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"Words fail me": Rod Stewart devastated by passing of iconic rocker

<p>The world of music is mourning the loss of one of its iconic figures as Steve Harley, the frontman of British rock band Cockney Rebel, has passed away at the age of 73. News of his death, reported by BBC, came as a shock to fans and fellow musicians alike.</p> <p>According to reports, Harley's family confirmed that he "passed away peacefully at home". This sad news marks the end of an era for the music industry, as tributes pour in from across the globe.</p> <p>One of the most heartfelt tributes came from Sir Rod Stewart, who expressed his devastation over the loss of his fellow musician. "Absolutely devastated, words fail me," he wrote. "The Cockney Rebel has left us. Loved you and admired you Steve and always will," said Stewart, as reported by the PA news agency.</p> <p>Harley's recent cancellation of tour dates due to cancer treatment had already alerted fans to his health struggles. "Whoever you know him as, his heart exuded only core elements. Passion, kindness, generosity. And much more, in abundance," his family wrote in a statement.</p> <p>"The birdsong from his woodland that he loved so much was singing for him. His home has been filled with the sounds and laughter of his four grandchildren.</p> <p>"We know he will be desperately missed by people all over the world, and we ask that you respectfully allow us privacy to grieve."</p> <p>The announcement of Harley's hiatus from touring, made through his official website, shed light on his ongoing health journey. "Due to ongoing treatment for cancer, Steve cannot commit to any concerts in 2024," the statement read. However, there was a glimmer of hope for the future as it conveyed Harley's optimism for a different outcome in the following year.</p> <p>Born Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice in Deptford, UK, in 1951, Harley's journey in music began to take shape in the 1970s when he became the frontman of Cockney Rebel. The band, known for its contribution to the glam rock genre, left an indelible mark on the British music scene.</p> <p>Harley's distinctive voice and songwriting prowess, evident in hits like "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)," endeared him to fans and secured his place as a legendary figure in rock history.</p> <p>As fans and the music community come to terms with Harley's loss, his legacy will undoubtedly endure through his timeless music and the memories he created.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram \ Wikimedia</em></p>

Caring

Surprise choice for "Word of the Year"

<p>The Oxford University Press has named its word of the year, and the results are not what you expect. </p> <p>From "Swiftie" (an evid Taylor Swift fan), "situationship" (an informal romantic or sexual relationship) and "prompt" (an instruction given to an AI program), it's clear that this year's line up was heavily influenced by Gen Z. </p> <p>This year's winner truly speaks volumes about the impact of the younger generation, after results from a public vote reveal that "Rizz" is the word of the year. </p> <p>Rizz is believed to come from the middle of the word charisma, and it is often used to describe someone's ability to attract or seduce someone else. </p> <p>The publishers of the Oxford English Dictionary also said that it can be used as a verb as in to "rizz up" which means to attract or chat someone up. </p> <p>"It speaks to how younger generations create spaces — online or in person — where they own and define the language they use," the publisher said.</p> <p>"From activism to dating and wider culture, as Gen Z comes to have more impact on society, differences in perspectives and lifestyle play out in language, too."</p> <p>In a news release, Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said: "Rizz is a term that has boomed on social media, and speaks to how language that enjoys intense popularity and currency within particular social communities — and even in some cases lose their popularity and become passé — can bleed into the mainstream."</p> <p>One of the first instances of a celebrity using it, was when earlier this year <em>Spiderman</em> star Tom Holland said that he had "no rizz whatsoever", during an interview with <em>BuzzFeed</em>. </p> <p>"I have limited rizz," he said at the time, joking about his relationship with co-star Zendaya. </p> <p>Rizz was one of eight words that made it to the shortlist, which included a few other words like: “beige flag”, “parasocial”, “heat dome” and “de-influencing”. </p> <p>Rizz is heavily used online with the hashtag racking up billions of views on TikTok.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

Books

Is it normal to forget words while speaking? And when can it spell a problem?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/greig-de-zubicaray-1468234">Greig de Zubicaray</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>We’ve all experienced that moment mid-sentence when we just can’t find the word we want to use, even though we’re certain we know it.</p> <p>Why does this universal problem among speakers happen?</p> <p>And when can word-finding difficulties indicate something serious?</p> <p>Everyone will experience an occasional word-finding difficulty, but if they happen very often with a broad range of words, names and numbers, this could be a sign of a neurological disorder.</p> <h2>The steps involved in speaking</h2> <p>Producing spoken words involves several <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190672027.013.19">stages of processing</a>.</p> <p>These include:</p> <ol> <li> <p>identifying the intended meaning</p> </li> <li> <p>selecting the right word from the “mental lexicon” (a mental dictionary of the speaker’s vocabulary)</p> </li> <li> <p>retrieving its sound pattern (called its “form”)</p> </li> <li> <p>executing the movements of the speech organs for articulating it.</p> </li> </ol> <p>Word-finding difficulties can potentially arise at each of these stages of processing.</p> <p>When a healthy speaker can’t retrieve a word from their lexicon despite the feeling of knowing it, this is called a “tip-of-the-tongue” phenomenon by language scientists.</p> <p>Often, the frustrated speaker will try to give a bit of information about their intended word’s meaning, “you know, that thing you hit a nail with”, or its spelling, “it starts with an <em>H</em>!”.</p> <p>Tip-of-the-tongue states are relatively common and are a type of speech error that occurs primarily during retrieval of the sound pattern of a word (step three above).</p> <h2>What can affect word finding?</h2> <p>Word-finding difficulties occur at all ages but they do happen more often as we get older. In older adults, they can cause frustration and anxiety about the possibility of developing dementia. But they’re not always a cause for concern.</p> <p>One way researchers investigate word-finding difficulties is to ask people to keep a diary to record how often and in what context they occur. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01190/full">Diary studies</a> have shown that some word types, such as names of people and places, concrete nouns (things, such as “dog” or “building”) and abstract nouns (concepts, such as “beauty” or “truth”), are more likely to result in tip-of-the-tongue states compared with verbs and adjectives.</p> <p>Less frequently used words are also more likely to result in tip-of-the-tongue states. It’s thought this is because they have weaker connections between their meanings and their sound patterns than more frequently used words.</p> <p>Laboratory studies have also shown tip-of-the-tongue states are more likely to occur under <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13825585.2019.1641177">socially stressful</a> conditions when speakers are told they are being evaluated, regardless of their age. Many people report having experienced tip-of-the-tongue problems during job interviews.</p> <h2>When could it spell more serious issues?</h2> <p>More frequent failures with a broader range of words, names and numbers are likely to indicate more serious issues.</p> <p>When this happens, language scientists use the terms “anomia” or “<a href="https://www.aphasia.com/aphasia-library/aphasia-types/anomic-aphasia/">anomic aphasia</a>” to describe the condition, which can be associated with brain damage due to stroke, tumours, head injury or dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease.</p> <p>Recently, the actor Bruce Willis’s family <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/16/health/frontotemporal-dementia-definition-symptoms-wellness/index.html">revealed</a> he has been diagnosed with a degenerative disorder known as primary progressive aphasia, for which one of the earliest symptoms is word-finding difficulties rather than memory loss.</p> <p>Primary progressive aphasia is typically associated with frontotemporal or Alzheimer’s dementias, although it can be associated with other <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3637977/">pathologies</a>.</p> <p>Anomic aphasia can arise due to problems occurring at different stages of speech production. An assessment by a clinical neuropsychologist or speech pathologist can help clarify which processing stage is affected and how serious the problem might be.</p> <p>For example, if a person is unable to name a picture of a common object such as a hammer, a clinical neuropsychologist or speech pathologist will ask them to describe what the object is used for (the individual might then say “it’s something you hit things with” or “it’s a tool”).</p> <p>If they can’t, they will be asked to gesture or mime how it’s used. They might also be provided with a cue or prompt, such as the first letter (<em>h</em>) or syllable (<em>ham</em>).</p> <p>Most people with anomic aphasia benefit greatly from being prompted, indicating they are mostly experiencing problems with later stages of retrieving word forms and motor aspects of speech.</p> <p>But if they’re unable to describe or mime the object’s use, and cueing does not help, this is likely to indicate an actual loss of word knowledge or meaning. This is typically a sign of a more serious issue such as primary progressive aphasia.</p> <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroimaging">Imaging studies</a> in healthy adults and people with anomic aphasia have shown different areas of the brain are responsible for their word-finding difficulties.</p> <p>In <a href="https://direct.mit.edu/jocn/article-abstract/35/1/111/113588/Neural-Correlates-of-Naturally-Occurring-Speech">healthy adults</a>, occasional failures to name a picture of a common object are linked with changes in activity in brain regions that control motor aspects of speech, suggesting a spontaneous problem with articulation rather than a loss of word knowledge.</p> <p>In anomia due to primary progressive aphasia, brain regions that process word meanings show a loss of nerve cells and connections or <em><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0148707">atrophy</a></em>.</p> <p>Although anomic aphasia is common after strokes to the left hemisphere of the brain, the associated word-finding difficulties do not appear to be distinguishable by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945215003299">specific areas</a>.</p> <p>There are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02687030244000563">treatments</a> available for anomic aphasia. These will often involve speech pathologists training the individual on naming tasks using different kinds of cues or prompts to help retrieve words. The cues can be various meaningful features of objects and ideas, or sound features of words, or a combination of both. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002199241730014X">Smart tablet</a> and phone apps also show promise when used to complement therapy with home-based practice.</p> <p>The type of cue used for treatment is determined by the nature of the person’s impairment. Successful treatment is associated with changes in activity in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0093934X14000054">brain regions</a> known to support speech production. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for primary progressive aphasia, although <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13607863.2019.1617246">some studies</a> have suggested speech therapy can produce temporary benefits.</p> <p>If you’re concerned about your word-finding difficulties or those of a loved one, you can consult your GP for a referral to a clinical neuropsychologist or a speech pathologist. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212852/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/greig-de-zubicaray-1468234">Greig de Zubicaray</a>, Professor of Neuropsychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty </em><em>Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-normal-to-forget-words-while-speaking-and-when-can-it-spell-a-problem-212852">original article</a>.</em></p>

Mind

“If you’re reading this, I have died”: Breast cancer advocate’s powerful last words

<p dir="ltr">Breast cancer advocate Nicky Newman has passed away at the age of 35, leaving a posthumous message to her dedicated followers. </p> <p dir="ltr">The influencer has been documenting her journey battling stage 4 breast cancer with her 300,000 followers on Instagram, sharing the ups and downs of her disease. </p> <p dir="ltr">The British woman’s death was confirmed by her husband Alex, who posted Nicky’s final message to those who supported her through her cancer journey.</p> <p dir="ltr">"If you're reading this it means I have died, I made it 5 & half years though, not bad for a stage 4 breastie hey," the post began.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And none of this 'she fought her battle nonsense', I didn't lose anything, the cancer eventually took over & that's okay, we all knew this would happen."</p> <p dir="ltr">The inspiring woman recalled being told she had breast cancer and how she chose to embrace life during the time she had left.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I don't think we are ever prepared to hear the words, we think we are indestructible & a magic cure will appear, but the truth is we all live this life day to day (we just knew our days are shorter)," she continued.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxVtBF7Itxy/?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/CxVtBF7Itxy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Nicky & Mr G - Go Grab Life! (@nicknacklou)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">"So please promise me to cherish those around you and give your friends and loved ones the biggest squeezes! GO GRAB LIFE!</p> <p dir="ltr">"You never truly know what is coming around the corner - so don't take anything for granted."</p> <p dir="ltr">In the hours after Nicky’s last post, Alex shared some thoughts of his own to her Instagram account, explaining why he thought Nicky’s story resonated with so many. </p> <p dir="ltr">He recalled a conversation he had with this wife, saying, "People instantly love and are drawn to you because ever since diagnosis, at the worst time of our lives, we chose not to mourn the time we are losing but rather to celebrate and cherish the time that we have left - however long that may be."</p> <p dir="ltr">"She has created a legacy here, a place where anyone can see that life is for positivity and smiles and happiness. Even through hardship…even if it seems impossible."</p> <p dir="ltr">Both Alex and Nicky’s posts racked up hundreds of thousands of likes, with people flocking to the comments to share how Nicky’s strength had had an impact on their lives. </p> <p dir="ltr">One person wrote, “Life is so unexplainably cruel at times…and even when it was for you, you still came on here and raised awareness for all of us, and our future generations - of the importance of things that without you educating us, we wouldn’t know without having to go and research ourselves.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Thankyou for putting us first, and for making me see how precious life is, & how important it is to grab it.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Fergie reveals Queen Elizabeth's last words to her before she died

<p>Sarah Ferguson has revealed the last words Queen Elizabeth said to her before she passed away last September. </p> <p>The Duchess of York shared the details of the profound conversation with her former mother-in-law on her podcast <em>Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah.</em></p> <p>Fergie revealed that the late monarch noticed the Duchess had changed, and used their last conversation to encourage her authenticity. </p> <p>"It’s the last thing that the Queen said to me: ‘Just be yourself, Sarah,’” the duchess said.</p> <p>“And she saw it. She just got so annoyed when I wasn’t being myself. And that’s probably when I got into all the pickles. But now I am myself, and I’m just so lucky to be able to be myself,” she added.</p> <p>In an interview with <a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/video/sarah-ferguson-talks-new-book-intriguing-lady-97676802" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-ylk="slk:Good Morning America,;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid_p="9" data-v9y="1"><em>Good Morning America</em>,</a> the Duchess of York had previously explained that, to some extent, the Queen’s death meant she could now be herself.</p> <p>“I don’t know whether it’s the Queen passing that makes me think I can now openly say what I want to say without worrying I’m going to offend somebody,” she said. “I’m really, truly authentic Sarah now.”</p> <p>She has also expressed her respect and admiration for the late monarch, as the duchess called her a “total idol” back in March.</p> <p>“She put you at ease straight away ... because it’s terrifying, you know?” she told <em><a href="https://people.com/royals/sarah-ferguson-fergie-idol-queen-elizabeth-adopting-corgis" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-ylk="slk:People;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid_p="10" data-v9y="1">People</a></em> about the late Queen.</p> <p>“I used to sit there for hours thinking: ‘Oh my gosh, this is somebody’s lifetime to have an audience with the Queen, and I’m sitting having a cup of tea.’”</p> <p>The Duchess continued, “She was so brilliant at putting you at ease. She had the most incredible faith of any single person I’ve ever met. She just knew what to do. She knew how to make people feel good. She never took it onboard as about her. It’s about the monarchy, about making someone feel good. She was my total idol.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

Kyle Sandiland's reveals baby's first word

<p>Kyle Sandilands has revealed his one-year-old son Otto's first word, as he and former<em> Geordie Shore </em>star Charlotte Crosby gushed over their kids on <em>KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O Show</em>.</p> <p>Sandilands told co-host Jackie O Henderson and Crosby that his son's first and only word so far has been "Dada". </p> <p>"Otto's walking now. He says Dada only, much to his mum's horror because every time I walk into the room he says 'Dada', but he says no other words," the radio shock jock revealed. </p> <p>While Henderson attempted to provide some reassurance for Sandilands' wife Tegan Kynaston, that it's because the "D" sound is easier for young kids to say, Sandilands quipped: "They say who they love the most, I think, first." </p> <p>The topic came up as Sandilands and Crosby were gushing about their kids. </p> <p>"Oh my God, doesn't it change your life," Crosby said earlier in the segment. </p> <p>The former <em>Geordie Shore </em>star has one daughter with her businessman partner Jake Ankers.</p> <p>"It is like every tiny thing that was so boring before is just so much fun again," she added. </p> <p>"Like I used to walk past the park past my house every day right, and I see some swings… well actually I never even realised there was a park there for so long and if I did, I wouldn't have thought anything of it. </p> <p>Sandilands and his wife are absolutely smitten with their baby boy who was born on August 11, 2022.</p> <p>Just a few weeks ago, the couple threw a "watered down" birthday party for their son amounting to $25,000. </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

20 old words that have new meanings since the birth of the internet

<p><a href="../Dictionary.com"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Dictionary.com</strong></span></a> has revealed a list of commonly used words that have seen their definition change considerably in the last couple of decades.</p> <p>The changes have been primarily driven by the increased use of social media. While 1995 may seem like it was just yesterday to some of us, 20 years is actually a really long time. The world has change from dial-up modems and VCRs to unlimited broadband and Netflix streaming.</p> <p>Check out the list of 20 words with new meanings below:</p> <p><strong>1. Bump</strong></p> <p>Then: “to come more or less heavily in contact with.”</p> <p>Now: “to move an online post or thread to the top of the reverse chronological list by adding a new comment or post to the thread.”</p> <p><strong>2. Cloud</strong></p> <p>Then: “a visible collection of particles of water or ice suspended in the air.”</p> <p>Now: “any of several parts of the Internet that allow online processing and storage of documents and data as well as electronic access to software and other resources.”</p> <p><strong>3. Core</strong></p> <p>Then: “the central part of a fleshy fruit, containing the seeds.”</p> <p>Now: “the muscles of the torso, which provide support for the spine and pelvis.”</p> <p><strong>4. Fail</strong></p> <p>Then: “to come short or be wanting in action.”</p> <p>Now: “to make an embarrassing or humorous mistake, be in a humiliating situation, etc., and be subject to ridicule.”</p> <p><strong>5. Footprint</strong></p> <p>Then: “a mark left by the foot.”</p> <p>Now: “a unique set of characteristics, actions, etc., that leave a trace and serve as a means of identification.”</p> <p><strong>6. Friend</strong></p> <p>Then: “someone attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.”</p> <p>Now: “to add a person to one’s list of contacts on a social-networking website.”</p> <p><strong>7. Glance</strong></p> <p>Then: “to look quickly or briefly.”</p> <p>Now: “Information on an electronic screen that can be understood quickly or at a glance.”</p> <p><strong>8. Goldilocks</strong></p> <p>Then: “a person with golden hair.”</p> <p>Now: “Not being extreme or not varying drastically between extremes, especially between hot and cold.”</p> <p><strong>9. Like</strong></p> <p>Then: “having the same or similar qualities or characteristics.”</p> <p>Now: “to indicate one’s enjoyment of, agreement with, or interest in website content, especially in social media.”</p> <p><strong>10. Meme</strong></p> <p>Then: “a cultural element, as a custom or concept.”</p> <p>Now: “A cultural item in the form of an image, video, phrase, etc., that is spread via the Internet and often altered in a creative or humorous way.”</p> <p><strong>11. Ping:</strong></p> <p>Then: “to produce a sharp, ringing, high-pitched sound.”</p> <p>Now: “to make contact with someone by sending a brief electronic message, as a text message.”</p> <p><strong>12. Profile:</strong></p> <p>Then: “the outline or contour of the human face, especially as seen from the side.”</p> <p>Now: “the personal details, images, user statistics, social-media timeline, etc., that an individual creates and associates with a username or online account.”</p> <p><strong>13. Sandbox:</strong></p> <p>Then: “a container holding sand, usually located in an outdoors area.”</p> <p>Now: “an environment in which software developers or editors can create and test new content, separate from other content in the project.”</p> <p><strong>14. Swipe</strong></p> <p>Then: “a stroke with full swing of the arms.”</p> <p>Now: “to move the fingers across a touchscreen.”</p> <p><strong>15. Takeaway</strong></p> <p>Then: “food or beverage purchased for consumption elsewhere.”</p> <p>Now: “conclusions, impressions, or action points resulting from a meeting, discussion, roundtable, or the like.”</p> <p><strong>16. Text</strong></p> <p>Then: “the main body of matter in a book or manuscript.”</p> <p>Now: “to send a text message.”</p> <p><strong>17. Timeline</strong></p> <p>Then: “a representation of historical events in the form of a line.”</p> <p>Now: “a collection of online posts or updates associated with a specific social-media account, in reverse chronological order.”</p> <p><strong>18. Tweet</strong></p> <p>Then: “the weak chirp of a young or small bird.”</p> <p>Now: “a very short message posted on the Twitter website.”</p> <p><strong>19. Unplug</strong></p> <p>Then: “to disconnect by pulling the plug from it or from a power socket.”</p> <p>Now: “to refrain from using digital or electronic devices for a period of time.”</p> <p><strong>20. Viral</strong></p> <p>Then: “relating to or caused by a virus.”</p> <p>Now: “becoming very popular by circulating quickly from person to person, especially through the Internet.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong> </p> <p><a href="../lifestyle/technology/2015/07/eight-tips-for-your-kindle/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>8 great things you can do with your Kindle</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="../news/news/2015/05/new-words-in-merriam-webster-dictionary/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Can you guess what new words have been added to Merriam-Webster dictionary?</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="../travel/travel-club/2015/05/free-translation-apps/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>3 great FREE translation apps to use when travelling</strong></em></span> </a></p>

Books

“How dare you”: Drew Barrymore slams tabloids for twisting her words

<p dir="ltr">Drew Barrymore has hit back at tabloids after a quote that she said in a <em>New York Magazine</em> profile was taken out of context.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the original interview with the magazine, Drew opened up about her tumultuous childhood with her mother.</p> <p dir="ltr">“All their mums are gone, and my mum’s not. And I’m like, ‘Well, I don’t have that luxury.’ But I cannot wait,” she told <em>New York Magazine</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t want to live in a state where I wish for someone to be gone sooner than they’re meant to be so I can grow. I actually want her to be happy and thrive and be healthy. But I have to f***ing grow in spite of her being on this planet.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Later on in the interview the actress shared her remorse for her harsh comments.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I dared to say it, and I didn’t feel good,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I do care. I’ll never not care. I don’t know if I’ve ever known how to fully guard, close off, not feel, build the wall up.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The actress blamed “tabloids” for the quotes which claimed that she “cannot wait” for her mother, Jaid Barrymore, to die, and posted a furious response video to Instagram.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To all you tabloids out there, you have been f**king with my life since I was 13 years old. I have never said that I wished my mother was dead,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“How dare you put those words in my mouth. I have been vulnerable and tried to figure out a very difficult, painful relationship while admitting it is difficult to do while a parent is alive and that, for those of us who have to figure that out in real time cannot wait... as in they cannot wait for the time, not that the parent is dead.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Don’t twist my words around or ever say that I wish my mother was dead,” she continued. “I have never said that. I never would. In fact, I go on to say that I wish that I never have to live an existence where I would wish that on someone, because that is sick.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtIAMOQAkiK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtIAMOQAkiK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Drew Barrymore (@drewbarrymore)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The<em> E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial actress</em> has been open about her strained relationship with her mum who acted as her manager and took her to Hollywood parties as a child.</p> <p dir="ltr">At 12-years-old the actress was in rehab for drugs and alcohol and then a year later her mum had put her in a psychiatric ward in California.</p> <p dir="ltr">Drew also told the magazine that despite never fully reconciling with her mum, she doesn’t “blame” Jaid for the challenges in her life.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I choose very consciously not to see my life as things that have been done to me,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want to see it as the things I did and chose to do. I’m not attracted to people who lay blame on others. I don’t find it sexy.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

Rolf Harris' dying words revealed

<p>Disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris spent the final years of his life struggling to eat, walk and communicate as his health rapidly declined.</p> <p>His <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/rolf-harris-cause-and-date-of-death-confirmed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">death</a> at 93 was confirmed on May 23 but it was later revealed his death certificate documented he had passed on May 11 as a result of neck cancer, which he had been suffering from since his release from prison in 2017.</p> <p>An ambulance was spotted outside his home in Berkshire, west of London in May. He lived there with his wife of 65 years, 91-year-old Alwen Hughes, who has Alzheimer’s disease, and both required round-the-clock care.</p> <p>2022 saw the severity of his illness, with author and private investigator William Merrit telling <em>The Daily Mail</em>, “Rolf has been very sick,”</p> <p>Merrit noted that Harris was still “the entertainer” and would “turn into a big kid” as soon as someone walked into the room, trying to “perform on cue even when he’s unwell”.</p> <p>A neighbour told <em>The Telegraph</em> that his health had declined after the death of his poodle, Bumble.</p> <p>“Only carers and nurses, who care for him 24 hours, come and go. I’m told he can’t eat anymore,” the neighbour, Portia Wooderson, said.</p> <p>His dying words have been revealed, with Harris begging his daughter Bindi to make sure his wife receives the proper care.</p> <p><em>News Corp Australia</em> reported a source saying Harris told Bindi, “Look after your mum. I always believed we would go on longer together but, if I go first, promise you’ll take good care of your mum.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Caring

Jock Zonfrillo's wife's touching words at private funeral

<p>Late <em>Masterchef</em> judge Jock Zonfrillo has been laid to rest by his loved ones at a private funeral in Sydney. </p> <p>His wife, Lauren Fried, was there with their four children - Eva, Sophie, Alfie, And Isla - as well as other members of the late chef’s family, who had flown in from Scotland and the United States to pay their respects.</p> <p>Zonfrillo’s <em>Masterchef </em>co-hosts Melissa Leong and Andy Allen could also be spotted in pictures that circulated online after the service, alongside the likes of fellow Scot Jimmy Barnes, and chefs George Colombaris, Manu Feidel, Colin Fassnidge, Miguel Maestre, and Matt Moran. </p> <p>Barnes was later joined by his daughter, Mahalia, and the two performed a touching rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’ for the service. </p> <p>Lauren led their small procession of mourners into the chapel, with tartan draped across a shoulder, as an indigenous smoking ceremony took place, and bagpipes were played. Pictures revealed that Zonfrillo’s coffin had been adorned with the Royal Banner of Scotland, and topped with a bouquet of white roses and orchids.</p> <p>It was a heartbreaking scene to witness, but it was Lauren’s words within the chapel that have struck a chord with mourners, as she paid tribute to her late husband. </p> <p>“We are two halves that found each other at the exact moment in life when we were ready,” she said, according to<em> The Daily Mail</em>. “We were ready for that big love to live a life of adventure, to become parents together, to imagine extraordinary things and to actually make them happen.”</p> <p>Zonfrillo’s daughter Ava - one of two from a former relationship - added that “it goes without saying that at the heart of everything you did was family. </p> <p>“And one of the hardest things to accept is that you won’t be here to see ours grow.”</p> <p>And to everyone, they added, “for those who crossed his path and became his mate or were lucky enough to be in this family, keep this proud Scot in your heart when you have your next whisky.”</p> <p>No wake was held after the funeral, with one attendee informing <em>The Daily Mail </em>that “the family just wants it to happen without any of the attention his death has attracted, which has understandably been overwhelming.</p> <p>“They're trying to keep it as personal as they can. It's critical they be given the space to do that.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

The most misused word in the English language

<p>A traffic jam when you’re already late.</p> <p>A free ride when you’ve already paid.</p> <p>The fact that the King James Bible is the most shoplifted book in the United States.</p> <p>One of these three things is an example of irony – the reversal of what is expected or intended.</p> <p>The other two (no offense to Alanis Morissette) are not.</p> <p>The difference between them may be one of the most rage-inducing linguistic misunderstandings you’re likely to read about on the Internet or hear about from the determined grammar nerds in your life.</p> <p>“Ironic” does not, technically, mean “unfortunate,” “interesting” or “coincidental,” despite these terms often being used interchangeably. And that frequent misuse has not escaped linguists.</p> <p>According to the editors at <a href="http://WWW.DICTIONARY.COM">Dictionary.com</a>, “We submit that ironic might be the most abused word in the English language.”</p> <p>That’s a tough claim to prove, but it’s clear that confusion over the definition of irony is persistent and decades old.</p> <p>“Irony” makes Harvard linguist Steven Pinker’s <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-58-most-commonly-misused-words-and-phrases-a6754551.html">list</a> of the 58 most commonly misused words in English, and ranks in the top 1 percent of all word lookups on Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary.</p> <p>Even Great Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald got it wrong, some say, when he claimed in 1939, “It is an ironic thought that the last picture job I took yielded me five thousand dollars five hundred and cost over four thousand in medical attention.” </p> <p>So what does irony mean, really, and where does the confusion come from?</p> <p>Part of the ambiguity probably stems from the fact that there are no fewer than three definitions of irony depending on which dictionary you use.</p> <p>There’s Socratic irony (an ancient rhetorical move), and dramatic irony (an ancient theatrical move), but the definition of irony we care about – and the kind that’s most bitterly debated – is situational irony.</p> <p>Situational irony occurs when, as the Oxford English Dictionary defines it, “a state of affairs or an event… seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result”. </p> <p>The trick, according to purists, is the deliberately contrary part – for a situation to be ironic, it must be the opposite of what is expected, not merely an amusing coincidence.</p> <p>A traffic jam when you’re already late may be an undesirable coincidence, but it is not the opposite outcome one would expect when leaving for work late (especially if that person lives in a major city).</p> <p>In an article titled <a href="http://www.collegehumor.com/post/229130/lines-from-alanis-morissettes-ironic-modified-to-actually-make-them-ironic">Lines From Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic,” Modified to Actually Make them Ironic</a>, College Humor writer Patrick Cassels corrects the situation like this: “A traffic jam when you’re already late… to receive an award from the Municipal Planning Board for reducing the city’s automobile congestion 80 per cent.” Now that’s irony.</p> <p>Not every linguist goes by this limited view, though.</p> <p>Ever the champions of fluid language growth, Merriam Webster <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irony">argues</a> that Mr. Fitzgerald, Ms. Morissette, and anyone else who uses “ironic” to mean “coincidental” isn’t actually wrong, but is actually just trailblazing.</p> <p>“The word irony has come to be applied to events that are merely curious or coincidental,” the editors write, “and while some feel this is an incorrect use of the word, it is merely a new one.”</p> <p>Now isn’t that something.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>Written by Brandon Specktor. This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/our-language/most-misused-word-english-language">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestsubscribe?utm_source=readersdigest&utm_campaign=RDSUB&utm_medium=display&keycode=WRA85S">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.</em></p>

Retirement Life

The unusual new words and phrases being considered by the Macquarie Dictionary

<p dir="ltr">Macquarie Dictionary has unveiled their words of the month, with each of them going into the running to be 2023 Word of the Year and possibly included in their next edition. </p> <p dir="ltr">The words and phrases have largely been submitted by the public, with five unique phrases being crowned the words of the month. </p> <p dir="ltr">The words of the month include the phrases gendy nooch, cozzie livs, tiger toast, password child and murder noodle.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the dictionary, the term “gendy nooch” is a shortening of gender-neutral, which means something not relating or specific to a particular gender.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">An online shortening of gender-neutral to become 'gendy nooch' is gaining traction. Find more new words here. <a href="https://t.co/rO6OF4QuRK">https://t.co/rO6OF4QuRK</a> <a href="https://t.co/3QkYLiNLEA">pic.twitter.com/3QkYLiNLEA</a></p> <p>— Macquarie Dictionary (@MacqDictionary) <a href="https://twitter.com/MacqDictionary/status/1648861592421801987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Cozzie livs” has quickly become slang for the ongoing cost of living crisis, which has been affecting most Australians in 2023. </p> <p dir="ltr">The phrase has become a classic Aussie way of downplaying a quite serious matter.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The words on everybody's lips these days, the 'cost of living'. But have you ever called it the cozzie livs (crisis)? More new words at the link. <a href="https://t.co/rO6OF4QuRK">https://t.co/rO6OF4QuRK</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZXdOhwNdkv">pic.twitter.com/ZXdOhwNdkv</a></p> <p>— Macquarie Dictionary (@MacqDictionary) <a href="https://twitter.com/MacqDictionary/status/1646302360254177282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Another phrase that Aussies have been adopting more is the patriotic concept of “tiger toast”, which refers to "toast with a topping of Vegemite and strips of cheese" according to the dictionary.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Password child” is another new phrase recognised by the dictionary, meaning "a child favoured over their siblings, as shown by the use of their name in the parent's online passwords".</p> <p dir="ltr">The final top pick for April words of the month is “murder noodle”, which refers to "a snake, especially one that is venomous".</p> <p dir="ltr">Each of these phrases has now gone in the running to be crowned the 2023 Word of the Year, which the Macquarie Dictionary awards each year to a phrase that has seamlessly been integrated into the Aussie vocabulary. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 2022 Word of the Year was Teal, defined by the dictionary as "a political candidate who holds generally ideologically moderate views, but who supports strong action regarding environmental and climate action policies, and the prioritising of integrity in politics (so called as many of the candidates use the colour teal in their electoral material)”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Books

The surprising stories of how these 10 words came to be

<p>Ever hear or read a word and think, “where on earth did that come from?” Well, for the etymologists of the world, that’s exactly what they try to figure out. In a post on online forum <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/4tqrix/etymologists_of_reddit_what_is_your_favorite/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Reddit</span></strong></a>, user russellbeard asked, “Etymologists of Reddit, what is your favourite story of how a word came to be?” The community delivered, and some of what we learnt was very interesting indeed. Here are 10 of our favourites.</p> <ol> <li>The Latin prefix “pen-” comes from the word “paene”, meaning “almost”. Therefore, a “peninsula” is almost an island and something that is “penultimate” is almost last.</li> <li>“Muscle” is derived from the Latin word “musculus”, which means “little mouse”. Physicians used the term after noticing the muscles in the biceps and calves look like little mice running under the skin.</li> <li>“Daisy” comes from the Old English term “day’s eye”, since the flower is open during the day and closes at night.</li> <li>The words “traitor” and “tradition” have the same root as they both denote something being handed over.</li> <li>“Eavesdropping” is named after people who used to spy on their enemies from rooves with wide eaves to listen to their conversations.</li> <li>“An apron” actually used be “a napron”.</li> <li>People often break “helicopter” into “heli-” and “-copter” to make new words like “helipad” and “newscopter”, but it really should be broken into “helico-”, which means “spiral” or “helix” and “-pter” which means “wing”. In fact, that’s why pterodactyl starts with a p.</li> <li>“Sinister” is actually the Latin word meaning “left”. It was given the connotation of “evil” because left-handed people were historically blamed for being demonic and villainous.</li> <li>The word “dunce” comes from the medieval philosopher Johannes Duns Scotus. His enemies disagreed so strongly with his theories that they turned his name into an insult 200 years after he had died. He was, in fact, an incredibly smart man and well known for his debating abilities.</li> <li>“Uppercase” and “lowercase” are named as such because in the days of hand printing, capital letters and lowercase letters were literally kept in different cases.</li> </ol> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Books

As the global musical phenomenon turns 50, a hip-hop professor explains what the word ‘dope’ means to him

<p>After I finished my Ph.D. in 2017, several newspaper reporters wrote about the job I’d accepted at the University of Virginia as an assistant professor of hip-hop.</p> <p>“A.D. Carson just scored, arguably, the dopest job ever,” one <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/07/03/virginia-ad-carson-hip-hop-professor/435032001/">journalist wrote</a>.</p> <p>The writer may not have meant it the way I read it, but the terminology was significant to me. Hip-hop’s early luminaries transformed the word’s original meanings, using it as a synonym for cool. In the 50 years since, it endures as an expression of respect and praise – and illegal substances.</p> <p>In that context, dope has everything to do with my work. </p> <p>In the year I graduated from college, one of my best friends was sent to federal prison for possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute. He served nearly a decade and has been back in prison several times since.</p> <p>But before he went to prison, he helped me finish school by paying off my tuition.</p> <p>In a very real way, dope has as much to do with me finishing my studies and becoming a professor as it does with him serving time in a federal prison.</p> <h2>Academic dope</h2> <p>For my Ph.D. dissertation in Rhetorics, Communications, and Information Design, I wrote a <a href="http://phd.aydeethegreat.com/">rap album</a> titled “Owning My Masters: The Rhetorics of Rhymes & Revolutions.” A peer-reviewed, mastered version of the album is due out this summer from University of Michigan Press.</p> <p>Part of my reasoning for writing it that way involved my ideas about dope. I want to question who gets to determine who and what are dope and whether any university can produce expertise on the people who created hip-hop.</p> <p>While I was initially met with <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2016/04/clemson-university-arrests/478455/">considerable resistance</a> for my work at Clemson, the university eventually became supportive and touted “<a href="https://news.clemson.edu/clemson-doctoral-student-produces-rap-album-for-dissertation-it-goes-viral/">a dissertation with a beat</a>.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">A Dissertation with a Beat. 🔊🎤 🔊<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Clemson?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Clemson</a> doctoral student produces rap album for dissertation; it goes viral ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/wgiM9LS6k5">https://t.co/wgiM9LS6k5</a> <a href="https://t.co/r1lmBYXV2S">pic.twitter.com/r1lmBYXV2S</a></p> <p>— Clemson University (@ClemsonUniv) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClemsonUniv/status/845990987440652289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2017</a></p></blockquote> <p>Clemson is not the only school to recognize hip-hop as dope. </p> <p>In the 50 years since its start at <a href="https://theconversation.com/hip-hop-holiday-signals-a-turning-point-in-education-for-a-music-form-that-began-at-a-back-to-school-party-in-the-bronx-165525">a back-to-school party</a> in the South Bronx, hip-hop, the culture and its art forms have come a long way to a place of relative prominence in educational institutions. </p> <p>Since 2013, Harvard University has housed the <a href="https://hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu/institutes/hiphop-archive-research-institute">Hiphop Archive & Research Institute</a> and the <a href="https://hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu/faq/nasir-jones-hiphop-fellowship">Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellowship</a> that funds scholars and artists who demonstrate “exceptional scholarship and creativity in the arts in connection with Hiphop.”</p> <p>UCLA announced an <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-03-28/ucla-hip-hop-initiative-chuck-d">ambitious Hip Hop Initiative</a> to kick off the golden anniversary. The initiative includes artist residencies, community engagement programs, a book series and a digital archive project.</p> <p>Perhaps my receiving tenure and promotion at the University of Virginia is part of the school’s attempt to help codify the existence of hip-hop scholarship.</p> <p>When I write about “dope,” I’m thinking of Black people like drugs to which the U.S. is addicted. </p> <p>Dope is a frame to help clarify the attempts, throughout American history, at outlawing and <a href="https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/archives/online_exhibits/100_documents/1853-black-law.html">legalizing</a> the presence of Black people and Black culture. As dope, Black people are America’s constant ailment and cure.</p> <p>To me, dope is an aspiration and a methodology to acknowledge and resist America’s steady surveillance, scrutiny and criminalization of Blackness.</p> <p>By this definition, dope is not only what we are, it’s also who we want to be and how we demonstrate our being. </p> <p>Dope is about what we can make with what we are given. </p> <p>Dope is a product of conditions created by America. It is also a product that helped create America.</p> <p>Whenever Blackness has been seen as lucrative, businesses like record companies and institutions like colleges and universities have sought to capitalize. To remove the negative stigmas associated with dope, these institutions cast themselves in roles similar to a pharmacy. </p> <p>Even though I don’t believe academia has the power or authority to bestow hip-hop credibility, a question remains – does having a Ph.D and producing rap music as <a href="https://theconversation.com/hip-hop-professor-looks-to-open-doors-with-worlds-first-peer-reviewed-rap-album-153761">peer-reviewed publications</a>change my dopeness in some way?</p> <h2>Legalizing dope</h2> <p>Though I earned a Ph.D by rapping, my own relationship to hip-hop in academic institutions remains fraught. </p> <p>Part of the problem was noted in 2014 by Michelle Alexander, a legal scholar and author of “<a href="http://newjimcrow.com/">The New Jim Crow</a>,” when she talked about <a href="http://www.drugpolicy.org/resource/new-jim-crow-whats-next-talk-michelle-alexander-and-dpas-asha-bandele">her concerns about</a> the legalization of marijuana in different U.S. states.</p> <p>“In many ways the imagery doesn’t sit right,” she said. “Here are white men poised to run big marijuana businesses … after 40 years of impoverished black kids getting prison time for selling weed, and their families and futures destroyed. Now, white men are planning to get rich doing precisely the same thing?”</p> <p>I feel the same way about dopeness in academia. Since hip-hop has emerged as a global phenomenon largely embraced by many of the “academically trained” music scholars who initially rejected it, how will those scholars and their schools now make way for the people they have historically excluded?</p> <p>This is why that quote about me “scoring, arguably, the dopest job ever” has stuck with me. </p> <p>I wonder if it’s fair to call what I do a form of legalized dope.</p> <h2>America’s dope-dealing history</h2> <p>In the late 1990s, I saw how fast hip-hop had become inescapable across the U.S., even in the small Midwestern town of Decatur, Illinois, where I grew up with my friend who is now serving federal prison time. </p> <p>He and I have remained in contact. Among the things we discuss is how unlikely it is that I would be able to do what I do without his doing what he did.</p> <p>Given the economic realities faced by people after leaving prison, we both know there are limitations to his opportunities if we choose to see our successes as shared accomplishments.</p> <p>Depending on how dope is interpreted, prisons and universities serve as probable destinations for people who make their living with it. It has kept him in prison roughly the same amount of time as it has kept me in graduate school and in my profession. </p> <p>This present reality has historical significance for how I think of dope, and what it means for people to have their existence authorized or legalized, and America’s relationship to Black people. </p> <p>Many of the buildings at Clemson were built in the late 1880s using “<a href="http://glimpse.clemson.edu/convict-labor/">laborers convicted of mostly petty crimes</a>” that the state of South Carolina leased to the university. </p> <p>Similarly, the University of Virginia was built by <a href="https://dei.virginia.edu/resources">renting enslaved laborers</a>. The University also is required by state law to purchase office furniture from a state-owned company that <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/02/14/public-universities-several-states-are-required-buy-prison-industries">depends on imprisoned people for labor</a>. The people who make the furniture are paid very little to do so. </p> <p>The people in the federal prison where my friend who helped me pay for college is now housed work for paltry wages making towels and shirts for the U.S. Army.</p> <p>Even with all of the time and distance between our pasts and present, our paths are still inextricably intertwined – along with all those others on or near the seemingly transient line that divides “legal” and “illegal” dope.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-the-global-musical-phenomenon-turns-50-a-hip-hop-professor-explains-what-the-word-dope-means-to-him-200872" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Music

“He yelled the N-word”: Stan Grant speaks out on racist attack

<p dir="ltr"><em>Q+A</em> host Stan Grant has opened up about the time he faced unprovoked racist abuse from a stranger outside of the ABC’s headquarters, just days after <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/there-is-no-excuse-for-what-i-saw-stan-grant-calls-on-the-abc-to-do-better">calling for the broadcaster to “do better”</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Grant, a Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi man, was attending the national summit on Aboriginal child safety in Adelaide when conversation turned to the incident involving a passerby and “the N-word”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was standing outside the ABC filming … and a young man and his girlfriend walked past me and, as they got close to me, he yelled the N-word loudly at me, right at me,” Grant explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So what if I’m on television, so what if I stayed in the White House with [former US President] Barack Obama …. so what if I can phone the Prime Minister [Anthony Albanese] and he’ll pick up the phone, so what? In that moment, that’s what I was to that person.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We don’t know when someone’s going to say that. No matter how successful you are, someone can always cut you down. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Racism can touch us anywhere.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When breaking the story, Grant was addressing an audience of approximately 250 individuals from across Australia - primarily First Nations experts and frontline workers - at the summit hosted by KWY.</p> <p dir="ltr">The group is a South Australia-based Aboriginal organisation who, according to their official website, “cover domestic and family violence, child protection, youth work, kinship care, disability, mentoring, Aboriginal education outcomes, perpetrator intervention, and cultural training and consultancy” across Adelaide and other regional centres. </p> <p dir="ltr">During the summit, Aboriginal Children’s Commissioner April Lawrie called on the South Australian government to take action against the rising rates of Aboriginal children who were being taken into state care, declaring that, “we’re removing [children] but we’re not supporting [families].” </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s a telling story when [I] go into a school community to engage with young fullas … to find that I couldn’t take a photo because most of the Aboriginal children in that school community were a child in care [and can’t be identified].</p> <p dir="ltr">“That speaks more than what you see in data. That is the compelling story about what is going on in our Aboriginal communities, what is the relationship of the state with our Aboriginal families.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Reportedly, South Australia has a budget in excess of $500m, and only spends roughly $69m per year on early help services for families. </p> <p dir="ltr">As South Australia’s Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard said, the Malinauskas government intends to commit $3.2m to creating a new committee, while increasing the overall budget for family services by $13.4m. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We know that the current system is not working for Aboriginal families and children,” she stated.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Listening to the wisdom and experience of Aboriginal people is utterly fundamental to building a better approach.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This includes our government acknowledging how that legacy of colonisation and experiences of intergenerational trauma and racism influence the issues Aboriginal people face.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Q+A / Youtube</em></p>

News

Resistance to mega-tourism is rising in the South Pacific – but will governments put words into action?

<p>With COVID-19 travel restrictions largely a thing of the past for Australian and <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/travel/2022/12/fiji-more-popular-with-kiwi-tourists-than-it-was-pre-covid-19.html">New Zealand tourists</a>, Pacific destinations are enjoying the return of visitors – albeit at a <a href="https://devpolicy.org/the-pacific-emerging-from-covid-slowly-20221019/">slower pace</a> than in other parts of the world.</p> <p>Tourism in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands was <a href="https://www.imf.org/-/media/Files/Countries/ResRep/pis-region/small-states-monitor/pacific-islands-monitor-issue-17-october-2022.ashx">hit hard by the pandemic</a>, but <a href="https://www.massey.ac.nz/about/news/pacific-islands-resilient-as-covid-19-topples-tourism/">patience and resilience</a> are starting to pay off. Foreign dollars are once again circulating in those small economies. Recently, <a href="https://www.mvariety.com/business/kiribati-welcomes-first-cruise-ship-visit/article_30ca4be0-b0f7-11ed-9b9d-93619a4dfba6.html">Kiribati welcomed</a> its first international cruise ship since 2020.</p> <p>But this isn’t a simple case of returning to normal. The past three years have allowed time for reflection, leading to a rising awareness of <a href="https://southpacificislands.travel/pacific-sustainable-tourism-leadership-summit-calls-on-pacific-leaders-to-work-together-to-build-resilient-futures/">possible alternatives</a> to pre-pandemic tourism models.</p> <p>From senior levels within governments to grassroots tourism operators and citizens, there has been serious discussion about the resumption of business as usual, including several <a href="https://southpacificislands.travel/2021-ends-on-a-high-with-pacific-islands-tourism-research-symposium/">regional symposiums</a> hosted by the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.</p> <p>Issues of sovereignty and future resilience have been very much to the fore – quite untypical in a global tourism industry largely focused on <a href="https://etc-corporate.org/news/europes-tourism-rebound-predicted-to-continue-into-2023/">boosting numbers</a> as soon as possible. Questions remain, however, about the gap between rhetoric and reality.</p> <h2>Flipping the narrative</h2> <p>The <a href="https://southpacificislands.travel/2022-pacific-sustainable-tourism-leadership-summit/">Pacific Sustainable Tourism Leaders Summit</a> in November 2022 brought together tourism ministers and industry stakeholders to discuss the future of regional tourism. This led to a <a href="https://southpacificislands.travel/pacific-sustainable-tourism-leadership-summit-calls-on-pacific-leaders-to-work-together-to-build-resilient-futures/">regional commitment</a> signed by 11 countries focused on promoting sustainable tourism.</p> <p>Essentially, the aim is to flip the narrative: rather than Pacific nations being seen as dependent on tourism, regional tourism itself depends on the Pacific and its people surviving and thriving. Accordingly, Pacific countries are calling for fairer and more meaningful relationships with tourism partners.</p> <p>Cook Islands’ associate minister of foreign affairs and immigration, Tingika Elikana, urged other Pacific leaders at the summit to rebuild tourism in a way that was <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/inclusive-pacific-summit-calls-on-regional-leaders-to-work-together/">equitable and inclusive</a>, "[it] is crucial that lessons are learned from recent crises and that steps are taken to embed long-term inclusivity, sustainability, and resilience into our tourism offering as it faces evolving challenges and risks."</p> <p>Vanuatu has been heading in this direction since early in the pandemic, when it made “destination wellbeing” <a href="https://www.traveldailymedia.com/vanuatu-tourism-adopts-well-being-approach-for-covid-19-recovery/">central to its tourism recovery</a>. The aim of “moving beyond solely measuring visitor arrivals and contribution to GDP” then fed into the country’s <a href="https://tourism.gov.vu/images/DoT-Documents/Presentations/Vanuatu_Sustainable_Tourism_Strategy_2020-2030-2020_.pdf">Sustainable Tourism Strategy</a>, launched at the height of the pandemic.</p> <h2>Push-back on resorts and cruise ships</h2> <p>This reappraisal of scale and priorities has perhaps been most evident in Fiji where there has been <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/project-unoriginal/">strong opposition</a> to a US$300 million mega-project proposed by Chinese developers.</p> <p>The hotel, apartment and marina complex would be built in an area containing one of the last remaining remnants of mangrove forest near the capital, Suva. Conservationists and local residents have been critical of the <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/484141/conservationist-calls-on-fiji-govt-to-preserve-rare-mangrove">environmental</a> and <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/how-can-fiji-supply-water-to-project/">infrastructural</a> impact of the proposed development, as well as the <a href="https://www.fijitimes.com/project-unoriginal/">authenticity of its design</a>.</p> <p>There is <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/484710/costly-development-of-suva-forest-may-now-not-happen">now doubt</a> about whether the government will renew the developer’s lease, due to expire in June. The minister for lands and mineral resources has said “there’s been a lack of transparency” from the developers, and that he “will continue to monitor the remaining conditions of the development lease”.</p> <p>A leading opponent of the project, Reverend James Bhagwan, <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/484710/costly-development-of-suva-forest-may-now-not-happen">told Radio New Zealand</a>, "we'’re not anti-development, but what we’re saying is we need to look at development from a perspective that places the environment at the centre, not at the periphery.</p> <p>There is a precedent here: approval for a multi-million-dollar resort and casino development on Malolo island was revoked in 2019 after another Chinese developer, Freesoul Investments, destroyed part of a reef, dumped waste and disrupted traditional fisheries. In 2022, the High Court fined the company <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/resort-developers-found-guilty-over-fiji-island-disaster-1">FJD$1 million</a>. It was the first time a developer had been punished for an “environmental crime”.</p> <p>Environmental concerns are also causing other Pacific countries to resist a return to mass tourism. In Rarotonga, Cook Islands, annual visitor numbers before the pandemic were ten times the island’s local population. The ability to cope with that level of tourism has since been <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/443141/cook-islanders-considering-how-much-tourism-is-too-much">seriously questioned</a>.</p> <p>And in French Polynesia, the government has <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/french-polynesia-the-latest-country-to-ban-mega-cruise-ships/RXY2PDLCWPAIZRVNENLHJ6Z2N4/">banned port calls</a> for cruise ships with a capacity greater than 3,500 passengers. The decision was based on concerns about air pollution, stress on the marine environment and social impacts. Daily cruise arrivals to Bora Bora are now restricted to 1,200 passengers, much to the <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/407885/bora-bora-calls-for-ban-on-large-cruise-ships">relief of locals</a>.</p> <h2>A new kind of tourism?</h2> <p>In the face of uncertainties due to climate change and geopolitical tensions in the region, it’s encouraging to hear local voices being heard in debates about the future of Pacific tourism – and political leaders appearing to respond.</p> <p>The Pacific Island Forum leaders’ retreat in Fiji late last month discussed the tourism industry. The forum’s signature <a href="https://www.forumsec.org/2050strategy/">Blue Pacific Strategy</a> for regional co-operation recognises tourism is an important component of national development, and the need to balance economic pressures with environmental and cultural protection.</p> <p>But despite the apparent political will and regional focus on building resilience, tourism development will undoubtedly continue to challenge the desires and initiatives of Pacific peoples seeking more sustainable futures.</p> <p>While the policy rhetoric sounds good, it remains to be seen whether Pacific governments will remain steadfast and united under mounting pressures from major cruise operators, Chinese commercial interests and large hotels looking to maximise occupancy rates.</p> <p>Many Pacific people reported the natural environment – along with social, spiritual, physical and mental wellbeing – <a href="https://www.internationaljournalofwellbeing.org/index.php/ijow/article/view/2539">improved during the pandemic pause</a> in tourism. But the reality of putting local wellbeing ahead of profits and increased tax revenue is yet to be fully tested as tourism bounces back.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p> <p><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/resistance-to-mega-tourism-is-rising-in-the-south-pacific-but-will-governments-put-words-into-action-201071" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

International Travel

Reviled, reclaimed and respected: the history of the word ‘queer’

<p>Recently, a number of people have questioned or critiqued the use of the word “queer” to describe LGBTIQA+ folk. One <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/13/please-dont-use-the-q-word?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1673635001">writer to the Guardian</a> claimed that the “q-word” was as derogatory and offensive as the “n-word”, and should not be used.</p> <p>While there is a clear history of the word being used in aggressive and insulting ways, the meaning(s) and uses of queer have never been singular, simple or stable.</p> <h2>The origin of the word ‘queer’</h2> <p>Queer is a word of uncertain origin that had entered the English language by the early 16th century, when it was primarily used to mean strange, odd, peculiar or eccentric. By the late 19th century it was <a href="https://www.oah.org/tah/issues/2019/may/queer-history/#:%7E:text=Up%20through%20the%20nineteenth%20century,columns%20to%20private%20epistolary%20speculation.">being used</a> colloquially to refer to same-sex attracted men. While this usage was frequently derogatory, queer was simultaneously used in neutral and affirming ways.</p> <p>The examples <a href="https://www-oed-com.ez.library.latrobe.edu.au/view/Entry/156235">provided in the Oxford English Dictionary</a> show this semantic range, including instances of homosexual men using queer as a positive self-description at the same time as it was being used in the most insulting terms.</p> <p>Compare the neutral:“Fourteen young men were invited […] with the premise that they would have the opportunity of meeting some of the prominent ‘queers’” (1914); the insulting: “fairies, pansies, and queers conducted […] lewd practices” (1936); and self-affirmed uses: “young men who call themselves ‘queers’” (1952).</p> <p>In the 1960s and 1970s, as sexual and gender minorities fought for civil rights and promoted new ways of being in society, we also sought new names for ourselves. Gay liberationists began to reclaim queer from its earlier hurtful usages, <a href="https://outhistory.org/files/original/f6d46c5d90761e3a66edcd4fe32a6785.pdf">chanting</a> “out of the closets, into the streets” and singing “we’re here because we’re queer”. </p> <p>Their <a href="https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/come-out-magazine-1969-1972/the-come-out-archive">newsletters from the time</a> reveal sustained questioning of the words, labels and politics of naming that lesbian and gay people could and should use about themselves. Some gay libbers even wanted to <a href="https://outhistory.org/files/original/3809edc277d5dbfd51f8883422e761b7.pdf">cancel the word homosexual</a> because they felt it limited their potential and “prescribes a whole system of behaviour […] which has nothing to do with my day-to-day living”.</p> <p>In Australia, camp was briefly the most common label that lesbian women and gay men used to describe themselves, before gay became more prominent, used at that time by both homosexual men and women.</p> <h2>The evolving use of the word queer</h2> <p>In the early 1990s, gay had come to be used more typically to refer to gay men. Respectful and inclusive standards of language evolved to “lesbian and gay”, and then “LGBT”, as bisexuals and transgender people sought greater recognition. </p> <p>Queer began to be used in a different way again: not as a synonym for gay, but as a critical and political identity that challenged normative ideas about sexuality and gender.</p> <p><a href="https://guides.libraries.indiana.edu/c.php?g=995240&p=8361766">Queer theory</a> drew on <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/social-constructionism-4586374">social constructionism</a> – the theory that people develop knowledge of the world in a social context – to critique the idea any sexuality or gender identity was normal or natural. This showed how particular norms of sexuality and gender were historically contingent.</p> <p>Thinkers such as Michel Foucault, Michael Warner, Judith Butler, Eve Kosofsky Sedgewick and Lauren Berlant were enormously influential in the development of this new idea of queer. Some people began to identify as queer in the critical sense, not as a synonym for a stable gender or sexual identity, but to indicate a non-conforming gender or sexual identity. </p> <p>Activists in groups such as <a href="http://queernation.org/">Queer Nation</a> also used queer in this critical sense as part of their more assertive, anti-assimilationist political actions.</p> <h2>Queer as an umbrella term</h2> <p>From the early 2000s, it became more common to use queer as an umbrella term that was inclusive of the spectrum of sexual and gender identities represented in the LGBTIQA+ acronym.</p> <p>Today, queer is included among the terms lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex, asexual, <a href="https://junkee.com/brotherboy-sistergirl-decolonise-gender/262222">brotherboy and sistergirl</a>, <a href="https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/accessible-and-inclusive-content/inclusive-language/gender-and-sexual-diversity">recognised in style guides</a> as the most respectful and inclusive way to refer to people with diverse sexualities and genders.</p> <p>Of course, the different usages and meaning of words such as queer have often overlapped and have been hotly contested. Historical usages and associations persist and can sit uncomfortably next to contemporary reclamations.</p> <h2>Queer as a slur?</h2> <p>Contemporary concerns with queer’s historical use as a slur seem odd to me. The heritage report <a href="https://queerarchives.org.au/heritage-100/">A History of LGBTIQ+ Victoria in 100 Places and Objects</a> (which I co-authored), surveys the complexity of language use in historical and contemporary society.</p> <p>It is notable that almost all of the words that LGBTIQA+ people use to describe ourselves today have been reclaimed from homophobic or transphobic origins.</p> <p>In fact, it could be said that liberating words from non-affirming religious, clinical or colloquial contexts and giving them our own meanings is one of the defining characteristics of LGBTIQA+ history.</p> <p>While queer does have a history of being used as an insult, that has never been its sole meaning. Same-sex attracted and gender diverse folks have taken the word and have been ascribing it with better meanings for at least the past 50 years. </p> <p>Queer’s predominant use today is as an affirming term that is inclusive of all people in the rainbow acronym. </p> <p>At a time when trans and gender diverse folk are facing particularly harsh attacks, I’m all for efforts to promote inclusion and solidarity. Respectful language use doesn’t require us to cancel queer, but rather to be mindful of its history and how that history is experienced by our readers and listeners.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/reviled-reclaimed-and-respected-the-history-of-the-word-queer-197533" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

"Time moves like a river": Heartbreaking final words of Aussie writer taken too young

<p>Natalie Fornasier has passed away at the age of 28 following a years-long battle with metastatic melanoma cancer.</p> <p><em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em> confirmed the news with an obituary on January 28, announcing that Natalie had died on January 14. </p> <p>“Beloved Wife of Alexander,” the obituary read, “much loved Sister of Alex, loving daughter of Peter & Lorena. Adored daughter-in-law of Kirsten. She will be dearly missed by her grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, Natalie’s German family & devoted ‘Little Helpers’.”</p> <p>Natalie received her first diagnosis when she was 20 years old after spotting a large mole on her toe, and was informed that she had Stage III metastatic melanoma. </p> <p>In December, Natalie shared the news with her followers that her condition had progressed to Stage IV. </p> <p>“At the end of July, I received the news that my cancer was now terminal and had months left to live,” she wrote. </p> <p>“It’s not easy to admit that I’m dying. At 28 years old… everything about it feels wrong. The conversations I’ve had to have, the plans I’ve had to make, the places my thoughts have gone and are still going - none of it is natural. It’s painful,” she went on, “for four months I’ve grappled with sharing this news. </p> <p>“But I'm here now, and that's because I want to take back control over my own agency. I am the one telling my story, as I always have. There are so many things in my life I can’t control but this I can.”</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/Cl57HVJPnE8/?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/Cl57HVJPnE8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Natalie Fornasier (@nataliefornasier)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Natalie wrote of her husband, Alexander, and the love the two shared, telling her audience, “my one goal in life was to love. I’ve experienced a love that is all consuming - something so deeply precious and powerful and soul changing that I know that even though I’m leaving this earth, that energy and love will never die. Alexander and I have grieved together, and he has shared so many ways of how he will keep me in his life, which brings me peace as I face the unknown. But know this, no matter where I am, I’ll still be here – in some way.”</p> <p>The couple were married in a “secret” ceremony on November 26, as Natalie revealed in a new post two days later. </p> <p>On December 21, four days before Christmas, Natalie shared her final update with supporters. She passed away less than one month after. </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/CmaQzRuha8V/?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/CmaQzRuha8V/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Natalie Fornasier (@nataliefornasier)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Today marks four weeks in palliative care. It’s absurd it’s been that long - time is so fluid, it feels like none has gone by but the calendar says otherwise,” she said, going on to write of how she missed her home and her experience with palliative care. </p> <p>“It’s one minute at a time for me right now - and I’m so thankful that, that is still a possibility. If my time here has taught me anything - it’s that time moves like a river. You’re unable to see the beginning or the end but you can feel it - so you better make the most of it. Even if that means napping next to your loved one for hours so long as you’re together.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Karl Stefanovic’s warm words for Allison Langdon

<p>Former <em>Today</em> host Allison “Ally” Langdon returned to the show this morning to hear her former co-host Karl Stefanovic’s well wishes for her debut with <em>A Current Affair</em>. </p> <p>“I'm so looking forward to tonight,” Ally confessed of her Monday night debut, “we've been on the road shooting stories for the past couple of weeks which is really fun, but to be honest I have a few nerves about tonight.”</p> <p>The duo were together at the helm of the <em>Today</em> desk for three years before Ally’s departure from the show in late 2022. Needless to say, Karl was in a good position to share his take on how Ally might fare in her new role, telling her, “you're an absolute machine and we can't wait to see you tonight.”</p> <p>While Karl and his new co-host, Sarah Abo, showered Allison in their support, Karl also took the opportunity to make a joke about the change in Ally’s schedule, teasing, “I know it's a bit of a shift for you, working at night - you've always been a little lazy.”</p> <p>"How is it going to be working at 7pm at night,” he asked, “what are you doing with the kids?"</p> <p>While Allison brushed off that particular line of questioning, she did confess that the new start time was not quite what she’d expected, with a little help from her children Mack James and Scout Heather. </p> <p>“I thought how good I'm going to sleep in these days,” she told Karl and Sarah, “it's not a 3am wake-up call, but the kids are still up at 5:30am.”</p> <p>She went on to share that because of the continued early wake up times, she’s been able to catch the show, and sung Sarah’s praises for her work as a <em>Today </em>host. </p> <p>"Sarah, you're so amazing in that chair,” she told her, “honestly, it's been lovely to watch. You look so comfortable and you've managed to wrangle in that bloke beside you pretty well. It's been lovely sitting at home watching."</p> <p>Allison is no stranger to encouragement in the industry, having revealed how her <em>A Current Affair</em> predecessor Tracy Grimshaw spoke to her before Tracy’s final show after 17 years as host. </p> <p>“She said, ‘just be yourself, Ally, be yourself, and follow what you want to follow',” Allison told <em>The Herald Sun</em>. </p> <p>“She told me to listen to the ACA audience,” she added, before sharing Tracy’s advice to find her own voice and to be authentic, to “be real and be you.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

British expat shares strange Aussie slang words she doesn't understand

<p>When Charlee moved from the UK to Australia, she never expected for there to be such a language barrier. </p> <p>The 25-year-old expat shared a list of unique Aussie slang words that she had "never heard in her life" until moving Down Under, with the list of Australianisms quickly going viral. </p> <p>“If you’re thinking about moving to Australia. Listen up. But first – Australian’s don’t all come at me,” she said in the video.</p> <p>“I am very aware I am an uncultured British person which is why I have moved to the other side of the world. I am ready to see the sights.”</p> <p>Charlee said despite having lived in Australia for a few months now, there are still quite a few words she hears daily that have her wondering what they mean. </p> <p>“First thing – an eskie. An eskie is a cool box (what they call it in the UK),” she said.</p> <p>“I do actually quite like the word. It sounds better than ‘cool box’ but still, [I’ve] never heard of it in my life.”</p> <p>The word "esky" became common in Australia after a brand by the same name released the first portable coolers in 1952. </p> <p>Another word Charlee struggled to understand was “doona". </p> <p>“A doona is a duvet. I don’t understand why you would just change the last three letters of the word. It’s quite a nice word, ‘doona’, it sounds very Australian … but it’s just a bit of a strange word.”</p> <p>Like most expats, the term “thongs” threw Charlee off when she first heard it. </p> <p>“I know we should all know what thongs are by now – they’re flip-flop. However, on the odd occasion someone will say thong to me and I genuinely think they're asking me about the piece of material wedged between my butt cheeks.”</p> <p>The other words Charlee listed were footy, ‘too easy’, ‘scull’ (ie scull a drink) and pants, which they refer to as trousers in the UK.</p> <p>Charlee's videos about life in Australia have garnered her an impressive following, with comments rolling in from natives saying "Yep, welcome to Australia!"</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p> <div class="media image venti" style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; width: 493.639679px; margin: 24px auto;"> </div>

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Our Partners

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Shop

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Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Compare

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Keep up to date

Search

"Words fail me": Rod Stewart devastated by passing of iconic rocker

Surprise choice for "Word of the Year"

Is it normal to forget words while speaking? And when can it spell a problem?

“If you’re reading this, I have died”: Breast cancer advocate’s powerful last words

Fergie reveals Queen Elizabeth's last words to her before she died

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“How dare you”: Drew Barrymore slams tabloids for twisting her words

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Jock Zonfrillo's wife's touching words at private funeral

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