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Mum slammed for being "stingy" after refusing to buy $2 snack for daughter's playdate

A mum has come under fire for being "selfish" and "stingy" after refusing to buy a $2 snack for her 11-year-old daughter’s best friend. The woman, believed to be from the US, and her daughter Ellie were invited for a playdate at an indoor playground with 12-year-old Sophie and her mum. Sophie's mum offered to put them on her membership card so that Ellie and her mum could go to the indoor playground for free. “Sophie’s mum called me... and Sophie wanted to know if Ellie could come and play," she began in a Reddit thread called Am I the a****** . "She offered to put me on her membership card so it would be free for me so I got Ellie in the car and we met them at the playground.” Trouble started when the girls got hungry after an hour of playing, and Ellie's mum only packed a snack for her daughter. “Sophie’s mum didn’t have any snacks on her,” she said. “I told her they sell snacks in the front but she claimed that she didn’t have any money on her and asked me to buy Sophie some Goldfish." Ellie's mum agreed to grab the crackers on one condition - Sophie's mum had to transfer the money to her. “She says she paid for my kid to get in so I could cover the $2 for the Goldfish. I said no, I took care of my kid and it’s not my job to take care of hers too. “I told her if she wanted me to bring snacks she should’ve told me when she invited me but I won’t be wasting $2 for a 50 cent bag of Goldfish because she was unprepared.” She added that Sophie's mum eventually managed to get snacks for her own daughter, and wondered "if she lied about not having money". She then accused Sophie's mum of being "petty" for asking her to pay back for “all the times” she's used her membership to get a guest pass at the indoor playground, adding that "they regularly pay for us to join them on outings.” Her post was met with over 2500 comments slamming her for being “selfish”, “stingy” and “ungrateful”. “You were invited to a place for free that you would otherwise have had to pay for. You only packed snacks for your child? Why didn’t you also take snacks for the other child?" one wrote. “Yes, you did not have to do so, and that child is not your responsibility, but if I was meeting someone for a playdate for my child, not paying to get in, knowing, at some point both girls were going to be hungry, I would have packed snacks for both, as a thank you for the invitation and just because," the commenter continued. “If someone asked me to transfer them $2, I’m rolling my eyes big time. It’s petty, especially when someone gave you something likely far more valuable," another added. “Seriously. I don’t even think I could tell a stranger no when it comes to feeding their hungry child, much less a person I know and spend time with," a third commented. Others called the mum a "fool", for potentially causing Ellie to lose her best friend. “Don’t be an idiot. Apologise. You might care about 50 cents. But your daughter will lose her best friend. And that is worth a lot more. Your daughter might never get a friend like that... And the fact that universe gift wrapped a friend for your daughter. And you choose to throw it in the trash. Wow, you are truly a fool," they said. Image: Getty

Family & Pets

My Royal Melbourne Seniors Classic Adventure: A day on the greens (and in the bunkers!)

G'day to all past, present, and emerging golf enthusiasts! If you're a senior golfer like me, hunting for inspiration, adventure, and authentic golf yarns — this is for you. Picture this: a crisp August morning, and sixty-two senior golfers gathered on Royal Melbourne's West Course for the Vic Seniors Classic 2023. Here's the story of how it all went down... Before anything else, I mustered the guts to jump in. Ever heard of "imposter syndrome"? Trust me, I was its best mate. But the requirements were clear: age 55+ (I'm a proud 65-year-old), GA Handicap under 24.5 (18.5), and a $225 entry fee. Wait, $225? Given that Royal Melbourne's green fees dance around $1000, caddy fee included, it was a no-brainer. Fueled by the temptation of playing a top-notch course for a quarter of the fee, I submitted my application without hesitation. Before I knew it, my name adorned the list of players. As the day approached, I was geared up to tackle the Royal Melbourne challenge. The 8 am shotgun start meant groups teed off from various holes. I found myself at the 11th tee, flanked by two fierce competitors: Peter (Daily Handicap 1) and Damian (12). Yours truly? A modest 20. Standing over the ball, knees a tad wobbly, I swung that driver. The ball sailed gracefully, landing centre fairway, while their shots had taken a wilder route into the rough. The lesson? 'How near,' not 'how far'. Now, let's talk about those Royal Melbourne greens. Rumour had it, they were "super fast". Super fast? Imagine sliding a ball across your kitchen's polished tiles — yep, that rapid. Around the course, bunkers became my stern mentors — big, deep, and oh-so unforgiving. Post 18 holes, scorecards were in, followed by the triumphant crowning of winners over lunch. Rodney Ware (75 gross) and Kevin Naismith (81 gross) led in men's gross, while Wayne Moon (72 net) and Craig Lonsdale (73 net) dominated the net division. Melinda Crawford (16, scratch stableford) and Louise Yuen (29 handicap points) shone in the women's. Kudos to winners, fellow players, Royal Melbourne and Golf Australia for the unforgettable day. By the way, can you see yourself on those hallowed Royal Melbourne greens? If your inner golfer nods, I'm your cheerleader. Consider joining me for the 2024 Royal Melbourne Seniors Classic. And as I wrap up, let me leave you with the timeless words of the legendary Peter Thomson: "Golf is a game of how near, not how far". Until next time, keep those swings buttery, putts steadfast, and steer clear of those tricky bunkers. PS: My result? T43rd (net) among the 48 male players. Next time I'll be swinging even better. About the Writer: Mike Searles is a Melbourne retiree who's living the golfing dream. Image credits: Getty Images

Domestic Travel

6 classic songs involved in lawsuits

Like with all art, the line between appropriation and plagiarism in the music world is very blurred. Artists have always been inspired by other artists, so it’s inevitable that some works will be similar to others. These cases, however, prove that the consequences of copyright infringement can be extremely costly indeed. The Beatles vs. Chuck Berry Chuck Berry’s music has long been the object of adaptation, but none were as high-profile as The Beatles’ hit song “Come Together”, which allegedly borrowed lyrics and melodies from Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me”. Lennon’s line, “Here come ol’ flattop, he come groovin’ up slowly” is thought to have been taken from Berry’s “Here come a flattop, he was movin’ up with me”. Berry’s publishing company was awarded nearly US$85,000 as a settlement. Johnny Cash vs. Gordon Jenkins In the 1970s, Cash was ordered to pay Gordon Jenkins US$75,000 after his 1955 song “Folsom Prison Blues” allegedly used lyrics and music from Jenkins’ 1953 tune “Crescent City Blues”. Although Cash’s song was a tale of murder and imprisonment and Jenkins’ was about a lovelorn woman desperate to escape, the songs were still similar enough to be the focus of a lawsuit. Men At Work vs. Larrikin Music It’s considered to be one of Australia’s most iconic songs (even an unofficial anthem for some), but Men At Work’s hit song “Down Under” was the subject of a nasty dispute in 2009 when they were sued by Larrikin Music, the owners of 1932 classic “Kookaburra”. Larrikin Music claimed that part of the Aussie band’s flute riff was stolen from the song “Kookaburra”, written by Marion Sinclair. The band was forced to give Larrikin 5 per cent of all royalties after 2002. Ray Parker, Jr. vs. Huey Lewis and the News Who can forget Parker’s iconic Ghostbusters theme song? Well, as it turns out, it may not have been completely original. Huey Lewis and the News sued Parker after hearing similarities with their song “I Want a New Drug”, and won the suit. In a strange twist, however, Huey Lewis revealed the details of the settlement to the media in a breach of confidentiality and was counter-sued by Parker in 2001. Rod Stewart vs. Jorge Ben Stewart was sued after the vocal melody from his hit “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” was found to be uncannily similar to that of Jorge Ben’s 1976 song “Taj Mahal”. As part of the settlement, Stewart decided to donate a percentage of the track’s earnings to UNICEF. “Clearly the melody had lodged itself in my memory and then resurfaced. Unconscious plagiarism, plain and simple,” Stewart wrote in his autobiography. Coldplay vs. Joe Satriani Satriani sued Coldplay in 2008, alleging that their song “Viva la Vida” used “substantial original portions” of music from his song “If I Could Fly”, which was released four years previously. They settled out of court in 2009. This suit came just months after American band Creaky Boards accused them of stealing the melody of their ironically-named song “The Songs I Didn’t Write”. Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) also claimed the song ripped off his track “Foreigner Suite”. Do you think any of these songs sound like their alleged inspirations? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below. Image credit: Getty Related links: <a href="../finance/insurance/2016/04/10-odd-things-celebrities-have-insured/">10 odd things celebrities have insured</a> <a href="../entertainment/music/2016/04/the-surprising-real-names-of-singers/">The surprising real names of famous singers</a> <a href="../entertainment/music/2016/03/rock-and-roll-hits-banned-from-being-played/">6 rock ‘n’ roll hits banned from being played</a>

Legal

6 modern-classic movies everyone needs to see

There's never a bad time to dive back into the archives and watch some good movies. With that in mind, here we’ve rounded up six essential modern-classic movies from the past 15 years that everyone needs to see. Scroll through the gallery above for images. 1. Donnie Darko (2001) Jake Gyllenhaal plays a troubled teen that is tormented by visions of the future and a disturbing-looking bunny. Donnie Darko has become a cult classic, as it captured the angst of the youth who at the time the movie was in theatres were coping with the confusion of a post-9/11 world. 2. Bowling For Columbine (2002) Michael Moore's fourth feature film, which won an Oscar for best documentary, might be his best. The controversial director uses the events of the Columbine High School massacre to address the US' addiction to guns. Sadly, years later the issues explored in this movie are still relevant. 3. Ratatouille (2007) Ratatouille tells a compelling story through animation that isn't just for kids. Set in the posh Paris cooking world, Ratatouille follows a rat who fancies himself a chef. The movie could have been a disaster, but instead it showed that stories with lots of layers could be told well through cartoons and computer graphics. 4. There Will Be Blood (2007) Paul Thomas Anderson delivers a film that is epic in so many ways, including its story, its music, and its photography. Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a performance that withstands the test of time as a maniacal oil baron. 5. Zodiac (2007) David Fincher, who is known for his attraction to dark material, was perfect for bringing the story of the Zodiac Killer to the big screen. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a cartoonist for a newspaper who becomes obsessed with the case and takes over the detective work when the cops dry up on leads. Perhaps the best trick Fincher pulls off is building constant suspense so that, by the end, anyone could be the Zodiac. 6. WALL-E (2008) Arguably Pixar's greatest work, WALL-E explores so many different issues that you can watch it a dozen times and enjoy focusing on each one. From a love story to commentaries on obesity and climate change, the movie is much more than the mere travels of a lovable robot (but that part is great, too). Written by Jason Guerrasio. First appeared on <a href="../%20http:/www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff.co.nz.</a> Images: Getty

Movies

Fans fume as classic film undergoes censorship treatment

Film fanatics are in outrage after discovering an unannounced edit in William Friedkin’s 1971 classic movie, The French Connection. The scene causing the trouble comes just 10 minutes into the drama, when two characters - Gene Hackman’s ‘Popeye’ Doyle and Roy Scheider’s Buddy ‘Cloudy’ Russo - are having a conversation, and one of them uses a racial slur. The sequence was removed, and the new edited version cuts to the latest in the conversation, omitting the part with the slur. Disney has been the subject of blame for the move - as the company took over Fox in 2019 and subsequently the rights to the film - with fans accusing them of censoring the scene in the United States, while in the United Kingdom and Canada, the unedited version of the film is still available for streaming on Disney+. Most took to social media to share their complaints, with the majority in agreement that Disney had missed the mark, and The Film Magazine’s Joseph Wade even calling it “corporate vandalism”. “In cases such as this, ‘Censor’ takes the place of ‘Vandalise’,” he tweeted. “They have vandalised a piece of art.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Disney Censor 'The French Connection' (1971) In cases such as this, "Censor" takes the place of "Vandalise". They have vandalised a piece of art. This is corporate vandalism no matter how said corporation spins the language. <a href="https://t.co/yxl1o2RsMU">pic.twitter.com/yxl1o2RsMU</a> — Joseph Wade (@JoeTFM) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeTFM/status/1666327940072722434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2023</a></blockquote> “At the risk of being like ‘nooo, my precious n-word,’ the uncensored FRENCH CONNECTION should be the only one in circulation, whether on TV or in theatres,” one user said. “I don't think it's a stretch to say that Friedkin knew exactly what having his detective protagonist use it said about him.” One user went on to share a clip of Hackman discussing the scene - and slur - in question, in which the actor claimed he “protested somewhat”, before sharing his belief that it was part of “who the guy is”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Gene Hackman speaking in 2012 about the controversial line from French Connection. <a href="https://t.co/l45DBP9DvD">pic.twitter.com/l45DBP9DvD</a> — oneilla (@oneilla828) <a href="https://twitter.com/oneilla828/status/1666439477403811840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2023</a></blockquote> “The censorship of The French Connection is shameful if true,” another agreed. “Thank God,” a frustrated - and sarcastic - fan added, “now I can finally show my 6 year old child The French Connection without any worries”. One Twitter user wrote of how “it speaks badly for film preservation that even a Best Picture winner isn't immune from the clutches of Disney”, and how they’d prefer to watch the film “the way it was intended to be watched, thank you very much.” Images: Twentieth Century Fox

Movies

Cheese and bacon muffins

A delicious savoury muffin that’s great for when the grandkids are around or an on-the-go snack. Makes: 12 Ingredients: <ul> <li>2 egg</li> <li>250g self-raising flour</li> <li>1 cup grated cheddar cheese</li> <li>3 rashers bacon, cooked and finely diced</li> <li>1 cup milk</li> <li>½ teaspoon salt</li> <li>½ teaspoon pepper</li> </ul> Method: 1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease muffin tray and set aside. 2. Combine flour, cheese, bacon, salt and pepper in bowl. 3. In separate bowl, whisk eggs and add milk. 4. Make a well in the dry ingredient and gradually add egg mixture. Gently mix until just combined. 5. Spoon mixture into muffin tray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until tops are golden. Images: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Alluring, classic, glamorous: the history of the martini cocktail

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ursula-kennedy-560331">Ursula Kennedy</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> The martini cocktail has existed in a range of guises throughout its ice-cold, crisp life. Several stories exist as to its origins. The “classic” martini is made with gin and vermouth (a fortified wine infused with spices) and garnished with an olive or a twist of lemon. It is quintessentially American. <h2>The contested origins of the martini</h2> <a href="https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/143103">Many believe</a> the martini was invented in the 1860s at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco by bartender Jerry Thomas. Thomas evolved a one part sloe gin, two parts sweet vermouth, maraschino and a dash of bitters with a lemon concoction into a drink he called the Martinez, which he made for passengers departing on the ferry to the town of the same name. It was said to also be prepared for miners celebrating striking gold. Others believe it was invented in 1911 at the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York by bartender Martini di Taggia, served to billionaire John D. Rockerfeller with equal parts London dry gin and dry vermouth. However, recipes for the drink were published as early as 1862, in Jerry Thomas’s Bartenders’ Guide. Stronger versions of the martini include two parts gin, and even up to five parts gin, to one part vermouth, garnished with olive or lemon. A “dry” martini has little to no vermouth at all – the focus being gin. Author T.S. Eliot once said: <blockquote> There is nothing quite so stimulating as a strong dry martini cocktail. </blockquote> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521990/original/file-20230420-16-tnbdz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521990/original/file-20230420-16-tnbdz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521990/original/file-20230420-16-tnbdz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=380&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521990/original/file-20230420-16-tnbdz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=380&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521990/original/file-20230420-16-tnbdz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=380&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521990/original/file-20230420-16-tnbdz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521990/original/file-20230420-16-tnbdz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521990/original/file-20230420-16-tnbdz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>A classic martini with olives as the garnish. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> <h2>The martini’s rise, fall and rise again</h2> During the <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/gilded-age">Gilded Age</a> (1880-1900), the martini rose in popularity and remained so through to the mid-20th century. Prohibition in America during 1920 to 1933 did little to harm the martini’s popularity, as backyard gin production was reasonably easy. In the 1960s the drink’s popularity started to wane due to the burgeoning quality and availability of other beverages such as wines and beers. There were also concerns about alcohol consumption and health. With the increasing popularity of “retro” style and culture in recent years the martini has made a comeback, with <a href="https://vinepair.com/articles/martini-hype-train/">reports of increased demand</a> for the drink among young people. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521989/original/file-20230420-22-ci80sy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521989/original/file-20230420-22-ci80sy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521989/original/file-20230420-22-ci80sy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521989/original/file-20230420-22-ci80sy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521989/original/file-20230420-22-ci80sy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521989/original/file-20230420-22-ci80sy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521989/original/file-20230420-22-ci80sy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521989/original/file-20230420-22-ci80sy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Customers at a Philadelphia bar after Prohibition’s end, Dec. 1933. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> <h2>Martini and its variations</h2> Today, the martini (or a common variation of it) is best known for its identity in popular culture, most famously as the drink of fictional British Secret Service agent, James Bond. The famous phrase “shaken, not stirred” was first uttered on screen by actor Sean Connery playing Bond in the 1964 movie Goldfinger. Bond’s tipple of choice is prepared with vodka rather than gin. While most purists believe the gin martini is the classic form of the drink, there are myriad variations that use the martini name or are closely related to the original drink, such as <a href="https://www.liquor.com/recipes/gibson/">the Gibson</a>, a classic martini garnished with cocktail onions instead of olives. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521991/original/file-20230420-3001-awnpdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521991/original/file-20230420-3001-awnpdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521991/original/file-20230420-3001-awnpdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=597&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521991/original/file-20230420-3001-awnpdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=597&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521991/original/file-20230420-3001-awnpdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=597&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521991/original/file-20230420-3001-awnpdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521991/original/file-20230420-3001-awnpdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521991/original/file-20230420-3001-awnpdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Sean Connory as James Bond, making his signature vodka martini. Wikimedia</figcaption></figure> <a href="https://www.spiritshunters.com/cocktail/the-history-of-the-dirty-martini/">The “dirty” martini </a> is currently popular, which is gin soiled with a generous dash of brine from the olive jar. According to the Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, the practice of adding brine to a martini has been around since at least 1901. The term “dirty martini” seemingly wasn’t coined until the 1980s, however. US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt may have been an early proponent of using olive brine in cocktails. Allegedly, the president “would shake up a drink at the drop of a hat … and was reported to have splashed a bite of brine in his drinks at the White House,” writes Robert Simonson in The Martini Cocktail: A Meditation on the World’s Greatest Drink, with Recipes. <a href="https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/espresso-martini-vodka-cocktail">The story goes</a> that London bartender Dick Bradsell first made the espresso martini, a fusion of espresso, sweet coffee liqueur and vodka, in the late 1980s when supermodel Kate Moss (or sometimes Naomi Campbell) asked for a drink that would “wake me up and fuck me up”. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521984/original/file-20230420-2604-g4y6r4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521984/original/file-20230420-2604-g4y6r4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521984/original/file-20230420-2604-g4y6r4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521984/original/file-20230420-2604-g4y6r4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521984/original/file-20230420-2604-g4y6r4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521984/original/file-20230420-2604-g4y6r4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521984/original/file-20230420-2604-g4y6r4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521984/original/file-20230420-2604-g4y6r4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>The espresso martini. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> There are many modern drinks that use the iconic martini glass to justify using martini in their name – however, they bear little resemblance to the original cocktail. An appletini is vodka blended with apple juice, apple cider or apple brandy, while the “French martini” consists of vodka, pineapple juice and raspberry liqueur. The TV show Sex and the City popularised the “flirtini”, containing vodka, champagne and pineapple juice. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8STeT9WrYtU?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Keeping cool</h2> A martini glass – a classic conical bowl on a long straight stem – is one aspect of the drink that does not change. The glass was <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/design-moment-martini-glass-1925-1.4094434">formally unveiled at the 1925 Paris Exhibition</a> as an alternative to the classic champagne glass. The long stem allows the glass to be held while the drink remains cool, not warmed by the drinker’s hands. The wide rim allows the drinker’s nose to be close to the liquid when sipping, so the aromatics can be easily appreciated. <h2>Never out of style</h2> While Bond embodied the glamorous side of the martini, studies of writer Ian Fleming’s famous spy indicate that Bond had a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-names-bond-james-bond-and-im-an-alcoholic-21440">severe problem with alcohol</a> consumption. On occasion he may have had a blood alcohol concentration of .36% – almost fatal. The martini should be consumed with deference … and in moderation.<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/195913/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ursula-kennedy-560331">Ursula Kennedy</a>, Lecturer of Wine Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> 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/alluring-classic-glamorous-the-history-of-the-martini-cocktail-195913">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Food & Wine

Surprising facts about 5 classic TV shows

As well as offering some real television nostalgia, these classic shows are also regarded as some of the most iconic TV shows ever made. Here are some lesser-known facts about five of the most popular shows in TV history. 1. I Love Lucy I Love Lucy had a rather rocky start. Fraught with dilemmas and thought to maybe not move forward with the pilot, it came down to play it safe, or take a chance on the untried medium of television. Ball recounts that in a dream, Hollywood actress Carole Lombard appeared in a “very smart suit and she said, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=uBWFgeCNAz4C&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&dq=carole+lombard+Take+a+chance,+honey.+Give+it+a+whirl!&source=bl&ots=8jLdurHJI6&sig=lSqvQ7Uk-bHYFlraRdDppCxrj74&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjt8byl9LXRAhVmi1QKHS3-DB70Q6AEIPjAH#v=onepage&q=carole%20lombard%20Take%20a%20chance%2C%20honey.%20Give%20it%20a%20whirl!&f=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Go on, honey. Give it a whirl</a>!’” And they did exactly that and they show is one of the most loved of its kind to date. 2. The Flintstones The popular 1960s cartoon The Flintstones may have become a hit around the world but it was not well received by everyone. One of television’s most iconic actors of all time, Jackie Gleason, was not happy about the show’s inspiration. According to Alan Reed Jr. (son of Alan Reed, who voiced Fred Flintstone), The Flintstones was <a href="http://www.thespectrum.com/story/entertainment/2015/09/24/alan-reed-jr-remembers-flintstones/72626720/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inspired by The Honeymooners</a>, taking on the short-tempered and overbearing characteristics of Gleason’s vociferous Ralph Kramden. 3. The Odd Couple After it first premiered in 1970, viewers had some questions about the sexuality of Felix and Oscar, as the two men living as roommates in New York City. Felix, played by Tony Randall, raised the most eyebrows for his flamboyant mannerisms and interest in the arts. Worried that viewers would be turned off due to the continuous speculation, ABC executives made it a point in the show’s intro to state that the roommates were “divorced men.” 4. The Ed Sullivan Show In 1953 when Broadway director Joshua Logan asked to speak about his struggles with mental illness, what ensued was one of Ed Sullivan’s proudest TV moments. Worries about CBS’s reaction, Sullivan hesitantly allowed Logan to change the running order of the show to address his mental breakdown, recovery, and the stigma surrounding mental illness. It was met with momentary silence followed by a very big applause. In the weeks that followed, CBS was sent oodles of letters of appreciation. 5. Hogan’s Heroes CBS’s Hogan’s Heroes, which ran from 1965 to 1971, was set in an actual German POW camp during World War II. Despite being successful, the sitcom was heavily criticised, given the actual atrocities that were committed during the war. Surprisingly, many of the actors portraying the dim-witted German Nazis were Jewish, too. Image credit: Shutterstock

Shoppers left feeling nostalgic over new chocolate treats

Chocolate lovers are in for a treat with Cadbury’s new range hitting supermarket shelves. The confectionary giant’s new “slices” range may feel quite familiar to some, especially those who often follow their sweet tooth into well-stocked bakeries, which makes perfect sense when considering the new blocks are inspired by the likes of crackle, hedgehog, and mint cream slices. <a href="https://www.cadbury.com.au/brand/cadbury-slices">The Cadbury Slices</a>, which carry a price tag of $5.50, are described by their makers as being “inspired by iconic Australian bakery slices and mixed with our iconic Cadbury chocolate to create a new way to enjoy icons, perfect for sharing.” They were an immediate hit with the masses, with one social media snack reviewer even declaring one of the new blocks to be “up there with some of my current favourites”. In a video posted to her Instagram account, she could be seen entering a Woolworths supermarket to pick up the new range, and outlined her journey before reviewing the goods. She did not, however, try the Old Gold mint cream, noting that she wasn’t really a fan of mint chocolate to begin with. First up was the Caramilk hedgehog, and after explaining the “classic Aussie no-bake slice”, she described how the block had a Caramilk base and contained almonds, toasted coconut, and rice crisps, before noting that she “absolutely loved the taste”. Next came the block “inspired by a chocolate crackle”, which also featured rice crisps and toasted coconut, and “definitely resembled the chocolate crackle flavour”. She noted that it had that “recognisable Copha taste”, although she didn’t believe that was one of the ingredients. “It was so delicious,” she surmised, “and I hope this one stays around for a while.” <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/Cr7-qyFJS1q/?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/Cr7-qyFJS1q/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Snack Reviews Aus (@snackreviews_aus)</a> </div> </blockquote> Her joy at the range and their nostalgic flavours were exactly what the company had been aiming for, and as Paul Chatfield - vice president marketing for ANZ Mondelez International - told news.com.au, “the new Cadbury Slices range, features a variety of familiar and nostalgic flavours that Cadbury and chocolate-fans alike will enjoy. “We know Aussies share fond memories of bakery slices and hope they too will build new memories with family and friends as they share a Cadbury Slices block.” Images: Instagram

Food & Wine

“Lunch-box-mum queen”: Woman goes viral over 2 ingredient cake mix

One Coles shopper has taken the internet by storm, revealing a “snack hack” with just two ingredients. Aussie mum-of-three Claudia creates content on TikTok on cheap Kmart buys, a day in the life of her family, and her most popular videos, her “snack hacks”. For her most recent hack, only two ingredients are required. “Snack hack! Again!” she said in the video, which has attracted more than 70,000 views on TikTok. “So, this one, I’m looking forward to. “This is not healthy. This is two ingredients — Nutella and eggs — and it’s supposed to make the gooiest, chocolatiest, yummiest cake ever. “I have not tried this before so let’s get to it.” Claudia didn’t have Nutella in her pantry, but she bought the Coles version, which she claims tastes very similar. “I’m a big believer in using what you have, but a few people said ‘check this out, make this, it’s delicious’ so I just had to,” she continued. “I did go and buy the Coles one, and it was very cheap, and I’m sure a lot of people do have Nutella in their cupboard.” For the snack hack, Claudia used one cup of the chocolate spread and four eggs to create a gooey cake mix. “If ‘trust the process’ had a cover photo, it would be this,” she said, visibly grossed out by the gooey batter. “It is safe to say I won’t be trying any of this cake mix.” Claudia instructed viewers to put the cake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. “Do you know how good this smells?” she said as she took the cake tin out of the oven. She was even more excited by the time she tried it. “That is so good. So, so good. Like no exaggeration. So freaking good,” she said. People flooded the comments, applauding Claudia for another great “snack hack”. “I’m soooo trying this,” one person wrote. “Thank you, lunch-box-mum queen,” another added. “I honestly thought it was going to come out looking like chocolate scrambled eggs,” a third said. Claudia is renowned on TikTok for making snacks that are easy on household budgets, so people were grateful she used the cheaper Coles chocolate spread. “The Coles Nutella is just as good in my opinion,” one wrote. Image credit: TikTok

Food & Wine

“They snack-shamed my three year old”: Mum fires up on school note

An American mother has taken to social media to share her Pringle problem with the world. As Megan Peavey explained in her TikTok video, she’d sent her three-year-old son to school with some chips in his lunchbox to enjoy when snacktime rolled around. However, the staff at the school weren’t exactly of the opinion that Pringles were the right choice, going so far as to suggest Megan had purposefully done the wrong thing and given her child something ‘unhealthy’. “Look at what happened to me today,” she said in the now-private clip. “I sent my son to school with Pringles, which is a very age appropriate snack for a three year old.” She went on to explain that the school had responded by sending the boy home with his empty chip container, the line “please help us make healthy choices at school” written across it in bold black marker. “They wrote that on his Pringles cup,” she said, “they snack shamed my three year old, they snack shamed me, by writing that passive-aggressively on his trash. After asking viewers what they might do in that situation, she described how she got in touch with the school, calling them out on what they’d done, and they “did not label things as healthy and unhealthy” in their house “because that starts eating disorders”. “Do you think that’s ridiculous?” came her final question. “Because I f***ing do.” Megan later shared an update on the entire situation, outlining how she had spoken to the school’s director, and was told “it was passive-aggressive of me to keep sending Pringles after the note”. But, as she pointed out, she didn’t believe Pringles to be an ‘unhealthy’ snack like they did. “I consider things like Doritos, Cheetos, and Milky Way bars to be unhealthy,” she noted, before adding that she regularly sends her son to school with the likes of granola bars with his other snacks, and that she just would have appreciated the school speaking to her directly without leaping to the note. Megan stood her ground and didn’t apologise to the educators, before she “walked downstairs and I just checked my son out - we’re done there.” Her comments were flooded by fellow parents who were more than eager to back her up, with many noting that they may not have handled it so well themselves - one even wrote that she’d have sent her child with an entire tub and a handwritten “no thank you” the next day. “I cannot even explain how out of line and wild this seems to me - on the school's part," another said. “On his birthday…send pringles for EVERY kid in the class,” someone suggested. And one pre-k teacher even came forward to share her take, noting “never would I ever tell a family to 'make healthy choices'. My girls get a bag of chips with their sandwiches, along with fresh fruit." Images: TikTok

Family & Pets

20 classic movie quotes you’ll love

From James Bond to Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society, these classic movie quotes are sure to bring a smile to your face. 1. "Bond. James Bond." Sean Connery in Dr No (1962) 2. “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society (1989) 3. "ET phone home." Drew Barrymore in ET the Extra-terrestrial (1982) 4. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!" Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind (1939) 5. "Get busy living, or get busy dying." Tim Robbins in The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 6. "Go ahead, make my day." Clint Eastwood in Sudden Impact (1983) 7. "Here's looking at you, kid." Rick Blaine/Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942) 8. "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?" Richard Dreyfuss in Stand By Me (1986) 9. "If you build it, he will come." Ray Liotta in Field of Dreams (1989) 10. "I'll be back." Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984) 11. "I'll have what she's having." Estelle Reiner in When Harry Met Sally (1989) 12. "I'm also just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her." Julia Roberts in Notting Hill (1999) 13. "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse." Marlon Brando in The Godfather (1972) 14. "Life is a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you're gonna get." Sally Field in Forrest Gump (1994) 15. "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942) 16. "May the Force be with you." Harrison Ford in Star Wars (1977) 17. "Oh, Jerry, don't ask for the moon. We have the stars." Bette Davis in Now, Voyager (1942) 18. "Say hello to my little friend." Al Pacino in Scarface (1983) 19. "You had me at hello." Renee Zellweger in Jerry Maguire (1996) 20. “You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!” Michael Caine in The Italian Job (1969) Images: Getty

Movies

"You're all wrong": Expat slams Aussie snacks

A Canadian expat has given a controversial opinion on several popular Aussie snacks. Her opinion, which no one asked for, claimed that some of Australia’s most cherished snacks were simply not worth the hype. Iona claimed that since she’s lived in the country for nearly seven years, she was entitled to a candid opinion, free of nostalgic basis. The expat clearly knew her video would cause a stir as she pleaded for people “not to get mad”. She began her TikTok, "These are Aussie snacks I would not touch with a 10-foot pole,” The first snack she blasted was the infamous Smith’s Burger Rings, a BBQ flavoured corn-based chip that is no doubt an Aussie staple. "Burger rings are a crime to tastebuds everywhere," she said. "They don't even taste like burgers, they taste like sadness.” From there she was quick to attack the next product, Arnott’s beloved TeeVee snacks. "I would rather go to Bunnings and suck on sandpaper than eat these again," she said, pointing to a TeeVee snack box. "You're all wrong.” The beloved Arnott’s Chicken Crimpy shapes also came under the line of fire, with Iona sharing they “taste like nothing”. Even Cadbury made the list with their strawberry flavoured Freddos and the Caramilk bar, both labelled a solid “no” for the Canadian. “Jail. Immediate jail!” she remarked. Aussies were quick to shut her down, sharing their opinions in the comment section. "You don't have Aussie tastebuds. They all rock,” one wrote. “Nah, you've too far gone!” another responded, with the official TikTok account for Shapes replying, ”Agreed." Another TikToker remarked, “I really tried to be tolerant and accepting but I punched a hole in my wall when burger rings came up, and things only got worse from there.” Some jumped to Iona’s defence, with one “Australian” commenting, "I'm Australian and I agree with everything,” but the majority of comments declared she had no business slandering Aussie icons. Image credit: TikTok

Food & Wine

The truth about ‘illegal’ car snacks revealed

Be it a long haul trip between towns, a coastal getaway, or an early morning Saturday sports run to the local oval, drivers all across Australia have found themselves steering to the drive-through or reaching in the Esky for a much-needed snack. And while rumours have swirled for years that such an act could put hungry drivers behind bars, they don’t have to fear any longer. Road rules may differ from state to state, but at the end of the drive, the answer remains the same: it isn’t illegal to eat while driving in Australia. There are, of course, various conditions that come along with the ruling, and most circle back to whether or not a driver is in complete control over their vehicle at the time of snacking. For example, in New South Wales, if you are found to have lost control of your vehicle due to eating, police officers have the power to impose a fine of $481 and three demerit points. In Victoria, there is no specific rule that prevents drivers from digging in on their drive. However, they can still receive a careless driving charge if eating is found to have a negative impact on either their concentration or their control over their vehicle. This charge comes with a penalty of $444 and - like New South Wales - three demerit points, as well as a maximum of 12 court penalty units if the driver is found guilty by a magistrate. The state of Queensland follows suit - it isn’t illegal there either, though “distracted driving” remains a real threat, with research even determining that eating can be just as dangerous as texting while behind the wheel. And drivers found to be travelling without control over their vehicles can face a fine of up to $575. While this is larger than either New South Wales or Victoria’s financial penalty, the demerit point cost remains the same at three. As a spokesperson for Queensland Transport and Main Roads told Drive, “a driver must always have proper control of their vehicle and drive with care and attention for the safety of other road users. "While there are no specific laws prohibiting a driver from eating while driving, it is up to the driver to ensure they remain in proper control of their vehicle and sufficiently alert to the road environment." And for drivers in the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania, Western Australia, and South Australia, Drive have reported that the message essentially remains the same. While there are no rules that specifically prohibit behind-the-wheel snacking, a driver can - and will - face penalties if they are found to be demonstrating poor control of their vehicle. Images: Getty

Travel Trouble

I’m going to a classical music concert for the first time. What should I know?

Classical music is surprisingly controversial. For some, it’s a pinnacle of cultural achievement. For others it perpetuates class inequality and <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/class-control-and-classical-music-9780190844356?cc=au&lang=en&">upholds</a> “white middle class social domination”. To controversy, we can add contradiction! We love to hear the instruments and idioms of classical music in film and television (think of the theme from The Crown or the music from the Harry Potter films), but experience has shown classical music is most effective at <a href="https://www.wqxr.org/story/classical-music-actually-effective-fighting-crime/">repelling loiterers</a> from public spaces. Engaging with the controversy and contradiction of this music requires more than streaming a minute or two of Mozart. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23959902/%5D">Research shows</a> we make better judgements about music when hearing and seeing it, and classical music was designed to be experienced live. So are you considering giving classical music a go? Here are some tips for first-time concert goers. <h2>Where should I start?</h2> Concerts range from intimate performances by solo players to major works for choir and orchestra featuring hundreds of musicians. Terms like “chamber” (small ensembles like string quartets), “choral” (choirs large and small), “orchestral” (ranging from larger string ensembles to giant collections of strings, winds, brass and percussion) and “opera” (companies of musicians that include orchestral players, solo singers and sometimes a chorus) describe different groups of musicians. Each has its own repertoire and a dizzying array of terms (such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aria">aria</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerto">concerto</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinfonia">sinfonia</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oratorio">oratorio</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantata">cantata</a>) help describe the pieces these ensembles perform. The more you get to know classical music, the more you’ll understand and appreciate the terminology. One of the most common types of classical music you’ll come across is a symphony. A symphony is a substantial orchestral work with different sections or “movements”, each with a different character and tempo. Though the term “symphony” became popular in the 18th century, composers are still writing symphonies today. Symphonies differ in purpose and duration. They can be as short as ten minutes and as long as two hours. Sammartini’s Symphony in F from 1740, for example, has three movements and lasts about ten minutes. Its movements have simple, direct structures that aren’t too far removed from pop songs in terms of complexity and scope. Mahler’s third symphony from 1896, on the other hand, has six movements and lasts for 90 minutes. Its breadth and complexity are astounding. I would suggest a first timer selects an orchestral concert with multiple pieces on the program. You will get to enjoy the spectacle of many musicians and many different instruments. You’re also likely to be exposed to the work of composers from different times and places. If money is a concern, many orchestras put on <a href="https://concreteplayground.com/melbourne/event/the-msos-2023-sidney-myer-free-concerts">free concerts</a>. <h2>What should I expect?</h2> Classical music is pretty diverse. Just as rock ’n’ roll traverses anything from Buddy Holly to Thundermother, what we colloquially know as “classical music” spans many cultures and many centuries. Terms like “Baroque” (composed between 1600 and 1750), “Classical” (this time with a capital C, composed between 1730 and 1820), “Romantic” (around 1820 to 1900) and “Modern” (1890 to 1950) help us keep track of when the music was written. These eras also operate with regional descriptors such as French, German, Italian or Russian. Overlay this with subtleties of style and the distinct personalities of individual composers and you get a sense of the vast breadth of classical music. But it is also important to know classical music isn’t only a celebration of dead Europeans. It is a living tradition whose boundaries aren’t fixed. Classical music readily interacts with other types of music and crosses cultural boundaries to generate new styles and new sounds. Consider the Australian work <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/classic/read-and-watch/classic-australia/barton-hindson-kalkadungu-2007/11268328">Kalkadungu</a> by William Barton and Matthew Hindson, a work “designed to explore the transition of traditional song-lines between the past, present and future”. Though sometimes far removed from contemporary culture, every piece of classical music has something to say about the human experience. So, what to expect in the program? Expect to be surprised. <h2>What should I wear?</h2> Wear what makes you comfortable. While it’s not unusual for people to dress up for a concert, it isn’t compulsory, and ordinary casual clothes are fine. In the same way people dress up for the Melbourne Cup, some people wear black tie to the opera. Don’t let it faze you. <h2>When should I clap?</h2> While you might be moved to clap right after hearing an incredible feat of musicianship, modern audiences generally don’t clap whenever there is a pause in the music, such as between movements of a symphony. This reflects the idea that a symphony is a “complete” musical statement – including the pauses between sections. If you’re uncertain when to clap, wait until others do. <h2>What else should I keep in mind?</h2> Going to classical music should be about enjoying the concert! Here are some final tips on how to enjoy yourself. Enjoy the spectacle. There’s much to see at classical concerts. The interactions between the conductor and the orchestra can be particularly interesting. Watch as the conductor, with a flick of the baton, unleashes awesome sonic power. Appreciate the skill of the musicians. Classical performers are the elite in their field. It takes decades of training to do what they do. Learn something about the composer and the work. Some classical composers are saints (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen">Hildegard of Bingen</a>) and some may have been psychopaths (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2010/mar/18/carlo-gesualdo-composer-psychopath">Gesualdo</a>). Knowing who the composer is and what they were trying to achieve in their music will add to your appreciation. Keep in mind that your musical taste expands as you expose yourself to new and unfamiliar sounds. The more you listen, the more you are likely to enjoy. Oh, and sometimes, if the audience is adequately enthusiastic, there’ll be a short additional piece at the end. Encore! Image credits: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/im-going-to-a-classical-music-concert-for-the-first-time-what-should-i-know-195290" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Watching Casablanca on its 80th anniversary, we remain in awe of its simplicity – and profound depth

In November 1942, a romantic drama directed by a Hungarian immigrant and starring an ex-naval officer and an obscure Swedish actress was released. The film began shooting without a finished script. Many at Warner Brothers Studios thought the film would quickly disappear into obscurity. It would end up winning three Academy Awards (for best picture, director Michael Curtiz, and screenplay), starred the iconic pair Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman alongside a host of recognisable supporting players, featured a lush score and evocative set design, and contained endlessly quotable lines. Its reputation grows and grows. Casablanca has become one of Hollywood’s most beloved films. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MF7JH_54d8c?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> A film of vivid moments Casablanca is a heady mix of romance, cynicism, thrills and danger. Based on an unproduced play, Everybody Comes to Rick’s, the film mainly takes place in a night-club run by Bogart in the Moroccan city during the second world war. Rick’s Café is where desperate refugees try to get hold of illegal exit visas to America. Complications – with Nazi officials and officious French bureaucrats – ensue. One night, Rick’s old flame Ilsa (Bergman) turns up with her resistance leader husband in search of safe passage to the States. Cue the famous line: <blockquote> Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine. </blockquote> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3vvlmh_xVRQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> It is full of vivid moments: Bogart and Bergman drinking champagne in Paris, Sydney Greenstreet in a fez, Peter Lorre trying to escape, Dooley Wilson sitting at the piano and singing THAT song. Its production was fast-tracked to <a href="https://nypost.com/2017/12/04/an-accidental-classic-casablanca-turns-75/">take advantage</a> of the recent Allied invasion of North Africa. Casablanca was originally scheduled for an early 1943 release, but Warner Brothers capitalised on the resounding success of the US-led invasion, which in turn boosted box office receipts. Casablanca would go into wide release on January 23 1943, to coincide with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca_Conference">Casablanca Conference</a>, a strategic meeting between Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. A political allegory Casablanca’s clearest theme is that neutrality – whether in war or in love – is difficult to maintain. At the outset, Rick is staunchly apolitical: he is jaded, unmoved by the refugee crisis unfolding around him. But we also learn Rick has been involved in political causes, supporting losing sides against the Fascists in Spain and Ethiopia. The film traces that ambivalence through Bogart’s masterful performance. His cynicism gradually softens once Ilsa turns up, and his animosity to the Nazi chief Strasser grows. This political about-face comes to a head in one of the greatest scenes in Hollywood cinema: the singing of La Marseillaise at Rick’s Café in full defiance of the Nazi officers belting out a German anthem. It is a deeply patriotic and uplifting scene, and reminds us of cinema’s power to engage us, move us and make us cheer. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SEJHJ_WfNgU?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> It also turns the night-club into a microcosm for the war, with it multinational clientele and the competing strands of partisanship, neutrality, aggression and political commitment. For an America wary of entering the European theatre, scenes like this reminded audiences of the need to fight injustice, intolerance and belligerence. Remembering Ingrid Bergman It is worth dwelling on Ingrid Bergman’s <a href="http://mercurie.blogspot.com/2016/08/ingrid-bergman-in-casablanca.html">luminescent performance</a>. She plays the role of a woman who never displays where her romantic allegiances lie. Should she leave with Lazslo to America, or should she go back to Rick, and rekindle a love affair that ended abruptly in Paris? The ambiguity in Bergman’s performance is due in large part to both a script that was constantly being rewritten and Curtiz’s indecision on how the film should end. But it is also a reminder of Bergman’s greatness. The critic Roger Ebert <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/elena-and-her-men-1987">once noted</a>: <blockquote> [Bergman] doesn’t simply gaze at [a man’s] eyes, as so many actresses do, their thoughts on the next line of dialogue. She peers into the eyes, searching for meaning and clues, and when she is in a close two-shot with an actor, watch the way her own eyes reflect the most minute changes in his expression. </blockquote> Her scenes with Bogart exemplify this approach. Many film historians argue Casablanca’s greatness is due to <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/The_ABCs_of_Classic_Hollywood/GDppAgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=casablanca+invisible,+style&pg=PA58&printsec=frontcover">its “invisible” style</a>: there are no flashy camera movements, or ostentatious cuts, or “look at me” acting. French film critic André Bazin once famously attributed the success of Hollywood studio films to “<a href="http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2010/09/22/what-makes-hollywood-run/">the genius of the system</a>”. Films like Casablanca succeeded because they were made within a thriving ecosystem that placed storytelling, creative expertise, and cast and crew competence at the heart of its artistic practice. And Casablanca’s script remains unbeatable. It’s worth remembering the lines of dialogue that have stayed with us ever since: “Here’s looking at you, kid”; “This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”; “We’ll always have Paris”; and “Round up the usual suspects”. Casablanca’s afterlife Casablanca’s legacy is long-lasting. Today, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_100_Years...100_Movies_(10th_Anniversary_Edition)">it ranks third</a> on the American Film Institute’s 100 best movies of the last 100 years, and it is <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ReferencedBy/Casablanca">one of the most referenced films</a> of all time. Scholars love the film for its <a href="http://www.nihonbunka.com/blog/archives/000118.html">Freudian intertexts</a>, while others see the title casa blanca – “white house” in Spanish – <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3814999">as a symbol</a> for American foreign policy. The Italian novelist Umberto Eco <a href="https://biblioklept.org/2013/05/26/casablanca-or-the-cliches-are-having-a-ball-umberto-eco/">wrote</a> Casablanca was “not just one film. It is many films […] it is a phenomenon worthy of awe”. Watched today, we remain in awe of its simplicity, but also of its profound depth.<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/192186/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Writen by Ben McCann. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/watching-casablanca-on-its-80th-anniversary-we-remain-in-awe-of-its-simplicity-and-profound-depth-192186" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Getty Images

Movies

Caught in the act: supermassive black hole 8.5 billion light years away enjoys violent stellar snack

A supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy some 8.5 billion years way has ripped apart a nearby star, producing some of the most luminous jets ever seen. When stars and other objects stray too close to a <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/how-big-is-a-black-hole-watch-how-it-eats/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supermassive black hole</a> they are destroyed by the black hole’s immense gravity. These occurrences, known as <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/a-star-is-torn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tidal-disruption events (TDEs)</a>, result in a <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/the-sleeping-giant-black-hole-that-awoke-to-destroy-a-star/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circling disk of material</a> that is slowly pulled into the black hole and very occasionally, as in the case of supermassive black hole AT2022cmc, ejecting bright beams of material travelling close to the speed of light. Luminous jets are produced in an estimated 1% of cases and are known as a type of astronomical occurrence known as a transient, because they are short-lived. Bright flashes from the jets were spotted in data from the <a href="https://www.ztf.caltech.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF)</a> in <a href="https://astronomerstelegram.org/?read=15232" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">February this year</a> using a special new technique which can comb through the equivalent of a million pages of information every night. Due to the rapid results produced by the novel data analysis method, a research team in the US was able to swiftly follow up on the transient event with multiwavelength observations of the system from different observatory facilities. The jets were visible across many wavelengths, from X-rays to radio, and follow-up observations enabled the European Southern Observatory’s <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/australia/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/vlt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Very Large Telescope</a> to place AT2022cmc at a whopping distance of 8.5 billion light years away, while optical and infrared observation from NASA’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hubble telescope</a> were able to precisely pinpoint AT2022cmc’s location. “The last time scientists discovered one of these jets was well over a decade ago,” said Michael Coughlin, an assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and co-lead on the paper <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05465-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published in Nature</a>. “From the data we have, we can estimate that relativistic jets are launched in only 1% of these destructive events, making AT2022cmc an extremely rare occurrence.” Exactly why this behaviour is so rare remains an enigma, however, the research team believe that AT2022cmc’s rapid spin powers the jets, adding to the current understanding of the physics of these behemoth dead stars at the centres of galaxies. This detection – and the method used to discover it – are valuable as a future models for astronomers as they scour the skies for more events. “Scientists can use AT2022cmc as a model for what to look for and find more disruptive events from distant black holes,” says lead author Igor Andreoni, from the Department of Astronomy at UMD and NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre. This includes using ground-based optical surveys, as opposed to gamma-ray observatories in space – how previous jets were primarily discovered. “Our new search technique helps us to quickly identify rare cosmic events in the ZTF survey data,” says Andreoni. “And since ZTF and upcoming larger surveys such as <a href="https://www.lsst.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vera Rubin’s Large Synoptic Survey Telescope</a> scan the sky so frequently, we can now expect to uncover a wealth of rare, or previously undiscovered cosmic events and study them in detail. More than ever, big data mining is an important tool to advance our knowledge of the universe”.  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=226753&title=Caught+in+the+act%3A+supermassive+black+hole+8.5+billion+light+years+away+enjoys+violent+stellar+snack" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/supermassive-black-hole-stellar-snack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by Clare Kenyon. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

Classic Apple pie

There’s nothing quite like a warm slice of apple pie. Served with ice cream. Or cream. Or custard. Or all three, if you’re feeling especially naughty. This recipe combines homemade pastry with an irresistible filling for a classic dessert that won’t last long in your fridge. Ingredients: Pastry <ul> <li>1 ¾ cup plain flour</li> <li>½ cup self-raising flour</li> <li>⅓ cup caster sugar</li> <li>Salt</li> <li>2 eggs</li> <li>185g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes</li> <li>1 tablespoon milk</li> <li>1 tablespoon caster</li> <li>1 tablespoon chilled water</li> </ul> Filling <ul> <li>1.1kg apples (we like to use a mixture of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious), peeled, cored, sliced about ½ cm thick</li> <li>¼ cup granulated sugar</li> <li>¼ cup light brown sugar</li> <li>1 tablespoon lemon juice</li> <li>1 teaspoon cinnamon</li> <li>¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg</li> <li>¼ teaspoon salt</li> <li>2 tablespoons unsalted butter</li> <li>1 ½ tablespoons corn flour</li> </ul>

Food & Wine

Classics Direct is bringing classical music back to life!

Are you passionate about music? Looking for an easy way to update your classical collection, replace some of those old scratched-up records, or even find a new favourite you never knew existed? Classics Direct can help your music collection soar to new heights and get a discount on your first purchase simply by <a href="https://classicsdirect.com.au/pages/newsletter?utm_source=over-sixty&utm_medium=native-article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signing up to the Classics Direct mailing list!</a> Offering an expertly curated selection from the world’s most prominent classical music labels including Deutsche Grammophon, Decca Records, Blue Note, Verve, ECM, Eloquence and many more, Classics Direct is your one-stop shop for everything classical. Whether you’re in the market for classic Christmas collections to add that extra touch of charm to the up-coming festive season, or perhaps you want to splash out on a box set for yourself (or that special someone in your life), Classics Direct can bring the joy of music direct to you. Christmas Albums Christmas is a time for gathering with loved ones, reflecting on the year gone by, giving thanks for all the special elements of your life and taking time to relax and rejoice. What could be a more fitting accompaniment for a perfect Christmas than a stunning variety of classical music to score those moments? <a href="https://classicsdirect.com.au/collections/christmas?utm_source=over-sixty&utm_medium=native-article" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="alignnone wp-image-64159 size-full" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/ChristmasCDs_1280.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="308" /></a> Jump right into the festive spirit with the blockbuster Christmas title “A Family Christmas” by internationally renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo and daughter Virginia. Their first ever album together, “A Family Christmas” showcases their multi-generational musical talent in a range of festive favourites. Featuring new renditions of traditional carols arranged for all three voices, including “Away in a Manger” and “Joy to the World” plus popular Christmas tunes from around the world such as “Feliz Navidad” and “Il Giorno Piu Speciale”. Or be transported by the ethereal sounds and angelic classics of “Christmas Music for Harp”, featuring favourite carols in sublime arrangements by harp master Carlos Salzedo, performed with grace and charm by Australian harp virtuosa Alice Giles. “I Dream of Christmas” by Norah Jones; “Paul Kelly’s Christmas Trains”; “The Three Tenors at Christmas” – these titles and many more are available right now and can be with you in time to enjoy the festive season to the full. Explore the entire range of wonderfully festive <a href="https://classicsdirect.com.au/collections/christmas?utm_source=over-sixty&utm_medium=native-article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christmas options here</a>. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fJJaeCHi-tU" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Box Sets Is there a music fan in your life – or perhaps it’s even YOU! – who absolutely must have every CD in an artist’s back catalogue? These completists are a rare and wonderful breed and when it comes to buying gifts for them, a CD Box Set is a hands down winner every time. The value for money is almost second to none, with some exceptional box sets containing upwards of 20, 30, 50 – even 90 CDs! That equates to hours and hours of listening enjoyment in one easy package. What’s not to love? <a href="https://classicsdirect.com.au/collections/box-set?sort_by=best-selling&utm_source=over-sixty&utm_medium=native-article" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="alignnone wp-image-64160 size-full" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/BoxCDs_1280.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="313" /></a> Relax and enjoy the stirring sounds of the 16-disc box set of “Sir Adrian Boult – The Decca Legacy, Vol 1”, the first in a limited-edition three-volume set of the complete Decca recordings of Boult, including previously unpublished recordings of Holst and a pioneering cycle of Vaughan Williams. Sit back and immerse yourself in the ultimate box set “The New Complete Beethoven, Essential Edition”. Featuring more than 115 hours of sublime music across an epic 95 CDs! Representing Beethoven's entire oeuvre in legendary interpretations from Deutsche Grammophon’s unrivalled Beethoven catalogue, together with reference recordings and musical treasures from Decca and many other labels, this is a must-have for any true fan of classical music. From Strauss to Stravinsky, Beethoven to Bach, all your musical tastes are covered at Classics Direct – even if you fancy something a little more whimsical like “Classic 100: Music for the Screen”, “The Complete Classics Kids” collection, or favourite love songs throughout the decades. Dive into the <a href="https://classicsdirect.com.au/collections/box-set?sort_by=best-selling&utm_source=over-sixty&utm_medium=native-article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best-selling Box Sets for the ultimate CD Collectors here</a>. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hkJdSBsflnY" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> So, why not visit the <a href="https://classicsdirect.com.au/?utm_source=over-sixty&utm_medium=native-article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Classics Direct</a> website now for a leisurely browse through old favourites and new discoveries galore? Don’t forget to <a href="https://classicsdirect.com.au/pages/newsletter?utm_source=over-sixty&utm_medium=native-article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sign up to the mailing list</a> for a discount off your first purchase! Images: Supplied This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with <a href="https://classicsdirect.com.au/?utm_source=over-sxity&utm_medium=native-article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Classics Direct</a>.

Music

Classic NON catch as kid takes a tumble at the cricket

As cricket fans descend on Australia’s stadiums to see the T20 World Cup play out, an incident off the field has gone viral online. Day two of the competition saw Scotland face off against the West Indies, but midway through the innings a moment of amusement and terror was captured in official footage. As the camera panned over Hobart’s Blundstone Arena, a young child was spotted climbing over the railing between the stands and a hill where spectators can sit, when he flipped over and toppled head-first to the ground. A man, assumed to be the child’s father, was seen frantically running after the toddler and hopping over the railing. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"> Had to GIF this 🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/SZe0CBa6aD">pic.twitter.com/SZe0CBa6aD</a> — SuperCoach Insider (@SCInsider100) <a href="https://twitter.com/SCInsider100/status/1581938384477786114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2022</a></blockquote> Footage of the incident was shared on Twitter with the caption, “Just a dad and his son at the cricket….”, when it quickly went viral. “This has made me laugh a lot more than it should of so far today,” one viewer joked. “Narrator: It was precisely this moment Steve knew his afternoon at the cricket had took a turn for the worse,” another quipped. Others referenced WWE wrestler Jeff Hardy, who is known for his ‘swanton bomb’ dives from great heights, with one user writing: “Jeff Hardy, famed from the top of the ladder!” The video racked up over 300,000 views, but the clip has since been disabled due to a “report by the copyright owner”. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/banned-t20-vid.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The clip went viral online but has since been disabled. Image: Twitter The camera cut away before the child was picked up, and with no reports of injuries it seems the boy came out okay. Back on the pitch, Scotland claimed victory a day after Namibia defeated Sri Lanka. Australia will be going head-to-head with New Zealand at the SCG on Saturday. Image: Twitter

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Mum slammed for being "stingy" after refusing to buy $2 snack for daughter's playdate