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Restaurant sparks outrage for "ridiculous" fee

<p>As inflation rates continue to rise it is not surprising that restaurants are charging extra fees, but one disgruntled customer was particularly shocked to see this "ridiculous" fee on their bill. </p> <p>The customer, who dined at restaurant and cocktail bar in Georgia, USA shamed the restaurant for charging their customers a $20 fee for “live band entertainment”.</p> <p>They shared their complaints on Reddit with a copy of their receipt and an unexpected fee at the bottom which read: “Two Live Band Entertainment Fee — $20”.</p> <p>Most people in the comments were equally annoyed and called the fee "ridiculous". </p> <p>“This is one of those leave money on the table, hand the waiter a tip and leave, sorry but if I didn’t order it, I’m not paying for it,” one wrote. </p> <p>“Great way to not have repeat customers,” said another.</p> <p>“This will backfire for them, just be honest and upfront," a third added. </p> <p>Other commenters were less sympathetic and did not understand why the customer was complaining when it looked like they could afford it. </p> <p>“When you’re paying seven dollars for a bottle of water, you really don’t get to complain about ‘unexpected costs.’ You knew what you signed up for," one commenter wrote. </p> <p>“Imagine a live band getting paid, huh,” another added. </p> <p>“They’re buying $7 bottles of water, they can probably afford it,” added a third.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty/ Reddit</em></p>

Money & Banking

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“Very questionable”: Kmart mocked after customer's "ridiculous" delivery

<p>A woman has taken to Facebook to mock Kmart over her recent delivery.</p> <p>The shopper shared on Facebook she had ordered a 20mm combination padlock from Kmart and was caught by surprise when it was delivered to her home on February 13. </p> <p>The woman had received a large cardboard box, and when she opened it, it was filled to the brim with plastic wrap to protect the item. However, once she dug out the plastic, she saw a small padlock at the bottom of the unnecessarily large box.</p> <p>“My delivery arrived today,” the woman said on Facebook.</p> <p>Other Kmart fans were shocked by the large box for such a small item, with many users deeming it “ridiculous.”</p> <p>“Omg! Seriously,” a user commented.</p> <p>"Ridiculous honestly yet a pair of jeans get scrunched up into a bag for delivery," another added.</p> <p>"It's absolutely rubbish that they waste like that," a third chimed in.</p> <p>Another comment read, ”How ironic ... how easy is it to break this lock that it needs to be so protected when shipped? Would you need it if it is so fragile? Very questionable Kmart ... What a waste,”</p> <p>Many other users joined in on the teasing, claiming they also received small items delivered in unnecessarily large boxes. </p> <p>"This happened to us recently with a car air freshener," one shopper said.</p> <p>"Yeah they keep sending me one item in a stupidly big box. I’d be much more appreciative of multiple items jammed into a big box to stop wastage or happy to wait for all items to be ready together," another claimed.</p> <p>"I thought my three bowls packed like this was bad!" another commented.</p> <p>Back in May 2021, another Kmart shopper complained that she received a small book in a “huge box.”</p> <p>Although some said it was “terrible”, other users claimed the size of the box shouldn’t matter because it’s recyclable. </p> <p>A Kmart spokesperson told Yahoo Lifestyle that the complaints have been forwarded to Kmart’s online team, and they will reassess how they manage and replenish packaging materials. </p> <p>"Regrettably, in this instance, it appears the team member who has packed this order did not have available or use the most appropriately sized packaging components," the spokesperson said.</p> <p>"While our team are trained and aim to minimise packaging use and waste, it is likely that they did not have access to appropriately sized packaging options so used what was available in an effort to pack and dispatch this order as quickly as possible."</p> <p>Image credit: Facebook</p>

Food & Wine

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Home hacks: 8 ridiculously simple ways to better your abode

<p>Make your abode much prettier - and more organised and efficient - with these easy-peasy home hacks. Say goodbye to expensive decorating ideas and timely DIY projects, these handy hints are so simple that you may just want to try every single one. </p> <p><strong>Revive scratched furniture</strong></p> <p>Rub a walnut on damaged furniture to cover up dings and scratches. With a little rubbing you will be amazed as the marks begin to darken and disappear</p> <p><strong>Silence the squeak</strong></p> <p>Say goodbye to squeaky floors with a sprinkle of talcum powder between your floorboards, then sweep over to ensure powder falls between the floorboards.</p> <p><strong>Embellish curtains</strong></p> <p>To add just the right dash of colour to any room and to turn simple curtains into a statement feature in your home, add fringing from the craft store (pompom fringing) either along the bottom of your curtains or in stripes across the curtains from top to bottom.</p> <p><strong>Strawberry straw tool</strong></p> <p>Use a straw to hull strawberries – it’s quick and you don’t need to buy another tool for the kitchen.</p> <p><strong>Ice, ice baby</strong></p> <p>Ice cubes can take indentation out of carpets. Simply place cubes a centimetre or so apart to cover the indentation. As the ice melts the indents begin to fluff back.</p> <p><strong>Cereal box chic</strong></p> <p>Never throw away an empty cereal box again. Cut them, make them pretty by covering them in lovely mix and matching paper or contact and use them to organise your drawers.</p> <p><strong>Wire basket light shade</strong></p> <p>Scour your local bargain shop or vintage markets for a wire basket of your liking. Cut a whole in the bottom in the shape of your ceiling light/fixture and attach. Remember, it doesn't have to be in perfect condition—rustic charm is in. Voila, you have a lovely bespoke basket pendant light.</p> <p><strong>A fresh as a lemon</strong></p> <p>Rid bad smells from your microwave with a squeeze of lemon. It’s the easiest way to deodorise and clean it at the same time. Simply cut half a lemon, sprinkle some salt on the lemon and then use it to scrub the microwave.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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"Absolutely ridiculous": Aussie grandma charged after exposing sex offender

<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Content warning: This article includes mentions of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA).</strong></em></p> <p dir="ltr">A grandmother-of-seven has been charged and hit with a hefty fine after going to great lengths to expose a convicted paedophile who moved to her community.</p> <p dir="ltr">Maxine Davey held up signs reading, ‘Keep children safe from peodophiles (sic)’, along a busy stretch of road to warn residents of the Central Queensland neighbourhood of Calliope that the man had moved there after being released from prison.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the 59-year-old landed in hot water when she filmed the outside of the man’s home and shared the footage - which included vision of his property and vehicles that could be identified - on Facebook, prompting angry locals to comment and make threats.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Davey was found guilty of one count of unlawful stalking, which comes with a potential five-year jail term.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I just wanted to hold up a sign, publicise the fact that other parents (need) to be aware, but then I stepped over the line and broke the law,” she told <em><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/queensland-grandmother-convicted-after-outing-predator-on-facebook/2cba9761-85d3-4a4e-8c3d-ee5632a72ef1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Current Affair</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I crossed the line by posting [the video]. I posted it and it was online for two hours and 35 minutes before I quickly removed it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was shocked, I was sorry. I didn’t know at the time I’d broken the law, but obviously [the police] told me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Davey was able to avoid prison time after the magistrate ruled that she pay a $2200 fine instead. Her phone was also confiscated and a conviction was recorded.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m really devastated by it all,” Ms Davey said of the conviction. “I’ve never considered myself a criminal and I’ll have this charge against me for the rest of my life.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Since the legal action, sexual assault survivors who were victims of the man Ms Davey exposed have rallied behind her, saying she should be treated as a “hero”, not a criminal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is absolutely ridiculous how the justice system works. She shouldn't be put through this. This is not fair,” one victim said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I believe she is honestly like a hero. It absolutely breaks my heart that she's trying to do the right thing (as) a human and she's absolutely being torn apart for it,” another victim said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 41-year-old was convicted of rape and multiple counts of indecent treatment of children under the age of 16 and sentenced to two years and nine months of jail time last year.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the Queensland Government’s website, confidential details about a sex offender can be released by the chief executive of Corrective Services when individual community members need to know information about the offender, such as their employment.</p> <p dir="ltr">Unlike in the US, where Megan’s Law requires police to release information about registered sex offenders to the public, individuals who request confidential information in Australia must sign a confidentiality agreement first.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1e633a3c-7fff-dcad-2093-78ad07e6813b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong><em>If you or someone you know is in need of support as a result of sexual assault or child sexual abuse, contact the Blue Knot Helpline and Redress Support Service on 1300 657 380, or LifeLine on 13 11 14 for immediate support.</em></strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

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"Beyond ridiculous": Kyrgios slammed for finals fireworks

<p dir="ltr">Nick Kyrgios has come under fire for his behaviour during the nerve wrecking Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic, which Aussie tennis great Rennae Stubbs described as “embarrassing”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-68f4af5f-7fff-0d78-153e-88d23698bb00"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">After winning the first set, Kyrgios was on the backfoot during the second and third, with Djokovic winning 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 and claiming the title for the seventh time.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="und">😘🏆2️⃣1️⃣🙏🏼 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zo8PAScQzJ">pic.twitter.com/Zo8PAScQzJ</a></p> <p>— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/status/1546210030130692102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">As his odds of winning began to decline, Kyrgios directed his frustrations at the player box where his girlfriend, dad, sister and trainers were sitting.</p> <p dir="ltr">When he dropped the serve for the first time during the second set of the fourth game, Kyrgios began questioning why he was having to ask his player box to support him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Say something,” he yelled in their direction later in the set. “You said nothing that whole point.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Why do you stop? 40-0, 40-15 and you just relax! Why?”</p> <p dir="ltr">His supporters weren’t the only subjects of his furore either, after Kyrgios was slapped with a code violation for complaining to the chair umpire about fans distracting him while on serve, including a drunk audience member he asked the umpire to kick out.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They’re distracting me when I’m serving in a Wimbledon final, she’s drunk out of her mind,” he said while closing out his service game.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Why is she still here? She’s drunk out of her mind in the first row, speaking to me in the middle of a game. What’s acceptable? Nothing is acceptable? So kick her out!</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know exactly which one it is, it’s the one that looks like she’s had 700 drinks bro.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0bc04b34-7fff-3939-0bc1-eeedd2426429"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">No-one was ejected from the court, but plenty had something to say about Kyrgios’ behaviour, including Stubbs.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Honestly, this behavior of yelling at your box because they aren't doing what u want, is actually beyond ridiculous. THEY CANT READ YOUR MIND! Yes this is his way of dealing with pressure, I get it but this is straight up constant abuse to people that love you, its embarrassing</p> <p>— Rennae Stubbs OLY (@rennaestubbs) <a href="https://twitter.com/rennaestubbs/status/1546150155023486980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Honestly, this behaviour of yelling at your box because they aren’t doing what u want, is actually beyond ridiculous,” she tweeted. </p> <p dir="ltr">“THEY CAN’T READ YOUR MIND! Yes this is his way of dealing with pressure, I get it but this is straight up constant abuse to people that love you, it’s embarrassing.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sports journalist Andy Maher wrote: “You’d have to be a sucker for punishment to accept an invitation to sit in Kyrgios’ box.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e478369b-7fff-59e6-8f07-3a7aafe125f1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“If Nick Kyrgios offered you a spot in his player’s box you’d have to say ‘no’. All that stress and abuse; worst seat in the house,” journalist Bruce Guthrie said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">If Nick Kyrgios offered you a spot in his player’s box you’d have to say ‘no’. All that stress and abuse; worst seat in the house. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WimbledonFinal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WimbledonFinal</a></p> <p>— Bruce Guthrie (@brucerguthrie) <a href="https://twitter.com/brucerguthrie/status/1546138584708575233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Kyrgios’ players box has the toughest job in sports,” American basketball player Nate Wolters added.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kyrgios has acknowledged how supportive his team has been throughout the tournament and that they put up with a lot from him during matches.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve got an incredible support crew,” he said after the fourth round. “My physio is one of my best friends. My best friend is my agent. I’ve got the best girlfriend in the world. I’ve just got so many people around me, they just support me.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I feel like I can reflect on all those dark times when I pushed them all away. Now to sit here, quarterfinals of Wimbledon, feeling good, feeling composed, feeling mature, having that around me, I’m extremely blessed. I feel like I’m just comfortable in my skin.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Following his defeat, he described Djokovic as “a bit of a god”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want to congratulate Novak,” Kyrgios said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To all the ball kids and umpires, I know we have tough relationships, thanks for putting up with it.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3a268d43-7fff-7e7b-8674-085c2baa2460"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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‘Patently ridiculous’: State government failures have exacerbated Sydney’s flood disaster

<p>For the fourth time in 18 months, floodwaters have inundated homes and businesses in Western Sydney’s Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley. Recent torrential rain is obviously the immediate cause. But poor decisions by successive New South Wales governments have exacerbated the damage.</p> <p>The town of Windsor, in the Hawkesbury region, has suffered a particularly high toll, with dramatic flood heights of 9.3 metres in February 2020, 12.9m in March 2021 and 13.7m in March this year.</p> <p>As I write, flood heights at Windsor have reached nearly 14m. This is still considerably lower than the monster flood of 1867, which reached almost 20m. It’s clear that standard flood risk reduction measures, such as raising building floor levels, are not safe enough in this valley.</p> <p>We’ve known about the risk of floods to the region for a long time. Yet successive state governments have failed to properly mitigate its impact. Indeed, recent urban development policies by the current NSW government will multiply the risk.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">BBC weather putting Sydney’s downpour into context.<br />More rain there in 4 days than London gets in a year. <a href="https://t.co/FDkBCYGlK7">pic.twitter.com/FDkBCYGlK7</a></p> <p>— Brett Mcleod (@Brett_McLeod) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brett_McLeod/status/1544071890431623169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>We knew this was coming</strong></p> <p>A 22,000 square kilometre catchment covering the Blue Mountains and Western Sydney drains into the Hawkesbury-Nepean river system. The system faces an <a href="https://theconversation.com/sydneys-disastrous-flood-wasnt-unprecedented-were-about-to-enter-a-50-year-period-of-frequent-major-floods-158427" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extreme flood risk</a> because gorges restrict the river’s seaward flow, often causing water to rapidly fill up the valley after heavy rain.</p> <p>Governments have known about the flood risks in the valley for more than two centuries. Traditional Owners have known about them for millennia. In 1817, Governor Macquarie lamented:</p> <blockquote> <p>it is impossible not to feel extremely displeased and Indignant at [colonists] Infatuated Obstinacy in persisting to Continue to reside with their Families, Flocks, Herds, and Grain on those Spots Subject to the Floods, and from whence they have often had their prosperity swept away.</p> </blockquote> <p>Macquarie’s was the first in a long line of governments to do nothing effective to reduce the risk. The latest in this undistinguished chain is the NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts.</p> <p>In March, Roberts <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nsw-planning-minister-scraps-order-to-consider-flood-fire-risks-before-building-20220321-p5a6kc.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly revoked</a> his predecessor’s directive to better consider flood and other climate risks in planning decisions, to instead favour housing development.</p> <p>Roberts’ predecessor, Rob Stokes, had required that the Department of Planning, local governments and developers consult Traditional Owners, manage risks from climate change, and make information public on the risks of natural disasters. This could have helped limit development on floodplains.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Michael Greenway knows that as soon as he sees floodwater, it’s time to get the three boxes of family photos and move to higher ground. He’s lived in his Richards home for years and has experienced six floods - three of which have been this year <a href="https://t.co/t8Tgckc5lx">https://t.co/t8Tgckc5lx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NSWFloods?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NSWFloods</a> <a href="https://t.co/ErN6sf6hBn">pic.twitter.com/ErN6sf6hBn</a></p> <p>— Laura Chung (@Laura_R_Chung) <a href="https://twitter.com/Laura_R_Chung/status/1543890156675276800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>Why are we still building there?</strong></p> <p>The Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley is currently home to 134,000 people, a population <a href="https://www.infrastructure.nsw.gov.au/expert-advice/hawkesbury-nepean-flood-risk-management-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">projected to</a> double by 2050.</p> <p>The potential <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-stop-risky-developments-in-floodplains-we-have-to-tackle-the-profit-motive-and-our-false-sense-of-security-184062?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=bylinetwitterbutton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">economic returns</a> from property development are a key driver of the <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/26393302" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lack of effective action</a> to reduce flood risk.</p> <p>In the valley, for example, billionaire Kerry Stokes’ company Seven Group is <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/how-raising-the-warragamba-dam-wall-could-be-a-win-for-billionaire-kerry-stokes-20220222-p59yke.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly a part owner</a> of almost 2,000 hectares at Penrith Lakes by the Nepean River, where a 5,000-home development has been mooted.</p> <p>Planning in Australia often uses the 1-in-100-year flood return interval as a safety standard. <a href="https://nccarf.edu.au/living-floods-key-lessons-australia-and-abroad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This is not appropriate</a>. Flood risk in the valley is increasing with climate change, and development in the catchment increases the speed of runoff from paved surfaces.</p> <p>The historical 1-in-100 year safety standard is particularly inappropriate in the valley, because of the extreme risk of rising water cutting off low-lying roads and completely submerging residents cut-off in extreme floods.</p> <p>What’s more, a “medium” climate change scenario will see a <a href="https://www.infrastructure.nsw.gov.au/expert-advice/hawkesbury-nepean-flood-risk-management-strategy/resources/publications-and-resources/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">14.6% increase</a> in rainfall by 2090 west of Sydney. This is projected to increase the 1-in-100 year flood height at Windsor from 17.3m to 18.4m.</p> <p>The NSW government should impose a much higher standard of flood safety before approving new residential development. In my view, it would be prudent to only allow development that could withstand the 20m height of the 1867 flood.</p> <p><strong>No dam can control the biggest floods</strong></p> <p>The NSW government’s primary proposal to reduce flood risk is to <a href="https://www.infrastructure.nsw.gov.au/expert-advice/hawkesbury-nepean-flood-risk-management-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raise Warragamba Dam</a> by 14m.</p> <p>There are many reasons this <a href="https://www.giveadam.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposal should be questioned</a>. They include the potential inundation not just of <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/traditional-owners-launch-federal-bid-to-stop-raising-of-warragamba-dam-wall-20210128-p56xkt.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cultural sites</a> of the Gundungarra nation, but threatened species populations, and part of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.infrastructure.nsw.gov.au/media/2855/infrastructure-nsw-resilient-valley-resilient-communities-2017-jan.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cost-benefit analysis</a> used to justify the proposal <a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-submission-details.aspx?pk=65507" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did not count</a> these costs, nor the benefits of alternative measures such as upgrading escape roads.</p> <p>Perversely, flood control dams and levee banks often result in higher flood risks. That’s because none of these structures stop the biggest floods, and they provide an illusion of safety that justifies more risky floodplain development.</p> <p>The current NSW transport minister <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/emergency-minister-says-raising-dam-wall-could-lead-to-more-development-on-floodplain-20210329-p57evo.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested such development</a> in the valley last year. Similar development occurred with the construction of the Wivenhoe Dam in 1984, which hasn’t prevented extensive flooding in <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/26393302" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brisbane</a> in 2011 and 2022.</p> <p>These are among the reasons the NSW Parliament Select Committee on the Proposal to Raise the Warragamba Dam Wall <a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/listofcommittees/Pages/committee-details.aspx?pk=262#tab-reportsandgovernmentresponses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended</a> last October that the state government:</p> <blockquote> <p>not proceed with the Warragamba Dam wall raising project [and] pursue alternative floodplain management strategies instead.</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>What the government should do instead</strong></p> <p>The NSW government now has an opportunity to overcome two centuries of failed governance.</p> <p>It could take substantial measures to keep homes off the floodplain and out of harm’s way. We need major <a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-submission-details.aspx?pk=65507" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new measures</a> including:</p> <ul> <li>preventing new development</li> <li>relocating flood prone residents</li> <li>building better evacuation roads</li> <li>lowering the water storage level behind Warragamba Dam.</li> </ul> <p>The NSW government should help residents to relocate from the most flood-prone places and restore floodplains. This has been undertaken for many Australian towns and cities, such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420914000028" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grantham</a>, Brisbane, and <a href="https://nccarf.edu.au/living-floods-key-lessons-australia-and-abroad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">along major rivers worldwide</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/5/4/1580/htm#B10-water-05-01580" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Relocating residents isn’t easy</a>, and any current Australian buyback and relocation programs are voluntary.</p> <p>I think it’s in the public interest to go further and, for example, compulsorily acquire or relocate those with destroyed homes, rather than allowing them to rebuild in harm’s way. This approach offers certainty for flood-hit people and lowers community impacts in the longer term.</p> <p>It is patently ridiculous to rebuild on sites that have been flooded multiple times in two years.</p> <p>In the case of the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley, there are at least <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/federal-government-insurers-stop-housing-in-floodrisk-zones/news-story/cba71269eff2b0ea00d93445ff0e9f73" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5,000 homes</a> below the 1-in-100-year flood return interval. This includes roughly <a href="https://www.hawkesburygazette.com.au/story/7657492/near-1000-flood-related-home-insurance-claims-already-in-hawkesbury/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1,000 homes flooded</a> in March.</p> <p>The NSW government says a buyback program would be <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/farcical-minister-shoots-down-flood-relocation-says-residents-know-the-risks-20220308-p5a2qg.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">too expensive</a>. Yet, the cost would be comparable to the roughly $2 billion needed to raise Warragamba Dam, or the government’s $5 billion WestInvest fund.</p> <p>An alternative measure to raising the dam is to lower the water storage level in Warragamba Dam by 12m. This would reduce the amount of drinking water stored to supply Sydney, and would provide some flood control space.</p> <p>The city’s water supply would then need to rely more on the existing desalination plant, a <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032116001817" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strategy assessed as cost effective</a> and with the added benefit of bolstering drought resilience.</p> <p>The flood damage seen in NSW this week was entirely predictable. Measures that could significantly lower flood risk are expensive and politically hard. But as flood risks worsen with climate change, they’re well worth it.<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/186304/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jamie-pittock-7562" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jamie Pittock</a>, Professor, Fenner School of Environment &amp; Society, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian National University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/patently-ridiculous-state-government-failures-have-exacerbated-sydneys-flood-disaster-186304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p>

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The economics of ridiculously expensive art

<p>What would possess someone to buy Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/15/arts/design/leonardo-da-vinci-salvator-mundi-christies-auction.html">US$450 million</a>? You might think it’s an investment - after all it was previously sold <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/timeline-salvator-mundi-went-45-to-450-million-59-years-1150661">for just US$10,000</a> in 2005. </p> <p>From an economic point of view, art can be an investment. Although the research shows art investing has mixed results. Art also has what economists refer to as “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Price-Economics-Institute-Political/dp/0521183006">psychic benefits</a>”. It is something to be enjoyed, experienced or flaunted, and this may be the key to the high price paid for Salvator Mundi. </p> <h2>Art as an investment</h2> <p>As an investment, art’s performance varies wildly, depending on a number of factors. For instance, artworks associated with movements that are currently fashionable will outperform other types of art.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/contemporary-art-1519">Contemporary art</a> is <a href="http://www.artagencypartners.com/market-analysis/impressionist-and-modern-2/">currently outperforming</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/impressionism-29990">impressionist art</a>, for example. The strong demand for contemporary art coupled with limited supply has resulted in some previously overlooked artists, such as <a href="http://www.haring.com/">Keith Haring</a>, being embraced by collectors.</p> <p>But it is typically the works of leading artists that are in hot demand.</p> <p><a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/25-artists-account-nearly-50-percent-postwar-contemporary-auction-sales-1077026">Recent analysis</a> found that just 25 artists (including <a href="http://basquiat.com/">Jean-Michel Basquiat</a>, <a href="https://www.warhol.org/andy-warhols-life/">Andy Warhol</a> and <a href="https://www.gerhard-richter.com/en/">Gerhard Richter</a>) account for US$1.2 billion of the US$2.7 billion in worldwide art auction sales for contemporary art sold at auction this year.</p> <p>Only two women, <a href="http://www.artnet.com/artists/agnes-martin/">Agnes Martin</a> and <a href="http://yayoi-kusama.jp/">Yayoi Kusama</a>, made it onto the top 25 contemporary artists list. This is indicative of issues around <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-gender-pay-gap-is-wider-in-the-arts-than-in-other-industries-87080">gender representation in the arts</a> and the processes by which artists careers and reputations are established.</p> <p>Academic studies of art as an investment have mixed results. For instance, <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=563587">research</a> of the Canadian art market found that the returns are lower than investing in the stock market. However, the study identifies other benefits to having art in your portfolio, such as it being more diversified.</p> <p>But <a href="http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/10309610810891346">research</a> based on around 35,000 paintings by leading Australian artists show the financial returns average between 4% and 15%. Returns for paintings by leading Australian artists including <a href="http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/brett-whiteley">Brett Whiteley</a> and <a href="http://www.artnet.com/artists/jeffrey-smart/biography">Jeffrey Smart</a> exceed stock market returns. The study also found that oil and watercolour paintings, as well as those sold by certain auction houses, had higher prices.</p> <p>So-called “masterpieces”, such as those by Leonardo da Vinci, actually <a href="https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/american-economic-association/art-as-an-investment-and-the-underperformance-of-masterpieces-p7UeNVweF6">perform worse</a> financially than the art market as a whole. </p> <p>However, because art also provides benefits through consumption (prestige, decoration etc.), it is different to shares and bonds. The returns may be lower, but art is still attractive to invest in.</p> <p>The Australian art market reflects what has happened in the global market for contemporary art. For instance the five highest priced Australian works sold in 2017 <a href="https://www.aasd.com.au/index.cfm/annual-auction-totals/">account for almost 10%</a> of the total value of all works sold. </p> <p>And while the recent sale of Earth Creation 1 by the late Indigenous artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye has not attracted the attention of the Leonardo sale, its <a href="http://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/arts/2017/11/17/emily-kame-kngwarreye-aboriginal-art-record-auction/">price of $A2.1 million</a> is nearly double what it sold for at auction a decade earlier.</p> <h2>Art for consumption</h2> <p>The aesthetic pleasure of art, a feeling of being challenged or inspired, is subjective and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444537768000040">difficult to measure</a>. But that doesn’t mean the consumption of art doesn’t add to its value. </p> <p><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyond-Price-Economics-Institute-Political/dp/0521183006">Economists</a> use the terms “psychic returns” or “psychic benefits” to describe the benefits of consuming art. This is broken down into three main areas. </p> <p>One area is the satisfaction of supporting the arts and artists. This motivation is especially important for those who donate their collections to museums or otherwise support the arts. While this motivation is important it is not directly related to auction prices. </p> <p>Then there’s the psychic benefit comes from the “functional” (or decorative) benefits of art that is used to adorn spaces. This is generally the closest to the artists intention when they create the work in the first place. </p> <p>There’s also the prestige that comes from possessing art - especially as it is used to display good taste, wealth and power. For instance, entrances and foyers of offices often display large striking works of modern or contemporary art. </p> <p>This is what <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.99.4.1653">economists</a> call “conspicuous consumption”. As people become wealthier, their demand for high-end art increases. Indeed, art has a long tradition of being used as a statement of power, including by the church.</p> <p>What drives the art market, especially at the upper echelons, is a curious mix of investment and consumption, fuelled by a limited supply.</p> <p>The work of famous artists provides a signal of quality and assurance to the market and so their work is coveted by the rich and powerful. The uniqueness and rareness of these pieces not only spurs demand, but restricts supply, creating a perfect storm to drive prices up. </p> <p>Although, even this doesn’t entirely explain the high price paid for Leonardo’s Salvator Mundi. <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/the-gray-market-salvator-mundi-sale-1117208">Analysis</a> of the sale suggests the market campaign by the auction house was significant in achieving such a high price.</p> <p>But aside from its trade value, art can have cultural value and social significance that do not neatly translate to market prices. So while Leonardo’s Salvator Mundisold for US$450 million, non-tradable masterpieces such as Michaelangelo’s ceiling of the Sistine Chapel aren’t worthless. They’re “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Price-Economics-Institute-Political/dp/0521183006">beyond price</a>”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-economics-of-ridiculously-expensive-art-87668" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

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“Completely ridiculous” fine issued to Norwegian beach handball team

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Norway’s beach handball team has been fined 1500 euros (approximately $2500 NZD) over a violation of the sport’s uniform rules during the European Championships match.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the bronze medal match against Spain, the Norwegian women’s team wore bike shorts instead of bikini bottoms.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The European Handball Federation (EHF) said in a statement that the shorts were “not according to the Athlete Uniform Regulations defined in the IHF Beach Handball Rules of the game”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The team was fined 150 euro per player.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Abid Raja, Norway’s sports minister, said it was “completely ridiculous” and that attitudes needed to change.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Norwegian Handball Federation (NHF) criticised the fine and took to Twitter to say it was proud of the women for saying enough was enough.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Norway's women's beach handball team was fined €1,500 for refusing to wear bikini bottoms at a European championship game.<br /><br />Men wear shorts but IHF rules say women "must" use bikini bottoms, despite players saying that bikini bottoms are restrictive and uncomfortable to play in. <a href="https://t.co/VwP2cxAE1H">pic.twitter.com/VwP2cxAE1H</a></p> — AJ+ (@ajplus) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajplus/status/1417545591005974529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We at NHF stand behind you and support you. Together we will continue to fight to change the rules for clothing so players can play in the clothes they are comfortable with,” it said in the post.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Beach Handball rules, female players must wear tops and bikini bottoms while men must wear tank tops and shorts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Athletes’ uniforms and accessories contribute to helping athletes increase their performance as well as remain coherent with the sportive and attractive image of the sport,” the uniform regulations said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Female athletes must wear bikini bottoms … with a close fit and cut out on an upward angle towards the top of the leg.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">I knew there was a double standard for uniforms worn by male and female athletes... but this picture of Norway's beach handball team says a lot. <a href="https://t.co/qdZBKU7pTK">https://t.co/qdZBKU7pTK</a> <a href="https://t.co/KoWdOvecmr">pic.twitter.com/KoWdOvecmr</a></p> — Dr. Ji Son (@cogscimom) <a href="https://twitter.com/cogscimom/status/1417582965110894594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The decision has been widely criticised on social media, with some calling the differing rules for the mens’ and womens’ uniforms a “double standard”.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Norwegian Handball Federation / Twitter</span></em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Blame it on Photoshop: Husband caught in ‘most ridiculous lie’

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A woman has revealed she divorced her husband after finding a photo of him with an embarrassing mistake.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tylar shared the demise of her marriage in a TikTok video, claiming her alarm bells went off after seeing a photo of her husband “with a bunch of girls” at a nightclub.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the image was fairly candid, Tylar noticed and took issue with one missing detail.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He’s not wearing his wedding ring,” she said in the video.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The image was taken by a professional photographer and shared on the venue’s page.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When she broached the subject of the missing ring with her husband, Tylar says her husband responded to her suspicions with the “most ridiculous lie” she’d ever heard.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He tells me that they Photoshopped his ring off,” she told her viewers while laughing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They ‘Photoshopped his ring off’? Oh, sure they did.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a bold statement, Tylar announced, “We’re divorced.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a follow-up video, Tylar confirmed her husband’s story changed after their confrontation, instead claiming he had taken the ring off to wash his hands and “must have” forgotten to put it back on.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“What a convenient time to forget to put your ring back on,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The caption of her post read, “I’d love for this sound to go viral because he will know he’s the only idiot that would tell such a whopper!!”. It appears her wish came true too, with the clip receiving more than 2.2 million views.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thousands of users also showed their support for Tylar.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Girl, you are not divorced! He’s just photoshopped out of your life,” one wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I can’t believe he thought you would believe that,” another said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">From wedding photos to ‘photoshopped’ rings, Tylar declared her ex-husband was simply “a narcissist”. </span></p>

Relationships

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"Ridiculous speed": Mum's crucial decision that saved her baby's life

<p>A mum has shared a decision that she made that saved the lives of her family after her car was hit by a car going more than 160km/h.</p> <p>Hayley explained that she was driving with her one-year-old son to do a quick errand when they were hit from behind.</p> <p>“We were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” the mother wrote on Facebook.</p> <p>She explained that a car travelling at a “ridiculous speed” of more than 160km/h smashed into them.</p> <p>“Ran straight up the back of us and slingshot our car into the drain,” she wrote.</p> <p>Both mum and baby Miles escaped with minor injuries.</p> <p>“My son and I walked away from this terrifying crash a little battered and bruised, but nevertheless we were able to walk away,” Hayley wrote.</p> <p>The lifesaving decision that she and her husband made that saved the life of her one-year-old was choosing a child car restraint with rear-facing capabilities, which allowed Miles to continue to travel in the rear-facing position.</p> <p>“...the police officer ‘took her hat off to me’ for still having my 1-year-old REARWARD FACING! He only had two little bruises from the harness in all this carnage.</p> <p>“If he was facing forwards, the police officer said this would of been a whole different conversation we would of been having and his injuries would of been horrendous instead of minor,” she explained.</p> <p>She posted the ordeal on Facebook in the hope that other parents would think twice before changing their child's car seat to a forward-facing option.</p> <p>“Please, please, please keep your babies safe! Keep them rearward facing as long as possible! You just never know when the unexpected can happen,” she wrote.</p>

Travel Trouble

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"Delusional" men ridiculed after 1 in 8 say they can beat Serena Williams

<p>One in eight men believe they could win a point in a game of tennis against the 23-time grand slam winner Serena Williams, a new survey has found.</p> <p>12 per cent of men think they could win a point off Williams if they were playing their “very best tennis”, a recent YouGov survey of 1,732 British adults discovered. Only three per cent of women think they could score a point against the American player.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">One in eight men (12%) say they could win a point in a game of tennis against 23 time grand slam winner Serena Williams <a href="https://t.co/q0eNBjn7Vu">https://t.co/q0eNBjn7Vu</a> <a href="https://t.co/3InBOWdYwh">pic.twitter.com/3InBOWdYwh</a></p> — YouGov (@YouGov) <a href="https://twitter.com/YouGov/status/1149699495002853376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>The results have left social media users baffled over how the men can believe that they could hold their own against the world’s number nine, calling them "delusional".</p> <p>“Lord, grant me the confidence of a mediocre white man,” one joked.</p> <p>“This is why men run for President when they have no business doing so,” another wrote.</p> <p>“Clearly those 1 in 8 men are either deluded or Grand Slam-winning professional tennis players,” one added.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Clearly those 1 in 8 men are either deluded or Grand Slam-winning professional tennis players.</p> — syedhossain (@syedhossain) <a href="https://twitter.com/syedhossain/status/1149702812751806465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Some noted the potential in the premise put forward in the question. One wrote, “Turn this into a TV show, not just with tennis. Regular Cocky Man VS Female Athlete. I’d watch it every week.”</p> <p>“Please [Serena Williams] WE NEED TO SEE THIS please please please I would like to cry of laughter,” wrote model Chrissy Teigen.</p> <p>Others wondered about the context of the hypothetical situation. “Is she blindfolded, too? Is there a 50 pound weight around her neck? Is her side of the court covered in tar and other hazards?” one wrote.</p> <p>“If you gave me 500 chances, I bet Serena gets distracted by my fat belly and laughs herself into a double fault,” another joked.</p> <p>“Reading through the replies, 1 in 8 men tried to logic out how they *could* get a point off under certain circumstances, rather than just admitting that they straight up couldn’t do it on skill which is the actual god****ed question and you know it,” another added.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Is she blindfolded, too? Is there a 50 pound weight around her neck? Is her side of the court covered in tar and other hazards?</p> — Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/4everNeverTrump/status/1149830196020649984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Reading through the replies, 1 in 8 men tried to logic out how they *could* get a point off under certain circumstances, rather than just admitting that they straight up couldn’t do it on skill which is the actual goddamned question and you know it. Don’t @ me with semantics.</p> — Aqua Tofana (@lochnesshamstr) <a href="https://twitter.com/lochnesshamstr/status/1150050352521261056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Even regular blokes joined in on poking fun at the survey results.</p> <p>“Based off 33 years of being on this planet, I’d happily have guessed that 1 in 8 of us blokes are genuinely thick as p*****t, so this isn’t really surprising. Bless em,” one chimed in.</p> <p>“One in eight men are cooked,” rapper Briggs posted on his account.</p> <p>“I could definitely stand there and ask myself where the hell the ball disappeared to after Serena hit it,” another man wrote.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">One in eight men are cooked 😂 <a href="https://t.co/mVlqUISJ9m">https://t.co/mVlqUISJ9m</a></p> — Senator Briggs (@Briggs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Briggs/status/1150219842181402624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Well, I mean it's definitely possible, she might just double-fault on the first point, before she'd had a chance to realise that she could consistently ace me by gently tapping the ball right into the middle of my side of the court while sitting in a nice comfy chair <a href="https://t.co/b2gKHkMnZc">https://t.co/b2gKHkMnZc</a></p> — Tom Freeman (@SnoozeInBrief) <a href="https://twitter.com/SnoozeInBrief/status/1149703895284953100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>While women athletes do not generally play against regular guys, the “Battle of the Sexes” between male and female professional players is a well-known tradition in tennis. One of the most famous games was the 1973 match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, where the former emerged triumphant in a straight-sets win of 6-4 6-3 6-3.</p>

Body

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Passenger divides internet over seat complaint on flight: "Ridiculous"

<p>A man has been slammed as “entitled” and “ridiculous” after posting a complaint about airplane seat-swapping on his social media account.</p> <p>On Sunday, Australian journalist Daniel Brettig shared on Twitter that he asked a fellow passenger to exchange seats with him so that he could sit next to his girlfriend.</p> <p>Brettig explained that it was the last day the couple would see each other for two and a half months.</p> <p>However, the “boomer” passenger refused to move “because they wanted to look out the window”, Brettig wrote. “Strong generational metaphor areas, Shane.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">A boomer refused to swap seats on a flight this morning to let my gf and I sit together on the last day before we're apart for 2.5 months - because they wanted to look out the window. Strong generational metaphor areas, Shane</p> — Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) <a href="https://twitter.com/danbrettig/status/1145476449551310850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Brettig’s post was met with a wave of criticism, with many social media users slamming his reaction to the rejection as “spoiled”, “selfish” and “entitled”.</p> <p>“Good. Buy your seat, choose your seat. Don’t ask for someone else’s that they have either earned, chosen or paid for,” one commented.</p> <p>“Window seat is sacred. You should have pre-selected your seats if this time together was so important,” another wrote.</p> <p>“What a ridiculous &amp; self-entitled Tweet. If sitting together is so important yet you can’t be bothered to pre-select seats in advance, whether by paying a fee or otherwise, why should someone else give up their seat for you?” one added.</p> <p>Some pointed out that while the request was reasonable, it was also fair for the fellow passenger to say no.</p> <p>“It’s a reasonable request, but also more than reasonable to have that request rejected. I possibly would have done the same given how I was feeling on the day,” one wrote. “Your lack of organisations is not someone else’s issue.”</p> <p>Another commented, “Nothing wrong in my opinion with asking someone to swap seats, but also nothing wrong in the other person’s right to turn down the request.”</p>

Travel Trouble

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The ridiculous amount a royal visit costs: "I cannot stand over this type of expenditure"

<p>The staggering price of a royal visit has been revealed after one councillor in Ireland shared a breakdown of the cost of a visit from Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla.</p> <p>In June, the heir to the throne and his wife visited Cork, Ireland, for an overnight stop in the university town.</p> <p>Despite their short stay, Cork City Council spent an excessive amount of money to prepare for the trip.</p> <p>And now, Thomas Gould, Sinn Féin Councillor for Cork North Central, has shared a breakdown of the cost on Twitter.</p> <p>He wrote: "Cork City Council’s spent €19,770 ($31,078) for a dinner for Charles &amp; Camilla along with 70 guests. In total €203,761 ($320,310).”</p> <p>"I have no issue with them visiting but I cannot stand over this type of expenditure when we have the high levels of homelessness, hospital waiting lists € much more."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Cork City Council’s spent €19,770 for a dinner for Charles &amp; Camilla along with 70 guests. In total €203,761. I have no issue with them visiting but I cannot stand over this type of expenditure when we have the high levels of homelessness, hospital waiting lists € much more. <a href="https://t.co/WmaUK4SI6o">pic.twitter.com/WmaUK4SI6o</a></p> — CLLRThomas Gould (@ThomasGouldsf) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThomasGouldsf/status/1072292561333686272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>The cost for the visit included $9331 spent on polishing door handles in Town Hall and $9780 on replacing a light in the foyer.</p> <p>However, the council has defended the costs in a statement to CCN, saying the expenditure included “specialist reconditioning, polishing and lacquering of over 260 individual brass items by a local specialist firm".</p> <p>The council also spent money on "reconditioning, polishing and lacquering door handles, escutcheons, push plates, finger plates, brass fittings and kick plates.</p> <p>"These items had not been refurbished since they were first put in place over 80 years ago and were due to be refinished but the project was brought forward due to (the) Royal visit," they said.</p> <p>During Charles and Camilla’s stay, they also visited the English Market which was decorated with $14,669 worth of banners to mark its 230th birthday.</p> <p>What are your thoughts on the cost of Prince Charles and Camilla's royal visit to Ireland? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

News

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Bridezilla reveals ridiculous dress code for guests based on how much they weigh

<p>A bride has come under fire for setting a very specific dress code for her wedding guests according to their weight.</p> <p>Taking to Facebook to share the ridiculous guidelines, one guest revealed the number of items the bride expects her guests to purchase for a choreographed group dance.</p> <p>“The dress code is very specific because it will be used to create an incredible visual effect,” wrote the bride.</p> <p>“If done right, it will make our synchronised dancing along the beach really pop.”</p> <p>If guests are female and weigh less than 71kg, they need to don a green velvet jumper, orange suede pants and a Burberry scarf.</p> <p>Those women who weigh above 72kg must opt for an all-black outfit consisting of pants, jumpers and shoes.</p> <p>Men are not exempt from the bizarre dress code either, with those weighing under 90kg expected to come in a purple fuzzy jacket, a soda hat, all white trainers and plain glow sticks.</p> <p>But if their weight is above 90kg, then they must come in a full camouflage with black sneakers.</p> <p>The bride-to-be has also set a strict dress code for children, requesting them to wear red from head to toe, as they will be used to create a heart.</p> <p>“It needs to be true red, not blood orange or some bulls***!” She said.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 281.1094452773614px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7822373/6hvdkel64c221.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4efdf2ca59094067a8e69a72b13b74bc" /></p> <p>But that’s not all, as after the dance routine, guests are expected to change into formal clothing as the wedding is held at an “extremely upscale” venue.</p> <p>“Please, if you look like trash, so will we. All jokes aside, we want you to invest in an outfit valued at at least $1000,” she wrote.</p> <p>“This includes jewellery, accessories, makeup and hair. Remember ladies and gents, this wedding is 24k themed for a reason.”</p> <p>The bridezilla concluded the list of demands with a firm reminder that they have a year-and-a-half to organise their outfits and she doesn’t want to hear excuses.</p> <p>After viewing the post, many users responded with criticism and disbelief, especially because she wants them to wear fuzzy jumpers during summer.</p> <p>“She basically wants the women to look like fuzzy palm trees,” said one person.</p> <p>“If you want me to wear at least $1000 in clothes, jewellery etc. You best be buying that stuff for me or reimbursing me for stuff I won’t wear again,” said another.</p> <p>Many believe the post to be a hoax, but those invited to the wedding have insisted that the list of demands is definitely real.</p> <p>What do you think of this bridezilla’s extreme dress code request for guests? Tell us in the comments below.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Woman's ridiculous list of rules for husband

<p>One wife is receiving backlash after sharing the list of rules she expects her husband to follow.</p> <p>Writing on the Facebook group “Get It Off Your Chest”, the woman by the name of “Rosiee” explained that she wanted feedback on the list of rules she wrote for her partner.</p> <p>Admitting that she re-drafted the rules because she was told the first lot were a bit “harsh”, she asked for “honest opinions” from online users.</p> <p>Rosiee shared the 10 commandments for her man, which included “no female friends”, “no social media” and “must work minimum 50 hours a week”.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 373.2612055641422px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7821932/1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ca3850b4f57a43519afb00f137b48a67" /></p> <p>The wife also believes her husband should keep the house clean at all times and not go out without her present.</p> <p>Since sharing her rules, Rosiee has been flooded with criticism for her extreme policing of her husband.</p> <p>“You should just get a dog,” wrote one Facebook user.</p> <p>“This is your husband right?” asked another. “I don’t think he agreed to be your slave when you married him.”</p> <p>“I have guy friends that are married,” wrote one woman. “It’s no problem. My boyfriend has great female friends. Again, no problem. If you have mutual respect and true love, you don’t need these rules.”</p> <p>While the users don’t know Rosiee personally, they suggested that the strict rules were a reflection of her “insecurities” and fears that her partner would cheat.</p> <p>According to therapist Shannon Thomas, partners who are controlling develop into “toxic people”.</p> <p>Speaking to <u><a href="https://www.whimn.com.au/"><strong>whimn.com.au</strong></a>,</u> Thomas said: “Toxic people have the ability to affect all areas of our lives, and we are often blind to this.”</p> <p>“We make excuses for them. We believe and internalise the lies they feed us. And, in turn, that affects how we view ourselves and our worth. Toxic people receive pleasure from taking joy away from the things we once loved, such as work, friendships, hobbies, and even our love for ourselves.”</p> <p>Thomas said the best way to gauge if you are in a toxic relationship is to reflect on how they make you feel after spending time with them.</p> <p>“The best gauge is to see how you feel after interacting with someone – our physical and emotional reactions to people are our best indicators.”</p> <p>Many commenters on Rosiee’s post suggested that her husband should respond to her list of rules by doing one thing: “Run!”</p> <p>Have you ever been in a controlling relationship? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Technology

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"Is that a blue stripe?" Donald Trump ridiculed for colouring US flag wrong

<p>The US President Donald Trump has gotten himself into trouble again after a seemingly innocent task of colouring in.</p> <p>After the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, shared a photo on Twitter of the President spending time with children in Ohio, users were quick to notice a problem.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">The opioid crisis is one of our top priorities at HHS, with a drumbeat of action on the full range of efforts where we can assist local communities. Today, I joined <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> in Ohio to learn how states and communities are responding to the challenge of opioid addiction. <a href="https://t.co/NwxSoeNznA">pic.twitter.com/NwxSoeNznA</a></p> — Alex Azar (@SecAzar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecAzar/status/1033142676424679425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">25 August 2018</a></blockquote> <p>The President, who is seen colouring in the US flag, was using a blue marker to fill in the stripes instead of red. The photo, which has now gone viral, has sparked a discussion all over Twitter.</p> <p>“The President has colored his flag wrong. That is all,” one Twitter user, Talia wrote.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">The President has colored his flag wrong. <br /><br />That is all. <a href="https://t.co/wWXBgR9I6V">pic.twitter.com/wWXBgR9I6V</a></p> — Talia (@2020fight) <a href="https://twitter.com/2020fight/status/1033162713378127873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">25 August 2018</a></blockquote> <p>As tweeted by Azar, Trump and first lady Melania Trump were in Ohio to discuss opioid addiction with affected communities.</p> <p>According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://edition.cnn.com/politics" target="_blank"><em>CNN</em></a>, Trump, who visited the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, was hoping to start a conversation on the addiction but instead, had people questioning his artistic capabilities.</p> <p>Once the photo started gaining more traction, Twitter users were quick to make jokes on the reasons behind Trump’s blue American flag.</p> <p>One theory was that Trump was trying to replicate the Russian flag, which features a blue stripe.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">He’s just getting it confused with his flag. <a href="https://t.co/j1J1qTTmkO">pic.twitter.com/j1J1qTTmkO</a></p> — Christina (@christinavotes) <a href="https://twitter.com/christinavotes/status/1033459864683593729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">25 August 2018</a></blockquote> <p>Others suggested that the President was honouring the police with his colouring choice.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Good job media. Hurr-durr Trump doesn't know what color the flag is. Well, what it's meant to represent is the "thin blue line" between chaos and order, also known as the police. They're far from perfect but so is society. God forbid we have a pro-police president. <a href="https://t.co/Bq5tpq46zk">pic.twitter.com/Bq5tpq46zk</a></p> — Jack Hammer (@Cleggermeister) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cleggermeister/status/1033467696472645632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">25 August 2018</a></blockquote> <p>But many were quick to shut down that theory, as they pointed out the one red stripe that Trump coloured in, which isn’t seen on the police flag. He had also coloured in the blue stripe on the wrong line.</p> <p>Unsurprisingly, many called Trump a hypocrite for his mistake as in the past, he was known to have criticised football players who kneeled during the national anthem in a display of protesting police brutality.</p> <p>But while Trump is known to be active on Twitter, more than any other President in the past, he has yet to address the controversy. Instead, choosing to mention former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s emails, and his popularity, claiming “Fake News Media” is trying to make him look “as evil as possible.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Over 90% approval rating for your all time favorite (I hope) President within the Republican Party and 52% overall. This despite all of the made up stories by the Fake News Media trying endlessly to make me look as bad and evil as possible. Look at the real villains please!</p> — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1033876658439245825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">27 August 2018</a></blockquote>

News

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6 most ridiculously overdue books returned to libraries

<p>Remember the horror of realising you’ve kept a library book past its due date? Well, imagine realising you’ve kept one 221 years longer than you should have. Here, we’re taking a look at 6 of the most ridiculously overdue books that were ever returned to libraries – who knows how many even older ones are sitting in bookshelves around the world!</p> <p><strong>6. <em>The Picture of Dorian Gray</em> by Oscar Wilde</strong></p> <p>While sorting through her late mother’s belongings, Harlean Hoffman Vision found a rare edition of this iconic novel originally borrowed from the Chicago Public Library and vowed to return it. “She kept saying, ‘You’re not going to arrest me?’ and we said, ‘No, we’re so happy you brought it back,’” recalled the library’s marketing director, Ruth Lednicer.</p> <p><strong>5. <em>Master of Men</em> by E. Phillips Oppenheim</strong></p> <p>Given that Oppenheim was born and bred in Leicestershire, the Leicester County Library couldn’t’ve been happier to reclaim this piece of local literary history, which turned up in a nearby house 79 years after it was borrowed.</p> <p><strong>4. F<em>acts I Ought to Know About the Government of My Country</em> by William H. Bartlett</strong></p> <p>Try to contain your excitement at the title of this undoubtedly thrilling read, which was returned one year shy of a century after it was borrowed from the New Bedford Public Library in Massachusetts, US. The man who returned it claimed his mother, a Polish immigrant, borrowed the book to brush up on the politics of her adopted country.</p> <p><strong>3. <em>Insectivorous Plants</em> by Charles Darwin</strong></p> <p>A copy of Darwin’s treatise on bug-eating plants was borrowed from Sydney’s Camden School of Arts Lending Library back in 1889. It was finally returned 122 years later on July 22, 2011.</p> <p><strong>2. <em>The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Macedonians, and Grecians (volume II)</em> by Charles Rollin</strong></p> <p>In 2013, this old tome (originally borrowed from the Grace Doherty Library in Danville, Kentucky) was found at a nearby school for the deaf, where it’s believed to have remained since 1854. “It’s been out of the library for at least 150 years,” librarian Stan Campbell said.</p> <p><strong>1. <em>The Law of Nations</em> by Emmerich de Vattel</strong></p> <p>This legal manifesto was borrowed from the New York Society Library by George Washington five months into his presidency – but he never returned it. For 221 years it remained hidden in his Virginia home and was finally sent back to the library in 2010. Lucky for his descendants, the library waived the $300,000 late fee. Phew!</p> <p>Do you still have any overdue library books from back in the day? Let us know in the comments!</p>

Books

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This is the most ridiculous case in Judge Judy history

<p>Judge Judy Sheindlin has made a living out of dealing with strange court dramas, but this might be the most ridiculous case in the history of the television program.</p> <p>In this extremely brief court case, which you can view yourself below, the defendant manages to blow the entire trial in 26 seconds, and Judge Judy herself can’t help but crack up due to the sheer ridiculousness of it all.</p> <p>Watch it for yourself here:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2Cg3cUnYjYg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>What are your thoughts? Do you watch Judge Judy?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: YouTube / Entertainment Tonight</em></p>

Legal

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The most ridiculous tourist complaints you’ll ever read

<p>A new infographic highlights the most ridiculous complaints tourists have lodged online.</p> <p>It seems in an age of self-entitlement, travellers are finding increasingly trivial and petty reasons to complain about their holidays.</p> <p>“Worryingly, they are all genuine grievances from real tourists, only the names have been changed to spare their blushes,” said a spokesperson for MyOffers, who compiled the list.</p> <p><img width="509" height="932" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/07/13/11/423A7E5000000578-4685498-What_were_they_thinking_Each_of_the_above_was_a_genuine_grievanc-a-68_1499940798627.jpg" alt="What were they thinking? Each of the above was a genuine grievance by a real tourist" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-ab6eca53173bf05c"/></p> <p><img width="511" height="922" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/07/13/11/423A7E4600000578-4685498-Compiled_The_complaints_were_sources_from_various_leading_sites_-a-70_1499940798818.jpg" alt="Compiled: The complaints were sources from various leading sites, including Thomas Cook" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-95b0e664c22585b5"/></p> <p><img width="506" height="447" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/07/13/11/423A7E3E00000578-4685498-Bizarre_One_woman_appeared_to_be_personally_slighted_by_the_Span-a-71_1499940798900.jpg" alt="Bizarre: One woman appeared to be personally slighted by the Spanish tradition of siestas" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-bb0b97e95b2b846b"/></p> <p><img width="505" height="608" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/07/13/11/423A7E3800000578-4685498-Lacking_perspective_From_biscuits_to_dormant_volcanoes_the_list_-a-69_1499940798771.jpg" alt="Lacking perspective: From biscuits to dormant volcanoes, the list of 'issues' is never-ending" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-98319cfb72e9a3e3"/></p> <p><em>Infogaphic credit: MyOffers.co.uk</em></p>

Travel Tips

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This new “superfood” may be the most ridiculous yet

<p>Next time you find a cockroach scurrying around your house, think twice before killing it – you might just be giving up on the goodness of the next big “superfood”.</p> <p>Scientists at India’s Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine have discovered that cockroach milk is packed full of nutrients.</p> <p>The particularly species of cockroach, the Pacific beetle, feeds its babies by lactating protein-dense crystals, which pack fats, sugars, amino acids. It’s believed to have three times the energy equivalent of normal dairy milk.</p> <p><img width="406" height="271" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/07/26/00/36969AA100000578-3707802-Disgusting_or_delicious_The_milk_is_produced_by_the_Pacific_beet-a-3_1469489461628.jpg" class="irc_mi io8TbazDO_jE-pQOPx8XEepE" style="margin-top: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>"The crystals are like a complete food -- they have proteins, fats and sugars. If you look into the protein sequences, they have all the essential amino acids," Sanchari Banerjee, one of the researchers, told the Times of India.</p> <p>“It’s time-release food,” project lead Subramanian Ramaswamy said. “They can be a fantastic protein supplement.”</p> <p>Don’t worry though, it’s still early days and nobody so there won’t be cockroach milk products in stores any time soon. But the researchers say we could be heading in that direction.</p> <p>Yum… </p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/health/body/2016/07/natural-remedies-for-acid-reflux/"><em>5 natural remedies for acid reflux</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/health/body/2016/07/the-long-term-problems-with-a-b12-deficiency/"><em>The long-term problems with a B12 deficiency</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/health/body/2016/07/pomegranate-could-slow-ageing/"><em>This fruit could help slow down ageing</em></a></strong></span></p>

News

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