Hall of Fame fighter hospitalised after saving elderly parents from fire

<p>In the heart of Ohio, a story of heroism and sacrifice has emerged from the flames of a devastating house fire.</p> <p>Mark Coleman, a revered figure in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) and the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), found himself in the midst of a harrowing ordeal, where his actions transcended the octagon to demonstrate unparalleled bravery and love for family.</p> <p>On a fateful Tuesday morning, as the dawn painted the sky over Fremont, Ohio, tragedy struck the Coleman household. Details of the fire initially emerged through local news outlets, shrouded in anonymity. However, it wasn't long before the truth surfaced – it was Mark Coleman, the UFC legend, who had selflessly rushed into the inferno to rescue his elderly parents from imminent danger.</p> <p>Reports indicated that Coleman, aged 59, wasted no time in the face of adversity. With unwavering determination, he courageously carried both of his parents, Dan and Connie Foos Coleman, to safety, braving the engulfing flames that threatened to consume their home. Yet, his valour knew no bounds as he plunged back into the fiery abyss, driven by an instinctive urge to save another beloved member of the family – their loyal dog, Hammer.</p> <p>Tragically, despite his desperate efforts, the canine companion did not survive the blaze. Coleman's daughter, Kenzie, revealed on social media that Hammer's persistent barking had roused her father from slumber, ultimately saving his life. This heartbreaking loss added another layer of sorrow to an already traumatic event.</p> <p>As news of Coleman's heroic act spread, an outpouring of support and prayers flooded social media platforms. His second daughter Morgan, in an emotional Instagram post, recounted her father's selfless deeds and pleaded for continued prayers during this trying time. To the Coleman family, Mark wasn't just a UFC pioneer; he was a beacon of strength and resilience, a cherished father and a beloved friend.</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/p/C4bQHaopteq/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4bQHaopteq/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Morgan Coleman (@mocoleman18)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Mark Coleman's legacy in the world of MMA is undeniable. Dubbed "The Godfather of Ground-and-Pound", he etched his name in the annals of UFC history as the organisation's inaugural heavyweight champion in 1997. His contributions to the sport earned him a well-deserved place in the UFC Hall of Fame in 2008, solidifying his status as a true icon.</p> <p>However, beyond the glitz and glory of the octagon, Coleman's journey has been marked by personal struggles and triumphs. In 2020, he battled a heart attack, a testament to his resilience in the face of adversity. A year later, he confronted his demons, seeking rehabilitation for alcoholism, and emerged stronger, embracing a healthier lifestyle.</p> <p>Author Jonathan Snowden, who shared a close bond with Coleman and was poised to document his remarkable life story, offered a glimpse into the aftermath of the fire. Through poignant images capturing the devastation, Snowden provided a raw and unfiltered portrayal of the ordeal. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is what's left of the house Mark Coleman and his family were in last night.</p> <p>Mark's dog Hammer woke him up to a house in flames. He saved both his parents and is fighting for his life. <a href="https://t.co/hicYhv7SDm">pic.twitter.com/hicYhv7SDm</a></p> <p>— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JESnowden/status/1767637195555299781?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p><em>Images: Instagram / Twitter (X)</em></p>

Caring

Britney Spears’ memoir is a reminder of the stigma and potential damage of child stardom

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jane-oconnor-1483447">Jane O’Connor</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/birmingham-city-university-920">Birmingham City University</a></em></p> <p>Britney Spears’ new memoir, The Woman in Me, illustrates once again the potential lifelong damage that can be caused by being a child star. Like many before her, including <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Judy-Garland">Judy Garland</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Jackson">Michael Jackson</a>, Spears was ushered into the dangerous terrain of childhood fame by the adults who were supposed to be protecting her, and was utterly unprepared to deal with the fallout.</p> <p>Spears’ <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53494405">father’s conservatorship</a>, controlling every aspect of her personal and professional life, was finally rescinded in 2021. She is now able to share the details of her extraordinary years in the limelight and beyond.</p> <p>From a sociological perspective, childhood is considered socially constructed. This means that there are specific ways of raising children which are socially and culturally defined. We discard these conventions surrounding the early years of life at our peril.</p> <p>The boundaries and rules around what is and is not acceptable during childhood, and the normal activities and institutions that shape the experience of being a child have developed over the centuries for a reason – to try and keep children safe from the harsh realities of the adult world.</p> <p>Being sexualised and valued for your appearance, being paid to work, having to deal with criticism and unwanted attention from strangers – these are all difficult aspects of growing up. Children and teens need careful support and guidance if they are to navigate safely into their adult lives and identities.</p> <p>The experience of childhood fame throws aside this social safety net for children in every possible way, and the consequences can be disastrous.</p> <h2>The price of child fame</h2> <p>From the earliest child stars of Hollywood’s golden age, through the television sitcoms and shows of the mid-20th century, the rise of the pop and film industries in the following decades and the burst in popularity of reality TV and talent shows of the early 21st century, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17482798.2011.584378">children have always featured</a>. Many have paid a heavy price for their often short period of fame.</p> <p>Sad stories of <a href="https://www.or-nc.com/why-do-child-stars-become-addicted-to-drugs/">drug and alcohol addiction</a>, <a href="https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/11/02/uncle-fester-star-jackie-coogans-tragic-life-child-fortune-to-horror-crash">family disputes</a>, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/child-actors-who-became-criminals/nathan-gibso">criminal activity</a> and <a href="https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/us-showbiz/former-nickelodeon-star-drake-bells-29769568">toxic relationships</a> are frequently reported by the media. These reinforce the stereotypical “child star gone bad” and “too much too young” narratives that the wider public has come to expect.</p> <p>For example, stories abound of <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/11/macaulay-culkin-reveals-never-divorced-parents-emancipated-12222457/">Macaulay Culkin “divorcing” his controlling parents</a> and his difficulties transitioning into adult life, <a href="https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/why-it-was-not-a-wonderful-life-for-macaulay-culkin-after-he-found-fame-in-the-hit-christmas-film-home-alone/37620091.html">feeling trapped</a> in the image of boyhood innocence of his most famous character, Kevin in the Home Alone movies.</p> <p><a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kSJ8XjTw10kC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">In her autobiography</a> actor Drew Barrymore has written about her casual acceptance at Hollywood parties and consumption of alcohol at a very young age, following her role in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083866/">E.T.</a> (1982) aged five.</p> <p>There is also the tragic life and death of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/may/29/gary-coleman-obituary">Gary Coleman</a>, cute kid star of the American sitcom <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077003/">Diff'rent Strokes</a> (1978-1986).</p> <p>Coleman, who died at 42 following a history of <a href="https://nypost.com/2010/05/29/troubled-80s-child-star-gary-colemans-life-is-cut-short-at-42/#:%7E:text=In%202005%2C%20Coleman%20moved%20to,and%20%22wanted%20to%20die.%22">substance abuse</a> and <a href="https://www.salon.com/2010/05/28/gary_coleman_dies/">depression</a>, reported being <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/may/29/gary-coleman-obituary">deeply humiliated</a> by people asking: “Didn’t you used to be …?” when he was working as a security guard at a supermarket as an adult.</p> <h2>Other possibilities</h2> <p>It’s important to note, however, that a difficult trajectory is not the experience of all child stars and former child stars. The actors from the Harry Potter films, for example, seem <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/oct/22/the-not-so-cursed-child-did-harry-potter-mark-the-end-of-troubled-young-actors">largely to have transitioned well</a> into adult lives and careers – some in the spotlight, others not.</p> <p>And the new generation of famous children and teens such as <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/stranger-things-millie-bobby-brown">Millie Bobby Brown</a>, star of the Netflix show <a href="https://theconversation.com/stranger-things-is-the-upside-down-to-disneys-cute-and-cuddly-universe-83417">Stranger Things</a> (2016-present), seem more prepared for fame than their predecessors, in control of their images and identities via their own social media platforms and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-44045291">potentially protected to some extent</a> from extreme sexualisation by the MeToo movement.</p> <p>Even so, Brown <a href="https://www.popbuzz.com/tv-film/news/millie-bobby-brown-birthday-instagram-post/">commented on her 16th birthday</a> that: “There are moments I get frustrated from the inaccuracy, inappropriate comments, sexualization, and unnecessary insults.”</p> <p>For Spears though, these were more than moments. She details in her memoir how the constant public scrutiny of her body and physical appearance, being valued for her sexuality and treated as a commodity have characterised her entire life.</p> <p>It is no wonder <a href="https://people.com/britney-spears-reveals-why-shaved-off-hair-in-2007-exclusive-8362494">she shaved her head</a> in 2007, a move interpreted by the media as her having “gone mad”, but in fact a powerful indication of her anger at being perceived as nothing more than a dancing sex-doll. As she writes in her memoir: "I knew a lot of guys thought long hair was hot. Shaving my head was a way of saying to the world: fuck you. You want me to be pretty for you? Fuck you. You want me to be good for you? Fuck you. You want me to be your dream girl? Fuck you."</p> <p>The sociologist Erving Goffman wrote about the stigma of having a “<a href="https://www.howcommunicationworks.com/blog/2020/12/16/what-is-stigma-explaining-goffmans-idea-of-spoiled-identity">spoiled identity</a>” whereby people carry with them the public shame of transgression or physical difference.</p> <p>Being a former child star can be stigmatising for many reasons, including being constantly compared to an ideal younger version of yourself and not having had a “normal” childhood or conventional family relationships.</p> <p>In this memoir, Britney attempts to face down that stigma and reclaim her identity and person-hood as an adult. In doing so, she demonstrates that it can be possible to leave the dangerous terrain of early fame behind – but the journey is a tough one.</p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jane-oconnor-1483447">Jane O’Connor</a>, Reader in Childhood Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/birmingham-city-university-920">Birmingham City University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram, </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/britney-spears-memoir-is-a-reminder-of-the-stigma-and-potential-damage-of-child-stardom-216545">original article</a>.</em></p>

Music

Carrie Fisher finally receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

<p dir="ltr">The late star Carrie Fisher is finally being honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.</p> <p dir="ltr">Best known for her role as Princess Leia in original Star Wars films, Fisher was an icon in the industry.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fisher sadly passed away on December 27th 2016, following a sudden cardiac arrest, but is making news again after being honoured with a well-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.</p> <p dir="ltr">She will be honoured on the most appropriate of dates, May 4th, which is unofficially known as Star Wars Day. </p> <p dir="ltr">The actress’ daughter, Billie Lour, will accept the star on her behalf. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Fans will be over the moon to know that their favourite movie princess Carrie Fisher will be honoured with her star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame," Anna Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Carrie will join her Star Wars costars and fellow Walk of Famers Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford on this historic sidewalk.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Fisher’s star will be just a few feet away from her fellow Star Wars actor and on-screen brother Mark Hamill, and across the street from her mother Debbie Reynolds. </p> <p dir="ltr">Hamill shared the news on his Twitter, saying “Long overdue &amp; so well-deserved,”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Long overdue &amp; so well-deserved.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CarrieOnForever?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CarrieOnForever</a>❤️ <a href="https://t.co/0pWxcfjoRB">https://t.co/0pWxcfjoRB</a></p> <p>— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkHamill/status/1650615522344710144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Her star will serve as a reminder that although she is gone, her influence will remain for years to come. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Movies

New photos show human side of Queen’s famed guards

<p dir="ltr">Rare, recently released photos have shown a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of the Queen’s guards in between lengthy shifts standing watch during her lying-in-state.</p> <p dir="ltr">The guards, known for their bearskin hats and stoic expressions, were guarding the Queen’s coffin around the clock in the lead-up to her funeral on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, recent photos shared by the UK Ministry of Defence show a more human side to them, with shots of them resting between shifts with their shoes and jackets off, napping and lounging in the parliament building, and dressing each other.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e6a25eb5-7fff-7832-5ec6-4fd74261dd21"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“The UK Armed Forces are continuing to honour their Commander-in-Chief of 70 years, Her Majesty The Queen,” the Ministry captioned the photos.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The UK Armed Forces are continuing to honour their Commander-in-Chief of 70 years, Her Majesty The Queen, as they stand vigil alongside The King's Body Guard. <a href="https://t.co/1iJi4xGGbJ">pic.twitter.com/1iJi4xGGbJ</a></p> <p>— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1571454159404109830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Members of His Majesty’s Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, the Royal Company of Archers and the Yeomen of the Guard guarded the Queen’s coffin during vigils and her funeral and switched places every 20 minutes during her lying-in-state.</p> <p dir="ltr">The new photos come after footage shared earlier this week captured the moment a member of the Royal Guard collapsed near the Queen’s coffin in front of mourners, falling face forward towards the stone floor and bracing himself at the last second.</p> <p dir="ltr">During Her Majesty’s funeral, Lance Sergeant Wordsworth of the First Battalion Coldstream Guards described the preparations made for the service, involving days of standing guard and rehearsals.</p> <p dir="ltr">"For the funeral of Her Majesty, I am involved in doing the street lining. We're also lining the route to St George's Chapel for when the Queen comes down," he said to the Ministry of Defence.</p> <p dir="ltr">"On Wednesday, September 14, I was part of the Guard of Honour at Buckingham Palace when the coffin was received, and then when Her Majesty left to be taken in the procession to Westminster Hall.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Obviously this has been planned for, and you can see how many people are with us, how it is trying to get them working in unison, but as a battalion. This is our bread and butter."</p> <p dir="ltr">The soldier added that it was an immense honour to take part in the late monarch’s funeral and a defining moment in any guard member’s career.</p> <p dir="ltr">"This is one of the biggest occasions, as sad as it may be, you're not going to define anything more in your army career than starting as a Queen's guard and probably finishing as a King's guard."</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-22e7cbaa-7fff-64cb-7607-ab8754f397a0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @DefenceHQ (Twitter)</em></p>

Body

Lleyton Hewitt's huge career moment

Family & Pets

Famed actor James Caan dies at 82

<p>US actor James Caan, best known for playing Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, has died aged 82.</p> <p>Caan, who also had roles in “Misery,” “Thief” and “Rollerball,” received an Oscar nomination for his tragic portrayal of a mafia family’s eldest son in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 classic film.</p> <p>“It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6,” Caan’s family said in a tweet posted to his account.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6.</p> <p>The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.</p> <p>End of tweet</p> <p>— James Caan (@James_Caan) <a href="https://twitter.com/James_Caan/status/1545090774517174272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>“Jimmy was one of the greatest. Not only was he one of the best actors our business has ever seen, he was funny, loyal, caring and beloved,” wrote Matt DelPiano.</p> <p>“Our relationship was always friendship before business. I will miss him dearly and am proud to have worked with him all these years.”</p> <p>Caan started working as an actor in 1960s Hollywood, with small roles in films by acclaimed directors including Billy Wilder (Irma La Douce), Howard Hawks (El Dorado) and Coppola (The Rain People).</p> <p>However, it was his character as hot-tempered Sonny Corleone, whose slaying in a hail of bullets at a toll booth became one of the defining scenes in The Godfather, established him as a major actor with an Academy nomination.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

"We lost our beautiful mother": Ashley Judd's heartbreaking speech

<p dir="ltr">The daughters of country music legend Naomi Judd teared up at an awards ceremony on behalf of their mother, a day after she passed away.</p> <p dir="ltr">Naomi Judd, one half of the duo The Judds, died at the age of 76 on Sunday following a battle with depression and mental illness.</p> <p dir="ltr">On Monday, Ashley and Wynonna teared up as they made an emotional acceptance speech at the Country Music Hall of Fame induction following their mother’s passing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I didn’t prepare anything tonight because I knew mum would probably talk the most,” Wynonna said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m gonna make this fast, because my heart’s broken, and I feel so blessed. It’s a very strange dynamic, to be this broken and this blessed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The sisters also quoted Psalm 23, a common hymn for funeral services.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XPaqAPywFcs" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">“My mama loved you so much and I’m sorry that she couldn’t hang on until today,” Ashley began.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Your esteem for her and your regard for her really penetrated her heart, and it was your affection for her that did keep her going in the last years, and please come see Pop,” she continued in reference to her stepfather and Naomi’s husband Larry Strickland.</p> <p dir="ltr">“While this is so much about the Judds as a duo, I want to take a moment to recognise my sister, a GOAT.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Wynonna then jumped in: “Though my heart is broken, I will continue to sing.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Naomi and daughter Wynonna, began singing together as a professional act in the early 1980s.</p> <p dir="ltr">They produced major hits loved by fans all over the world including "Mama He's Crazy" and "Love Can Build a Bridge”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The sisters announced their mother’s death in a statement on Sunday.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness," the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that, as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Music

Too bad, Dolly: Rock n Roll Hall of Fame responds

<p>After a quiet three days since <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/music/not-worthy-dolly-parton-bows-out-of-major-award">Dolly Parton’s declaration </a>that she’d like to drop out of the contest for the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame, the foundation has come out with a statement. Parton will remain on the ballot.</p> <p>With voting already underway, the Foundation's position is that, while her "thoughtful" statement is worth consideration, the Hall of Fame is a big tent that includes far more than core rock acts, and it will be left up to the voters.</p> <p>"All of us in the music community have seen Dolly Parton's thoughtful note expressing her feeling that she has not earned the right to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," the statement says. "In addition to her incredible talent as an artist, her humility is another reason Dolly is a beloved icon by millions of fans around the world."</p> <p>The statement continues, "From its inception, Rock and Roll has had deep roots in Rhythm &amp; Blues and Country music. It is not defined by any one genre, rather a sound that moves youth culture. Dolly Parton's music impacted a generation of young fans and influenced countless artists that followed. Her nomination to be considered for induction into to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame followed the same process as all other artists who have been considered."</p> <p>The Foundation goes on to reiterate that voting is already in process: "Dolly's recommendation, along with the other 16 nominees for the class of 2022 was sent out earlier this month to our 1200 general ballot voters, the majority of whom are artists themselves, for consideration for induction at our ceremony."</p> <p>It concludes, "We are in awe of Dolly's brilliant talent and pioneering spirit and are proud to have nominated her for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."</p> <p>Parton further explained her position in an interview with Fox Thursday morning: "Well, I didn't feel exactly right about that," she said, while being interviewed on the show Fox &amp; Friends.</p> <p>"Because my perception, and I think the perception of most of America — I just feel like that's more for the people in rock music. I've been educated since then, saying that it's more than that, but I still didn't feel right about it. It kind of would be like putting AC/DC in the Country Music Hall of Fame. That just felt a little out of place for me."</p> <p>Earlier this week, it was reported that sources close to the Hall's leadership said they were disinclined to do anything that would interrupt or subvert a vote already in progress, and were hopeful that Parton will change her mind if she is voted in.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Music

"Not worthy": Dolly Parton bows out of major award

<p>Dolly Parton, the Queen of country, was one of the several illustrious artists being inducted later this year into the prestigious Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame. In the early hours of this morning, she withdrew her name from consideration.</p> <p>"Even though I am extremely flattered to be nominated for the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame, I don't feel that I have earned that right," the 76-year-old songstress wrote in a statement shared to Instagram.</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/p/CbFnWJhOieR/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbFnWJhOieR/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Dolly Parton (@dollyparton)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"I really do not want the votes split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out."</p> <p>Dolly did not explicitly go into specifics as to her reasoning why she does not feel worthy, but she did allude to the fact that she hasn't produced a straight rock and roll record.</p> <p>"I do hope that the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again — if I'm ever worthy," Parton's statement continued.</p> <p>"This has, however, inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock 'n' roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do! My is a total rock 'n' roll freak, and has always encouraged me to do one."</p> <p>"I wish all of the nominees good luck and thank you again for the compliment. Rock on!" her statement concludes.</p> <p>Although she has requested to be removed from consideration, it isn't entirely up to her. Musicians such as John Lydon, Todd Rundgren and Axl Rose have previously protested their inclusion, but were voted in regardless. In fact, when Sex Pistols were inducted into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, Lydon sent an angry letter to be read at the ceremony.</p> <p>Additionally, ballots featuring her name have already been sent out, so it may be beyond her control. If she is inducted, however, she can abstain from attending the ceremony, like Lydon did.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Music

French billionaire snaps up famed Parisian mansion

<p dir="ltr">One of Paris’ most famous homes has <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/french-billionaire-pays-qatari-prince-314-million-for-famous-parisian-mansion-1120916/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sold</a> for an eye-watering $314 million ($NZD 387 million).</p> <p dir="ltr">The Hôtel Lambert, a luxe mansion owned by Qatari Royal Prince Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani, has been bought by Xavier Niel in an exchange that would likely be a small spend for the French tech founder, who has an estimated worth around $12.2 billion.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though most would expect that Niel would be living in his new palatial home, the <em><a href="https://nypost.com/2022/02/22/xavier-niel-buys-property-from-qatari-prince-in-227m-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a></em> reported that a source close to Niel said he is planning to use it as the headquarters of his cultural foundation instead.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-23a98d3c-7fff-7e46-f8a7-2240601a8b56"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Prior to its sale, the prince bought the UNESCO World Heritage-listed property from the Rothschilds for a reported $150 million back in 2007 - but sunk even more cash into it over the 15 years.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/castle1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="1080" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Wikimedia Commons</em></p> <p dir="ltr">According to reports, the Middle Eastern royal gained ownership of the Hôtel Lambert when it was in a bad way, and invested a further $200 million into structural renovations.</p> <p dir="ltr">Just a stone’s throw away from cultural icons including the medieval Notre-Dame, the Hôtel Lambert is a cultural landmark in its own right.</p> <p dir="ltr">Constructed in the 1640s and designed by Louis de Vau, a favourite architect of King Louis XIV who assisted in designing Versailles, the structure features extensive frescoes by Charles le Brun - who decorated Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors - and other works of art.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-44c3630b-7fff-b5c3-e59b-58debe0556ef"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Wikimedia Commons</em></p>

Real Estate

The world’s most famous streets

<p><strong>Champs-Élysées</strong></p> <p><span>When it comes to famous streets, the Champs-Élysées is surely one of the most recognisable in the world. Running through Paris’ 8th arrondissement, it attracts throngs of tourists not only for its historical significance, but also for the chic little cafés and shops located throughout the avenue. </span></p> <p><span>Its western end leads all the way to the Arc de Triomphe, one of the city’s most popular monuments, which visitors can climb for a breathtaking shot of the Champs Elysées before them.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYT2u6bIbbF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYT2u6bIbbF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by ChampsElysees_Paris (@champselysees_paris)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Ginza</strong></p> <p><span>Tokyo’s fashion district was built up from the ashes of an 1872 fire, and then rebuilt after a series of bombings during World War II left the area practically in ruins. </span></p> <p><span>Nowadays, it’s the booming epicentre of Tokyo, housing hip restaurants and art galleries, important names in fashion from Caroline Herrera to Chanel, as well as flagship electronic stores like Sony and Apple. </span></p> <p><span>It’s reminiscent of Broadway in the midst of New York City’s Times Square but with a culture and identity all its own.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRgiVaOhIjh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRgiVaOhIjh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Japan Photos Daily (@japandailies)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Lombard Street</strong></p> <p><span>This famous street in San Francisco is truly one of the city’s coolest spots to visit. After all, with a one-block stretch on Russian Hill that includes eight sharp turns, the “crookedest street in San Francisco” is sure to pique even the most travelled tourist’s curiosity. </span></p> <p><span>With a city known for its steep hills, this design was originally meant to allow cars to go down the road safely and slowly. Slow indeed: the recommended speed limit is 8 km per hour. If you’ve got a car in tow on your California excursion, we highly recommend a drive down Lombard if you can. </span></p> <p><span>It won’t be a speedy thrill ride, but it certainly will be a fun time trying to navigate each turn.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CN2jNfFhJbW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CN2jNfFhJbW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by San Francisco ❤️ California 🇺🇸 (@san_francisco_live)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Abbey Road</strong></p> <p><span>The iconic pedestrian crossing that was featured on the Beatles album cover in 1969 has since become one of the most famous streets in the world. </span></p> <p><span>Since the record’s release, many fans have made the pilgrimage to central London’s Abbey Road to mimic the image of John, Paul, George and Ringo crossing the street.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY8q3Qct6Xt/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY8q3Qct6Xt/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by @photographicmemoryshow</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Fifth Avenue</strong></p> <p><span>A fashionista’s paradise, Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue is one of the world’s most famous streets for luxury shopping. </span></p> <p><span>Particularly between 49th and 60th Streets, this avenue is lined with showrooms for the best-known (and most expensive) designer brands: Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Armani, Versace and more. Visitors looking for sartorial finds are wise to come to New York City with a loaded wallet. </span></p> <p><span>For a film buff, a stop at the Tiffany &amp; Co. headquarters comes standard, with a coffee and croissant in hand to imitate Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in <em>Breakfast at Tiffany’s</em>.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY-C_MKvBsN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY-C_MKvBsN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐊𝐈 𝐊𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐀 (@jayden_radio)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>La Rambla</strong></p> <p>Barcelona’s most famous street, La Rambla is a hub for both residents and visitors alike.</p> <p>The kilometre-long, tree-lined pedestrian street is home to numerous, bars, cafés, restaurants and kiosks selling everything from flowers to souvenirs.</p> <p>From sunrise to late night, the street is often very crowded, with many simply sitting on the many benches to chat and people watch, while tourists come to drink from the Font de Canaletes fountain which supposedly ensures you will one day return to the city.</p> <p>A must-see is the Joan Miro mosaic that’s set into the promenade as well as one of Barcelona’s oldest hotels, Hotel Oriente.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CT4nLvOgHAW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CT4nLvOgHAW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Barcelona Dreaming (@barcelonadreaming)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Santa Monica Boulevard</strong></p> <p>For all the California dreamers in the world, Santa Monica Boulevard is where they long to be.</p> <p>Lined with palm trees, the 4.5-kilometre thoroughfare runs through West Hollywood, dotted with shops, cafés, bars and restaurants, making its way all to the Santa Monica Pier with a welcoming view of the Pacific Ocean.</p> <p>It’s pretty hard to believe that, as late as the 1980s, Santa Monica Boulevard was not landscaped, with practically nothing but abandoned railroad tracks.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKbmGWCAkc5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKbmGWCAkc5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Official LuxAway Competitions (@luxawaycompetitions)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Orchard Road: Singapore</strong></p> <p>The home of Singapore’s most famous shopping precinct, this 2-kilometre-odd-long road dates back to the 1830s, although it was then unnamed, eventually getting its famous moniker due to the fact that it once led to a number of fruit orchards as well as nutmeg and pepper plantations.</p> <p>Today, Orchard Road offers visitors thousands of businesses which include all kinds of shops, restaurants, cafes, hotels, and nightclubs.</p> <p>The official residence of Singapore’s president can be found at the eastern end of Orchard Road and the stunning Singapore Botanic Gardens towards the western end.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CL1q7tBDNxq/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CL1q7tBDNxq/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Lemjay Lucas Photography (@lemjaylucas)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Bourbon Street</strong></p> <p><span>The heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter, Bourbon Street comes alive at night – and we’re not only talking about Mardi Gras! </span></p> <p><span>Lined with strip clubs, bars, restaurants and shops, it’s practically a non-stop party on weekends, allowing visitors to get the most of NOLA’s nightlife. </span></p> <p><span>A bar crawl with friends is essential, and with traditional Louisiana music as the soundtrack to your night, it’s bound to be one you’ll never forget.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEa35GuFIp7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEa35GuFIp7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Eileen Chauff Romero (@iluvnola2)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Via Monte Napoleone</strong></p> <p><span>Milan: it’s one of the major fashion capitals of the world. </span></p> <p><span>Via Monte Napoleone (the latter half of its name was due to Milan being the capital of the Napoleonic Italian Republic at the start of the 19th century) is a street steeped in history, which also happens to house a slew of popular boutiques, from world-renowned brands like Bulgari and Dior to upscale local Italian designers. </span></p> <p><span>It’s a fashion mecca for budding designers and everyday fashionistas alike.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYoP2xpovVn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYoP2xpovVn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Viktoriya Gorokhova (@viktorissima)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Hollywood Walk of Fame</strong></p> <p><span>Stretching block after block (after block) on Hollywood Boulevard, the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles boasts more than 2,500 pink stars on its sidewalks, honouring a myriad of celebrities for their achievements in the entertainment industry. </span></p> <p><span>With approximately 10 million visitors every year, many tourists pose for the requisite ground shot alongside the star of their favourite celebrities, both past and present. </span></p> <p><span>And, on your way from one end of the boulevard to the other, a stop at TCL Chinese Theatre (formerly Grauman’s Chinese Theater) where many celebrities have left their mark – literally – is a must.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ9xMeQLqdj/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ9xMeQLqdj/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Hollywood Walk Of Fame (@hwdwalkoffame)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Royal Mile</strong></p> <p><span>Located in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Royal Mile is a collection of connecting streets exactly one mile long, that includes Castlehill, Lawn market, Abbey Strand and noteworthy landmarks such as St Giles’ Cathedral and the Heart of Midlothian, a beautiful heart-shaped mosaic in the road.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_sVs7qjbsA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_sVs7qjbsA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Royal Mile (@royalmile_edinburgh)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/travel/destinations/the-worlds-most-famous-streets?pages=2" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

Daniel Craig shares how Hugh Jackman helped him deal with fame

<p>After playing James Bond for 15 years, Daniel Craig has health with his fair share of the perks that come with international fame. </p> <p>However, the 53-year-old actor claims his time as 007 hasn't all be smooth sailing. </p> <p>In a new Apple TV documentary titled <em>Being James Bond</em>, Daniel discusses how taking over the iconic role from Pierce Brosnan was riddled with challenges. </p> <p>He admits how he was initially reluctant to accept the high profile role, <span>insisting he told film bosses, “I would not know what to do with it.”</span></p> <p><span>After indulging in a night of martini's when he landed the role, he stayed up all night reading negative reactions to his new casting. </span></p> <p><span>He said, "</span>I read everything, because that is what happens if you do that. And it was tough — really tough and hate-filled."</p> <p>“I woke up the following morning, and I went f**k it. I know the film is going to be good. I knew we were doing something really special.”</p> <p>After a steamy paparazzi shot emerged of Daniel filming a scene of <em>Casino Royale</em> at a beach in Barbados, everything changed for the actor. </p> <p>He says, “My personal life was affected by being that famous all of a sudden."</p> <p>“I used to lock myself in and close the curtains, I was in cloud cuckoo land. I was physically and mentally under siege."</p> <p>“I didn’t like the new-found level of fame. It was Hugh Jackman who helped me to come to terms with it and appreciate it.”</p> <p>Producer of many of the James Bond films Barbara Broccoli insists she was determined to cast Daniel Craig as 007 despite his reluctance. </p> <p><span>She says, “I always thought whenever he was on the screen you could not watch anyone else. He is lit from within. It was clear he is a movie star and a great actor to boot.”</span></p> <p><span>Craig claims he didn't think he live up to the incredible actors who had played the role previously, adding to his </span>hesitancy. </p> <p>He said, “As far as I was concerned I was already more ­successful then I would ever be as an actor — I did not have a cool persona."</p> <p>“Pierce had done <em>Remington Steele</em>, Roger Moore had done <em>The Saint</em> — they had done these parts where ­people had gone, ‘That’s James Bond’."</p> <p>“I had done weird arty movies. It was a harder sell. And I didn’t really want to do it, because I thought I wouldn’t know what to do with it."</p> <p>Now, 15 years after the release of <em>Casino Royale</em>, Daniel Craig is gearing up for the highly anticipated release of <em>No Time to Die</em>, which has been consistently rescheduled due to the pandemic. </p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty Images</em></p>

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Fame and fortune isn't the key to happiness

<p>If you’ve ever dreamt of fame and fortune, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle turning their backs on the royal lifestyle might seem churlish. So too their desire to be “financially independent”.</p> <p>As a senior royal, Harry is at the height of his popularity – a popularity that marrying Markle has only amplified.</p> <p>On top of the millions he has inherited from his mother and great grandmother, he gets millions more annually, both from his cut of the “sovereign grant” paid by the British government and the allowance from his father (from the revenues of Duchy of Cornwall estate).</p> <p>Harry and Meghan aren’t exiting the family firm penniless, but if they stayed they would be looked after in luxury for the rest of their lives.</p> <p>Madness? No. Research suggests Harry and Meghan would be well and truly in their right minds to be sick of royal fame and fortune.</p> <p>Psychologists, economists and philosophers have confirmed three things. First, money can’t buy happiness. Second, we want to feel we have earned our success and popularity. Third, being looked after from the cradle to the grave has its downsides.</p> <p>In short, having everything handed to you on a platter just isn’t satisfying.</p> <p><strong>Money doesn’t buy happiness</strong></p> <p>Even though this statement is arguably a cliché, there is good <a href="https://www.payscale.com/career-news/2013/05/study-proves-money-cant-buy-happiness">evidence</a> it’s true. While money buys happiness up to a point, the positive effects of money on happiness <a href="https://psychology.unl.edu/can-money-buy-happiness">level off</a> once individuals have obtained enough wealth to live a comfortable life.</p> <p>This relationship has been observed at the country level, with multiple studies showing that, once a nation reaches a certain level of wealth, national happiness does not increase in parallel with extra wealth. This is known as the <a href="https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/50-years-of-esrc/50-achievements/the-easterlin-paradox/">Easterlin paradox</a>. According to economist John Helliwell, a co-editor of the <a href="https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2019/changing-world-happiness/">World Happiness Report</a>, the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8364900_The_Social_Context_of_Well-Being">social context</a> – marriage and family, ties to friends and neighbours, workplace ties, civic engagement, trustworthiness and trust – is more important than wealth.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JjLh0guxERQ"></iframe></div> <p>One reason given for why wealth doesn’t buy individuals any more happiness after a certain point is that money becomes both a reason and means to distance ourselves from others. To paraphrase Christopher Ryan, author of <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Civilized-to-Death/Christopher-Ryan/9781451659108">Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress</a>, what people tend to do with extra money is buy separation, whereas researchers “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/why-are-rich-people-so-mean/">have concluded again and again</a> that the single most reliable predictor of happiness is feeling embedded in a community”.</p> <p>Extraordinary wealth, then, sets us against what we are programmed to do by evolution: seek out the company of others and band together in a community. Research has repeatedly shown this has a huge mental health cost.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MB5IX-np5fE"></iframe></div> <p>Importantly, too, how we earn our money affects how much we enjoy it. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29320930">Research</a> among more than 4,000 millionaires in the US, for example, showed those who were “self-made” were moderately happier than those who inherited their wealth.</p> <p>Taken together, these factors help explain why Harry and Meghan’s wealth might, psychologically speaking, be more curse than blessing.</p> <p><strong>The popularity paradox</strong></p> <p>Most of us, particularly teenagers, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cracking-the-popularity-code/">crave popularity</a>. According to <a href="https://yougov.co.uk/ratings/politics/popularity/royalty/all">a YouGov poll</a>, Harry is the second-most-popular member of the British royal family – pipped only by Queen Elizabeth. Some are convinced <a href="https://theconversation.com/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-why-half-in-half-out-just-isnt-an-option-for-royals-129726">he won’t keep this popularity</a> without his royal status.</p> <p>Why would someone want to give up being liked and loved by stepping out of the limelight?</p> <p>Because <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribution_(psychology)">psychological research</a> shows people feel less pride in their achievements if they attribute it to external reasons. In this case, that would being born as a royal for Harry, and being pretty and marrying into a royal family for Meghan. For their popularity and success to mean something, they would need some “internal attribution” – that it has something to do with their own abilities, effort and skill.</p> <p>In a world that values meritocracy, as Alain de Botton argues, we need to “own our success” — the very thing Harry and Meghan cannot do as royals.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MtSE4rglxbY"></iframe></div> <p><strong>Trapped by certainty</strong></p> <p>Most of us aspire to being financially secure for the rest of our lives. Many of us would give a lot to know what lies ahead.</p> <p>But while there is comfort in some sense of security and predictability, knowing exactly what the future holds might be a curse. This is because humans thrive also on feeling a sense of freedom and choice.</p> <p>So just as having no certainty can take its mental toll, so does feeling one’s future is totally predetermined and that you have no real control over the way your life will unfold.</p> <p>Psychologists call the motivation to regain a freedom after it has been lost <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4675534/">reactance</a> – and this might be something strong within someone, for example, who has lost freedom due to marrying into a high-profile family.</p> <p><strong>Seizing control</strong></p> <p>Do the reasons above explain why Harry and Meghan have left the royal fold? We can’t say that. Only they know their motivations.</p> <p>But what we do know is that all the research points to fortune, fame and security not necessarily leading to a good, happy life. These things can in fact be burdens, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0139156">bringing out</a> our worst, not our best.</p> <p>That happiness comes more from community connection, merit, effort and making our own decisions is good news for the rest of us. Let’s hope it works out for Harry and Meghan too.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130132/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jolanda-jetten-301309">Jolanda Jetten</a>, Professor, School of Psychology, ARC Laureate Fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-backs-harry-and-meghan-turning-in-their-royal-privilege-fame-and-fortune-arent-the-keys-to-happiness-130132">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

Homeless soprano: Overnight fame for street singer after brilliant opera performance captures the world

<p>A homeless Los Angeles woman has achieved instant viral fame, and a potential chance at a professional career after her brilliant opera singing caught the attention of an LAPD officer.</p> <p>Underground the Californian metropolis’ Koreatown district, the unknown woman who had shopping bags and a trolley in tow could be heard belting out a Puccini classic,<span> </span><em>O mio babbino caro</em>.</p> <p>Once she noticed she was being recorded, she continued the performance, as her vocals were heard throughout the Metro station.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">4 million people call LA home. 4 million stories. 4 million voices...sometimes you just have to stop and listen to one, to hear something beautiful. <a href="https://t.co/VzlmA0c6jX">pic.twitter.com/VzlmA0c6jX</a></p> — LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/LAPDHQ/status/1177423181679755264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">27 September 2019</a></blockquote> <p>The woman was later identified as 52-year-old Emily Zamourka, who grew up in Russia and immigrated to America as a 24-year-old classically trained violinist and pianist.</p> <p>But to everyone’s surprise, she’s never had any formal voice coaching.</p> <p>Zamourka says she found it hard to work after dealing with a number of debilitating health problems.</p> <p>She would then busk on LA’s busy streets, until her $10,000 violin was stolen three years ago.</p> <p>“[The violin] was my income. It was my everything to me – I could not actually pay any of my bills and could not pay any more of my rent,” Zamourka told local television networks.</p> <p>“I am sleeping, actually, on the cardboard in the parking lot. I’m sleeping where I can sleep.”</p> <p>The original video has been viewed over 560,000 times with many people trying to get Ellen DeGeneres and<span> </span><em>America’s Got Talent’s<span> </span></em>attention.</p> <p>For Zamourka, she just wants to leave her current circumstances behind.</p> <p>“I will be so grateful to anyone who is trying to help me get off the streets,” she said.</p>

Home & Garden

The Greatest Drawbacks: Hugh Jackman's new heights of fame have come at a surprising cost

<p>Hugh Jackman has been one of the world’s greatest stars for years. His diverse range of talents, which include acting, dancing and singing have captured fans hearts around the globe.</p> <p>After the success of<span> </span><em>The Greatest Showman</em><span> </span>in 2017, the 50-year-old has been propelled to new heights of fame, which is something that he was surprised by.</p> <p>Jackman spoke to<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/hugh-jackmans-big-song-and-dance-show-reveals-untold-stories/news-story/c96c097bdd6b823d675f311a7c2a27ad" target="_blank">The Herald Sun</a><span> </span></em>about how his life has changed since playing P.T Barnum in the film.</p> <p>“It's made it difficult going to my daughter's dance classes,” Jackman explained, as the film resonated with a much younger audience.</p> <p>“I used to go every week, and nobody really cared. The dance school was not your classic Wolverine fanbase.</p> <p>“Now I go and the songs from The Greatest Showman are playing in nearly every dance class so it's a bit different.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc1E9OfDiab/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc1E9OfDiab/" target="_blank">Showed &amp; Conquered @zacefron @greatestshowman #comalive</a></p> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/thehughjackman/" target="_blank"> Hugh Jackman</a> (@thehughjackman) on Dec 17, 2017 at 7:58pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>As Jackman has previously had a filmography that appeals to older audiences, it would make sense that the success of<span> </span><em>The Greatest Showman</em><span> </span>would introduce Jackman to a whole new and younger audience.</p> <p>Jackman shared with<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-46446499" target="_blank">The BBC</a><span> </span></em>and said he would be open to a sequel of the film.</p> <p>“If a genuine opportunity came up where it felt like the right thing to do, then yep, I'd get the top hat back out,” he said.</p> <p>“It's clear to me and to everyone that people love these characters. I loved this movie, I loved this character and it was one of the great joys of my life.”</p>

Movies

Olivia Newton-John opens up about Hollywood romance with bad-boy legend

<p>Olivia Newton-John has opened up about her life in a tel all memoir called <em>Don’t Stop Believin’</em>, which was released on Tuesday.</p> <p>The 70-year-old, who shot to fame and stardom after her role of Sandy in the 1978 film <em>Grease</em>, has detailed her heartbreaking losses and struggles, romances and everything in between.</p> <p>In what should have been the happiest time in her life instead was filled with heartbreak and sorrow as she suffered her first miscarriage shortly before she was married to Matt Lattanzi in 1982.</p> <p>The singer and actress has detailed her romantic and steamy love affairs throughout her life, and this includes a mysterious Hollywood legend.</p> <p>Although Newton-John refuses to put a name and face to the secretive romance she shared with a “Hollywood bad-boy legend with a long list of girlfriends,” she did drop a few massive hints.</p> <p>She recounts she met the actor in a coffee shop and when asked out, point-blank refused.</p> <p>The reason? He was dating her friend Susan George, an English actress, film producer and Arabian horse breeder.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824822/untitled-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a6b21981385f40d3ae6215ad32276d9f" /></p> <p>At the time, Olivia was staying with Susan and her sister, Rona, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel when the ‘bad boy’ called up to speak with Susan who was not in the room.</p> <p>Susan had her share of celebrity boyfriends including Andy Gibb, Rod Stewart and Peter Sellers.</p> <p>But when he asked Newton-John out again, she said yes. </p> <p>“He was my first major movie star encounter! His name? I'll never tell,” she wrote in <em>Don’t Stop Believin’</em>.</p> <p>Growing up in Australia after moving from Cambridge, England in the 1950s, the actress loved hiding in the alcove of her childhood home as a little girl and adored watching her parents leave for evening events with glamorous friends.</p> <p>Luckily for her, there were nights she would be allowed to travel downstairs amongst her parents and their socialite friends, writing she would rush to light their cigarettes for them.</p> <p>“I liked the smell of the sulphur of the match and the burning tobacco and paper,” she explained.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824819/gettyimages-106847776.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ae4fac6888454a689fe59af5a91b2a09" /></p> <p>“I must have associated comfort with smoke, although now I know cigarettes and second-hand smoke are toxic for your health.”</p> <p>When she was just nine years old, a younger Newton-John was offered a whole pack of cigarettes by her mother.</p> <p>“[I] thought this was a splendid idea. I sparked up a cigarette.”</p> <p>Her adverse reaction to the tobacco had left her swearing off it for the rest of her life after taking a deep breath per her mother’s suggestion – only to end up in a violent coughing fit.</p> <p>“I can still remember my father's smoke lingering on the sleeves of my pink cotton PJs. I'd go to sleep smelling him with my nose pressed to my pyjama sleeve,” she wrote.</p> <p>Her father’s death in 1992 from liver cancer should have sent Olivia into a downward spiral –however, she flourished.</p> <p>“Honestly, I had thought that I would retire, that it was the end of my career, but music kept appearing to me in my head and in my heart,” the 70-year-old explained.</p> <p>“I didn't retreat from my career but rather I went through the fire and reinvented it.”</p> <p>The <em>Grease</em> star also recounted her struggles with the first bout of cancer that was devastatingly realised on the weekend her father passed.</p> <p>This was also a time when her first marriage with Lattanzi began to break down and recalls a specific instance where her doctor had asked her an uneasy question regarding troubles with a man due to some people believing “cancer in the right breast corresponds to a male figure".</p> <p><span>Despite the rollercoaster year that overwhelmed her in 1995, the actress found love again in her second husband, John Easterling, who she met while walking the Great Wall of China.</span></p> <p>“True love found me when I wasn't looking,” she wrote.</p> <p>The couple married in 2008.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824824/onj.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b0fb4feec170469b9120ff08c09da3e7" /><em>Olivia and her husband, John. Image: Instagram @therealonj</em></p> <p>Despite the crazy love life in her younger years that saw rumours swirling around that she was romantically linked to Hollywood giants, including Dustin Hoffman, Roger Moore and John Travolta, Newton-John says she laughs at it all now.</p> <p>Even the “rumours that I was a lesbian, even though I had been married or had a boyfriend through most of my career".</p> <p>Newtown-John and Easterling currently live in a ranch in Southern California.</p> <p>Swipe through the gallery to see Olivia Newton John through the years.</p> <p>Are you interested to read Olivia Newton-John's new tell-all memoir,<span> </span><em>Don't Stop Believin'</em>? Tell us in the comments below.  </p>

Books

Inside Dolly Parton's tragic childhood

<p>Dolly Parton is known as one of the greatest country performers of all time. Her timeless grace, shining talent and endearing personality has kept her at the forefront of music for the past 50 years.</p> <p>This year, she was honoured for her legacy in music at the 2019 Grammy Awards.</p> <p>However, the starlet did not always come from riches and glory – and she lets that be no secret. While growing up, Parton’s life was unbelievably different.</p> <p>From rags to riches, Dolly is a story for the books – growing up as one of 12 children living under a one room house in rural Tennessee, she paved a successful career and planted herself as the woman who defined country music.</p> <p>Her sad childhood</p> <p>Growing up, Dolly came from a poor, tobacco-farming family – the fourth born to a long list of children in 1946.</p> <p>Despite her humble beginnings, the 9-5 singer has not been afraid in confronting her past by sharing her tough story.</p> <p>The one bedroom home housed up to 14 people and because of this, a number of children – up to three or four – were made to sleep in the same bed each night.</p> <p>“The kids peed on me every night. We slept three and four in the bed. I would wash every night. And as soon as I go to bed, the kids would wet on me and I'd have to get up in the morning and do the same thing,” Parton explained to <a href="https://www.thelist.com/94995/untold-truth-dolly-parton/">Playboy in 1978</a>.</p> <p>The extent of poverty that overwhelmed her family kept her from changing the bed sheets at night when her brother or sisters wet the bed.</p> <p>“That was the only warm thing we knew in the winter time. That was almost a pleasure to get peed on because it was so cold,” she said.</p> <p>“Lord. It was as cold in the room as it was outside. We'd bundle up to go to bed.”</p> <p>The summer months however were easier for the children, Dolly explaining they would wash themselves in the river during the hot weather using handmade soap.</p> <p>But in the winter time, they’d be forced to use a small pan filled with water.</p> <p>“We’d have a pan of water and we’d wash down as far as possible, then we’d wash up as far as possible…” the singer shared.</p> <p>As the family grew larger with every child Parton’s mother gave birth to, more responsibility would be passed down to the oldest children of the family.</p> <p>Particularly when it came to raise the youngest family members.</p> <p>“My mother, through the years, when we were born, since there were so many of us, used to say, ‘This one’s gonna be your baby,” she said.</p> <p>“That just meant that you got to take extra care of it. You have got to get up with it at night and rock it back and forth.”</p> <p>Unfortunately for the family, when Dolly was just nine years old, she lost her ‘baby’ – her little brother, Larry Parton – who tragically passed away as a newborn.</p> <p>“There is a lot of heartache and stuff that goes on with that,” the star confirmed.</p> <p>Dolly’s rise to stardom</p> <p>Despite the heartache that surrounded the family, a little more than a year later Dolly was singing and playing guitar on Tennessee television and radio shows.</p> <p>Parton’s uncle, Bill Owens believed in his young niece and introduced her to a man who contributed to creating a radio program and a local TV show called the <em>Cas Walker Farm</em> <em>and</em> <em>Home Hour</em>.</p> <p>Before she or her family knew it, Dolly was a regular performance on the show.</p> <p>In 1959, just a few years after Dolly was performing and making her way through to the hearts of Tennessee locals’ hearts, Johnny Cash introduced a then 13-year-old Dolly to the stage at the Grand Ole Opry.</p> <p>Her performance in result, was so popular the young girl earned three encores.</p> <p>When the young star graduated from high school, Dolly was on the way to Nashville, Tennessee.</p> <p>From there, Parton’s explosive career in music truly started to begin.</p> <p>Swipe through the gallery above to see Dolly Parton through the ages.</p> <p>Did you know about Dolly Parton’s sad childhood story? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Music

Celebs before and after their rise to fame

<p>Many celebrities come from humble beginnings before finding international success in Hollywood.</p> <p>While they are household names now and they’re recognised all over the globe, their pre-fame faces are not as well-known.</p> <p>Scroll through the galley above to see if you can recognise these famous faces before they found success.</p> <p>Did you recognise these stars’ pre-fame faces?</p>

Movies

8 Aussie artists who made it big overseas

<p>Australia has produced some of the greatest musicians and bands of the last century. From John Farnham to Hunters &amp; Collectors, Aussies sure know how to rock.</p> <p>However, only a lucky few ever find fame on the world stage. Here are eight who did just that.</p> <p><strong>1. AC/DC</strong></p> <p>They’re known for their iconic rock anthem “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)”, but AC/DC contradicted their own song, making their way to the top of the charts in 1975, less than two years after forming. It wasn’t until 1976 that the group found international fame, but they quickly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. To this day, AC/DC is among the best-selling music artists of all time in the US as well as around the world.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-sUXMzkh-jI" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>2. Kylie Minogue</strong></p> <p>She first entered the spotlight as a child star on Aussie TV shows like <em>The Sullivans</em> and <em>Young Talent Time</em> before landing her breakout role in Neighbours. The program, which already had a strong following in the UK, set her up for success when she decided to pursue a music career, releasing her first single “The Locomotion” in 1987. 14 albums and an Order of the British Empire later, she’s one of Australia’s most successful exports.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rfr9bhSmfXc" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>3. Bee Gees</strong></p> <p>The Bee Gees’ disco hits served as the soundtrack to an entire decade, but it took a while for Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb to find fame beyond Australia. Formed in 1958 as The Rattlesnakes, it wasn’t until 1967 that they first found overseas success, and they didn’t take off properly until the ‘70s, reforming after a short break-up. In 1977, the Bee Gees shot to stardom with their soundtrack for the hit film <em>Saturday Night Fever,</em> which included hits such as “Stayin’ Alive” and “How Deep Is Your Love”. It remains the best-selling film soundtrack of all time.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XpqqjU7u5Yc" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>4. The Seekers</strong></p> <p>The first ever Aussie pop group to achieve success in not only their home country but also the UK and the US, The Seekers have sold more than 50 million records worldwide. They formed in Melbourne in 1962, and than three years later became an international hit, with songs like “I’ll Never Find Another You”, “The Carnival is Over” and the iconic “Georgy Girl”. To this day, they’re still one of the nation’s most successful musical acts.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wsIbfYEizLk" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>5. Olivia Newton-John</strong></p> <p>A performer since her school days, ONJ’s first few albums were reasonably successful, and she even represented the UK at Eurovision in 1974 with the song “Long Live Love”, but lost out to ABBA. However, her biggest break came in 1978 when she was given the lead role in <em>Grease</em>. The film (and its soundtrack) were hugely successful, launching Olivia to worldwide fame. She continued her success with the<em> Xanadu</em> soundtrack in 1980 and released her best-selling album <em>Physical</em> in 1980.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/itRFjzQICJU" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>6. Keith Urban</strong></p> <p>Perhaps even more successful in the US than his home country, Keith Urban got his start touring as a backup act to Slim Dusty in the early ‘90s before moving to Nashville, Tennessee. By the mid-2000s, he was a certified country music star. He’s released nine albums, won countless awards, had 20 number one singles in the US and, in 2006, married Australia’s golden girl, Nicole Kidman.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SoIKv3xxuMA" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>7. INXS</strong></p> <p>The Farriss brothers, along with Michael Hutchence, Kirk Pengilly and Garry Beers, founded the band in 1977. After changing their name to INXS upon the recommendation of a Midnight Oil member, the group soon became one of Australia’s most beloved rock acts, with hits like “Original Sin”, “Burn for You” and “Don’t Change”. At the height of their fame, both domestically and internationally, Michael Hutchence sadly died, but his music – and the band – remain incredibly popular.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_VU9DjQpvMQ" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>8. Sia</strong></p> <p>Sia Furler spent her whole career writing hits for other people (think Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Rihanna), but in 2014, she smashed the charts with her hit song, “Chandelier”, which reached the top five on record charts in 20 countries. “Cheap Thrills”, released in 2016, became her first number one in the US. Despite this, she remains as humble and mysterious as ever.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2vjPBrBU-TM" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, who’s your all-time favourite Aussie musician?</p>

Music

10 celebrities before they were famous

<p>Everyone grows up to look different, whether that be gaining (or losing) a few kgs or leaving behind a no longer trendy hairstyle.</p> <p>And, celebrities are just the same! Although their faces are well-known across the world, their faces before fame are a bit tricker to identify.</p> <p>How many celebrities can you identify?</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see the pre-fame faces of 10 iconic celebrities.</p> <p>Do these photos surprise you? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Movies