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Full House star's devastating cancer diagnosis

<p>Dave Coulier has revealed his devastating cancer diagnosis </p> <p>The <em>Full House</em> star told the <em>US Toda</em>y show about his "roller coaster" health struggle on Wednesday. </p> <p>After finding out that he was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, he said it felt like "I got punched in the stomach because it never happens to you," according to <em>Page Six</em>. </p> <p>Coulier, whose first symptom was a lump in his groin, noted that he was “on pins and needles for a few days” while waiting to hear whether the disease had spread “to any major organs or [his] blood or bones or anything.”</p> <p>While waiting for his results, the 65-year-old actor told his wife, Melissa Coulier that he accepted his fate. </p> <p> “I’m OK with whatever the news [is] going to be no matter how devastating. … I’ve had an incredible life. I’ve had the most amazing people in my life. This has been an extraordinary journey, and I’m OK if this is the end of the journey”.</p> <p>Fortunately the cancer has not moved outside of his lymphatic system, and since then the actor has started chemotherapy, which he said was  “intense” and “scared the daylights” out of him.</p> <p>“There [are] days where I feel unbelievable,” he said. “Then there’s other days where … I’m just going to lay down and let this be what it’s going to be”.</p> <p>Coulier is expected to finish treatment in February 2025 after undergoing six rounds of chemo every three weeks. </p> <p>While the diagnosis was initially shocking, the actor has assured his fans that the curability rate is promising. </p> <p><em>Image: Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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Woman “bullied” on plane over budget seating trick

<p dir="ltr">A young woman has recalled a flight from hell when she was “bullied” by a couple who were trying to utilise a seating hack that went viral on TikTok. </p> <p dir="ltr">The solo traveller took to Reddit to recount the story and ask social media users if she was in the wrong for her action. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman began by saying she usually pays more to select her plane seat ahead of time, but a medical emergency on another plane had her waiting on standby and left with no option other than to sit in a middle seat.</p> <p dir="ltr">When she was finally able to board, she was greeted by a couple who had purchased both the window and aisle seats in a bid to have more space, utilising a travel “trick” that has been popular on TikTok.</p> <p dir="ltr">The method, which has been dubbed the 'poor man's business class', usually leaves travellers with an empty middle seat and more space, and few travellers opt to pick a middle seat. </p> <p dir="ltr">“When I got to my row the man and woman were chatting and sharing a snack... it was obvious they were together. I mentioned to the man that I'm in the middle, and he got up to let me in,” the unsuspecting traveller wrote on Reddit.  </p> <p dir="ltr">“I asked them if they would prefer to sit together, I said I was totally okay with that. The woman reacted rudely to this and said ‘you're not supposed to be sitting here anyway’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After noticing how the plane was full, she offered to show the pair her new ticket with the correct seat number on it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She flicked her hand at my ticket and made a disgusted sound. I offered again if they wanted to sit together to which she didn't reply, her partner said it's okay and... made some small talk,” she continued. </p> <p dir="ltr">The man’s girlfriend then interrupted their conversation to ask,”'Did you use one of those third party websites to book your flight? It's so frustrating when people cheap out to inconvenience others.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The American woman explained that she had booked her flight directly and she had been placed on standby like everyone else and didn't choose the middle seat - she was assigned it.</p> <p dir="ltr">She then tried to keep the peace by refusing to engage with the furious woman.  </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was so done with her attitude, I put my headphones on and attempted to do my own thing,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the “entitled” girlfriend wasn't letting it go, as the woman explained, “This woman kept reaching over me and tapping her partner and trying to talk to him in a way that was super intrusive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I could tell even her partner was trying to engage her less so that she would hopefully stop, but she didn't.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think they tried to pull that tactic where they don't sit together on purpose...hoping no one will sit between them. But on full flights it doesn't work. And even so - it's not the other person's fault.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The traveller's post was met with hundreds of comments slamming the girlfriend’s behaviour, as one person wrote, “It's like a toddler having a tantrum.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She was disappointed and a total a**hole. Gross entitled people,” another added. </p> <p dir="ltr">Another person applauded the traveller’s level-headed behaviour, writing, “Wow! You are my hero for keeping it classy - I’m afraid I would not have been as kind as you.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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“So full of love”: Chrissy Teigen reveals newborn daughter’s name

<p>Chrissy Teigen and her husband, singer John Legend, have revealed the name of their newborn daughter in a touching Instagram post. </p> <p>The couple recently welcomed their new baby, with John reportedly announcing the birth at a private concert on Friday the 13th, declaring it “a blessed day”. </p> <p>“She’s here!” Chrissy captioned her post, to an outpouring of love and celebration from fans and friends, “Esti Maxine Stephens - the house is bustling and our family could not be happier.”</p> <p>Of their new addition and the experience of becoming a family of five, she added, “Daddy sheds nightly tears of joy seeing Luna and Miles so full of love, and I am learning you still need diapers with a c section!? We are in bliss. Thank you for all the love and well wishes - we feel it all!”</p> <p>John posted the same photo as Chrissy, honouring his wife and his family with the caption, “on Friday, we welcomed Esti Maxine Stephens to our family, and our house is overflowing with love and joy. I’m in awe of Chrissy’s strength and resilience and I’m so thrilled to see how Luna and Miles embrace their baby sister. I’m so, so grateful, but that doesn’t seem like a big enough word.”</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/Cnm4W4mPPVy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnm4W4mPPVy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The image shows the couple’s children Luna, six, and Miles, four, cradling their new little sister. </p> <p>The family’s blessing comes three years after the tragic loss of their third child, and their supporters were eager to share their love amidst the good news, with many fellow famous faces among them. </p> <p>“Congratulations!!!” Wrote actress Rosario Dawson to Chrissy, along with a string of red hearts. </p> <p>Reality TV star Kris Jenner chimed in to share that she “can’t wait to meet her!!!”</p> <p>To John, actress Viola Davis wrote, “Aaaaaahhh!!!! Mazaltov!!!! Blessings to you and yours!!! Beautiful.”</p> <p>Chrissy and John’s comment sections were flooded with hearts, well wishes, and congratulations, with many gushing over their baby’s name: Esti Maxine Stephens. </p> <p>Legend’s legal name is John Roger Stephens, explaining Esti’s new surname. Fans of the couple believe Esti’s middle name, Maxine, is a tribute to John’s late grandmother, Marjorie Maxine Stephens.</p> <p>Announcing her pregnancy last August, the model and cookbook author wrote, “the last few years have been a blur of emotions to say the least, but joy has filled our home and hearts again.”</p> <p>The couple’s latest updates assure their supporters that their home and hearts are full, as they settle in to enjoy life with their newest family member, little Esti. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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The verdict: Full fat versus low fat milk

<p>The idea of full low milk being healthier for us began circulating in the 1950s. It was shown that saturated fat increased blood cholesterol levels, with certain statistical evidence leading to the assumption it resulted in higher rates of heart disease and obesity.  </p> <p>This idea is not totally wrong. Full fat milk does indeed have a high saturated fat content, about 65 percent in fact.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.simoneaustin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Simone Austin</a></strong></span>, accredited practising dietitian and spokesperson for the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://daa.asn.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dietitians Association of Australia</a></strong></span> addresses the claims that saturated fat should be avoided when it comes to weight management.</p> <p> “We are still recommending saturated fat should be kept to a minimum as there is still a link between saturated and plasma cholesterol levels, however full cream milk is only 4% total fat and is therefore not a high fat product, depending on quantity of course.”</p> <p>Health and nutrition coach and whole foods chef, Lee Holmes, believes that low-fat milk is a great option for those trying to lose weight.  Even though the fat is skimmed, the milk itself still contains an abundance of calcium and protein, and these are essential to weight loss.</p> <p>“Low-fat milk is better for overall weight control and maintenance as it only contains 0.15% fat as opposed to full-cream milk which contains 3.8% fat” she explains.</p> <p>The New Zealand Ministry of Health recommends enjoying mostly low and reduced fat milk and milk products, as it can reduce the total daily kilojoule intake to aid with weight management. This is generally believed to lead to weight loss and reduced risk of heart disease.</p> <p>However, Simone explains why it is not quite that straight forward. “Fat can give some feeling of satiety. If you are having less milk overall, and it is more filling to have full cream milk, then this might decrease overall volume of food consumed and therefore not be detrimental”.</p> <p>This approach is supported by recent research conducted by <a href="../%20http:/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26746178"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Swedish researchers</span></strong></a>, looking at the dairy consumption of a group of middle aged men. If found that those who ate full fat dairy products were less likely to become obese over a period of 12 years, compare with men who rarely ate high- fat diary.  This is because the weight-loss effect of reducing saturated fat depends on what replaces it in the diet, which is usually sugar and carbohydrates. Unfortunately, most of us are susceptible to consciously or unconsciously replacing a larger reduction in calories with something else.</p> <p>So, if you drink low-fat varieties of milk in order to reduce calorie intake, you must ensure you are not making up these calories elsewhere for this approach to be effective.</p> <p>However, in your quest for a slimmer waist line, it is important not to overlook other important health factors.</p> <p>Milk is a primary source of nutrients, and according to both Simone and the <strong><a href="http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2032&amp;context=sspapers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ABS</span></a></strong>, most over-60s simply aren’t getting what they need.</p> <p>“In New Zealand the annual per capita consumption of milk has declined by 30% in the last 20 years, and 20% of the New Zealand population has an inadequate intake of calcium”.</p> <p>Simone stresses that simply aiming to meet serves is the priority. “Milk also provides a valuable source of protein and as we age our efficiency at using protein reduces, so we need to have a little more”.</p> <p>Lee Holmes echoes this, stating that ideally, people over 60 years of age should be having two to three glasses of cow’s milk daily to absorb the necessary amounts of calcium. If you don’t want to consume that much milk, are lactose intolerant or prefer to opt for non-cow’s milk (such as almond) you need to make these nutrients up elsewhere.</p> <p>“You may want to consider a quality, natural supplement to ensure you are giving your body all the nutrients it needs."</p> <p>So whether it be low-fat or full-fat, say cheers to milk and manage your weight loss in accordance with other health factors.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Michael Bublé's dream to become a full-time dad

<p>Iconic singer Michael Buble has started to hint to fans that he may be quitting music soon to pursue being a full-time father.</p> <p>The singer, 46, has sold over 75 million records worldwide and says he is “not loving” his career as much as he should and wants to spend more time with his wife Luisana Lopilato, 35, and children Noah, Elias, Vida and Cielo, his youngest who was born last month.</p> <p>Speaking on That Gaby Roslin Podcast, he said: “I think i'm not loving it as much, I think i’m getting close to thinking maybe I can just go and bed a dad.</p> <p>"I have this picture in my head, of just me in a field with my kids and Ed Sheeran's kids and we're just hugging each other and picnicking and getting drunk."</p> <p>Bublé is currently preparing to head on another world tour late September. He said he often has to remind himself how lucky he is if he is not "feeling" his work.</p> <p>He added that the idea of becoming a full-time dad was a "fantasy", with few people "brave" enough to make the choice.</p> <p>Bublé said: "I don't know a friend who doesn't have the same thought, I mean we never do it. We never seem to really do it, very few of us are brave enough to say, 'No, I just want to do this’, but I think it's a fantasy."</p> <p>He has previously taken two years off when his eldest son Noah was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2016, before the boy made a full recovery.</p> <p>In the past he has claimed he would have been more successful if he had not started a family, and thinks about what could have been "all the time”.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Family & Pets

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The one-of-a-kind Jumbo Hotel is back in full flight!

<p>Easily mistaken for a regular aircraft, the Jumbo Stay Hotel plane is a jet that has been refurbished and turned into a hotel! Ordinarily it’s not something many people know about unless you have flown in or out of Sweden’s Arlanda Airport, which is home to the unique digs.</p> <p>While the Jumbo Stay Hotel plane has been around for many years (and no, it doesn't fly anymore), a video revealing what it looks like on the inside has now gone viral on TikTok.</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@thepointsguy/video/7116918197525187883" data-video-id="7116918197525187883"> <section><a title="@thepointsguy" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thepointsguy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@thepointsguy</a> Would you spend a night at the Jumbo Stay Hotel? <a title="aviation" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/aviation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#aviation</a> <a title="airport" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/airport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#airport</a> <a title="hotel" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/hotel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#hotel</a> <a title="♬ WHERE I WANNA BE - Archie Thompson" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/WHERE-I-WANNA-BE-6768743855144568833" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ WHERE I WANNA BE - Archie Thompson</a></section> </blockquote> <p>“This is the one plane you will never have any troubles sleeping on,” The Points Guy said in a clip of the plane.</p> <p>The Boeing 747 is parked just outside the Stockholm airport and was initially built for Singapore Airlines back in 1976.</p> <p>Back in 2006, more than $US3 million was spent on transforming the jet into a hotel allowing people to live out their dream and sleep in the cockpit, with almost every part of the aircraft turned into accommodation.</p> <p>“For starters, you can walk right out onto the wings of the aircraft with tables and chairs set up to enjoy a drink or a snack,” a team member of the US travel blog continued.</p> <p>“You can eat breakfast in the nose of the aircraft and enjoy a buffet in the retro dining space while reading all about the history of the 747.”</p> <p>He said upstairs you will find one of the most unique aspects of the accommodation. “The cockpit suite complete with a queen-size bed and the 747’s original flight controls.</p> <p>“While the cockpit seats have been removed to maximise sleeping space, you can still sit on the edge of the mattress and live out your pilot fantasy like we did.”</p> <p>The Jumbo Stay Hotel was out of action for a while due to the pandemic, but it’s now up and running again with prices starting from around $60 per night – up to $255 per night for the cockpit ensuite. </p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

Real Estate

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Damning full-page ad slams Ardern’s border policy

<p dir="ltr">New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/jacinda-ardern-popularity-plunges-as-kiwis-struggle-to-return-home/e350bbd6-907c-4bd9-be82-63037dc52269" target="_blank" rel="noopener">openly criticised</a> in a full-page ad regarding the country’s strict border policy, after news emerged of a pregnant New Zealand journalist fighting to return home to give birth.</p><p dir="ltr">The advertisement, taken out by prominent businessman Michael Horton in one of New Zealand’s most widely-read magazines, claimed that New Zealand was one of the few countries not allowing its citizens to return home.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2ce06cae-7fff-55cf-e942-5c571f5e3dc0"></span></p><p dir="ltr">Under the headline, “The following countries do not ban their own citizens from returning to their home country”, the ad listed dozens of countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This ad, sponsored by Michael Horton, appears in the January 29 <a href="https://twitter.com/nzlistener?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nzlistener</a>. Thank you Michael. <a href="https://twitter.com/nzgovt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nzgovt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/govtnz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@govtnz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jacindaardern?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jacindaardern</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZGTW2iFHUr">pic.twitter.com/ZGTW2iFHUr</a></p>— Graeme Jennings (@Graeme_rj) <a href="https://twitter.com/Graeme_rj/status/1484343384357494786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2022</a></blockquote><p dir="ltr">Above it, another headline read, “The following countries effectively ban their own citizens from returning to their home country”, with New Zealand as the only country listed.</p><p dir="ltr">The ad comes as Charlotte Bell, a 35-year-old journalist  who was working in Qatar for Al Jazeera until recently, remains stranded in Afghanistan, despite being triple-vaccinated and ready to isolate upon her return to her home country.</p><p dir="ltr">Kiwis looking to return home are required to secure a place in government-run quarantine, through a system called Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ).</p><p dir="ltr">According to the MIQ website, travellers are advised to book their place in MIQ - with spots gradually released in the months prior to flight arrivals - before booking their flights.</p><p dir="ltr">“In periods of high demand, some people will miss out on securing an MIQ voucher, regardless of the system that is used,” the website reads.</p><p dir="ltr">As a result of the high demand for the 4500 available spots, thousands of New Zealanders have been unable to return home in time to be with dying family members or be present for milestone moments.</p><p dir="ltr">The system, which used a weekly lottery system to allocate vouchers until early January, has been fully booked out for months in advance which has also meant that impromptu travel or returning for emergencies - such as in Ms Bell’s case - remains virtually impossible. </p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0e7e5743-7fff-7d75-76eb-89bdc2ad4ad7"></span></p><p dir="ltr">Ms Bell published an open letter in <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-charlotte-bellis-an-open-letter-on-miq/U4WQGYTJHUP36AGVOBN3F6PJSE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Zealand Herald</a></em> over the weekend detailing how she was forced to seek refuge in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul, after she was no longer able to work in Qatar because it is illegal to be pregnant and unmarried there.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF;border: 0;border-radius: 3px;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/CZSRlVysIQF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"><div style="padding: 16px"><div style="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="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="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="flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center"><div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;height: 12.5px;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"> </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"> </div></div><div style="margin-left: auto"><div style="width: 0px;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right: 8px solid transparent"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;flex-grow: 0;height: 12px;width: 16px"> </div><div style="width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left: 8px solid transparent"> </div></div></div><div style="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"><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/CZSRlVysIQF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Charlotte Bellis (@charlottebellis)</a></p></div></blockquote><p dir="ltr">“This is ridiculous. It is my legal right to go to New Zealand, where I have healthcare, where I have family. All my support is there,” she <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/from-kabul-pregnant-reporter-fights-nz-govt-to-come-home/94ed99be-8bbf-4ed0-a0f3-10a77e52ff84" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">Ms Bell first attempted to secure residency in Belgium - where her partner is from - but said the length of the process meant she would have been left in the country with an expired visa.</p><p dir="ltr">With the option to either hop from country to country on tourist visas or attempt to secure a more long-term stay while she fought to return home, Ms Bell and her partner returned to Afghanistan because they had a visa, felt welcome, and could continue their battle there.</p><p dir="ltr">Critics like Mr Horton have claimed the lottery system is a needlessly punishing process as more than 90 percent of the country’s population have been fully vaccinated and boosters continue to be administered.</p><p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Ms Ardern’s approval ratings have taken a hit, with a recent 1 News Kantor poll indicating that her current approval rate sits at just 35 percent, the lowest it’s been since she became Prime Minister in 2017.</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ff3c29b5-7fff-be5f-acb9-82fc7a0f93fa"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @charlottebellis (Instagram)</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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What made Bob Saget’s Danny Tanner so different from other sitcom dads

<p>Bob Saget, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/09/arts/television/bob-saget-dead.html">who died on Jan. 9, 2022</a>, is probably best remembered for his role as Danny Tanner on the popular sitcom “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092359/">Full House</a>,” which aired from 1987 to 1995.</p> <p>I think fans of the show have such fond memories of this character because Danny exemplified what it meant to “be there” as a parent. A single dad whose wife had passed away, he was eager to lend an ear to daughters D.J., Stephanie and Michelle, offering them support and reassurance through the twists and turns of childhood and adolescence.</p> <p>Why heap so much praise on a sitcom dad? It’s easy to disregard TV as mere mindless entertainment. But entertainment media can both reflect and reshape culture – including how fathers interact with their children. <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/1990-25264-001">They can influence how viewers think about fathers</a>, regardless of the accuracy of those portrayals.</p> <p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=GzIcrG8AAAAJ&amp;hl=en">As someone who studies stereotypes of fathers</a>, I view Danny as an avatar of the changing expectations of fatherhood that began in the late 1970s.</p> <h2>Danny Tanner and ‘being there’</h2> <p>Danny Tanner was a 30-something widower when Full House premiered. That wasn’t a common situation for his demographic – <a href="https://www.census.gov/prod/1/pop/p20-365.pdf">less than 1% in his bracket shared it</a> – and it allowed viewers to watch Danny parent his three daughters with the help of his brother-in-law and his best friend.</p> <p>Nonetheless, in nearly every episode, viewers saw Danny “being there” for his family. “Being there” is a concept that describes <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=_gEDfhZp5s0C&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PR1&amp;dq=promises+i+can+keep&amp;ots=8ac2OWdjLK&amp;sig=mnXZdjICi5BLnhGI-Np8UrcfGlc#v=onepage&amp;q=promises%20i%20can%20keep&amp;f=false">being physically and emotionally involved with your children</a>. This term took <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12376">on particular significance for fathers in the late 20th century</a>. “Being there” allowed dads to be seen as more than just financial providers and recognized that fathers interact with their children in varied and important ways.</p> <p>In the earlier part of the century, fathers were assumed to be breadwinners and not much else, a stereotype reflected in the era’s popular media. For example, sitcom fathers on “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046600/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Father Knows Best</a>,” which aired from 1954 to 1960, and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051267/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3">The Donna Reed Show</a>,” which ended its run in 1966, bore little responsibility for actual child care beyond a pat on the head and some occasional discipline.</p> <p>Beginning in the 1970s, psychologist Michael Lamb encouraged a change in how we thought about fathers and broadened the definition of what he called “<a href="https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/271493">father involvement</a>.”</p> <p>Lamb proposed three dimensions of father involvement: engagement, availability and responsibility. The last of these, responsibility – which involved financial support and parental guidance – could be spotted in some form in the preceding sitcoms. But engagement and availability, which tend to involve day-to-day emotional support, were almost entirely foreign.</p> <p>Danny Tanner’s approach to fatherhood, by contrast, demonstrated perhaps the fullest realization of these changing expectations.</p> <p>One episode, “Back to School Blues,” featured oldest daughter D.J. starting junior high. Spoiler alert: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnIQu35CCDc">It doesn’t go well</a>. She’s teased by older girls, wears the same outfit as one of the teachers, and spends lunch alone. (I was a year younger than D.J., and this episode made me nervous about my own entry into junior high.)</p> <p>When Danny doesn’t approve of D.J.‘s attempts to look older to fit in and make friends, she storms off to her room saying she wants to be left alone. Danny says he can’t do that, and then listens as she explains everything that went wrong at school.</p> <p>In this short scene, he reinforced family rules and provided emotional support, while showing that he would “be there” for D.J. whenever she needed.</p> <h2>A different kind of dad</h2> <p>Though Danny represented a departure from the typical sitcom father, he didn’t exactly spearhead a new trend.</p> <p>Immature and irresponsible fathers – the kind seen in popular shows like “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096697/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">The Simpsons</a>,” “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101120/">Home Improvement</a>” and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092400/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Married … With Children</a>” – were more commonplace. To this day, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-sitcom-dads-still-so-inept-139737">the stereotype of the bumbling dad persists on TV</a>.</p> <p><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wKf7i3DZi-c?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <span class="caption">Danny comforts D.J. after she admits she isn’t happy with her body.</span></p> <p><a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2015-25403-001">In my research</a>, I found that single sitcom dads with full child care responsibilities were shown interacting with their children more often than married sitcom dads. Compared to their married counterparts on the tube, they were more likely to offer kindness, care, love, support and guidance. Along with Danny, these characters included Mr. Drummond on “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077003/">Diff’rent Strokes</a>,” Tony Micelli in “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086827/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Who’s the Boss?</a>” and Maxwell Sheffield on “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106080/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">The Nanny</a>.”</p> <p>On the other hand, married sitcom father-child interactions were more likely to involve criticism and sarcastic humor. In fact, married sitcom fathers often made jokes at their children’s expense.</p> <p>Why does this discrepancy exist?</p> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00473.x?casa_token=L_W94GXie6kAAAAA:hB5-n-UFrNCGS2C2vVjT1oBL8bdvSocrrzk99GlyY_oy_kOP6jzVByhxeyrDmKaLXMUmLOgMJ26YnVpC">My research has found</a> that in real life, married fathers are thought to be loving and kind but with room for improvement as parents. They’re seen as the right-hand man to mothers, who have taken the lead in parenting. Because of this, people expect more bumbling and less skill.</p> <p>Single dads, however, tend to be viewed as selfless and dedicated, because the assumption is that they’ve put their children above all else.</p> <p>Danny Tanner isn’t the novelty today that he was in the early 1990s. But if his character is instructive in any way, it’s that dads shouldn’t have to lose their wives to be the best parent they can be.<!-- 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: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-troilo-752757">Jessica Troilo</a>, Associate Professor of Child Development and Family Studies, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/west-virginia-university-1375">West Virginia University</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-made-bob-sagets-danny-tanner-so-different-from-other-sitcom-dads-174754">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: <span class="attribution"><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/promotional-portrait-of-the-cast-of-the-television-series-news-photo/3126220?adppopup=true" class="source">Lorimar Television/Fotos International via Getty Images</a></span></em></p>

TV

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Queen's full Platinum Jubilee plans finally revealed

<p><em>Image: Getty </em></p> <p>Marking 70 years of tireless service to her nation, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, at 95 years of age, will soon become the first British Monarch to celebrate this amazing milestone.<br /><br />Throughout the year the Queen and members of the Royal Family are set to travel around the country, undertaking a variety of engagements to mark this special occasion.<br /><br />Now Buckingham Palace has finally released the full programme ahead of those celebrations. It includes parades, concerts and – if you're lucky enough to live in the United Kingdom – a Bank Holiday.<br /><br />While it's not yet certain which events Her Majesty will actually be able to attend, following the orders given by doctors to rest last year, celebrations have already kicked off – with the Platinum Pudding Competition on January 10!</p> <p>Run by Fortnum &amp; Mason, it seeks to find a dish that can be dedicated to the Queen’s historic milestone. Recipes will be judged by an expert Panel, including food writer and chef Dame Mary Berry.<br /><br />The Queen's Green Canopy initiative will continue to plant new trees to present to her at the end of the year. From May 12th to 15th, more than 500 horses and 1,000 performers are expected to take part in a show in the grounds of Windsor Castle.<br /><br />This will take the audience through royal history – from Elizabeth I to the present day.<br /><br />The rest of the celebrations are expected to take place later this year, with June the 2nd marking the first of the special four-day UK Bank holiday when the Birthday Parade – also known as Trooping the Colour – takes place in Horse Guards Parade.<br /><br />On the same day, the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK overseas territories will come together to light a beacon at the same time as the principal beacon at Buckingham Palace.<br /><br />On June 3rd, a service of Thanksgiving for the Queen's reign will be held at St Paul's Cathedral, ahead of the star-studded Platinum Party at the Palace on Saturday, June 4th. The party is expected to bring together some of the world's biggest names in entertainment.<br /><br />On June 5th, street parties are being planned across the UK, with neighbours expected to join together for food and fun to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.<br /><br />Pageant master Adrian Evans has also revealed there will be a special tribute to the Queen and her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April 2021, aged 99.<br /><br />Throughout the celebrations, some of the Queen's estates - including Sandringham and Balmoral - will be open for residents and visitors to enjoy.<br /><br />Performers, dancers, musicians, military personnel, key workers and volunteers will tell the story of the Queen's reign in the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.<br /><br />This will include a River Of Hope - made up of 200 silk flags - which will make its way along the Mall.<br /><br />Schoolchildren across the country have been invited to create a picture of their hopes for the planet over the next 70 years, and some of their designs will be put on to the flags.<br /><br />In July, three displays marking the Queen's accession to the throne, the Coronation and Jubilees will be put on at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Downton Abbey: A New Era full teaser FINALLY released

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Only a week ago, it was announced that the new teaser trailer for </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Downton Abbey: A New Era</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> would only be shown in cinemas ahead of showings of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Belfast</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fortunately, those of us that haven’t been to the cinema can now enjoy it from home, with the </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/full-teaser-trailer-online-for-downton-abbey-a-new-era/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">release</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of the footage online.</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2ZLjAORkXS0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the release of the new trailer, more of the film’s plot has been revealed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Specifically, Dame Maggie Smith’s Violet Crawley reveals that she had a casual fling in the past that has resulted in her inheriting a French Villa.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845740/downton1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/65764e4a03a342509dd9174c34fdafd7" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @downtonabbey_official (Instagram)</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Plus, the family are gearing up to welcome a royal visitor to the estate.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The film also promises to include the wedding of assistant cook Daisy Mason to footman Andrew Parker.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845741/downton2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/172d00698e014b368b3a3a4e57822057" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Universal Pictures UK / YouTube</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The list of returning faces includes: Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham), Laura Carmichael (Lady Grantham), Jim Carter (Charles Carson), Brendan Coyle (Mr Bates), Michelle Dockery (Lady Crawley) and Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates).</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845742/downton3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9f2f1567c0724ca79f57a3111e92b8da" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @downtonabbey_official (Instagram)</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Joining them are newcomers Hugh Dancy (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hannibal</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">), Laura Haddock (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Guardians of the Galaxy</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">), Nathalie Baye (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Catch Me If You Can</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">), and Dominic West (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Wire</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Directed by Simon Curtis and scripted by Julian Fellows, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Downton Abbey: A New Era</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is due to arrive in cinemas on March 18, 2022.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @downtonabbey_official (Instagram)</span></em></p>

Movies

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Fat Bear Week is here and it’s full of chunky Ursidae

<div class="copy"> <p>On the northern Alaskan Peninsula, thousands of brown bears have busily spent the last few weeks gorging themselves on salmon to fatten up and survive the winter. Unbeknown to them, the entire world is watching with a burning question – who will be crowned the Fat Bear Week Champion 2021?</p> <p>Over the next seven days, the chubbiest bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve will be pitted against each other in a series of knockout rounds. The public can <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://explore.org/fat-bear-week" target="_blank">vote online</a>, using any criteria they see fit – such as weight, age, cuteness, or other circumstances – and then next week, a single bear will remain standing.</p> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><iframe title="Fat Bear Week Contenders 2021" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u_kBdhuCVIE?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://cosmosmagazine.com" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> <p>“From its humble beginnings of Fat Bear Tuesday in 2014 to over 640,000 votes cast last year in 2020, celebrating fat bears and Katmai’s healthy ecosystem has since become a tradition,” the US National Parks Service (NPS) <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-week.htm" target="_blank">wrote</a> on its website.</p> <p>The bears are all winners because a fat bear is a healthy bear – fat equals survival.</p> <h2>The annual Fat Bear Week competition</h2> <p>Each year, bears enter a winter den where they remain for the entirety of the long, cold months, unable to eat or drink until they emerge in spring. Over this time, they burn up to a third of their body weight as they draw on their fat reserves just to survive.</p> <p>This makes the six months they spend out in the world crucial – they need to find and eat a year’s worth of food.</p> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"> <div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 500px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" class="" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 500px; height: 734px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NwYWNlX2NhcmQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib2ZmIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1441568250127470592&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcosmosmagazine.com%2Fnature%2Ffat-bear-week-is-here-and-its-full-of-chunky-ursidae%2F&amp;sessionId=1bd0186a6f7f9719aa8434fd2276c9725d98d3a3&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=fcb1942%3A1632982954711&amp;width=500px" data-tweet-id="1441568250127470592"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h2>Tasty Salmon</h2> <p>Cue the salmon. These fish are one of the most important components of the Pacific ecosystem. After years at sea, they return to their home rivers in autumn months to spawn. It is an epic journey – and the final leg of their lives. From the moment they hit freshwater, their bodies begin to change and decay, but thousands still struggle upstream to the place they were born, in an attempt to reproduce.</p> <p>Bears flock to these rivers to gorge themselves on the protein-rich salmon. In times of plenty, bears will strip away the most nutritious parts of the body, such as the brain, skin and eggs, and cast the rest aside for scavengers.</p> <p>The salmon also end up fertilising the temperate rainforest adjacent to rivers and streams, with benefits for plants, fungi, algae and insects – so to appreciate the gloriously chunky bears is to also have an appreciation of the greater ecosystem.</p> <p>Katmai is home to one of the largest and healthiest runs of sockeye salmon in the world, with the fish pouring up the rivers from late June to September. The bears rely on the annual return of these fish from their ocean migration. They can chow down dozens of salmons and tens of thousands of calories per day, ready to get them through the lean winter.</p> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"> <div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 500px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" class="" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 500px; height: 727px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NwYWNlX2NhcmQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib2ZmIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1178765565273559041&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcosmosmagazine.com%2Fnature%2Ffat-bear-week-is-here-and-its-full-of-chunky-ursidae%2F&amp;sessionId=1bd0186a6f7f9719aa8434fd2276c9725d98d3a3&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=fcb1942%3A1632982954711&amp;width=500px" data-tweet-id="1178765565273559041"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>This year, 12 finalists have been selected out of the thousands of bears that call the park home.</p> <p>You can check out <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-week-2021.htm" target="_blank">photos of the finalists</a> on the NPS website. Find more info about how and when to vote <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://explore.org/fat-bear-week" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <h2>Fat Bear Junior</h2> <p>This year, NPS also announced a new segment of the competition: Fat Bear Junior. It’s even more adorable than it sounds. Pictures of the tubby cubbies can be found <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-junior-2021.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><iframe title="Fat Bear Jr! Everything You Need To Know About These Chubby Cubbies!" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A9JPoz_jesM?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://cosmosmagazine.com" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> <p>You can also keep up with the week’s action on Katmai’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-week.htm" target="_blank">website</a>, as well as its <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/KatmaiNPS" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/KatmaiNPP/?ref=page_internal" target="_blank">Facebook</a> pages. You can also livestream the bears into your own home through the park’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://explore.org/livecams/brown-bears/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls" target="_blank">bear cams</a>.</p> <p>All of this is leading up to the fateful day, Tuesday 5 October, when one bear will reign supreme.</p> <p>As NPS writes: “All bears are winners but only one true champion will emerge.”</p> <!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=167300&amp;title=Fat+Bear+Week+is+here+and+it%26%238217%3Bs+full+of+chunky+Ursidae" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication --></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/animals/fat-bear-week-is-here-and-its-full-of-chunky-ursidae/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/lauren-fuge">Lauren Fuge</a>. Lauren Fuge is a science journalist at Cosmos. She holds a BSc in physics from the University of Adelaide and a BA in English and creative writing from Flinders University.</p> <p><em>Image: 747 NPS Photo/N. Boak</em></p> </div>

Family & Pets

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7 ways a full moon can mess with your emotions

<p><strong>Swayed by the moon</strong><br />For a long time, it has been thought that a full moon makes people crazy. And while it may not turn you into a werewolf or land you in the psych ward, there must be some truth behind the idea that we are emotionally connected to the moon, right? LA-based astrologer Dr Athena Perrakis explains, “The full moon affects our bodies and it affects the oceans. Since our bodies are made up, proportionally, of so much water, it’s easy to understand how the moon would pull us and sway us just like the ocean.” When the moon is full, Dr Perrakis claims that it is high tide for emotions, and you best be careful not to get swept away.</p> <p><strong>It magnifies emotions</strong><br />Everyone has both light and dark inside them. Positive or negative, the full moon takes your strongest qualities and enhances them. According to Dr Perrakis, the full moon has a way of bringing both sides out into the open. “In the literal sense, what the full moon does is expand and it magnifies everything.” The sign of Aries, for example, is ambitious, outgoing, and personable. The positive side of an Aries during a full moon is the greater desire to be social and to share their opinions with others; however, Aries is also very headstrong. “Aries is ruled by Mars, which is a planet of war; they don’t hesitate to engage in conflict, especially in conversation. So at the full moon, they can feel agitated.” If you find yourself in an argument with an Aries around the time of the full moon, brace yourself, because they are prone to anger and will not hold back.</p> <p><strong>It intensifies feelings</strong><br />At the same time that a full moon can magnify an astrological sign’s natural characteristics, it can also make people feel things more intensely. This can be good or bad, depending on your state of mind when the full moon rises. The passionate Scorpio, for example, is already an intense sign, so things can get even more heated for this sign under a full moon. “Scorpio is the darkest sign of the zodiac, meaning that it takes all of its water energy that it shares with Cancer and Pisces and takes it to a deeper, darker place,” Dr Perrakis remarks. Moreover, Scorpio is known as the most sexual sign of the zodiac, and that can manifest itself twofold during the full moon: the intimacy a Scorpio is able to conjure up during a full moon is unparalleled, but the downside to the full moon is that it can intensify drama, stubbornness, and controlling aspects. Pisces, while also very passionate, is almost the exact opposite of a Scorpio in this instance. Instead of projecting intense emotions, Pisces open themselves up to them. “Of all the signs of the zodiac, Pisces is the most empathic. That can be a great thing at the full moon. It can make you feel really close to people. But if you’re too empathic and you don’t shield your energy well, you could end up feeling really drained.” On the bright side, Pisces can find itself feeling more inspired than ever during a full moon.</p> <p><strong>It energises</strong><br />The full moon can also lend an increased sense of energy, which each sign of the zodiac handles differently. For instance, a Leo would react much differently to the energy of a full moon than would a Virgo. “Leo loves the full moon because Leo is all about passion and creativity and enthusiasm,” Dr Perrakis says. “Leo is constantly craving access to bigger energy, so at the full moon you’re going to see Leos being extremely outgoing, extremely enthusiastic, [and] possibly creating something new. Leos tend to be very entrepreneurial and so they take that full moon energy and put it towards new ventures.” The dark side of those qualities, however, is that a Leo can become overly enthusiastic to the point that they are overbearing and bossy. A Virgo, on the other hand, enjoys the increased energy brought on by the full moon because it allows them to increase their work productivity. “Virgos love to get organised and they love to prioritise and they find that extra energy helps them get more work done.”</p> <p><br /><strong>It illuminates</strong><br />Yes, the full moon obviously provides more literal light than other phases of the moon, but it also has an illuminating property in terms of awareness and realisation. Now, Virgos don’t like this very much because they don’t thrive in the spotlight like some of the other zodiac signs do. “Virgos don’t like to be the focus of attention or conversation,” Dr Perrakis. “I always call the full moon the astrological spotlight because it just highlights whatever it touches. It makes Virgo a little uncomfortable.” Capricorns are a different story. “The magnifying energy of the full moon can actually help [Capricorns] have a better sense of visibility about their priorities. It actually will illuminate the path to achievement and success for them.” The overwhelming brightness of the moon can put some on edge while others use it as a powerful guide.</p> <p><strong>It destabilises</strong><br />While Capricorns do enjoy the increased success they might have during the phase of the full moon, on the whole, they find this time rather troublesome. All of the magnified energy that the full moon provides shakes up the usual routine. As emotions sway and strengthen, it is a time of uncertainty, which is one thing Capricorns hate and why they don’t like full moons. “Capricorns like to maintain a state of equilibrium in their life. They are about creating solid foundations and about making progress,” Dr Perrakis says. “They don’t like energies that destabilize their environment; it makes them uncomfortable.” But while Capricorn can get frustrated by the uncertainty of the full moon, Sagittarius and Aquarius revel in it. Aquarians love the full moon because they love to take on new things. This sign actually loves change, so any destabilizing effect the moon might have won’t bother them. Sagittarius, too, tends to be more positive about it. “Sagittarius has the most fun at the full moon because Sagittarius is the sign of freedom,” she explains. “At the full moon, they feel like it’s an opportunity to break out of old patterns, to find new ways to create excitement or to break a cycle that they’ve been stuck in.”</p> <p><strong>It makes moody Cancer moodier</strong><br />Cancer has the distinction of being a sign that is ruled by the moon, so everything about the full moon hits harder for them. “Cancers are the sign that feel everything very intensely, especially as it relates to home,” Dr Perrakis says. “The light side of that at the full moon is they feel like they have more energy than ever to communicate their feelings, to love their family, to be intimate with their partner. The other side of that is that they can become overwhelmed by their own feelings.” Don’t be surprised, Cancer, if you find yourself crying a lot at the full moon because your emotions are welling up and you can’t control them, she says. Normally adventurous, sociable, and fun-loving Geminis can have a hard time, too. “Sometimes Geminis feel misunderstood. They can feel isolated and alone, which Geminis do not like,” Dr Perrakis says.</p> <p><strong>Money woes for Taurus</strong><br />“Taurus has a focus on finances,” Dr Perrakis states. “And so at the full moon you might see a heightened anxiety about money.” While the full moon could provide great potential for success with financial endeavours, it can also cause a Taurus much more concern than usual. Libra, on the other hand, is not so consumed by material things, rather, it is a sign that preoccupies itself with creating harmony between others. This in itself might be anxiety-inducing during the full moon. “Full moons tend to bring out intense energy between people and so it’s harder for [Libras] to establish harmony. If you have an Aries who’s arguing with a Taurus about money, the Libra is going to want to make them both happy, and at the full moon that’s going to be harder to do than at any other time.”</p> <p><strong>How to handle a full moon</strong><br />While there’s nothing you can do to stop a full moon, obviously, what you can control is you. If you find yourself becoming increasingly agitated or negative around a full moon, take a step back. “For everyone, the key is awareness,” Dr Perrakis concludes. “Think about the strongest qualities of your sign. What would those qualities look like if they were given a turbo charge of energy? You have to be aware of that in yourself so you can understand how people react to you.” If you know that the moon gives you an excess of emotion or energy, think about how to direct it in a way that is positive. Instead of being at the mercy of the moon, use it to your advantage.</p> <p><em>Written by Taylor Markarian</em><em>. This article first appeared on </em><a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/culture/7-ways-a-full-moon-can-mess-with-your-emotions"><em>Reader’s Digest</em></a><em>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><a href="http://readersdigest.co.nz/subscribe"><em>here’s our best subscription offer</em></a><em>.</em></p>

Mind

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Why it can be hard to stop eating even when you're full

<p>All foods are not created equal. Most are palatable, or tasty to eat, which is helpful because we need to eat to survive. For example, a fresh apple is palatable to most people and provides vital nutrients and calories.</p> <p>But certain foods, such as pizza, potato chips and chocolate chip cookies, are almost irresistible. They’re always in demand at parties, and they’re easy to keep eating, even when we are full.</p> <p>In these foods, a synergy between key ingredients can create an artificially enhanced palatability experience that is greater than any key ingredient would produce alone. Researchers call this <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22639">hyperpalatability</a>. Eaters call it delicious.</p> <p>Initial studies suggest that foods with two or more key ingredients linked to palatability – specifically, sugar, salt, fat or carbohydrates – can activate brain-reward neurocircuits similarly to drugs like <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2519">cocaine</a> or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2012.01031.x">opioids</a>. They may also be able to bypass mechanisms in our bodies that make us feel full and tell us to stop eating.</p> <p>Our research focuses on <a href="https://fazzinolab.drupal.ku.edu/publications">rewarding foods</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=odLm9LkAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">addictive behaviors and obesity</a>. We recently published a study with nutritional scientist <a href="http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-health-professions/dietetics-and-nutrition/our-people/sullivan.html">Debra Sullivan</a> that identifies <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22639">three clusters of key ingredients</a> that can make foods hyperpalatable. Using those definitions, we estimated that nearly two-thirds of foods widely consumed in the U.S. fall into at least one of those three groups.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aCUbvOwwfWM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span class="caption">Documentaries like “Fed Up’ (2014) have linked obesity to food industry practices and American eating habits.</span></p> <h2>Cracking the codes</h2> <p>Foods that are highly rewarding, easily accessible and cheap are everywhere in our society. Unsurprisingly, eating them has been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.12.002">associated with obesity</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://fedupmovie.com/#/page/home">Documentaries</a> in the last 15-20 years have reported that food companies have developed formulas to make palatable foods so enticing. However, manufacturers typically guard their recipes as trade secrets, so academic scientists can’t study them.</p> <p>Instead, researchers have used descriptive definitions to capture what makes some foods hyperpalatable. For example, in his 2012 book ”<a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781596438316">Your Food Is Fooling You: How Your Brain Is Hijacked by Sugar, Fat, and Salt</a>,“ <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_A._Kessler">David Kessler</a>, former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), wrote:</p> <blockquote> <p>"What are these foods? …. Some are sweetened drinks, chips, cookies, candy, and other snack foods. Then, of course, there are fast food meals – fried chicken, pizza, burgers, and fries.”</p> </blockquote> <p>But these definitions are not standardized, so it is hard to compare results across studies. And they fail to identify the relevant ingredients. Our study sought to establish a quantitative definition of hyperpalatable foods and then use it to determine how prevalent these foods are in the U.S.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/305478/original/file-20191205-38993-1imt92a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/305478/original/file-20191205-38993-1imt92a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <span class="caption">In 2018, 31% of U.S. adults aged 18 and over were obese.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/2018-overall-obesity-prevalence-map-508.pdf" class="source">CDC</a></span></p> <h2>Three key clusters</h2> <p>We conducted our work in two parts. First we carried out a literature search to identify scientific articles that used descriptive definitions of the full range of palatable foods. We entered these foods into standardized nutrition software to obtain detailed data on the nutrients they contained.</p> <p>Next we used a graphing procedure to determine whether certain foods appeared to cluster together. We then used the clusters to inform our numeric definition. We found that hyperpalatable foods fell into three distinct clusters:</p> <p>– Fat and sodium, with more than 25% of total calories (abbreviated as kcal) from fat and at least 0.30% sodium per gram per serving. Bacon and pizza are examples.</p> <p>– Fat and simple sugars, with more than 20% kcal from fat and more than 20% kcal from simple sugars. Cake is an example.</p> <p>– Carbohydrates and sodium, with over 40% kcal from carbohydrates and at least 0.20% sodium per gram per serving. Buttered popcorn is an example.</p> <p>Then we applied our definition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s <a href="https://data.nal.usda.gov/dataset/food-and-nutrient-database-dietary-studies-fndds">Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies</a>, or FNDDS, which catalogs foods that Americans report eating in a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/about_nhanes.htm">biennial federal survey on nutrition and health</a>. The database contained 7,757 food items that we used in our analysis.</p> <p>Over 60% of these foods met our criteria for hyperpalatability. Among them, 70% were in the fat/sodium cluster, including many meats, meat-based dishes, omelets and cheese dips. Another 25% fell into the fat/simple sugars cluster, which included sweets and desserts, but also foods such as glazed carrots and other vegetables cooked with fat and sugar.</p> <p>Finally, 16% were in the carbohydrate/sodium cluster, which consisted of carbohydrate-dense meal items like pizza, plus breads, cereals and snack foods. Fewer than 10% of foods fell into multiple clusters.</p> <p>We also looked at which of the USDA’s food categories contained the most hyperpalatable foods. Over 70% of meats, eggs and grain-based foods in the FNDDS met our criteria for hyperpalatability. We were surprised to find that 49% of foods labeled as containing “reduced,” “low”, or zero levels of sugar, fat, salt and/or calories qualified as hyperpalatable.</p> <p>Finally, we considered whether our definition captured what we hypothesized it would capture. It identified more than 85% of foods labeled as fast or fried, as well as sweets and desserts. Conversely, it did not capture foods that we hypothesized were not hyperpalatable, such as raw fruits, meats or fish, or 97% of raw vegetables.</p> <h2>Tackling obesity</h2> <p>If scientific evidence supporting our proposed definition of hyperpalatable foods accumulates, and it shows that our definition is associated with overeating and obesity-related outcomes, our findings could be used in several ways.</p> <p>First, the FDA could require hyperpalatable foods to be labeled – an approach that would alert consumers to what they may be eating while preserving consumer choice. The agency also could regulate or limit specific combinations of ingredients, as a way to reduce the chance of people finding foods that contain them difficult to stop eating.</p> <p>Consumers also could consider the role of hyperpalatable foods in their own lives. Our team needs to do further work validating our definition before we translate it for the public, but as a first step, individuals can examine whether the foods they eat contain multiple ingredients such as fat and sodium, particularly at high levels. Recent surveys show increased interest among U.S. consumers in <a href="https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2019/what-food-related-causes-do-us-consumers-care-about-today/">making informed food choices</a>, although they often <a href="https://foodinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018-FHS-Report-FINAL.pdf">aren’t sure which sources to trust</a>.</p> <p>One starting point for people concerned about healthy eating is to consume foods that are unlikely to be hyperpalatable – items that occur naturally and have few or no additional ingredients, such as fresh fruit. As food writer Michael Pollan <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/305288/food-rules-by-michael-pollan/">recommends</a>, “Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.”<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/126729/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/tera-fazzino-882302">Tera Fazzino</a>, Assistant Professor of Psychology; Associate Director of the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-kansas-1588">University of Kansas</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kaitlyn-rohde-887872">Kaitlyn Rohde</a>, Research Assistant, Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment., <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-kansas-1588">University of Kansas</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/why-it-can-be-hard-to-stop-eating-even-when-youre-full-some-foods-may-be-designed-that-way-126729">original article</a>.</em></p>

Body

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Prince William and Duchess Kate’s date full of love: Body language expert dishes verdict on couple’s night out

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After eight years and three children together, the royal couple looked just as loved up as they would have been on their first date night, a body language expert has revealed. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Judi James says both Prince William and Duchess Kate, who are not a couple to publicly display acts of affection, exhibited “subtly flirt” behaviour that royal fans got to see at the beginning of their relationship. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While their displays of love and appreciation may be a little more downplayed than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, James told</span><em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> FEMAIL</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, they still signal they have a solid foundation rooted in mutual affection. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The body language expert noted a photograph showing Prince William’s hand on the small of his wife’s back appeared “gentlemanly.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“William and Kate aren’t known for their overt PDAs and they can keep their touch rituals to a minimum in public but this back-touch from William looks unusually tactile and affectionate,” she said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“His smile looks almost shy here and the splayed hand appears gentle and gentlemanly, although that raised thumb suggests intense happiness.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was not the only snap that showed the royal’s looking starry eyed and in love that got James’ attention though. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An image shared by Kensington Palace’s official Instagram page displayed the Duke and Duchess in their seats at the London Palladium during the show. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The couple’s mirroring is always tight, showing like-minded thinking and a subliminal desire to present as an double act based on two empathetic equals,” James said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Here though they add some strong eye-engage signals, leaning their heads together at matching angles to do so. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The eye contact has produced facial expressions that suggest the classic "look of love", with a softening of the features plus a dimpled smile from Kate.’</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once more, a picture of the couple laughing in their box during the show signalled to the body language expert that they were both having fun. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Royal Variety performances can prompt some smiles from the royal box but here William and Kate are literally rocking with laughter,” Judi explained.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Again it is mutual though, with mirrored movements, suggesting a shared sense of fun.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, what stood out to her was a snap of the couple leaving the event and heading back to their car after a long night in public. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When any smiling public displays have been an act it’s the moment a couple take their seats in the car that you’ll often see masks begin to slip,” Judi said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But if anything Kate’s expression of delight appears to intensify here. Her excited, widened eye expression, her rounded cheeks and her symmetric smile all make her look like someone on a first date.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scroll through the gallery above to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge looking loved up on date night. </span></p>

Relationships

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Incredible but true: Terminally ill scientist extends life for decades by becoming "world's first full cyborg"

<p>A British scientist who is terminally ill said he has transformed into “the world’s first full cyborg”.</p> <p>61-year-old Peter Scott Morgan, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2017, said he decided to extend his life using technology.</p> <p>This week, the roboticist emerged after 24 days in intensive care to reveal that “Peter 2.0 is now online”.</p> <p>“All medical procedures now complete and a huge success,” Scott-Morgan wrote on a Twitter post. “Long research road ahead but in great spirits.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Just home from 24 days in Intensive Care. All medical procedures now complete and a huge success. My mini-ventilator keeping me breathing is a LOT quieter than Darth Vader’s. All speech is synthetic but at last sounds like me again. Long research road ahead but in great spirits. <a href="https://t.co/JPjwjagDLT">pic.twitter.com/JPjwjagDLT</a></p> — Dr Peter B Scott-Morgan (@DrScottMorgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrScottMorgan/status/1193923007045132289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>The processes Scott-Morgan underwent during his intensive care included a laryngectomy to avoid the danger of saliva potentially entering his lungs – which he described as trading his natural voice for “potentially decades of life”.</p> <p>He also had a laser eye surgery and developed a life-like avatar of his face, which was designed to respond using artificially intelligent body language.</p> <p>The scientist, who was told by experts he might only have until the end of this year to live, said last month: “I’m not dying, I’m transforming. Oh, how I love science.”</p> <p>Scott-Morgan said the transition, which turned him into “the most advanced human cybernetic organism ever created in 13.8 billion years”, would not be his last.</p> <p>“It won’t stop there; I’ve got more upgrades in progress than Microsoft,” he wrote on his website. “Mine isn’t just a version change. It’s a metamorphosis.”</p> <p>Scott-Morgan said MND, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, should be seen as an opportunity to “upgrade” rather than a death sentence.</p> <p>“Over time, more and more with MND, with extreme disability, with old age, with a passion simply to break free from their physical straightjacket, will choose to stand beside me,” he wrote.</p> <p>He is now lobbying British MPs for support for his Right to Thrive campaign, which calls for increased access for people with MND to life-sustaining technologies, including tracheostomy and cough-assist machine.</p>

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A full royal household: How is Balmoral Castle handling all their guests?

<p>With all the royal members staying at the Queen’s summer residence over the last few weeks, it is a wonder how they are managing all being so close to each other - even if the Summer home is a castle. </p> <p>Each year during the summer, Her Majesty spends time away from London in Scotland’s Highlands, at Balmoral Castle. </p> <p>When the warmer months are in full swing, other members of the royal family head north to join the Queen and Prince Philip. </p> <p>However reports are stating this year’s long list of visitors has forced couriers to make a few adjustments to the sleeping arrangements. </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/B1OQ4aHgNi6/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1OQ4aHgNi6/" target="_blank">A post shared by Royals now and then (@royalsnowthen)</a> on Aug 16, 2019 at 4:17am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>British publication<span> </span><a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1170228/prince-william-prince-harry-news-feud-balmoral-castle-queen-summer-holiday"><em>The Express<span> </span></em></a>said the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s visit has coincided with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and due to this, both Prince William and Duchess Kate are staying out of the castle itself. </p> <p>"The Queen has a lot of guests coming and to ease the pressure the Cambridges are likely to stay at the cottage," a royal insider said. </p> <p>The Cambridge’s are believed to have settled into Tam-na-Ghar which is situated in the castle grounds.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan along with baby Archie are expected to be staying within the castle walls. </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/B1pMmCCnSqQ/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1pMmCCnSqQ/" target="_blank">A post shared by The Royal Windsors (@royals_off_the_record)</a> on Aug 26, 2019 at 3:19pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>So far, Balmoral Castle’s royal visitors include Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Andrew, and his daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.</p> <p>Princess Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank and Beatrice's boyfriend, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have also visited up north. </p> <p>The guests are not sitting around either, the royal insider continued. </p> <p>"It can get quite busy at what they call 'the big house' and it's not especially relaxing even though it's a holiday.”</p> <p>"There's a daily routine which evolves around mealtimes, several outfit changes every day, sometimes five, and the Queen likes everything to run like clockwork."</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/B1eNv3ynuR0/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1eNv3ynuR0/" target="_blank">A post shared by Royal Icelander 🇮🇸 (@royalicelander)</a> on Aug 22, 2019 at 8:57am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>While the royals prefer to keep their activities private, Princess Eugenie has previously opened up about some of the ways they like to keep themselves occupied. </p> <p>The royal said in the documentary<span> </span><em>Our Queen at Ninety,<span> </span></em>Balmoral Castle is her “Granny’s” happy place. </p> <p>"Walks, picnics, dogs—a lot of dogs, there's always dogs—and people coming in and out all the time," she said. </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/B1Uv0DIHfZa/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Uv0DIHfZa/" target="_blank">A post shared by CAЯLOS (@los009)</a> on Aug 18, 2019 at 4:42pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"It's a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to come and see them up there, where you just have room to breathe and run."</p> <p>Balmoral Castle has been one of the royal’s residences since 1852, when Prince Albert purchased it as a gift for his wife Queen Victoria.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see the royal family at Balmoral Castle throughout the years.</p>

Travel Trouble

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Full of goodness: Papaya chia oat breakfast parfait

<p>These parfaits are super easy to pull together, and are full of the goodness of papaya, oats and chia seeds. The combination is packed with flavour, vitamins and fibre, and will keep you satisfied for hours.</p> <p><strong>Ingredients: </strong></p> <p><strong>Oat Layer</strong></p> <ul> <li>1 cup oats</li> <li>1 cup almond milk unsweetened (or milk of choice)</li> <li>Natural sweetener to taste</li> <li>1/2 cup water</li> </ul> <p><strong>Papaya Layer</strong></p> <ul> <li>1/2 Ruby Rise Red Papaya, seeds removed; chop pulp to desired size</li> </ul> <p><strong>Papaya Chia Layer</strong></p> <ul> <li>1/4 cup chia seeds</li> <li>2 Tbsp Ruby Rise Red Papaya pulp mashed</li> <li>1 cup yoghurt (eg coconut, almond, soy)</li> <li>1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)</li> <li>Natural sweetener to taste (white granulated stevia, xylitol, coconut sugar, maple syrup)</li> <li>1/2 cup water (as required)</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Mix all the ingredients for the oat layer well. Allow to soak for 30 minutes or overnight. Add more liquid as required when ready to serve.</li> <li>Mix all ingredients for the papaya chia later in a jar and place in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight to swell. Add additional liquid as required prior to serving.</li> <li>Layer compote in desired pattern.</li> <li>Sprinkle with muesli, nuts or seeds to serve if desired.</li> </ol> <p><em>Photo and recipe by Jo Ross, Healthy Eating Jo.</em></p>

Food & Wine

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“I can’t have children”: Kylie Minogue reveals full impact of breast cancer diagnosis

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australian music star Kylie Minogue has opened up about how her cancer battle has impacted any future decisions surrounding her having children.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She revealed her thoughts in a candid interview with </span><a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kylie-minogue-interview-the-pop-star-talks-love-regret-and-new-beginnings-ahead-of-playing-the-glastonbury-legends-slot-pghzvbhpb"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Times</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I was 36 when I had my diagnosis (breast cancer). Realistically, you're getting to the late side of things," she told the newspaper.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Minogue admitted that "it changed everything," and although it wasn’t in her immediate plans to have children, it was difficult to hear.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I don't want to dwell on it, obviously, but I wonder what that would have been like. Everyone will say there are options, but I don't know."</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvHWkSIA6xN/" 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/BvHWkSIA6xN/" target="_blank">Look at this lil cutie!!!! Meet Lola. She was my Wild Rose tonight in Mount Cotton 🌹 #Goldentour</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/kylieminogue/" target="_blank"> Kylie Minogue</a> (@kylieminogue) on Mar 17, 2019 at 8:43am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This isn’t to say that Minogue isn’t happy with her life.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I'm 50 now, and I'm more at ease with my life. I can't say there are no regrets, but it would be very hard for me to move on if I classed that as a regret, so I just have to be as philosophical about it as I can. You've got to accept where you are and get on with it."</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu5-R8dAS-h/" 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/Bu5-R8dAS-h/" target="_blank">Thank you @artscentremelbourne for the Golden Spire! ✨💛 I’m so honoured and so excited to be back in my hometown. See you #lovers tomorrow!</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/kylieminogue/" target="_blank"> Kylie Minogue</a> (@kylieminogue) on Mar 12, 2019 at 4:01am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A new man might have helped boost her mood, as Minogue is currently with Paul Solomons, creative editor for British GQ.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I've met someone who I feel good with. It feels right."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"'I can feel my face going, people say 'Your face changes when you talk about him,' and it does." She added, "Happiness. He's an inspiring, funny, talented guy. He's got a real-life actual job! It's lovely."</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BpmsmIXAMyx/" 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/BpmsmIXAMyx/" target="_blank">What an honour 🎩 What a night 🥂 What a woman ❤️ Congratulations also to all the other incredible women at last nights @bazaaruk Women Of The Year awards ⭐️</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/paulsolomonsgq/" target="_blank"> Paul Solomons</a> (@paulsolomonsgq) on Oct 31, 2018 at 9:44am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote>

Music

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The touching story behind this closet full of toiletries

<p>A teacher has come up with a beautiful idea to give children from low-income families access to daily essentials such as shampoo, conditioner and deodorant.</p> <p>Reddit user Terevok published a post on the online forum praising his wife, a kindergarten teacher, for creating a "comfort closet", stocked with toiletry supplies donated by staff, at her school in the US.</p> <p>Sadly, 15 million children live below the poverty line in the United States. Without the basic necessities that many of us take for granted, it makes getting an education for disadvantaged children even harder than it needs to be.</p> <p>The closet at this school is available for children from kindergarten age through to the fifth grade and is regularly replenished with toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products, soap, combs and other day-to-day items.</p> <p>Another Reddit user commented that she knew a teacher who had a similar set-up at a school that had many children from disadvantaged backgrounds.</p> <p>"Some of these kids simply don't have clean, properly fitting clothes to wear," he wrote.</p> <p>"The teachers do all of this in a way that saves the child from embarrassment and simply hooks them up so they can hopefully focus on learning in school without at least some of the additional stress they live with."</p> <p>The post generated thousands of comments, with many people who had grown up in difficult financial circumstances praising the teacher’s efforts.</p> <p>"As someone who grew up homeless from age 11-17 I would skip school most of the time because I literally only had 2 shirts and 2 pants for the whole year," SirCyclops wrote.</p> <p>"And it was embarrassing. Glad these services out there for others experiencing what I felt. It might be something as not a big deal, but for those [who] have been there, the gratitude is endless."</p> <p>"Thanks for watching out for your students," one user, mamacrocker, wrote simply.</p>

Beauty & Style