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Traveller shares hilarious hack to ensure the middle seat on a plane stays empty

There is nothing more joyous than boarding a plane and being seated next to an empty seat, ensuring you have a comfy flight by not being squished in with other travellers. But with this joy can also come sheer disappointment, when you get comfy in your extra space before a last-minute traveller comes to claim the empty seat. To combat the chance of someone robbing you of your space on a cramped plane, one traveller has shared the hilarious lengths he goes to in order to make sure the middle seat on a plane stays empty. The traveller posted the video of his hilarious hack to TikTok, sharing his trick with others to guarantee some extra space every time you fly. He put his arm upright inside a spare hoodie, placing a hat on top of his hand, to make it look like the seat was already occupied – preventing anyone else from taking that spot. The video has since been taken down, but has been reshared by other accounts. Of course, this hack only works on flights that have open seating policies, where passengers choose their own seats once on board, rather than having them assigned. The trick seems to work, with passengers avoiding his row and taking up empty seats elsewhere. Some viewers called the hack "genius" and said they would try it out for themselves next time they travel. However, others were skeptical, wondering how the trick would work if passengers eager to be seated are walking towards the two front on, rather than from behind. Image credits: TikTok

Travel Tips

Beauty ideals were as tough in the middle ages as they are now

After turning up at this year’s Grammys, Madonna was subjected to a <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/madonna-now-grammys-facelift-recent-b2279848.html">vitriolic online attack</a> over her appearance, particularly what was deemed her excessive use of plastic surgery. The irrepressible 64-year-old instantly hit back, saying, Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in. I look forward to many more years of subversive behaviour pushing boundaries." It’s a familiar story. Standards of beauty have been embedded in different cultures, in varying forms, from time immemorial. The standards that women and, increasingly, all people are expected to meet to embody a certain level of beauty, are often based on binary notions of idealised forms of femininity or masculinity, or both. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Look how cute i am now that swelling from surgery has gone down. Lol 😂 <a href="https://t.co/jd8hQyi2Az">pic.twitter.com/jd8hQyi2Az</a> — Madonna (@Madonna) <a href="https://twitter.com/Madonna/status/1627713003238965248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2023</a></blockquote> Women’s bodies have been pathologised throughout history, from Plato’s notion of the “<a href="https://www.rcn.org.uk/library-exhibitions/Womens-health-wandering-womb">wandering womb</a>” which was used to account for every female physical and emotional ailment. In medieval <a href="https://juliamartins.co.uk/what-is-the-humoral-theory">humoral theory</a>, women were considered <a href="https://www.medievalists.net/2011/08/the-female-body-in-medieval-europe-theories-of-physicality-versus-practical-gynecology/">cold and wet in constitution</a>, and more prone to certain afflictions. The association of beauty with health, and ugliness with disease, has been taken up in more recent feminist debate over the modern cultural obsession with women’s appearance as an <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/beauty-sick/renee-engeln/9780062469786">epidemic</a>. It’s no wonder that instances of anxiety, depression, eating disorders and dysmorphia can all be connected to modern – and indeed, pre-modern – people’s experience of beauty standards. In her 1991 book <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2005/oct/18/classics.shopping">The Beauty Myth</a>, Naomi Wolf argued that the standards of western female beauty were used as a weapon to stagnate the progress of women. But in medieval culture, such pressures were doubly weighted, since beauty was closely aligned with morality: beauty was associated with goodness and ugliness with evil. Such cultural associations are addressed by Eleanor Janega in her book <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/events/the-once-and-future-sex-eleanor-janega-in-conversation-with-cat-jarman/london-gower-street">The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women’s Roles in Society</a>. In her lively exploration of medieval women’s social roles, Janega shows how beauty “was a key to power”, crucially connected to wealth, privilege, youth and maidenhood – to create “a ‘perfect’ sort of femininity”. Janega explores medieval gender norms to consider the ways that women’s roles have – and haven’t – changed. Focusing on female beauty standards and contradictions, sex and female sexuality, and women’s roles as workers, wives and mothers, Janega reflects on what this study of women in the middle ages means now, "Turns out that the way we think about and treat women is socially malleable, and while some of our constructs have changed, we continue to treat women as inferior to men." <h2>Weaponising beauty</h2> I’ve recently been examining a type of weaponised beauty that some religious women in the middle ages appeared to practise to emphasise the more superior beauty of their inner selves. In BBC Radio Wales’s <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001l1rl">The Idea</a>, I explored how some medieval saints subverted standards of “traditional” female beauty to avoid living lives that would hinder their chastity and spiritual goals: in other words, taint the beauty of their souls. Some of their tactics were extreme. In a female monastery in the Scottish borders, the abbess was a woman known as Æbbe the Younger, daughter of Æthelred, King of Northumbria. As marauding Vikings attacked the monastery, and terrified of being defiled, Æbbe attempted to repel them by disfiguring her face, "The abbess, with an heroic spirit… took a razor, and with it cut off her nose, together with her upper lip unto the teeth, presenting herself a horrible spectacle to those who stood by. Filled with admiration at this admirable deed, the whole assembly followed her maternal example." From Roger of Wendover’s Flowers of History, Comprising the History of England Though the nuns’ mutilated faces did cause the Vikings to flee, they later returned to set fire to the monastery, burning the women alive. But in their martyrdom, the nuns’ souls remained beautiful and untainted, which was what they had desired. In 15th-century legend, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilgefortis">Wilgefortis</a>, a young Christian Portuguese princess determined to live in perpetual virginity, was commanded by her parents to marry a pagan Sicilian king. At her refusal, her father had her imprisoned and tortured. Wilgefortis starved herself in penance and prayed to God that she should be disfigured. Her prayers were answered and she miraculously grew a moustache and a beard. Horrified at the loss of her beauty the suitor rejected her, and her furious father ordered that she be crucified. As she died on the cross, Wilgefortis beseeched other women to pray through her to be delivered from vanity and erotic desire. Wilgefortis’s metamorphosis from female-coded standards of medieval beauty to a type of <a href="https://www.health.com/mind-body/transmasculine">transmasculinity</a> offered by her beard and moustache, is, like Æbbe’s self-mutilation, an act of physiological resistance. Wilgefortis prays for deformity and God bestows her with the facial hair that repulses her suitor and secures the beauty of her soul. <h2>Eternal beauty?</h2> Today’s cosmetic surgeons, in supplying women like Madonna with surgical answers to their supposed aesthetic problems, might also serve as God-like figures in the continuing quest to adhere more closely to the standards of beauty that medieval saints like Æbbe and Wilgefortis harnessed in order to subvert. In fact, the “gods” of cosmetic surgery, like the God of medieval Christianity, somehow enable their worshippers to match their outward appearance with their inner feelings – the states of their souls – allowing them to make peace with the variants of beauty that they desire. As in the medieval past, women today negotiate the parameters of beauty in which they have been historically confined, embracing change and letting their souls spill out as they decide what beauty means for them and their bodies. The pursuit of youth and beauty – and beauty within – is rarely without pain, but as we know, that makes for a powerful weapon. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/beauty-ideals-were-as-tough-in-the-middle-ages-as-they-are-now-203751" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Beauty & Style

How much it costs to rent Hugh Jackman’s bucket list home

After building and developing this stunning, minimalist East Hamptons estate over a period of six years, Wolverine star Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-lee Furness have decided to put it to better use by popping it onto the rental market – and it will only set you back around half-a-million dollars per month, according to <a href="https://www.corcoran.com/listing/for-rent/20-hedges-banks-drive-east-hampton-ny-11937/6517169/regionId/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Corcoran.com</a>. “Stunning Modern Waterfront Compound!” screams the listing. “Beautifully done, highest end construction, with every amenity, including gym, theater, flush edge pool, jacuzzi, and two single and separate homes, set high on the bluff overlooking the open bay with the most spectacular views!” After Hugh bought the property for $3.5m in 2015, he and Deborra-lee spent six long years renovating it, and turning it into what Furness described as her “lifelong dream”. Architect Stelle Lomont Rouhani collaborated with Jackman and Furness to create “the utmost Zen tranquillity overlooking the Gardiner's Bay in East Hampton”. The minimalist main house with a gourmet kitchen, Gaggenau appliances and an informal dining room features a hand-carved solid bleached walnut dining table, custom crafted by Field & Co., 3 en suite bedrooms, floor-to-ceiling glass doors, and a guest house, meticulously renovated and features open living space complete with a top-of-the-line kitchen with bar area, a step-down open living room with lounge-style seating, along with a loft bed and lounge areas and a primary suite overlooking the oversized pool and spa sitting above the bay with a spectacular 180-degree vista of the water. Set on a sprawling 2.5-acre plot, the 5-bedroom, 5 1/2 bath compound is the ultimate retreat with all the amenities of a 5-star resort. Images: Corcoran.com

Real Estate

Radio host dies in the middle of his live broadcast

A local radio presenter has died in the middle of a live broadcast after suffering a heart attack. Tim Gough, a 55-year-old journalist from Suffolk in the UK, was the presenter of the daily breakfast show for GenX Radio Suffolk. An hour into the show, the music stopped playing halfway through, leaving audiences confused about the interference. The music resumed a few minutes later but Mr Gough, who had been speaking just moments earlier, did not return and later the station confirmed he had passed away. GenX Radio Suffolk posted on their social media accounts, "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to inform you, our dear friend and breakfast host Tim Gough passed away this morning whilst presenting his program." "Our love to his family, son, sister, brother and mum." "Tim was doing what he loved. He was 55 years old." The host, whose radio career dated back to 1986, had wished his listeners a good morning and gave weather updates across Suffolk, just minutes before Grey Day by Madness stopped abruptly. The father-of-one spoke his final words after playing Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones, commenting that it was the birthday of bass guitarist Bill Wyman, a Suffolk resident. James Hazell, managing director of GenX Radio Suffolk, took over the broadcast to inform listeners of the situation. He said, "Despite the best efforts of the paramedics, who were on site very quickly, some 20, 25 minutes doing what they could to revive to - it was not to be." "I really have no words at this stage, he was 55-years-old, very healthy. Who knows why these things happened, but its happened." Image credits: Facebook

Caring

New discovery reveals last moments of Pompeii’s middle class

A series of new finds in Pompeii’s archaeological park have shed light on the final moments of middle class Romans before they were buried beneath volcanic ash and debris from Mount Vesuvius. Plates, glasses, vases, amphorae and terracotta objects left behind in chests and cabinets have been recovered from four rooms in a house that was first excavated in 2018. Gabriel Zuchtriegal, the director of the popular Italian tourist destination, said the discovery revealed precious details about the ordinary citizens of the city. “In the Roman Empire there was a significant proportion of the population which fought for their social status and for whom the ‘daily bread’ was anything but taken for granted. It was a social class that was vulnerable during political crises and famines, but also ambitious to climb the social ladder,” Dr Zuchtriegal <a href="http://pompeiisites.org/en/comunicati/the-discovery-of-furnishings-from-the-house-of-the-lararium-in-regio-v-a-snapshot-of-middle-class-pompeii/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a>. “In the House of the Lararium at Pompeii, the owner was able to embellish the courtyard with the lararium and the basin for the cistern with exceptional paintings, yet evidently funds were insufficient to decorate the five rooms of the house, one of which was used for storage. “In the other rooms, two on the upper floor which could be reached by a mezzanine, we have discovered an array of objects, some of which are made of precious materials such as bronze and glass, while others were for everyday use. The wooden furniture, of which it has been possible to make casts, was extremely simple. “We do not know who the inhabitants of the house were, but certainly the culture of otium (leisure) which inspired the wonderful decoration of the courtyard represented for them more a future they dreamed of than a lived reality.” In the rooms on the lower floor of the house, all of the furnishings were able to be recovered by creating casts of the furniture. One bedroom even contained the remains of a bed frame and trace fabric from the pillow, similar to three cot-like beds unearthed last year in another Pompeiian home believed to be slaves’ quarters. Next to the bed, archaeologists found a bipartite wooden chest that was left open when the owners fled. Although heavily damaged by beams that crashed onto it during the eruption, it still held an oil lamp decorated with a relief of the Greek god Zeus being transformed into an eagle. A small, three-legged table was found next to the trunk, with a ceramic cup containing glass ampules, and two small plates sitting on top. In the storeroom, they found a wooden cupboard with its backboard still intact and the shelves caved in. Many of the items from the upper floor were found in the rooms below, including everyday items such as ceramic vessels, two bronze jugs, a bronze bowl with a beaded base, and an incense burner in the shape of a cradle. One of the unique and most interesting finds was a small cast of waxed tablets, made up of seven triptychs (carvings with three panels) that have been tied together by a small cord. Images: Parco Archeologico di Pompei

International Travel

Two years on since the Beirut port explosion

It’s been two years since the devastating port explosion that rocked Lebanon and saw the country slowly become even more poor. The terrifying explosion killed 218 people, wounded 7,000 and damaged 77,000 apartments, displacing more than 300,000 people in the already struggling country. Covid was well underway with hospitals already under pressure, but the explosion saw them suddenly overflowing with injured citizens desperate for help. People are saying that the country’s stay-at-home orders saved lives which would have otherwise seen hundreds of thousands on the roads, at work and at the beach near the exploded port. But two years on and the residents are still struggling through the worst economic crisis in 30 years. Electricity runs for an hour a day unless you have a deal with electricity companies, there is also no running water, no bread, no gas, and much more. And it’s only expected to get worse in winter when temperatures plummet and families struggle to keep their loved ones, particularly the elderly, warm. Even putting food on the table has become more difficult with grocery prices soaring exponentially – almost 10 times what they were back in 2019. Families are being forced to ration and even resort to basics. There have been several protests calling for an end to the widespread corruption and tax increases. Will the politicians listen? Probably not, as this has been a long-running issue for Lebanon. Despite all this heartache, Lebanon remains the Paris of the Middle East and is likened to a phoenix, a mythical bird that is born again from the ashes of its predecessor. But what can we do to help Lebanon? Go and visit. Lebanon’s economy continues to rely on tourism and is a stunning summer/spring destination. Travellers will be in awe at the beauty of the Middle Eastern country which is constantly bringing Aussie tourists in. From its capital city Beirut, to Byblos in the seaside of the north of the country, Tyre, also known as Sour (pronounced soor), Harissa and many more it is certainly the place to be. It comes as the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism launched a tourism campaign to bring in Lebanese expats to come to the country during the 2022 summer season. The campaign was dubbed “Ahla Bha Talle,” in reference to a song by late and prominent Lebanese singer Sabah. So in reference to that TikTok video “Yallah come to Lebanon habibi” (Come to Lebanon my love). Images: Twitter

Travel Trouble

Random man rescues abandoned bride

A bride running 45 minutes late to her own wedding after having her own transport cancelled was rescued by a random passerby. Marksteen Adamson was on his way to a friend’s reunion when he spotted the bride looking confused in the middle of the streets of London. He thought it would be great to record her crossing the road in her wedding dress when he noticed her gesturing to him. It was then he realised that he could help the bride, her sister and her friend to get to the church that was only 10 minutes away. "Was driving through London traffic to visit friends for a reunion lunch in South East London when I stopped at a pedestrian crossing and saw a bride looking confused and flustered,” Adamson said in his <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@marksteenadamson/video/7121252884393594117?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7070374670839465473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> video. "I started filming as I thought it would be a great shot seeing her cross the road in her full attire. Then she saw me and started walking towards me and gesturing. “It turns out that she and her bridesmaid and team had been trying to order Uber cabs but three cabs had canceled at the last minute and she was 45min late for church. “Everyone, most importantly her husband to be, were waiting at Holy Trinity Brompton for her to arrive. "She asked if I could give her and the group a lift, and so they jumped into my Land Rover and I drove her to church. “In our short time together we had lots of quick short conversations about everything and got to know each other a little better and new friendships were made.” Adamson eventually found out the bride’s name is Anastasia, her sister is Alexandra and their friend is Paul. He also said that she tried to get him to hurry up as she was “late for church”. “After I dropped her off I heard the sound of the organ ring out and knew everything was going to be alright. It was a beautiful sunny day.” Images: TikTok

Relationships

Woman makes a “terrible mistake” in the middle of her wedding

A woman shocked a wedding crowd when she said she had made a “terrible mistake” just as the officiant finished his speech - and before the final vows. Becky Jefferies was ecstatic for her special day after postponing the wedding multiple times due to Covid. But she and now husband Sherif Fayed finally made it to the end of the aisle and were minutes away from being married - however, something just had to go wrong. Being ever so polite, Becky waited for the officiant to complete his speech before grabbing the microphone and announcing that she made a “terrible mistake”. Anyone in their right mind would have asked why she waited for the wedding to announce it – but it’s not what you would expect. In fact, Becky had made it down the aisle only to realise at the end that she was missing half her dress! <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/CdLl9DLj6Ji/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CdLl9DLj6Ji/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Becky Jefferies (@jetsetbecks)</a> </div> </blockquote> "As soon as I realised what happened there was no question in my mind that I was going to grab the mic. I just wanted to wait until the officiant finished his speech," she wrote on Instagram. "I also knew that my husband would have told me I was crazy for not stopping the ceremony if I hadn't done it." Becky shared the hilarious footage to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jetsetbecks/video/7094252391272320258?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> which shows her looking behind at her wedding planner and mouthing something while also pointing to her waist. The officiant stopped talking when she grabbed the microphone saying: “Pause for a moment…I just realised when I got to the end of the aisle that I'm missing half my dress. “Maybe I could put it on now?” she asked the laughing audience. "I'm not kidding, two nights ago I had a dream that I did this, that I walked down the aisle without it." The video then cuts to show the wedding planner rushing down the aisle with the missing half of the dress and assisting Becky to put it on. The video has been viewed more than 28 million times and received a whopping four million likes. Images: TikTok

Relationships

Why jetlag is worse flying east

Frequent travellers often insist that flying east causes worse jetlag than flying west. And, despite those who may dismiss the notion, a new study suggests that they are right. A group of scientists from the University of Maryland produced mathematical models to show why this might be. Jetlag is believed to be caused by the disruption of our body clocks – the circadian rhythm. According to the study, this cycle, on average, runs over a little more than a day – about 24.5 hours. As flying west, in the same direction as the rotation of the Earth, lengthens the day slightly, it is more in tune with our body’s cycle than flying east, which shortens the day. That may also explain why some people are affected more or less severely by jetlag than others, <a rel="noopener" href="http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/chaos/26/9/10.1063/1.4954275" target="_blank">the study, published in the journal </a><a rel="noopener" href="http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/chaos/26/9/10.1063/1.4954275" target="_blank">Chaos</a>, says, as individual circadian rhythms can be longer or shorter than the typical 24.5 hours. The circadian rhythm itself is regulated by a clump of brain cells known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus, controlled by exposure to light. When travelling by air, changes to the available light are thrown out of kilter, resulting in jetlag. So the researchers developed a mathematical model to simulate what happens to these brain cells when this happens. This showed the microscopic dynamics of individual pacemaker cells in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and found that not all cells adjust to a new time zone at the same rate, but as a group arrive at the same result about the same time. “Our model explores what would happen to an individual if he/she were suddenly taken from one time zone and dropped in another,” lead author Michelle Girvan was quoted by Gizmodoas saying. “The important 30-minute difference that comes into play is that the natural frequency of [the brain cells] is about 30 minutes longer than 24 hours.” The study calculated that, with the average circadian cycle of 24.5 hours, it would take a person just under four days to recover from a trip in which they passed westward through three time zones. But it would take just over four days after travelling east. <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=11427&title=Why+jetlag+is+worse+flying+east" alt="" width="1" height="1" />Image credit: Shutterstock This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/biology/why-jetlag-is-worse-flying-east/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a>.

Travel Tips

Angelina Jolie’s secret Sydney home hits the market for $11 million

A stunning Sydney home used by Angelina Jolie while she filmed Unbroken has hit the market. The Hollywood actress secretly used the home as a private wharf to secretly travel to Cockatoo Island, and now it is up for $11 million. The bright and airy house at 37 Duke Street, Balmain East was used by Jolie specifically for its private jetty, as she would board the boat that would then ferry her to Cockatoo Island undetected to direct her Academy Award-nominated film. Marcus Lloyd-Jones from Modern House said that the privacy of the home was what entranced Jolie, and now other buyers too. The property sits at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac that is used by only two other residences. Modern House’s Marcus Lloyd-Jones said this privacy was a major drawcard for Jolie and for interested buyers too. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842167/angelina-jolie.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7f56a0f52284421fb86fdb62347bdfaf" /> Angelina Jolie during Unbroken. Image: Supplied “She was driven in [to the five-car garage], she would walk along the jetty, jump on whatever boat it was and go to Cockatoo Island to direct the movie and back the same way,” Mr Lloyd-Jones said. “It was incredibly private.” While Jolie used the home strictly as a thoroughfare, the home has many wonderful features including three incredible levels with harbour views. The Nordon Jago Architects-designed house sits on a 790-square-metre waterfront block with its own private beach, leased jetty and mooring for a 50-foot boat and boat storage. “Everything about this house is on a grand scale from the five-car garage to the 21.5-metre lap pool,” Mr Lloyd-Jones said. “I’d like somebody to show me a larger lap pool in Balmain and the list keeps going. “If somebody has a car collection or a large boat it’s truly the best of Sydney. That’s what’s on offer.”

Real Estate

Meghan and Harry fired baby Archie's nanny in the middle of the night

In Omid Scoobie and Carolyn Durand’s new book Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, it has been revealed that Meghan and Prince Harry let go of Archie’s nanny in the middle of the night. In the book, which details all the ins and outs of Meghan and Harry’s relationship, Scoobie and Durand claim the royals fired their night nurse for their son Archie Mountbatten Windsor. While the personal details were not expressed, the author’s claim it was because the aide was “unprofessional and irresponsible.” “Meghan and Harry were forced to let the nurse go in the middle of her second night of work for being unprofessional and irresponsible,” the book claims. The couple went on to hire another night nurse who did a “fine job,” however neither Meghan or Harry felt comfortable leaving their son in the care of another nanny due to the traumatising experience they had with their first one. The book noted that the pair ended up letting the new aide go as well. “Neither found themselves comfortable sleeping through the night without going to check on Archie regularly,” Scobie and Durand wrote. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837320/meghan.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/fae763eb21af4ab09614e53cd7184a5e" /> Though Harry and Meghan haven’t denied the claims in Finding Freedom, they both have made it loud and clear that neither of them had been interviewed for the book. They also said that any stories shared were solely from the author’s own reporting. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom. This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting,” Meghan and Harry’s statement read. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDwsTLrJJf7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDwsTLrJJf7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by instylemagazine (@instylemagazine)</a> on Aug 11, 2020 at 12:30pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Meghan and Harry tied the knot in May 2018 and later went on to have their first son in May of 2019. In January 2020, the pair announced their decision to step down as senior members of the British Royal Family, detailing they would be moving to Canada with Archie. “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” the couple wrote in a statement to their Instagram page, which left The Firm back at Kensington Palace in shock as they allege they were not made aware of any intention from the couple to step down. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.” The Duke and Duchess have since relocated to Los Angeles, which is Meghan’s hometown. The couple have both dug deep into working and are currently living in director Tyler Perry’s former mansion as they search for their forever home. In their announcement in January, Meghan and Harry, who completed their final official day as senior royals on April 1, shared their excitement for being able to raise Archie in North America. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDdUrz9nETK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDdUrz9nETK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Uk royal family 🇬🇧 (@uk_royal.kidos)</a> on Aug 3, 2020 at 11:58pm PDT </div> </blockquote> “It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages,” the couple wrote. “This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. “We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.”

Caring

The other outbreak engulfing eastern Africa

Coronavirus has continued to dominate the news cycle as governments around the world increase their efforts in limiting the spread. However, another plague is threatening food, jobs and health on three continents. Hundreds of billions of locusts are swarming through parts of East Africa, the Middle East and South-West Asia, devouring crops and bringing an unprecedented threat to food security in what the United Nations (UN) described as the worst infestations in decades. The upsurge of the desert locusts could be traced back to 2018, when cyclones in the southern Arabian Peninsula – along with poor rains, drought and floods – provided favourable breeding conditions which allowed the undetected and uncontrolled breeding of three generations. “It is these weather events which are creating the environment to facilitate the current locust outbreak,” said Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock. “Unusually heavy rains and increase in the frequency in cyclones in the Indian Ocean have created favourable conditions for the locusts to breed.” The first swarms started invading Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iran in early 2019 and went on to breed and move to other countries including Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Pakistan and India. By early 2020, infestation in Kenya has reached its worst in 70 years with up to 200 billion locusts while Somalia and Ethiopia are experiencing their biggest outbreaks in a quarter of a century. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned that the number of locusts could expand <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-26/east-africas-huge-locust-outbreak-major-hunger-threat/12004470">500 times by June</a>. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Desert locust swarms could create a serious food crisis in East Africa. It is the worst outbreak in decades. Learn more 👉<a href="https://t.co/pKAnXLgc6P">https://t.co/pKAnXLgc6P</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Desertlocust?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Desertlocust</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Locusts?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Locusts</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/foodsecurity?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#foodsecurity</a> <a href="https://t.co/FEiFHSUxxw">pic.twitter.com/FEiFHSUxxw</a> — FAO (@FAO) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAO/status/1230794272317870081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2020</a></blockquote> During plagues, the locust population could spread to 20 per cent of the Earth’s land and affect more than 65 per cent of the world’s poorest countries, according to <a href="http://www.fao.org/food-chain-crisis/how-we-work/plant-protection/locusts/en/">the UN</a>. Speaking at <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/02/1057071">UN Headquarters</a> in February, Lowcock said immediate action is needed as the rainy season beginning in March may exacerbate the situation. “In this region where there is so much suffering and so much vulnerability and fragility, we simply cannot afford another major shock,”Lowcock said. “We do have a chance to nip this problem in the bud, but that’s not what we’re doing at the moment. We’re running out of time. “There is a risk of a catastrophe. Perhaps we can prevent it; we have an obligation to try. Unless we act now, we’re unlikely to do so.” The FAO has appealed for $138 million in funding to assist the countries in curbing the spread, but has amassed just <a href="http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1263867/icode/">$52 million as of mid-March.</a>

International Travel

The reason why fires are lighting up the east coast of Australia

Last week saw an unprecedented outbreak of large, intense fires stretching from the mid-north coast of New South Wales into central Queensland. The most tragic losses are concentrated in northern NSW, where 970,000 hectares have been burned, three people have died, and at least 150 homes have been destroyed. A <a href="https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fdr-and-tobans">catastrophic fire warning</a> for Tuesday has been issued for the Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, Shoalhaven and Illawarra areas. It is the first time Sydney has received a catastrophic rating since the rating system was developed in 2009. No relief is in sight from this extremely hot, dry and windy weather, and the extraordinary magnitude of these fires is likely to increase in the coming week. Alarmingly, as Australians increasingly seek a sea-change or tree-change, more people are living in the path of these destructive fires. Unprecedented state of emergency Large fires have happened before in northern NSW and southern Queensland during spring and early summer (for example in 1994, 1997, 2000, 2002, and 2018 in northern NSW). But this latest extraordinary situation raises many questions. It is as if many of the major fires in the past are now being rerun concurrently. What is unprecedented is the size and number of fires rather than the seasonal timing. The potential for large, intense fires is determined by <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2009.00512.x">four fundamental ingredients</a>: a continuous expanse of fuel; extensive and continuous dryness of that fuel; weather conditions conducive to the rapid spread of fire; and ignitions, either human or lightning. These act as a set of switches, in series: all must be “on” for major fires to occur. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301032/original/file-20191111-194628-1xowzaz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301032/original/file-20191111-194628-1xowzaz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> L ive fuel moisture content in late October 2019. The ‘dry’ and ‘transitional’ moisture categories correspond to conditions associated with over 95% of historical area burned by bushfire. <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2016GL0686140" class="source">Estimated from MODIS satellite imagery for the Sydney basin Bioregion.</a> The NSW north coast and tablelands, along with much of the southern coastal regions of Queensland are famous for their diverse range of eucalypt forest, heathlands and rainforests, which flourish in the warm temperate to subtropical climate. These forests and shrublands can rapidly accumulate bushfire fuels such as leaf litter, twigs and grasses. The unprecedented drought across much of Australia has created exceptional dryness, including high-altitude areas and places like gullies, water courses, swamps and steep south-facing slopes that are normally too wet to burn. These typically wet parts of the landscape have literally evaporated, allowing fire to spread unimpeded. The drought has been particularly acute in northern NSW where record low rainfall has led to <a href="https://biocollect.ala.org.au/acsa/project/index/77285a13-e231-49e8-b212-660c66c74bac">widespread defoliation and tree death</a>. It is no coincidence current fires correspond directly with hotspots of <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/drought/">record low rainfall and above-average temperatures</a>. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301040/original/file-20191111-194650-458t68.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301040/original/file-20191111-194650-458t68.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Annual trends in live fuel moisture. The horizontal line represents the threshold for the critical ‘dry’ fuel category, which corresponds to the historical occurrence of most major wildfires in the Bioregion. Estimated from MODIS imagery for the Sydney basin Bioregion Thus, the North Coast and northern ranges of NSW as well as much of southern and central Queensland have been primed for major fires. A continuous swathe of critically dry fuels across these diverse landscapes existed well before last week, as shown by damaging fires in September and October. High temperatures and wind speeds, low humidity, and a wave of new ignitions on top of pre-existing fires has created an unprecedented situation of multiple large, intense fires stretching from the coast to the tablelands and parts of the interior. More people in harm’s way Many parts of the NSW north coast, southern Queensland and adjacent hinterlands have seen population growth around major towns and cities, as people look for pleasant coastal and rural homes away from the capital cities. The extraordinary number and ferocity of these fires, plus the increased exposure of people and property, have contributed to the tragic results of the past few days. Communities flanked by forests along the coast and ranges are highly vulnerable because of the way fires spread under the influence of strong westerly winds. Coastal communities wedged between highly flammable forests and heathlands and the sea, are particularly at risk. As a full picture of the extent and location of losses and damage becomes available, we will see the extent to which planning, building regulations, and fire preparation has mitigated losses and damage. These unprecedented fires are an indication that a much-feared future under climate change may have arrived <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222328">earlier than predicted</a>. The week ahead will present high-stakes new challenges. The most heavily populated region of the nation is now at critically dry levels of fuel moisture, below those at the time of the disastrous Christmas fires of 2001 and 2013. Climate change has been predicted to <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WF08133">strongly increase</a> the chance of large fires across this region. The conditions for Tuesday are a real and more extreme manifestation of these longstanding predictions. Whatever the successes and failures in this crisis, it is likely that we will have to rethink the way we plan and prepare for wildfires in a hotter, drier and more flammable world.<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/126750/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ross-bradstock-1495">Ross Bradstock</a>, Professor, Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachael-helene-nolan-179005">Rachael Helene Nolan</a>, Postdoctoral research fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> 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/drought-and-climate-change-were-the-kindling-and-now-the-east-coast-is-ablaze-126750">original article</a>.

Domestic Travel

Inside the world of million-dollar beauty pageants – for camels

When you hear “beauty pageants” you probably think of human women (and men) competing. However, a series of pageants on the Arabian Peninsula celebrate the beauty of the dromedary, or one-humped camel. Interest in camel beauty competitions has grown since the boom of oil production during the 20th century, as camels became associated with status and wealth. These pageants have become massive. In 2017, some 30,000 camels competed in the <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=King+Adul+Aziz+Camel+Festival&oq=King+Adul+Aziz+Camel+Festival&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8">King Abul Aziz Camel Festival</a> in Saudi Arabia, which has a <a href="https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/en/king-abdulaziz-camel-festival-will-crown-miss-camel-this-month/">prize pool</a> of around AU$45 million. The winners in six categories each get roughly AU$7.5 million, along with the crown of “<a href="https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/en/king-abdulaziz-camel-festival-will-crown-miss-camel-this-month/">Miss Camel</a>”. The lure of these glittering prizes has also led to cheating. Earlier this year 12 camels were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/24/saudi-camel-beauty-contest-judges-get--hump-botox-cheats">disqualified</a> from a camel beauty pageant in Saudi Arabia after receiving Botox injections to improve the look of their lips and noses. So what constitutes a prize-winning camel? Omani camel contests Many breeds of camels compete in pageants across the Arabian Peninsula, so they are all assessed differently. I have worked with the Omani Camel Racing Federation to help develop a new scoring system, which aims to improve transparency and fairness. A requirement of Omani beauty contests is that only pure-bred camels from Oman may participate. Camel owners must testify under oath to the authenticity of their animals’ pedigree, or they are banned from taking part. Local committees of experts assess and rank the camels, which are categorised by age after a teeth examination. They look for: <ul> <li>Coat:a natural appearance with shiny hair of a clearly definable colour. The brighter the hair, the more beautiful the pageant entrant is considered to be. No hair-colouring, tattooing or other cosmetic modification is allowed.</li> <li>Neck:must be long, wide, and elegant and lean, neither overly full nor skinny. The area between the neck and the hump should be long and strong.</li> <li>Head:should be large and upright as well as proportioned to the rest of the body. Lips are pouty and pendulous, with the upper lip being cleft, chin is visible from the front and side, and eyes are wide with long, dark lashes. Ears are long, furrowed and pricked up, and also keep the sand out.</li> <li>Hump:large and shapely, in the usual position close to the back – a good posture and a large hump may increase a camel’s chance of winning.</li> </ul> How competitions happen Pageant contestants are housed away from the sun and fed milk, wheat, honey and dates before the competition. During the contest itself, a handful of judges appointed by Omani Camel Racing Federation inspect the camels, consult with each other, and rank the animals. The whole scoring process is qualitative, and at no point do the judges write a score or explain the reasoning behind their decisions. The increasing popularity of camel beauty contests has caused some dissatisfaction over the absence of a formal scoring system. While studying the genetics of a range of animals as diverse as crocodiles, platypuses, oryxes, wild pigs and peccaries, I agreed to take on a project to define criteria for competitions, based on the traditional judging system. We began with a simple question: “What features make a camel beautiful from an Omani perspective?” We then developed a numerical scoring card to help judges explain their decisions. We identified 22 body measurements across the head, upper body, front and rear, as well as general appearance and colour. Each of these is scored to give a maximum total of 100 points. The judges we have consulted are happy with the outcome and are looking forward to validating the system in upcoming major contests across Oman. We are also assessing overall genetic patterns of the pageant contestants and their association with beauty traits. We will be extending our genetic studies to camels used for racing, milk and meat in Oman. The scoring and ranking of camels during beauty contests can be a challenging business. We hope giving judges a numerical system will lend support to their decisions and help keep the owners and the general public, and consequently the pageant contestants, happy. Written by Jaime Gongora and Mahmood Alamri. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/inside-the-world-of-million-dollar-beauty-pageants-for-camels-98759">The Conversation</a>.

Beauty & Style

How Princess Charlotte's life will change as a middle child

Anyone who’s ever been a ‘middle child’ would attest to how tricky it can be to be sandwiched between siblings. With a new royal baby due to arrive next month, parenting and family experts have warned the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to be on high alert for the tell-tale signs of middle child syndrome in Princess Charlotte. With Princess Charlotte set to be relegated from the adorable baby of the family to that ‘dreaded’ middle spot, experts have told Will and Kate to be on high alert. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Princess Charlotte's favourite hobby is probably the same as yours <a href="https://t.co/LGV1z3uy1P">https://t.co/LGV1z3uy1P</a> <a href="https://t.co/80irgcjHPD">pic.twitter.com/80irgcjHPD</a> — Harper's Bazaar UK (@BazaarUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/BazaarUK/status/974257908769808384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote> “It's nice because (the children) have got each other as company, but sometimes you can get a bit of sibling rivalry going on,” Sue Atkins told the Express UK. “The first one is the eldest and the youngest gets away with murder - the middle child sometimes struggles to find their feet.” It’s definitely not all doom and gloom however, with a recent report in Psychology Today suggesting middle children develop a host of individual skills through their position, growing into, “excellent negotiators” as well as being, “skilful and savvy”. The journal also suggests middle children are, “independent, think outside the box, feel less pressure to conform, and are more empathetic”. What are your thoughts?

Family & Pets

6 foods that prevent middle age spread, according to a dietician

Susie Burrell is one of Australia’s leading dieticians. She is founder of <a href="http://www.shapeme.com.au/" target="_blank">Shape Me</a>, an online diet and lifestyle program which gives users direct access to her to support them with their weight loss goals. None of us like it, but inevitably we gain weight as we get older. The combination of hormonal changes, a reduction in metabolic rate as we lose muscle mass over time and less active lifestyles mean that ‘middle aged’ spread equates to gradual weight gain each and every year. Finally we have some scientific evidence to show that the types of foods we choose on a day to day basis are crucial when it comes to preventing the ‘age creep’ many of us see in our older years. The study published by Tuffs University in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tracked the dietary patterns of over 120 000 US health professionals over 16 years. The study found that the diets that had the highest glycaemic load caused by a regular intake of foods that course rapid rises in blood glucose levels were associated with weight gain over time. On the other hand, protein rich staples including dairy, seafood, lean chicken and nuts were associated with weight loss over time. From a physiological perspective these findings make sense – protein rich foods are not only nutrient rich but they help to control blood glucose levels and keep us fuller for longer after eating them. Refined carbs and sugars as found in white breads and rice, soft drinks, juices and snack food result in relatively high release of the hormone insulin, which is related to weight gain and increased blood glucose levels. From a practical perspective, the findings of this study are a good reminder of the need to work towards a balance of protein rich foods and a controlled amount of low glycaemic index carbohydrate in your daily diet rather than basing meals and snacks around carb rich foods such as rice, pasta, processed grains and processed snack foods made from white flour and sugars. For example Greek yoghurt with a couple of spoons of oats as opposed to a large bowl of cereal with a little milk; or a chicken salad with a slice of bread rather than a Turkish bread sandwich. Such changes reduce the glycaemic load of your diet which will only be of benefit for weight control and diabetes prevention long term. Specially, here are some of the other anti-aging superfoods shown in this study to keep your waistline thinner as the years tick by, as they do, seemingly so quickly! 1. Greek yoghurt Greek yoghurt not only contains much less sugar than the average serve of store bought yoghurt but it is much higher in protein which helps to keep your blood glucose levels regulated throughout the day. An added benefit will come if you choose a variety of Greek yoghurt which also contains probiotics, the live bacteria that will help to feed the good bacteria in the gut and is thought to have a powerful role in optimal immune functioning long term. Enjoy with some oats for breakfast, as a filling snack, as a light dessert option, add to smoothies and protein shakes or even as a dressing option with vegetables for a daily calcium boost. 2. Cottage cheese Cottage cheese is one of the most nutrient dense foods you can enjoy. With a hearty serve of more than 16g of protein per ½ cup along with calcium, magnesium and Vitamin B12, adding a serve of cottage cheese into your day is a great way to bump up your intake of essential nutrients for very few calories. When you consider that more than 4 million Australians have osteopenia, or a low bone density, eating calcium rich foods on a daily basis needs to be a priority throughout our adult lives. 3. Fish Exceptionally high in protein, low in fat and calories, any type of fish is a superfood when it comes to weight control. Served grilled, BBQ’d or even fried in a little olive oil, fish is a perfect base to light meals served with plenty of brightly coloured, nutrient rich veges. Of particular nutritional value are deep sea cold fish such as sardines and salmon which contain some of the highest concentrations from omega 3 fats, a natural anti-inflammatory. Aim for at least 2-3 serves of a mix of different types of fish each week and remember that fresh is always best as it contains much less salt than smoked or tinned varieties. 4. Chicken breast While good quality protein is required to protect muscle breakdown as we get older, the extra saturated fat found in fatty cuts of red meat or chicken legs and thighs is not. Chicken breast is exceptionally lean and is a rich source of protein, B-vitamins and magnesium. Enjoy with lunchtime salads, marinated with vegetables or made into mince to enjoy with zucchini pasta, burgers or in lettuce cups. 5. Nuts A serve of nuts each day ensures that we are getting a good dose of poly and mono unsaturated fat each day as well as protein, fibre and Vitamin E. When it comes to which type, a mix of different nuts will ensure you get the range of micronutrients different nuts offer. A nut based snack mid-afternoon is a great dietary habit. Not only will this help to ward off the pre-dinner munchies as nuts are a great source of protein and fibre, but the low carbohydrate content of nuts will help to taper off your fuel intake towards the second half of the day which is conducive to weight control. Just remember that 30g or ~20 nuts is a serve. 6. Eggs You will be hard pressed to find a more nutritionally complete food than the humble egg. Packed with protein, key nutrients including zinc as well as 20 other vitamins and minerals, eggs can easily be incorporated into any meal and prepared in minutes. Whether they are enjoyed for breakfast on wholegrain toast, added to sandwiches or salads at lunchtime or whipped into a quick frittata or omelette, eggs are the number one fridge food by far. And before you get too concerned about the cholesterol content of eggs, keep in mind that it is not cholesterol but saturated fat that increases blood cholesterol levels and 1-2 eggs each day will not have adverse effects on blood cholesterol when consumed as part of a nutritionally balanced diet.

Body

10 facts about travel in the Middle East

The Middle East might have a bad reputation, but it’s got some of the world’s safest, and most interesting countries to visit. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore an ancient and exotic region that has so much to offer. For 10 things you have to know about travelling in the Middle East, scroll through the gallery above. Have you ever travelled to the Middle East?

International Travel

US holiday: East Coast or West Coast?

East or west, which is best (for you)? Landscapes Winner: West Coast One of the world’s most breathtaking coastlines, golden sand beaches, starkly beautiful desert, iconic national parks and jaw-dropping mountains – the West Coast has this category in the bag. The East Coast is lovely in its own way, but you won’t find the sheer variety of dramatic landscapes that you get at every turn in the West. History Winner: East Coast All of the USA’s oldest European settlements are on the East Coast and you can step back as far as the early Spanish settlers. Visit the oldest city in the country, St Augustine in Florida, then see where the first Pilgrims arrived to settle the new world around Boston and New York City. Weather Winner: West Coast The weather on much of the West Coast is practically perfect year round. Hot dry summers, cool mild winters and hardly any of the extremes that you’ll experience in the east. Plus, you can travel just a little way inland for your hit of snow at resorts like Lake Tahoe. Culture Winner: East Coast Los Angeles has around 100 museums. New York is home to more than double that. Over East, you’ll also find the most famous theatre strip in the world, Broadway, plus a rich literary tradition, galleries, fantastic bookstores, national monuments and much more. Food Winner: it’s a tie People like to make fun of American cuisine, claiming it’s all fast food in enormous sizes. But in reality, you’ll find some of the most exciting, innovative, delicious food and exceptionally good produce in the USA. In the East, you can feast on fresh lobster every day or tuck into a classic New York steak. West side, try on trend food trucks, the latest celebrity restaurant and out of this world Mexican-inspired meals. Have you ever travelled in the US? Where did you visit?

International Travel

Woman performs yoga routine in the middle of packed flight

There’s nothing worse than being stuck on a cramped flight for hours without being able to stretch your legs beyond a few laps of economy class. But one passenger has taken “stretching your legs” to a whole new level. An activewear-clad woman has been filmed performing a yoga routine in the middle of her packed flight while her fellow passengers watch on in astonishment. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fl__icGDOFY" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Wearing headphones, leggings and a hoodie, the young woman appears to be completely oblivious to the people around her. When she finally returns to her seat, two flight attendants can be seen laughing in the background. The bizarre in-flight behaviour has sparked mixed reactions online, with many people sympathetic to the woman’s need to stretch, while others saw it as “attention-seeking”. “I’m torn, because on one hand this feels obnoxious and attention seeking, but on the other hand I totally get the need to stretch because flights are stupidly cramped,” one woman wrote on Facebook. “All in all, much less inappropriate than putting your bare feet on the seat in front of you!” “No. There should be rules against this stuff,” commented another. “Nobody needs to see people flailing about on planes, this is not your living room.” Tell us in the comments below, what would your reaction be if you saw this behaviour on a flight?

International Travel

Why you should never use your middle name when booking a flight

Tis the season to be travelling, and the last thing you want is a hold up at the check-in counter because of an error with the spelling of your name. Aviation Manager Andrew McLeish offered some advice to travellers on question and answer website Quora, stating, “When buying your ticket, don't give your middle name(s). “The name fields on the ticket are first/last. Including your middle name increases the chance of error and incurring a change fee.” Airlines can charge up to $100 to change the name on your ticket – even if the error wasn’t your fault. Skipping the middle name offers one less chance of a spelling mistake occurring. This is especially the case with phone bookings or when you book through a travel agent where you aren’t typing in your details yourself. McLeish offers some more advice to make travelling a hassle-free experience. <ul> <li>Book with the exact same name on your passport: "Just ensure that if you are double-barrelled, the other name is officially part of your surname," he says. Don’t get caught out like many honeymooners do when they book with their married name.</li> <li>Use the drop down options for your title, rather than typing it yourself. "If they have a drop down field, use it. I kid you not, a month or two ago we had customers booking through the website who manually typed in the title and also used the drop down. So we had MR DOCTOR JOHN SMITH and MRS DOCTOR JANE SMITH," he explained. "They were embarrassed when we called but less happy when they incurred a name change fee of £60 ($A106) per person."</li> <li>Confirm the booking and check your tickets. "If you are phone booking and have an unusual name, spell it, even if the agent says they have already. This means if the name comes up incorrect, it is on the phone recording that you spelled it and they got it wrong. Liability no longer yours," he advises. "When you get your confirmation through, for Pete's sake, check it. Carefully. It only takes a moment but if you don't it can be expensive.</li> </ul> Have you ever had to deal with an incorrect name on your airline ticket? We would love to hear your story in the comments.

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