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What happens to teeth as you age? And how can you extend the life of your smile?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/arosha-weerakoon-792707">Arosha Weerakoon</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p>A healthy smile <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37314011/">helps us</a> live long, well and happy lives. But just <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37436910/">like our bodies</a>, our teeth succumb to age-related changes.</p> <p>So what happens to teeth as you age? And what can you do to ensure your smile lasts the distance?</p> <h2>First, what are teeth made of?</h2> <p>The tooth crown is covered by a hard enamel coat that surrounds softer, brown dentine, which protects a centrally located pulp.</p> <p>Enamel is a complex weave of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2584618/">brittle</a>, honeycomb-clustered strands that interact with light to make teeth appear opalescent (a pearly, milky iridescence).</p> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1601-1546.2012.00269.x">Dentine under enamel</a> forms most of the tooth crown and root, and is made of collagen, mineral, water and proteins. Collagen strands are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003996922002102?via%3Dihub#bib12">woven</a> to stretch and spring back, to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003996922002102?via%3Dihub#bib12">prevent teeth</a> from cracking and breaking when we grind and chew.</p> <p>The pulp has blood vessels and nerves that communicate with the rest of your body.</p> <p>Enmeshed in the dentine mineral and collagen are small, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8809302/">interconnected tubules</a> formed by specialised cells called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1047847799940960">odontoblasts</a> that settle around the pulp, once our teeth completely form.</p> <p>Each tooth contains a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23803461/">finite number of odontoblasts</a>, unlike the constantly replenished special bone cells that renew.</p> <h2>How do our teeth change as we age?</h2> <p>Unable to renew, our teeth <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003996922002102?via%3Dihub#bib19">become brittle</a>, and prone to fracture as dentine loses its spring.</p> <p>This is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002817714613532?casa_token=1K9Y6CJXmsAAAAAA:t6y_b_Iy02AWpUGaiz4H8Fk0Kdfx6z1ypHiGOEjFqFNlU1jvSRCVjfYOyysgIErJvgCzh33c2hfX">more common</a> in teeth with existing crack lines, large fillings or root canal treatments.</p> <p>With time, the outer surface of enamel <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022391305004348?casa_token=xXfdecXrLaoAAAAA:YE_0swAFtT3RyCUeJmPwciixQ0hwL-foLyC2RGtnlyUSJ9O-pPLQz0B8XNd4Gq1AMtCN2BgnCrqo">thins</a> to reveal the relatively opaque dentine that darkens as we age.</p> <p>The dentine darkens because the collagen weave <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1047847722000697">stiffens and shrinks</a>, and the fluid in the tubules <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590152422000010?via%3Dihub">fills with mineral</a>.</p> <p>The odontoblasts continue to form dentine inside the tooth to reduce the translucent pulp space. The increase in dentine makes our teeth appear <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003996913003294">opaque</a> and insulates from hot and cold sensations. This is why <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0300571215000494?casa_token=iiLtoxOZOYQAAAAA:RfaGR7lrq9dgWuO_nh6hLETzVUiIWdu-mB-Ev019vZH5t6meVyAHs3YpZzcu9FNrDBYQL6OExu6j">X-rays</a> are useful to detect cavities we may not feel.</p> <p>Food and drink particles fill micro-gaps and age-related fine crack lines that run up and down enamel to <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yash-Kapadia/publication/322509199_Tooth_staining_A_review_of_etiology_and_treatment_modalities/links/5b4cd922a6fdcc8dae245b7d/Tooth-staining-A-review-of-etiology-and-treatment-modalities.pdf">discolour and stain</a>. These stains are easily managed by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772559622000207">tooth whitening</a>.</p> <p>How else can you extend the life of your teeth and brighten your smile? Here are seven tips to avoid dental decline:</p> <h2>1. Avoid unnecessary forces</h2> <p>Avoid <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/sj.bdj.2012.722">using</a> your teeth to hold things such as working tools or to open packaging.</p> <p>Take measures to avoid forces such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1882761622000059">grinding or clenching</a> by wearing a night guard.</p> <p>If you have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0109564122002421">large fillings</a> or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0109564122001579?casa_token=kQPjGNgU2iQAAAAA:ytMnT5MLV8aRehNyyWD7qC7FXSBE5xpPCxnzZ2ryKsuyJePq1jHisue1udtN0Cs6NDYJ37xYHy_5">root canal-treated</a> teeth, speak to your dentist about <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aej.12002?casa_token=RwMhhwmgjwwAAAAA%3AGCWVA9vjFX68S2DdKbCFl4jwTAjMeqVDoT3GtXTSjA7SMEc3ksktOMCUSz9ArikD4XhBM5v08nGCvmVF0g">specific filling materials or crowns</a> that can protect your teeth from cracking or breaking.</p> <h2>2. Share the load</h2> <p>If you are missing molars or premolars, distribute chewing forces evenly to prevent overloading your remaining teeth.</p> <p>Replace missing teeth with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S010956411100858X?casa_token=4vrj3ssj0PEAAAAA:UODaFxNDCKmQ_lQs1faL6lh0xIeIfSFrRQBq-s0KF1ZvUJd6ytbXX37TVaiHLRzJPJaSDF_2aVmL">bridges</a>, <a href="https://aap.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1902/jop.2008.080188?casa_token=uA0r7imcRbUAAAAA%3AeXGszI5-Dcu4oKi33FCrRRviiAj0uyoP7V5wApIRQD1-1Zu-rkLAcoLhKMAJYVnC9tEnxj33UdNJIndEBA">implants</a> or well-fitted <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/13/6776">dentures</a> to support your bite. Get your dentures <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022391320301554">checked regularly</a> to ensure they fit and support adequately, and replace them at least every ten years.</p> <h2>3. Preserve your enamel</h2> <p>Reduce <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcpe.12330?casa_token=W2Ib34A77-QAAAAA%3AnLZtwwqZuueyHf1CMX0K9MERSW_Pvc3w0KlpArFT1KNusuopjEUcWmGd8pDUA7fQcj6DMkcS-JnXISFV1w">further enamel and dentine loss</a> by selecting soft-bristled <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00016350802195041?casa_token=E-ErdP543QUAAAAA%3A0Wz5AWwQxntBIc3UndFX_5nVbAYoPDx-PX1tg7Umxjr_QepX3CSIFVXYcrrxWV9iTx99Afk8c_zff-o">tooth brushes and non-abrasive toothpastes</a>.</p> <p>Certain whitening toothpastes can be abrasive, which can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8874033/">roughen and wear</a> the tooth surfaces. If you are unsure, stick with toothpastes that are labelled “sensitive”.</p> <p>Reduce your exposure to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/sj.bdj.2012.722">acid</a> in food (think lemons or apple cider vinegar) or illness (reflux or vomiting) where possible to maintain enamel and prevent erosion.</p> <h2>4. Enhance your saliva</h2> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jtxs.12356?casa_token=1moXbwnrDQIAAAAA%3AHz3Im9lmR3h75TmG8FSUQH-8_0UGnQ9TNkgaPL79LlrCmwC3kzZZJaAB2mSZHf4X7PX5y3GKaVoY5cm5JA">Saliva</a> protects against acid attacks, flushes our teeth, and has antibacterial properties to reduce erosion and decay (holes forming).</p> <p>Saliva is also important to help us chew, swallow and speak.</p> <p>But our saliva quality and quantity reduces because of age-related changes to our salivary glands as well as certain medications prescribed to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19392837/">manage chronic illnesses</a> such as depression and high blood pressure.</p> <p>Speak to your doctor about other medication options to improve your saliva or manage reflux disease to prevent erosion.</p> <h2>5. Treat gum disease</h2> <p>Aesthetically, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37358230/">treating gum disease (periodontitis)</a> reduces gum shrinkage (recession) that typically exposes the relatively darker tooth roots that are more <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00220345231166294">prone to developing holes</a>.</p> <h2>6. Manage and prevent senescence</h2> <p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36908187/">Cellular senescence</a> is the process that changes DNA in our cells to reduce our ability to withstand physical, chemical or biological damage.</p> <p>Cellular senescence enhances new cancer formation, the spread of existing cancers and the onset of chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease.</p> <p>You can prevent cell damage by managing lifestyle factors such as smoking, uncontrolled diabetes and chronic infections such as gum disease.</p> <h2>7. Adapt and ask for help</h2> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jan.15769?casa_token=SC-LouFQThsAAAAA%3A4jcvLRuJ56dGEm7ttvMad65hvUoZ7V5nvILg5sLFVZo8jxyQGR6YFeTcfM8sByTbdVrCWR1O5ytI3Z_crA">Ageing</a> can affect our cognition, hand dexterity and eyesight to prevent us from cleaning our teeth and gums as effectively as we once could.</p> <p>If this describes you, talk to your dental care team. They can help clean your teeth, and <a href="https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/full/10.12968/bjon.2020.29.9.520?casa_token=_rol0NXx9c8AAAAA%3Aq8zgxiMSASwF1MRQZnZzfzmttn2x7FfGwsiIv71C_s_PTTmGD9JOIbqqtLNXa0oF9ogOjOCZwwpwB94">recommend products and tools</a> to fit your situation and abilities.<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/215786/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/arosha-weerakoon-792707"><em>Arosha Weerakoon</em></a><em>, Senior Lecturer, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland and General Dentist., <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-happens-to-teeth-as-you-age-and-how-can-you-extend-the-life-of-your-smile-215786">original article</a>.</em></p>

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"I can't stop smiling": Jimmy Barnes overwhelmed by honour

<p dir="ltr">Jimmy Barnes has received an Honorary Doctorate for his distinguished service to the community. </p> <p dir="ltr">The legendary rock singer, who left school at 16 to join Cold Chisel as lead singer, was humbled when he accepted the award from the University of South Australia. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 66-year-old shared heartwarming photos to his Instagram with his family, and included a short snippet of his acceptance speech. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I am both humbled and proud to be receiving an Honorary Doctorate awarded to me by the @universitysa,” his caption read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What an Honour. The magnitude of this occasion has only just sunk in. You can see I can’t stop smiling.” </p> <p dir="ltr">In his short snippet video, Jimmy thanked the university for the honour and said everyone is capable of achieving their goals. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjFbIMZgLC8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <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 style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjFbIMZgLC8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jimmy Barnes (@jimmybarnesofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Congratulations to each  and every one of you guys,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The Honours we receive today recognise what we are capable of achieving when you refuse to let anyone’s limitations stop you. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You continue to strive for that kind of honour in everything that you do in the year’s ahead. </p> <p dir="ltr">“And finally thank you to the University of South Australia for granting me this honour.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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"Her smile is all Diana": Royal fans flip out over Princess Charlotte's looks

<p>Royal fans have gone wild over how much Princess Charlotte, 7, is beginning to look like her late grandmother Princess Diana.</p> <p>The young royal made a rare appearance on social media as she joined her father, Prince William, in a video message to share their well wishes to the England women's football team ahead of their Euro final game.</p> <p>After the post racked up almost one million likes in a matter of hours, royal fans flocked to the comments to note how Charlotte bares an uncanny resemblance to the late Princess of Wales.</p> <p>One person commented, "Charlotte is starting to look just like Princess Diana."</p> <p>Another wrote, "Princess Charlotte = Princess Diana's looks + Kate's idiosyncrasy."</p> <p>A third person said, "Awww Princess Charlotte is sooo cute! Her little voice! And wow, she looks like William, Catherine and Diana at the same time! Her smile is all Diana."</p> <p>Addressing Prince William, a fourth commented, "Beautiful Charlotte, I can see your mum Diana in her, beautiful."</p> <p>"Princess Charlotte is so beautiful like her mother - and Princess Diana," another commented.</p> <p>In the video, Princess Charlotte sat with Prince William as they wished the Lionesses good luck in the 2022 Euro final against Germany.</p> <p>"We both want to wish the Lionesses the best of luck for tonight," William said.</p> <p>"You've done amazingly well in the competition and we're rooting for you all the way."</p> <p>Sitting on her father's lap, Charlotte chimes in with a short and sweet declaration of her own, saying, "Good luck, I hope you win. Bye!" and signing off with a wave.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram</em></p>

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Pay ‘with a smile or a wave’: Why Mastercard’s new face recognition payment system raises concerns

<p>Mastercard’s <a href="https://www.mastercard.com/news/press/2022/may/with-a-smile-or-a-wave-paying-in-store-just-got-personal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“smile to pay”</a> system, announced last week, is supposed to save time for customers at checkouts. It is being trialled in Brazil, with future pilots planned for the Middle East and Asia.</p> <p>The company argues touch-less technology will help speed up transaction times, shorten lines in shops, heighten security and improve hygiene in businesses. But it raises concerns relating to customer privacy, data storage, crime risk and bias.</p> <p><strong>How will it work?</strong></p> <p>Mastercard’s biometric checkout system will provide customers facial recognition-based payments, by linking the biometric authentication systems of a number of third-party companies with Mastercard’s own payment systems.</p> <p>A Mastercard spokesperson told The Conversation it had already partnered with NEC, Payface, Aurus, Fujitsu Limited, PopID and PayByFace, with more providers to be named.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464953/original/file-20220524-22-ga0v7l.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464953/original/file-20220524-22-ga0v7l.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464953/original/file-20220524-22-ga0v7l.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464953/original/file-20220524-22-ga0v7l.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464953/original/file-20220524-22-ga0v7l.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464953/original/file-20220524-22-ga0v7l.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464953/original/file-20220524-22-ga0v7l.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464953/original/file-20220524-22-ga0v7l.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="The 'Fujitsu' logo in red is displayed on a building's side" /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Mastercard has partnered with Fujitsu, a massive information and communications technology firm offering many different products and services.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>They said “providers need to go through independent laboratory certification against the program criteria to be considered” – but details of these criteria aren’t yet publicly available.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/mastercard-facial-recognition-biometric-payments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">media</a> reports, customers will have to install an app which will take their picture and payment information. This information will be saved and stored on the third-party provider’s servers.</p> <p>At the checkout, the customer’s face will be matched with the stored data. And once their identity is verified, funds will be deducted automatically. The “wave” option is a bit of a trick: as the customer watches the camera while waving, the camera still scans their face – not their hand.</p> <p>Similar authentication technologies are used on smartphones (face ID) and in many airports around the world, including “<a href="https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/smartgates/arrivals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">smartgates</a>” in Australia.</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/4/16251304/kfc-china-alipay-ant-financial-smile-to-pay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China</a> started using biometrics-based checkout technology back in 2017. But Mastercard is among the first to launch such a system in Western markets – competing with the “pay with your palm” <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/09/29/amazon-introduces-the-amazon-one-a-way-to-pay-with-your-palm-when-entering-stores/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">system</a> used at cashier-less Amazon Go and Whole Foods brick and mortars in the United States.</p> <p><strong>What we don’t know</strong></p> <p>Much about the precise functioning of Mastercard’s system isn’t clear. How accurate will the facial recognition be? Who will have access to the databases of biometric data?</p> <p>A Mastercard spokesperson told The Conversation customers’ data would be stored with the relevant biometric service provider in encrypted form, and removed when the customer “indicates they want to end their enrolment”. But how will the removal of data be enforced if Mastercard itself can’t access it?</p> <p>Obviously, privacy protection is a major concern, especially when there are many potential third-party providers involved.</p> <p>On the bright side, Mastercard’s <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/032615/how-mastercard-makes-its-money-ma.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">customers</a> will have a choice as to whether or not they use the biometrics checkout system. However, it will be at retailers’ discretion whether they offer it, or whether they offer it exclusively as the only payment option.</p> <p>Similar face-recognition technologies used in airports, and <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/police-surveillance-and-facial-recognition-why-data-privacy-is-an-imperative-for-communities-of-color/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by police</a>, often offer no choice.</p> <p>We can assume Mastercard and the biometrics provider with whom they partner will require customer consent, as per most privacy laws. But will customers know what they are consenting to?</p> <p>Ultimately, the biometric service providers Mastercard teams up with will decide how they use the data, for how long, where they store it, and who can access it. Mastercard will merely decide what providers are “good enough” to be accepted as partners, and the minimum standards they must adhere to.</p> <p>Customers who want the convenience of this checkout service will have to consent to all the related data and privacy terms. And as reports have noted, there is potential for Mastercard to integrate the feature with loyalty schemes and make personalised recommendations <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/17/mastercard-launches-tech-that-lets-you-pay-with-your-face-or-hand.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">based on purchases</a>.</p> <p><strong>Accuracy is a problem</strong></p> <p>While the accuracy of face recognition technologies has previously been challenged, the current <em>best</em> facial authentication algorithms have an error of just 0.08%, according to tests by the <a href="https://github.com/usnistgov/frvt/blob/nist-pages/reports/1N/frvt_1N_report_2020_03_27.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Institute of Standards and Technology</a>. In some countries, even banks have <a href="https://techhq.com/2020/09/biometrics-the-most-secure-solution-for-banking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">become comfortable</a> relying on it to log users into their accounts.</p> <p>Yet we can’t know how accurate the technologies used in Mastercard’s biometric checkout system will be. The algorithms underpinning a technology can work almost perfectly when trailed in a lab, but perform <a href="https://www.csis.org/blogs/technology-policy-blog/how-accurate-are-facial-recognition-systems-%E2%80%93-and-why-does-it-matter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poorly</a> in real life settings, where lighting, angles and other parameters are varied.</p> <p><strong>Bias is another problem</strong></p> <p>In a 2019 study, NIST <a href="https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2019/NIST.IR.8280.pdf#page=5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> that out of 189 facial recognition algorithms, the majority were biased. Specifically, they were less accurate on people from racial and ethnic minorities.</p> <p>Even if the technology has improved in the past few years, it’s not foolproof. And we don’t know the extent to which Mastercard’s system has overcome this challenge.</p> <p>If the software fails to recognise a customer at the check out, they might end up disappointed, or even become irate – which would completely undo any promise of speed or convenience.</p> <p>But if the technology misidentifies a person (for instance, John is recognised as Peter – or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8-yupM-6Oc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">twins are confused</a> for each other), then money could be taken from the wrong person’s account. How would such a situation be dealt with?</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464424/original/file-20220520-19-5hfuvx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464424/original/file-20220520-19-5hfuvx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464424/original/file-20220520-19-5hfuvx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=617&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464424/original/file-20220520-19-5hfuvx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=617&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464424/original/file-20220520-19-5hfuvx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=617&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464424/original/file-20220520-19-5hfuvx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=776&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464424/original/file-20220520-19-5hfuvx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=776&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464424/original/file-20220520-19-5hfuvx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=776&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">There’s no evidence facial recognition technology is infallible. These systems can misidentify and also have biases.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Is the technology secure?</strong></p> <p>We often hear about software and databases being hacked, even in <a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/2130877/the-biggest-data-breaches-of-the-21st-century.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cases of</a> supposedly very “secure” organisations. Despite Mastercard’s <a href="https://wwmastw.cnbc.com/2022/05/17/mastercard-launches-tech-that-lets-you-pay-with-your-face-or-hand.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">efforts</a> to ensure security, there’s no guarantee the third-party providers’ databases – with potentially millions of people’s biometric data – won’t be hacked.</p> <p>In the wrong hands, this data could lead to <a href="https://www.comparitech.com/identity-theft-protection/identity-theft-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identity theft</a>, which is one of the fastest growing types of crime, and financial fraud.</p> <p><strong>Do we want it?</strong></p> <p>Mastercard suggests 74% of customers are in favour of using such technology, referencing a stat from its <a href="https://www.mastercard.com/news/ap/en/newsroom/press-releases/en/2020/april/mastercard-study-shows-consumers-moving-to-contactless-payments-for-everyday-purchases/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">own study</a> – also used by <a href="https://www.mastercard.com/news/ap/en/newsroom/press-releases/en/2020/october/mastercard-idemia-and-matchmove-pilot-fingerprint-biometric-card-in-asia-to-enhance-security-and-safety-of-contactless-payments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">business partner</a> Idemia (a company that sells biometric identification products).</p> <p>But the report cited is vague and brief. Other studies show entirely different results. For example, <a href="https://www.getapp.com/resources/facial-recognition-technology/#how-comfortable-are-consumers-with-facial-recognition-technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this study</a> suggests 69% of customers aren’t comfortable with face recognition tech being used in retail settings. And <a href="https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/93521-are-consumers-comfortable-with-facial-recognition-it-depends-says-new-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this one</a> shows only 16% trust such tech.</p> <p>Also, if consumers knew the risks the technology poses, the number of those willing to use it might drop even lower.<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/183447/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rita-matulionyte-170113" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rita Matulionyte</a>, Senior Lecturer in Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Macquarie 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/pay-with-a-smile-or-a-wave-why-mastercards-new-face-recognition-payment-system-raises-concerns-183447" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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13 secrets your smile can reveal about you

<p><strong>You’re lying</strong></p> <p>A smile can have a hidden meaning for a crafty person. “There is a smile called the ‘Duping’ smile or ‘Dupper’s Delight’ which is typically a little smile that comes across the face when a liar or deal-maker or cheating-winner thinks they have duped someone,” explains body language expert, Patti Wood. Another tool to decipher a gloating smile is that the smile may be a mismatch for the other person or people you are with so they feel left out and less than, she says.</p> <p><strong>You’re full of joy</strong></p> <p>Wood describes a ‘laughing smile’ as when the mouth is open upper and lower teeth showing. This comfortable and inviting face exudes joy and sincerity. “The head is usually thrown back,” adds Wood.</p> <p><strong>You want to put people at ease</strong></p> <p>Everyone wants to be a smooth socialiser – which is why you may want to improve your social interaction skills. Smiling helps too: there is a lot of evidence of body language mirroring, according to an article in Psychology Today. “We automatically copy the facial expressions of others. We reciprocate and in social groups it can be contagious. People respond to, and evaluate, those who smile differently and more positively than those who do not.”</p> <p><strong>You’re hiding how you really feel</strong></p> <p>Smiles are often used to cover up another emotion. “For example, someone might start to frown then cover this with a smile,” says Jonathan Gratch, the director for virtual human research at the Institute for Creative Technologies. “The nature of a smile also communicates subtle information about its authenticity.” Another tell-tale sign is if a smile starts and ends too quickly – that is seen as not genuine, he says.</p> <p><strong>You’re nervous</strong></p> <p>“Smile controls” are a set of facial muscles that can be used to regulate the smile expression, says Gratch. “These include things like pressing your lips together or activating the muscles that pull down on the corners of the mouth. These muscles are under voluntary control,” he affirms.</p> <p><strong>You’re under pressure</strong></p> <p>Sometimes under pressure, we react in ways that are incongruent with the situation at hand. “A common example of this is laughing when you receive bad news, freezing when you are in danger, or making jokes when you are uncomfortable,” says family and marriage therapist, Shadeen Francis. “These incongruous responses are just a few of the brain’s many ways of managing overwhelming emotional circumstances. An unexplainable smile may also be a signal of distress, especially when others are around.” Some studies, Francis says, have demonstrated that when under intense social distress, smiling was more common than in less alarming or in non-social situations.</p> <p><strong>You feel superior</strong></p> <p>Ironically, a smile can express contempt, says an article in Women’s Health. “The result is a conscious disconnect between outward expression and inner feelings. Other times, the disconnect may be unconscious, the result of pushing aside negative feelings. A person may have heard as a child that enraged feelings should never be expressed, so even the slightest inkling of anger is covered with a smile,” cites the article.</p> <p><strong>You’re in love (or lust)</strong></p> <p>Can a smile reflect sexual passion or true love? According to the same Women’s Health piece, “Social psychologists believe that deep love and passionate sexual attraction elicit entirely different types of smiles.” The article also states that “the more two people are in love, the more they show genuine smiles in each other’s company, and on the flip side, people who report high levels of sexual desire – but not a whole lot of love – show fewer genuine smiles and a greater number of other lip actions. In short, genuine smiles communicate the desire to be close; lip movements convey passion.”</p> <p><strong>You’re letting off stress</strong></p> <p>Smiling reduces stress and can improve your outlook. Stress levels were especially low in those with genuine smiles. Even those who forced a smile during an unpleasant task seemed to have lower stress levels, according to a WebMD article.</p> <p><strong>You’re fertile</strong></p> <p>Research out of the University of Western Australia suggests that gum disease can interfere with a woman’s chances to become pregnant, according to <em>Medical News Today</em>.  Even more reason to floss and catch up on your regular cleanings – time to call your dentist.</p> <p><strong>You want to feel happy</strong></p> <p>Smiling offers some surprising health benefits, but did you know it can be a blues buster? Yes, we smile when things are going well, but it turns out you can use a smile to cheer yourself up, according to a study published in the journal <em>Psychological Science</em>. Researchers recorded volunteers’ moods as they tricked them into smiling, and the bigger the smile, the better the volunteers felt.</p> <p><strong>Your marriage is likely to last</strong></p> <p>This is a crazy one: researchers asked volunteers to rate the intensity of people’s smiles in photos on a scale of one to ten. Afterwards, they checked the likelihood that the people were in a solid marriage. Sure enough, the people with the strongest smiles were the least likely to be divorced, reports<em> LiveScience</em>.</p> <p><strong>You’re practising social graces</strong></p> <p>Smiling should be an essential part of all human encounters when face-to-face, says the WebMD post. But we even do it over the phone.</p> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-dca7e95a-7fff-9006-7f3e-37edb5c0ed87">Written by Erica Lamberg. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/13-secrets-your-smile-can-reveal-about-you" target="_blank" rel="noopener">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/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></span></em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Why telling Grace Tame to “smile more” is a double standard

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A 2019 photo of the man who led the royal commission into the banking sector posing with Josh Frydenberg has </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/national/why-kenneth-hayne-photo-exposes-grace-tame-critics-double-standards/news-story/bbb7115bb935cd9d0d2905af686cfc6c" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">re-emerged</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> following widespread discussion of Grace Tame’s most recent photo with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Former High Court judge Kenneth Haye refused to shake Frydenberg’s hand and refused to smile during a photo opportunity with the Treasurer as he prepared to release a damning report. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At best, the interaction was described as “brutal” and “awkward” in a handful of media reports.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meanwhile, the 2021 Australian of the Year sparked national debate following her unsmiling photo with Mr Morrison, with conservative MP’s and male journalists describing her behaviour as “ungracious and rude” and “childish and embarrassing”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Journalist Julia Baird quickly pointed out the double standard on Twitter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“A quiet reminder that when Justice Kenneth Hayne, head of (the) royal commission into banking misconduct, refused to smile or even shake the hand of the Treasurer during a photo op in 2019, it was considered the stuff of national calamity,” the host of ABC’s </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Drum</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Grace Tame is making a similar point.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Such a clear example of when men are considered principled and women are called petulant - for the same behaviour. And yet Tame shook the PM’s hand, stood quietly and in place for the photos. <a href="https://t.co/h2dINgsTCO">https://t.co/h2dINgsTCO</a></p> — 💥Dr💥 Julia Baird (@bairdjulia) <a href="https://twitter.com/bairdjulia/status/1485908652095864832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Project</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">’s Lisa Wilkinson agreed, sharing Baird’s post and adding commentary of her own.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“True @bairdjulia,” she wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Not was there uproar when Scott Morrison turned his back on Tanya Plibersek &amp; played with his phone as she addressed him in fed parliament.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Nor when he refused to shake Bill Shorten’s hand at B</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">ob Hawke’s funeral.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Not sure why the rules are different. Oh wait…”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Man, that Grace Tame chick was outta line, right?...<br /><br />🧵 <a href="https://t.co/HEAi5I8yBb">pic.twitter.com/HEAi5I8yBb</a></p> — Brent Hodgson (@BrentHodgson) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentHodgson/status/1485956821722759168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wheelchair racer and Paralympian Kurt Fearnley spelled it out even more clearly while sharing a 2017 photo of an unsmiling Pope Francis alongside former US President Donald Trump.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Not one bloke, from me to the Pope would’ve been told to ‘smile more’. #justsayin,” he added.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The debate even spilled onto Wednesday night’s episode of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Project</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, with Carrie Bickmore asking co-host Peter van Onsolen about his own column criticising Ms Tame’s behaviour and claiming she was “acting like a child”.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">If you missed it, here is THAT moment from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheProjectTV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheProjectTV</a> tonight. <a href="https://t.co/9D0lac85Vt">pic.twitter.com/9D0lac85Vt</a></p> — The Project (@theprojecttv) <a href="https://twitter.com/theprojecttv/status/1485892588058312704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Why do you feel the need to tell Grace how she should have behaved?” Bickmore asked. “But second of all, why should she stand there and smile and pretend it’s all okay when there is an absolute catastrophe on the cards here?”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t think she should stand there and smile and pretend it’s all OK, I just thought she shouldn’t go. If you can’t be polite in some form, then don’t go,” van Onsolen replied.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But why should she have to be silenced and quiet? Why can’t she go and make a statement in her behaviour about how she feels over what has happened in the past year?” Bickmore shot back.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Tame received the national honour for fighting to legally tell her story as a victim of child sexual abuse and grooming and in overturning a Tasmanian law preventing victims from identifying themselves in the media.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During her tenure she pushed the topic of child sexual abuse into the national spotlight and conversations around the country.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">What exactly did they think would happen when they organised this photo op?<br /><br />Grace Tame is not the type to lie about how she feels. And nor should we ever put her in a position where she is expected to.<br /><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetHerSpeak?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetHerSpeak</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aoty2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#aoty2021</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AOTY2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AOTY2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/8wde7Vye2n">pic.twitter.com/8wde7Vye2n</a></p> — Nina Funnell, journalist &amp; #LetUsSpeak manager (@ninafunnell) <a href="https://twitter.com/ninafunnell/status/1485774656116527104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nina Funnell, the journalist behind the #LetHerSpeak campaign that allowed Ms Tame to speak out, asked on Twitter, “What exactly did they think would happen when they organised this photo op?”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Grace Tame is not the type to lie about how she feels. And nor should we ever put her in a position where she is expected to.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @bairdjulie (Twitter)</span></em></p>

News

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Smile for the camera!: Man caught trashing Bunnings van

<p dir="ltr">A vandal has been caught red-handed interfering with the windscreen wiper of a parked Bunnings vehicle over the weekend.</p> <p dir="ltr">The act was caught on the car’s dashboard camera on Sunday, and shared to the Facebook page Dash Cam Owners Australia on Tuesday. The video shows a man approach the car from the passenger side before starting to tamper with the wiper, bending it back onto itself and then twisting it around. The man was dressed in a brown New York Yankees cap, grey shirt, blue board shorts and thongs. He then left the scene, walking in the opposite direction.</p> <p dir="ltr">The incident took place while the car was parked on Victoria Avenue in the Sydney suburb of Concord West. The video garnered over 70,000 views in less than four hours, as well as hundreds of comments.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many commenters were happy the culprit was caught, with one person writing, “Smile for the camera you angry little man! I hope he’s been identified,” while another wondered what prompted the attack, asking, “Makes you wonder why people actually do this. Crazy. I wonder if he is known to the dashcam owner? Seems like it’s revenge for something possibly?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Others wondered whether it was part of a vendetta against the hardware store, with someone suggesting, “Vandalism to a Bunnings van? Probably worked for Mitre10,” while another wondered if the man wasn’t just hungry, writing, “Hangry for a Bunnings snag! Maybe they should do a snag van like Mr Whippy.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another commenter pointed out that the attack wasn’t particularly effective, writing, “If you’re gonna be a vandal, at least be an intelligent one and do that to the driver’s side wiper. All he achieved there is made it ever so slightly more difficult to see out the extreme left of the windscreen, and some minor inconvenience by needing to replace it.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Dash Cam Owners Australia</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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The Last Laugh keep will keep everyone smiling

<p>A lot of us grew up with Chevy Chase and Richard Dreyfuss on our movie screens and so it’s nice to see these two American actors have made a film together about one of them staging a comeback at the age of eighty.</p> <p>Called <em>The Last Laugh</em>, this is a movie made by Netflix and it’s streaming on Netflix in Australia and New Zealand. It’s all about Buddy Green (played by Dreyfuss) who started out as a great stand-up comic and his agent (played by Chase) booked him for a spot on <em>The Ed Sullivan Show </em>back in the 1960s.</p> <p>But at the time for his own reasons, Buddy just up and quit. It’s now fifty years later and his agent, Al Hart, hasn’t seen or heard from him for half a century.</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/he3DPldzW8I" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>So, you can bet Al is surprised when Buddy turns out to be his tour guide in the elderly assistance home he’s moving into. Even more surprising, Buddy is still getting laughs and is pretty much the life of the party.</p> <p>As they chat and get to know each other again, both men - who are in their 80s – say they’re bored and why not try show biz again. Al finds his old Rolodex and starts calling his contacts.</p> <p>And so begins a tough but revealing road trip from Los Angeles to New York, with Buddy performing at stops along the way.</p> <p>Chase and Dreyfuss play off each other like the pros they are. Yes, Chase must hold back his own humorous side to make way for Dreyfuss’ comic <em>tour de force. </em>But this casting works. <em>The Last Laugh </em>is sure to give you lots of laughs along the way.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.31634819532906px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844402/last-laugh-2-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4ff1879e7fad4a0ab8976edd8106f7cf" /></p> <p>Fortunately, all the cast members deliver the goods here. Standouts include: Andie MacDowell as an adventurous hippy follower; Lewis Black as a fellow comic with an important decision to make; Chris Parnell as Buddy’s worried son; and Kate Micucci as Al’s concerned granddaughter.</p> <p>Although not a completely perfect movie, <em>The Last Laugh </em>reminds us how important it is to follow your dream at any age.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4ff1879e7fad4a0ab8976edd8106f7cf" /><em>Images: The Last Laugh</em></p>

Movies

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Smiling depression: Why being depressed while appearing happy is particularly dangerous

<p>The term “smiling depression” – appearing happy to others while internally suffering depressive symptoms – has become increasingly popular. Articles on the topic have crept up in the popular literature, and the number of Google searches for the condition <a href="https://trends.google.co.uk/trends/explore?q=smiling%20depression">has increased dramatically this year</a>. Some may question, however, whether this is actually a real, pathological condition.</p> <p>While smiling depression is not a technical term that psychologists use, it is certainly possible to be depressed and manage to successfully mask the symptoms. The closest technical term for this condition is “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990566/">atypical depression</a>”. In fact, a significant proportion of people who experience a low mood and a loss of pleasure in activities <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990566/">manage to hide their condition</a> in this way. And these people might be <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-guest-room/201411/smiling-depression">particularly vulnerable</a> to suicide.</p> <p>It can be very hard to spot people suffering from smiling depression. They may <em>seem</em> like they don’t have a reason to be sad – they have a job, an apartment and maybe even children or a partner. They smile when you greet them and can carry pleasant conversations. In short, they <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-guest-room/201411/smiling-depression">put on a mask</a> to the outside world while leading seemingly normal and active lives.</p> <p>Inside, however, they feel hopeless and down, sometimes even having thoughts about ending it all. The strength that they have to go on with their daily lives can make them especially vulnerable to carrying out suicide plans. This is in contrast to other forms of depression, in which people might have suicide ideation but <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-guest-room/201411/smiling-depression">not enough energy</a> to act on their intentions.</p> <p>Although people with smiling depression put on a “happy face” to the outside world, they can experience a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990566/">genuine lift in their mood</a> as a result of positive occurrences in their lives. For example, getting a text message from someone they’ve been craving to hear from or being praised at work can make them feel better for a few moments before going back to feeling low.</p> <p>Other symptoms of this condition include overeating, feeling a sense of heaviness in the arms and legs and being <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990566/">easily hurt by criticism</a> or rejection. People with smiling depression are also more likely to feel depressed in the evening and feel the need to sleep longer than usual. With other forms of depression, however, your mood might be worse in the morning and you might feel <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990566/">the need for less sleep</a> than you’re normally used to.</p> <p>Smiling depression seems to be more common in people with certain temperaments. In particular, it is linked to being more prone to anticipate failure, having a hard time getting over embarrassing or humiliating situations and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990566/">tending to ruminate</a> or excessively think about negative situations that have taken place.</p> <p>Women’s Health magazine captured the essence of smiling depression – the façade – when it asked women to share pictures from their social media and then to recaption them on Instagram with how they really felt in the moment they were taking the picture. Here are <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19973575/true-emotion-behind-smiling-instagram-pictures/">some of their posts</a>.</p> <h2>Burden and treatment</h2> <p>It is difficult to determine exactly what causes smiling depression, but low mood can stem <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-guest-room/201411/smiling-depression">from a number of things</a>, such as work problems, relationship breakdown and feeling as if your life doesn’t have purpose and meaning.</p> <p>It is very common. About <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-21243-x">one in ten people</a> are depressed, and between 15% and 40% of these people <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC181236/">suffer from the atypical form</a> that resembles smiling depression. Such depression often starts early in life and <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Atypical_depression">can last a long time</a>.</p> <p>If you suffer from smiling depression it is therefore particularly important to get help. Sadly, though, people suffering from this condition usually don’t, because they might not think that they have a problem in the first place – this is particularly the case if they appear to be carrying on with their tasks and daily routines as before. They may also feel guilty and rationalise that they don’t have anything to be sad about. So they don’t tell anybody about their problems and end up feeling ashamed of their feelings.</p> <p>So how can you break this cycle? A starting point is knowing that this condition actually exists and that it’s serious. Only when we stop rationalising away our problems because we think they’re not serious enough can we start making an actual difference. For some, this insight may be enough to turn things around, because it puts them on a path to seeking help and breaking free from the shackles of depression that have been holding them back.</p> <p>Meditation and physical activity have also been shown to have tremendous mental health benefits. In fact, a study done by Rutgers University in the US showed that people who had done meditation and physical activity twice a week <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/tp2015225">experienced a drop</a> of almost 40% in their depression levels only eight weeks into the study. Cognitive behavioural therapy, learning to change your thinking patterns and behaviour, is another option for those affected by this condition.</p> <p>And finding meaning in life is of utmost importance. The Austrian neurologist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Viktor-Emil-Frankl">Viktor Frankl</a> wrote that the cornerstone of good mental health is <a href="https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/viktor-frankl/">having purpose in life</a>. He said that we shouldn’t aim to be in a “tensionless state”, free of responsibility and challenges, but rather we should be striving for something in life. We can find purpose by taking the attention away from ourselves and placing it onto something else. So find a worthwhile goal and try to make regular progress on it, even if it’s for a small amount each day, because this can really have a positive impact.</p> <p>We can also find purpose by caring for someone else. When we take the spotlight off of us and start to think about someone else’s needs and wants, we begin to feel that our lives matter. This can be achieved by volunteering, or taking care of a family member or even an animal.</p> <p>Feeling that our lives matter is ultimately what gives us purpose and meaning – and this can make a significant difference for our mental health and well-being.</p> <p><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/olivia-remes-187983">Olivia Remes</a>, Postdoctoral researcher, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cambridge-1283">University of Cambridge</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/smiling-depression-its-possible-to-be-depressed-while-appearing-happy-heres-why-thats-particularly-dangerous-110928">original article</a>.</p>

Mind

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11 heart-warming dad stories to make you smile

<p>How would you describe your dad, grandpa or father figure in your life? A hero, a comedian, a disciplinarian, a mentor or a best friend? Whether he was a bit of a wise-cracker or a master chef in the kitchen – most of them are great at doing what they do best – loving their kids.</p> <p>We asked our reader to share their fondest dad memories; from heartwarming stories to hilarious tales you just can’t make up. Here are a select few:</p> <p><strong>The cat's out of the bag</strong></p> <p><strong>By Yuki Sayeg</strong></p> <p>My father died when I was 16 but this story still cracks me up whenever I think of it. When our cat died, Dad buried her under a tree in the back yard. A few nights later Mum went into the garden and found that the dog had dug Taffy up and eaten one of its leg.</p> <p>She woke Dad up, so he went out in PJs and army boots with a shovel over his shoulder and re-dug the hole. But because it was late, he decided to get rid of the towel he'd originally wrapped Taffy in and chucked it aside. He then reburied the cat and went back to bed.</p> <p>The next morning, Mum discovered that he'd chucked the cat aside and buried the towel.</p> <p><strong>In-home barbershop</strong></p> <p><strong>By Kevin Denham</strong></p> <p>My wife used to cut my hair and the falling hair would get stuck on my clothes and make me itchy. She told me to take my clothes off and step into the bath tub and all the falling hair would end up in the bottom of the tub. My parents came over for a visit and I told dad my wife had just cut my hair. He asked if she could cut his and I told him you have to strip off and stand naked in the bath tub.</p> <p>He turned to my wife and said: "I'm game if you are." We all started laughing. We miss his wit and humour.</p> <p><strong>A splashing surprise</strong></p> <p><strong>By Liberta Mitten</strong></p> <p>When I was 10 years old, I was in a swimming race from school. My mum couldn't come to watch, with three young children at home and my dad was at work. Although I was a very good swimmer, I didn't really care about the race since my parents would not be there. But half way through the race I heard my dad’s voice yelling out: “Go girl, I am here.”</p> <p>He had slipped away from work to be there. So I sprinted as hard as I could, as I was behind in the race and didn't want to disappoint my dad.</p> <p>I had two laps to go and finished up winning my race – and the next one.</p> <p>I adored my dad. He taught me to swim when I was two years of age. He helped me always, and encouraged me to dive off a 10-meter board. Great memories! I am now 86 years old.</p> <p><strong>Just married</strong></p> <p><strong>By Beverley Wrenn</strong></p> <p>Funny thing about my late Dad; I was told that while he and my mother were on their honeymoon, he went to the reception at the place where they were staying and asked if they had seen his girlfriend. The receptionist said: "No, but your wife has just gone back to your room."</p> <p>"Oh," said Dad, "I forgot I just got married."</p> <p><strong>Daddy's little princess</strong></p> <p><strong>By Kathy Roberts</strong></p> <p>My dad has been gone for 21 years. Unfortunately, we no longer have photos from when I was little as they all got burnt in a house fire but he was my hero, my rock.</p> <p>I always remember the times when he would come home from work calling out, “Where’s my princess?” I would run to him and jump in his arms where he would greet me and ask, “How is my little princess?” He did that right up until the day he died of a heart attack.</p> <p>He was there to walk me down aisle and I left my wedding photo in his coffin, but I will always carry him close to my heart. No one could ever replace my dad. To this day, I tell my grandkids all about him and how I was his princess, and now I call my granddaughters, “my little princesses".</p> <p><strong>Scribble, Scramble, Scrabble</strong></p> <p><strong>By Ann Darbyshire</strong></p> <p>My dad, George, was born into a large family in Ireland and together with many of his siblings, he only had a casual relationship with spelling. He turned to Scrabble as a means of improving this, which became necessary for writing reports in a job in Western Australia where our family had emigrated. He became a keen and competitive player. However, his spelling still occasionally let him down.</p> <p>With great confidence he would plop down a word that bore no resemblance to anything in English. We would remonstrate with him: "That's not a word," we chorused. Undeterred he would respond, "Well, it should be!"</p> <p><strong>Running with the horses</strong></p> <p><strong>By Karen Gaynor-Sperring</strong></p> <p>My Pop was a tough old bugger. He had to be! Leaving school at 11, when the bank foreclosed on the family property, it was off to work for him. No high wages for a kid in those days – just enough to eat if you were lucky or back luck otherwise. A job during those times was droving, sheep or cattle; it took a few people to move them along and a boy was as good as any man – and cheaper. Pop proved good with the horses so breaking them in became part of his job and later, he trained them for racing.</p> <p>He won a few country races for his owners. It was being thrown from a horse and breaking a leg that showed his stubbornness. In those days it was standard treatment to amputate. His father and a brother had both lost legs this way. But he said "NO!" because he was determined to die with both legs attached – and made his point to any medical person who approached. I'd not be telling this tale if the doctors' predictions had been fulfilled, but he amazed them by living. Amongst his other quirks my grandfather did not sit around the campfire drinking billy tea, as seemed the default social custom of the time. He never drank anything stronger than water.</p> <p>My grandfather finally retired at seventy-two, but he did give up breaking in horses at sixty-five. I doubt there's many of us who would wish to work so long.</p> <p><strong>Sweet tooth</strong></p> <p><strong>By Althia Davis</strong></p> <p>Granddad, along with my five-year-old son and myself, were waiting at the counter of a shop. On the counter was a bowl of lollies, which my son was eyeing very seriously. The man at the counter asked my son if he would like a lolly, to which my son said, “Yes, please."</p> <p>He then also asked Granddad if he wanted one too. "Oh no,” said my son, “you can't give Granddad any because he hasn't got any teeth."</p> <p>To which Granddad piped up, "Oh yes I have! They’re in my pocket.” And he proceeded to take them out and put them on!</p> <p><strong>Frequent flyer</strong></p> <p><strong>By Diane Richardson</strong></p> <p>My Dad was always running late. One time he had to catch the plane at the local airport, but the plane was at the end of the runway so he got Mum to drive him down the side of the runway. They actually lowered the steps and he caught the plane! It wouldn't happen these days, and mum refused to take him to the airport after that.</p> <p><strong>War hero</strong></p> <p><strong>By Ian James</strong></p> <p>My father has always maintained that he ended the Second World War. He had started training with the Australian Air Force as a radio operator and when the Japanese got wind of this, they surrendered. We've had fun with this story for years.</p> <p><strong>The simple life</strong></p> <p><strong>By Jennifer Manison</strong></p> <p>My dad, Tom Sutton, worked all his life in a sheet metal factory in Lea Village, Birmingham, England. Every year my parents took our family of three daughters on holiday for a week so we could make sandcastles, paddle in the sea and breathe the fresh air – often travelling to Christchurch in New Zealand, Torquay in Victoria or Ilfracombe in Queensland.</p> <p>My parents never had a car and my dad never had a holiday abroad. He lived a very simple life. He would have a bottle of beer and put a small bet on the horses every Saturday; the rest of his wages went on rent, food, bills and other things for his family.</p> <p>For 10 years he kept from everyone that he had cancer, until it became obvious. His philosophy was to just get on with life and not complain. Just before he died my mom told me that, when he was a boy, my dad had the chance to go to grammar school. So he set off for his appointment there, but got lost, and nobody followed it up. I can't bear to think of the opportunity he missed but he enjoyed his life and was the best father we could have wished for.</p> <p>Note: some of these stories have been edited for clarity.</p> <p><em>Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/entertainment/11-funny-and-heartwarming-stories-about-dads.aspx"><em>Wyza.com.au</em></a><em>.</em></p> <p> </p>

Art

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That smile! Prince Louis is the happiest baby in newly released portrait with mum Kate

<p>Little Prince Louis has one gorgeous smile!</p> <p>In a newly released photo from his christening last Monday, the youngest royal laughed as he was photographed in the arms of his proud mum Kate.</p> <p><img src="https://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeopledotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2018%2F07%2Fprince-louis-1-2000.jpg&amp;w=1100&amp;q=85" style="width: 441px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared the additional photograph to accompany the which took place in Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace on July 9.</p> <p>“Their Royal Highnesses hope that everyone enjoys this lovely photograph of Prince Louis as much as they do,” the office of Prince William and Kate at Kensington Palace <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1018782335360290816" target="_blank">said in a statement on Monday.</a></strong></p> <p>The picture of 11-week old Louis was taken by photographer Matt Porteous in the garden at Clarence House following the christening, offering a much more candid and relaxed glimpse into the christening.</p> <p>Porteous previously photographed Louis’ brother Prince George when he turned three in 2016.</p> <p>The official family photographs were taken by Matt Holyoak which were released at the weekend.</p> <p>Missed Prince Louis' official christening album of photos? See all the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/books/2018/07/prince-louis-official-christening-portraits-released/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>official pictures of the christening here. </strong></span></a></p>

News

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"This makes me smile" – Neil Diamond touched by New Zealand fans’ donations

<p>Neil Diamond has revealed how happy he is to find out that some New Zealand fans are donating the refund money from tickets to his cancelled concerts to Parkinson’s disease research.</p> <p>Yesterday, Diamond announced his immediate retirement from touring after being diagnosed with the disease.</p> <p>His looming Australian and New Zealand tour, which was to begin in March, was cancelled as a result.</p> <p>Diamond’s wife and manager Katie McNeil took to Twitter to express her joy of the news that Australian and New Zealand fans were donating their refunded money to Parkinson’s research, animal rescue groups and fire victim funds.</p> <p>“My heart is so full of joy to see this silver lining,” McNeil said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">This makes me smile. Thank you. Thank you to everyone for your outpouring of love and support. It makes a difference. <a href="https://t.co/TLZAa69q1B">https://t.co/TLZAa69q1B</a></p> — Neil Diamond (@NeilDiamond) <a href="https://twitter.com/NeilDiamond/status/955885442209140743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>Diamond wrote, “This makes me smile. Thank you. Thank you to everyone for your outpouring of love and support. It makes a difference.”</p> <p>Neil Diamond fan Roseanne Holliday used her refund money to donate to the Shake It Up foundation in Australia, which is partnered with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research.</p> <p>“It is a small gesture and goes a little way to saying thank you to Neil for a soundtrack to my life,” Holliday said.</p> <p>“I’ve been listening to Neil Diamond for as long as I can remember. I grew up with my mum playing him in the 70s.</p> <p>“I’ve seen him 11 times in total, including once in San Diego just after September 11. That was an awesome night. I was going to the Sunshine Coast concert on March 22 and was heartbroken to hear the news about his diagnosis. I saw on Twitter where his wife Katie had been so touched by people from Australia and NZ pledging their refunds to go to a good cause and thought it was a brilliant idea. So this morning I did just the same and donated my ticket to Parkinson’s research here in Australia.”</p> <p>On Sunday, Diamond will make his first public appearance since the announcement at the Grammy Awards in New York.</p> <p>He will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, which had already been decided before this week’s shock reveal.</p> <p>Were you planning to see Neil Diamond in concert and awaiting a refund? Tell us in the comments below if you plan to donate your refund to Parkinson's research.  </p>

Caring

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10 Steve Martin quotes that will put a smile on your face

<p>Steve Martin has become an international comedic icon. His writing career began in 1967 when he wrote The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and won an Emmy Award for his work. A man of many talents, Steve is not only loved for his comedy and acting but also his magic, juggling, and banjo playing</p> <p>Throughout his career he has left his fans with plenty of laughs and iconic one-liners. Here are 10 of his quotes that will put a smile on your face.</p> <p>1. “Before you criticise a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you'll be a mile away and have his shoes.” </p> <p>2. “A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.”</p> <p>3. “I like a woman with a head on her shoulders. I hate necks.” </p> <p>4. “Thankfully, persistence is a great substitute for talent.” </p> <p>5. “I've got to keep breathing. It'll be my worst business mistake if I don't.” </p> <p>6. “Comedy is the art of making people laugh without making them puke.” </p> <p>7. “All I've ever wanted was an honest week's pay for an honest day's work.”</p> <p>8. “Were they beautiful? We were all beautiful. We were in our twenties.”</p> <p>9. “You know what your problem is, it's that you haven't seen enough movies - all of life's riddles are answered in the movies."</p> <p>10. “I thought yesterday was the first day of the rest of my life but it turns out today is.” </p> <p>What is your favourite quote from Steve Martin? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Movies

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Smile and stay thin: What life was like as a 60s air hostess

<p><em><strong>Dr Prudence Black is a Research Associate in the Department of Gender and Cultural Studies at the University of Sydney.</strong></em></p> <p>“They looked fantastic but it must have restricted their movements something terrible.” – Max White, Qantas flight steward, 1947 to 1980</p> <p>In 1958, Qantas began employing Japanese flight hostesses to work on the “Cherry Blossom” route to Japan. Qantas’s Marj de Tracy had flown to Japan to select, from 150 applicants, Yoshiko Watanabe, Teruko Oshima and Kazuko Otsu. Publicity photos of the new recruits, all in their early twenties, showed them arriving in Sydney wearing full kimonos, similar to the ones they would wear on the flights to Tokyo.</p> <p>Teri Teramoto was selected to fly on the Japan route in 1964. She started training with two other young Japanese women, and the stress of the new environment meant that none of them slept properly. Each morning they left on the bus for training school without breakfast, instead each snacking on their own packet of Arnott’s Scotch Finger biscuits.</p> <p>Snacking on biscuits was not a good idea but it was difficult to find Japanese food in Sydney. With a change of diet they all put on weight, and were put on the scales and reprimanded in front of the other trainees.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39393/in-text-1_500x375.jpg" alt="In Text 1 (13)"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>Exotic cosmopolitanism: the Qantas Japanese flight hostess (in the background) Image credit: Qantas Heritage Collection.</em></p> <p>After training they were sent one-by-one with a check hostess on a test flight to Hong Kong. Only after completing a three-month probation period were they taken by Qantas’s Tokyo manager to a shop in Ginza to be fitted for a kimono. They would board the plane in the “Jungle Green” uniform, and after take-off, go to the toilet and, in less than five minutes, change into the traditional kimono. Qantas continued to recruit Japanese-born flight hostesses into the 1980s but in the 1970s they stopped wearing the kimono, partly due to expense but also safety issues.</p> <p>Other major international airlines introduced Asian women on their flights, and they too would wear traditional forms of dress as well as the standard uniform. In 1961 Cathay Pacific had two flights a week between Hong Kong and Sydney. It proclaimed the use of British pilots who “fly you efficiently” while the “demure Oriental hostesses pamper you charmingly”.</p> <p>Other airlines attempted to exoticise their air hostesses. On board Ansett-ANA’s new Lockheed Electras, hostesses wore gold lamé dresses for the Golden Supper Club Service on the last flight out of Melbourne to Sydney at 10pm. The dresses only came in three sizes; if the size didn’t fit safety pins were used. The rationale behind the service was that it would attract businessmen who “could relax 4 miles high” while “attentive hostesses” served meals.</p> <p>In 1967, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/about-ba/history-and-heritage/uniforms/boac-uniforms" target="_blank">BOAC introduced a paper mini dress</a></strong></span> covered with a print of a sun and large flowers to be worn on the Caribbean and Bermuda flights. Cut, literally, to whichever length wanted, the dress was worn with a flower in the hair (usually a fresh orchid), and white gloves and bright green slip-on shoes. The dresses weren’t practical as they tore easily and became transparent and disintegrated when wet.</p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><iframe width="400" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h2XkQfmjRVE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>They were meant to be fireproof, which was just as well as some passengers would try and stub their cigarettes into the fabric. After the plane had emptied, the hostesses would put on the standard uniform and throw away the short-lived paper dress.</p> <p><strong>The discipline of appearance</strong></p> <p>In 1959 Qantas only had 85 flight hostesses, but was receiving 800 applications a year. With the introduction of the round-the-world service and the new Boeing 707 services, advertisements were placed in the major daily newspapers for new flight hostess positions. In Melbourne the interviews would be held at Qantas House, over a period of three days. Applicants were expected to have a “pleasant personality and attractive appearance” and undergo three interviews before being selected into the training school.</p> <p>June Dally-Watkins, a well-known Australian model, had opened a school for deportment in Sydney in 1950 and Qantas employed her to teach deportment to its trainees. Pat Woodley, who had been Miss New South Wales in 1951, also ran a modelling and deportment school in Phillip Street, Sydney, which would-be air hostesses attended. Woodley advertised her school on the side of buses with the claim, “I’ll make any girl pretty”.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="688" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39392/in-text-2_500x688.jpg" alt="In Text 2 (9)"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>Keeping up the national image, Qantas flight hostess wearing the ‘Jungle Green’ uniform with koala, Image credit: Qantas Heritage Collection.</em></p> <p>Pat (Willbrandt) Gregory-Quilter, who started with Qantas in 1957, recalls that for her second interview she had to walk up and down the interview room before the panel of four, remove and put on her gloves and make a PA announcement.</p> <p>When she started the job, hostesses were wearing a white summer dress and she would hang her six spare uniforms on the back of the toilet door in the plane to avoid them getting crushed. More than once, an inebriated passenger urinated over the uniform.</p> <p>Gregory-Quilter worked with Qantas until 1961, then left to marry, and when the marriage failed came back in 1969 as trainer for 14 years. She was interested in achieving a more individualised look and so the Qantas training school created its own hair and make-up salon. Still the strict standards meant that the flight hostesses did tend to look very similar. The other reason for this was that wigs were commonplace at the time. They too had to be approved; they had to look natural.</p> <p>Maureene Martin joined Qantas in 1964 aged 22 and she recalls one of her colleagues calling Gregory-Quilter “Mrs Grooming Looming”, as she would appear from her office and ask them to put some more lipstick on, or something along those lines.</p> <p><strong>The high price of gaining weight</strong></p> <p>The Qantas Flight Hostess Manual was almost 260 pages, and Bev Maunsell, who had previously worked at Ansett-ANA for two years, remembers sitting in the Qantas training school thinking that they took things very seriously. As well as matters such as the placement of parsley on plates, the flight hostesses would be instructed about what to do during stopovers or between flights. They were advised to set aside one night each week to delve into their personal appearance. The order of activities suggested were:</p> <p>1. Relaxing bath.<br />2. Finger and toenails.<br />3. Hair – combed and brush scrubbed clean.<br />4. Skin care.<br />5. Superfluous hair removed.<br />6. Odd jobs – mending etc.<br />7. At least eight hours restful sleep with plenty of fresh air.</p> <p>Most were happy to adhere to the checks and the strict standards knowing that if they didn’t they could be grounded and therefore lose their pay.</p> <p>Janette (Freeman) Davie AM began with Qantas in 1967. She had to stay in training school for a bit longer as she had pimples and had to wait for her skin to “settle” before she could fly.</p> <p>When she was finally allowed to fly she would have her skin checked on each return flight. Eventually she was sent to a skin specialist and put on the pill, which normally meant weight gain.</p> <p>The issue of the hostesses’ weight was a concern as they were rostered off if they put on too much. This would have dire financial consequences, as Davie explains:</p> <p><em>We’d all moved from interstate. We all had to pay a bond to live in an apartment and we had no money left over once you paid the bond and your rent every week and fed yourself. So if someone said come back when you’ve lost the weight, it might take you three or four weeks to lose that half a stone and there was no salary during that period.</em></p> <p>It is easy to trace discrimination back to the airlines and their individual policies but there was also a sense that the air hostesses themselves endorsed the “look” required to be employed with many of them thinking that you shouldn’t fly when “you’re too fat or too old”.</p> <p>For most airlines the criteria to join were almost the same. While the height over the years had increased, the weight had remained much the same (usually a maximum of about 9 stone 7lb, but often described as proportionate to height) and it was still necessary to have completed a first-aid course. Glasses or contact lenses couldn’t be worn.</p> <p><strong>The work of glamour</strong></p> <p>While few would dispute the sheer hard work of the job there was also the hard work of being highly groomed and attractive; what might be called the work of glamour. No doubt as a recognition of the standards that Qantas achieved with their flight hostesses, Pat Gregory-Quilter was used as a judge for beach girl competitions and the Miss Australia contest.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="400" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OSkPyZSaWhk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>With most airlines offering similar services on often identical planes, the air hostesses became the point of difference. In the 1960s there was a trend for representing a sort of authenticity in ads. It was for this reason that in September 1967, Susan ( Jones) Foster became the face of Ansett-ANA appearing in an advertising campaign pitched firmly against their competition – TAA. The slogan was “How can both Airlines be the Same? We’ve got Susan Jones”.</p> <p>Foster was 22 years old. Even though she was comfortable on board chatting to the passengers, she was very shy. Without any preparation she was sent on a promotional tour of Australia doing radio and television interviews. Festival records also produced a Susan Jones EP record to be handed out on flights. The song, about a young woman who had “escaped” a small town to join the airline, was sung by the young, then unknown Johnny Farnham.</p> <p>That November, the airline ran a new advertisement, “Whoever you are, please stop sending our Miss Jones roses”, citing that they were losing “too many good hostesses to matrimony as it is”.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="400" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g2TyaXc2TAw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>By the end of the year Foster had become engaged. When the time came for her to leave Ansett-ANA, the airline placed a full-page advertisement in every major paper with a photograph of her in a wedding dress and veil, with the simple caption, “I do”.</p> <p>The idea that young, attractive and single women should represent an airline continued into the 1970s. Over at Qantas, the staff magazine announced it would run a series of photographs of the “fly-birds”. After one flight hostess appeared in her bikini alongside the caption, “a delightful decoration for any swimming pool”, it seems there were no further images in the series.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="237" height="340" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39391/in-text-3.jpg" alt="In Text 3 (3)"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>New Guinea Air Hostess. Image credit:  TAA Museum.</em></p> <p><strong>Indigenous Air Hostesses</strong></p> <p>After <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs150.aspx" target="_blank">the 1967 referendum</a></strong></span>, where over 90 per cent of people voted to have Indigenous Australians included in the census, there were attempts to actively promote opportunities for Indigenous Australians. In June 1968, as part of a “Your Career” section in Dawn: A Magazine for the Aboriginal People of New South Wales, the Department of Labour and Industry had forwarded information about the duties and qualifications necessary to be an air hostess.</p> <p>It mentioned that the “work is often tiring, and the hostess must be of first-class health. She must speak fluently and clearly and have good eyesight, a pleasing appearance and personality and an ability to get along well with people”. The question of health was becoming an issue. An article from London mentioned that many hostesses were giving up their jobs because their health was suffering from the demands of the job and medical conditions associated with flying.</p> <p>Sue Bryant became the first Indigenous Australian air hostess when she started working for Ansett Airlines in 1970. Bryant had grown up in the inner west of Sydney, under the flight path, and she would often gaze out of the classroom window, thinking she would like to be an air hostess.</p> <p>Bryant’s first uniform was a white mini dress worn with a thin tan belt and a matching pillbox hat. By the time she left in 1973, the uniform was orange hotpants worn with a wraparound maxi skirt and brown boots. Working for Ansett Airlines of New South Wales meant Bryant flew to many of the outback towns: Dubbo, Bourke, Brewarrina and on to Charleville in Queensland. With large Indigenous populations in the towns it may have been advantageous to have Bryant on these routes but she didn’t think so, as there weren’t that many Indigenous passengers at that time.</p> <p>In 1971, Bryant appeared in Roderick Hulsbergen’s book <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.abebooks.com/Aborigine-Today-Hulsbergen-Roderick-Photography-text/963532992/bd" target="_blank">The Aborigine Today</a></strong></span> wearing her uniform, representing a modern young woman engaged in life at work.</p> <p>It was not until the end of the decade, that TAA employed three indigenous air hostesses.</p> <p>The 1960s, going into the 1970s, were a very progressive period for Australia. The postwar baby boomers were coming of age, and Australia was still an industrial country with an expanding economy. Unions were strong, and the progressive government of Gough Whitlam was elected. Support for Aboriginal Australians was on the rise, along with the inclusive policy of multiculturalism.</p> <p>Airline hostesses were part of the “boomer” demographic, and some were no doubt influenced by the atmosphere of sexual liberation and second-wave feminism. But for the most part they were professionally focused, and that suppressed any sense that sexy ad campaigns were exploitative.</p> <p>Still, what was sustaining for most of these young women was the esprit de corps that had started to gel with unionisation.</p> <p>In 1970, Qantas celebrated its 50th anniversary. A new campaign was started with an advertisement featuring a beaming flight hostess, alongside the slogan, The Friendliness of the Long Distance Australian. Now, even the smile was a matter for competitive international marketing:</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><em>Every airline has smiling hostesses. But nobody has that special open-hearted Australian smile except Qantas.</em></p> <p>What Qantas failed to notice was that their workforce of 230 flight hostesses had stopped smiling. On the 1st July 1970, the women started a seven-day strike over improved salaries and conditions.</p> <p><em>This is an edited extract from Prudence Black’s Smile, Particularly in Bad Weather: The Era of the Australian Airline Hostess, published by UWAP.</em></p> <p><em>Written by Prudence Black. First appeared on <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation.</a> </span></strong></em><img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/77102/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/></p>

Retirement Life

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Smiling cookies

<p>Get happy with these cute, smiley vanilla coconut cookie sandwiches. Nut-free, simple to make and easy to fill with caramel or jam, these are a cheery treat for kids and big kids alike. If you want to make them extra special, try dipping them in melted chocolate.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Makes:</span></strong> 20 – 25</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>125 g activated buckwheat flour</li> <li>155 g desiccated coconut</li> <li>2 tablespoons coconut nectar</li> <li>1 tablespoon coconut oil</li> <li>1 vanilla bean, split lengthways and seeds scraped</li> <li>2 tablespoons filtered water</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Blitz the dry ingredients in a food processor until fine.</li> <li>Add the coconut nectar, coconut oil, vanilla seeds and water and blitz until the mixture forms a dough.</li> <li>Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper.</li> <li>Using the cookie cutter, cut the dough into an even number of circles, then refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up a little.</li> <li>Cut the eyes and mouths out of half of the circles, leaving the other half plain (these will be the backs of the cookie).</li> <li>Return the circles to the refrigerator to firm up before transferring them onto a mesh dehydrator tray. Dehydrate for 12 hours.</li> <li>Spread the filling of your choice (one of our favourites is raspberry jam) onto each plain cookie, then add a face cookie on top, sandwiching the two together.</li> <li>Serve immediately.</li> </ol> <p><img width="175" height="174" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34175/pana-chocolate-cvr_175x174.jpg" alt="Pana Chocolate CVR (4)" style="float: right;"/></p> <p>This is an edited extract from Pana Chocolate, The Recipes by Pana Barbounis published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $36 and is available in stores nationally. Photographer: © Armelle Habib.</p> <p><em><strong>Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 175 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk" target="_blank">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now</a></span>.</strong></em></p>

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