Search

Readers response: Have you ever seen or met a member of the royal family during one of their visits?

<p>When the royal family make one of their special, dedicated visits to Australia, some royal fans are lucky enough to catch a glimpse, or even have an interaction with them. </p> <p>We asked our readers if they have ever seen or met a member of the royal family, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Mike Rogerson</strong> - I saw the Queen and Prince Phillip on the Princes Highway at Blakehurst, NSW. They were on their way to Wollongong, NSW. We were a group of Blakehurst primary school children on the side of the road in 1954. I was eight at the time.</p> <p><strong>Lorraine Strand</strong> - First saw the Queen when the country school kids travelled by train to Adelaide. Then again in Darwin, when she was visiting houses built after Cyclone Tracy. On a more recent visit by the royals, my husband and I attended the same St Paul’s Anglican Church Service in Canberra as the Queen and Prince Phillip.</p> <p><strong>Annette Maree</strong> - I saw the Queen when she was driven past my house in the 1960’s. She was stunning. I clearly remember her wave, her smile, and her “peaches and cream” complexion. It was one of those flashbulb moments that stays in your mind forever.</p> <p><strong>Glenda Grange</strong> - Yes in 1983 I saw Diana and Charles. They attended a royal command performance in Melbourne. I received a formal gilt edge invitation and was one person away from them. I was invited as a bush fire victim of Ash Wednesday.</p> <p><strong>Elaine Smith</strong> - I haven’t but my mum and grandpa did, in 1954 when she came to our small country town of Red Cliffs, VIC. My grandpa and mum were on a special platform with aged residents of country towns, even got to shake hands with her. I was in the crowd with my girl guide group.</p> <p><strong>Gary Johnson</strong> - 1970 when I was in first year high school we went to Perth airport to see Prince Phillip arrive. I had a school blazer on and Prince Phillip came over and asked what school I was from. If it wasn't for my mum forcing me to wear it, I wouldn't have that great memory.</p> <p><strong>Janice Yvonne Colman</strong> - Not in Australia, but in the UK when they passed by our village on way to a county close by. My brother & I got the royal waves as we stood on the side of the road! We were quite thrilled as we were only 14 & 12 at the time.</p> <p><strong>Jean Bryant</strong> - I saw Princess Margaret back in the 50's when she visited a British Air Force base in Germany.</p> <p><strong>Ian Hewitt</strong> - Yes! At NSW Government house in 1992. It was an honour to us to personally meet their majesties.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Domestic Travel

Readers response: What’s the best travel advice you’ve ever received?

<p>When planning a holiday, it's not unlikely to receive travel advice from others who have explored the world. </p> <p>We asked our readers to share the best travel advice they have ever received, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said.</p> <p><strong>Liz Mendygral</strong> - You must have travel insurance.</p> <p><strong>Nancy Rogers</strong> - Travel light and clever.</p> <p><strong>Anne Denise Houghton</strong> - If you are in a different country and see something you would really like to do, do it then as tomorrow you may miss the opportunity!</p> <p><strong>Deedee Cullum</strong> - Get off the beaten tourist track and meet the real people.</p> <p><strong>Karen Ambrose</strong> - When crossing the road in busy Vietnam cities, keep walking and the traffic will go around you. DON'T STOP!</p> <p><strong>Fran Cresswell</strong> - Pack what you think you will need then take out half of it!!</p> <p><strong>Bill King</strong> - Respect the customs of the country you are visiting.</p> <p><strong>Lorraine Kirkwood</strong> - Pack a spare set of clothes and Pjs in your cabin luggage. When your suitcases get lost you are ok.</p> <p><strong>Chris Walker</strong> - Go while you can.</p> <p><strong>Terry Dolman </strong>- Book your flight way ahead. Saves mega $$.</p> <p><strong>Denise Sutherland</strong> - Where your passport is concerned NEVER BEHAVE BADLY, save that for your backyard.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Tips

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at 30: more important, enjoyable and vital than ever

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-gaunson-265553">Stephen Gaunson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a></em></p> <p>The lavender painted bus named “Priscilla” continues to pick up new fans while never going out of favour with its legion of original devotees, 30 years after its release.</p> <p>The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was shot on location in and around Sydney, Broken Hill, Coober Pedy, Kings Canyon and Alice Springs over six weeks in 1993.</p> <p>Directed by Stephan Elliott, the film screened in the <em>Un Certain Regard</em> section of the May 1994 Cannes Film Festival, winning <a href="https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-885750952/view?sectionId=nla.obj-888737519&searchTerm=priscilla+queen+of+the+desert&partId=nla.obj-885806856#page/n13/mode/1up">critical and popular acclaim</a> for its positive portrayal of LGBTQI+ characters.</p> <p>Awards came, most notably for costume designers Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner who won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for their sparkly, sequin-filled costumes.</p> <p>The film’s cultural brilliance lies in juxtaposing the extreme flamboyance of the costumes and props against the equally extreme rural natural desert landscape. The unexpected revelation for audiences was how perfectly these contrasting elements harmonised.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wGWWeourHUg?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>A smash hit</h2> <p>Less than 12 months since its release, the Film Finance Corporation (FFC) of Australia had the rare success of <a href="https://if.com.au/why-the-adventures-of-priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-turned-the-government-a-profit-in-just-12-months/">fully recouping</a> its A$1.67 million investment.</p> <p>Initially hesitant due to Elliott’s disappointing box office return on his debut feature, Frauds (1993), the FFC was convinced after the screenplay gained attention at Cannes. The film exceeded predictions, grossing more than $16 million in Australia.</p> <p>The film was socially and critically embraced as an instant classic.</p> <p>Ask cinema employees from this time and they will all share similar memories of lines of people outside the cinema doors eager to watch and rewatch (and rewatch again) the musical road movie about a pair of drag queens (Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce) and a transgender woman (Terence Stamp) as they set out from Sydney on a bus journey across the Australian outback.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tex3dw3RjGk?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>The casting today seems like more of a sure bet than it did in 1994. Stamp was a British actor of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/12/terence-stamp-i-was-in-my-prime-but-when-the-60s-ended-i-ended-with-it">legendary status</a>, having gained critical accolades in the 1960s in films such as Billy Budd, The Collector and Far from the Madding Crowd. However Stamp was equally a <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-4869258/Terence-Stamp-79-bids-farewell-active-sex-life.html">regular tabloid subject</a> for his high-profile romances with film star Julie Christie and supermodel Jean Shrimpton.</p> <p>Would audiences be willing to go with the idea of this playboy as the trandsgender woman, Bernadette?</p> <p>It is now impossible to consider any actor better able to deliver Terrance Stamps’s deadpan sardonic lines so perfectly: “Don’t ‘Darling’, me, Darling. Look at you. You’ve got a face like a cat’s arse.”</p> <p>Pearce and Weaving also were a risk. Neither were box office marquee stars at the time. Pearce was known as a lovable Mike from the popular television soap opera, Neighbours. Weaving was a critically respected actor known more for his quirky small parts than as a star in his own right.</p> <p>Both were perfect casting, launching them onto Hollywood careers. Pearce as Adam was a remarkable revelation.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p2QiCFAQ-qQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>The chemistry and connection between the three lead actors makes the film truly succeed.</p> <p>Never do their performances seem showboating or forced. Each has their own arc, personality and journey. And when they climb Kings Canyon in full drag regalia at the film’s end there is something moving about what they have been able to accomplish together.</p> <p>A film that begins to be a slight and joyful comedy about drag performers becomes a deeper essay on the importance of lived experience and friendship (or, dare I say, mateship).</p> <h2>More vital than ever</h2> <p>Drag has a <a href="https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/3894/drag-through-decades-film-tv/">long history</a> in mainstream cinema with its own codes and references.</p> <p>The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is crucially different by it not being about “straight” men masquerading as women to mask their actual identity. Instead, Elliot’s film rather positively celebrates these characters in drag as their true and authentic selves.</p> <p>This film stood with others as a wave of Australian cinema in the 1990s unashamedly wanting to celebrate an Australia juxtaposing the blokey masculine stereotype.</p> <p>Ocker characters (men and women) appear in this film, but ultimately they are publicly humiliated for their homophobia. Bernadette kneeing in the groin the vicious and vulgar Frank (Kenneth Radley) often receives a big cheer from cinema audiences: “Stop flexing your muscles, you big pile of budgie turd,” Bernadette scorns.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9nc12yOA4jM?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Perhaps the true star of the film were not the actors as much as the iconic 1976 Japanese model Hino Freighter Priscilla bus that became the set for several scenes in the film. Because the bus interior was such a small set, there was no room for the crew with many actually in shot, hiding under clothes and other props.</p> <p>The bus, long thought to be lost, was <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-12/bid-to-restore-priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-bus/103699136">rediscovered</a> on a farm in New South Wales in 2019. The bus is currently being restored, with an aim to have it on display at the National Motor Museum in Birdwood, Adelaide Hills, in 2026. Perhaps it will be good timing for shooting the recently announced <a href="https://deadline.com/2024/04/priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-movie-sequel-original-cast-1235890358/">potential sequel</a>.</p> <p>30 years after its original release The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert seems more important, enjoyable and vital than ever. All aboard, Priscilla. Long may she run.</p> <hr /> <p><em>RMIT Capitol will be hosting a <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/thecapitol/events/2024/september/the-adventures-of-priscilla-queen-of-the-desert">screening and introductory panel discussion</a> on September 11 with the film’s costume designer Tim Chappel, executive producer Rebel Penfold-Russell, Melbourne Queer Film Festival program director Cerise Howard, historian Kristy Kokegei and Stephen Gaunson.</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/235424/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-gaunson-265553"><em>Stephen Gaunson</em></a><em>, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Metro Goldwyn Mayer</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-adventures-of-priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-at-30-more-important-enjoyable-and-vital-than-ever-235424">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Movies

Norway praised for “best tourism commercial” ever

<p dir="ltr">A Norwegian tourism company has been praised after their no nonsense tourism ad for capital city Oslo went viral. </p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.visitoslo.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit Oslo</a> shared their new ad campaign that features local 31-year-old Halfdan, who shares all the noteworthy things about his home city. </p> <p dir="ltr">Opening the video, Halfdan bluntly says, “I wouldn’t come here, to be honest.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He goes on to touch on how easy Oslo is to navigate, the uniqueness of the city, how easy it is to explore and how delicious the food is, with a unique style of delivery. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You can just walk from one side of town to the other in like 30 minutes – try that in New York or Paris,” he says.</p> <p dir="ltr">He visits a museum and adds, “If you don’t have to stand in line for a couple of hours is it even worth seeing?”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8eYik2q09F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8eYik2q09F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Visit OSLO (@visitoslo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Addressing the camera in front of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch’s famous ‘The Scream’, Halfdan deadpanned, saying it is “not exactly the Mona Lisa”.</p> <p dir="ltr">When discussing Oslo’s dining culture, Halfdan complains, “Sometimes I just walk right in off the street and get a table, and I’m not even famous. I mean what does that tell you?”</p> <p dir="ltr">The new ad, which launched in June, was led by director August Jorfald, who believes more tourists want authenticity rather than just taking pictures at iconic landmarks.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t want Disney World. I want to be at someone’s kitchen table and drink wine from a milk glass,” he told <em>BBC</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The video, which has racked up hundreds of thousands of views across social media channels, has been praised by many with one person saying the video “Might’ve been the best tourism ad I’ve ever seen.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another comment described the video as “a masterpiece in reverse psychology”, while others said they had booked their flights to the city after seeing the ad. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I think this is the best tourism commercial I’ve ever seen. And yes, it makes me want to visit Oslo,” read one top comment attracting thousands of likes in support.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Norwegian humour is on another level,” said another.</p> <p dir="ltr">“By far the best bit of marketing I’ve seen in a long while. Give them a raise! Oh wait it’s Norway, they’re already paid properly,” quipped someone else.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Visit Oslo</em></p> <p> </p>

International Travel

Readers response: Have you ever experienced culture shock while travelling? How did you handle it?

<p>When it comes to travelling abroad, it's not uncommon to experience culture shocks as part of your holiday. </p> <p>Travelling to unique corners of the globe can often come with stumbling onto potentially uncomfortable and unusual situations. </p> <p>We asked our readers if they have ever experiences culture shocks and how they handled them, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><span dir="auto"><strong>Alison Mahoney</strong> - Yes, in the mid 60s got fined for kissing my boyfriend in the street in Athens. How things have changed.</span></p> <p><span dir="auto"><strong>Margaret Godfrey</strong> - Yes, First time I went to Vietnam - from Hobart. </span>The heat, the sheer number of people just outside the airport door, being grabbed by stall holders in Ben Thanh Market and pulled into their stalls with "You Buy".</p> <p>Had a good cry later in my hotel, then a cup of tea with another woman on tour. After going to dinner with rest of group, got over myself & thoroughly enjoyed the trip.</p> <p><strong>Val Beale</strong> - Cambodia was a culture shock for me. Lovely people but so much poverty. Felt overwhelmed. So glad I went though.</p> <p><strong>Jim Janush </strong>- Yes, the first time I went to South America, though not the first country there I was visiting. It was in the second country I had trouble accepting how different it was to what I was used to, the strange, backwards manner of simple organisation, almost everything.</p> <p>It grew on me, and after a few days it felt normal, and now it doesn’t feel anywhere near as bad. But the first couple of days were horrific.</p> <p><strong>Bruce Hopkins</strong> - On a USA Holiday, we took a Day Bus Trip from San Diego to Tijuana, what reality check it was seeing the Mexican/USA Border.</p> <p><strong>Judi Tracey</strong> - Definitely when l went into the Grand Bazaar in Turkey. It was full of males, drinking coffee, smoking and googling at women. I never felt so uncomfortable and concerned for my safety if a fire broke out!! I couldn’t leave quick enough.</p> <p><strong>Kristeen Bon</strong> - Bali. Went 25 years ago and hated it…..the heat, the constant harassment, the food, everything.</p> <p>Went back last year thinking maybe things had changed…..nope, still too bloody hot, locals still harassing you, streets, shops and resorts falling apart……..not even a single comfortable chair on one of the island resorts.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Travel Trouble

Readers response: What is the most memorable cruise you've ever been on?

<p>The dream holidays of many take place on the high seas, with many eager travellers keen to reflect on their favourite voyages.</p> <p>We asked our readers what their most memorable cruise was, for either good or bad reasons, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what you said.</p> <p><strong>Kate Oz</strong> - European river cruise was fabulous. </p> <p><span dir="auto"><strong>Jean Murray Cure</strong> - Coming to Australia as a migrant and a Christmas cruise to New Caledonia. Loved them both!</span></p> <p><span dir="auto"><strong>Carol Hanson</strong> - Christmas cruise. Fantastic atmosphere on board.</span></p> <p><span dir="auto"><strong>Brenda Glass Brooks</strong> - When I slipped on a wet surface and cracked my L2 excruciating pain, arrived home and ended up in hospital where I was told I also had COVID. </span>Will never ever cruise again.</p> <p><span dir="auto"><strong>Geraldine Bayles</strong> - The Holland America, 10 day Roman Empire cruise on the Noordam 20</span>12. Every day was an adventure! On board entertainment fantastic! Smooth sailing.</p> <p><span dir="auto"><strong>Linda Woods</strong> - NZ on Queen Elizabeth. The best ship we've been on.</span></p> <p><span dir="auto"><strong>Cheryl Barrett </strong>- Loved cruising from Vancouver to Alaska. It was mind blowing.</span></p> <p><span dir="auto"><strong>Rhonda Moffitt</strong> - 4 years ago. 1st day, ship didn't leave Port as conditions of heat & wind were severe. </span>2nd day, weather too severe to visit Kangaroo Island so day spent at sea. 3rd day, Port Lincoln as scheduled. 4th day, Phillip Island hit by a severe storm and spent 2 hours on tender which could not dock and offload passengers back on ship. That night Penguin Parade excursion cancelled due to bad weather.</p> <div> <div dir="auto">This was my first cruise, a taster for my future retirement. Princess cruise had no offer for credits and, I know weather is unpredictable, but a totally disappointing experience.</div> <p><strong>Dianne Whitton</strong> - 2013 World Cruise on the Sea Princess. It was good. The best was 2016 Circle Pacific. Too bad Princess doesn't put it on any more.</p> <p><span dir="auto"><strong>Cheryl Quested</strong> - Windstar cruise in Tahiti was the best.</span></p> <p><span dir="auto"><strong>Heather Dixon</strong> - Hurricane cruise in Norway, absolutely the most stunning scenery.</span></p> <p><em><span dir="auto">Image credits: Shutterstock</span></em></p> </div>

Cruising

"Best speech ever": Roger Federer's hilarious address to graduates

<p>Roger Federer has gone viral for all the right reasons after giving a hilarious and inspirational speech to a group of graduates. </p> <p>The Swiss tennis legend addressed the 2024 graduating class at prestigious Ivy League university Dartmouth, where he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for his charity and philanthropic pursuits since retiring from tennis in 2022. </p> <p>The 25-minute speech has been widely dubbed as "the best speech ever" online, as he quipped about the highlights of his illustrious career while sharing sage advice for the new grads.</p> <p>“Hello class of 2024, this is so exciting,” Federer began while wearing a college gown. </p> <p>“I’m so excited to join you today, really you have know idea how excited I am. Keep in mind this is literally only the second time I’ve ever set foot on a college campus. But for some reason you are giving me a doctorate degree."</p> <p>“I just came here to give a speech, but I get to go home as 'Dr Roger'. That’s a pretty nice bonus, 'Dr Roger' just has to be my most unexpected victory ever. Thank you.”</p> <p>After stating he will “try my best not to choke”, Federer went on to give a hilarious and heartwarming speech, complete with a number of life lessons.</p> <p>The 42-year-old shared that he left school at 16 and never went to college, but had recently “graduated tennis” with his retirement making international headlines. </p> <p>“I know the word is ‘retire’,” he said. “‘Roger Federer retired from tennis’. Retired. The word is awful."</p> <p>“You wouldn’t say you ‘retired’ from college, right? Sounds terrible. Like you, I’ve finished one big thing and I’m moving on to the next. Like you, I’m figuring out what that is." </p> <p>“Graduates, I feel your pain. I know what it’s like when people keep asking what your plan is for the rest of your life. They ask me ‘now that you are not a professional tennis player, what do you do?’ I don’t know and it’s OK not to know.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8FaLe5NGlt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8FaLe5NGlt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Roger Federer (@rogerfederer)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Among his advice, Federer insisted that “effortless is a myth”, referring to a word that was often used to describe his appearance on court, and urged the graduates to prioritise working hard. </p> <p>“The truth is, I had to work very hard to make it look easy,” he said. "I spent years whining, swearing, throwing my racquet, before I learned to keep my cool.”</p> <p>He also spoke about one match in particular, perhaps the most memorable from his career.</p> <p>“I tried not to lose. But I did lose,” he said.</p> <p>"Sometimes big. For me, one of the biggest was the finals at Wimbledon in 2008. Me versus Nadal. Some call it the greatest match of all time. OK, all respect to Rafa, but I think it would have been way, way better if I had won."</p> <p>“Losing at Wimbledon was a big deal because winning Wimbledon is everything.”</p> <p>Before wrapping up his speech, the sporting legend ended with some practical tennis advice after he asked Dartmouth president Sian Beilock to pass him a tennis racquet.</p> <p>“OK, so for your forehand, you’ll want to use an eastern grip,” he said.</p> <p>“Keep your knuckles apart a little bit. Obviously, you don’t want to squeeze the grip too hard.</p> <p>“Switching from forehand to backhand should be easy. Also, remember it all starts with the footwork and the take-back is as important as the follow-through."</p> <p>“No, this is not a metaphor. It’s just good technique.”</p> <p>Federer then ended his address with a wholesome message for the graduates, saying, “I will never forget this day and I know you won’t either.”</p> <p>“You have worked so hard to get here and left nothing on the court. From one graduate to another, I can’t wait to see what you all do next. Whatever game you choose, give it your best. Go for your shots. Play free. Try everything."</p> <p>“And most of all, be kind to one another and have fun out there.”</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pqWUuYTcG-o?si=i4Pi8XY2JRYkyhd1" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram - Dartmouth</em></p>

Retirement Life

What is the ‘sunk cost fallacy’? Is it ever a good thing?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/aaron-nicholas-1487960">Aaron Nicholas</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p>Have you ever encountered a subpar hotel breakfast while on holiday? You don’t really like the food choices on offer, but since you already paid for the meal as part of your booking, you force yourself to eat something anyway rather than go down the road to a cafe.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0167268180900517">Economists</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0749597885900494">social scientists</a> argue that such behaviour can happen due to the “sunk cost fallacy” – an inability to ignore costs that have already been spent and can’t be recovered. In the hotel breakfast example, the sunk cost is the price you paid for the hotel package: at the time of deciding where to eat breakfast, such costs are unrecoverable and should therefore be ignored.</p> <p>Similar examples range from justifying finishing a banal, half-read book (or half-watched TV series) based on prior time already “invested” in the activity, to being less likely to quit exclusive groups such as sororities and sporting clubs the more <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1960-02853-001">effort it took to complete the initiation ritual</a>.</p> <p>While these behaviours are not rational, they’re all too common, so it helps to be aware of this tendency. In some circumstances, you might even use it for your benefit.</p> <h2>Sunk costs can affect high-stakes decisions</h2> <p>While the examples above may seem relatively trivial, they show how common the sunk cost fallacy is. And it can affect decisions with much higher stakes in our lives.</p> <p>Imagine that Bob previously bought a house for $1 million. Subsequently, there’s a nationwide housing market crash. All houses are now cheaper by 20% and Bob can only sell his house for $800,000. Bob’s been thinking of upgrading to a bigger house (and they are now cheaper!), but will need to sell his existing house to have funds for a downpayment.</p> <p>However, he refuses to upgrade because he perceives a loss of $200,000 relative to the original price he paid of $1 million. Bob is committing the sunk cost fallacy by letting the original price influence his decision making – only the house’s current and projected price should matter.</p> <p>Bob might be acting irrationally, but he’s only human. Part of the reason we may find it difficult to ignore such losses is because losses are psychologically more salient relative to gains – this is known as <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1985-05780-001">loss aversion</a>.</p> <p>While most of the evidence for the sunk cost fallacy comes from <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40685-014-0014-8">individual decisions</a>, it may also influence the decisions of groups. In fact, it is sometimes referred to as the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/262131a0">Concord fallacy</a>, because the French and British governments continued funding the doomed supersonic airliner long after it was likely it would not be commercially viable.</p> <p>Another example is drawn-out armed conflict that involves a large loss of lives for the losing side. Some may think it impossible to capitulate because the casualties will have “died in vain”.</p> <h2>Knowing about sunk costs can help you</h2> <p>If you find yourself justifying behaviour due to costs you’ve paid in the past rather than circumstances of the present, or predictions of the future, it’s worth checking yourself.</p> <p>Identifying sunk costs allows you to cut your losses early and move on, rather than perpetuating larger losses. This is apparent in the housing example: the larger the crash, the cheaper the bigger house; and yet the larger the crash, the greater the perceived loss from selling the existing house. Hence, the greater the loss in opportunity inflicted by the sunk cost fallacy.</p> <p>If you find it difficult to overcome the sunk cost fallacy, it may help to delegate such decisions to others. This may include the decision of whether to <a href="https://direct.mit.edu/rest/article-abstract/93/1/193/57894/The-Flat-Rate-Pricing-Paradox-Conflicting-Effects">go to a buffet</a> or subscribe to Netflix, with the latter potentially being a double whammy: one may feel compelled to binge-watch due to the flat fee structure and, as mentioned earlier, to finish mediocre series once halfway through.</p> <h2>Use sunk costs to your advantage</h2> <p>A second, less obvious benefit is actively using the fallacy to your advantage. For example, many gym memberships require upfront payments regardless of how much you use the facilities. If you find it hard to ignore sunk costs, choosing gym memberships that have large upfront fees and minimal pay-per-usage fees may be a way to <a href="https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/mnsc.2018.3032">commit yourself</a> to a regular gym habit.</p> <p>This can also apply to other activities that involve short-term pain for long-term gain – for example, paying for an online course will make you more likely to stick with it than if you found a free course.</p> <p>But be warned, this doesn’t work for everything: it seems that spending wildly on a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ecin.12206">wedding ceremony or engagement ring</a> doesn’t have a “sunk cost” effect – it fails to increase the likelihood of staying married.<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/217798/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/aaron-nicholas-1487960"><em>Aaron Nicholas</em></a><em>, Senior Lecturer in Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-sunk-cost-fallacy-is-it-ever-a-good-thing-217798">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

“England’s greatest ever”: Sir Bobby Charlton’s cause of death

<p>In the early hours of Saturday morning October 21, the footballing world was met with sombre news. England World Cup winner and Manchester United great, Sir Bobby Charlton, described by the club as a "giant of the game", had passed away. Charlton's death marked the end of an era for both English football and Manchester United Football Club, and his legacy will continue to shine as brightly as ever.</p> <p>Charlton had been battling dementia, and his passing came just a week after he celebrated his 86th birthday. His journey through the beautiful game was a storied one, filled with remarkable achievements that will forever etch his name in the annals of football history.</p> <p>Perhaps the pinnacle of Charlton's career was his role in England's victorious 1966 World Cup team. He was a vital cog in the squad that claimed England's first and, so far, only World Cup triumph. His skills, determination, and sportsmanship on the pitch endeared him to fans not only in England but around the world.</p> <p>But his influence didn't stop at the international level. At club level, Charlton enjoyed tremendous success with Manchester United. He played a significant role in the Red Devils becoming the first English club to lift the European Cup in 1968. This victory came a decade after the tragic Munich air crash, which claimed the lives of several members of the United team. Bobby Charlton's resilience and commitment to the club were instrumental in rebuilding and achieving such remarkable heights.</p> <p>Upon hearing the news of Charlton's passing, the footballing community united in mourning. England World Cup winner Geoff Hurst, who scored a historic hat-trick in the 1966 final with Charlton by his side, expressed his sorrow and paid tribute to his "great colleague and friend." The sentiment was echoed by former Manchester United star David Beckham, who revealed that Sir Bobby Charlton had a profound influence on his career, going so far as to say that he was named after the legend himself – with his father giving him the second name "Robert" after his idol at the time.</p> <p>Charlton's impact extended beyond the field, as noted by former England forward Gary Lineker, who dubbed him "England's greatest ever player." Charlton's class and sportsmanship both on and off the pitch made him an enduring symbol of the beautiful game. He represented the essence of what it meant to be a footballing legend.</p> <p>Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville recognised Charlton as the club's "greatest ambassador." His contributions to the Red Devils, both as a player and later as a club director, played a significant role in shaping the club's legacy. He was a constant presence in the dressing room, offering his support and wisdom, win or lose.</p> <p>For Rio Ferdinand, Sir Bobby Charlton was a "true gentleman" and "Mr Manchester United." He recounted a pivotal moment when Charlton shared words with him at the bottom of the stairs in Moscow before lifting the Champions League trophy in 2008. Those words will forever remain with Ferdinand, a testament to the profound impact Charlton had on those around him.</p> <p>Charlton's legacy also reached beyond the United Kingdom, with global football icon Eric Cantona paying his respects, hailing him as "one of the best of all time". Current Manchester United midfielder Casemiro acknowledged Charlton's Ballon d'Or and European Cup victories, highlighting his irreplaceable role in the club's storied history.</p> <p>British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak added his voice to the chorus of tributes, recognising Sir Bobby Charlton's place in history as one of the game's greatest players. He described Charlton as "hugely loved" and offered his condolences, saying, "Rest in peace, Sir Bobby."</p> <p>"Manchester United are in mourning following the passing of Sir Bobby Charlton, one of the greatest and most beloved players in the history of our club," the Premier League club said in a statement. "Sir Bobby was a hero to millions, not just in Manchester, or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world.</p> <p>"He was admired as much for his sportsmanship and integrity as he was for his outstanding qualities as a footballer. Sir Bobby will always be remembered as a giant of the game."</p> <p><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

"Cutest thing ever": Bride and groom praised for breaking wedding tradition

<p>A bride and groom have been praised online for deviating from the traditional wedding party to include their siblings in an adorable way. </p> <p>Carla Wehbe took to TikTok to share a video from her cousin Raymond's nuptials to his partner Bella, in which both the bride and groom wanted their siblings standing next to them on their big day. </p> <p>Raymond had his sister wear a black dress, to match his groomsmen in their black tuxedos, and be given the title best woman.</p> <p>In contrast, Bella’s brother was given a pink suit to match the pink dresses of the other bridesmaids and was given the title man of honour.</p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7286234571937484034&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40carlawehbe%2Fvideo%2F7286234571937484034%3Flang%3Den&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2F153b8be3937b45a99bf0be11c35a53f4_1696458709%3Fx-expires%3D1697590800%26x-signature%3D04xfM01KhIsZZkTHQoqTUi%252BiU70%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>“The reason they did it was because their siblings were their best friends and they wanted them to stand by their side on their special day,” Wehbe said in an interview with <em><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/bride-groom-best-woman-man-honor-wedding-1833939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsweek</a></em>. “I loved the idea and thought it made the day really special.”</p> <p>The video has racked up over 65 million views, with thousands of people flocking to the comments to congratulate the newlywed couple, while praising their decision to break with tradition. </p> <p>“This needs to be done more often,” one comment read.</p> <p>However, not all of the commenters were on board with the idea, while many traditionalists slammed the act. </p> <p>Despite the critcs, Wehbe said most of the comments were positive, and that she wanted to use the video to let people know that they can have any kind of wedding they want, whether it breaks tradition or not.</p> <p>“It will definitely inspire people who may have wanted to but were not sure if it was acceptable,” she said. “People should just do what makes them happy on their special day!”</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

Hard to watch! Paralympic champion given the worst gifts ever

<p>A Spanish Paralympic cyclist has been given the worst trophy gifts in history, with his calm and collected reaction making waves online. </p> <p>Ricardo Ten Argiles was last week crowned world champion in three separate events at the 2023 UCI World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.</p> <p>During the post race ceremonies, he was presented with two gold medals, along with two very surprising gifts from the event's major sponsor: international watch company Tissot.</p> <p>The 47-year-old was gifted not one, but TWO watches in a fancy display case, despite having both his arms amputated at the forearm. </p> <p>A video of Ten keeping a straight face while being handed one of the watches has started to spread across the internet with more than 800,000 views.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Not a very well thought gift. <a href="https://t.co/hRhaTfnGsE">pic.twitter.com/hRhaTfnGsE</a></p> <p>— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) <a href="https://twitter.com/OutOfCycling/status/1691136594747469836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>One video shows Ten standing on the podium and exchanging some friendly words with an official as he holds the watch case tightly between his arms. </p> <p>Understandably, the mortifying moment has been met with outrage and black humour. </p> <p>The athlete himself has been laughing off the incident and has embraced the way his social media pages have exploded with comments.</p> <p>Many of the comments suggested that Ten regift the expensive watches at Christmas, while others wondered how officials at the event could've let the awkward gifts happen. </p> <p>Despite the outrage from fans, Ten responded to one news story about the “tactless blunder” by writing on Twitter, “I am very happy to have won two TISSOTs, one for each arm, but above all for what it means for Paralympic cycling, total inclusion of the sport at the highest level”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Twitter</em></p>

Body

Why Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa is the best thing we've ever seen

<p>Hold onto your chocolate bars, folks, because director Paul King has done it again! After his stroke of genius in casting Hugh Grant as the dastardly villain in <em>Paddington 2</em>, King couldn't resist the temptation to work with Grant once more. This time, he enlisted the British star for a truly magical role in the upcoming Roald Dahl prequel, <em>Wonka</em> (set to release on December 15 by Warner Bros.). But brace yourselves, because Grant's appearance as an Oompa Loompa is bound to leave you in stitches.</p> <p>During the official premiere of the <em>Wonka</em> trailer in London, which was attended by lucky guests treated to a buffet overflowing with Wonka-inspired sugary delights, King took a moment to explain his decision to cast Grant as a pint-sized, green-haired Oompa Loompa. The hilarious deadpan performance in the final moments of the trailer speaks for itself!</p> <p>In delving into the backstory of Willy Wonka, played by the brilliant Timothée Chalamet, King found himself diving headfirst into Dahl's books for inspiration. When it came to the Oompa Loompas, King discovered that although Dahl didn't grant them much dialogue, their songs were packed with incredible sarcasm, judgment, and cruelty directed at the kids in the story.</p> <p>“So I was really just thinking about that character; somebody who could be a real shit, and then — ah! Hugh!” he told the London premiere crowd. “Because he’s the funniest, most sarcastic shit I’ve ever met.”</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dckc2RcL69s" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>As for his leading star, Chalamet, King's praise was somewhat more refined, or so he claims: “It was a very short list of people who could play Willy Wonka, and really, it was him. I really do think he’s the most incredible actor of his generation, because he’s got this incredible ability to dive very deep into his own personal emotions and convey things with the turn of an eye — he’s very, very controlled, very smart and incredibly emotionally intuitive.”</p> <p>While acknowledging the daunting task of following in the footsteps of acting legends like Johnny Depp and the original Wonka himself, Gene Wilder, King was confident that Chalamet would rise to the occasion. "I think he manages to bring that sort of mayhem and mischievousness but with a deep emotional grounding," he said, "which is really quite extraordinary.”</p> <p>So, get ready to embark on a sugar-coated adventure with Hugh Grant's hilariously sarcastic Oompa Loompa and Timothée Chalamet's awe-inspiring portrayal of Willy Wonka. It's going to be one wild, chocolate-filled ride that will leave your sides splitting and your sweet tooth satisfied.</p> <p><em>Images: Warner Bros</em></p>

Movies

Elton John's final message to crowd at last concert ever

<p dir="ltr">Elton John has officially retired from touring.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 76-year-old award-winning musician took to the stage for the last time ever in Stockholm, Sweden, <a href="https://www.eltonjohn.com/tours" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to his website</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Elton had reportedly ended his touring days with <em>Your Song</em> and <em>Goodbye Yellow Brick Road</em>, before sharing a heartfelt message to his fans.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I've had the most wonderful career, beyond belief. 52 years of pure joy playing music, how lucky am I to play music? But I wouldn't be sitting here if it wasn't for you," the music legend told his fans as he closed what he claimed to be his final show.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You bought the singles, albums and CDs and more importantly you bought the tickets to the shows and you know how I love to play live."</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's been my lifeblood to play for you guys and you've been absolutely magnificent – thank you," he added.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I will never forget you guys. I've played so many concerts, how could I forget? You're in my head, and my heart and my soul and I thank you so much."</p> <p dir="ltr">The singer also took to Instagram prior to his final show to share the announcement.</p> <p dir="ltr">"What a journey this tour has been and now we find ourselves at the end of it. Tonight is the final night,” he wrote in the caption.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CucC7nWAQ8K/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CucC7nWAQ8K/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">He posted a clip of a 2018 interview he did with CNN, when he first announced that he was going to retire from touring.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's the last time that I will be touring and traveling the world," John said in the clip.</p> <p dir="ltr">The tour, which had over 300 shows, kicked off in 2018 and was meant to end in 2021 but was postponed due to Covid, and has since been attended by over 6 million fans across the world.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Music

Readers respond: What was the first country you ever travelled to?

<p dir="ltr">Everyone remembers the butterflies and excitement of travelling to another country for the first time.</p> <p dir="ltr">For many, the first trip overseas is unforgettable, because you are exploring another part of the world that is different from home.</p> <p dir="ltr">We’ve asked our readers about the first country they ever travelled to and the responses are diverse. Here’s what they said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Anita Thornton</strong> - Nigeria, in 1956, I was seven. Dad worked there and we joined him. So many wonderful memories.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>MarilyneJames Kelly</strong> - Went to the U.S. to Disneyland when I was 16.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Ruth Jean Jennings</strong> - New Zealand ......and keep going back despite having travelled to heaps of other places!!!</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Susan Moldrich</strong> - Sri Lanka. I loved it so much I've been back nearly every year.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Audrey Jones</strong> - To New Zealand from England. Mum. Dad and us 6 kids came by boat on 9th July 1954. Travelled back and around the world many times.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Hilary Mole</strong> - By car and ferry, France, Switzerland and Italy 1960. By plane, Holland in 1965.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Frances Nelson</strong> - Portuguese Timor. We drove Sydney to Darwin where we caught a small TAA plane to Dili. The only other tourist we met was a chap from Mozambique. Wonderful experience.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Mindy Brown</strong> - Okinawa via Japan. My husband was stationed there in late 1960's</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Diane WillmoreHunsbedt</strong> - England when I was 7 my mom was a war bride and went to see her family</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Jenny Champness </strong>- Uganda from Australia with my sisters and parents for my dads new job.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Amanda Onder</strong> - Italy, first of three trips there as a child.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Pamela Tow</strong> - Papua New Guinea, where I worked in Goroka for a year.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Beryl Hamblin</strong> - France</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

“No justification for this ever”: Outrage over one husband’s selfish inflight arrangement

<p>A couple in the United States have landed themselves at the centre of the internet’s attention after the wife made the shocking admission that her husband flies first class when they travel, leaving her behind in economy with their two children. </p> <p>Writing to <em>The New York Times</em>’ ethics column, she wanted to know if she was selfish for thinking their ‘arrangement’ was unfair, noting that while he had offered a compromise of sorts, it did “not really address or solve the problem of the inherent selfishness in his thinking.”</p> <p>As she explained in her message, she and her husband are avid travellers, and he “either pays for, or gets an upgrade into, the first-class cabin”. Even when they travel with their two children - who are 12 and 16 years old - he takes himself off to first class, while they remain in economy.</p> <p>According to her, he justifies it to himself by explaining that it’s “because of the cost”, and that their children “might feel alone” if she were to travel up front with him.</p> <p>“I feel that this is unfair,” she said. “ I don’t think our kids would mind if they were in economy plus and my husband and I sat together in first class. Is that unfair of me to want? </p> <p>“My husband has suggested travelling alone on a different flight ahead of us so that we don’t feel badly about the disparity, but this does not really address or solve the problem of the inherent selfishness in his thinking. Am I wrong?”</p> <p>Kwame Anthony Appiah, the ethicist who responded to her for <em>The New York Times</em>, was of the opinion that “a modern marriage is meant to be a pairing of equals”, with partners treating each other with respect and having equal say in the decision making process.</p> <p>“Your husband has another view,” he said. “He evidently thinks that because he’s the ticket-buyer in the family, his own preferences get priority.”</p> <p>And when the article was shared to social media, people from all over were quick to get in on the discussion, with most leaping to the defence of the wife. </p> <p>“I’d divorce him so fast he’d never get to fly first class again until our kids were grown and through college,” one said. “There is no justification for this ever.”</p> <p>“I'd be calling a divorce lawyer rather than a travel agent,” one agreed. </p> <p>“Wow. And you’re still married to him?! I’d recommend booking your own flights,” came a similar response. </p> <p>Meanwhile, another noted that she “just might be married to a narcissist.”</p> <p>“Oooph BIG YIKES. It’s not about the flight, I’m sure this imbalance trickles into other parts of the relationship,” someone wrote. </p> <p>And as another shared, “recently, my husband was offered the upgrade to first class but declined it because I couldn’t go too. We’ve been married 30 years.”</p> <p>Some, however, took issue with the idea of both parents lounging in first while their children were still left behind, with one noting “she wants to upgrade but still leave the kids in economy? The pair of them sound like terrible parents.”</p> <p>“Frankly, I’m blown away that this mother sees the disparity for herself,” another said, “but is perfectly comfortable experiencing privilege while treating her own children disparately.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Martha Stewart becomes oldest ever Sports Illustrated covergirl

<p>Martha Stewart has cemented her place in <em>Sports Illustrated Swimsuit </em>magazine’s history, becoming the oldest cover star in the history of the publication at 81 years old. </p> <p>The celebrity chef’s photoshoot was revealed during her appearance on the US breakfast show <em>Today</em>, with her cover - Martha in a plunging white swimsuit with a billowing orange shirt - on full display, according to the New York Post. </p> <p>“I like that picture,” Stewart admitted on the show, before noting that she was “sort of shaking”. </p> <p>She went on to share that it had been “odd” to be snapped in her swimming costume “in front of all those people”, but that things had gone okay. </p> <p>The photographer behind the shoot was Ruven Afanador, and it took place in the Dominican Republic, with Stewart donning no less than 10 swimsuits.</p> <p>“When I heard that I was going to be on the cover of <em>Sports Illustrated Swimsuit</em>, I thought, ‘oh, that’s pretty good, I’m going to be the oldest person I think ever on a cover of <em>Sports Illustrated’</em>,” Stewart told the magazine. “And I don’t think about age very much, but I thought that this is kind of historic.</p> <p>“Age is not the determining factor in terms of friendship or in terms of success, but what people do, how people think, how people act, that’s what’s important and not your age.”</p> <p>Fans were delighted, both with the photoshoot and with her take, and raced to social media to share their enthusiasm when the cover was revealed across <em>Sports Illustrated</em>’s various accounts - as well as Martha’s own. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thrilled to be on cover of the <a href="https://twitter.com/SI_Swimsuit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SI_Swimsuit</a> issue! I hope this cover inspires you to challenge yourself to try new things. Pick up on newsstands May 18th! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SISwimsuit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SISwimsuit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SISwim23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SISwim23</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ruvenafanador?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ruvenafanador</a> <a href="https://t.co/DsRgLr6crK">pic.twitter.com/DsRgLr6crK</a></p> <p>— Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaStewart/status/1658195286571753478?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>“Martha Stewart being the cover model for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit was not on my 2023 bingo card but here we are!” one wrote. “She looks amazing!”</p> <p>“You look gorgeous, as always, Martha! Love you and the cover!!” another gushed. </p> <p>“Spectacular! Congratulations! So gorgeous and strong!” came one round of praise. “A true role model for women”.</p> <p>“Congrats queen! I had no idea you were 81,” someone confessed, “because your energy is so youthful!”</p> <p>Meanwhile, another had similar thoughts to share, noting that “now this is representative of what 'old age' looks like in reality - diverse, modern, bold, stylish and sexy. A rethink is needed! </p> <p>“A woman is beautiful at any age.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram, Twitter </em></p>

Beauty & Style

4 of the weirdest TV cameos ever

<p class="Default">While some television show cameos are great, funning and exciting then there are those that are just awkward and quite frankly, complete doozies. These are four of the weirdest TV cameos that come to mind.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>1. Britney Spears on <em>Sabrina</em></strong></p> <p class="Default">Britney Spears’s cameo came right at the end of the ABC’s <em>Sabrina</em> when Britney Spears was summoned by Sabrina’s dad, Edward Spellman (Doug Sheehan), to sing her third US top ten hit, “(You Drive Me) Crazy”.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>2. Matt Lucas and David Walliams (as their <em>Little Britain</em> characters Lou and Andy) on <em>Neighbours</em></strong></p> <p class="Default">The <em>Little Britai</em>n characters made their soap debut Down Under in an episode of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/soaps/neighbours" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Neighbours</a></strong></em></span>. The duo, played by Matt Lucas and David Walliams, turn up in ScarletBar and get aquainted with Ramsay Street regular, Harold Bishop.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>3. Stephen Hawking on <em>Big Bang Theory</em></strong></p> <p class="Default">In this<em> Big Bang Theory</em> episode, Hawking joyously puts Jim Parsons’ Sheldon Cooper in his place. Hawking was referenced in the very first episode of the show, too, where characters Howard and Rajesh geek out over footage of a young Hawking. Helberg also does a Hawking impression in this episode while Stephen is in the room.</p> <p class="Default"><strong>4. Ian McKellen on <em>Coronation Street </em></strong></p> <p class="Default">With the likes of Cliff Richards, Prince Charles, Cheryl Cole and Status Quo, Ian McKellen appears in five episodes over the course of a week.</p> <p class="Default"><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Readers respond: What was the first ever album you bought?

<p>Everyone has that early album that made them fall in love with music and changed who they are.</p> <p>For many, the first album you buy stays one of your favourite records throughout your life, because the hits you love never truly grow old. </p> <p>We asked our readers what the first album they bought was, and the response was overwhelming.</p> <p>Here's what they said.</p> <p><strong>Diane Brown</strong> - Carol King's Tapestry and Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story.</p> <p><strong>Kerrie Ross</strong> - Sound of Music 33rpm I was in Primary School.</p> <p><strong>Julie Ennor </strong>- The Beatles, Hard Days Night.</p> <p><strong>Wilma Bill Towells</strong> - Soundtrack to My Fair Lady, probably 70 years ago.</p> <p><strong>Suzanne Jones</strong> - ABBA! It was a birthday gift along with my first turn table. </p> <p><strong>Carol Anderson</strong> - Joe Cocker, the album. Loved him ever since 1972, and I have seen him live many times.</p> <p><strong>Josephine Cray</strong> - Get Yer Ya-Yas Out, by the Rolling Stones. Still their best!</p> <p><strong>Annie Barry</strong> - Best of 1969. l was 12 and my Mum got it for my Christmas present.</p> <p><strong>Mandy Goldsworthy</strong> - Let It Be by The Beatles for Christmas in 1971. </p> <p><strong>Ann Drobnic</strong> - Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits.</p> <p><strong>Kaye Hillary</strong> - The best of Janis Joplin</p> <p><strong>Sharon White</strong> - Soundtrack to Oliver followed closely by Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye.</p> <p><strong>Christine Mulhall</strong> - The Righteous Bros Greatest Hits.</p> <p><strong>Marilyn Atkinson</strong> - Atlantic's Bombora, still have it!</p> <p><strong>Phill Johnston</strong> - Teaser and the Firecat by Cat Stevens.</p> <p><strong>Deni Symington</strong> - Schools Out, by Alice Cooper.</p> <p><strong>Sue Crofts</strong> - The Rolling Stones - title of the first album they did. 1964.</p> <p><strong>Glen Crawford</strong> - I bought 2 with my first pay in February 1966. Most of The Animals and The Rolling Stones Big Hits High Tide and Green Grass.</p> <p><strong>Christine Stanway</strong> - Sergeant Pepper’s in February 1970 with my first pay check.</p> <p><strong>Jan Franklyn</strong> - Singing the Blues by Guy Mitchell. An old 78 record and still have it.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

The gooiest and most scrumptious brownie recipe there ever was

<p>Over60 community member shares her seriously yummy brownie recipe. Think gooey centre and lots of white and dark chocolate. Don’t say we didn’t warn you – these might just be the best brownies we’ve ever had!</p> <p><strong>Serves:</strong> Eight</p> <p><strong>Preparation time:</strong> 10 minutes</p> <p><strong>Cooking time:</strong> 30 minutes</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></span></p> <ul> <li>250 grams butter</li> <li>300 grams dark cooking chocolate</li> <li>5 eggs</li> <li>1.5 cups sugar</li> <li>1.5 cups plain flour, sifted</li> <li>180 grams of white chocolate (broken into pieces)</li> <li>180 grams of milk chocolate (broken into pieces)</li> </ul> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Method:</strong></span></p> <p>1. Preheat over to 180. Not fan forced. If you only have a fan forced turn the oven down a bit.</p> <p>2. Melt butter and dark chocolate (I do this in a double boiler). Set aside.</p> <p>3. Mix eggs, sugar, flour. Add the dark chocolate and butter mixture. Stir till smooth. Add the rest of the chocolate.</p> <p>4. Line a baking pan with baking paper. Fill with mixture - you can use square or rectangular pan.</p> <p>5. Put in the over for no more than 30 mins.</p> <p>6. Let cool a little but these are best served a little warm.</p> <p><em>Images: Shutterstock</em></p>

Food & Wine

The only ANZAC biscuits recipe you'll ever need

<p>ANZAC biscuits are no doubt an Aussie and New Zealand classic and they’re super easy to make.</p> <p>Historically, the golden cookies were typically made at home to sell for fund-raising, or to serve at other events help to raise money for the war effort.</p> <p>Try this recipe as you reflect on the National Day of Remembrance.</p> <p><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <ul> <li>1 + 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted</li> <li>1 cup rolled oats</li> <li>1/2 cup caster sugar</li> <li>3/4 cup desiccated coconut</li> <li>150g unsalted butter</li> <li>2 tbsp golden syrup</li> <li>1 + 1/2 tbsp water</li> <li>1/2 tsp bicarb soda</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 170C</li> <li>Place flour, oats, coconut and sugar in a large bowl and stir to combine</li> <li>In a small saucepan place the golden syrup and butter and stir over low heat until butter is fully melted.</li> <li>Mix bicarb soda with 1 + 1/2 tbsp of water and add to the golden syrup mixture.</li> <li>Pour into the dry ingredients and mix together until fully combined.</li> <li>Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and place them on baking trays lined with nonstick baking paper, press down on the tops to flatten slightly.</li> <li>Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.</li> </ol> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Food & Wine

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date