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"We should give back": Bill Gates' ex-wife on giving away her $16bn fortune

Melinda French Gates has opened up on her decision to give away her fortune after leaving the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in June. Melinda, who is reportedly worth $16.8 billion, said that she will stick with her decision to give away her fortune on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as it's "the right thing to do for society". "If we grew up in the United States, anybody who has grown up in this country has been really lucky and I don't care who you are," she explained. "To be able to go to a decent school, grow up and pursue your career, and if so you are a billionaire, my gosh, you have benefited from this country, right? "So we should give back." She also feels there is "a responsibility and to do it in a way that's incredibly thoughtful". Melinda, who divorced the Microsoft founder Bill Gates back in 2021, has announced her plans to focus on her organisation Pivotal Ventures, which she founded in 2015. The organisation's aim is to "advance social progress by removing barriers that hold people back." She said that she is determined to ensure that "women's rights are not only on the agenda, but that women are setting the agenda" – especially after watching women's rights be rolled back internationally over the last few years." "What I saw, part of why our women's rights got rolled back in the United States is that those organisations were starved for funding, and they were playing defense," she explained. Melinda has pledged to donate $1 billion to this end over the next two years. Image: Julien De Rosa/EPA/ Shutterstock Editorial

Money & Banking

“The gate is a no”: Apartment security gate draws ire online

While security gates are meant to be secure, one installed at a property in the UK has left many questioning just how effective it will be. A photo shared by the account Design Fails shows a security gate that seems fully functional at first glance, but includes a glaring design flaw. Though it has locks and an intercom panel, the design of the gate itself lends it to being a handy ladder that could be used to get inside. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> security gate that doubles as a ladder <a href="https://t.co/TQWmZBiyc7">pic.twitter.com/TQWmZBiyc7</a> — Design Fails (@epicdesignfails) <a href="https://twitter.com/epicdesignfails/status/1587076092791328768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2022</a></blockquote> “Security gate that doubles as a ladder,” the photo caption read, with the post soon attracting over 33,000 likes, over 6,000 shares and plenty of comments pointing out its fundamental flaw. “OMG What on mother Earth was the designer’s thought doing that,” one person commented. “The gym I never thought I needed. I’d purposefully forget my access card,” another joked. “Whoever designed this gate heaven is waiting for her/him,” a third shared. “So the thieves can climb over the gate 😑,” one user noted. While some tried to defend the design by pointing out that it could be electrified, others were quick to point out the flaws in that argument too. “If its (sic) electric and still has a key, thats weird. To be a gate and a ladder, while not thinking the violator can climb over the gate too is weird. Saying its electrical and not keeping in mind that its on the street is weird. Only turning it on at night is weird,” one person clarified. “The gate is a no.” Image: Twitter

Real Estate

Spotify’s response to Rogan-gate falls short of its ethical and editorial obligations

Audio streaming giant <a href="https://www.spotify.com/au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> is getting a crash course in the tension between free speech and the need to protect the public from harmful misinformation.The Swedish-founded platform, which has 400 million active users, has faced a hail of criticism over misinformation broadcast on its <a href="https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/joe-rogan-experience-most-popular-podcast-news-roundup-1235123361/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most popular podcast</a>, the Joe Rogan Experience.Rogan, a former ultimate fighting commentator and television presenter, has <a href="https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/joe-rogan-anti-vaccine-podcast-spotify-1234961803/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> healthy young people should not get a COVID vaccination. This is contrary to medical advice from governments all over the world, not to mention the <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/covid-19-vaccines/advice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Health Organization</a>.A recent episode of his podcast, featuring virologist Robert Malone, drew <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jan/14/spotify-joe-rogan-podcast-open-letter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticism from public health experts</a> over its various conspiracist claims about COVID vaccination programs.There were widespread calls for Spotify to deplatform Rogan and his interviewees. Rock legend Neil Young issued an ultimatum that Spotify could broadcast Rogan or Young, but not both.Spotify made its choice: the Joe Rogan Experience is still on the air, while Young’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/28/joe-rogan-neil-young-spotify-streaming-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">music</a> is gone, along with <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-29/joni-mitchell-take-songs-off-spotify-solidarity-with-neil-young/100790200" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joni Mitchell</a> and <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/nils-lofgren-spotify-neil-young-1292480/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nils Lofgren</a>, who removed their content in solidarity.Spotify’s responseSpotify co-founder Daniel Ek has since <a href="https://newsroom.spotify.com/2022-01-30/spotifys-platform-rules-and-approach-to-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> to tag controversial COVID-related content with links to a “hub” containing trustworthy information. But he stopped short of pledging to remove misinformation outright.In a statement, Ek <a href="https://newsroom.spotify.com/2022-01-30/spotifys-platform-rules-and-approach-to-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>:<blockquote>We know we have a critical role to play in supporting creator expression while balancing it with the safety of our users. In that role, it is important to me that we don’t take on the position of being content censor while also making sure that there are rules in place and consequences for those who violate them.</blockquote>Does it go far enough?Freedom of expression is important, but so is prevention of harm. When what is being advocated is likely to cause harm or loss of life, a line has been crossed. Spotify has a moral obligation to restrict speech that damages the public interest.In response to the controversy, Spotify also publicly shared its <a href="https://newsroom.spotify.com/2022-01-30/spotify-platform-rules/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rules of engagement</a>. They are comprehensive and proactive in helping to make content creators aware of the lines that must not be crossed, while allowing for freedom of expression within these constraints. Has Spotify fulfilled its duty of care to customers? If it applies the rules as stated, provides listeners with links to trustworthy information, and refuses to let controversial yet profitable content creators off the hook, this is certainly a move in the right direction.Platform or publisher?At the crux of the problem is the question of whether social media providers are <a href="https://socialmediahq.com/if-social-media-companies-are-publishers-and-not-platforms-that-changes-everything/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">platforms or publishers</a>.Spotify and other Big Tech players claim they are simply providing a platform for people’s opinions. But <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/scott-morrison-says-social-media-platforms-are-publishers-if-unwilling-to-identify-users/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regulators</a> are beginning to say no, they are in fact publishers of information, and like any publisher must be accountable for their content.<figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443600/original/file-20220201-19-1kyj1oy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Logos of big tech platforms" /><figcaption>Tech platforms like to claim they’re not publishers. Pixabay, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY</a></figcaption></figure>Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other platforms <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2021/06/01/addressing-big-techs-power-over-speech/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have significant power</a> to promote particular views and limit others, thereby influencing millions or even <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/#:%7E:text=How%20many%20users%20does%20Facebook,the%20biggest%20social%20network%20worldwide." target="_blank" rel="noopener">billions</a> of users.In the United States, these platforms have immunity from civil and criminal liability under a <a href="https://www.eff.org/issues/cda230" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1996 federal law</a> that shields them from liability as sites that host user-generated content. Being US corporations, their actions are primarily based on US legislation.It is an ingenious business model that allows Facebook, for example, to turn a steady stream of free user-posted content into <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/277963/facebooks-quarterly-global-revenue-by-segment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US$28 billion in quarterly advertising revenue</a>.Established newspapers and magazines also sell advertising, but they pay journalists to write content and are legally liable for what they publish. It’s little wonder they are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/24/newspapers-journalists-coronavirus-press-democracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struggling</a> to survive, and little wonder the tech platforms are keen to avoid similar responsibilities.But the fact is that social media companies do make editorial decisions about what appears on their platforms. So it is not morally defensible to hide behind the legal protections afforded to them as platforms, when they operate as publishers and reap considerable profits by doing so.How best to combat misinformation?Misinformation in the form of fake news, intentional disinformation and misinformed opinion has become a crucial issue for democratic systems around the world. How to combat this influence without compromising democratic values and free speech?One way is to cultivate “news literacy” – an ability to discern misinformation. This can be done by making a practice of sampling news from across the political spectrum, then averaging out the message to the moderate middle. Most of us confine ourselves to the echo chamber of our preferred source, avoiding contrary opinions as we go.If you are not sampling at least three reputable sources, you’re not getting the full picture. Here are the <a href="https://libguides.ucmerced.edu/news/reputable" target="_blank" rel="noopener">characteristics</a> of a reputable news source.Social media, meanwhile, should invest in artificial intelligence (AI) tools to sift the deluge of real-time content and flag potential fake news. Some progress in this area has been made, but there is room for improvement.The tide is turning for the big social media companies. Governments around the world are formulating laws that will oblige them to be more responsible for the content they publish. They won’t have long to wait.<img style="border: none !important;margin: 0 !important;max-height: 1px !important;max-width: 1px !important;min-height: 1px !important;min-width: 1px !important;padding: 0 !important" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/176022/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-tuffley-13731" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Tuffley</a>, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Griffith University</a>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/spotifys-response-to-rogan-gate-falls-short-of-its-ethical-and-editorial-obligations-176022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.Image: Getty Images

Technology

Bill Gates shares holiday reading list

Image: CNN Almost every year Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates lists books he has read and recommends them on his blog. This year Bill has shared what he calls his “holiday readers”. He shares he has read a lot this year but these five books stood out most. 1. A Thousand Brains: A New theory of intelligence by Jeff Hawkins. “Few subjects have captured the imaginations of science fiction writers like artificial intelligence. If you’re interested in learning more about what it might take to create a true AI, this book offers a fascinating theory.” Hawkins was the co-inventor of the PalmPilot device back in the 90s. 2. The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing and the Future of the Human Race, by Walter Isaacson is the second book that gates recommends. “The CRISPR gene editing system is one of the coolest and most consequential scientific breakthroughs of the last decade,” says Gates. The author does a good job highlighting “the most important ethical questions around gene editing.” 3. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. “This book makes me think about what life with super intelligent robots might look like-and whether we’ll treat these kinds of machines as pieces of technology or something more.” 4. Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. “If you’re a Shakespeare fan, you’ll love this moving novel about how his personal life might’ve influenced the writing of one of the most famous plays,” he noted. 5. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It is a “wild tale about high school science teacher who wakes up in a different star system with no memory of how he got there.” Gates found this to be a fun read and finished it in one weekend

Books

‘Gate to Hell’ myths confirmed

Though Pamukkale, in western Turkey, is known for its travertines - limestone cliffs that have formed over 400,000 years from the mineral-laden water of nearby springs - an even more interesting attraction also calls the site home. On top of the white towers sits the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis. An ancient city Founded by the Attalid kings of Pergamon at the end of the 2nd Century BC, Hierapolis was taken over by the Romans in 133 AD and turned into a thriving spa town. The remains of the successful city are still visible, including its arched entrance gate, colonnaded main street and restored amphitheatre, all made from travertine. “The thermal waters are likely one of the primary reasons for the city’s foundations,” said Dr Sarah Yeomans, an archeologist at the University of South Carolina who specialises in the Roman Empire. “By the mid-2nd century, Hierapolis would have been a beautiful, bustling spa-town with what I imagine was a more dynamic and diverse population than most, given the popularity of such places with visitors.” Truth behind the myths Despite its beauty, Hierapolis was said to be the location of a “Gate to Hell”, a portal to the underworld where unsuspecting victims would be claimed by the hellhound Cerberus’ toxic breath on behalf of his master, the god Pluto. A shrine was built on the site and pilgrims would pay priests to make sacrifices to the god Pluto on their behalf. Writers at the time said priests would lead animals into the shrine and it would instantly drop dead, while the priest would return alive. “I threw in sparrows, and immediately breathed their last and fell,” wrote the Greek geographer Strabo in Book 13 of his encyclopedia Geography. Though visitors to the site today might find it hard to imagine these stories being true, one volcano biologist decided to test their validity. “When I read the descriptions from the ancient writers, I began wondering if there could be a scientific explanation,” said Hardy Pfanz, who studies gases given off during geological processes at Germany’s University of Duisburg-Essen. “I wondered, could this Gate to Hell be a volcanic vent?” To test his theory, Pfanz travelled to Hierapolis in 2013. “We weren’t sure what we would find. It could’ve been made up, could’ve been nothing,” he said. “We most certainly weren’t expecting to get an answer so quickly. “We saw dozens of dead creatures around the entrance: mice, sparrows, blackbirds, many beetles, wasps and other insects. So we knew right away that the stories were true.” When Pfanz tested the air around the vent, he found the culprit: toxic levels of carbon dioxide. Where normal air contains 0.04 percent carbon dioxide, Pfanz found the concentration around the shrine reached 80 percent. “Just a few minutes exposure to 10 percent carbon dioxide can kill you,” he explained, “so the levels here are really deadly.” But Pfanz still had one question: if the area is so deadly, how did the priests in the shrine survive? Returning a year later, he then studied the concentration of the gas over the course of the day, finding that it would quickly dissipate during the day when it was warm and sunny but would pool at ground level at night as the temperature decreased. He came to the conclusion that the animals, with their noses close to the ground, quickly suffocated while the priests, standing taller, were breathing significantly lower levels of the gas and could survive. Today, the shrine is bricked up and a walkway recently built around the site allows visitors to see the area without the risks of inhaling the deadly gas. “When I first recognised that the legendary breath of Cerberus is actually carbon dioxide, I was standing right in front of the archway,” Pfanz said. “In that moment, I realised we had solved this ancient mystery; it was a really fantastic feeling.” Image: Paul Cooper / Twitter

International Travel

"Not a friendly split": Inside Bill and Melinda Gates' divorce talks

Bill and Melinda Gates reportedly made the decision to divorce several months before they announced it on May 3. The Microsoft founder, 65, and his wife of 27 years announced their split on Monday. Melinda, 56, reportedly rented Calivigny Island in Grenada at a cost of $A160,000 per night to avoid media scrutiny in the wake of the divorce, according to TMZ. The plan was for the couple's three children and Melinda to ride out the media attention into the split at the island. Sources told the outlet that the split was “not friendly”. “First, we’re told this was not a friendly split,” the publication alleged. “We’re told Melinda and most of the family were furious at Bill for various things they claim he had done. “Second… it’s clear this divorce has been a long time in the making.” Bill and Melinda have not spoken in the days since announcing their divorce in twin statements online. “Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives,” they wrote. “We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives. “We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.” The pair met at Microsoft and began dating in 1987 following a trade fair in New York.

Relationships

Bill and Melinda Gates announce divorce after 27 years of marriage

Bill and Melinda Gates are ending their marriage after 27 years, announcing the news on their Twitter accounts. "After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage," the statement reads. The couple founded their philanthropic organisation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation together in 2000. Since then, the foundation has spent $69.2 billion on a wide range of initiatives related to global health, poverty alleviation and more, according to its website. "We have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives," the statement says. "We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives." Bill Gates is one of the wealthiest people in the world with a net worth of $176 billion. Bill and Melinda met in 1987 at Microsoft - which Bill Gates founded and was, at the time, running as CEO. Melinda was part of the first group of MBA graduates to join the company and quickly climbed up the ladder to become general manager of information products. She met Bill after she joined the company in 1987, at a business dinner in New York. She described the encounter in her book, The Moment of Lift: "I showed up late, and all the tables were filled except one, which still had two empty chairs side by side. I sat in one of them. A few minutes later, Bill arrived and sat in the other." The couple married in Hawaii in 1994.

Relationships

The Gates Foundation’s prophetic coronavirus pandemic simulation

On 18 October last year, the Gates Foundation, the World Economic Forum and the John Hopkins Centre for Health Security held a pandemic simulation exercise, with the aim of “educating senior leaders” about an adequate response to the type of crisis the planet is currently in the grips of. The simulation was called <a href="http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/event201/about">Event 201</a>. Fifteen participants took part in a mock pandemic emergency board. This included representatives from the UN Foundation, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Johnson & Johnson, Lufthansa and the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Representing Australia was ANZ board member <a href="http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/event201/players/halton.html">Jane Halton</a>, who incidentally has been <a href="https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/morrison-shuts-down-parliament-hands-nation-corporations">appointed</a> to the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission by Scott Morrison. The NCCC is a local body of corporate representatives designed to coordinate the economy during the very real COVID-19 crisis. The Event 201 scenario involved a new coronavirus – a disease that causes respiratory tract infection – that developed in pigs in South America and then infected farmers. The virus spread around the world, with some people developing mild flu-like symptoms, while others perished. Stranger than fiction Watching the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoLw-Q8X174&app=desktop">highlights of Event 201</a> – which took place just five and a half months ago – is eerie. Simulated “GNN” newsreels appear between footage of emergency board discussions, one of which involves an immunologist outlining that efforts to find a vaccine during the outbreak failed. The Gates Foundation’s Christopher Elias asserts that keeping global supply chains open would take “knowledge that only the private sector has”, while the UN could play a role coordinating the various private entities. But, it’s clear to Elias that this aspect of the response would rely upon corporations. The most distressing part of the highlights comes when the issue of the “overwhelming amounts of dis- and mis- information circulating over the internet” is broached. The board members go on to discuss whether internet shutdowns would be necessary to deal with fake news. Think about it – as we sit locked down in our homes during a real pandemic, with newly imposed restrictions on gatherings with others outside of our own households – what would it be like if the government and private business decided to close down the main mode of communications? Too little too late Event 21 led to seven key recommendations, all of which, it would seem now, came too late. These suggested that governments and business sectors should plan for a pandemic situation, which would include stockpiling medical supplies and investing in <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/should-child-vaccination-be-compulsory/">vaccination</a> development capabilities. The outcome of the simulated pandemic was catastrophic, with 65 million people dying in the first 18 months. The outbreak was small at first and seemed controllable. But, once it started spreading through the poor neighbourhoods of megacities, it exploded, with cases in nearly every country. “We have to ask, did this need to be so bad?” says a GNN mock news presenter. “Are there things we could have done in the five to ten years leading up to the pandemic that would have lessened the catastrophic consequences?” The presenter concludes, “We believe the answer is yes.” However, that timeframe to prepare is now lost. Written by Paul Gregoire. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/the-gates-foundations-prophetic-coronavirus-pandemic-simulation/">Sydney Criminal Lawyers.</a>

Art

"Oh well”: Bill Gates' candid response on mistake that cost him $573 billion

Bill Gates shared at an event hosted by a venture capital firm the single biggest mistake that cost Microsoft a shocking $573 billion. He revealed that the greatest lapse in judgement from Microsoft was that they allowed Google to develop the Android OS instead of it being developed by Microsoft. “The greatest mistake ever is the whatever mismanagement I engaged in that caused Microsoft not to be what Android is, [meaning] Android is the standard non-Apple phone form platform. That was a natural thing for Microsoft to win,” he said in a conversation with Eventbrite cofounder Julia Hartz, reported TechCrunch. Microsoft quickly jumped on the bandwagon and developed Windows-powered phone in 2010, but they struggled to compete with Apple and Android and were phased out in 2017. The failure was contributed to attracting and retaining apps on the platform. “It really is winner take all,” he said. “If you’re there with half as many apps or 90% as many apps, you’re on your way to complete doom. There’s room for exactly one non-Apple operating system, and what’s that worth? $A573 billion,” he said. He reflected on how big Microsoft would’ve been if they had developed Android first. “We are a leading company. If we got that one right, we would be ‘the’ company. But oh well,” he said. He also said he’s come a long way from the man he used to be, which is the man who “didn’t believe in weekends”. “Once I got into my 30s, I could hardly even imagine how I had done that,” he said. “Now I take lots of vacation - my 20-year-old self is so disgusted with my current self.”

Money & Banking

Bill Gates gets candid about rival Steve Jobs: He “cast spells on people”

According to Microsoft founder Bill Gates, his rival Apple CEO Steve Jobs “cast spells on people” to keep Apple profitable during the dark days of the company. Both men are known for creating an intense workplace culture and being tough leaders. Gates realised that Jobs’ leadership style was a good example of “don’t do this at home”. Gates spoke to <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/08/tech/bill-gates-on-steve-jobs/index.html">Fareed Zakaria from CNN</a> about his relationship with Jobs. "I have yet to meet any person who in terms of picking talent, hyper-motivating that talent and having a sense of design, of 'this is good, this is not good.' So he brought some incredibly positive things along with that toughness." Gates reflected on Jobs and the way he “cast spells on people”. "Steve is really a singular case where the company was on a path to die and it goes and becomes the most valuable company in the world with some products that are really quite amazing. There aren't going to be many stories like that." Gates also admitted that his intense workplace culture went “too far”, especially in the early days of the company. "We had, to some degree, a self-selected set of people who were mostly males, I'll admit, and yes, we were pretty tough on each other," Gates said. "We counted on each other to work very long hours and I always wanted to set the best example of that. I think that intensity, even though a little bit it went too far, was great for my 20s, 30s, 40s."

Technology

16 things airline gate agents wish they could tell travellers

There are some things gate or ticketing agents at the airport — whether for job security reasons or to keep hundreds of anxious fliers happy — just can't tell travellers. But that doesn't mean they don't want to. In fact, many of these things could be to their or your benefit, if only someone would speak up. So we asked airline customer service reps to weigh in on the one thing they'd love to tell passengers but can't. We've anonymously included some of the more constructive thoughts here: 1. 'No, we can't just give you a free upgrade' 'Different airlines have different rules, but a change or upgrade can get you fired these days. And it's not worth our jobs. The airline computer system tracks everything, and big brother can be watching us.' 2. 'This job is more stressful than you know' 'I've been assaulted twice during my decades of working with the airlines. The stress of this job can be compared to working in any emergency room.' 3. 'We are under a tremendous amount of pressure.' 'Many agents have been physically attacked by customers, including myself.' 4. 'Be more considerate of your fellow travellers' 'Cutting your toenails, flossing your teeth, putting on nail polish, and talking loudly on your cell phone shouldn't be done in public in the gate areas while you're waiting for your flight.' 5. 'Just relax -- deep breaths' 'Is your issue really as serious as the stress you are causing to yourself and others?' 6. 'Stop waiting 'til last minute' 'If you show up to the airport with 20 minutes to spare, you might miss the flight. It is not like taking the bus. Plan ahead.' 'Take responsibility for your actions. Don't be late.' 7. 'No' 'Travellers think we are being rude when we tell them, 'No, you can't do what you want to.' We tell them no because we are enforcing the rules that have been made up by our company, not by us personally. The rules are there for a reason -- not to make travelling harder, but to make it safer.' 8. 'It's not all about you' 'You're not the only person here.' 9. 'We can't change the rules' 'Most of the rules were made for safety reasons. Travellers think the rules are a nuisance or trivial, but they are rules for a reason. It's to keep the passengers safe.' 10. 'You need my help?' 'Treat me right and you will get the best I can give you.' 'You get more with honey than with vinegar.' 'If you are rude and yelling at me, do you really think I want to help you?' 11. 'You don't need to pack everything and the kitchen sink' 'Inexperienced international travellers don't realise the size of taxis and public transportation in the cities they are visiting. That extra large suitcase is not going to fit in a trunk of a cab. And you might often have to walk a distance to your hotel, which means dragging all your luggage with you. You really can get by with less when you travel.' 12. 'Stop blaming us for flight cancellations' 'No, we don't have spare planes to use if there is an cancellation.' 13. 'We're doing a lot' 'We are responsible for ticketing, handling baggage, boarding, deplaning, dispatching flights efficiently and safely. We handle complaints, cancellations, lost luggage, weather delays, and travellers' problems -- all while trying to make our passengers' process easy, efficient, and less stressful for all.' 14. 'Don't keep bugging the gate agents with questions they have already answered in their announcements' 'They are working with a time crunch, and all those extra questions are keeping them from doing their work.' 15. 'It is a federal crime to assault (and that includes credible verbal threats) an airport worker' 'If you threaten us, you can be arrested. We will call the police and you will not fly. The punishment for assaulting us is a fine of up to $US250,000 and up to 10 years in prison.' 16. 'We as airline agents and we as travellers all need to be more considerate of each other' 'We are trying to do our jobs as best as we can. We realise travelling isn't fun and easy as it used to be. But we all need to try to make it easier for each other.' Do you feel more sympathy for airline gate agents now? First appeared on <a href="http://www.Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Have you arranged your travel insurance yet? Tailor your cover to your needs and save money by not paying for things you don’t need. <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-insurance/?utm_source=over60&utm_campaign=travel-insurance&utm_medium=content&utm_content=travel-insurance" target="_blank">To arrange a quote, click here.</a> For more information about Over60 Travel Insurance, call 1800 622 966.

International Travel

Tom Jones breaks down about wife’s death

Sir Tom Jones broke down in tears in his first public appearance since the death of his wife, Lady Melinda Rose Woodward. The 75-year-old music legend made a public appearance at the literary Hay Festival and wept as he reflected on his 59 years of married life. He told the audience how being with her during her death was “the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” “We were married for 59 years, we knew each other since we were kids. It was fast, she had cancer. I was doing an Asian tour, in the Philippines and I got the call that it was terminal – my heart stopped. “She’s always been very important to me, throughout my life, now I realise that she might have been the most important thing in my life,” he said. <img src="https://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/1507269/tom-jones.jpg?w=400" style="-webkit-user-select: none; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> The couple married when they were just 16 and despite Jones’ many public infidelities throughout their marriage, they remained together. Despite this though, Jones revealed he never thought his marriage would end. Breaking down in tears, he said, “No. Never. Never crossed my mind; it didn’t cross her mind. It was solid. We had a solid marriage that nothing could shake and we both felt that.” He added, “I felt very lucky to have fallen in love at an early age. We were teenagers. We fell in love, not just in lust. A lot of teenagers fall in lust and then it doesn’t last. But we knew this thing was forever, for as long as we would be alive. That’s how strong the marriage was.” After Linda’s death, Jones was unsure whether he could go ahead with his European tour, but said his wife insisted he keep singing. He said: “I have to do it. When Linda passed away it hit me so hard I didn’t know whether I could or not, I really didn’t. I said, ‘Linda I don’t know what I’m going to do.’ She could see I was devastated, and I was. She said ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be alright. Don’t worry about it. Just go forward’." Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/music/2016/05/best-movie-soundtracks-ever/">The best movie soundtracks of all time</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/music/2016/03/best-emotional-songs/">10 songs that always bring a tear to your eye</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/01/simon-and-garfunkel-reunite/">Simon & Garfunkel reunite one last time</a>

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Tom Jones’ wife, Melinda Woodward, dies aged 75

Sir Tom Jones’ wife of 59 years, Lady Melinda Woodward, has passed away at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, following a battle with cancer. In an autobiography released last year, Sir Tom revealed that Melinda, better known as Linda, was a heavy smoker who developed emphysema and had two cancer scares. The loyal woman remained with her famous husbands despite multiple well documented infidelities. The two enjoyed a private marriage away from the spotlight and were rarely pictured out in public together. The 75-year-old was crippled with Agoraphobia, and in later life and friends say the private woman feared being gossiped about. In a rare interview, Woodward once said “I feel alive when [Tom] comes through the door, whatever the time of day or night is.” Despite her mental illness, Tom described their marriage as “rock solid”. “An unbelievable woman. Linda is the love of my life and she still is, even though she doesn’t look like she did. I don’t look like I did, either, but I try my best.” “It is not like the love when you are passionate teenagers,” he added. “We grew up together, come from the same place, have the same sense of humour.” The It’s Not Unusual popstar, 75, recently said he would not go on singing if Linda died, adding: “She’s the most important thing in my life”. The legend crooner and his family have asked for privacy at this difficult time. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2016/04/how-to-say-no-nicely/">How to say no the nice way</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2016/03/toxic-relationship-habits-that-are-healthy/">3 “bad” relationship traits that are actually healthy</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2016/02/couple-give-three-word-marriage-advice-on-twitter/">Couples give marriage advice in just three words</a>

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Watch this alligator gate crash a picnic

Students at the University of Florida were enjoying a picnic when they were interrupted by a rude alligator who obviously didn’t see its lack of invite as a reason not to join lunch. Michael Tamayo, one of the students, filmed the footage as the alligator chows down on a sandwich. Mr Tamayo told NBC this sort of thing is not altogether uncommon, stating, “It's Florida so most people are used to seeing them come out... especially in Gainesville.” Thankfully this alligator seemed happy enough with a sandwich. That being said we probably wouldn’t want to hang around and see what it had in mind for dessert.

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Tom Jones breaks down about wife’s death

Tom Jones’ wife, Melinda Woodward, dies aged 75

Watch this alligator gate crash a picnic