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Readers response: What’s the longest friendship you’ve had, and what has kept it strong?

<p>When it comes. to friendships, it has long been said that people come into your life for a season, a reason or a lifetime. </p> <p>These "lifetime" relationships are often the friends we made when we were young, who have been by our side through thick and thin. </p> <p>We asked our readers what their longest friendships have been and what made them so strong, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Linda Cox</strong> - 72 years. We were toddlers when we met and even though we have lived on opposite sides of the planet for the last 50 years, we are still best friends.</p> <p><strong>Rae Meihuizen</strong> - 62 years. We met as a school friend of my cousin. He was my best man at my wedding and still a very dear friend to this day.</p> <p><strong>Jennie Harley</strong> - My friend from school in Sydney living in same street. Although we live a long way apart &amp; haven’t actually seen each other in many years, our phone calls, although sometimes we are both very slack, the relationship is always the same. No explaining things from the past just mutual understanding and love.</p> <p><strong>Marilyn Carter</strong> - 60 years. We all met doing our hairdressing apprenticeship. We love each other so much and do anything for each and every one of us. </p> <p><strong>Guila Kelly</strong> - Met at age 4 in prekinder. Born 2 weeks apart, both turn 80 shortly. Never a cross word.</p> <p><strong>Marjorie Smith</strong> - 82 years. Met at school in NZ when we were 10 years old. Still friends but in different countries. My friend was one of our bridesmaids in 1954.</p> <p><strong>Margaret Inglis</strong> - 74 years. Our mums were next to each other in hospital when we were born. I'm a day older, but even when my parents moved, Jennie and I would spend a few days each school holidays at each other's places. In 1969 I moved to Australia (from NZ) and we STILL catch up via FB etc. Went back to NZ for a few days about 7 years ago, yep, met up again and it was like we'd never been apart.</p> <p><strong>Ros Bieg</strong> - 64yrs. Unconditional friendship and sooo many memories.</p> <p><strong>Margaret Woodhouse</strong> - 68 years. We met at 12 and are 80 this year. Both totally different in personality, but tolerant of the differences and respect each other’s beliefs. Live in different states in Australia but FaceTime twice a week and spend 3-4 weeks together every year.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

Relationships

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Vitamin D supplements can keep bones strong – but they may also have other benefits to your health

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/martin-hewison-1494746">Martin Hewison</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-birmingham-1138">University of Birmingham</a></em></p> <p>Most of us don’t worry about getting vitamin D when the weather’s warm and the sun is shining. But as winter approaches, accompanied by overcast days and long nights, you may be wondering if it could be useful to take a vitamin D supplement – and what benefit it might have.</p> <p>During the summer, the best way to get vitamin D is by getting a bit of sunshine. Ultraviolet rays (specifically UVB, which have a shorter wavelength) interact with a form of cholesterol called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK278935/">7-dehydrocholesterol</a> in the skin, which is then converted into vitamin D.</p> <p>Because vitamin D production is dependent on UVB, this means our ability to make it <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/#:%7E:text=From%20about%20late%20March%2Fearly,enough%20vitamin%20D%20from%20sunlight.">declines in the winter months</a>. Vitamin D production also <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24494042/">depends on where you live</a>, with people living nearer to the equator making more vitamin D than those living nearer the poles.</p> <p>Vitamin D deficiency is a <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a804e36ed915d74e622dafa/SACN_Vitamin_D_and_Health_report.pdf">problem in the UK</a> during the winter months. This is due to its northerly position and cloudy weather, and lack of time spent outdoors.</p> <p>One study of over 440,000 people in the UK found that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33309415/">18% were vitamin D deficient</a> during the winter months. Vitamin D deficiency was even higher in certain ethnic groups – with the data showing 57% of Asian participants and 38% of black participants were vitamin D deficient. This is because the melanin content of skin determines a person’s ability to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5946242/#:%7E:text=Skin%20pigmentation%2C%20i.e.%2C%20melanin%2C,%5B7%5D%20and%20more%20generally.">make UVB into vitamin D</a>.</p> <p>Given the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the UK, and the importance it has for our health, in 2016 the UK’s Science Advisory Council on Nutrition outlined recommendations for the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-vitamin-d-and-health-report#:%7E:text=In%20a%20change%20to%20previous,aged%204%20years%20and%20older">amount of vitamin D</a> people should aim to get in the winter.</p> <p>They recommend people aim to get ten micrograms (or 400 IU – international units) of vitamin D per day. This would help people avoid severe deficiency. This can be achieved either by taking a supplement, or eating <a href="https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/ask-the-expert/foods-high-in-vitamin-d">certain foods</a> that are rich in vitamin D – including fatty fish such as herring, mackerel and wild salmon. A 100 gram serving of fresh herring, for example, would have approximately five micrograms of vitamin D.</p> <p>The clearest benefit of taking a vitamin D supplement is for <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/">bone health</a>. In fact, vitamin D was <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3899558/">first discovered</a> 100 years ago because of its ability to prevent the disease rickets, which causes weak bones that bend.</p> <p>Although rickets <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rickets-and-osteomalacia/#:%7E:text=The%20number%20of%20rickets%20cases,from%20sunlight%2C%20can%20develop%20rickets.">isn’t very common</a> in the UK today, it can still occur in children if they lack vitamin D. In adults, vitamin D deficiency can cause bone pain, tenderness and muscles weakness, as well as increased risk of osteomalacia – often called “soft bone disease” – which leads to weakening or softening bones.</p> <p>The reason a lack of vitamin D can have such an effect on bone health is due to the vitamin’s relationship with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18844850/">calcium and phosphate</a>. Both of these minerals help keep our bones strong – but they require vitamin D in order to be able to reinforce and strengthen bones.</p> <h2>Other health benefits</h2> <p>In addition to its effects on the skeleton, a growing body of research is beginning to indicate that vitamin D supplements may have additional benefits to our health.</p> <p>For example, <a href="https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/42/10/5009.long">research shows</a> there’s a link between vitamin D deficiency and increased risk of catching certain viral illnesses, including the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19237723/">common cold</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7231123/">flu</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7385774/">COVID</a>.</p> <p>Similarly, several studies – <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32904944/">including my own</a> – have demonstrated in cell models that vitamin D promotes immunity against microbes, such as the bacteria which causes tuberculosis. This means vitamin D may potentially prevent some types of infections.</p> <p>Vitamin D may also dampen inflammatory immune responses, which could potentially protect against autoimmune diseases, such as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29243029/">multiple sclerosis</a> and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2020.596007/full">rheumatoid arthritis</a>.</p> <p>One 2022 trial, which looked at over 25,000 people over the age of 50, found taking a 2,000 IU (50 micrograms) vitamin D supplement each day was associated with an <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-066452">18% lower risk</a> of autoimmune disease – notably rheumatoid arthritis.</p> <p>Vitamin D supplements may also be linked with lower risk of cardiovascular disease. A <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/381/bmj-2023-075230">major Australian study</a>, which looked at over 21,000 people aged 60-84, found that participants who took a 2,000 IU vitamin D supplement a day for five years had a lower risk of suffering a major cardiovascular event (such as stroke or heart attack) compared to those who didn’t take a supplement.</p> <p>It’s currently not known why vitamin D may have these benefits on these other areas of our health. It’s also worth noting that in many of these trials, very few of the participants were actually vitamin D deficient. While we might speculate the observed health benefits may be even greater in people with vitamin D deficiency, it will be important for future research to study these factors.</p> <p>While it’s too early to say whether vitamin D supplements have broad health benefits, it’s clear it’s beneficial for bone health. It may be worthwhile to take a supplement in the winter months, especially if you’re over 65, have darker skin or spent a lot of time indoors as these factors can put you at <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/vitamin-d-deficiency/faq-20058397#:%7E:text=However%2C%20some%20groups%20%E2%80%94%20particularly%20people,sun%20exposure%20or%20other%20factors.">increased risk of vitamin D deficiency</a>.</p> <p>The research also shows us that we should be rethinking vitamin D supplementation advice. While in the UK it’s recommended people get 400 IU of vitamin D a day, many trials have shown 2,000 IU a day is associated with health benefits.<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/219521/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/martin-hewison-1494746"><em>Martin Hewison</em></a><em>, Professor of Molecular Endocrinology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-birmingham-1138">University of Birmingham</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/vitamin-d-supplements-can-keep-bones-strong-but-they-may-also-have-other-benefits-to-your-health-219521">original article</a>.</em></p>

Body

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Original Lois Lane passes away aged 96

<p>Phyllis Coates, a trailblazing actress known for her iconic role as Lois Lane in the early days of television's superhero adaptations, has passed away at the age of 96.</p> <p>Her legacy as the first Lois Lane continues to captivate the hearts of fans worldwide. Coates, born Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell on January 15, 1927, in Wichita Falls, Texas, left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment.</p> <p>Coates' journey into the world of showbiz began in the 1940s when she ventured to Hollywood. Her early career saw her working as a chorus girl, where she honed her talents and stage presence. Notably, she supported the United States Organisations (USO), touring the country and entertaining the brave men and women of the US Armed Forces and their families.</p> <p>A decade later, Coates transitioned into film and earned small but significant supporting roles in movies like <em>Smart Girls Don't Talk</em> (1948) and <em>My Foolish Heart</em> (1949). Her versatility was on display as she also appeared as Alice McDoakes in several Joe McDoakes comedy shorts.</p> <p>In 1951, Coates had a pivotal moment in her career when she was invited to audition for the role of Lois Lane in the low-budget feature film <em>Superman and the Mole Men</em>. Starring alongside George Reeves as Superman, this movie was essentially a de facto pilot for what would become the iconic "Adventures of Superman" series.</p> <p>Coates's portrayal of the tenacious Daily Planet reporter captured the imaginations of audiences, making her an instant sensation. She brought depth and charisma to the character, establishing a template for future interpretations of Lois Lane. Her presence on screen, alongside Reeves, created an enduring partnership that would forever be etched in the annals of television history.</p> <p>However, after the first season of <em>Adventures of Superman</em>, Coates made the difficult decision to leave the show due to conflicts with producers and other projects she had on her horizon. The show continued for an additional six seasons, with Noel Neill taking over the role of Lois Lane. Tragically, plans for a seventh season were abandoned following George Reeves's untimely death in 1959.</p> <p>Coates's contribution to the entertainment industry extended far beyond her time as Lois Lane. She made numerous appearances in popular TV shows of the 1950s and 1960s, such as <em>The Lone Ranger</em>, <em>Lassie</em>, <em>Leave It To Beaver, Hawaiian Eye, Rawhide, Perry Mason, The Untouchables, The Virginian, </em>and<em> Death Valley Days.</em> Her ability to adapt to various roles showcased her talent and versatility.</p> <p>In the 1970s, she further solidified her presence with a role in the TV-movie <em>The Baby Maker</em>, starring alongside Barbara Hershey. Her remarkable career in entertainment continued through the years, concluding with her final on-screen appearance in two episodes of <em>Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman</em> in 1994.</p> <p>Phyllis Coates was not only a talented actress but a woman of resilience and determination. Throughout her life, she was married four times and is survived by her daughters, Laura and Zoe, as well as her granddaughter Olivia. Her legacy as the original Lois Lane of television remains a testament to her enduring impact on the entertainment industry.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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4 crucial ways to keep old friendships strong

<p>As you age it can be quite common to have fewer friends than you did in your twenties or thirties. Family commitments, distance and health issues can all play a part in the changes to your friendships.</p> <p>So it’s more important than ever to nurture and develop the relationships that you do have.</p> <p><strong>1. Keep it real</strong></p> <p>Instead of texting or emailing, try to make a point of calling a friend to catch up or ideally meeting up regularly. Nothing beats face to face communication for strengthening bonds. If they’re too far away, try to arrange a time to meet up in the future so that you both have something to look forward to. Why not send them a letter with an invitation – it’s much more personal than an email.</p> <p><strong>2. Always be honest</strong></p> <p>If a friend is bothering you or you just have a lot going on and can’t catch up – always just be honest with them. Saying something like ‘I have a lot on my plate this month, can we catch up another time’ is a lot better than ignoring phone calls and being aloof. And remember that nobody is a mind reader, so tell them how you are feeling if something is not quite right.</p> <p><strong>3. Be there to offer help when needed</strong></p> <p>If a friend is sick, bereaved, or just seems down – be the first one to step in and offer a hand. Dropping off a meal or a cake, offering to walk their dog or collecting some groceries for them is a great help that will be appreciated. Know that they would do the same for you if the roles were reversed.</p> <p><strong>4. Keep a diary</strong></p> <p>Sometimes friends can get frustrated if they feel that they are doing all the organising for catch ups. Why not keep a diary and make notes for yourself for when you should contact someone to say hello or to plan a weekend away. It will stop you from double booking yourself, and will also help you keep track of birthdays and special anniversaries.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Relationships

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“Irwin genes are strong”: Bindi shares adorable candid snap

<p>Bindi Irwin has delighted fans after sharing a sweet snap of her two-year-old daughter, Grace Warrior cuddling a giant tortoise.</p> <p>The wildlife warrior took to Instagram to share the sweet snap with a comparison photo of herself hugging a giant tortoise when she was around Grace’s age.</p> <p>“Holding my newborn daughter wondering if she’ll love wildlife like I did” she captioned one of the photos in the Reel.</p> <p>The next two photos showed comparison photos of the mother-daughter duo which showed that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.</p> <p>“Our Grace Warrior, the Wildlife Warrior," she captioned the post.</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/Cs4wPGzBjZZ/?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/Cs4wPGzBjZZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The adorable photo has been praised by fans who commented how proud Steve Irwin would be of his daughter and granddaughter.</p> <p>"It’s in the Irwin blood! You guys have the most beautiful connection with wildlife and each other! Steve Irwin genes are strong!” wrote one fan.</p> <p>"Your dad is probably so so proud looking down,” commented a second person.</p> <p>"This gives me happy goosebumps babe,” wrote a third.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Jacinda Ardern’s resignation: gender and the toll of strong, compassionate leadership

<p>“Uneasy is the head that wears the crown”, wrote Shakespeare, way back in the 1500s. It’s not a new idea that top-level leadership jobs are intensely <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984316300923">stressful</a> and pose a heavy toll. Extended periods of stress are known to put people at <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397">risk of burnout</a>.</p> <p>Yet probably few of us can ever grasp just how unrelentingly demanding and difficult leading a country actually is. Especially in times of crisis and with our modern media and online environment, every statement and every move a leader makes is subject to extensive scrutiny and commentary. </p> <p>Increasingly, a troubling feature of the commentary about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been its abusive, violent, sexist and misogynistic tenor.</p> <p>While she has not focused on this as a reason for her decision to <a href="https://theconversation.com/arderns-resignation-as-new-zealand-prime-minister-is-a-game-changer-for-the-2023-election-198149">resign yesterday</a>, being targeted in this way, and knowing <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2022/03/where-is-clarke-gayford-jacinda-ardern-laughs-off-conspiracy-theories-reveals-the-answer.html">her partner</a> and even <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/482761/the-hatred-and-vitriol-jacinda-ardern-endured-would-affect-anybody">her child</a> were also targeted, must surely have made an already difficult job so much more challenging.</p> <h2>Crises, kindness and courageous decisions</h2> <p>Crises have long been understood as the most intensive tests of a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984322000649">leader’s skill and character</a>. They involve making weighty decisions, at times about matters that quite literally have life and death implications. Decisions have to be made at speed, but often with insufficient information to confidently predict the consequences of the choices made.</p> <p>Ardern’s premiership has thrown crisis after crisis her way. And time and time again, she has displayed a strength of character and <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003099109-10/leading-crisis-adaptive-leadership-jacinda-ardern-deidre-le-fevre">considerable leadership skills</a> in responding to them. </p> <p>Her handling of the Christchurch terror attacks won <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/03/18/new-zealands-prime-minister-wins-worldwide-praise-her-response-mosque-shootings/">global admiration</a> for her composure, compassion and decisive resolve to ensure such heinous acts could not be repeated here.</p> <p>Her response to the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/white-island-eruption-how-good-is-ardern-world-praises-pm-for-disaster-response/4S5BZ6NCOWXN4R63HDIEV4KXVM/">Whakaari White Island eruption</a> garnered similar praise, showing yet again her intuitive grasp that a leader offering support to those caught up in such a distressing event actually makes a difference. That Ardern has sought to combine compassion and kindness with the courage to make tough decisions is a key feature of <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/978-1-80262-157-020221003/full/html">her style</a>.</p> <h2>Unrealistic expectations of a leader</h2> <p>Throughout the pandemic, Arden has repeatedly proved her willingness to make courageous decisions. Combined with her prowess at <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1742715020929151">mobilising the public’s understanding</a> and support for the government’s COVID response, this was critical to the success of the elimination strategy. Many <a href="https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2022/03/21/two-years-since-nz-first-locked-down-expert-reaction/">lives and livelihoods have been saved</a> due to her leadership.</p> <p>When Delta and then Omicron emerged, Ardern <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-jacinda-arderns-clumsy-leadership-response-to-delta-could-still-be-the-right-approach-169926">sought to continually adapt</a> the government’s policies to a changing context. While tenacity and resilience may number among her many strengths, dogmatism is not one of her weaknesses. </p> <p>Of course not all decisions <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300763211/ombudsmans-criticism-of-miq-virtual-lobby-doesnt-go-far-enough">proved to be optimal</a> – expecting them to be so would be wildly unrealistic. Some of her decisions have sparked a <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/summer-2022/04-01-2023/the-day-the-grounds-of-parliament-burned-2">strong negative response</a>. But it’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Differently-About-Leadership-Critical/dp/1784716782">foolish to expect perfection from leaders</a>, and the job unavoidably means making tough calls not everyone will agree with.</p> <h2>Rise in sexist and mysogynistic abuse</h2> <p>No leader is omnipotent, especially in a democracy and in a globally interconnected world. </p> <p>The latest crisis Ardern has been grappling with – the cost of living – is in large measure <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/21/economy/central-banks-inflation-global/index.html">driven by global forces</a> far beyond the control of any New Zealand prime minister. New Zealand’s situation is <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/129353834/think-inflation-is-biting-spare-a-thought-for-turkey">better than many other countries</a>, but unfortunately for Ardern this holds little sway for some people. </p> <p>The reality, then, is that her growing unpopularity has in part been rooted in people having unrealistic expectations of what leaders can and can’t actually do, and needing someone to blame. But there’s also no getting away from the fact that far too much of the criticism directed at her has been coloured by sexist and misogynistic attitudes. </p> <p>There’s a continuum in how this is expressed. It starts with one C word – <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/122658284/shes-not-a-doll-so-dont-call-the-prime-minister-cindy">Cindy</a> – which is a sexist attempt to belittle her authority and status as an adult woman who is the elected leader of our country. </p> <p>It ends with the other C word. Research by the <a href="https://thedisinfoproject.org/2022/11/29/dangerous-speech-misogyny-and-democracy/">Disinformation Project</a> shows its usage is enmeshed within a wider discourse that denigrates other aspects of her identity as a woman and extends to <a href="https://twitter.com/justinsight/status/1616144565433663488">fantasising about her rape and death</a>.</p> <p>This kind of behaviour is simply inexcusable. It should be to New Zealand’s eternal shame that Ardern has been subjected to this. It cannot be justified by arguing her policies have been controversial and she “deserves” this abuse: that line of reasoning simply replicates the defence long used by rapists and domestic abusers.</p> <p>Ardern is New Zealand’s third woman prime minister. The <a href="https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=277628">glass ceiling</a> for that role is well and truly broken. We now also have <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/477290/women-will-have-equal-share-of-seats-in-parliament-with-soraya-peke-mason-s-swearing-in">equal representation of women</a> within parliament. But the sexist and misogynistic nature of so much of the criticism and abuse directed at Ardern also shows we are a very long way from having equal treatment of women in leadership.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/jacinda-arderns-resignation-gender-and-the-toll-of-strong-compassionate-leadership-198152" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Retirement Life

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Glute force: why big, strong bum muscles matter for your overall health

<p>The glutes are the large, powerful muscles in your bum that help support the pelvis, stabilise the hip joint and allow the hip to move.</p> <p>Countless social media posts extol the virtues of building strong glutes through exercises such as squats. However, most of what you hear from such “gymfluencers” is about how the bum muscles look.</p> <p>Forget about how they look; what about what they do? Why is having big, strong glutes important for your body to function well?</p> <p>In fact, having strong bum muscles is crucial to good musculoskeletal health.</p> <h2>Bum muscles hold your body up and protect the hip joint</h2> <p>The gluteal muscles are a group of three separate muscles, each with unique anatomical structure and function.</p> <p>The deepest and smallest muscle is called the gluteus minimus, which is very close to the hip joint itself.</p> <p>Overlaying gluteus minimus is the gluteus medius. This one is relatively large and spans the whole outer surface of the pelvis.</p> <p>The gluteus maximus is the largest of the three gluteal muscles and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19449297/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overlays</a> both gluteus medius and minimus. This muscle is what gives the the bum its distinctive bum-like shape, but it plays a very important role in the way your body functions.</p> <p>In combination, the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus gives rise to many hip movements, and provide shock absorption when you’re walking or running.</p> <p>These muscles work together with your brain to generate a lot of power to hold your body up as gravity tries to pull it down. They also protect the hip joint from impact and from shearing forces that might cause long term damage.</p> <p>Some of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ca.23510">our</a> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1063458418315127?via%3Dihub">work</a> has identified some people with hip pain also have impairments in the gluteal muscles.</p> <p>These impairments could reduce the bum muscles’ ability to protect the joint against long term damage and potentially affect a person’s ability to bear weight (for example, when standing on one leg or climbing stairs).</p> <p>A reduction in muscle size and an increase in non-active tissue such as fat has been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31689358/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in hip conditions such as greater trochanteric pain syndrome (a common type of hip pain, also known as gluteal tendinopathy).</p> <p>The same is also true for <a href="https://www.oarsijournal.com/article/S1063-4584(16)30064-4/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hip osteoarthritis</a>, which affects the whole joint.</p> <p>The rates of osteoarthritis in Australia are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15933" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increasing</a>, with <a href="https://aoj.amegroups.com/article/view/3664/4322" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one in every seven</a> hip joint replacements conducted in people under the age of 55. However, it’s worth noting just because you have signs of arthritis on hip x-ray or MRI, it doesn’t mean you will have pain or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1063458420312310?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">develop</a> <a href="https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/7/4/e001199" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pain</a>.</p> <p>Research <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29439949/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggests</a> the way a person moves may contribute to the risk of hip osteoarthritis in young people.</p> <p>If you do have hip pain, bum muscle strengthening is <a href="https://www.racgp.org.au/download/Documents/Guidelines/Musculoskeletal/guideline-for-the-management-of-knee-and-hip-oa-2nd-edition.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended</a> as the first line treatment.</p> <p>But strong glutes have also been shown to improve your day-to-day function, especially in those with hip osteoarthritis.</p> <p>In particular, people with hip osteoarthritis who have stronger glutes walk faster and longer <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jor.1100150421" target="_blank" rel="noopener">distances</a> and climb stairs <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/acr.22329" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faster</a> than those with weaker glutes.</p> <h2>Should I do my bum exercises?</h2> <p>Ultimately, better bum muscle function is likely to be helpful and is often recommended by doctors, physiotherapists and other health-care practitioners.</p> <p>They may prescribe certain exercises to strengthen your glutes and target problems around the hip area.</p> <p>Having weak glutes is associated with:</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12891-019-2833-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">low back pain</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18838402/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">patellofemoral</a> pain (pain under the knee cap) and</p> </li> <li> <p>greater <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1050641117300111?via%3Dihu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trochanteric pain syndrome</a> (the common type of hip pain we mentioned earlier, also known as gluteal tendinopathy).</p> </li> </ul> <p>Glute strength may even have a role to play in keeping your <a href="https://journals.lww.com/jwhpt/Abstract/2021/07000/Hip_and_Pelvic_Floor_Muscle_Strength_in_Women_With.5.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pelvic floor</a> in good shape (although further research is required).</p> <p>That’s not to say doing your bum exercises will automatically cure all these ailments; each case is unique and involves a range of factors. But having strong glutes is, in general, very important for hip and pelvis stability and function.</p> <p>No matter if you are a gymfluencer, a professional sports person, or just a regular bum-owner, having strong glutes will keep you in good stride.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/glute-force-why-big-strong-bum-muscles-matter-for-your-overall-health-190978" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Body

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5 tips to stay strong without leaving home

<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7c8f59ae-7fff-8a9d-bd7f-7102b75b70ef">Exercise is a necessity that can not only be daunting to start, but costly to invest in. As we get older, exercise can become even more crucial, with strength training helping us combat osteoporosis and sarcopenia, or the wasting of muscle, which can affect everything from our joints and bone density to metabolism and mobility.</span></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/donna-aston.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The bestselling author and dietician has shared her tips for staying strong without leaving home. Image: Supplied</em></p> <p dir="ltr">But, exercise doesn’t have to break the bank and can be done without leaving home.</p> <p dir="ltr">To help you get started, nutritionist and bestselling author Donna Aston reveals her top 5 tips on how to stay strong without leaving home - no expensive gym memberships needed!</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>1. Body weight</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">We really don’t need any fancy, expensive gym equipment to give our muscles a great workout. Your body weight will suffice and a chair can come in handy. Body-weight squats to a chair (sit and stand), tricep dips on a chair, push-ups on the kitchen bench, plank holds on the floor .. the list is endless and super effective for strengthening muscles – anywhere, anytime.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong> 2. Resistance bands</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Some fabric ‘booty bands’ are a small investment with great return. There are many online resistance band workout videos (<a href="https://astonrx.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AstonRX.com</a>, Your Tube, etc.) with instruction on how to sculpt your body and activate specific muscle groups. They also serve as a great rehab tool for anyone with injuries. I always take a set with me when I travel. Consistency is key!</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>3. Online &amp; Apps</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The current world of advanced technology means we all have access to thousands of Apps and online video exercise instruction. And it’s not just high intensity workouts. You can find many form of home exercise, including yoga, Pilates and body weight classes, and from beginners through to advanced.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>4. Use what you have</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">If you feel you’d like to add further resistance and variety to your body weight regime, you may be surprised what you can use as weights. When the first COVID lockdown hit, we had one client in her garage using a Seasol bottle as a kettlebell! Tinned food, bottled water, heavy books – a little imagination goes a long way!</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>5. Housework! </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Need some motivation for a Spring clean? Cleaning your home (vacuuming, polishing, sweeping, making beds, moving around the furniture, etc.) is actually great exercise!</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-641c9ce7-7fff-c178-3ceb-f13f8d6573eb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Body

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Strong police presence deters threatened COVID lockdown protest

<p>Police officers set up an exclusion zone around the city from 9 am to 3 pm with thousands of police officers on the streets of the CBD area, including three Public Order &amp; Riot Squad teams.</p> <p>Taxi and rideshare companies were banned from entering the area and faced $500,000 fines if they took passengers into the CBD.</p> <p>Cars were stopped by police at key check points entering the CBD area and people were asked where they were going. As a result, there were very few citizens in the CBD area and there was no repeat of last Saturday’s protest where thousands marched in protest in the city centre.</p> <p>The police still made eight arrests and more than 250 Penalty Infringement Notices were issued, the majority for breaching stay-at-home directions.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.1696658097687px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842776/police-um-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/dbf3612c4aa34891a36dcde11bb1edf9" /></p> <p><em>Image: Pamela Connellan</em></p> <p>Taxi and rideshare companies faced fines of up to $500,000 dollars if they took passengers into the CBD. Seven taxi and rideshare services received a prohibition notice banning them from taking passengers to the CBD over the six-hour period.</p> <p>A notice in the Uber app said the orders prohibited transit through the large area, as well as any pick-ups and drop-offs.</p> <p>“This is likely to cause significant disruption and we advise you to consider alternatives for any essential travel to and from these areas during this period,” the notice read.</p> <p>The show of force coincided with news a man in his 60s died that same evening from COVID at his southwestern Sydney home, taking the death toll from the state’s current outbreak to 14.</p> <p><em>Images: Pamela Connellan</em></p>

News

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How to stay active and help keep joints strong as you age

<p>If you’ve been working and striving for most of your life, retirement can be a wonderful time to change your lifestyle and pursue new, rewarding endeavours. However, this opportune period often coincides with age-related changes to the body that can hit harder than you expect.</p> <p>One of the most common problems encountered at this transitional stage of life is joint stiffness. Often dismissed or tolerated as “creaking bones”, it nevertheless may lead to a loss of flexibility as we get older – and can even be exacerbated by other factors to become more serious conditions such as osteoarthritis.</p> <p>Taking precautionary steps now may help reduce health risks and could also help with maintaining an active lifestyle going forward.</p> <p><strong>Supporting joint mobility</strong></p> <p>As joints get older, their movement becomes stiffer due to thinning cartilage and decreased lubricating fluid. However, there are some very simple and effective steps you can take to support joint mobility.</p> <p>Aside from exercising and maintaining a healthy weight, maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet can also help keep joint stiffness at bay. <a href="https://seatome.co.nz/blogs/about-inflammation/inflammation-what-is-it-exactly">Chronic inflammation</a>, which can result from the stresses of modern lifestyles and poor diet, may not only affect our energy levels and cognitive ability, but also contribute to conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and other joint and muscle problems.</p> <p>Eating more dark leafy greens, legumes, healthy fats and cold-water fish and shellfish among others can also help reduce inflammation and improve wellbeing.</p> <p>Supplements are also an incredibly effective way to help complement a healthy diet, with one of the best options found right here on our shores, New Zealand Greenshell Mussels. They have been <a href="https://mro.massey.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10179/14931/The%20Preventive%20Effects%20of%20Greenshell%20Mussel%20%28Perna%20canaliculus%29%20on%20Early-Stage%20Metabolic%20Osteoarthritis%20in%20Rats%20with%20Diet-Induced%20Obesity.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y">found to successfully reduce symptoms such as cartilage degradation in a recent Massey University study</a>. They are a good source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA as well as GAGs (glycosaminoglycans), which serve as <a href="https://seatome.co.nz/blogs/about-inflammation/inflammation-joint-health">shock absorbers and lubricant</a> to keep cartilage around joints flexible, elastic and strong.</p> <p>According to Sabrina Tian, research science manager at New Zealand fishing company Sanford, “Greenshell mussels contain many health benefits but are particularly helpful in the management of inflammation, bone loss and cartilage breakdown.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836894/stm2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/beab7337f17147a2be4d597d44ff7bf2" /></p> <p><strong>Sea To Me</strong></p> <p>Sea To Me* provides the benefits of Greenshell Mussels in a capsule format with the highest quality and sustainability at every step of the process. From coast to capsule, Sea To Me prepares its Greenshell Mussel Powder capsules from start to finish right here in New Zealand.</p> <p>The mussels – rated as one of the world’s most sustainable seafood products by the <a href="http://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/groups/mussels?type=new-zealand-green&amp;q=Mussels,%20New%20Zealand%20Green&amp;t=green%20l&amp;o=1422637138,1361924471#tab=seafood-watch">Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Programme</a> – are grown and harvested in pristine New Zealand waters before being powdered in a natural flash dry process, encapsulated and packaged – all locally.</p> <p>Two capsules a day of the 100 per cent natural wholefood product can help manage inflammation effectively throughout adult life and allow you to keep doing what you love.</p> <p> Available in selected pharmacies. For more information, visit <a href="https://seatome.co.nz/">Sea To Me</a>.</p> <p><strong><em>This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with </em></strong><a href="https://seatome.co.nz/"><strong><em>Sea To Me</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>*Dietary supplement </em></strong><em>Always read the label and use as directed. If symptoms persist, see your health professional. Dietary Supplements are not a replacement for a balanced diet. </em></p>

Body

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A 4-step maintenance plan to help keep your relationship going strong

<p>Early on, relationships are easy. Everything is new and exciting. You go on dates, take trips, spend time together and intentionally cultivate experiences that allow your relationship to grow.</p> <p>Then, somewhere along the way, life happens.</p> <p>One study on married couples in their 30s and 40s found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612474938">their marital quality declined</a> over the course of a year, in terms of love, passion, satisfaction, intimacy and commitment. Too often, people shrug their shoulders and convince themselves this is just how it goes. Switching to relationship autopilot feels justifiable when you’re short on time, low on energy and must focus on other priorities like careers and kids.</p> <p>This is when doubt can creep in and tempt you to hit the reset button.</p> <p>But maybe you’re being too hard on a perfectly good relationship. Every couple experiences ups and downs, and even the very best relationships take effort.</p> <p>Rather than getting out, it’s time to get to work. Whether your relationship is already stuck in a rut, or you’re trying to avoid ending up in one, most people need to focus more on what happens between “I do” and “I don’t want to be with you anymore.” <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=v2ai_5wAAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=sra">As a relationship scientist</a>, I suggest the following four psychology research-based strategies to kickoff your relationship maintenance plan.</p> <p><strong>1. Use boredom as a pivot point</strong></p> <p>No one raises their hand and says, “Sign me up for a boring relationship.” But <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/bs3030459">boredom serves a purpose</a>. Like your phone indicating your battery is low, boredom is an early warning system that your relationship needs a recharge.</p> <p>At different times, all relationships experience boredom. Psychology researcher <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407516660216">Cheryl Harasymchuk and colleagues</a> have explored how people react. For example, to turn things around when you’re bored, do you fall back on things that are familiar and make you feel self-assured, like taking a walk around the neighborhood? Or do you choose growth-enhancing activities – like going for a hike on a new trail in an unfamiliar park – to mix things up?</p> <p>It turns out that study participants preferred growth-enhancing activities when they were bored, and when given a chance to plan a date, they incorporated more novelty into those outings. Rather than resigning yourself to boredom’s inevitability – “This is just how relationships are” – use boredom as a call to action.</p> <p><strong>2. Keep dating</strong></p> <p>Rather than wait for boredom to strike, couples would be wise to be more proactive. It’s a simple as continuing to date. Early in relationships, couples prioritize these one-on-one outings, but eventually begin to coast, just when the relationship could use an extra boost.</p> <p>To recapture that early relationship magic, research shows that couples should <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195398694.013.0005">engage in new, challenging and interesting activities</a>. Rather than sitting at staring at your phones, couples should break their routine and try something different. It could be as simple as trying a new restaurant, or even a new dish at a favorite place.</p> <p>Not only does branching out counteract boredom, but trying new things helps you grow as a person. All of this spills over into the relationship, increasing levels of passion, satisfaction and commitment.</p> <p>In one study, researchers asked married couples either to play games like Jenga, Monopoly, Scrabble and UNO, or take an art class together. All couples <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12556">increased their levels of oxytocin</a> – the so-called “cuddle hormone” which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.01.010">helps partners bond</a>. But the art class couples had larger oxytocin increases and touched each other more, perhaps because the activity was newer and further outside their comfort zone. That novelty may encourage them to rely on each other for assurance.</p> <p><strong>3. Movie nights</strong></p> <p>Not looking to dig out your oil paints? Here’s a lower key option: Grab a spot on the couch and have a couples movie night. Over the course of a month, researchers asked some couples to watch and discuss a romantic comedy such as “When Harry Met Sally,” while others did an intense relationship workshop. Fast forward three years, and the movie watchers were <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034209">less likely to have broken up</a>.</p> <p>It probably isn’t just taking in any film, but rather that watching a romantic story gives couples a less threatening way to discuss relationship issues. It may also help them see their relationship differently. That’s important, because research from psychologist <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kRbhk4oAAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao">Eli Finkel</a> and others shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612474938">viewing your own relationship through completely neutral eyes</a> helps couples hold off declines in marital quality.</p> <p><strong>4. Finding the bright spots</strong></p> <p>Activities are great, but you also need to do daily maintenance.</p> <p>There’s an old adage in psychology research that “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1037//1089-2680.5.4.323">bad is stronger than good</a>.” For relationships, that often means focusing on what’s wrong, while overlooking what’s right. Talk about self-defeating.</p> <p>Of course, you can just as easily find the ways your relationship is thriving. Be more intentional about noticing your relationship’s bright spots. Not only will you appreciate your partner more, but you can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.12524">use what’s going well to help improve less bright areas</a>.</p> <p>Too often, people wait for something to break before trying to fix it. Adopting a maintenance mentality can more proactively help your relationship.</p> <p>One new study tested a way to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2925">help couples in already healthy relationships</a>. The researchers’ intervention had couples complete research-based positive psychology activities over four weeks such as:</p> <ul> <li>Write the story of their relationship, focusing on the positives, then share with their partner</li> <li>Write a letter of gratitude to their partner</li> <li>Identify their partner’s strengths and their strengths as a couple</li> <li>Create a list of positive moments or activities partners want to share with each other. Pick one, and plan a time to do it</li> <li>Create a desired happiness chart and discuss what small relationship tweaks can help make it a reality.</li> </ul> <p>At the end of the month, compared to couples on the study’s waitlist, participants reported more positive emotions, better relationship functioning and improved communication. Another month later, their average relationship functioning remained better than that of the comparison group.</p> <p>Few people enjoy cleaning, doing laundry or mowing the lawn. Yet, if you neglect those tasks, life quickly falls into disrepair. Your relationship is just the same. Rather than thinking about replacements when your relationship shows signs of wear, invest the time and energy into a little maintenance. Using any or all of these easy-to-implement strategies should not only help a relationship survive, but hopefully even thrive.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130736/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- 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/gary-w-lewandowski-jr-110019"><em>Gary W. Lewandowski Jr.</em></a><em>, Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monmouth-university-1242">Monmouth University</a></em></span></p> <p><em>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/a-4-step-maintenance-plan-to-help-keep-your-relationship-going-strong-130736">original article</a>.</em></p>

Relationships

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"Stoic and strong": Weinstein's legal team responds to guilty verdict

<p>For decades, movie mogul Harvey Weinstein got whatever he wanted, when he wanted it.</p> <p>That included sex with Hollywood’s biggest names and those who aren’t as well known – even if that meant by force.</p> <p>But now, the tide has turned as the disgraced Oscar-winning producer was convicted today on two of five sexual assault charges, ending a high profile rape trial in New York.</p> <p>After five days of deliberation, a jury unanimously agreed that Weinstein was guilty of raping an aspiring actress in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on another woman, TV and film production assistant Mimi Haleyi, in 2006.</p> <p>The 67-year-old was convicted of first degree sexual assault and third degree rape. He is facing up to 29 years in prison and will be sentenced on March 11.</p> <p>The first charge carries a sentence of 5-25 years behind bars with the second carrying a minimum probationary period and a maximum four year jail term.</p> <p>Speaking to<span> </span><em>news.com.au</em>, Weinstein’s lawyer Arthur Aidala said that his team will appeal the convictions which he said is “disappointing”.</p> <p>“Harvey was unbelievably stoic and strong and powerful,” said Mr Aidala.</p> <p>“The words he said over and over again to me is: ‘I’m innocent, I’m innocent, I’m innocent. How could this happen in America?”</p> <p>Donna Rutonna, lead defence lawyer told reporters outside court that “the fight is not over”.</p> <p>“Harvey is very strong. Harvey is unbelievably strong. He took it like a man,” she said.</p> <p><span>Meanwhile, a slew of global celebrities took to social media to express their heartfelt reactions to the verdict:</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Gratitude to the brave women who’ve testified and to the jury for seeing through the dirty tactics of the defense .we will change the laws in the future so that rape victims are heard and not discredited and so that it’s easier for people to report their rapes</p> — Rosanna Arquette🌎✌🏼 (@RoArquette) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoArquette/status/1231991023384973313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2020</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">off he goes to prison - where he belongs - over 80 women accused him of rape - imagine the total number? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HarveyWeinsteinGUILTY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HarveyWeinsteinGUILTY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAPIST?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RAPIST</a> and lets not forget <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/trumpSEXcrimes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#trumpSEXcrimes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/guilty?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#guilty</a></p> — ROSIE (@Rosie) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rosie/status/1231995057483452426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2020</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">For the women who testified in this case, and walked through traumatic hell, you did a public service to girls and women everywhere, thank you.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ConvictWeinstein?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ConvictWeinstein</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Guilty?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Guilty</a></p> — ashley judd (@AshleyJudd) <a href="https://twitter.com/AshleyJudd/status/1231995493888266242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2020</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">The beginning of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/justice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#justice</a>. More to come, my sisters. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/weinsteinguilty?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weinsteinguilty</a></p> — Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiraSorvino/status/1232000389664235525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2020</a></blockquote>

News

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Coronavirus in Wuhan: Residents shout ‘stay strong’ from windows

<p>In Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, <a href="https://youtu.be/bqXfnN76S-I">residents have been shouting</a> “Wuhan <em>jiāyóu</em>” meaning, “Wuhan, stay strong” out of their windows, from apartment building to apartment building, to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51276496">send words of encouragement</a> to fellow citizens, doctors and medical staff at the front lines of the battle.</p> <p>When facing a crisis, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2011.541774">humans historically seek solidarity</a>. Community solidarity is often seen as a great way for the community to feel alive and charged with energy after facing hard times.</p> <p>This solidarity was seen after <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/hurricane-katrinas-lesson-in-civics/402961/">Hurricane Katrina</a> in New Orleans in 2005, after <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/typhoon-haiyan-filipinos-use-social-media-ensure-no-victim-goes-flna2D11581515">Typhoon Haiyan</a> in the Philippines in 2013 and after the <a href="https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/random-acts-of-kindness-during-the-fort-mcmurray-fire/">Fort McMurray wildfires</a> in Alberta in 2016.</p> <p>More recently, there are tales of <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/andie-bulman-pov-bartering-storm-1.5435804">neighbours shovelling each other out of their homes </a> after the historic snowstorm in St. John’s, N.L. Near Manila, <a href="https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1213189/bayanihan-eruption-unaffected-cities-towns-welcome-evacuees?fbclid=IwAR1w0IUcuPh_Z8sCk2MBJgR23bGOVMVfoLWCz6U4Hyyn-kO6Vh5hAzBdKt0">strangers offered up their homes</a> to evacuees of the Taal volcano eruption.</p> <p>But how do you show community solidarity in the face of a crisis when speaking with your neighbours — and coming together — could literally kill you?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bqXfnN76S-I?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="caption">‘Wuhan jiāyóu’: chants of solidarity spread across city at epicentre of coronavirus" video from ‘The Guardian.’</span></p> <p><strong>Boost morale</strong></p> <p>As the 11 million citizens in Wuhan entered the nth day under lockdown because of the coronavirus, people have been forced to stay indoors to limit their contact with others. As fears grew, some felt the need to boost morale and create a sense of community solidarity.</p> <p>Soon, social media posts circulated asking residents in Wuhan to go to their windows and shout out “<em>jiāyóu</em>” starting at 8 p.m. local time. The posts were widely shared, leading to the phenomenon that took place.</p> <p><em>Jiāyóu</em> (加油) directly translates to “<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-45897668/add-oil-the-new-expression-coming-your-way">add oil</a>” in a way that might mean “add gasoline to your car” so you can continue to push hard and do what you need to do. In a general sense, the sentiment is “stay strong” or “keep going.” <em>Jiāyóu</em> is a common phrase used to encourage someone if they are facing a challenge.</p> <p>As the city of Wuhan faces the life and death challenge of the coronavirus, <em>jiāyóu</em> works as a phrase that resonates with residents of a city struggling to survive.</p> <p>“Wuhan <em>jiāyóu</em>” (武汉! 加油!) is now the motto of Wuhan to keep spirits high in the face of this spreading pandemic.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312746/original/file-20200130-41485-17ocjao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">A comment left on ‘The Guardian’s’ Youtube video of the ‘jiāyóu’ chants.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">YouTube/The Guardian</span></span></p> <p>In addition to raising morale and giving a strong sign of life to a city that has been rendered a ghost town, the <em>jiāyóu</em> chants have also served another purpose: for the global media audience, it has helped to humanize the citizens of Wuhan.</p> <p><strong>Apocalyptic fear</strong></p> <p>Even with the exceptional stories like the reporting of “Wuhan <em>jiayou</em>” by <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51276496">the BBC </a> and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/28/indoor-fishing-and-chanting-battles-how-chinas-quarantined-millions-are-keeping-busy"><em>Guardian</em></a>, western media <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i4fvH-EFDU_xzP-gt3OxZR0RGAvLqU5J/view">has been shown to</a> inevitably contribute to reducing the people at the core of these stories into numbers and statistics.</p> <p>So far, it seems, with a few exceptions, western mainstream media has focused on medical and scientific stories. The images and videos shared of Wuhan <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jan/27/china-coronavirus-who-to-hold-special-meeting-in-beijing-as-death-toll-jumps">are of a ravaged</a> and scary ghost town. Some include <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/asia/100000006936419/coronavirus-china-wuhan.html">videos of overflowing hospitals</a> and medical staff in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/jan/30/coronavirus-live-updates-china-death-toll-wuhan-evacuation-foreign-nationals-citizens-latest-news">heavy protective gear</a>. Others have spread stories of <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-rumours-panic-coronavirus-outbreak-1.5443998">apocalyptic fear</a>. Many social media posters have engaged in <a href="https://twitter.com/SimuLiu/status/1222459446799921153?s=20">fear mongering</a>. With all this, it can seem that few have treated the citizens of Wuhan as anything but <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6466587/coronavirus-risk-reaction/">potential carriers of the virus</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312903/original/file-20200130-41516-38tn9c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">Simi Liu, recently cast as Marvel’s first Asian superhero has been speaking out against the racist fear mongering circulating on Twitter.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://twitter.com/SimuLiu/status/1222459446799921153?s=20" class="source">(Twitter/@similiu)</a></span></p> <p>While these videos and images depict the reality of a city dealing with a pandemic, the face masks and crowded hospitals allow viewers to overlook the silent majority — the tens of millions of people in self-isolation at home.</p> <p>The <em>jiāyóu</em> chant and the videos that captured it have since gone viral. It is a way for citizens to reclaim their narrative. It helps to draw attention to the millions of diligent and law-abiding citizens who are doing their job in fighting this pandemic and encouraging others to keeping going in this fight against an invisible virus.</p> <p>I believe the humanization of the Wuhan citizens helped to send a wake up call to the world about the plight of those not infected but isolated in their homes. Many westerners have largely focused on whether the virus will spread in their countries. Few may have stopped to think of those in lock down in Wuhan and other cities in China.</p> <p>Some took to social media to ask why the world is not praying for Wuhan or China. Why are there no Facebook profile filters to show solidarity with those struggling against the virus?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312741/original/file-20200130-41554-1q6puo7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">Screenshot of Orlando Uy’s Facebook comment about the lack of Pray for China activities on social media.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Facebook/Orlando Uy)</span></span></p> <p>Most recently, in Wuhan, <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/chinese-premier-inspects-wuhan-supermarket-120000938.html">Premier Li Keqiang’s visited</a> a Wuhan supermarket where the coronavirus allegedly originated. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPfZmZZ9M0o">In an act of solidarity, he chanted “<em>jiāyóu</em> Wuhan”</a> with a crowd of shoppers to encourage them to continue fighting the coronavirus.</p> <p>While the premier was likely genuine, there is also a small warning in this government official’s act. There is a risk that acts of solidarity like “Wuhan <em>jiāyóu</em>” could be co-opted by government bodies to shift attention or responsibility away from authorities.</p> <p>This type of co-option was observed in <a href="https://odihpn.org/blog/bayanihan-after-typhoon-haiyan-are-we-romanticising-an-indigenous-coping-strategy/">the exaggerated use of “resilience” and “survival” narratives</a> after Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines to paint a picture of a rapidly recovering community doing well by being resourceful and helping each other.</p> <p>These narratives of community resilience pushed forth by official government messages can act to shift responsibility away from the state and international humanitarian organizations that have formal responsibilities in disaster risk reduction and recovery.</p> <p>Thus, Premier Li Keqiang was able to use the peoples’ chant, “Wuhan <em>jiāyóu</em>” to rally support in the grocery store. But he did not create a space for questions about accountability and government action. This is often the double-edged sword of community solidarity: it is powerful, but it can also be misused by the powerful. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130851/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- 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 style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qPfZmZZ9M0o?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="caption">Premier Li Kequiang shouting ‘Wuhan jiayou.’</span></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yvonne-su-742700">Yvonne Su</a>, PhD, International Development and Political Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-guelph-1071">University of Guelph</a></em></p> <p><em>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/coronavirus-in-wuhan-residents-shout-stay-strong-from-windows-130851">original article</a>.</em></p>

International Travel

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Why "strong is the new skinny" isn’t as empowering as it sounds

<p>Women have long been subject to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1176/appi.ap.30.3.257">powerful social pressures</a> to look a certain way. The “<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/eat.20039">feminine ideal</a>” – a svelte female figure – has dominated film, television and magazine culture.</p> <p>The result is a narrow idea of what feminine beauty should look like and an associated crisis in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2006.00292.x?casa_token=xI9aCl5G8K0AAAAA%3A-DFk1ElCpn9HEMrrkmsfRO2f5t_EZLfixIS5DOvv4YLu0IKd90pWiQU4tlcY8vVjvPVJ8Njwb7Mxcg">body satisfaction</a>.</p> <p>In recent years an “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144510000070">athletic ideal</a>” – characterised by muscle tone and power – has emerged as an alternative conception of beauty. Female bodies on the track are as appealing as those on the catwalk.</p> <p>This might be considered a good thing – a broader definition of beauty is more inclusive. More accepted body types, more body satisfaction, right?</p> <p>From the perspective of former athletes, it’s a little more complicated than that.</p> <p>Athletes are a useful population to explore in terms of the relationship between “athletic” and “feminine” ideals – they are exposed to both more than most women.</p> <p>A <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fspy0000111">recent study</a> of 218 former athletes showed they found body image a difficult terrain to navigate. Gymnasts and swimmers, retired for between two and six years, were asked to identify what body changes they noticed, how they felt about them and how they coped.</p> <p>Some former athletes embraced a new, less muscular body that emerged due to the retirement-induced reduction in training load.</p> <p>Chelsea, a 26-year-old retired swimmer, commented:</p> <p>Lost most of the heavier muscle I gained while training in college about six months after I stopped swimming. Due to the loss, I dropped about 15–20 pounds… I was surprised at how baggy my clothes felt and was pleasantly surprised that I could fit in smaller sizes. I didn’t feel as bulky or broad-shouldered.</p> <p>With bulk and brawn confined to her former life, Chelsea rejoices in her increased sense of femininity. This suggests traditional conventions of feminine beauty remain the preference even for former athletes who often take pride in their physical strength and muscularity.</p> <p>So, perhaps statements such as “<a href="http://www.womensfitness.com.au/editorial/strong-new-skinny/">strong is the new skinny</a>” are overplayed and the feminine ideal remains powerful and difficult to resist.</p> <p>Another finding was that the athletic ideal may be the alternative ideal, but it’s not necessarily a healthier ideal or one that will lead to a more positive body image.</p> <p>Retired swimmer Abbey, 26, illustrated this point when she stated:</p> <p>It took me a long time to realise that my body would never be what it was when I was an athlete… I still think back and use that image as a gauge to how I could look, but also know that my life does not revolve around working out 20-plus hours a week or needing to be in top shape to be successful. I still want to be as lean and as strong as I used to be.</p> <p>Although Abbey remains committed to an athletic ideal, she is unable to fulfil it now she is no longer an athlete. Accepting this is a difficult process and she still pines for her former body.</p> <p>An athletic ideal may not exclusively focus on thinness but it still demands stringent diets and training regimes and it has been linked to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471015315300386">disordered eating and exercise behaviours</a>.</p> <p>Ideals, by definition, aren’t healthy because they demand the unachievable: perfection.</p> <p>Some athletes were torn between the athletic ideal and the feminine ideal, identifying with both and attempting to walk a tightrope between a sporty look and a feminine one.</p> <p>For example, former swimmer Simone, 26, reflected:</p> <p>My weight is pretty much the same as when I was swimming, but I am significantly less muscular. I’m glad I am not as muscular as I was when I was swimming and that my shoulders shrunk to a size that would fit into clothes, but I would like to be a little more muscular/toned than I am now.</p> <p>And 25-year-old Carrie, a retired gymnast, echoed the “toned but not too toned” mantra:</p> <p>I am less muscular and my butt has gotten a little saggy. I feel OK because I am still thin and feel energetic, but I would like to be more toned but not as bulky (muscular) as I was when I was competing in my sport.</p> <p>Carrie and Simone desired athletic tone but not at the expense of conventional femininity. At the same time, they sought the thin ideal but not at the expense of an athletic look.</p> <p>The athletic and feminine ideal represent two contradictory masters; to serve one is to reject the other. Finding the middle ground necessary to appease both is an almost impossible task.</p> <p>It is naïve to view the athletic ideal as simply providing women with a different or new way to love their bodies; it might also provide a new way to hate them. The more ideals there are, the more ways there are to fall short.</p> <p>Strong isn’t the new skinny quite yet. And, if it were, it would be nothing to brag about.</p> <p><em>Written by Anthony Papathomas. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/strong-is-the-new-skinny-isnt-as-empowering-as-it-sounds-107703"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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The real story of the Barbie doll: Strong female leadership behind the scenes

<p>In marking the 60th anniversary of one of the world’s best-known toys, the Barbie doll, scholars and journalists have a wealth of angles to explore. The impact of the Barbie doll on <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-barbie-bad-for-body-image-33725">girls’ body images</a> and the spread of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/barbie-at-60-instrument-of-female-oppression-or-positive-influence-113069">stereotypical model of womanhood</a> has been the subject of extended reflections. They can also focus on the American company that markets it, Mattel, and its current difficulties in dealing with more interactive toys. Yet one story that’s much less known is that of Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie and one of the founders of Mattel.</p> <p><strong>A succession of trials and tribulations</strong></p> <p>The first part of Ruth Handler’s life is a succession of challenges. Born Ruth Moskowicz in Denver, Colorado, in 1916, she and her family were Polish Jews who had earlier immigrated to the United States. The youngest of 10 children, she could not attend university and initially found work as a secretary. She married Elliot Handler in 1938 and together they traversed the ordeal of World War II, which affected all of the United States. Then came financial hardship for the young couple, living in California with two children. At the time Ruth was 30, but she had a huge ambition for her life and a big vision for the Handler family.</p> <p>She encouraged her husband to use his design skills to create a company manufacturing plastic objects. Mattel was founded in 1945 and success quickly arrived. Behind the scenes, Ruth’s creativity, energy, intelligence, willingness to take risks and determination worked wonders. While she didn’t take the title of president until 1967, these qualities made her the real leader of Mattel.</p> <p><strong>Poker and strategic breakthroughs</strong></p> <p>One of Ruth Handler’s rare qualities was her visionary ability to anticipate. She was able to analyze subtle signals in the marketplace, identify potential innovations, and develop strategic breakthroughs.</p> <p>For example, Mattel was looking for an original way to promote one of its first toys, a plastic machine gun. While toys has previously been marketed to parents, who chose them for their offspring, Ruth had the idea of speaking directly to the end users, as such. The approach was the Mickey Mouse Club television program, which Mattel sponsored in 1955. After seeing the program, thousands of children asked their parents for the new toy, a reversal from the traditional process. While this idea may seem unremarkable to us in the 21st century, it was a clear break in the marketing dogma of the time.</p> <p>Another innovation was the cost of this promotion: $500,000, which at the time was the entire financial value of Mattel. A skillful poker player, Ruth Handler was ready to risk her firm’s entire future on a single advertising campaign.</p> <p>Ruth wanted to make a toy for girls, and knew that she had a test market close at hand, her daughter Barbara. The idea emerged during a trip that the family took to Switzerland in 1956. In the window of a Swiss shop Ruth discovered a sex-symbol doll with a generous shape, <a href="https://allthatsinteresting.com/bild-lilli">Bild Lilli</a>, based on a cartoon character created for the German tabloid Bild. Ruth immediately understood the marketing potential of the doll, and took several back to the United States.</p> <p>In the 1950s, dolls intended for girls were often babies or mother or housewife characters. Ruth Handler’s insight was that girls of the 1950s no longer wanted to grow up just to be mothers, and the Barbie doll announced a certain emancipation from the exclusive role of a mother. While we can now see in Barbie the personification of the woman as object, Ruth Handler’s idea was to create a toy that reflected women’s ability to work and be autonomous. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/29/arts/ruth-handler-whose-barbie-gave-dolls-curves-dies-at-85.html">As she stated</a> in her 1994 autobiography:</p> <p>“My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices.”</p> <p>When Ruth Handler presented her new concept to the head of a major American advertising agency, he stated: “It has no chance of succeeding. You’re joking”. Mattel’s executive committee – composed entirely of men except for Ruth – also opposed the idea. She not only imposed the project, she persuaded Mattel’s R&amp;D department to make a doll that would be sold at cost, with profits coming from the sale of clothes and accessories.</p> <p>At the same time, the innovation of a product whose profit comes from consumables (in this case, accessories) was born. We have here a stimulating break: the doll is sold at a very low price to capture a market and the profit is generated by the sale of accessories. This business model has now become the norm in many economic sectors.</p> <p><strong>Speaking directly to children</strong></p> <p>When the Barbie doll was presented at the New York International Toy Fair in 1959, all the big buyers, including the major American store brands were unimpressed and refused to buy any. While many entrepreneurs would have given up, Ruth Handler decided to sell her doll directly to consumers. A major publicity campaign was launched, which resulted in the worldwide success that we know today.</p> <p>For the next decade Ruth Handler was instrumental in Mattel’s rise. However, in 1975 she and her husband <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1975/11/04/archives/mattel-settles-5-class-lawsuits-30-million-payment-set-to-toy.html">resigned after a financial scandal</a>. She died in 2002 and Elliot in 2011. Mattel and Barbie live on, however, its earnings reaching a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/07/mattel-jumps-17percent-after-earnings-and-revenue-beat-.html">five-year high</a> in the first quarter of 2019, and Barbie continues to prosper, with sales up 12%.</p> <p>Yet on the 60th anniversary of her creation, Ruth Handler’s contributions aren’t as well-known as they should be. She was an independent, creative and powerful woman, and a model of female leadership. And ultimately, a much more interesting and important model than Barbie doll herself.</p> <p><em>Written by Bertrand Venard. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/the-real-story-of-the-barbie-doll-strong-female-leadership-behind-the-scenes-118708"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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How to put the honeymoon-level excitement back in your marriage

<p>Here's how to put the excitement back into a relationship that is decades long.</p> <p><strong>1. Encourage your partner to pursue a passion</strong></p> <p>Research suggests we're most attracted to our partner when they are in their own element—in other words, when they're feeling confident and in the flow. That may be when he's playing his trumpet or coding a new program, or when she's dancing to flamenco music or painting pictures of historical landscapes.</p> <p>Whatever your individual passions may be, focus on supporting each other to pursue them. "Find where your partner excels and start looking at them fresh through that lens, as if you were strangers, meeting for the first time," suggests sexual health consultant Celeste Holbrook, PhD.</p> <p><strong>2. Show appreciation for your partner at least once a day</strong></p> <p>When you first started dating, remember how much you appreciated the little things your partner did for you and you did for him? Continue to do this in your relationship as it grows over the years. "At the beginning you're giddy with love and gratitude, and you're grateful for your lover and all the little things you do together, the things they say and the places you go together," says Claudia Six, PhD, sexologist, relationship coach, and author of Erotic Integrity: How to Be True to Yourself Sexually.</p> <p>"Reconnect with that gratitude instead of taking your relationship for granted." Start the day by telling each other what you're grateful for, complimenting one another regularly, saying "I love you," and comment on a new dress or a new haircut. If you want to take the romance up a few notches, start leaving love notes in unexpected places—by the coffee machine, in his underwear drawer, by the door so he sees it as he's leaving, or on the garbage can for whoever takes out the trash.</p> <p><strong>3. Plan fun, spontaneous date nights</strong></p> <p>When love is new, date nights are special. But with limited time, kids, the stress of running a household and doing your job, date nights can represent a huge logistical 'should.' "But it really is important to remember how dates used to be, when you'd dress up for them, look your beloved in the eye, be interested in what they say, and allow them to put a twinkle back in your eye," says Dr. Six.</p> <p>"Remember what made you fall in love with him and treat the date as a special time." Go to a concert in the park and bring a picnic basket with wine if that's allowed. Outdoor concerts are often free and can be a great way to have a nice evening together and just enjoy each other's company. Or go out to a nice place for dinner and split an appetiser—order a bottle of wine and make the meal last. "Do this as often as your budget allows, but at least once a month if you can save up for it," recommends Dr. Michael.</p> <p><strong>4. Use the power of touch to your advantage</strong></p> <p>Touching is small way to reconnect and make contact every day. Even just holding hands releases the love hormone oxytocin, which can strengthen empathy and communication between a couple.</p> <p>"Make sure to hold hands, not only when walking down the street, but at home, in the morning when you first wake up, and at the end of the day before going to sleep," says Dr. Six. "You don't have to talk. You can just feel the warmth of your lover's hand in yours and rest in the comfort of it, enjoying the familiarity of your beloved's skin and energy."</p> <p><strong>5. Check in on a regular basis</strong></p> <p>Think of it as a state-of-the-union conversation between the two of you about your relationship. It can be as simple as 15 minutes on the couch where you talk about what made you happy, what moved you. "The mundane tasks of daily living can dull the sparkle in a relationship, but if you make an effort to be genuinely interested in your spouse's state of mind and how they're feeling about things in their life and in the relationship, it'll have you both feeling closer to each other," says Dr. Six.</p> <p>In bed at night or over dinner, ask each other what your favourite part of the day was and why. You might be surprised to learn what is most meaningful to your mate and you may even chuckle at each other's answers as you reminisce about the day's events. This way you're constantly discovering something new about your partner and sharing in their joy, the way you did in the beginning of your relationship.</p> <p>Do you have any other tips? Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>Written by Jenn Sinrich. </em><em>This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/relationships/how-put-honeymoon-level-excitement-back-your-marriage">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRN87V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></em></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Family & Pets

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"Every person has a story”: Hospice volunteer writes life stories for patients

<p>Kaitaia woman Lois Strong is providing Hospice patients with an invaluable gift - a book on their life.</p> <p>She has written nearly 10 books so far, recording stories, detailing life events, and compiling photos into a book which is given for free.</p> <p>"Every person has a story," Strong says. "I try to keep the written record just the same as I hear it, so when their family reads the story they can hear their loved one."</p> <p>Typing up a Hokianga man's manuscript in the 70s prompted Strong to give her parents Pat and Ivan a tape recorder to share their stories. </p> <p>"To them it was just life but to us kids it was our history," Strong says. "I can remember Dad's face when he saw it, he cried lots reading it."</p> <p>When her mother was unwell, Hospice supported the family and in 2011 Strong began volunteering. </p> <p>A school friend suggested training for Life Review writers and from there Strong's work began. A brochure outlining the service is given to new families who receive support. </p> <p>Strong sits with the person for around two hours at a time while the final book usually takes several months to complete.</p> <p>"I love it; I've been retired since 2005 and now I wouldn't have time to go to work. I know families really appreciate what I do but I know I get just as much personal satisfaction in being able to do this for them," Strong says.</p> <p>Strong has developed a timeline that helps to jog people's memories.</p> <p>"I start them off with when and where they were born, who their parents were, then they just go from there."</p> <p>Strong encourages every family to make sure their older generation's stories are recorded. </p> <p>"Even if you record them and type them up later, at least have the stories.</p> <p>"You be the one who says, 'Come on, Grandad tell me a story, I'm ready to listen', not the one who says I wish I had written Granddad's stories down.</p> <p>"There is no time like the present. Time has a way of beating us to the end."</p> <p><em>Written by Bayley Moor. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>. Image credit: Bayley Moor/Stuff.</em></p>

Caring

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Strong new lead blows Madeleine McCann case wide open

<p>Detectives investigating the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/09/fresh-hope-for-madeleine-mccanns-parents/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>disappearance of Madeleine McCann</strong></span></a> have reportedly discovered a strong new lead which blows the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/2017/08/madeleine-mccann-facebook-page-under-fire/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>kidnapping case wide open</strong></span></a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The Sun</strong></em></span></a> reports that investigators have been sent to Bulgaria to seek a mysterious figure dubbed “the woman in purple”, which they believe may hold the key to the case.</p> <p>The paper contends the woman’s husband, who has since passed away, is a convicted paedophile, and that the couple were working as domestic helpers near the holiday apartment where Madeleine tragically vanished in 2007, as a three-year-old.</p> <p>The couple was reported to police by locals following Madeleine’s disappearance, but they were unable to track them down until this recent link to Bulgaria.</p> <p>Whether this development proves decisive or another loose end remains to be seen, in what is one of the most high-profile kidnapping cases in recent history.</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p>

Legal

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Couple’s love so strong both go to hospital with heart issues

<p>The thought of a lengthy separation from Ann, his wife of more than half-a-century, has Harry Smith close to tears.</p> <p>"I can't imagine life without her," the New Plymouth man said.</p> <p>"We pretty much do everything together."</p> <p>However, a shared hospital stay was not entirely what Harry, 76, meant.</p> <p>"We were at the conservatory having a drink and I started getting these split-second warning signs," he said of the blackouts he's experienced over the last five years.</p> <p>The ringing in his ears grew to a deafening screech as Harry put his drink on a table.</p> <p>"Then I blacked out for a few seconds, I was told."</p> <p>When Harry awoke, Ann, 73, had rung the ambulance.</p> <p>"And while they were seeing me, Ann got an angina attack."</p> <p>Angina is caused by a reduction of blood flow to the heart muscle and symptoms can mock that of a heart attack.</p> <p>"She was in shock, so to speak," Harry said.</p> <p>The ambulance crew then turned their attention to Ann and said, "'We better get you both to the hospital'," Harry continued.</p> <p>"It was two for the price of one."</p> <p>The couple, who have been married about 55 years, were taken to Taranaki Base Hospital and managed to remain upbeat, laughing at the unlikely event.</p> <p>"The doctors and nurses were all saying it was rather unusual to have a man and a wife come in together," Harry said with a smile.</p> <p>"I said, 'well get a picture of us'."</p> <p>Together they laid in hospital gowns, bed by bed, and grinned at the camera.</p> <p>Their smiles echoed the love they've shared throughout the years.</p> <p>They met in London in 1958 while at a dance school.</p> <p>"They had us lined along a long wall and told us to pick a partner," Harry recalled.</p> <p>"I went straight to her because I was attracted to her more than anyone else."</p> <p>And throughout the years since he's thought: "Lucky me."</p> <p>But during Tuesday's drama the pair were separated at night. Harry was placed in a medical ward while Ann was taken to the intensive care unit (ICU).</p> <p>"We were texting each other all day (Wednesday) long," Harry said.</p> <p>"It's a wonder my phone hasn't broken it's been so alive."</p> <p>But texting was not sufficient.</p> <p>With a tracking device strapped to his hip and permission for a quick visit, Harry hauled himself to see his beloved wife and best friend "a few times".</p> <p>But he said doctors had decided Ann needed to be taken to Waikato Hospital for an angiogram, which would X-ray photograph her blood vessels and determine whether or not she needed a stent - a small mesh tube used to treat narrow or weak arteries.</p> <p>"There was talk about getting me to the Waikato for a pacemaker," Harry continued.</p> <p>"They wanted to get us flown up together, but it never worked out. So I'm here and she's there."</p> <p>As his wife was transported to Waikato on Thursday, Harry began texting his granddaughter, Lara, who happened to be a registered nurse at the hospital awaiting Ann's arrival.</p> <p>Harry expects his wife to return no later than Saturday and said he would not be discharged without her.</p> <p>"I told the doctor, 'we're not joined at the hip, you know. We do separate'," he joked.</p> <p>And as he thinks about the future, Harry knows he and Ann still have the chance to make many more memories together, including their July wedding anniversary.</p> <p>"We'll be around a few years yet."</p> <p><em>Written by Brittany Baker. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz.</span></strong></a></em></p>

Retirement Life