Search

Incredible treasure trove of unseen royal images

In a mesmerising blend of history and artistry, Buckingham Palace's newly christened King's Gallery has unveiled a captivating journey through time and royalty with the debut of "Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography". Opening its on May 17, this groundbreaking exhibition delves into the illustrious lineage of the Royal Family through more than 150 carefully curated portraits – some never before seen by the public eye. A highlight among these treasures is a poignant snapshot capturing a rare familial moment: Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra, and The Duchess of Kent cradling their newborns. Lord Snowdon, Princess Margaret's husband, immortalised this touching scene as a token of gratitude to Sir John Peel, the esteemed royal obstetrician responsible for delivering all four babies within a mere two-month span. In this heartfelt image, Queen Elizabeth II tenderly holds Prince Edward, her youngest offspring, while Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra and The Duchess of Kent embrace their own bundles of joy. Accompanying this snapshot is a handwritten letter penned by Princess Margaret to her sister, affectionately addressed as "Darling Lilibet", requesting a signature on a print destined as a cherished memento for the esteemed doctor. The exhibition transcends mere family portraits, delving deep into the evolution of royal portraiture over the past century. Visitors are treated to a visual feast of iconic images captured by renowned photographers, including Dorothy Wilding, Annie Leibovitz, David Bailey and Rankin. Notably, the legendary Cecil Beaton's immortalisation of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation remains a cornerstone of the collection, offering a timeless glimpse into history. The exhibition also pays homage to the enduring allure of Princess Anne through her striking appearances on Vogue covers and a celebrated coming-of-age portrait by Norman Parkinson, commemorating her 21st birthday. From the timeless elegance of Princess Anne to the radiant charm of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and the spirited grace of Zara Tindall, the exhibition showcases a diverse tapestry of royal personalities spanning generations. Yet, it is not merely the portraits themselves that captivate visitors, but the untold stories and intimate moments woven into each frame. Delving into the depths of royal history, the exhibition reveals unseen wartime images by Cecil Beaton, illustrating King George VI and Queen Elizabeth's unwavering resolve amidst the chaos of conflict. As visitors explore the gallery, they are guided by a free multimedia experience narrated by Dame Joanna Lumley, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the artistry and craftsmanship behind these timeless portraits. From Hugo Burnand's vivid recollections of photographing the royal coronation to the candid insights of royal photographers such as Rankin and John Swannell, the multimedia guide adds depth and dimension to the exhibition, inviting visitors to immerse themselves fully in the rich tapestry of royal history. "Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography" is not merely an exhibition; it is a testament to the enduring legacy of the British monarchy, captured through the lens of some of the most esteemed photographers of our time. From the grandeur of coronations to the tender embrace of a mother cradling her newborn, each portrait tells a story – a story of tradition, resilience and the timeless allure of royalty. Images: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2024.

Art

Bold idea sees hotel offer thousands in cash back if it rains

In a move that's making waves in the travel industry, a posh hotel in the heart of Singapore has rolled out a revolutionary offer: rain insurance. Yes, you heard it right – rain insurance! InterContinental Singapore, a sanctuary for jet-setters seeking respite from both the humidity and the occasional tropical deluge, has unleashed a game-changer for travellers. Dubbed the "Rain Resist Bliss Package", this offer promises to keep your spirits high even when the rain gods decide to throw a dampener on your plans. Picture this: you've booked your suite at this 5-star haven, eagerly anticipating your Singapore escapade. But lo and behold, the forecast takes a turn for the soggy, threatening to rain on your parade – quite literally. Fear not, dear traveller, for with the Rain Resist Bliss Package, you can breathe easy knowing that if your plans get drenched, your wallet won't. Now, you might be wondering, how does this rain insurance work? Well, it's as simple as Singapore Sling on a sunny day. If the heavens decide to open up and rain on your parade for a cumulative 120 minutes within any four-hour block of daylight hours (that's 8am to 7pm for those not on island time), you're entitled to a refund equivalent to your single-night room rate. The package is available exclusively for suite room bookings starting from $SGD850 per night – so that’s around $965 rain-soaked dollars back in your pocket, no questions asked. No need to jump through hoops or perform a rain dance – just sit back, relax, and let the rain do its thing. And fret not about having to keep an eye on the sky – the clever folks at InterContinental Singapore have got you covered. They're tapping into the data from the National Environmental Agency Weather Station to automatically trigger those rain refunds. It's like having your own personal meteorologist ensuring that your plans stay as dry as your martini. But hey, if the rain does decide to crash your party, fear not! The hotel has an array of dining options to keep your tastebuds entertained while you wait for the clouds to part. And let's not forget, Singapore isn't just about sunshine and rainbows – there are plenty of indoor activities to keep you occupied, from feasting at Lau Pa Sat for an authentic hawker experience to retail therapy at Takashimaya. And here's a silver lining to those rain clouds: fewer tourists! That's right, while others might be scrambling for cover, you could be enjoying shorter lines, less crowded attractions, and even snagging better deals on accommodations. Plus, let's not overlook the fact that the rain brings a welcome respite from the tropical heat, making outdoor adventures all the more enjoyable once the showers subside. So, pack your umbrella and leave your worries behind. With InterContinental Singapore's Rain Resist Bliss Package, you can embrace the unpredictable and turn even the rainiest of days into a memorable adventure. After all, as they say, when life gives you lemons, make Singapore Slings and dance in the rain! Images: InterContinental Singapore / Getty Images

International Travel

How to turn your handy skills into material wealth

If you’re looking for an opportunity to be your own boss, minus all of the uncertainties that come with starting a business from scratch, a <a href="https://www.hireahubby.co.nz/franchise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hire A Hubby franchise</a> offers the perfect chance for you to take charge of your time, your future, and do what you love while building a successful business. This is no flash-in-the-pan start-up venture either; with more than 25 years of experience, the recognition and solid reputation already cemented by Hire A Hubby provide a valuable head start, making it far easier for you to connect with clients and build lasting relationships in your local community and beyond. Combining a proven business model refined and perfected over the years with all of the experience and insights of a solid Franchise Support Team, the risks commonly associated with entrepreneurship are virtually eliminated. Not only will you be stepping into a well-established brand that has earned the trust of customers nationwide, you’ll also be saying goodbye to the daily grind and hello to work-life harmony. One of the standout features of a Hire A Hubby franchise is the diverse range of services it offers. From general maintenance to renovations and repairs, franchisees have the opportunity to cater to a wide spectrum of customer needs. This versatility means you will not only attract a broader clientele, but also ensures a steady stream of business throughout the year, contributing to your long-term success. With New Zealand's property market experiencing a strong, continuous upward trend, there’s an equally strong demand for home maintenance and improvement services. What better way to position yourself to capitalise on this expanding market than with a Hire A Hubby franchise? As homeowners and businesses continue to place property upkeep front and centre, you’ll find yourself in a lucrative position to meet those needs – while contributing to the overall well-being of your community. And there’s no need to go it alone. Since success in any venture is most often the result of proper guidance and support, you’ll also benefit from Hire A Hubby’s comprehensive training programs, designed to equip you with all the necessary skills and knowledge to run a successful business. Backed by ongoing help from the Franchise Support Team, you’ll be able to stay well ahead of any industry trends and challenges standing in the way of success. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uNvVOK5UgPk?si=rbZkgdrP5fzmZ1m4" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe> But how best to get your name out there? Hire A Hubby understands all too well that visibility is key in any competitive marketplace. That’s why you’ll be able to tap into the collective strength of a national advertising and marketing campaign to not only boosts local visibility, but do wonders for your credibility at the same time, leading to new customers, new experiences and even greater success. The flexibility that comes with owning a Hire A Hubby franchise can’t help but add a serious dose of satisfaction to your lifestyle. You're not just running a business; you're crafting a life that allows you to balance work and play. That freedom to set your schedule means more time for the things you love. Speaking of which – as the proud owner of a Hire A Hubby franchise, you're not just fixing homes; you're also spreading joy one repair at a time. Whether it's a leaky roof or a wonky shelf, your expertise becomes a beacon of happiness for your clients. Imagine the pleasure of seeing a problem solved and the smiles on your customers' faces? These are priceless rewards that we all know come with the handyman territory. In the world of Hire A Hubby, happy customers aren’t just a metric; they are the real currency of success. That’s because satisfied clients are not just repeat clients; they are ambassadors for your brand, sharing their positive experiences and spreading the joy of your services. <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13682" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2024/01/HireAHubby01_060.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Owning and running a Hire A Hubby franchise means building a community of satisfied customers who appreciate not just your skills but the positive energy you bring to their homes. In the end, Hire A Hubby isn't just a brand; it's a positive force in the world of home maintenance and improvement. Becoming a part of that means contributing to a brand that is known for its reliability, professionalism and, most importantly, its ability to bring smiles to the faces of homeowners across New Zealand. So put on that tool belt, square your shoulders and get ready to join The Everything Experts! For more information on how to transform your handy skills into easy material wealth, head to <a href="https://www.hireahubby.co.nz/franchise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.hireahubby.co.nz/franchise</a> Images: Supplied. This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Hire A Hubby.

Home & Garden

The cost-of-living crisis is hitting hard. Here are 3 ways to soften the blow

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ama-samarasinghe-1386754">Ama Samarasinghe</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> As our wallets feel the strain from the cost-of-living crisis, many of us are looking for ways to soften the blow. While everyone’s circumstances are different, and ideally you should seek help from an accredited financial adviser, there are some tried and true ways to work out where all your money is going and why. Here are three practical tips to reduce the impact of the cost-of-living increases, and stretch every hard-earned dollar. <h2>1. Hunt for a better loan rate</h2> For many households, the biggest hit comes from the mortgage, so start there. Even a modest 0.5% reduction can translate into substantial savings. Call your bank today and just ask for rate reduction. If the answer is no, consider shopping around for a different lender. Your loyalty to your current lender might be costing you more than you realise. Banks often reserve their most attractive rates for new customers, leaving long-time customers paying higher-than-necessary interest. Even if your bank does agree to a rate reduction, explore the market anyway. There is a range of free rate-comparison websites, or you can directly check individual bank websites. If you find a lender offering a better rate, you might consider calling the competing bank to ask about switching your mortgage to them. Or, you might seek assistance from a mortgage broker, who can guide you through the process of securing a better deal (just remember they often take <a href="https://www.canstar.com.au/home-loans/mortgage-brokers-fees/">commissions</a> from lenders). Tread carefully and factor in any exit fees or charges from your current lender. Refinancing isn’t without risk, so a thorough cost-benefit analysis is important before making the switch. Also consider the value of features such as <a href="https://moneysmart.gov.au/glossary/offset-account">offset accounts</a>. An offset account, linked to your home loan, allows you to deposit money such as your salary and savings. This money is then “<a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/smp/2015/aug/box-e-offset-account-balances-and-housing-credit.html">offset</a>” against your home loan balance. That means you only pay interest on the outstanding amount (the loan minus whatever salary and savings you put in the offset). This can accelerate loan repayment and reduce interest costs. Keep in mind that offset accounts are typically only available with variable interest rates. Offset accounts work best if you have considerable savings to put into the offset account that outweigh the additional fees and charges attached to offset accounts. <h2>2. Trim your expenses and uncover hidden savings</h2> It’s time to become a budget detective, identifying and cutting down on non-essential costs that might be quietly draining your wallet. Take a close look at those recurring memberships and subscriptions. How often do you actually use that gym membership or streaming service? Many banking apps have handy spending tracking features to help you set realistic budget goals for each spending category. According to the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/selected-living-cost-indexes-australia/latest-release">Australian Bureau of Statistics</a>, insurance and financial services are among the top risers in living cost indexes (which measure the price change of goods and services and its effect on living expenses). So search comparison websites for better insurance premiums. Australia’s insurance market is competitive, and you can often get discounts by bundling your insurances together (for example, having your home and contents insurance with the same company that also provides your car insurance). However, don’t shy away from exploring different insurers for potentially better value. Don’t overlook energy costs, either. Use comparison websites like <a href="https://www.energymadeeasy.gov.au/">Energy Made Easy</a> (or, if you’re in Victoria, the <a href="https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/">Victorian Energy Compare</a> site) to find more cost-effective energy plans. Stay updated on rebates and concessions via the federal government’s <a href="https://energy.gov.au">Energy.gov.au</a> site, to ensure you’re maximising your entitlements. Use less energy, if you can. Small adjustments can make a significant dent in your bills. And for fuel costs, find websites and applications that allow you to lock in the lowest prices in your area. If you’re renting, ask yourself whether moving to a cheaper suburb or a cheaper home is an option. Many people use cashback sites like Cashrewards and ShopBack to accrue cashback incentives. <h2>3. Maximise returns and tackle high-interest debts</h2> While rising interest rates might make your mortgage climb, it also means high interest on your savings. Consider exploring high-yield savings accounts; with current interest rates, you could potentially earn around 5.5% with a bank savings account. Many people set up recurring transfers to help them stick to savings goals, increase deposits and maximise interest earnings. For those wrestling with high-interest debts such as credit cards or personal loans, prioritise settling outstanding balances to minimise interest payments. It can be hard to escape the long-term repercussions (such as a <a href="https://theconversation.com/payday-lending-trap-requires-a-credit-supply-rethink-39311">poor credit score</a>) of defaulting on <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2022/09/21/researchers-uncover--pecking-order-of-defaults--as-belts-tighten.html">high-interest loans</a>. And approach buy-now, pay-later services with extreme caution. They may seem tempting but the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acfi.13100">debts can quickly add up</a>. And if you need more help, contact the government’s free National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.<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/218118/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ama-samarasinghe-1386754">Ama Samarasinghe</a>, Lecturer, Financial Planning and Tax, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-cost-of-living-crisis-is-hitting-hard-here-are-3-ways-to-soften-the-blow-218118">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Tiny ancient Christmas tree sells for thousands

One of the world's first mass-produced Christmas trees has sold at auction for a whopping 56 times higher than its original purchase price. The tree was first bought in 1920 for just six pence, and was snapped up at the auction in England by an anonymous buyer for £3,400, or $6,433 AUD. The tree was described by the auctioneer as “the humblest Christmas tree in the world”, measuring just 79cm in height, boasting 25 branches, 12 berries and six mini candle holders. The tree sits in a small, red-painted wooden base with a simple decorative emblem. The Christmas tree was first bought by the family of eight-year-old Dorothy Grant in 1920, with Dorothy using it as her tree until she passed away at the age of 101. The tree is believed to have been bought from Woolworths, with Grant decorating the tree as a child with cotton wool to mimic snow, given that baubles were considered a luxury at the time. After Grant's passing in 2014, the charming tree was passed down to her daughter Shirley Hall, who was "parting with the tree now to honour her mother's memory and to ensure it survives as a humble reminder of 1920s life". It was expected to sell for between £60 and £80 (between $110 and $150 AUD) but was bought for the astonishing price of £3,411 when it went under the hammer at Hansons auctioneers on Friday. Charles Hanson, the owner of Hansons and a regular guest on the BBC’s Bargain Hunt said, “This is one of the earliest Christmas trees of its type we have seen. The humblest Christmas tree in the world has a new home and we’re delighted for both buyer and seller … I think it’s down to the power of nostalgia. Dorothy’s story resonated with people.” He added, “As simple as it was, Dorothy loved that tree. It became a staple part of family celebrations for decades. The fact that it brought such joy to Dorothy is humbling in itself. It reminds us that extravagance and excess are not required to capture the spirit of Christmas. For Dorothy it was enough to have a tree." “Some of the first artificial Christmas trees utilised machinery which had been designed to manufacture toilet brushes. The waste-not, want-not generations of old are still teaching us an important lesson about valuing the simple things and not replacing objects just for the sake of it." Image credits: Hansons Auctioneers

Money & Banking

7 things you never knew about MAS*H

Did you know M*A*S*H ran more than three times longer than the actual Korean War? It may have graced our screens for 11 years, but you might not know all there is to know about the classic TV series, M*A*S*H. <ol> <li>No one wanted a laugh track – Despite pleas from the show’s producers, the network (CBS) went ahead and added in canned laughter. You might have noticed the laugh track growing quieter and quieter as the years progressed, and in the UK, the laugh track was removed entirely.</li> <li>CBS banned an “unpatriotic” episode – An idea for an episode was shot down by the network for being “unpatriotic”. It involved soldiers standing outside in the freezing cold to make themselves sick enough to be sent home – a tactic actually used during the war.</li> <li>The writers got back at complaining cast members – If ever an actor complained about their script (or asked for changes), the writing team would change the script to make it “parka weather”, making the cast swelter in jackets through days in excess of 32°C on their Florida film set.</li> <li>Patients were named after sports teams – After running out of names for patients visiting the hospital, the writers turned to baseball teams. In season six, four Marines are named after California Angels infielders, while in season seven, they named patients after the 1978 Los Angeles Dodgers.</li> <li>M*A*S*H hosted some big-name stars – Guest appearances on the show include Ron Howard, Leslie Nielsen, Patrick Swayze, Laurence Fishburne and Rita Wilson.</li> <li>The series finale broke records – The two-and-a-half-hour 1983 series finale, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” was watched by a staggering 121.6 million people in the US alone – back then, that was 77 per cent of households with TV sets. It remains the most-watched episode of a TV show in US history.</li> <li>The time capsule didn’t stay buried long – In the series’ second-last episode, the M*A*S*H gang bury a time capsule. When the show wrapped up, the land used as the show’s set was sold, and a construction worker found the capsule just months later. After getting in contact with Alan Alda to return it, Alda told the worker he could keep it.</li> </ol> Image credits: Getty Images

"Devastating blow": Back to the Future star's tragic family news

Back to the Future star Lea Thompson, renowned for her role as Lorraine, the endearing mother of Michael J. Fox's iconic character, Marty McFly, has recently shared some deeply saddening family news. The 62-year-old actress opened up about her personal struggle, revealing that both of her older brothers have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease within a few months of each other. This announcement resonated profoundly with her fans and followers, especially given Michael J. Fox's well-known battle with the condition since his diagnosis in 1991 at the tender age of 29. In an emotionally charged Instagram post, Thompson shared her family's ordeal, writing, "Both of my beloved exceptional big brothers have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s within a few months of each other. It was such a devastating blow." She went on to describe how the disease had stealthily crept into their lives, noting that her brothers had been displaying signs of slowing down, but the true nature of their condition hadn't been immediately apparent. Fortunately, their early diagnosis, made possible by the diligent efforts of researchers supported by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, has offered them access to medications and tools that have significantly improved their quality of life. Accompanying her heartfelt message, Thompson posted pictures of herself with her two brothers during a day of golf, capturing a precious family moment. Another poignant photo showed her brothers with their arms wrapped around each other. <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/p/Cyz8bCxO9GF/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/p/Cyz8bCxO9GF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lea Thompson (@lea_thompson)</a> </div> </blockquote> Thompson's dedication to raising awareness and support for Parkinson's research was evident when she expressed feeling "honoured" to be part of a "public service announcement" for the Michael J. Fox Foundation's gala, sharing a behind-the-scenes photo from the campaign. She also expressed gratitude for the support of scientists, philanthropists, and her "movie son", Michael J. Fox, who has been an unwavering advocate for Parkinson's research. The response from Thompson's fans and followers was heartwarming, as they flocked to the comments section to express their solidarity. Messages of love, hope and empathy poured in from all corners, with many sharing personal connections to Parkinson's disease and the advances in treatment and therapies they have witnessed. Parkinson's disease is a debilitating neurodegenerative condition, and it is the second most common neurological disorder in Australia, with over 100,000 Australians grappling with its impact. Common symptoms include tremors, slowness of movement, and rigidity. Michael J. Fox's diagnosis at the astonishingly young age of 29 stands as a stark reminder of the disease's unpredictable reach, as the average age of diagnosis hovers around 65. Parkinson's disease results from the brain's inability to produce sufficient dopamine, a neurotransmitter vital for controlling movement. Diagnosing Parkinson's is not straightforward; it often relies on clinical evaluation by specialists such as neurologists, who meticulously assess clinical signs and symptoms, as there are no definitive laboratory tests like blood work or brain scans available for diagnosis. Lea Thompson's open acknowledgment of her family's struggle with Parkinson's disease not only shines a light on the challenges faced by those living with the condition but also underscores the importance of continued research and support for those affected. Images: Instagram

Caring

2001: A Space Odyssey still leaves an indelible mark on our culture 55 years on

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-abrams-122305">Nathan Abrams</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bangor-university-1221">Bangor University</a> 2001: A Space Odyssey is a landmark film in the history of cinema. It is a work of extraordinary imagination that has transcended film history to become something of a cultural marker. And since 1968, it has penetrated the psyche of not only other filmmakers but society in general. It is not an exaggeration to say that 2001 single-handedly reinvented the science fiction genre. The visuals, music and themes of 2001 left an inedible mark on subsequent science fiction that is still evident today. When <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Kubrick/Robert-P-Kolker/9781639366248">Stanley Kubrick</a> began work on 2001 in the mid-1960s, he was told by studio executive Lew Wasserman: “Kid, you don’t spend over a million dollars on science fiction movies. You just don’t do that.” By that point, the golden age of science fiction film had run its course. During its heyday, there was a considerable variety of content within the overarching genre. There had been serious attempts to foretell space travel. Destination Moon, directed by Irving Pichel and produced by George Pal in 1950, and, in mid-century, Byron Haskin’s Conquest of Space both fantasised space travel and, in Haskin’s film, a space station, which Kubrick would elaborate on in 2001. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oR_e9y-bka0?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>The trailer for 2001: A Space Odyssey.</figcaption></figure> Most 1950s science fiction films, though, were cheap B-movie fare and looked it. They involved alien invasions with an ideological and allegorical subtext. They were cultural, cinematic imaginations of the danger of communism, which in the overheated political atmosphere of the time was seen as an imminent threat to the American way of life. The aliens in most science fiction films were out simply to destroy or take over humanity; they were expressions, to use the title of a Susan Sontag essay, of “<a href="https://americanfuturesiup.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/sontag-the-imagination-of-disaster.pdf">the imagination of disaster</a>”. There were some exceptions, including Byron Haskin’s film version of The War of the Worlds and Robert Wise’s The Day the Earth Stood Still. By 1968, then, as the lights went down, very few people knew what was about to transpire and they certainly were not prepared for what did. The film opened in near darkness as the strains of Thus Spake Zarathustra by Richard Strauss were heard. The cinema was dazzled into light, as if Kubrick had <a href="https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/stanley-kubrick/9780813587110">remade Genesis</a>. The subsequent 160 or so minutes (the length of his original cut before he edited 19 minutes out of it) took the viewer on what was marketed as “the ultimate trip”. Kubrick had excised almost every element of explanation leaving an elusive, ambiguous and thoroughly unclear film. His decisions contributed to long silent scenes, offered without elucidation. It contributed to the film’s almost immediate critical failure but its ultimate success. It was practically a silent movie. 2001 was an experiment in film form and content. It exploded the conventional narrative form, restructuring the conventions of the three-act drama. The narrative was linear, but radically, spanning aeons and ending in a timeless realm, all without a conventional movie score. Kubrick used 19th-century and modernist music, such as Strauss, György Ligeti and Aram Khachaturian. <h2>Vietnam</h2> The movie was made during a tumultuous period of American history, which it seemingly ignored. The war in Vietnam was already a highly divisive issue and was spiralling into a crisis. The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tet-Offensive">Tet offensive</a>, which began on January 31 1968, had claimed tens of thousands of lives. As US involvement in Vietnam escalated, domestic unrest and violence at home intensified. Increasingly, young Americans expected their artists to address the chaos that roared around them. But in exploring the origins of humanity’s propensity for violence and its future destiny, 2001 dealt with the big questions and ones that were burning at the time of its release. They fuelled what Variety magazine called the “coffee cup debate” over “what the film means”, which is still ongoing today. The design of the film has touched many other films. Silent Running by Douglas Trumbull (who worked on 2001’s special effects) owes the most obvious debt but Star Wars would be also unthinkable without it. Popular culture is full of imagery from the film. The <a href="https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/stanley-kubrick-2001-a-space-odyssey-music/">music</a> Kubrick used in the film, especially Strauss’s The Blue Danube, is now considered <a href="https://theweek.com/articles/702734/planetarium-brief-history-space-music">“space music”</a>. Images from the movie have appeared <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfK9pEQZyy0">in iPhone adverts</a>, in The Simpsons and even the trailer for the new <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2022/12/16/trailer-for-greta-gerwigs-barbie-spoofs-classic-film-in-best-way-17951854/">Barbie movie</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8zIf0XvoL9Y?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>2001: A Space Odyssey’s influence on this Barbie movie trailer couldn’t be more obvious.</figcaption></figure> The warnings of the danger of technology embodied in the film’s murderous supercomputer HAL-9000 can be felt in the “tech noir” films of the late 1970s and 1980s, such as Westworld, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-alien-mutated-from-a-sci-fi-horror-film-into-a-multimedia-universe-204567">Alien</a>, Blade Runner and Terminator. HAL’s single red eye can be seen in the children’s series, Q Pootle 5, and Pixar’s animated feature, Wall-E. HAL has become shorthand for the untrammelled march of artificial intelligence (AI). In the age of ChatGPT and other AI, the metaphor of Kubrick’s computer is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/22/movies/ai-movies-microsoft-bing-robots.html">frequently evoked</a>. But why when there have been so many other images such as Frankenstein, Prometheus, terminators and other murderous cyborgs? Because there is something so uncanny and human about HAL who was deliberately designed to be more <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01439685.2017.1342328?journalCode=chjf20">empathic and human than the people in the film</a>. In making 2001, Stanley Kubrick created a cultural phenomenon that continues to speak to us eloquently today.<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/209152/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-abrams-122305">Nathan Abrams</a>, Professor of Film Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bangor-university-1221">Bangor University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/2001-a-space-odyssey-still-leaves-an-indelible-mark-on-our-culture-55-years-on-209152">original article</a>.

Movies

Rod Stewart’s son blows through inheritance

Rod Stewart’s son, Sean Stewart, has allegedly spent all of his inheritance in an attempt to rebrand his clothing line. A source told Page Six Style exclusively that Sean had “cashed out” the funds he would have received upon his father’s death in order to salvage the failing Dirty Weekend brand. “It’s insane because this is the third time I think he’s relaunching Dirty Weekend,” the source revealed. “Maybe third time’s the charm.” Reps for Sean and Dirty Weekend did not return Page Six Style’s requests for comment. In March, the son of the British rockstar posted about his company’s rebrand and credited artist Hector De Marquez for helping him with the relaunch. “Really proud of the work me and @hectordemarquez have put into rebranding dirty weekend,” the 42-year-old captioned the Instagram post. “Someone who finally sees my vision. What makes a successful business and entrepreneur is the team you have behind you.” The brand was originally launched in 2022. He also recently married his partner Jody Weintraub in Las Vegas on Valentine’s Day. He had known his now-wife, also 42, since high school. She is the daughter of late producer Jerry Weintraub. The pair eloped and made their way back to Los Angeles to celebrate the special day with the infamous musician and his ex-wife Alana Stewart, who is Sean’s mother. The British icon married Alana in 1979 but they divorced after five years. Stewart, 78, has been married to his current wife, Penny Lancaster, for 14 years. During Stewart’s 2023 Australian tour, the lovebirds <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/rod-stewart-s-secret-ceremony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renewed their vows</a> in a secret ceremony. Image credit: Instagram

Money & Banking

6 blow-drying mistakes everyone makes

If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t manage to make your blow dry look as good or last as long as the professionals, it’s probably down to your technique. While taking to your hair with your dryer and hoping for the best may be the easiest way to blow dry, you’ll rarely get the kind of results you’re hoping for. Here are the most common mistakes us amateurs make and how to correct them. 1. Using the wrong type of hair dryer These days the shelves are heaving under the weight of all the different types of blow dryers on the market. The best ones to look for are those that dry hair the fastest while also being as gentle as possible. Ionic, ceramic and tourmaline hair 2. Forgetting to use attachments If you’ve discarded the attachments that came with your dryer to the bottom of the bathroom cupboard now may be the time to pull them out. A diffuser is great for defining curls and waves while the concentrator nozzle can help with that super straight result. 3. Not knowing your angles Not holding your dryer at the right angle and/or pointing it at your hair and holding on the one spot are both key mistakes that result in frizz and damage. Your dryer should be constantly moving and your dryer horizontal. 4. Using the wrong heat setting Most dryers have a variety of heat settings. While selecting the hottest is tempting, it’s not going to do great things for hair that isn’t extremely thick and/or coarse. Medium to mid high is generally the best for normal, damp hair while lower settings are great for fragile or very damaged locks. 5. Forgetting to use heat protectant Heat protectant serums, sprays and lotions should always be used before heat styling to minimise damage and maximize results. 6. Choosing the wrong hairbrush Metal based brushes have been popular for a while now due to their promises of super quick results. Unfortunately they aren’t the best for your hair, leaving it very hot and prone to damage. Look for a round brush with a mix of nylon and boar bristles for best results. Image credits: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

National Duck Day: Diana Chan's Seared Duck breast with nashi pears, honey and star anise

Food & Wine

National Duck Day: Diana Chan’s Luv-a-Duck Peking Duck breast with egg noodles, five spice sauce and fresh cucumber salad

The family owned business and Australia’s leading duck producer Luv-a-Duck has partnered up with MasterChef alum and duck lover Diana Chan, to officially launch National Duck Day, which falls on Tuesday May 23rd, 2023. Diana Chan is a Malaysian-Australian and won the 9th season of MasterChef in 2017. She has since become a well-known TV host, menu designer, product creator and restaurateur, turning her passion for food into her career. Diana Chan’s Luv-a-Duck Peking Duck breast with egg noodles, five spice sauce and fresh cucumber salad Serves: 2 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 10 mins INGREDIENTS: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 2 x precooked Luv-A Duck peking duck breasts </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 x 400g packet fresh egg noodles (medium thickness) </li> </ul> For the five spice sauce: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tbsp cooking oil </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 2 cloves garlic, minced </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 3 shallots, finely diced </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 50g galangal, sliced </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 50g ginger, sliced </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Leftover liquid from the packet </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tbsp five spice powder </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tbsp tapioca starch mixed with 2 tbsp of water </li> </ul> For the cucumber salad: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 continental cucumber, halved and sliced into 5mm thick chunks </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 30g coriander, roughly chopped </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tbsp black vinegar </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tsp sugar </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tbsp soy sauce </li> </ul> To garnish: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Freshly sliced spring onions </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds </li> </ul> METHOD: <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Cook the peking duck breasts according to the packet instructions (microwave or oven) and set aside somewhere warm. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Preheat a large braising pot or wok. Add cooking oil. Add the garlic, shallots, galangal and ginger and fry until aromatic - about 3 minutes or so. Add the sauce from the packet and the five spice. Allow to reduce for 10 minutes. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Mix tapioca starch with water. Pour it into the sauce liquid while stirring at the same time and the liquid will start to thicken. You can add more tapioca mixture if you don't think the sauce is thick enough. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> While the sauce simmers, reheat the noodles according to the packet instructions. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> To assemble, remove the cooked duck breasts from the packet and slice them into 5mm thickness. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> In a mixing bowl, add in all the ingredients for the cucumber salad and mix to combine. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Place the reduced sauce into the serving bowls, divide the noodles into 2 portions, top with the duck breasts and pour over the sauce. Serve with the cucumber salad on the side. Garnish with some spring onions and sesame seeds. </li> </ol> Image credit: Luv-A-Duck

Food & Wine

Erin Doherty’s new role sure to be approved by Princess Anne

Erin Doherty might just get the tick of approval from Princess Anne as she holds the reins in the forthcoming series A Thousand Blows. Doherty, 30, who played the role of horse-mad Princess Anne in The Crown, will star in the new drama which tells the story of the Forty Elephants, an all-woman crime syndicate specialising in shoplifting from department stores. Much like her role as Princess Anne, images from the upcoming series have seen the actress in a Victorian outfit driving a horse-drawn carriage on set in London. The period drama will also star actor Stephen Graham and it’s created by Stephen Knight who was responsible for the hit gangster drama Peaky Blinders. The presence of horses is sure to please King Charle’s sister as she is a known horse-lover. Prince Phillip once joked, “If it doesn’t fart or eat hay, she isn’t interested.” The series will also be heavy on boxing but will explore the social climate of London during the post-industrial revolution era. It is still under production and is set to be released on Disney+ with 12 episodes. Image credit: Instagram

National Duck Day: Diana Chan’s Luv-a-Duck whole roasted duck with a cinnamon and orange glaze

The family owned business and Australia’s leading duck producer Luv-a-Duck has partnered up with MasterChef alum and duck lover Diana Chan, to officially launch National Duck Day, which falls on Tuesday May 23rd, 2023. Diana Chan is a Malaysian-Australian and won the 9th season of MasterChef in 2017. She has since become a well-known TV host, menu designer, product creator and restaurateur, turning her passion for food into her career. Diana Chan’s Luv-a-Duck whole roasted duck with a cinnamon and orange glaze Serves: 6-8 Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: Approximately 3 hours INGREDIENTS: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 x Luv-A Duck whole duck </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 lemon, sliced into wheels </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 5 cloves of garlic, chopped </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 2 cinnamon quill </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Cooking salt to rub </li> </ul> For the cinnamon and orange glaze: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> ½ cup balsamic vinegar </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> ¼ cup honey </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Juice of ½ a lemon </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Juice of 1 whole orange </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Pinch of salt </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tsp ground cinnamon </li> </ul> Buttered greens: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 200g green beans, blanched in boiling water </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 2 garlic cloves minced </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 50g butter </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Pinch of salt and pepper </li> </ul> To garnish: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Freshly chopped coriander </li> </ul> METHOD: <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Preheat the oven to 180C. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> To prepare the duck, remove the giblets from inside the duck. Rinse the duck, inside and outside, with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Set the duck on the working surface. Score the duck's skin on the breast in a diamond pattern, making sure you only cut the skin, without reaching the meat. Poke the other fatty parts of the duck with the tip of the knife all over, to ensure fat releases. Season the duck very generously with salt both inside the cavity of the duck and outside on the skin, legs, all over. Place the duck breast side up. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Put the chopped garlic, sliced lemons and cinnamon quills inside the duck cavity (NB:these are just for flavor, not for eating - you will discard them after cooking). The duck will have flapping skin on both ends - fold that skin inwards, to hold the garlic and lemon inside. Tie up the duck legs with butcher's twine. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Place the duck breast side up on a large roasting pan with a rack within (roasting pan should have a roasting rack to lift the duck from the bottom of the pan and allow the fat to drip below the duck). </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Roast the duck, breast side up, for 1 hour at 180C. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> After 1 hour of roasting, flip the duck on its breast and roast it breast side down (roast the other side) for 40 minutes at the same temperature. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Remove the roasting pan with the duck from the oven and carefully pour off all the duck fat juices from the roasting pan into a large glass or metal bowl. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Flip the duck, breast side up again, and place back on the rack in the roasting pan. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Add to the bowl with the juices from the duck fat, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, lemon juice with the freshly squeezed juice of 1 orange. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Brush all over the duck with the balsamic mixture and cook the duck, breast side up for another 40-50 minutes at 180C, brushing every 10 minutes with the mixture. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> You can carefully use the grill function in the oven to crisp up the duck skin for the last 10-15 minutes (do it carefully, checking the duck regularly to make sure it doesn't burn). </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> In the meantime, prepare to cook the beans. Using a pan over medium heat, add in the butter. Once melted add in the garlic and toss for a few seconds before adding in the beans to coat through. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> After the duck is cooked, remove it from the oven, let the duck stand for 15 minutes. Then, carefully remove and discard the lemon from the cavity (being careful not to get burned). Carve the duck and serve with the beans as a side. </li> </ol> Image credit: Luv-a-Duck

Food & Wine

We make thousands of unconscious decisions every day. Here’s how your brain copes with that

Do you remember learning to drive a car? You probably fumbled around for the controls, checked every mirror multiple times, made sure your foot was on the brake pedal, then ever-so-slowly rolled your car forward. Fast forward to now and you’re probably driving places and thinking, “how did I even get here? I don’t remember the drive”. The task of driving, which used to take a lot of mental energy and concentration, has now become subconscious, automatic – habitual. But how – and why – do you go from concentrating on a task to making it automatic? Habits are there to help us cope We live in a vibrant, complex and transient world where we constantly face a barrage of information competing for our attention. For example, our eyes take in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1564115/">over one megabyte of data every second</a>. That’s equivalent to reading 500 pages of information or an entire encyclopedia every minute. Just one whiff of a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12744840/">familiar smell</a> can trigger a memory from childhood in less than a millisecond, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.08.004">our skin</a> contains up to 4 million receptors that provide us with important information about temperature, pressure, texture, and pain. And if that wasn’t enough data to process, <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/REPS-10-2018-011/full/html">we make thousands of decisions</a> every single day. Many of them are unconscious and/or minor, such as putting seasoning on your food, picking a pair of shoes to wear, choosing which street to walk down, and so on. Some people are neurodiverse, and the ways we sense and process the world differ. But generally speaking, because we simply cannot process <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364661305001178">all the incoming data</a>, our brains create habits – automations of the behaviours and actions we often repeat. Two brain systems There are two forces that govern our behaviour: intention and habit. In simple terms, our brain has <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17437199.2016.1244647">dual processing systems</a>, sort of like a computer with two processors. Performing a behaviour for the first time requires intention, attention and planning – even if plans are made only moments before the action is performed. This happens in our prefrontal cortex. More than any other part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex is responsible for making deliberate and logical decisions. It’s the key to reasoning, problem-solving, comprehension, impulse control and perseverance. It affects behaviour via <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/handbook-of-behavior-change/changing-behavior-using-the-reflectiveimpulsive-model/A35DBA6BF0E784F491E936F2BE910FF7">goal-driven decisions</a>. For example, you use your “reflective” system (intention) to make yourself go to bed on time because sleep is important, or to move your body because you’ll feel great afterwards. When you are learning a new skill or acquiring new knowledge, you will draw heavily on the reflective brain system to form new memory connections in the brain. This system requires mental energy and effort. From impulse to habit On the other hand, your “impulsive” (habit) system is in your brain’s <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.neuro.29.051605.112851">basal ganglia</a>, which plays a key role in the development of emotions, memories, and pattern recognition. It’s impetuous, spontaneous, and pleasure seeking. For example, your impulsive system might influence you to pick up greasy takeaway on the way home from a hard day at work, even though there’s a home-cooked meal waiting for you. Or it might prompt you to spontaneously buy a new, expensive television. This system requires no energy or cognitive effort as it operates reflexively, subconsciously and automatically. When we repeat a behaviour in a consistent context, our brain recognises the patterns and moves the control of that behaviour from intention to habit. A habit occurs when your impulse towards doing something is automatically initiated because you encounter a setting in which you’ve done the same thing <a href="https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-015-0065-4">in the past</a>. For example, getting your favourite takeaway because you walk past the food joint on the way home from work every night – and it’s delicious every time, giving you a pleasurable reward. Shortcuts of the mind Because habits sit in the impulsive part of our brain, they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.03.978">don’t require much cognitive input or mental energy</a> to be performed. In other words, habits are the mind’s shortcuts, allowing us to successfully engage in our daily life while reserving our reasoning and executive functioning capacities for other thoughts and actions. Your brain remembers how to drive a car because it’s something you’ve done many times before. Forming habits is, therefore, a natural process that contributes to <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0033-2909.124.1.54">energy preservation</a>. That way, your brain doesn’t have to consciously think about your every move and is free to consider other things – like what to make for dinner, or where to go on your next holiday. Image credit: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-make-thousands-of-unconscious-decisions-every-day-heres-how-your-brain-copes-with-that-201379" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Mind

Review: A Routine Infidelity

Established screenwriter Elizabeth Coleman has quite the resume behind her - from contributing to every season of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Miss Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries to penning four published plays, she’s tried it all. And now, she has added ‘author of “a delightfully sharp and clever murder mystery”’ to the mix. A Routine Infidelity marks Coleman’s entry into the cosy crime genre, and sees protagonist Edwina ‘Ted’ Bristol - a private investigator based in Melbourne - spending her days hunting down “cheating husbands and missing chihuahuas”, dreaming of something more exciting. Her wish comes true when her sister, Bob, falls victim to a catfisher. With her trusty sidekick Miss Marple - a miniature schnauzer and star of the show - in tow, Ted sets out to get to the bottom of Bob’s trouble. Nothing is ever quite so simple though, especially not for Ted, who soon must find a way to juggle the scam, a case worth millions, and the heavy weight of her past. With twists and turns abound, and characters bursting with life, Coleman’s novel will keep readers turning the pages to see what transpires next. Although a heavy family plot carries throughout the novel - a secret hangs over Ted, one she’d prefer to avoid - there are plenty of moments for a chuckle out loud, like when Ted wants very much to hit someone she’s not best pleased with, “but not as much as she wanted to avoid a negative Google review.” There are multiple plots that take place over the course of the book, and there are points where the story might have benefitted from focussing more on one, to help build reader investment beyond interest in what it meant for the characters. There are also a few instances where the book feels as though it needs to get as much information out as possible, and errs on the side of ‘telling’ where it should be ‘showing’ to achieve this. However, as this is only the first in a series of books, it’s likely that there’s much more to be seen after the initial setup, and any remaining questions are simply yet to be answered. The relationships between Coleman’s characters are what make the book. Ted and her sister Bob - who is, by all accounts, the nicest person in Coleman’s Melbourne - are thick as thieves, though their roles don’t necessarily align with what is typically expected of two sisters. Ted would do anything for Bob, and by the end of the novel, so would many readers. Ted’s ‘connection’ with local neighbourhood medium Chantel is a point of both frustration and amusement throughout - Ted initially wants nothing to do with her, but when Chantel has a premonition with the potential to change Ted’s entire life, she’s forced to reevaluate her feelings. And most importantly, Ted’s bond with her beloved canine companion, Miss Marple, is nothing short of a highlight. Miss Marple’s ‘I-don’t-have-time-for-this’ attitude is something pet owners all across the world can relate to, but in a perfect demonstration of a dog’s love, she is always there when Ted needs her most - even if she isn’t quite so willing to offer that sought-after cuddle. And so, as publisher Pantera Press have said, “if you love the madcap adventures of Phryne Fisher, you’re sure to love Ted Bristol, written by Elizabeth Coleman, screenwriter for Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries”. Overall rating: 3.5/5 Find your copy here, and at all good local booksellers: <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Routine-Infidelity-Elizabeth-Coleman/dp/064547679X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1678940919&sr=8-1">Amazon</a> (Kindle: $11.50, paperback: $19.99) <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/a-routine-infidelity-elizabeth-coleman/book/9780645476798.html">Booktopia </a>(Paperback: $24.90) <a href="https://www.qbd.com.au/a-routine-infidelity/elizabeth-coleman/9780645476798/">QBD Books</a> (Paperback: $19.99) <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/a-routine-infidelity-by-elizabeth-coleman-9780645476798">Dymocks</a> (Paperback: $24.99) Images: OverSixty

Books

Detective steals thousands from elderly woman

An elderly woman who was scammed out of $30,000 in an online scam has once again been stolen from, after the police officer helping her recover the money stole her bank details. In May 2021, 74-year-old Sonia was robbed by fraudsters pretending to be NBN workers after they convinced her to transfer the hefty five-figure sum. After discovering it was a scam, Sonia then reported the crime to NSW Police, who sent a detective to her home to investigate. The officer was supposed to be helping Sonia recover her stolen money, but instead tried to use her credit card and banking details and purchase almost $20,000 worth of goods. The police officer fronted Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday where his barrister tried to explain his client's behaviour saying he had gone "off the rails" and fallen into a depression due to the nature of his work. In June 2021, the detective, who cannot be named, attended Sonia's home several times to investigate what happened, often wearing his full police uniform. To gain her sympathy, he said he had a brain aneurysm and had not yet told his girlfriend or work. According to police documents tendered to the court, Sonia trusted him and he told her she "reminded him of his own grandmother", the <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-nsw/detective-investigating-30k-fraud-on-74yo-woman-steals-her-credit-card-for-16k-shopping-spree/news-story/1823067b8a55dc184f1278ce6a933b69" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Daily Telegraph</a> reported. When he asked to see her online banking details, credit cards and passwords, Sonia gave them to him willingly, assuming they were needed for his investigation. The detective tried to buy close to $20,000 worth of items from JB Hi Fi, Big W and Myer, including iPhones, GoPro cameras and Apple Watches. Thankfully for Sonia, none of the attempted purchases went through, as they were all rejected by Sonia's bank as suspicious activity. When Sonia was notified of the attempted transactions, she immediately suspected the detective who had been supposed to be helping her. In court this week, the now former detective pleaded guilty to stealing Sonia's bank details, and will will face Downing Centre District Court in Sydney on May 12th when he will be sentenced. More than 18 months after the events, Sonia is still very troubled by what happened and blames herself. "I can't switch off a feeling that I was stupid in the first place ... I trusted this guy and then he did that," she said. Image credits: Getty Images

Legal

What will be your legacy?

Maybe you’ve never thought about it, but how you’ll be remembered, and who you’ll be remembered by will be determined by the legacy you’ll leave. If you want your life to count then why leave it to chance when your legacy can be planned and purposeful, and in doing so, establish a firm foundation which generations can build upon? The mistakes of generations-past will be repeated by generations-future up until someone has the vision and determination to derive a different outcome. If not you, then who? A legacy framework Let’s play a game: what’s a word – just one word – you’d like others to use that encapsulates how you’d like to be remembered after you’re gone? For instance, assuming your name was Bobby, imagine a friend at your funeral saying “You know, I always found Bobby to be so…” It might be loving, or honest, or faithful, or sincere or any number of things. Now ask yourself this: "Is how I’m living congruent with how I want to be remembered?" If it is, great. If it isn’t, will you change while you still have time? If you’re interested in being organised and purposeful in leaving a legacy, consider this: your legacy is the summary of your deeds, which is the summary of your actions, which is the summary of your intentions. If you want to leave a bigger legacy then start by being purposeful with your intentions, impactful with your actions, and altruistic with your deeds. Largesse Your largesse is the way and extent to which you distribute money or gifts upon others. Largesse may be, but doesn’t necessarily have to be, financial. To be significant, largesse must be predominantly selfless. Any contribution to humanity that results in a gift qualifies, which is why the largesse of the likes of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa remain significant. Perhaps the ripples of the contribution you leave won’t be as large or as wide as those of Mother Teresa, but that doesn’t make your effort any less important or less worthy. Many small things done well are usually far better than a few great things done poorly. But remember, a selfless act can’t be called so if there are selfish ambitions behind it. Selfish largesse is rarely remembered beyond one generation or is remembered for the wrong reasons like the legacy of any historical tyrant you care to mention whose selfishness caused the death of countless innocent lives. Remembering Nobel Alfred Nobel was a controversial figure for much of this life, and while his inventions improved the industrialised world, he was not universally loved. His work improving military explosives resulted in him being accused of high treason. Upon his death, Nobel bequeathed 94 per cent of his estate be converted into a fund and invested in safe securities, with the income earned from those investments to be ‘distributed annually in the form of prizes to those who during the preceding year have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind’. Why did Nobel perform such a generous act? No-one knows for sure but one possibility is that a French journalist, upon mistakenly reporting his death, eulogised Nobel as a ‘merchant of death’. Reportedly appalled, Nobel shifted his focus to philanthropy and used his fortune to create a legacy to further, not frustrate, humanity. Today, Nobel is revered for his substantial and ongoing contribution to the promotion of peace—a legacy of significance funded by his significant wealth. Do-Doing-Done How do you leave a legacy? First you’ll need to cast a vision for how you want to be remembered. Thereafter every thought and every action in every hour of every day is an opportunity to make a legacy deposit by acting congruently, or legacy withdrawal by acting incongruently, with your vision. The bigger your legacy balance, the more impactful your legacy will be. The trick is to remain persistently consistent with cycling through your intentions (what you want to do), your actions (what you’re doing), and your accomplishments (what you’ve done). Doing so will build momentum and scale. My old high school motto was Spectumer Agendo. It is Latin and means ‘By their deeds they shall be known.’ What are your deeds, and how will you be known? If you want your life to count, do more things that count! Don’t be consumed with petty people or petty matters. Remained focussed on the things you can control. Greek Proverb Here’s a Greek proverb that caught my attention recently: wise men plant trees under whose shade others will sit. This is a beautiful phrase that captures the notion of sowing a blessing today for others tomorrow; a lovely way to capture the concept of legacy. I might have taken the proverb a little too literally because etched on my heart is a vision to return the 600 hectares of land I purchased back in 2018 into a permanent multi-species native forest. If you don’t have your own legacy project on the go and rehabilitating environments, restoring damaged ecosystems or renewing habitat for wildlife is something you care about, you’re welcome to join with me, my family and others as we change the world one tree at a time. Find out more at www.TreeChange.com Will your legacy be a burden or a blessing? It’s not too late to decide, or change if you aren’t happy with the current situation. Edited extract from Steve McKnight’s Money Magnet: How to Attract and Keep a Fortune that Counts (Wiley $32.95), now available at all leading retailers or online at www.moneymagnet.au Image: Getty Images

Mind

Why you should beware spending rewards and BNPL programs

Malware is software designed to disrupt and destroy, and there are plenty of ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ financial programs doing just that to people’s financial futures. Some that come to mind are programs (yes, they’re called ‘programs’) that make it easier to spend and / or reward and incentivise spending, and harder to make good financial decisions. When you get tricked into spending, or spending more than you otherwise would, you transfer your wealth to someone else. The more wealth you consume, the less you have for later on. Let’s consider two marketing malware culprits to avoid wherever possible. Rewards Programs Beware programs that trick you into thinking that spending is good. Consider Flybuys for example. It is a rewards program where you generally receive one Flybuys point for every dollar spend. Therefore, to earn 1 000 000 Flybuys points, you need to spend $1 000 000. What if I told you that the cash value of one Flybuys point is 0.5 cents? That would mean to earn 1 000 000 Flybuys points you’d have to spend $1 000 000, yet that $1 000 000 is really only ‘worth’ $5000. They’ve actually created a system where you think you’re being rewarded on a one-for-one basis (i.e. one dollar spent equals one point) when really you’re being rewarded at the rate of half of one cent for every dollar spent. Additionally, when it comes time to redeem your points, the products you can ‘purchase’ are valued at top dollar, rather than at any discounted price you might be able to find if you shopped around. Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Back in the day, department stores offered something called lay-by. This was where you could grab a product off the shelf, take it to the store’s lay-by counter and enter an arrangement with them to pay it off over two or three instalments. Once you’d made the final payment, the product was yours to own and take home. Lay-by was a great option for people who couldn’t access or didn’t want to use credit cards. There were no upfront fees associated with lay-by, and there was certainly no interest charged. Lay-by has been reborn and rebadged as BNPL; you pay by instalments, and you can take the product with you immediately. You won’t pay any fees provided you make the required instalments in full and on time. If you don’t, then you’ll be slugged with establishment fees, late fees, account-keeping fees and payment processing fees. The danger is that BNPL is easier to access than traditional debt options such as credit cards because BNPL is not technically credit since providers don’t charge interest. But BNPL is consumer debt with instant gratification, and that makes it credit in my book. Afterpay is one of the biggest BNPL providers on the planet. It advertises that it is a ‘free service’, provided you pay on time. If you don’t, their late fee is $10 per missed payment, plus an additional $7 if the payment is still outstanding after a week. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you had bought something that only cost $20 and forgot to make a $5 instalment, then the $10 fee is 200 per cent of the missed payment. Ouch! Don’t forget that the fee is per missed payment. If there were other purchases made, then the fee would compound. Late fees, however small, can quickly cascade into a significant sum of money, potentially many times more than the instalment due or even the price of the item purchased. Plus, there are other consequences of missed payments—black marks on credit records, difficulties borrowing for other debt such as a home loan, and the possibility of additional fees as debts are passed over to debt collectors. BNPL organisations profit from users who fail to meet their repayment obligations, and so part and parcel of running a successful business and growing profits would involve them doing well when their customers do poorly. You can’t expect corporate behemoths to do the right thing by you if it’s the wrong thing by them. The best you can do is gain the skills and awareness you need to know when you’re being played. Marketing malware disrupts your ability to accumulate wealth by tricking you into believing you are getting a better deal than is the case. Ideally, you’d avoid using it at all, but if it’s too late for that, then you need to clean up your code as soon as you can. Being rewarded for spending money you haven’t yet earned is a toxic combination that will poison your efforts to attract and keep a fortune that counts. Make sure you are a good shepherd of your financial flock by being vigilant in keeping an eye out for marketing malware wolves, and not falling for their enticing yet financially disempowering charms. Edited extract from Steve McKnight’s Money Magnet: How to Attract and Keep a Fortune that Counts (Wiley $32.95), now available at all leading retailers. Visit www.moneymagnet.au Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

How to make your money count

How you use your money will be how you’re remembered. For some, the amount of money or wealth they accumulate is the score by which their success is measured. More wealth equals more success. Yet shrouds don’t have pockets, and dead is dead. In order to make your money count, it has to be used, not hoarded. Others use their wealth to purchase a more comfortable ride through life. That’s certainly possible, yet materialism is like fame: addictive and at the same time self-deprecating; there will always someone else who is richer than you and has more toys than you. The quest for more is insatiable. Instead of being defined by the wealth you’ve accumulated and have stored, why not be defined by the wealth you’ve accumulated and have deployed? The 3C’s of Significance The secret to making your money count is a process I call ‘the three Cs of significance’: care, cause and context. Identifying a care and resourcing a cause that supports it will add a context to your money that transcends dollars and cents. The 3C’s are a way of adding significance to your wealth and giving meaning to your life. Let’s look at each of the 3Cs. Care Everyone has at least one care etched on their hearts at birth or engraved on their hearts from life experience. If you were to shut out the ‘busy-ness’ of life and listen to the quiet voice of your soul or engage your self-awareness by looking for issues that trigger an above-average or disproportionate emotional response, you’ll likely identify what you care most about. Possibilities include social justice issues, animal welfare, the environment, politics, gender and social equality, faith, health, nutrition, sport … the list is just about endless. Furthermore, there are niches within niches. For instance, animal welfare might be your thing, and within that, you might be particularly concerned with the wellbeing of koalas, and more specifically, orphaned koalas in south-east Queensland. The ‘thing’ you care about may be a burning passion or just a glowing ember. It may also change over time. For the moment, all that’s important is that you identify something you care about. Does something come to mind? If it helps as an illustration, cancer became an unexpected care that was recently etched on my heart. Prior to being diagnosed with skin cancer, I was aware but not particularly concerned about cancer, but that all changed when a spot on my face turned sinister. Now I had something to care about! Cause Once you have a care in mind, the next step is to find a cause – a person, program, charity or organisation that is doing work that relates to the matter(s) you care about, and offer to become a partner in, or sponsor of, that work by making a financial contribution. The secret to knowing the cause is to stop thinking ‘me’ and start thinking ‘we’. Sometimes the things we care about seem too big, complex or challenging to do anything meaningful about. Or we assume our resources are insignificant compared to the scale of the problem. When we are overwhelmed, the temptation is to feel defeated, to conclude ‘why bother’, and use our time and energy to solve survival problems closer to home. Don’t be put off by what you can’t do—be empowered by what you can. It’s very unlikely you’ll be the only person in the world who cares about the issue on your heart, and you may find an already established ‘cause’ you could partner with to be the change you hope to see. If you’re interested, the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre was a ‘cause’ I found that related to my ‘care’. Context The cares you advance based on the causes you support will provide a context for your money that transcends dollars and cents. Your wealth gains meaning based on the means it provides for the causes you care about. Your life will count because your money counts, and the significance you generate will make you feel more significant. But how will you create the context for your dollars? Will you give time or money or both? And how frequently will you give? Time or money? Many people giving small amounts is just as effective as a few people giving large amounts. You can only give from what you have. If you have money, give money. If you have time (including expertise), give time. If you have both, give both. There’s usually a lack of ‘resource-ers’ over ‘resources’; that is, a shortage of people who can pay for the labour and materials needed to resource the care. Frequent or infrequent giving? Experience has taught me that it is better to give less, more often, than more, less often. Most charitable organisations would rather have guaranteed financial supply over several years, than unreliable and infrequent one-off donations. Why? Because with guaranteed funding they can create, administer and execute programs they know they’ll be able to resource and fund through to completion. Here’s a final suggestion: rather than giving from capital, give repeatedly from the recurrent income your invested capital generates. Giving capital is something you do once. Investing the capital and giving the income is something you can do forever. For example, say you had $50000 to donate. One option would be to donate it in one lump sum. Another option is to invest it and donate the annual income. Assuming you achieved an after-tax return of 8 per cent per annum, then after 12.5 years of giving you will have given the same amount (i.e. $50,000), except the second option would allow you to keep giving and supporting causes you care about for years and years to come—a magic pudding that gives and gives and never runs out! Some people like to count their money. Others like to make their money count. How will you be remembered – for the way you counted your money, or the way you made your money count? If you don’t like the answer, be sure to do something about it while you still can. The secret to making your money count is to put it to use by supporting causes that do good work in fields you care about. Edited extract from Steve McKnight’s Money Magnet: How to Attract and Keep a Fortune that Counts (Wiley $32.95), now available at all leading retailers or online at www.moneymagnet.au Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Incredible treasure trove of unseen royal images

Bold idea sees hotel offer thousands in cash back if it rains

How to turn your handy skills into material wealth

The cost-of-living crisis is hitting hard. Here are 3 ways to soften the blow