stacie Piper in her role as Tarawarra’s <a href="https://artguide.com.au/stacie-piper-appointed-as-yalingwa-first-peoples-curator-at-tarrawarra-museum-of-art/">2019 Yalingwa Curator</a>, it is a generous offer to see Wurundjeri biik (Country) the way Wurundjeri see it — not as a “natural resource” to be exploited, but a life-sustaining force interconnected with all things.</p> <p>It is an important call to those who live on Wurundjeri biik to uphold Wurundjeri people’s principles of <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy3020023">relationality</a>: to live in reciprocity with all life, including land, animals, water, sky and people.</p> <p>The exhibition embodies the Wurundjeri concept of <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/awaye/features/word-up/mandy-nicholson/12116926">layers of biik</a>: country extends from below the ground to above in the sky, all interconnected through water country.</p> <p>Piper gathered artists by following the “waterlines” and “bushlines” which connect Wurundjeri to the 38 Aboriginal groups throughout south east Australia.</p> <p>These artists offer a different way to look at Country. Not by the roads we travel, but by the relationships embedded in it.</p> <h2>Care for Country</h2> <p>Piper developed her curatorial practice at <a href="https://museumsvictoria.com.au/bunjilaka/">Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre</a>after working for many years with her Elders at Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.</p> <p>The vision for Wilam Biik came from Piper’s sovereign responsibility to care for Country, and her despair at the unsustainable logging of old growth forest in the <a href="https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/logging-breaches-catalyst-new-indigenous-led-alliances">Warburton ranges</a> not far from Tarrawarra on Wurundjeri biik.</p> <p>Climate trauma and relationship to country was the starting point for Stacie’s curatorial vision. Wilam biik embodies the rich knowledge of Country that holds the answers to recovering from this trauma.</p> <p>The exhibition is grounded in land and ancestors. Audiences are welcomed by a wall-sized historical photograph of Wurundjeri biik and baluk (people) at Corranderrk.</p> <p>“Ancestor tools”, such as Barak’s carved parrying shield, a boomerang and basket – on loan from Melbourne Museum – are displayed in the way they would be held: close to the people.</p> <p><em>Eel trap</em> by Wurundjeri Elder Kim Wandin underlines the continuing connection between generations.</p> <p>In conversation with the sepia image of their ancestors, their living descendants — the Djirri Djirri dancers — are projected dancing on Wurundjeri country in the upper reaches of the Birrarung.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-importance-of-william-baraks-ceremony-60846">Ceremony</a> (c1895) by Wurundjeri painter <a href="https://www.wurundjeri.com.au/our-story/ancestors-past/">Ngurungaeta Wiliam Barak</a> has been brought to wilam biik by Wurundjeri people for the first time since they were made. The painting details ceremonial adornment, as referenced by the Djirri Djirris today.</p> <h2>Water, land, sky</h2> <p>Following the water sources that start in Country shared with Gunnai and Taungurung Peoples, Gunnai and Gunditjmara artist Arika Waulu’s matriarchal <em>Digging Sticks</em> are carved wood adorned in gold, set against a wallpaper showing layers of country and the cycle of plant life. In this, Waulu speaks of women’s interconnectivity with Country.</p> <p>Of the Earth, an installation by Taungurung artist Steven Rhall, places a photograph of a boulder on a sound platform, animating the image in a contemplation of the deep time written into Taungurung Country, or in what Alexis Wright has called <a href="https://sydneyreviewofbooks.com/essay/the-ancient-library-and-a-self-governing-literature">the ancient library</a>.</p> <p>The water connection flows through Dhunghula (Murray River) to Yorta Yorta, Waddi Waddi, Wemba Wemba, and all the way to Ngarrindjeri Country as well as into Kolety (Edwards River) and the Baaka (Darling River).</p> <p>In Drag Net, a woven net incorporating river mussel shell, Waddi Waddi, Yorta Yorta and Ngarrindjeri artist Glenda Nicholls evokes this connection to the river and “water country”.</p> <p><span>In Wemba Wemba and Gunditjmara artist Paola Balla’s intergenerational work, Murrup Weaving in Rosie Kuka Lar with Rosie Tang, Balla builds a camp house made from cloth imbued with bush dyes in the landscape of her grandmother’s painting of country. Through these bush dyes, Balla brings the smell of “on ground country” directly into the gallery.</span></p> <p>Barkindji artist Kent Morris’ Barkindji Blue Sky – Ancestral Connections is a stunning photographic series, embodying water connections to the Baaka as well as “sky country”.</p> <h2>Many varied relationships</h2> <p>Waterlines like the Birrarung and the Werribee River, marking connections and boundaries with the Boonwurrrung, Wathaurong and Tyereelore, are mapped with kelp baskets by Nannette Shaw and paintings by Deanne Gilson.</p> <p>These artists reference the transition from freshwater to saltwater and the relationships that exist amongst the Kulin, across to Tasmania and all life forms within Country.</p> <p>Wilam Biik speaks of the powerful connections between artists, Peoples and Country. It is also a testament to the power of Aboriginal knowledge in Aboriginal hands, and the centring of south east artists and curators as the experts of their knowledges, practices and Country.</p> <p>Importantly, it is also a call to learn how to live in good relationship with Wurundjeri biik and baluk.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-artistic-call-for-us-to-recognise-the-connections-of-country-is-a-testament-to-the-power-of-aboriginal-knowledge-169102" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

Art

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Calls for new COVID symptom to be officially recognised

<p>A skin rash can be the only symptom shown on people infected with COVID-19, a new study has found.</p> <p>Researchers at <a href="https://www.selectscience.net/industry-news/kcl-study-suggests-skin-rash-should-be-considered-the-fourth-key-symptom-of-covid-19/?&amp;artID=51982">King’s College London</a> said skin rashes and ‘COVID fingers and toes’ can occur in the absence of any other symptoms, and should be considered as key diagnostic signs of the virus.</p> <p>Data collected from 336,000 people on the COVID Symptom Study app revealed that 8.8 per cent of people testing positive for the disease in the UK had experienced skin rash.</p> <p>An additional online survey of nearly 12,000 individuals with skin rashes found that 17 per cent of those with COVID-19 reported a rash as their first symptom of the disease. About one in five (21 per cent) of the people who were diagnosed with the virus had rash as their only symptom.</p> <p>The rashes can come in three forms: hive-type rash with itchy, raised bumps; chickenpox-type rash with small, itchy red bumps; and ‘COVID fingers and toes’ with sore, reddish or purplish bumps on fingers or toes.</p> <p>“Many viral infections can affect the skin, so it’s not surprising that we are seeing these rashes in COVID-19,” said Dr Veronique Bataille, consultant dermatologist at King’s College London and the study’s lead author.</p> <p>“However, it is important that people know that in some cases, a rash may be the first or only symptom of the disease. So if you notice a new rash, you should take it seriously by self-isolating and getting tested as soon as possible.”</p> <p>The recognised symptoms of COVID-19 by the <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_3">World Health Organisation</a> currently include fever, tiredness and dry cough along with loss of taste or smell, skin rash and discolouration of fingers or toes.</p>

Body

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Transgender man loses legal battle to be recognised as the child’s dad

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A transgender man has lost the legal battle to be recognised as his child’s father, despite being legally recognised as a man when he fell pregnant and gave birth.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Freddy McConnell, 22, lives in the UK and has lived as a man for several years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, when he fell pregnant and gave birth in 2018, he encountered an issue with his parental role.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McConnell had undergone chest surgery in 2013 and started testosterone treatment but retained his reproductive system, which included his uterus.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He then went off hormones in 2016 in order to fall pregnant.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McConnell was already legally recognised as male and wanted to be registered as his child’s father, but the fact he had been able to biologically conceive and give birth to the child raised questions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andrew McFarlane, president of the High Court Family Division, ruled that McConnell is still the child's mother and should be recognised as such, regardless of his status as a man.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"There is a material difference between a person's gender and their status as a parent," the judge said in his ruling, according to </span><em><a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/latest/transgender-man-not-allowed-to-be-childs-dad/5e800269-58aa-458d-adae-07061de7570c"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nine Honey</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Being a 'mother', whilst hitherto always associated with being female, is the status afforded to a person who undergoes the physical and biological process of carrying a pregnancy and giving birth."</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B21Z0Xxn1Hu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B21Z0Xxn1Hu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">“Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all.” . - Emily Dickinson</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/freddy.mcconnell/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Freddy McConnell</a> (@freddy.mcconnell) on Sep 25, 2019 at 5:36am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It is now medically and legally possible for an individual, whose gender is recognised in law as male, to become pregnant and give birth to their child," the judge continued.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Whilst that person's gender is 'male', their parental status, which derives from their biological role in giving birth, is that of 'mother'."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McConnell is now considering appealing the court's decision, as he fears the ruling will set a precedent against transgender parents and will uphold outdated family and gender roles.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It has serious implications for non-traditional family structures," he told </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Guardian</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, where he works as a journalist.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It upholds the view that only the most traditional forms of family are properly recognised or treated equally. It's just not fair."</span></p>

Family & Pets

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Frasier cast: Then and now - Can you recognise them?

<p>Over 15 years ago,<span> </span><em>Fraiser<span> </span></em>aired its final episode after 11 straight seasons of downright good television. </p> <p>Starting in 1993, the<span> </span><em>Cheers<span> </span></em>spin-off captured viewers around the world as psychiatrist-turned radio host Dr. Fraiser Crane had us in stitches from laughing for over a decade. </p> <p>The story follows the life of psychiatrist Fraiser Crane, who lives with his father Martin and his dad’s British carer and part-time psychic, Daphne. </p> <p>Intertwined in the program spanning over 11 seasons, is Fraiser’s pompous and snooty brother, Nile, his funny radio producer, Roz and work colleagues Bob “Bulldog” Birscor and station boss Kenny Daly. </p> <p><em>Fraiser<span> </span></em>proved to be one of the most successful spin-off television series in history and remains the most critically acclaimed comedy series of all time. The series amassed 37 Emmy’s during its run. </p> <p><strong>Kelsey Grammer (Dr. Frasier Crane)</strong></p> <p>Since starring in<span> </span><em>Frasier,<span> </span></em>Grammar has barely took any time for himself. </p> <p>He briefly played a news anchor opposite Patricia Heaton in<em><span> </span>Back to You,</em><span> </span>before popping up on<span> </span><em>30 Rock </em>as himself. </p> <p>Later, he went on to win a Golden Globe for his short-lived role on the<span> </span><em>Starz<span> </span></em>show,<span> </span><em>Boss<span> </span></em>and appeared in movies like<span> </span><em>The Expendables 3<span> </span></em>and<em><span> </span>Transformers: Age of Extinction. </em></p> <p><strong>David Hyde Pierce (Niles Crane)</strong></p> <p>David was 34-years-old when he graced our screens on Frasier. Pierce has also starred in<span> </span><em>Sleepless in Seattle</em>,<span> </span><em>Wet Hot American Summer</em><span> </span>and<span> </span><em>The Good Wife</em>.</p> <p>He is married to writer and producer Brian Hargrove.</p> <p><strong>John Mahoney (Martin Crane)</strong></p> <p>John Mahoney was Martin 'Marty' Crane in<span> </span><em>Frasier<span> </span></em>— father to Niles and Frasier.</p> <p>Mahoney has since starred in TV shows including<span> </span><em>In Treatment</em>,<span> </span><em>Burn Notice</em><span> </span>and<span> </span><em>Hot in Cleveland</em>.</p> <p>The star tragically passed away in February, 2018, after complimcations from throat cancer at age 77. </p> <p>His last TV role was an episode of<span> </span><em>Foyle's War</em><span> </span>in 2015.</p> <p><strong>Jane Leeves (Daphne Moon/Daphne Crane)</strong></p> <p>Jane was 32 when she first hit TV screens and went on to star in<span> </span><em>Hot in Cleveland<span> </span></em>when the series ended. </p> <p>The English-born actress has a daughter, Isabella, and son, Finn with her TV executive husband, Marshall Coben. </p> <p>Sweetly enough, David Hyde Pierce and John Mahoney are godfathers to Finn. </p> <p><strong>Peri Gilpin (Roz Doyle)</strong></p> <p>Gilpin went on to star in many noteworthy TV programs including<span> </span><em>The Lionhearts</em>,<span> </span><em>Make It or Break It</em><span> </span>and<span> </span><em>Scorpion</em>.</p> <p>In 1999, Gilpin married her boyfriend, Christian Vincent. They share twin daughters born through surrogacy in 2004 and Jane Leeves is reportedly their godmother.</p> <p><strong>Dan Butler (Bob “Bulldog” Briscoe)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dan Butler was a recurring guest member who played as Bob, however, he became a main cast member in 1996. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While his character was written out of the show in 1996, he did return to guest star in five episodes for the series’ last three seasons. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His character is a sports-loving jock who used to bully Fraiser. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Butler is openly gay and is married to Richard Waterhouse. </span></p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see the Frasier cast - then and now.</p>

TV

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How to recognise a red flag in a new relationship

<p>It’s so easy when you’re caught up in the first giddy flush of a new romantic relationship to turn a blind eye to some potentially alarming behaviours, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve felt this strongly about someone.</p> <p>As many of us have been burnt or hurt by past relationships, including broken down marriages or betrayals of one kind or another, it can be a “long time between drinks” before we allow our hearts to open up to someone new. As with all things in life, falling in love, lust or just plain like has its emotional risks. If we’ve been badly hurt before, few of us will want to revisit that sadness, pain, grief or anguish.</p> <p>While we can all accept the little things that might not float our boat – your new love may not know how to cook, they may be a little set in their ways or their musical tastes don’t match your own – there are far more serious relationship red flags.</p> <p>The fact is they’re generally always there at the start of a new relationship, but many of us choose to ignore them in the hope that they will go away, we think we can perhaps change the other person, or we will tolerate anything in the name of love (denial, maybe?).</p> <p>So what are some red flags you really ought to pay close attention to and address from day one? Elizabeth Shaw, a clinical and counselling psychologist and clinical director at Relationships Australia (NSW), says there are some signs you shouldn’t ignore.</p> <p>The first one, she says, is coming on too strongly, too early. “If you’re hearing big declarations early on or you’re being given grand gifts and gestures when it doesn’t fit the stage of the relationship, this may set you up for a fall later on.”</p> <p>Another involves a level of ambivalence at the start of the relationship. Are both of you clear on what you want and has this been a conversation you’ve both had? One person may be reluctant to voice these wants or needs for fear of rejection or even ridicule.</p> <p>Elizabeth Shaw says if there is a long time between phone, email or text contact, as well as receiving mixed messages about your relationship status, this can be a signal that “you are probably not looking at a relationship you can count on [in the long-term],” she says.</p> <p>You ought to be alarmed if you detect any signs of controlling behaviour. This could manifest itself if your new partner starts to act as if “they own you” or show signs of jealousy. If you’re also told that you need to act in a certain way, with statements such as “if you really loved me, you would…” then Shaw says, “this behaviour should be firmly addressed”.</p> <p>An extension of this is if you’re tested emotionally in how you act to show “how far you will go to demonstrate your commitment”. Shaw says this is a no-no.</p> <p>Start running fast – in the opposite direction – if you notice a pattern where your new partner consistently overreacts to events or comments. Any outbursts of anger or aggression, says Shaw, threats or intimidation of any kind “are large red flags”.</p> <p>“If you are given suggestions that you should see your friends or family less now that you’re with a new partner, that should also sound off alarm bells,” she says.</p> <p>Another area to watch out for is if you’re given “terms and conditions” as a part of the relationship. If you have to change your behaviour, drop friends or hobbies you didn’t want to, or agree to unwanted sex because you believe “you might lose the relationship if you don’t”, Shaw says this is serious. “You have already compromised yourself too much.”</p> <p>Finally, and this one can be hard to admit, it may signify how emotionally vulnerable you really are.</p> <p>“If you know you’re in a relationship out of fear of being alone,” she says, “or where you’re trying to right a wrong from a past relationship, such as needing a boost to your self-esteem after an earlier break-up, or if you’re still hankering for someone else, then this will not be a relationship that is fair to either one of you.”</p> <p>Shaw says it’s critical you “work yourself out” before starting a new relationship as past hurts have a way of rearing their ugly heads later on – and everyone could get hurt. And who wants that?</p> <p><em>Written by Robin Hill. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/relationships/how-to-recognise-a-red-flag-in-a-new-relationship.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Relationships

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Can you recognise who this famous TV star is?

<p>A well known Hollywood star who is usually instantly recognisable by his facial hair has decided to shave it off.</p> <p>Dr Phil is an American television personality and psychologist on the show Dr Phil – made famous by his good friend Oprah Winfrey. The expert is well known for the facial hair he sports during his show and after 36 years, he decided to shave his moustache off.</p> <p>He shared a photo on Instagram with his 602K followers, with the caption saying, “Well, I did it.”</p> <p>There is also a video posted of him putting shaving cream on his moustache, with the next snap showing Dr Phil holding a razor very close to his face.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvuJaa-BHs_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvuJaa-BHs_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">Well... I did it.</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/drphil/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Dr. Phil</a> (@drphil) on Apr 1, 2019 at 10:19am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Naturally, fans of the daytime TV star were attached to his moustache and went into meltdown.</p> <p>One fan commented: “No! I refuse to believe it. The world is ending!”</p> <p>Another fan was much more succinct, asking, “Whyyyyy”?</p> <p>The post quickly gained 7.5K comments in less than 12 hours.</p> <p>Luckily for fans of the star, it was all a prank. As the photo was posted on April Fool’s Day, or April 1st, some fans had cottoned on but others took the post at face value.</p> <p>It was only until Dr Phil posted another Instagram post saying “APRIL PHILS!” that fans had realised it was a joke.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvu3VEABZAP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvu3VEABZAP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">APRIL PHILS! 😏😂</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/drphil/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Dr. Phil</a> (@drphil) on Apr 1, 2019 at 5:05pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In the video, Dr Phil explains that he would never shave off his moustache.</p> <p>“April Fools! You didn’t really think I would do it, right? I’d look like an aardvark if I took this off.”</p> <p>Did you believe that Dr Phil had shaved off his moustache in the photo above? Let us know in the comments.</p>

TV

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"Super-recognisers" accurately pick out a face in a crowd – but can this skill be taught?

<p>Yenny is 26 years old, lives in Melbourne, and has a very specific talent.</p> <p>One day, she was driving her car when she recognised a man who had been several years below her at high school and whom she hadn’t seen for more than ten years. What makes this particularly impressive is that she recognised him from the briefest glimpse in her rear-view mirror while he was driving the car behind hers.</p> <p>Yenny recounts many such amazing feats of recognition and is one of a very small proportion of the population known as “super-recognisers”. She was the top performer on a<span> </span><a href="https://facetest.psy.unsw.edu.au/">national test of face recognition abilities</a><span> </span>in Australia, coming first out of 20,000 participants.</p> <p>Could you learn to spot a face as well as Yenny? Well … maybe. Our<span> </span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0211037">new research</a><span> </span>shows that many training courses offered in this field of expertise are ineffective in improving people’s accuracy in face identification.</p> <p>But other ways of learning how to identify faces may work; we’re just not yet sure exactly how.</p> <p><strong>In-demand expertise</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3904192/">Super-recognisers</a><span> </span>are used by police and security agencies to spot targets in crowded train stations, monitor surveillance footage, and track people of interest.</p> <p>During the 2011 London riots, for example, super-recognisers from the Metropolitan Police<span> </span><a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150611-the-superpower-police-now-use-to-tackle-crime">identified more than 600 people</a><span> </span>from very poor-quality surveillance footage – a task that not even the best facial recognition software can perform reliably.</p> <p>So can anyone become a super-recogniser? Can you make up for a lack of superpowers through training? In our<span> </span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0211037">paper</a><span> </span>we assessed the effectiveness of training courses given to practitioners who make facial identification decisions for a living.</p> <p>We reviewed 11 training courses that comply with international training standards from Australia, UK, US and Finland.</p> <p>We found that training courses typically teach facial anatomy – focusing on the muscles, bones and shape of the face – and instruct trainees to inspect faces feature by feature. Novices and genuine trainees completed one of four training courses and we tracked their identification accuracy from before to after training.</p> <p>Surprisingly, we found the training courses had almost no effect on people’s accuracy. This was especially surprising to the people who took the training – an astonishing 93% of trainees thought the training had improved their ability to identify faces.</p> <p>Our research shows that even the world’s best available training – used to train police, border control agents, forensic scientists and other security personnel – does not compensate for talent in face recognition.</p> <p>This is consistent with recent research suggesting that our face identification abilities are largely predetermined by<span> </span><a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/107/11/5238.long">genetics</a>.</p> <p><strong>Forensic facial examiners</strong></p> <p>This may come as disappointing news to people who hope to become a super-recogniser. But all is not lost.</p> <p>Scientists have recently discovered that some specialist groups of practitioners show very high levels of accuracy. Forensic facial examiners routinely compare images of faces to turn CCTV images into informative face identification evidence in criminal trials. Recent work shows that they too outperform novices in very<span> </span><a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/115/24/6171">challenging tests</a>.</p> <p>Forensic facial examiners present a paradox for scientists. They perform face identification tasks with a high degree of accuracy, and this ability appears to be acquired through professional experience and training.</p> <p><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0211037">Our study</a><span> </span>suggests there is no benefit of face identification training courses when tested immediately before and after.</p> <p>In addition,<span> </span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0103510">previous work</a><span> </span>has suggested that merely performing face-matching tasks in daily work is not sufficient to improve accuracy. Some passport officers have been working for 20 years and perform no better than others who have been working for just a few months.</p> <p>This paradox suggests there is something particular about the type of training and professional experience that forensic facial examiners receive that enables them to develop visual expertise in identifying faces, and which isn’t provided by standard training courses.</p> <p><strong>How do they do it?</strong></p> <p>In our current research we are working closely with government agencies to uncover the basis of forensic facial examiners’ expertise. For example, we now know that part of their expertise comes from using a very particular<span> </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28045276">comparison strategy</a>, where they break the face down into individual facial features and then slowly and systematically assess the similarity of each feature in turn.</p> <p>Interestingly, the nature of this expertise appears to be qualitatively different to that of super-recognisers – Yenny recognised her old classmate using a quick, intuitive process as she glanced in the rear-view mirror.</p> <p>However, these snap judgements made by super-recognisers may not be suitable for the type of identification evidence that forensic facial examiners give in court, where a careful analysis of facial images is necessary to support identification decisions. Importantly, forensic facial examiners provide detailed reports of the observations used to support their decisions, which can then be cross-examined in court.</p> <p><strong>Trainable vs hardwired</strong></p> <p>Super-recognisers and forensic facial examiners use distinct routes to high performance in face identification.</p> <p>Effective training appears to target the slower, deliberate and analytical visual processing that characterises forensic facial examiners.</p> <p>The faster and more intuitive skill that enabled Yenny to recognise faces of relative strangers in her rear-view mirror is likely to be untrainable, and hard-wired.</p> <p>This raises the question of how to balance these different sources of expertise. It may be that super-recognisers are best suited to surveillance-type roles, such as monitoring CCTV or searching for targets in large crowds.</p> <p>Forensic facial examiners may be better suited to providing identification evidence to the court, which requires thorough explanations of how and why the expert came to their decision.</p> <p>Alternatively, it may be possible to train super-recognisers in the expert skills characterising forensic facial examination, or to form teams that include both types of expert.</p> <p>The aim of our work is to integrate these sources of human expertise with the latest face recognition software to improve the accuracy of face identification evidence. Such a system can make society safer, but also fairer, by reducing the likelihood of wrongful convictions.</p> <p>Can you beat Yenny’s high score of 88% on the super-recogniser test? Find out<span> </span><a href="https://facetest.psy.unsw.edu.au/">here</a>.</p> <p><em>Written by Alice Towler and David White. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/super-recognisers-accurately-pick-out-a-face-in-a-crowd-but-can-this-skill-be-taught-112003">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

Technology

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Guess who! Can you recognise who this adorable royal is?

<p>Many little girls love to dream about their future wedding day, and this Princess was no different.</p> <p>The royal member has posted an adorable childhood picture of herself dressed up as a happy bride on Instagram.</p> <p>The throwback photo caused a stir on social media, with fans of the stunning Princess swarming to comment uplifting messages to the account.</p> <p>“Always destined to be the most beautiful Royal bride,” one user wrote.</p> <p>“You were the most beautiful bride, especially with the emerald green tiara, and the dress fit beautifully!” another person said.</p> <p>“The best insta [post] I've ever seen!” a comment read.</p> <p>The Princess captioned the picture: “same same but different… #tbt”</p> <p>Can you guess who this famous member of the family is? Scroll through the gallery above to see if you were correct.</p> <p>It’s none other than Princess Eugenie!</p> <p>The 28-year-old placed the throwback photo next to an image of her as a real-life bride. The key differences between the two wedding looks show through with a younger Eugenie opting for a traditional veil on her “wedding day” compared to when the big day rolled around where she chose a gorgeous emerald tiara gifted by Queen Elizabeth.</p> <p>The bouquets though, they’re almost identical.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu_wRtPlkZ7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu_wRtPlkZ7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">Same same but different...#tbt</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/princesseugenie/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Princess Eugenie</a> (@princesseugenie) on Mar 14, 2019 at 9:54am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank in October last year at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Just six months earlier, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wed in the same chapel.</p> <p>On her special day, the Queen’s granddaughter wore a bridal gown by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos and it was specially designed to showcase the long scar running down the middle of her back.</p> <p>The low-back design was altered per the request of the Princess, as she wanted to highlight the scar, which she received from a procedure to correct scoliosis – curvature of the spine – when she was 12.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see Princess Eugenie’s life in pictures.</p>

Art

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How to recognise melanoma

<p>Out of all the nations of the world, New Zealand holds the unenviable title of having the world’s highest rate of invasive melanoma, with around 50 cases diagnosed per 100,000 people in 2016. Back in 1999, the rate was 77 cases per 100,000 people. With increased awareness of how to identify a melanoma early, experts believe this number can be reduced even further.<br /><br />It’s important to realise that not all skin cancers are melanoma. There are three main types: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma ­– the most serious. If left undetected and untreated, melanoma can lead to death. For people with early-stage melanoma, the outcome is excellent. According to Melanoma New Zealand, being able to recognise the first signs of change of an existing mole, or the appearance of a new mole, is key.<br /><br />If you are concerned about a mole … Being aware of how your skin normally looks will help in deciding to seek a medical opinion, should you notice a new mole, or a mole that changes appearance.<br /><br />When checking your skin, use the ABCDE system to help you remember what to look for:</p> <ul> <li><strong>A</strong>symmetry: The two halves of the mole don’t match.</li> <li><strong>B</strong>order irregularity: The edges of the mole appear jagged, irregular or blurred.</li> <li><strong>C</strong>olour: The colour isn’t uniform.</li> <li><strong>D</strong>ifferent from other lesions: Has the lesion changed in comparison to the surrounding moles, particularly in size? Melanomas are typically bigger than 6mm in diameter.</li> <li><strong>E</strong>volving: An existing mole has grown, or a new mole has appeared.</li> </ul> <p>You should also see your doctor if you spot a dark area under a nail that is getting bigger and is not caused by an injury.</p> <p><em>For more information, go to <span><a href="http://www.melanoma.org.nz">www.melanoma.org.nz</a></span>, <span><a href="http://www.melanoma.org.au/">www.melanoma.org.au</a></span> and </em><em><span><a href="http://www.melanoma.org">www.melanoma.org</a></span></em></p> <p><em>This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/beauty/skin/how-recognise-melanoma">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestsubscribe?utm_source=readersdigest&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;utm_medium=display&amp;keycode=WRA85S">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.</em></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Beauty & Style

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Anxiety: How to recognise, understand and manage it

<p>I am, and always have been, very claustrophobic. The thought of being trapped in a lift literally makes my heart race, my palms sweat, and a feeling of panic sweep through my body. Thankfully, I am usually able to avoid lifts and opt to take the stairs instead. However, this condition also means that I hate flying – not because I have any fear at all that it isn't safe or that the plane is about to plummet out of the sky, but because the doors to the outside are shut and I can't get out… irrational I know, but somehow that doesn't really help!</p> <p>Luckily for me I don't have to fly every week, but it is a relatively regular occurrence and I have had to learn a whole raft of skills so that I can hop on a flight without spending a sleepless week before it, worrying about how I will cope. </p> <p>Anxiety is awful, and for many people it will be much more pervasive and persistent than it is for me. Whereas I get a few episodes a year and have a very obvious trigger that I can predict and learn to cope with, for others anxiety is a constant state, gnawing away at them all the time, with perhaps only brief periods of respite. I suspect this is exhausting, and often those around us will underestimate the impact it can have on quality of life – health professionals included, I am sure. </p> <p>About one in 20 people have an "anxiety disorder" at any one time, though many more than that will suffer from intermittent anxiety. Anxiety disorder is an umbrella term that includes specific diagnoses such as phobias, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalised anxiety. To be classified as an anxiety disorder your anxiety needs to be at a level where it interferes with your day-to-day life, and you suffer from the symptoms more days than not. The experience of anxiety will differ from person to person, but can encompass a wide range of symptoms:</p> <ul> <li>Feeling fearful or tense</li> <li>Poor concentration – finding it hard to focus on anything other than the thing that is making you anxious</li> <li>Poor sleep</li> <li>Irritability</li> <li>Feeling of losing control or "going crazy"</li> <li>Restlessness and an inability to relax</li> <li>Physical symptoms are often marked and can include sweating, racing heart, trembling or shaking, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, gut symptoms (such as a churning tummy, diarrhoea, pains), muscle aches, a choking sensation, dry mouth.</li> </ul> <p>These physical symptoms are a normal (and often healthy) bodily response – when we are faced with possible danger (something like an important race or exam), our bodies are programmed to release lots of chemicals into the bloodstream, including adrenaline. These chemicals elicit a "fight-or-flight" reaction, enabling us to escape or defend ourselves if needed. The symptoms described above result from these chemicals and are only a problem if the danger isn't "real" or you experience them all the time.</p> <p>Often it is these physical symptoms that scare people the most – patients often describe fearing they are about to have a heart attack or die because they can't breathe properly. Understanding that they are a normal physiological response, and that they will ease after a few minutes, is a big part of managing anxiety. </p> <p>As well as recognising that you have anxiety, and understanding why it makes you feel so physically awful, there are other effective things you can try as well:</p> <p><strong>1. Recognising and modifying your triggers</strong> – This isn't helpful or practical for everyone, but if, for example, your very busy job is the source of stress and anxiety, acknowledging this and trying to change it is a great first step.</p> <p><strong>2. Practice "helpful"behaviours</strong> – Identify things that make you feel happy, calm and positive. Think of places you go that give you that nice sense of wellbeing, people who always make you feel good, or hobbies that distract and calm you. They don't have to cost money – for me walks on the beach or in the bush give me this feeling. Then start to make time for them every day – it will reduce your anxiety level and counteract all the stress hormones racing around your system. If this involves being outside and physical exercise all the better – they both promote good sleep patterns, and being well-rested will reduce your anxiety as well.</p> <p><strong>3. Learn to meditate</strong>, or practice mindfulness or grounding.</p> <p><strong>4. Explore self-help websites and apps</strong> – Learning how to deal with your anxiety using tools such as muscle relaxation, mindful breathing, or self-hypnosis can be really empowering as well as effective.</p> <p><strong>5. "Talking therapies"</strong> – Counselling or psychology is really helpful, especially if your anxiety has been around for a long time. Ask your GP about free or low-cost options near you.</p> <p><strong>6. Medication</strong> – Definitely not a first-line for everyone, but it can work really well as an adjunct to the things mentioned above. Options include medicines called beta-blockers that can be used "as required" to reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety, or regular antidepressants such as those in the SSRI family (such as fluoxetine, escitalopram, sertraline and others). Antidepressants should be used for several months otherwise symptoms are likely to recur, and in my experience are really useful as a "springboard" to enable other sorts of therapy to be more effective. The last group of drugs available for anxiety are the benzodiazepines, such as diazepam or lorazepam – although really effective, they are highly addictive so can only be used for very short periods of time. Worth considering if you have very sporadic anxiety related to a particular trigger or event.</p> <p><em>Written by Dr Cathy Stephenson. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

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Nicole Kidman finally recognises Bella and Connor in new speech

<p><span>On Monday night, Nicole Kidman accepted the Glamour Woman of the Year award.</span></p> <p><span>This win gave the Aussie actress the perfect opportunity to publicly acknowledge her two eldest children, Connor and Isabella Cruise.</span></p> <p><span>Bella, 24, and Connor, 20, were adopted by Nicole and Tom Cruise during their 11-year marriage.</span></p> <p><span>After Nicole’s divorce from Tom in 2001, she left the Church of Scientology and Bella and Connor stayed. Reportedly, this situation had put a strain on their relationship.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><img width="499" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/45808/1_499x375.jpg" alt="1 (44)"/></span></p> <p><span>During Nicole’s 2017 Emmy’s speech, she was criticised after forgetting to acknowledge her two eldest children as she referenced her two daughters with Keith Urban, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.</span></p> <p><span>But this time, Nicole used her Glamour win to acknowledge all of her children.</span></p> <p><span>"I have four extraordinary children," she said in her speech.</span></p> <p><span>Nicole also thanked her “feminist mother” and her “caring, loving" father for making her who she is today.</span></p> <p><span>Nicole also acknowledged Keith and all the love and support he has given to her.</span></p> <p><span>"He gives me so much strength at times and he gives me so much love," she gushed.</span></p> <p><span>“I’m very, very fortunate and I know so many people in this room don’t have that, but I do have it and I want to acknowledge it because as much as I’m a strong woman, I need help and I need support."</span></p> <p><span>Nicole also took a moment during her speech to discuss the importance of supporting each other in the industry.</span></p> <p><span>“I think tonight we’re here to celebrate the phenomenal contributions that so many people in this room are giving to the arts, to culture, to exploration, to human rights. So, I just want to take this moment to say, let’s celebrate all of us and what makes us us.”</span></p> <p><span>Nicole wore a black Christian Dior dress and looked smitten posing next to Keith on the red carpet.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><img width="500" height="670" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/45809/2_500x670.jpg" alt="2 (30)"/></span></p> <p><span>A pre-recorded message of Keith that played during the awards show gave us a glimpse into the first time he saw his wife.</span></p> <p><span>"What I remember very, very vividly was that it looked like she just floated across the floor. It stays with me to this day. There was a magical, celestial thing about her. To me, she embodies everything," he said.</span></p>

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