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

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

Music

Woman got so drunk she forgot she bought a house

A UK woman’s recent purchase of a home came as a surprise, after she confessed she was so drunk when she placed a bid that she forgot about it. Luana Ribeira, 40, told the <a href="https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/woman-drunk-work-forgot-bidding-28046594" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Star</a> that she had gone with a friend to see the house, which was up for auction, before her surprisingly rambunctious night. “I went to see a house with a friend as it was on auction, but my friend didn’t want it as it was in a rough area,” she explained. “I liked the property and thought it could be really lovely and a good investment. “So, I went to the nightclub where I worked, stayed afterwards and got very drunk.” After finishing her night shift, the founder of Dauntless PR remembered how “one drink turned to two”, which then turned into drinking games before the rest became a blur. The next day, her then-boyfriend informed her that she got home at 8.30am, insisted on calling the real estate agent, putting an offer on the house and going to bed. “I woke up hungover and my boyfriend at the time was very annoyed, and was giving me the silent treatment,” she recalled. She was then informed that her offer of £20,000 ($AU 33,000) was successful. Though it may have been made under unusual circumstances, Ms Ribeira’s decision to place a bid proved to be fruitful. After 12 months, she sold the home for double what she paid and used it to purchase another. Ms Ribeira then made £20,000 on the second home, going on to earn another £20,000 on a third, and using her earnings to start a new life and business in Portugal. Image: @launadauntlesspr (Instagram)

Real Estate

Iconic home bought for $5000 in 1963, on sale now for millions

The last mansion of its kind has hit the market in Sydney's affluent suburb of Potts Point. The Victorian Italianate three-level villa at <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/18-ward-avenue-potts-point-nsw-2011-2018012681?utm_source=nine.com.au&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=editorial-content" target="_blank" rel="noopener">18 Ward Avenue</a> was built in the 1880s and sold to a family in 1963 for a mere $5,000. Now, the property is expected to see bids of a whopping $10 million. The home was extended in the 1920s to add 12 flats to the rear of the property, and is now ready for the next chapter in its history. Despite the hefty asking price, renovations are required, with original fireplaces, jarrah floors, wall friezes, plaster moldings, ornate ceilings and a romantic tower room. The 12 flats include kitchenettes and are also in old-world condition. Known as Oakleigh, the 536-square-metre home on Ward Avenue could become a grand residence once again, suites for medical professionals, a hospitality venture, an investment, an opportunity for heritage property developers or serviced apartments (if given the local council's rubber stamp), according to listing agency Ray White. The property, with two grand magnolia trees in the front garden, has been in the Coucke family for five generations, with previous resident Celeste recalling her fond childhood at Oakleigh. "As a child of the 1960s and 1970s, Oakleigh was an excellent place for my siblings and I to play hide and seek," she said. "Growing up in a multi-generational family, our lives were shaped by family stories of tenacity in the face of hardship. We lived in an extraordinary home, immersed in the most vibrant, celebrated, scorned, historic, diverse, artistic and notorious community in Australia." Image credits: Domain <div class="advert" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: auto; 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: border-box; margin: 24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Proxima Nova', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; caret-color: #333333; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.25px;" data-ad-type="MOBILE" data-ad-loc="BTF" data-ad-maxwidth="767" data-smart-refresh="false"> </div>

Real Estate

She was mistakenly transferred $10.5m – so she bought a mansion

A costly bungle has resulted in two Aussie women going on a spending spree and a cryptocurrency company left $10.5 million out of pocket. Thevamanogari Manivel received the hefty injection of cash after Crypto.com, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency trading platforms, attempted to process a refund of just $100 in May last year. But, instead of sending through the refund, an account number was entered in the payment section, resulting in the accidental transfer. Seven months later, the company has launched legal action against Ms Manivel and her sister, Thilagavathy Gangadory, after discovering the error during an audit in December, per court documents. The only issue is that the sisters have already spent a chunk of the cash. The court found that Ms Manivel transferred the funds into a joint account last year, before taking out some of the money to buy a $1.35 million property in the Melbourne suburb of Craigieburn in February 2022. It’s understood that Ms Manivel bought the five-bedroom home - which reportedly includes a gym and home cinema - as a gift for her sister. The home, which sold on February 3 according to property records, is described as having a “monochrome palette”, four “designer” bathrooms, an outdoor entertaining area and an expansive kitchen/dining/family area with a butler’s pantry, per <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-craigieburn-138330146">the listing</a>, According to the <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/cryptocom-goes-to-court-to-recoup-105m-it-incorrectly-sent-to-melbourne-woman/news-story/1e2d91d007d1257593cf5d0d99f1477d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Herald Sun</a>, Ms Manivel sent $430,000 to her daughter and transferred the ownership of the home to her sister, Ms Gangadory. Crypto.com has since won part of its legal battle after a judge in Victoria’s Supreme Court ordered that the luxury home be sold and that the $1.35 million be returned to the company, along with $27,369 in interest and other costs. It is believed that separate orders have been made for the remaining sum. Because Ms Gangadory failed to appear in court for the May hearing, Justice James Dudley Elliott said that “the allegations in the statement of claim are taken to be admitted”, after the reasons for his judgement were made <a href="http://publicly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly available</a> last week. If Ms Gangadory doesn’t put the property on the market, a receiver could be appointed to arrange its sale or, if she ignores the orders, she could be in contempt of court, as reported by <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/vic/cryptocurrency-platform-cryptocom-accidentally-transfers-105-million-to-melbourne-woman-c-8058203" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a>. “There’s no doubt that if you saw that in your account you would know it shouldn’t be there, and the onus is actually on you to actually call the sender and to say look that shouldn’t have come into my account,” Justin Lawrence from Henderson and Ball Lawyers told the outlet. “If you’re withholding property of someone else you’re effectively holding property by deception, you’re not entitled to it, you need to give it back.” The case is scheduled to return to court in October. Images: Realestate.com.au/Getty Images

Real Estate

Why Elon Musk just bought Twitter

Twitter is set to be taken private after being purchased by billionaire Elon Musk. The board of directors have unanimously agreed to Musk’s offer, and have sold the social media platform to him for $US44 billion. The deal brings the internet’s most influential platform under the control of one of the world’s richest people. Musk himself, a prolific Twitter user, has repeatedly denounced efforts to moderate speech on the service: “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” he said in a statement. “I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans. “Twitter has tremendous potential — I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.” “The Twitter Board conducted a thoughtful and comprehensive process to assess Elon’s proposal with a deliberate focus on value, certainty, and financing,” said board chair Bret Taylor in a statement. ln April, it was first revealed that Musk had acquired a 9.2% stake in Twitter, making him one of the company’s biggest shareholders. Since then, Musk and the company had engaged in a corporate battle over the future of the company. So, why does Elon Musk want twitter? Elon Musk essentially purchased a social network that he openly admitted might cause much of the world to hate him. “Everyone will still blame me for everything,” Musk said during an interview at a TED conference on Thursday. “If I acquire Twitter and something goes wrong, it’s my fault 100%. I think there will be quite a few errors.” Musk has repeatedly stressed in recent days that his goal is to bolster free speech on the platform and work to “unlock” Twitter’s “extraordinary potential”. Others have suggested he may be more interested in boosting attention for himself, whether or not the deal goes through. To hear Musk tell it, the goal of his Twitter offer is "nothing less than protecting civilisation as we know it". “My strong intuitive sense is that having a public platform that is maximally trusted and broadly inclusive is extremely important to the future of civilisation.” Among Musk’s plans for the platform are making its algorithm open source and also making it more transparent to users when, for example, a tweet has been emphasised or demoted in their feed. He has also stated he would like to have more lenient content moderation policies. We all know Musk has long used Twitter to build his brand and communicate with his more than 80 million followers, and troll those he views as his detractors. Some might say, he is buying the platform where he derives the most popularity. Image: Getty

Money & Banking

Teenager donates newly-bought car to flood victim

A generous teenager has helped change the life of one of NSW's flood victims by giving him a car. Harry Ledger, a 17-year-old from Kiama, had recently travelled to the flood-affected area of Lismore to help in the mammoth clean up effort from devastating floods. After doing everything he could to help the clean up, Harry decided he wanted to do more than just get his hands dirty. With the help of his family, Harry took the car he recently bought (after saving up for more than two years) and gave it to Dylan: a local who had lost everything in the flood. Natasha Shearer, who helped coordinate Harry’s generous donation, posted about the moment Harry handed over the keys at the weekend. <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fnshearerlambert%2Fposts%2F10159694343075926&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="809" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> “Dylan was at work at the time and had no idea Harry was about to hand him a car,” Natasha wrote. <div id="ad-slot_out-of-page-mobile_section-index-1_pos-2" data-section-index="1"></div> “Dylan was in shock and really couldn’t believe that someone especially a beautiful young 17-year-old would come and hand over a car like that.” Harry had been saving over the last few years to buy the champagne-coloured Nissan, and decided to give it to the man who had lost his own home and car, and was couch-surfing for a place to stay and getting around on a pushbike. “We brought him out to the car,” Natasha told the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-12/teenager-donates-car-to-northern-nsw-flood-victim/100982504" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a>. “We told him we had a few things for him in the car and, the next thing, Harry handed him the keys." “He cried, he couldn’t believe it. He was very, very appreciative and in shock.” While the clean-up efforts are continuing in Northern NSW, one local's life is now a little easier. Image credits: Facebook

Caring

Bought for $1.5m, selling for $40m: Richard Gere lists New York mega-mansion

A year after forking out $9.8 million for a new family home in upstate New York, Richard Gere is trying to unload his other upstate property he purchased back in 1986.The actor, aged 72, listed his sprawling 19.4ha compound in Pound Ridge for a whopping $28 million (AU$39.3 million) in October.Nearly 35 years ago, he had purchased the land for just $1.51 million, property records reveal.Known for his leading roles in “Pretty Woman” and “American Gigolo,” Gere is hoping to start over in a seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom house after welcoming children in 2019 and 2020 with his wife, Alejandra Silva.The main residence at the Pound Ridge compound — only an hour away from New York City — is made up of eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms and spans over 1,080 sqm.Made up of five structures in total, with stables and a pool, the estate comes with 4,300 acres of protected land.Dubbed as a “magical country compound,” the property features a winding country lane that makes its way through the grounds. Outside is a private lake with a Sandy Beach, and a separate island to row out to, according to the listing.Other features include aesthetic views of rolling hills (reserved for horseback riding), a hidden soccer field and several mature plantings that surround the compound.After buying his new colonial home last year, he dropped another $700,000 on a vacant neighbouring block, which expanded the property to about 35 acres.Images: Real estate.com

Real Estate

Bought for $225k, sold for $43 million

Three siblings from southeast Melbourne have become multi-millionaires overnight after selling their family’s former pea farm in Officer. The life changing sale saw the siblings sell the 12.3 hectare Rix Road block for $43 million last week - $11 million above the reserve price - after attracting local and international developers looking to snap up the urban growth zone site. According to CoreLogic records, the property last sold in 1988 for just $225,000. <img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843065/farm.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b2166570146d461781ba882a30749666" /> Image: realestate.com.au The Sun Herald reported that the siblings and their elderly mother were the beneficiaries of the trio’s late stepfather’s estate, which included the land. CBRE agent David Minty, who brokered the sale along with fellow CBRE agents, said the three siblings were aged in their 50s and had “standard” day jobs. “They weren’t wealthy people so this is completely life changing for them,” he said. “It’s a really special sale just knowing how life changing it is for this particular family. You go from a simple day job, you don’t have a huge amount of money, and all of a sudden you’ve got a sizable sum. They’ve always been a private, courteous and respectful family. They may just maintain their same lifestyles - they’re not flashy people.” Mr Minty said the land had formerly been used to grow peas, and he believed the siblings’ grandfather had worked as a farmer for former Governor-General and federal minister Lord Richard Casey, which the City of Casey was named after. Developers YouLand and Satterley have projects surrounding the block, but YourLand, backed by Japanese company Nippon, was able to secure the sale. “We’re experiencing strong demand from developers looking to secure development pipelines in this region, which is unlikely to be satisfied in a market which is very short on appropriately zoned or earmarked landholdings,” said Mr Murfale, who also brokered the deal. It is understood that the buyer paid more than it hoped for, having first offered the family $27 million off-market last year. “The sale price smashes all metrics achieved for a development site sale in Officer, representing a record rate of $3.65 million per hectare,” Mr Minty said. “Whether it’s a shift in mindset with COVID, with people wanting to live out in the areas and buy their own house and set up their families, [the demand is] just quite extraordinary.”

Real Estate

The weirdest items you've ever bought at Aldi

TV host Osher Günsberg sparked an interesting discussion after he shared his wild purchases from ALDI, the German supermarket chain. His purchases included a chainsaw. “Soy milk, laundry liquid, chainsaw,” he captioned the post. He added: “Went shopping with Audrey Griffin and the Aldi #aisleofdreams did not disappoint today.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPrsOMyLQL3/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPrsOMyLQL3/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Osher Günsberg (@osher_gunsberg)</a> </div> </blockquote> Australian actor Rob Mills commented saying "it's one of my favourite outings". Others shared their weird purchases from the supermarket. “The other day I went to Aldi and came out with four bananas, three apples and a car battery charger,” one person wrote. “We went in for batteries and came out with a kayak,” another user commented. “My best ever purchase from Aldi was a unicycle, true story,” someone else revealed. Another reader even suggested the bizarre mix of items available on any given day would make a great idea for a TV game show that Günsberg could host. “Give the contestants a couple of hundred dollars in Aldi and see what they buy,” they wrote. “Definitely see who's a smart shopper.”

Money & Banking

Who is Danny Wallis? The man who bought three houses on The Block

Danny Wallis, a super-rich IT entrepreneur, dominated The Block's auction day and snapped up three out of four houses for almost $12 million. He offered "insane" bids on each house, which led to jaw-dropping moments for the excited contestants. Even host Scott Cam was surprised, as he said that it was "the most unbelievable day in Block history". Fans of the renovation show will remember Wallis, as he's bought Mitch and Mark's property last season for a cool $3.374 million and bidding on all five properties. However, despite his love of buying houses from the TV show, he's insisted he's never watched the show. This didn't stop him from being called a "bit of a nuisance" by Block buyer's advocate Frank Valentic. “I’ve never been at an auction where people get five minutes think time,” <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/news/the-block-2019-the-man-who-bought-mitch-and-marks-property/?rsf=syn:news:nca:news:spa" target="_blank">he said</a>. “Danny is a local businessman here in Melbourne … We’ve seen him at a Block auction before, and he has a tactic of confusing everyone in the crowd,” Block presenter Shelley Craft explained during last year’s finale, after Wallis offered a bid that left the auctioneer flummoxed: $3,308,050. The auctioneer quipped that it was “$3,308,000 and half a litre of petrol.” Despite his showboating antics, Wallis has plans for the South Australian farmer couple's home. He's going to donate the home to My Room Children's Cancer Charity. “What an amazing day it was and a real thrill to buy the three houses. I was so impressed with the builds this year, the location in Brighton, and the potential as an investor for the properties in the future,” Wallis said in a statement released by Nine. “The My Room Children’s Cancer Charity do so many wonderful things for sick children and their families, and they will benefit so much from having access to Daniel and Jade’s amazing home. “It is made extra special for me because I know Daniel and Jade have been through so much with their daughter Isla over the years, in and out of hospital, and they will understand just how important the house will be for My Room and all the incredible work they do for sick children and their families.” Photo credits: <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/reality-tv/danny-wallis-who-is-the-blocks-controversial-12m-megabuyer/news-story/6979af8f4e65cf58f8ac741bd8747351" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>

Real Estate

New Lamborghini wrecked 20 minutes after owner bought it

A brand new Lamborghini has been written off 20 minutes after its new owner picked it up. The car had broken down due to a mechanical failure and was hit from behind by an "innocent motorist". The supercar is worth an estimated $360,000 and was hit by a van. Photos of the incident were shared by the Twitter account of West Yorkshire Police in the UK which shows the damage. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> M1 Ossett today - It’s only a car ! But on this occasion a 20 minute old brand new Lamborghini that stopped due mechanical failure in lane 3 them hit from behind by an innocent motorist <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/couldhavecried?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#couldhavecried</a> <a href="https://t.co/S1f9YEQGcD">pic.twitter.com/S1f9YEQGcD</a> — WYP Roads Policing Unit (@WYP_RPU) <a href="https://twitter.com/WYP_RPU/status/1275860418058235904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2020</a></blockquote> The officers seemed to take the incident to heart as they used the hashtag #couldhavecried. There are no details on how the owner feels, but Twitter users had a lot to say about the incident. “I don’t even know the person and could cry for them,” one person responded. “I really hope that was insured,” another wrote. Some were confused as to why the car broke down. “Feel sorry for the Lamborghini showroom that sold it! Boy are they gonna get an angry phone call!” one person wrote. “Mechanical failure after twenty minutes? So my ten-year-old Kia is better than a Lamborghini. Good to know,” another said. Others hoped that everyone left the incident unscathed. “Assuming nobody was hurt, I can’t help but find this hilarious,” one person commented. “The insurance company might be crying when they get the bill ... as will the driver who hit it,” another suggested. “I hope there were no injuries, other than the owner’s pride,” a third added.

Travel Trouble

Inside the $4.9 million Sydney mansion Delta Goodrem “bought” last year

The luxurious Double Bay home that Delta Goodrem nearly purchased last year before rejecting it in the cooling-off period is finally off the market with a price that broke the previous street record. Biller Property principal Paul Biller didn’t say much when asked about the “Delta deal” but was thrilled to confirm that the five-bedroom, four-bathroom home at 46 Epping Rd in one of Sydney's most sough-after suburbs smashed the previous selling price record which was $4.9 million. According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.realestate.com.au/news/double-bay-house-that-delta-goodrem-bought-last-year-sells-for-street-record/?rsf=syn:news:nca:dt:article" target="_blank">Wentworth Courier</a>, upon seeing the property Goodrem fell in love but decided that apartment living was more her style. So, she decided to purchase a seventh-floor apartment in one of Sydney’s most prestigious locations, The Residence, which has a view of Hyde Park. That property set her back $4.825 million in January. The current owner of the Double Bay mansion, Toula Cassen, bought the home for $3.8 million in 2014. Speaking to the Wentworth Courier, she said: “It’s just so architecturally beautiful – I’d been looking for something like that in a property. “It felt like I was going to be living in a gallery.” Ms Cassen was blown away by the selling price, with the home going to a family from the north shore, who were ecstatic about the sheer size of the house. Scroll through the gallery above to look inside the extravagant home.

Domestic Travel

Urgent Target recall: Have you bought this for your grandchild?

<div> <div class="replay"> <div class="reply_body body linkify"> <div class="reply_body"> <div class="body_text "> Parents have been advised to return a Target jacket marketed towards babies and toddlers after the item poses a risk of a potential choking hazard. The Baby/Toddler Fleece Letterman Jacket, which ranges in sizes 0 to 24 months, has been sold in stores around the country since January 1. According to a statement from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the press-studs on the item may “pose a chocking or ingestion hazard for young children.” Target Australia took to Facebook on Saturday to announce its “voluntary recall”, stating the reason behind the decision was “safety and quality” issues. A photo shared to its social media page said the “product had not been manufactured in accordance with Target’s safety and quality standards". <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> Target Baby/Toddler Letterman Jackets recall [Australia]: <a href="https://t.co/yjDsefZHc9">https://t.co/yjDsefZHc9</a> <a href="https://t.co/9m8kukdsrD">pic.twitter.com/9m8kukdsrD</a> — RecallsDirect™ (@RecallsDirect) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecallsDirect/status/1133953789952761856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">30 May 2019</a></blockquote> “We recommend you to stop using the item immediately and return it to a Target or Target Country store as soon as possible, with or without a receipt, where our team members will provide you with a full refund,” read the post. Over 400 people took to the comments section to voice their frustrations, saying they were disappointed that they had to return the jacket. “I had to return baby’s jacket,” wrote one person. “This is the jacket I got for R for Easter,” said another. The discount department store has promised a full refund under any circumstance, regardless of what condition the jacket is in. No proof of purchase is required. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Caring

Beach Boys' Mike Love reveals Dennis and Carl Wilson bought heroin before infamous 1978 Aussie show

The Beach Boys singer Mike Love has revealed the reason behind one of the band’s most infamous blunders, four decades after it took place. During an interview with Sunday Night, the 77-year-old American star opened up about the poor performance they delivered during their 1978 Australian tour, where fans demanded their money back. The band were forced to apologise after the show, with Carl Wilson stating that he had consumed two Mai Tais before the concert. “What happened was I did not feel well yesterday,” he said at the time. “I had a Valium and I had two Mai Tais without having a meal.” However, Mike has revealed that the terrible performance had a much more scandalous cause. “Dennis [Wilson] and Carl [Wilson] bought heroin. Having those guys buy heroin while we're on tour in Australia, it wasn't my cup of tea honestly, so I was mortified by that,” Mike said. <img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7819205/12_498x245.jpg" alt="12"/> “I think that was not a great thing for The Beach Boys to be involved with. I think our music and our way of life and what we always promoted is positivity and harmony. It didn't fit,” he said. Dennis died in 1983 following a battle with drug and alcohol addiction, and Carl passed away from lung cancer in 1998. In the interview, band-member Brian Wilson revealed that he still grieves over the loss of his brothers. “It was very difficult, very very difficult. I still to this day mourn their death.” Now, the band is promoting their new album which sees 16 of their hits reimagined by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. “I always knew the vocal arrangements I did back in the 1960s would lend themselves perfectly for a symphony,” Brian said in a statement. “I am both proud and humbled by what they have created using our songs.” The new album will include reimagined tracks of 1963’s Fun, Fun, Fun and 1988’s Kokomo.

Music

Keith Urban reveals the sexy gift he bought wife Nicole Kidman

Keith Urban and wife Nicole Kidman watched the ball drop together on New Year’s Eve in Nashville, where Urban headlined the Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve performance. Just before hitting the stage, the happy couple were interviewed on live television where they spoke with CNN's Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper. When asked what presents they gave each other during the festive season, the couple revealed their Christmas gifts to the hosts whilst laughing and flirting with each other the whole time. “I gave him an electric bike, which is kind of cool,” Kidman revealed. “It folds up, and it’s really cool, and he really wanted it.” As for Keith’s present for Nicole, at first he didn’t seem to want to share the details about it... “Ya know, umm, things we can’t talk about,” he said before Nicole added, “A lot of love. We can talk about it.” “A lot of La Perla,” Keith admitted, referring to the luxury lingerie brand. He also got her a “backpack” and some “amazing jewellery”. The couple spent Christmas in Sydney with their two daughters Faith Margaret and Sunday Rose, along with Nicole’s family. Sharing rare and an intimate snap of herself with her sister and mother on Facebook, Nicole wrote, "I love these women from the deepest part of my soul. So grateful to have spent the holidays with my mumma and sister." What is the best Christmas gift you have received from your partner? We would love to hear from you in the comments.

Relationships

Thousands of dollars found hidden in cabinet bought at market

A man has stumbled on thousands of dollars when a drawer fell out of a cabinet he had just bought from a council recycling market in Queensland. Police are now appealing to the public for help to find the original owner of the television cabinet. The Nanango man purchased the timber cabinet at the Hervey Bay Recycling Market on Chapel Road and Aarlborg Road at North Nikenbah on June 27, police state. <img width="393" height="523" src="http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/8705662-3x4-700x933.jpg" alt="A pine television cabinet that had a sum of money found inside." style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> When he was unloading the cabinet at home, one of the drawers opened and tens of thousands fel out. The man went to Nanango Police Station to hand over the money over to officers. Nanango Police Constable Kenneth O'Connor said police were looking for the owner. "We're thinking it more than likely came from that council region," he said. "It could have been either picked up from a truck that goes out and picks items of furniture up from households, or it could have possibly been delivered to the recycling centre." Anyone who may have information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Money & Banking

26-carat diamond ring bought for $18 at car boot sale

A spectacular diamond ring is expected to fetch $656,000 (£350,000) at auction - 30 years after it was purchased for just £10, or $18, at a car boot sale. The 26.27-carat white diamond was initially thought to be fake because 19th century stones were not cut to perfection like today's gems. The owner believed the "exceptionally sized" rock was a piece of costume jewellery when she bought it at West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth, west London, in the 1980s, the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-39995908" target="_blank">BBC reported</a>. However, after wearing the ring for decades the owner bought it into the auction house Sotheby's after a jeweller said it could have substantial value. Jessica Wyndham, head of London's jewellery department at Sotherby's, said the owner would wear it out shopping, wear it day-to-day. "It's a good looking ring." "But it was bought as a costume jewel. No-one had any idea it had any intrinsic value at all. They enjoyed it all this time", she said. Wyndham added: "With an old style of cutting, an antique cushion shape, the light doesn't reflect back as much as it would from a modern stone cutting. Cutters worked more with the natural shape of the crystal, to conserve as much weight of the crystal rather than make it as brilliant as possible. "The older stones have quite a bit of personality. They sparkle in a different way." It will be auctioned at Sotheby's in July. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"></a> Image credit: Sotheby's.

Money & Banking

Happiness can be bought – just not by you

A recent study released by researchers from the London School of Economics (LSE) has shown that more money can, in fact, buy happiness – it’s just not in the way you might think. According to Professor Richard Layard, traditional methods of measuring progress and success should be overhauled, just as politicians should do more to ensure people are living happy lives. Let’s take a look at these arguments in greater detail. In their study, <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/website-archive/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2016/12/Relationships-and-happiness.aspx" target="_blank">Origins of Happiness</a>, the researchers found that reducing or eliminating negative lifestyle influencers like domestic violence, depression, and anxiety would significantly increase the worldwide happiness index. Professor Layard writes that issues like these, as well as “alienated youth, exam mania and much else… should become centre stage.” Layard suggests that the evidence showing that social relationships, and our mental and physical health are what matter most for our happiness “demands a new role for the state – not ‘wealth creation but wellbeing creation.” The cost of reducing the effects of depression and anxiety in individuals is estimated at just over $16,000 per person per year, which sounds like a lot of money until you realise that the cost of addressing poverty is $295,000 per person per year, and unemployment is $49,000. The researchers found that eliminating depression and anxiety would reduce unhappiness by 20 per cent, while eliminating poverty would see a reduction of five per cent. Given those numbers, it’s easy to see how much more cost-effective it would be for governments to shift their focus away from poverty and unemployment onto mental health issues. Other findings that emerged from the study included the apparent influence of different factors in happiness. Education was shown to have “a very small effect on life satisfaction,” especially when compared against the effects of having a partner. Interestingly, the overall increase in income or education has little effect on the happiness of a population. This is because individuals evaluate their own income and education “against the locally prevailing norm.” Past studies have shown that increase in income usually only correlates to an increase in happiness when the increase is greater in relation to those around an individual. Thinking about your income and your own mental and physical wellbeing, which would you say contributes most to your own happiness?

Mind

Gold Coast home bought for $6500, on sale for $1 million

A Gold Coast beachside home, bought for $6500 more than four decades ago, is expected to fetch over $1 million dollars at auction next month. The home, on the market after 46 years with one owner, is likely to attract plenty of buyers as the area east of the Gold Coast Highway has become hot property. <img width="431" height="243" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/cfd87476bb751e6f95c5b97dfb40966d" alt="The two-bedroom shack hasn’t changed much." style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Ray White Broadbeach, marketing agent Troy Fitzgerald, said the suburb was “a little bit understated”. “That pocket has got a lot of growth still,” he said. “It is the first of that type of property to be on the market in years, and it’s going to set a bit of a benchmark on other properties in the area.” Gweneth and George Dean bought the house in 1971 for just $6500. “We had always holidayed in Burleigh Heads and we had another holiday house there,” 80-year-old Mrs Dean said. “During the 1971 Christmas break I happened to see a property in Riviera Rd, Miami, advertised for $6500 which I felt was worth investigating.” The two-bedroom weatherboard house which was built in the 1930s and is just 200m from the beach. “We bought it purely as an investment as we used the Burleigh house whenever we were down,” Mrs Dean said. “The area was very quiet. The house was called ‘Tween Hills’ as it was directly ‘between the hills’ of North Burleigh and Miami/ Nobby.” Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/2017/01/government-expanding-debt-program-to-target-pensioners/">Pensioners next on Centrelink’s hit list</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/2017/01/centrelink-concedes-debt-review-system-too-slow/">Centrelink concedes debt review system is too slow</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/2017/01/government-knew-of-potential-centrelink-problems/">Government knew of potential Centrelink problems</a>

Money & Banking

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Woman got so drunk she forgot she bought a house

Iconic home bought for $5000 in 1963, on sale now for millions