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How to write a memoir

<p><strong>How to start a memoir</strong></p> <p><em>My Story </em>by Russell Durling is my 85-year-old father’s account of the highlights of his life. He is writing and editing it, by hand, in several notepads I gave him as a Christmas gift to encourage the memoir project he had talked about for years.</p> <p>In it, my dad shares stories of summer jobs when he was a teenager, breaking up log jams on the Saint John River near his hometown of Meductic, New Brunswick. He’d move from log to floating log to reach shore again safely – and he loved every minute of this adventure, even when he’d land in the water.</p> <p>Reading an early draft, I learned new details of his history, like how when they were children, his cousin Clara had a pet crow. He also wrote about lessons learned from his Royal Canadian Mounted Police career, which was spent mostly in Nova Scotia, and shared insights about how to retire well. Pro tip from my father: to add a decade to your life, ditch the city (if you can).</p> <p>This memoir will be a treasure for our family, and I’m glad my father was finally able to start writing it, after spending a long time talking about wanting to. And I get it. Writing your life story can feel like a daunting project. But it’s worth it, both to the writer and their potential readers. If you’re having a hard time putting pen to paper, here’s advice on how to start a memoir.</p> <p><strong>First, ask yourself why you're writing a memoir </strong></p> <p>Esmeralda Cabral is a writer who works with people who wouldn’t normally consider themselves writers through her workshop, <em>Writing Your Life</em>. Often, she helps people create written treasures for their families, and sometimes they’re writing just for themselves. To her, and those she teaches, memoir writing can be a way of remembering and reflecting on experiences both positive and negative.</p> <p>“There is a clarity that comes when you put something down on paper,” says Cabral. “Remembering and writing helps us make sense of things. If you don’t write it down or tell it, it’s lost. And that’s a shame.”</p> <p>Begin by jotting down your reasons for writing your story. You could summarise those reasons on a Post-It and stick it on your fridge as an encouraging reminder to stay motivated. After all, there are many good reasons to write: to remember and reflect on your past, to capture your adventures, to share life lessons with family and friends, or maybe even to be published. Consider sharing your plan with a friend or family member who can check in and cheer your progress.</p> <p><strong>Where to start</strong></p> <p>You don’t have to start a memoir with day one. In fact, as much as your future readers love you, they may find that approach less than gripping.</p> <p>In her workshops, Cabral helps people to start a memoir by using a photo that is meaningful to them. She asks them to imagine sitting down with a good friend and telling them the story behind it. Or begin your writing with an event or story you are particularly interested in sharing. What grabs you as a big moment? Select a vivid memory and start there.</p> <p>“Plug your nose and jump in and write down all your memories as truthfully as you can,” summarises New York Times bestselling author Anne Lamott in <em>Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life</em>. Maybe start with a birthday party you remember, or your first-grade classroom. Try writing at the same time every day, so you can build a routine that will keep you putting words on the page.</p> <p><strong>Write what you want </strong></p> <p>In every life, there is light and shadow, joy and grief. If you are hesitant to write your memoir because you have difficult stories that might hurt others, there is a solution. First, “You don’t have to write about everything,” says Cabral. “It’s okay to have secrets that go with you to the grave.”</p> <p>Simply knowing you have the freedom to not go to the darkest of places in your writing can lift you over those psychological hurdles of hesitation. However, writing often takes on a life of its own. If you find yourself standing outside a door you had marked as “Do Not Enter,” consider Cabral’s advice: “Write about the hard things as if the person you are writing about is reading it. Be as kind as you can. Leave them with dignity.”</p> <p><strong>Who is your audience?</strong></p> <p>If you’re writing for your eyes only, as a kind of personal therapy, then you may be purposely opening doors and exploring what’s on the other side. That’s okay, too. You are creating a treasure for yourself, and that can be very healthy. </p> <p>Besides, whether the writing is for you or for others, you can always hit the delete button or visit the paper shredder later, if you wish. For now, just get it down.</p> <p><strong>Stop yourself from sticking to rules</strong></p> <p>Avoid letting worries over style or structure stop you from writing. If you care enough about grammar, you can ask someone you trust to read it over later on, or even hire a freelance editor if you’re really fretting over verb tenses. Remember, perfection in writing is not your goal.</p> <p><strong>Readers are interested</strong></p> <p>Writers also might hesitate to share stories because they fear they are boring. “I hear a lot of people say, ‘Oh no, that wouldn’t be interesting to anyone but me,’” says Cabral. But our life stories are of interest to others, whether they feel ordinary to us or if they really are extraordinary. They remind us we are all in this together.</p> <p>Writer Pauline Dakin, author of the award-winning 2017 memoir <em>Run, Hide, Repeat: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood</em>, was surprised how much the unusual story of her childhood on the run connected with readers. She’s since heard from hundreds of people. “They often begin by saying, ‘My family wasn’t nearly as crazy as yours, but…,’” she says. “They are relieved to hear my story. It makes them feel they are not alone.”</p> <p>We are all far more interesting than we know, she adds. It’s just a matter of believing we have a story to tell.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/uncategorized/how-to-write-a-memoir" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Books

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"Ended for good": Prince William launches project inspired by Lady Di

<p>Prince William has launched his most ambitious project to date, announcing his plan to end homelessness in the UK within five short years. </p> <p>The Prince of Wales set out to visit six areas in the UK that experience different types of homelessness with a distinct set of challenges, outlining a detailed plan to see homelessness eradicated. </p> <p>On his two-day tour, the 41-year-old royal shared that his late mother, Princess Diana, was a big inspiration behind the project, after she helped open William's eyes to the nation-wide problem. </p> <p>In the south London borough of Lambeth, Prince William described how he was inspired by "heart-breaking" visits to shelters he made with his mother as a child. </p> <p>"My first visit to a homelessness shelter was when I was 11 with my mother," he told the Mosaic Clubhouse, which supports people with mental health problems.</p> <p>"The visits we made, left a deep and lasting impression."</p> <p>"I met so many extraordinary people and listened to so many heart-breaking personal stories. Too many people have found themselves without a stable and permanent place to call home."</p> <p>"Through these visits, I have seen first-hand the breadth and complexities of homelessness."</p> <p>William said he hoped the Homewards program would "inspire belief throughout the UK and beyond that homelessness can be ended for good".</p> <p>Prince William's Homewards program focuses on preventing homelessness before it begins, bringing together all organisations working in the sector to create solutions that target local challenges.</p> <p>The launch of the project, which was two years in the making, comes days before what would have been Diana's 62nd birthday on July 1st. </p> <p>A major focus of Homewards will be on providing homes to those who need them.</p> <p>"I am pleased to stand here today at the start of our path to ending homelessness," he said.</p> <p>"Over the next five years, I believe that we have a unique opportunity to develop innovative new solutions and scale tangible impact. This will inspire belief throughout the UK – and beyond – that homelessness can be ended for good."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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Robert Irwin gets candid about health issue affecting his family

<p dir="ltr">Robert Irwin has opened up about how dementia has affected his family.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 19-year-old appeared on <em>The Project</em> as a co-host when they began discussing dementia - a disorder that can affect thinking, memory and behaviour.</p> <p dir="ltr">The son of the late Steve Irwin said that he doesn’t think there’s anyone living who hasn’t encountered a person with dementia.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think there’s no-one living who hasn’t encountered someone or has a loved one who has experienced this,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know my grandfather on my mum’s side had a form of dementia and a lot of family friends have had that as well and it’s just, it’s devastating.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Someone you love, someone you’re close to you see going through that and just not being able to relive and enjoy the moments they had it’s heartbreaking.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I guess it just reminds you you’ve got to spend every second with the people you love and really surround yourself with love and light and hopefully this is light at the end of the tunnel for a safe way for people to stop this.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Alzheimer’s is the merciless brain condition that slowly erodes the cognitive function and precious memories of thousands of Australians. But, a revolutionary new treatment could turn the tide in the fight against the disease. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheProjectTV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheProjectTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/IVuMloeUN5">pic.twitter.com/IVuMloeUN5</a></p> <p>— The Project (@theprojecttv) <a href="https://twitter.com/theprojecttv/status/1599316365369901058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Robert went on to say that he will continuing his father’s legacy and how proud he is to be a part of it, speaking about a recent performance with the Wiggles.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Wiggles are just legendary, my dad actually did a really fun collaboration project with them at Australia Zoo way back in the day 20 years ago,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So we’ve worked with them for a long time so the fact all of the original Wiggles came back to support our charity Wildlife Warriors means the world.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dad set this up as a way to support wildlife conservation here in Australia and on the global stage and a night like that just makes us realise his legacy is alive and thriving and it’s the honour of a lifetime to keep that going.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Robert recently celebrated his <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/robert-irwin-turns-19-in-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">19th birthday</a> at Australia Zoo with his mother and rumoured girlfriend, Scarlett Buckley, who is the niece of the late Heath Ledger.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: The Project</em></p>

Caring

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Family told to make way for highway project hours after moving in to new home

<p dir="ltr">Hours after picking up the keys to his newly-built family home, Anil Konda was informed that his whole property would be used in upgrades to Queensland’s Bruce Highway.</p> <p dir="ltr">After putting down an initial deposit on the land in Griffin, in Brisbane’s north, Mr Konda relocated his young family of four to Queensland, and they found a rental to stay in, a new school for the kids, and endured 11 months of building delays before stepping into their new home.</p> <p dir="ltr">But their good news was short-lived, with the state government’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) sending an email requesting Mr Konda to call them for more information on the “future land requirement” before calling him that afternoon.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When I asked specific details like, 'How is it impacted? Am I going to lose a certain amount of land?', they told me like it's going to be the entire thing," he told the <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-19/qld-home-owners-angry-bruce-highway-update-land-resumption/101549992" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The entire house has to be taken out."</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Konda said the family wanted to see the construction of their new home in person since it was their first house, and that even if they can live in their home for the next few years, they know it will be taken away.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They just took away the joy of our new home,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We don't have the belongingness (sic)."</p> <p dir="ltr">But Mr Konda’s family isn’t alone.</p> <p dir="ltr">Their home is part of the relatively new Aspire development, where there are still vacant lots, houses in the midst of construction, and residents who have mostly moved in within the past few months.</p> <p dir="ltr">A TMR spokesperson confirmed that the owners of 24 residential lots have been contacted about the plans.</p> <p dir="ltr">Charmaine and James Jackson are owners of another of the affected blocks of land, which they purchased and built their dream home on in 2021, the same year they had their second child.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was eight days after he was born we went to the office to pick out our tile colours, our paint and everything like that," Mrs Jackson said.</p> <p dir="ltr">With their youngest just turning one, they had hopes of staying in the home until both boys had left school.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I just need an explanation," Mr Jackson said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"How could this have happened where you've allowed people so freshly to have built new houses only to tell them that they're going to be torn down in the middle of a housing crisis."</p> <p dir="ltr">After receiving the email, Mr Jackson contacted TMR to ask why the title was allowed to be registered.</p> <p dir="ltr">"They said when Aspire put in the planning application we didn't have planning up-to-date at that time to confirm any impacts," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the highway project was still in its very early planning stages, and that more specific numbers of residents who will be impacted will be determined as planning progresses.</p> <p dir="ltr">"If we do require someone's property, we get independent evaluations and market rates, so that we make sure that people who are impacted in the end, that they are looked after and that they get fair value and compensation,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's never a good process and of course these are relatively recent approvals by the local governments involved, so I can appreciate why they would feel aggrieved by the process."</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-66db1177-7fff-63f2-89c4-11e610be4b34"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: ABC News (Facebook)</em></p>

Real Estate

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Not without my dog! Man wins anti-discrimination case against pet chihuahua

<p>Queensland pet owner Raymond Matthews has won an anti-discrimination claim against his local pub after his assistance chihuahua, Coo-ee, was denied entry.</p> <p>Matthews' favourite watering hole was The Woombye Pub, a stone's throw from his home on the Sunshine Coast. “I’d go up there for a chicken parmi and a beer, maybe once or twice a week,” he told <a href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/sunshine-coast-man-wins-8000-discrimination-claim-after-pub-refused-entry-to-his-assistance-chihuahua--c-8079310" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7 News</a>.</p> <p>However, that all came to an end in 2017 when new management started refusing entry to Coo-ee.</p> <p>“(The) dog almost got run over one night, having had to stay outside. I went back inside and got directed out and barred for a month and made out to be the bad guy - that I’d intimidated people.”</p> <p>Three years of consistent refusal-of-entry to The Woombye then caused Matthews to say enough was enough and seek legal recourse.</p> <p>In a case opened against the pub, the tribunal found the venue broke anti-discrimination laws and awarded Matthews $8000 in compensation.</p> <p>Matthews said he tried to explain the significance of Coo-ee to the new owners but they wouldn’t listen.</p> <p>“The more I tried to convince them, the more I sounded like a broken record,” he said. “I’d been to the doctor to get the dog signed off as an assistant.</p> <p>“What she does is she introduces me to myriad people - the amount of hurdles I’ve got over because of the dog, just breaking the barriers down that normally exist with bureaucracy.</p> <p>“I take the dog with me and it just brings people down to a level playing field and you can speak with them, you can get along with them, you’ve got a common denominator and the dog, I feel, is the one that does it.”</p> <p>In a happy ending – certainly for Coo-ee at any rate – Matthews and the pup have now been welcomed into the venue.</p> <p><em>Image: Sunrise</em></p>

Family & Pets

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How a new art project in Bathurst is embracing the many identities of the town

<p>For many, Bathurst’s Mount Panorama is exclusively a car racing venue. For Indigenous Australians it is a place called Wahluu, where First Nations women once offered their sons for tribal initiation.</p> <p>It is a cherished Wiradyuri territory that hosts dreaming and creation stories. Earlier this year, further development on the site <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2021/05/03/wahluu-womens-site-be-protected-says-federal-environment-minister">was blocked</a>, with the federal government acknowledging the cultural significance of the location for the Wiradyuri people.</p> <p>In some respects, the conflicting identity of Bathurst’s mountain can be reconciled through the forms of masculinity it represents: the male-centric sport of car racing – so central to the town’s present-day image – and the rite of passage of young Aboriginal men into adulthood.</p> <p>Now, a new art project, <a href="https://kateofthesmiths.com.au/fast-cars-dirty-beats/">Fast Cars &amp; Dirty Beats</a> is navigating these cultural differences by fostering a sense of community.</p> <p>Created by artistic director Kate Smith, Fast Cars &amp; Dirty Beats embraces Mount Panorama’s/Wahluu’s dual identity that, for some, is representative of a cultural divide between black and white Australia. Smith’s vision is not culturally constrained, but rather expressive of a location that is complex and multicultural.</p> <p>Liaising with Bathurst Wiradyuri Elders, Smith and her artistic collaborators have developed a series of community-focused projects revolving around the cultural significance of Wahluu/Mount Panorama.</p> <p>One of these initiatives, Mountain Tales, was launched on the first of July as part of Bathurst’s Winter Festival. Mountain Tales is the culmination of a year-long community engagement connecting local schoolchildren, teachers and parents with skilled craftspeople and musicians, fashioning decorative lanterns and the cultivation of a drumming community.</p> <p><strong>A lantern procession</strong></p> <p>Although it was raining for the July launch, more than 300 locals formed a dramatic lantern procession on the cold winter’s night.</p> <p>I was swept up in the pageantry unravelling across the CBD, eventually settling at Bathurst’s historical <a href="https://tremainsmill.com/">Tremain’s Mill</a>. Here the community proudly displayed their beacons of light, paying homage to the Chinese presence in Bathurst since the 1800s.</p> <p>Supporting the procession, Rob Shannon’s drummers created a collective heartbeat, fostering a sense of joy and belonging.</p> <p>After this ceremony of light and sound, members of the community told stories about the significance of Mount Panorama/Wahluu. Yarns were shared concerning the mountain being a place where locals experienced a first kiss or participated in some youthful skylarking.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=800&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=800&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=800&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1005&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1005&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1005&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A paper lantern in the shape of a car." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Cars are central to Australia’s image of Bathurst – but they’re not the whole story.</span> <span class="attribution">Kate Smith</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Wiradyuri Elder Wirribee Aunty Leanna Carr-Smith explained to the group how the area plays host to both women’s and men’s business. But such stories are only for the ears of Indigenous women and men.</p> <p>There is a secrecy about Wahluu. Some stories are off limits to white Australians.</p> <p><strong>Wiradyuri Ngayirr Ngurambang – Sacred Country</strong></p> <p>The most breathtaking project launched at the Mountain Tales event is Aunty Leanna/Wirribee and Nicole Welch’s collaboration with Smith, <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/4hanss4771t8aim/SacredCountryV6_withAudio.mp4?dl=0">Wiradyuri Ngayirr Ngurambang – Sacred Country</a>, a film emblazoned across Tremain’s Mill.</p> <p>The old mill precinct is a reminder of colonisation and its violence. For this occasion it operated as a backdrop through which Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians connected. Beaming the film’s panoramic landscapes across this built environment juxtaposed the two cultures.</p> <p>Considering the urgency of global warming, the film brings together drone footage of Wahluu/Mount Panorama and aerial photography of other Indigenous landscapes in the region. It is an ethereal perspective. The soundscape is as rich and textured as the landscape, conveying an extraordinary, yet fragile, beauty.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=516&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=516&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=516&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=649&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=649&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=649&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Film still." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Projected onto the wall of Tremain’s Mill, Wiradyuri Ngayirr Ngurambang – Sacred Country is a meeting of Indigenous landscapes with colonial Australian history.</span> <span class="attribution">Kate Smith</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Wiradyuri Ngayirr Ngurambang – Sacred Country also explores shared understandings between First Nations and non-First Nations women. Their interracial connection is enacted through a seamless editing style that bridges the Tarana landscape to the Wahluu/Macquarie River, and then eventually to Wahluu/Mount Panorama.</p> <p>The film’s boundless landscapes evoke an all-embracing hospitality that traverses cultural differences. Sometimes the imagery creates vaginal shapes that feminises the country. The land and its creatures come across as alive and vibrant.</p> <p>Sky and earth are mirrored, inspiring our contemplation of eternity and the Indigenous custodianship of Country.</p> <p>Departing later that night, I pondered eternity. One lifetime is nothing compared to 65,000 years of Indigenous connection to Country. This awareness was both profound and comforting. But the night of collective celebration and storytelling also encouraged me, and no doubt others, to delight in life’s briefest moments.</p> <p><em>Wiradyuri Ngayirr Ngurambang – Sacred Country is playing at Tremain’s Mill, Bathurst, until July 17.</em> <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/185860/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/suzie-gibson-111690" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Suzie Gibson</a>, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles Sturt University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-new-art-project-in-bathurst-is-embracing-the-many-identities-of-the-town-185860" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Kate Smith</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Emotional Jimmy Barnes opens up about his "week from hell"

<p>Jimmy Barnes has opened up in a candid interview about his "week from hell", as he was rocked with three deaths after recovering from Covid-19 and cancelling his tour. </p> <p>Speaking with Nat Barr and Matt Shirvington on <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/entertainment/jimmy-barnes-opens-up-after-being-rocked-by-three-deaths-in-a-fortnight-c-7036564" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunrise</a></em>, the music legend said it hasn't been an easy time for his family. </p> <p>“It’s been a tough couple of weeks,” he said on Friday.</p> <p>“We lost three people who were really dear to us in a matter of a week.”</p> <p>Jimmy discussed the devastating losses, saying it began when <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/jimmy-barnes-reveals-family-tragedy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his sister Linda passed away</a>, just days before <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/jimmy-barnes-devastating-loss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his mother-in-law also tragically died</a>. </p> <p>Barnes said he and his family had gathered around his wife Jane’s mum and played music in her final days.</p> <p>“Jane’s mother was one of the people who passed away and literally on the day before she died we started singing in her room,” he explained.</p> <p>“It was like a rockfest, no wonder she wanted to escape,” he laughed.</p> <p>The music icon said singing his mother-in-law’s “favourite, beautiful songs as she left” was “the best gift” he could give her.</p> <div> <p>“The music helped us not only say goodbye but also to deal with those feelings, so it was very emotional.”</p> <p>Jimmy was also grieving the loss of a "dear friend" who worked in the music industry. </p> <p>He said, “In a week when you think that nothing else could break your heart, we lost our dear friend Warren Costello,” he wrote on social media at the time. </p> <p>Barnes was hit with the tragedies just weeks after recovering from a stint with Covid-19 in May, which forced the 66-year-old to cancel shows on his sold-out tour. </p> <p>“I thought I might be one of those people who was not going to get Covid ever. I was doing everything with the strict protocols on tour,” he explained.</p> <p>“Lo and behold, I got it while visiting my grandchild in New Zealand. I guess it had to happen sooner or later.”</p> <p>Despite the recent difficult weeks, Jimmy said he still relies on the power of music to bring him through the darkest days. </p> <p>He said, "I think music is not only something that brings you together, it is really great for the spirit."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Sunrise footage </em></p> </div>

Caring

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11 home improvement projects you can do yourself instead of hiring a professional

<p><strong>There's no better time to DIY</strong></p> <p>There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a job well done – and these DIY projects will boost your handyman status. They are simple enough to do on your own without spending a lot of cash on tools and supplies. Fasten that tool belt and get started!</p> <p><strong>General painting</strong></p> <p>“Some DIY projects can be done by homeowners with a small investment in the right tools and a little patience. Painting is a great way to give your home a face lift, and it’s not difficult if you do some research and take your time,” says Newell Slade, general contractor. No one wants to paint a room twice, so paint like the pros and buy high quality rollers and paint and choose a paint that has a primer already in it to save time and money. “Painting can be fun and relaxing if you just let yourself take the time to do it right.”</p> <p><strong>Patch and prime</strong></p> <p>There’s plenty of thrifty painting tricks you can use, starting with prepping the wall for optimal coverage. You need a smooth surface for the walls to be blemish free. Even larger holes can easily be repaired with wall patch kits found at home improvement stores. The steps are quite simple and will give your new painted walls a beautiful, smooth finish. “Using a spackle knife, fill in each hole with lightweight putty and scrape the excess off the walls. Wait for the putty to dry and sand down the spot until it’s smooth. Then, prime and paint the repaired spots,” says J.B. Sassano, president of a home improvement franchise.</p> <p><strong>Peel-and-stick floor</strong></p> <p>Looking for an inexpensive home improvement that will make a big impact? It doesn’t get much easier than peel-and-stick flooring. “This specific tile is easier to work with and prevents adhesive from oozing through the cracks between the tiles. It can even be installed over concrete if the concrete is clean, smooth and dry,” says Monica Mangin, host of DIY series, The Weekender. If you’re feeling creative, it’s easy to create bold patterns or borders with different using a variety of patterns and colours.</p> <p><strong>Peel-and-stick panels</strong></p> <p>Panelled rooms are making a comeback. This time around, the trend is usually horizontal and installation doesn’t require a hammer and nails, even though the panels are made from wood. “Creating a wood accent wall offers a great way to add personality and texture to your space. You can customise your look by playing with thickness and pre-stained colours,” says Mangin. “Mixing and matching the colours and styles will provide an eye-catching piece that pop.”</p> <p><strong>Penny tile</strong></p> <p>A tired and worn splashback can be replaced in a day. “Penny tile is a really affordable option, especially when it comes in white, which is one of the more standard colours,” says Mangin. But you don’t necessarily have to buy more tiles to get the colours you want. Mangin says you can customise this DIY home improvement by using enamel paints to colour individual tiles and bake them in the oven to fully cure. “After the white sheets are up on the wall, decide which tiles you want to pop out and then just pop in your DIY coloured tile,” says Mangin. Plus, these tiles don’t require a tile cutter, just a utility knife to cut the mesh sheets to fit the area.</p> <p><strong>Fences</strong></p> <p>It’s been said that fences make good neighbours, but the price shock of hiring a pro seems worse than the dog next door who likes to do his business in your yard every morning. Whether you want privacy or need to replace a worn-out fence, it’s a project that Bryan Clayton, CEO of GreenPal says you can do if you remember to do two important things: get a survey done to identify the correct property lines, and mark for pipes if you have underground sprinklers. However, there are certain fences that are friendlier for a DIY home improvement. “Based on my experience the easier types of fencing to install are the black aluminium-based products made to look like wrought iron,” says Clayton. “However, for fencing styles such as chain link and solid vinyl panels, I would not recommend doing it yourself – there’s quite a bit of a learning curve associated with getting them just right.”</p> <p><strong>A lasting first impression</strong></p> <p>A faded, outdated, or squeaky door doesn’t make a good first impression and it may not provide much in the line of security or keeping out drafts. Luckily you can create a more welcoming entrance by replacing your old door with a new one. Exterior doors are available pre-hung in a weatherstripped frame so all you need are a few tools and basic carpentry tools to install it. Depending on your budget, you can choose from steel doors which require little maintenance, or fibreglass doors that require almost none. Going with steel or fibreglass can save you money over wood, and they won’t rot or warp; the more expensive ones look just like real wood.</p> <p><strong>Window screen</strong></p> <p>Using packing tape may be a quick remedy for a hole or tear in the screen, but it’s not a permanent fix. Small patch kits are sold at home improvement stores and a small hole can easily be repaired in just a few minutes with the patch and a hair dryer. Larger screen tears, like from your dog’s excitement over an online delivery, can be a DIY project too, as long as the frame is in good shape. The most popular replacement material for screens is fibreglass because of its flexibility. Since you’re replacing the screen anyway you may want to get the sun-shading fabric which blocks more sun and – bonus – is stronger than fibreglass and aluminium so it’s great for pets.</p> <p><strong>Light fixtures and plumbing fixtures</strong></p> <p>“As long as you familiarise yourself with the basics of proper safety procedures such as turning off electricity and water when working, these are DIY home improvements worth doing,” says Brian C. McHugh, owner of McHugh Construction. For lighting, the key is knowing how much space you have to house a new light fixture. For example, ceiling fans come in various blade sizes to suit the size of your room. If you’re replacing a bathroom tap, you’ll want to buy a tap that matches the existing holes in the sink. If you don’t feel confident in your DIY skills, though, it’s better to just do the choosing yourself and leave the installation to the professionals.</p> <p><strong>Caulk it up</strong></p> <p>Inspecting and repairing caulk is a project you should do yearly, according to Sassano. “Using caulk to seal cracks and gaps serves multiple purposes: It lowers heating and air conditioning bills by reducing air flow into and out of the home; it prevents moisture that can cause wood rot, mould, mildew and water damage, and it keeps insects and other pests out,” he says. The project will determine which type of caulk. For example, silicone is best for the bathtub and shower area. Start by removing the old caulk, cleaning the surface, and then apply new caulk. Caulk removal tools and solutions make the project even easier.</p> <p><strong>Landscaping</strong></p> <p>Creating a backyard oasis can be a great way to express your creativity. A raised garden bed, adding new paver stones, or creating a perennial flower garden involves more sweat equity than expertise. You can still get some help for the heavy lifting. “Ask your local landscape supply to deliver your materials instead of renting trucks or equipment,” says McHugh. “The tools for most jobs such as shovels, rakes and a wheelbarrow are things you probably already have in your garage.”</p> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-44670a98-7fff-5184-42ee-20b15e18348f">Written by Lisa Marie Conklin. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/diy-projects/11-home-improvement-projects-you-can-do-yourself-instead-of-hiring-a-professional" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></span></em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

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How r/place – a massive and chaotic collaborative art project on Reddit – showcased the best and worst of online spaces

<p>Many would be familiar with <a href="https://www.reddit.com/">Reddit</a> as one of the largest social networking sites, with a large group of forums (“subreddits”) catering to almost any interest. </p> <p>Since the beginning of April, Reddit has played host to a massive collaborative art project called <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/place">r/place</a> that simultaneously shows us some of the best and worst attributes of cybercultures. </p> <p>Originally launched in 2017, r/place ran for 72 hours. The lifespan of the new r/place was also short – ultimately lasting for just five days. Beginning initially as a blank canvas, r/place allows users to place one coloured pixel every five minutes (or 20 minutes for unverified accounts) as they attempt to build a collective art piece. </p> <p>Traversing through r/place takes you for a journey through time, memes and cultures.</p> <p>At any one moment you might be looking at a Nine Inch Nails logo, the flags of various countries, a QR code linking you to a YouTube video titled The Most Logical Arguments AGAINST Veganism (In 10 Minutes), and a <a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/zyzz">homage to Zyzz</a> – a popular bodybuilding figure who passed away in 2011. </p> <p>Some artworks on r/place don’t seem to represent anything at all. The sole mission of <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/TheBlueCorner/">The Blue Corner</a> is (you guessed it) to have a blue corner depicted on the final art piece. </p> <p>The artwork constantly changes over its short lifetime. But even if the drawings of some communities may not go the distance, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnRCZK3KjUY">the time lapse videos</a> depicting the ongoing mutation of the canvas has become a key part of this art piece, ensuring all contributions play a vital part in the lifecycle of r/place.</p> <h2>Collaboration – and opposition</h2> <p>r/place shows us the collaborative nature of humans in online spaces. After its emergence in 2017 it was hailed as “<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/reddit-place-internet-experiment-579049">the internet’s best experiment yet</a>” and praised for capturing “<a href="https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2017/04/place-was-the-internet-in-all-its-glory/">the internet, in all its wonderful glory</a>”. </p> <p>This collaborative online art project allows people to express their individuality as well as collective identities formed through interactions with online spaces. </p> <p>This year’s iteration of r/place, in contrast to the previous version, demonstrates the interconnectivity of communities in digital spaces. No longer is r/place solely reserved for Reddit users. Now, there is clear power in drawing on communities distributed across Twitch, Discord and Twitter. </p> <p>This influx of communities from all over the internet has not been well-received by all.</p> <p>There is a belief Twitch streamers are ruining the work <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/place/comments/tw3fou/eu_streamer_took_over_our_small_asean_artworks/">of smaller communities</a> and are attempting to sabotage the project. </p> <p>Instead of being a democratic representation of online communities and their art, the argument goes, Twitch streamers are encouraging their fans, numbered in the hundreds of thousands, to capture hotly contested territory.</p> <p>Factions – such as those formed between <a href="https://twitter.com/Rubiu5/status/1511077247025057793">Spanish streamers and BTS fans</a> – have become the primary way to ensure power and influence over the art project. </p> <p>Smaller communities are driven out at the expense of larger influencers with more bargaining power in this pixel warfare. </p> <p>It is not just individuals taking part in this art project. Many believe “bots” are <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/place/comments/tu2gdg/bots_by_the_username_rplace_are_attempting_to/">running rampant</a>, performing automated tasks in a way that is antithetical to the idea of this artwork as a representation of human achievement as opposed to technical prowess. </p> <p>These examples are just a fraction of the chaos over the internet in the last few days: 4chan operated <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/place/comments/tufngh/4chan_is_trying_to_make_the_trans_community_look/">coordinated attacks</a> on the Trans flag and LGBTQ+ panels, and streamers are receiving an influx of <a href="https://clips.twitch.tv/TrappedBoringKleeCclamChamp-WJ0LwTK-Uhox6MSa">death threats</a>.</p> <h2>The best and worst of us</h2> <p>At its best, r/place is a powerful illustration of strangers coming together about their passions online and the collaborative nature of the internet. </p> <p>At its worst, it represents everything we have come to dislike about the internet: the exclusion of smaller voices at the expense of influencer cultures, factions between communities, and the toxicity of some cybercultures.</p> <p>Whatever the case, this project has been great for boosting Reddit’s publicity as the company <a href="https://fortune.com/2021/12/16/reddit-goes-public-ipo-filing/">goes public</a>.</p> <p>In its final moments earlier today, users could only place white tiles and watch the spectacle of a once vibrantly coloured collaborative art piece that caused so much chaos among online communities simply transform back into a blank canvas.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Reddit</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-r-place-a-massive-and-chaotic-collaborative-art-project-on-reddit-showcased-the-best-and-worst-of-online-spaces-180662" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

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“We really, really did it!”: Human genome finally completed

<p dir="ltr">Scientists say they have finally mapped the entire human genome, 20 years after it was first celebrated around the world.</p> <p dir="ltr">A team of international researchers have been able to fill in the gaps in the sequence that contains all of the genetic information humans need to function.</p> <p dir="ltr">The scientists worked together as part of the Telomere to Telomere (T2T) consortium and presented a gap-free sequence of the roughly three billion bases (or “letters”) in DNA.</p> <p dir="ltr">These letters, known as A, C, G and T, form pairs that are strung together to form genes and can include instructions for making proteins which are then used for everything from repairing tissue and helping our immune systems function to providing structure for our cells and allowing our bodies to move.</p> <p dir="ltr">The new research comes after the first draft of the human genome was announced in 2000, which was incomplete because technology to sequence DNA wasn’t able to read certain parts of it.</p> <p dir="ltr">These parts included really long, highly repetitive sequences of the letters which have been described as “junk DNA”.</p> <p dir="ltr">As technology evolved and the genome continued to be updated, about eight percent of the DNA in the genome was still unknown - until now.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Some of the genes that make us uniquely human were actually in this ‘dark matter of the genome’ and were totally missed,” Evan Eichler, a University of Washington researcher who was involved in the current research and the original Human Genome Project, told <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/scientists-finally-finish-decoding-entire-human-genome/2YQLOXHMWP5TWJJ6HW24WH5QGA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It took 20-plus years, but we finally got it done.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Many - including Eicher’s own students - thought the genome had been completed by now, making the latest achievement even more surprising.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was teaching them, and they said, ‘Wait a minute. Isn’t this like the sixth time you guys have declared victory?’ I said, ‘No, this time we really, really did it!’”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2005b113-7fff-3fcf-efca-0f8f8e295010"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The research is so significant it even prompted Eichler to write his first ever tweet announcing it.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">It only took a complete human genome for <a href="https://twitter.com/EichlerEE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EichlerEE</a> actually make his first twitter post. I think this means we can expect more posts from him in the future as long as <a href="https://twitter.com/aphillippy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aphillippy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sergeynurk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sergeynurk</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sergekoren?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sergekoren</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ArangRhie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArangRhie</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MikkoRautiaine3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikkoRautiaine3</a> finish some more genomes! <a href="https://t.co/aDSwBt6gW1">https://t.co/aDSwBt6gW1</a></p> <p>— Mitchell R. Vollger (@mrvollger) <a href="https://twitter.com/mrvollger/status/1509606815184547841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Karen Miga, another of the authors of the six studies released on Thursday, said having a complete picture of the genome would further the understanding of our evolution and pave the way for medical discoveries in areas such as ageing, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re just broadening our opportunities to understand human disease,” Miga said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Before now, Miga said the gaps in the map of the genome were “large and persistent” and in “pretty important regions”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The hugely collaborative work, including researchers from the University of California, the University of Washington, and the National Human Genome Research Institute, also corrects previous errors in the map.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a major improvement, I would say, of the Human Genome Project,” said geneticist Ting Wang, who wasn’t involved in the studies.</p> <p dir="ltr">It also turned out that these unknown stretches of DNA also contain some that play an important role in evolution and disease, and even some that are integral to making our brains larger than a chimp’s.</p> <p dir="ltr">Reading genes requires scientists to cut strands of DNA into pieces, which sequencing machines then read letter by letter. With the strands being anywhere from hundreds to thousands of letters long, scientists are then tasked with reordering the pieces so they are correct - a tough task when there are lots of repeating letters.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-bcb131c9-7fff-607b-e482-d45983d9d97c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">With technology now allowing for the genome to be complete, future research will look to map even more genomes and collect genes from both parents.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Body

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How to build timber covers for wheelie bins

<p>The Sekit flat-packed system, from Bunnings (bunnings.com.au), uses ACQ treated pine and takes an hour to assemble, fitting 120 and 240 litre bins.</p> <p>A single bin cover measures 670 x 810 x 1200mm, and the double is 1340 x 810 x 1200mm.</p> <div id="firstFloatAd"> <div data-fuse="21928626849"> </div> <div data-fuse="21699960946"> </div> </div> <p>Simple latch bolts keep the doors secured and a chain joins the bin handles to the covers so both lids are raised simultaneously, making rubbish disposal much more hygienic.</p> <p>TIP – To remove the bins on collection day, unhook the lid chains before opening the doors.A chain connects the bin</p> <p>ASSEMBLE THE FRAME positioning the dividing frame against the side panels and adding the front and back supports, securing with the supplied screws. Square up the frame and secure the two diagonal back supports.</p> <div id="lastFloatAd"> <div data-fuse="21928512968"> </div> <div data-fuse="22652288252"> </div> </div> <p>INSTALL THE LIDS by aligning the holes on the lid with the holes in the frame then insert the supplied bolts, securing the outside bolts with the washer and nut and the inside bolts using a Phillips head screwdriver.</p> <p>ATTACH THE DOORS by aligning the top hinge and securing with a screw at the top, attach the base hinge, checking the door is parallel with the side then secure the second screw at the top and attach the latch bolts.</p> <p><em>Image: Bunnings</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

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Why Daniel Johns will never perform live again

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He was once the frontman of one of Australia’s biggest homegrown acts. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But now Silverchair lead singer Daniel Johns has said he will never perform live again. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a candid interview with </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Project</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the 42-year-old musician said he has long struggled with shutting down persistent rumours that Silverchair, who split up in 2011, would eventually reform. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I was like, 'This is really starting to affect my mental health'. Because I am saying 'that's it', and every time I try to tell the truth, someone told a lie."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"So I was like, 'I wouldn't get Silverchair back together with a gun to my head for $1 million'. Maybe that was too harsh in hindsight."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He discussed how Silverchair’s sudden rise to fame after the release of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frogstomp</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in 1995, when Daniel was just 16, took a toll on his emotional wellbeing. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just months after the album’s release, Silverchair saw international notoriety, as they even opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers at New York’s Madison Square Garden. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daniel said that the level of fandom was “extreme”, as he was always looking over his shoulder. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"And I have pretty much constantly had that since the second album, since I saw the hysteria of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frogstomp</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">," he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When discussing why he would not reform the band, he said there is too much emotional baggage from the highest points of the band’s fame to consider it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It's not that I am not proud of the work – I am actually really proud of the work. It's just that it's emotionally triggering for me."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said he needed to walk away from the band to be "internally happy", something he has achieved since the band’s end in 2011.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"But it took me years and years and years of really, really heavy, heavy therapy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"And if I didn't do that work, I don't think I'd be here."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The trauma of the band’s success prompted Daniel to say he has no desire to play live again, but that doesn’t mean he won’t release new music in the future. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I don't even go to live shows because I hate that environment. So why would I want to be the focus? I honestly don't think you ever will [see me play live].”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"There is so much music coming and I am really proud of it. You don't need to see it live. Just listen."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can check out the full interview with </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Project</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> here:</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2N53j1Own8c" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Music

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Paul Simon celebrates 80th birthday with new project

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On his 80th birthday, Paul Simon has announced his latest project, which comes in the form of an audiobook. </span></p> <p><a href="https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/paul-simon-new-music-audiobook-malcolm-gladwell-1235087435/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Variety reports</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that the five-hour audiobook titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Miracle and Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, will be available on November 16th. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The audiobook is named after a line in his track </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Boy in the Bubble</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and features a new song called </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Seven Psalm</em>s</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">: his first release since 2018. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It also features unreleased live versions of his classic songs including </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Boxer</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Sound of Silence</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Collaborating with Bruce Headlam and Malcolm Gladwell for </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Miracle and Wonder</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Paul recorded over 30 hours of interviews over nine sessions for the audiobook. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The autobiographical project documents Paul Simon’s upbringing in New York, the genesis of Simon and Garfunkel and the start of his solo career. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The audiobook also features several cameos, including </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sting, Jeff Tweedy, Herbie Hancock, Rosanne Cash, and more to chat about their experiences in the music industry together. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Over my career, I must have given hundreds of interviews on various projects, but speaking and collaborating with Malcolm on this was especially enjoyable,” Simon said in a statement. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Malcolm Gladwell added, “He’s the most un-rock-star rock star. Paul is surprisingly down to earth and approachable. Even if he wasn’t the most successful musician of his generation he’d be the same person.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Music

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Ray-Ban and Facebook collaborate on a controversial project

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Facebook and Ray-Ban have announced the launch of a “first generation” pair of sunglasses that has divided fans of the brand. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The ‘smart glasses’ combine a sleek looking pair of sunnies that showcase the brand’s signature style, but with a very unique feature. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The glasses boast a tony 5MP camera lens in each of the glasses that can be used to capture life’s special moments completely hands free. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The glasses feature a simple touch button to start a 30-second video recording that says stored on the glasses. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When the user opens the Facebook View app, the photos and videos download onto your phone and can be shared on any social media platform. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Facebook's president of their Reality Labs Andrew Bosworth said the glasses are introducing a new way of connecting. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Ray-Ban Stories is designed to help people live in the moment and stay connected to the people they are with and the people they wish they were with.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said, "We're introducing an entirely new way for people to stay connected to the world around them and truly be present in life's most important moments, and to look good while doing it."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the glasses certainly seem impressive, many potential customers have questions about privacy. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Facebook predicted the hesitancy, and said the glasses were “designed with privacy in mind”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a blog post announcing the product, they say "we have a big responsibility to help people feel comfortable and provide peace of mind, and that goes not only for device owners but the people around them, too."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While Facebook assures users that the glasses are equipped with software to protect the privacy of others, it’s up to each individual customer to not abuse the new technology. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Facebook's Ray-Ban Stories are now on sale from $449 in Australia, at OPSM and Sunglass Hut or Ray-Ban online.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Check out the promotional video here.</span></p> <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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CTm1mBSBE8i/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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/tv/CTm1mBSBE8i/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Ray-Ban (@rayban)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><em>Image credit: <span style="font-weight: 400;">Getty Images / Instagram @rayban</span></em></p>

Technology

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Olivia Newton-John's touching birthday wish

<p>Olivia Newton-John has revealed what she wants for her birthday present when she turns 73 in September.</p> <p>Speaking to Natalie Barr and Matt Doran on <em>Sunrise</em>, The Australian icon said she would like her fans to take part in her Walk for Wellness that happens once a year. </p> <p>The annual event is aimed at raising money for t<span>he Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness &amp; Research Centre to fund "evidence-based wellness therapies". </span></p> <p><span>“My birthday wish is that we raise a lot of money and we help a lot of people,” she said.</span></p> <p><span>“The idea is to get a group of your friends together and just walk and raise some money.”</span></p> <p><span>Due to the pandemic, the Walk For Wellness will take on a digital form, allowing everyone to take part no matter where they are around the world.</span><span></span></p> <p>Donations will fund programs such as yoga, meditation, acupuncture and art therapy at her <span>Cancer Wellness &amp; Research Centre to </span>help <span>“ease the side effects of cancer treatment and support people with cancer emotionally, spiritually and physically.”</span></p> <p>Olivia explained her personal experience with these opportunities and how they helped her through her cancer journey. </p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">“I was in the hospital a couple of years ago and got to experience all of these programs in my room and it made a huge difference to me.”</p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">“It keeps you positive and in a great space,” she explained</p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">The event will be held on the 26th of September, to coincide with Olivia’s 73rd birthday, with the six people who donate the most to win a “virtual tea party” with the star.</p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020"><em>Image credit: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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"Stop It!": Nat Barr shuts down Kyle on live TV

<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sunrise </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">host Nat Barr told off Kyle Sandilands during his appearance on the breakfast show this morning.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Making a guest appearance on the show to celebrate his radio show with Jackie ‘O’ Henderson claiming the title of Sydney’s number one breakfast show in ratings for the first time, the controversial shock jock got a strong reaction when he started joking about Nat’s husband.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After chatting about their latest success, Kyle pulled out a copy of Nat Barr’s cover of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Australian Women’s Weekly </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">to show her.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Look what I’m reading Nat,” he said, with Nat replying, “that’s so nice Kyle!”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kyle then went on to compliment Nat on her sons.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These are good looking boys,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Just by looking at the photos, I can tell what a great mum you are. Those kids, they look at you with adoring eyes. I admire that.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After Nat admitted the photoshoot was a bit “scary” as they had never done anything like that before, Kyle asked why her husband wasn’t included.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Where’s your husband? How come he’s been kept out?” the 50-year-old asked.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He won’t do anything,” Nat said. “He hates publicity … He’s got his own life and his own job. He’s like, yeah, leave that to you.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nat has been married to her husband, Andrew Thompson, who is an Oscar-nominated film editor, since 1995.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think press media should track down what Nat’s husband’s doing,” Kyle quipped. “Let’s do a whole expos</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">é</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on a day in the life of Nat’s husband.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nat went from laughing as she had throughout the segment, to raising her finger and giving the radio host a strict warning.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Kyle, I’m going to go all mum on you,” she said. “Stop it.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Earlier in the show, Kyle had explained why he thinks he and Jackie have been performing so well lately.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’ve been doing radio a bit different to everyone else,” he said. “Everyone else has the same rule: Speak for three minutes, have a little laugh at the end and play the ad break.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’ve changed it. We talk for 20 minutes about something, because you can’t always get a good conversation in in three minutes.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kyle also mentioned that the breadth of voices on their show helps.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We don’t just have the man and the girl, we have the full ensemble of all the other cast - the newsreader, all the producers, it’s like an episode of </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Seinfeld</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Channel 7</span></em></p>

TV

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Prince Harry's new project with Oprah revealed

<p>Prince Harry said "we're all human" as he opened up about "unresolved traumas" ahead of his upcoming TV series on mental health with Oprah Winfrey.</p> <p>The Me You Can't See will air on May 21 on Apple TV+ after facing delays due to the couple's departure from the royal family and COVID restrictions.</p> <p>The highly anticipated date was announced today, with the Duke of Sussex saying he hopes his latest project shows "there is power in vulnerability".</p> <p>“We are born into different lives, brought up in different environments, and as a result are exposed to different experiences,” he said.</p> <p>“But our shared experience is that we are all human.</p> <p>“The majority of us carry some form of unresolved trauma, loss, or grief, which feels — and is — very personal.</p> <p>“Yet the last year has shown us that we are all in this together and my hope is that this series will show there is power in vulnerability, connection in empathy and strength in honesty.”</p> <p>Harry co-created and executive produced the series with Oprah Winfrey.</p> <p>According to a statement ahead of the series, the pair are set to “guide honest discussions about mental health and emotional wellbeing” while opening up about “their own mental health journeys and struggles” throughout the series.</p> <p>They have also partnered with 14 experts and organisations to “shed light on different pathways to treatment”.</p> <p>Oprah said: “Now more than ever, there is an immediate need to replace the shame surrounding mental health with wisdom, compassion and honesty.</p> <p>“Our series aims to spark that global conversation.”</p> <p>A number of celebrities and mental health advocates will join them, with Lady Gaga and actress Glenn Close expected to chat to Harry about their experiences.</p> <p>The series will see Oprah and Harry speak to different people from around the world who are facing mental health challenges.</p> <p>They will address their emotional wellbeing, while trying to “destigmatise a highly misunderstood subject and give hope to viewers”.</p> <p>Speaking to CBS about the project earlier this year, Oprah explained: “I asked [Prince Harry] the question, ‘What do you think are the most important issues facing the world right now?’ and he said there are two.</p> <p>“He said climate change and mental wellness, mental fitness and mental health. As you know, he’s spoken about his own issues and what he went through after his mother died and how being able to talk about it has benefited him.</p> <p>“So it’s a passion of his and, at the end of the conversation, I said, ‘Oh, I’m going to be doing this thing with Apple’.</p> <p>“‘It’s a big concern of mine too and I want to try to erase the stigma,’ and he said at the end of the conversation, ‘If there’s anything I can do to help’.”</p>

TV

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce first Netflix project

<p>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have shared the details of their latest Netflix project that their production company Archewell Productions landed.</p> <p>It's a documentary series called<span> </span><em>Heart of Invictus</em><span> </span>that follows Invictus Games competitors as they prepare for the 2022 event in the Hague.</p> <p>Prince Harry will serve as an executive producer as well as appearing on camera during the series.</p> <p>"Since the very first Invictus Games back in 2014, we knew that each competitor would contribute in their own exceptional way to a mosaic of resilience, determination, and resolve," the Duke of Sussex said in a statement announcing the project.</p> <p>"This series will give communities around the world a window into the moving and uplifting stories of these competitors on their path to the Netherlands next year.</p> <p>"As Archewell Productions' first series with Netflix, in partnership with the Invictus Games Foundation, I couldn't be more excited for the journey ahead or prouder of the Invictus community for continuously inspiring global healing, human potential and continued service."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Marking the announcement of the postponement of the next Games, our Patron The Duke of Sussex joins <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InvictusGames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InvictusGames</a> competitors past and present in a message of resilience in looking ahead to when the Games can happen again. <a href="https://t.co/Q9Wh9nlEEG">pic.twitter.com/Q9Wh9nlEEG</a></p> — Invictus Games Foundation 💛🖤+💙 (@WeAreInvictus) <a href="https://twitter.com/WeAreInvictus/status/1356499602099359744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>Invictus Games Foundation chief executive Dominic Reid is thrilled about the project.</p> <p>"We're very excited about the opportunity to shine the global spotlight of Netflix on the men and women that we work with, in order to ensure that even more people can be inspired by their determination and fortitude in working towards their recovery.</p> <p>"This partnership will also bring in significant funding to the charity. We are extremely grateful to our Founding Patron for his continued efforts to support the military community, and for making this partnership happen."</p>

News

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Bindi Irwin finally reveals due date and "special project"

<p>Wildlife Warrior Bindi Irwin has announced her due date to give birth is in "about a week" and has announced a new baby clothing line alongside it.</p> <p>“With our due date about a week away and waiting for our baby girl to arrive, Chandler and I are proud to share a special project that we’ve been working on for months with our Australia Zoo team,”<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMu5SVGBYRY/?igshid=1j0kajsw1krc5" target="_blank">Bindi announced</a>.</p> <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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMu5SVGBYRY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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/CMu5SVGBYRY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“This limited edition Baby Wildlife Warrior range means so much to us, we hope you love it too,” Bindi posted.</p> <p>The range includes clothing printed with pictures of Aussie wildlife as well as wooden keepsakes with sweet messages, saying "Hello world, I'm new here".</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840406/bindin-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/36f957a98bc245618205aac50666c2e4" /></p> <div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>The new announcement puts to bed the rumours that Bindi had already had her child.</p> <p><em>The Morning Show</em><span> </span>entertainment editor Peter Ford explained why her fans thought she had already had the baby.</p> <p>“In recent weeks, she’s been putting up pictures of her baby bump, but for this latest one she’s hasn’t put up a baby bump, she’s actually put up a possum in a blanket picture.”</p> <p>“That’s what they’re basing it off.”</p> </div> </div> </div>

Family & Pets