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World's oldest dog has title suspended amid doubts about his age

<p>The world's <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/miraculous-meet-the-world-s-oldest-dog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oldest dog</a>, Bobi, who was reportedly 31 years and 165 days old when he died in October, has provisionally lost his title as Guinness World Records investigates his age. </p> <p>Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, was a livestock guardian breed with a life expectancy of anywhere between 12-14 years, which meant that he lived over double his age. </p> <p>His age was initially confirmed by the Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria, which said he had been registered in 1992, which was then verified by Portuguese government-authorised pet database SIAC. </p> <p>He was crowned the world's "oldest ever dog" in February, and his owner Leonel Costa claimed that there were many reasons behind the dog's extraordinary age. </p> <p>Costa said that Bobi always roamed freely, lived in a "calm, peaceful" environment and ate human food soaked in water to remove seasonings. </p> <p>But now, Bobi's true age has been question after suspicions about the evidence that proved his true age were raised not long after his death. </p> <p>"While our review is ongoing we have decided to temporarily pause both the record titles for oldest dog living and ever just until all of our findings are in place," a spokesperson told CNN. </p> <p>The GWR is now conducting a formal review, which involves analysing existing evidence, seeking new evidence, and reaching out to experts and those linked to the original application.</p> <p>The previous record for the world's oldest dog was held by Australian cattle dog Bluey, who was born in 1910 and lived to be 29 years and five months old.</p> <p><em>Image: Youtube</em></p> <p> </p>

Family & Pets

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"I’m the problem, it’s me": Why do musicians revisit their pain and doubt in their art?

<p>Taylor Swift’s latest album <em>Midnights</em> launched with the single <em><a href="https://youtu.be/b1kbLwvqugk">Anti-Hero</a>.</em> Anti-heroes in fiction are dark, complex characters who may question their moral compass but are ultimately trying to be led by their good intentions. Perhaps most humans feel like we are all anti-heroes lacking the right amount of courage, idealism, and morality – wanting to be heroic but struggling through familiar dark places. </p> <p>In <em>Anti-Hero</em>, Taylor shares emotional rawness and sings “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me … everybody agrees.”</p> <p>“I don’t think I’ve delved this far into my insecurities in this detail before,” Swift said about the song in a video <a href="https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-midnights-anti-hero-meaning/">on Instagram</a>. “I struggle a lot with the idea that my life has become unmanageably sized and, not to sound too dark, I struggle with the idea of not feeling like a person.”</p> <p>Taylor’s album reveals her struggle with her own insecurities and maybe common universal human emotions that everyone struggles to face. In <em>Labyrinth</em>, for example, she sings about heartbreak, and more specifically, the fear of falling in love again: "It only feels this raw right now Lost in the labyrinth of my mind Break up, break free, break through, break down."</p> <p>Much of the new album, and Swift’s discography in general, often revisits past heartbreaks, disappointments, and insecurities. Swift has talked about how <em>Midnights</em> is an album devoted to the kinds of soul-searching thoughts we have in the middle of the night.</p> <p>“This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams,” Swift wrote. “The floors we pace and the demons we face. For all of us who have tossed and turned and decided to keep the lanterns lit and go searching — hoping that just maybe, when the clock strikes twelve… we’ll meet ourselves.”</p> <h2>Music and pain</h2> <p>Music has the potential to change our experience of intrusive thoughts and how we deal with pain. At an extreme level, when we revisit past traumatic experiences, we are often in danger of triggering a <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/the-four-fear-responses-fight-flight-freeze-and-fawn-5205083">feared response</a>, that manifests as either fight/flight/freeeze or fawn, that can often re-traumatise individuals. </p> <p>When we identify with a song that expresses similar struggles to what we are experiencing we feel understood and not judged. Clinical psychologist <a href="https://janinafisher.com/pdfs/trauma.pdf">Dr Janina Fisher</a> has proposed that distancing ourselves from pain helps humans survive, yet an ongoing “self-alientation” of parts of ourselves that carries fear or shame lead to a disowning of self – the bad parts that Taylor relates to as being the things she hates about herself which causes a further suppression of feelings that can create further psychological distress.</p> <p>Expression is central to releasing emotion and connecting to music may be the key that allows the disowned parts of self to be re-integrated by expressing them in a new way. Music provides a creative outlet to re-script a new story of survival of the fear of the past with a renewed ability to see to the good things again in life. </p> <p>Musicians often imbue grief and trauma in their lyrics and melodies as autobiographical reflections into their art as a way of working through complex emotions and feelings - and by doing so, enlighten the listener to work through their own pain.</p> <h2>Music and connection</h2> <p>Music seems to be a way for music lovers to connect with artists stories of tragedy, which allows their own traumatic or painful memories to become more comfortably <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4899-1280-0_2">integrated</a> and accepted. </p> <p>Durham University studied 2,436 people within the United Kingdom and Finland to explore the reasons why we listen to sad music. Research suggested that music is a way that people regulate their mood, pleasure and pain. Professor Tuomas Eerola, Professor of Music Cognition in the Department of Music said “<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160614155914.htm">previous research</a> in music psychology and film studies has emphasised the puzzling pleasure that people experience when engaging with tragic art.” </p> <p>The depth of loathing that Taylor taps into in <em>Anti-Hero</em> also affirms our own experience.</p> <p>It’s self confirming. Engaging with trauma in art allows us to rewrite the outcome from being victims of our circumstances to victors. We are either consumers or creators. </p> <h2>Mental health and music</h2> <p>As the <a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/major-themes/health-and-well-being">World Health Organisation</a> states “there is no health without mental health”. </p> <p>A musician’s writing about trauma is a way of increasing mental health - of searching for understanding of themselves through self-reflection, it changes old thinking patterns and provides a new perspective and ways of thinking about themselves and others that can often <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804629/">heal emotional wounds</a>.</p> <p>Like telling your story through a <a href="https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/narrative-exposure-therapy">trauma narrative</a>, music can help reduce its emotional impact. Music is a universal language that gives you the chance to be a protagonist in your life story, to see yourself as living through it heroically. </p> <p>Psychologists understand that the quickest way to understanding someone is through their wounds, and musicians too understand this power of music to comfort, console, encourage and exhort themselves and other broken hearts. </p> <p>Humans need to feel safe and in connection with others for survival, and music is the language that activates <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.191355898">pleasure centres in the brain</a> and communicates <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2003-99991-007">powerful emotions</a>. </p> <p>If trauma causes distress to the brain and body and <a href="https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/narrative-exposure-therapy">music enhances</a> psychological wellbeing, improves mood, emotions, reduces pain, anxiety, depression, and chronic stress, music has the potential to alleviate chronic disease and pain. </p> <p>Music is a vehicle that gathers strength from distress, and helps you grow brave by reflections and maybe the anti-hero’s and insecurities recreated through music may be the treasures found in darkness that we may not have seen in the light.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/im-the-problem-its-me-why-do-musicians-revisit-their-pain-and-doubt-in-their-art-193528" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Music

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"I seriously doubt it was consensual": Creepy find inside luxury estate

<p dir="ltr">A photographer has come across something quite sinister during a photoshoot of a multi-million dollar luxury estate. </p> <p dir="ltr">Taking to Facebook, the photographer shared photos of a two-way mirror in the master bathroom of the home along with some cables and coax.</p> <p dir="ltr">He thought it would have led him to a television as some people like to watch shows while enjoying a bath but it just left him with so many questions. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Technically found in a closet, but a two-way mirror into a bathroom," the photographer wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I work in real estate photography and found this in the master bath of an older multi-million-dollar luxury estate for sale. </p> <p dir="ltr">“There is a power strip along with cables and coax.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was easy to find, leading me to believe it was for a television (that was a thing) or if it were for video, it was consensual between all parties. Still really weird to find!"</p> <p dir="ltr">Social media users were shocked at the finding and doubted that the cables were there for a TV but instead for something possibly worse. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I SERIOUSLY DOUBT it was consensual if someone was filming there. If it was for a TV in a mirror I think I'd have left the TV THERE to prove what it was for!" someone wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">"That was for no TV with a mirror in front of it. And why not just a window if consensual? I don't think this was consensual at all and I find it terrifying!" another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">"That's a murder house," someone else wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Later in the post, the photographer explained that these findings were quite common in expensive homes. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Luxury homes had two-way mirror TVs. It was a thing back when box TVs were a thing," he explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others agreed, giving examples of when they were in the same situation.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Someone told me they had a TV in the mirror of her hotel bathroom," one wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I stayed in a fancy hotel in Chicago with a TV behind the mirror. It was pretty cool,” another shared. </p> <p dir="ltr">"More than 5 years ago, it was 'in' for homes to have a TV hidden inside a mirror. I actually know a handful of friends that had 'hidden' TVs in their master bath," someone else added.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Real Estate

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FBI findings cast doubt on Alec Baldwin's claim

<p>A recently-released FBI report has determined that Alec Baldwin could face criminal charges over the shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of <em>Rust</em>. </p> <p>According to <em>ABC News</em>, the gun used on the New Mexico movie set could not have been fired without the trigger being pulled.</p> <p>It means that Baldwin, who has repeatedly insisted that he did not pull the trigger, could still face criminal charges for the devastating incident which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.</p> <p>The FBI forensic report had been examining the case in great depth to see if any charges could be brought against individuals involved in the incident.</p> <p>It conducted an accidental discharge test and determined the gun used in the fatal shooting of Hutchins “could not be made to fire without a pull of the trigger,” the report stated.</p> <p>The test showed that when the 45 Colt caliber F.lli Pietta single-action revolver’s hammer was in the quarter and half-cock positions, the gun would not fire without the trigger being pulled.</p> <p>When the hammer was in the fully cocked position, the gun “could not be made to fire without a pull of the trigger while the working internal components were intact and functional,” according to the outlet.</p> <p>Despite these claims, Baldwin stated in an interview in December that he, who was in possession of the gun at the time of the shooting, did not fire the weapon. </p> <p>“The trigger wasn’t pulled,” Baldwin said. “I didn’t pull the trigger.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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“When in doubt, wear red”: Julie Bishop’s courageous callback

<p>In celebration of International Women's Day, Julie Bishop has shared one of her iconic fashion moments. </p> <p>Bishop posted a photo to Instagram of her red satin heels that are studded with diamontes, which she famously wore on the day she resigned as foreign minister from the Australian parliament.</p> <p>"'No nation can reach its full potential unless and until it embraces the skills, talent, energy and ideas of its entire population and that must include the 50% that is female.'," she captioned the post, along with a red shoe emoji.</p> <p>The quote is a call back to a speech she made in 2018 at the Global Summit of Women, where she highlighted the importance of striving for gender equality. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca1FIgsBs_V/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca1FIgsBs_V/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Hon Julie Bishop (@honjuliebishop)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The iconic red shoes hail back to a particularly dreary press conference in 2018, which occurred the same week that Malcolm Turnbull lost the leadership of the Liberal government.</p> <p>Bishop stood by during the address, her "power shoes" doing all the talking for her. </p> <p>The former foreign minister was praised for the feminist statement, also matching her nails to the shoes to stand out in a sea of black suits in Parliament House. </p> <p>In a later interview with <a title="The Sydney Morning Herald" href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/a-comfortable-work-boot-julie-bishop-on-her-resignation-red-shoes-20181127-p50iks.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sydney Morning Herald</a>, Bishop explained her thoughts behind the outfit.</p> <p>"When in doubt wear red," she said.</p> <p>"Red is one of my favourite colours. It evokes power, passion and fashion. In power, I always noted that many nations have red in their flags and that's because it symbolises courage and freedom. Passion, well, you know, red hearts, red roses. And fashion - that's why they call it a red carpet - and red lipstick, red nail polish, red shoes."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram @honjuliebishop</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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What does 'beyond reasonable doubt' mean in criminal law?

<p>When you are charged with an offence by the police, they are required to be able to prove that charge “beyond reasonable doubt”.</p> <p>Under the common law tradition, it is not the responsibility of the accused person to prove his or her innocence; in other words, “the onus of proof” is never rests with the defence.</p> <p>Rather, the prosecution is required to prove all elements (or ingredients) of the alleged offence to a standard of proof known as beyond any reasonable doubt.</p> <p>The defendant, on the other hand, is presumed to be innocent until and unless the prosecution is able to discharge its onus of proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.</p> <p>So, what does all this mean?</p> <p><strong>What is a standard of proof?</strong></p> <p>The standard of proof is the degree to which a decision-maker is convinced that an offence has occurred; a decision-maker including a magistrate in the Local Court, or a jury or judge-alone (in <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/when-can-a-defendant-be-granted-a-judge-alone-trial-in-nsw/">judge-alone trials</a> or cases) in a higher court such as the District or Supreme Court.</p> <p>In civil law matters, which include cases where individuals or companies commence proceedings against others for damages, compensation and the like, the standard of proof is “on the balance of probabilities”.</p> <p>This means the decision-maker must be convinced it is more likely than not that the person making the claim – such as the applicant or plaintiff –  has established its case.</p> <p>Expressed in another way, it means the case has been established by more than 50%.</p> <p>This civil law standard of proof is embodied in section 140 of the Evidence Act 1995 (NSW).</p> <p>Criminal cases are where the state prosecutes an individual or company for a criminal offence, such as an assault, drug offence, theft or the like.</p> <p>In these cases, the standard of proof is beyond reasonable doubt.</p> <p>This standard is higher than the civil law standard of proof as it is an attempt to both rectify the unequal power imbalance between the state and an individual as well to reflect the seriousness of the consequent loss of liberty if found guilty (as opposed to mere monetary cost in civil cases).</p> <p>But the courts have made clear that phrase ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ is to be understood only by its ordinary meaning, not by any codified test, whether based on separate criteria or not.</p> <p>The Honourable Justice Newman in the Court of Criminal Appeal case R v GWB [2000] NSWCCA 410 said at [44] that:</p> <p><em>“judges should not depart from the time honoured formula that the words ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ are words in the ordinary English usage and mean exactly what they say”.</em></p> <p>Although the prosecution must always prove each element of their case beyond reasonable doubt, the defendant might make a positive case in their defence – that what is alleged happened differently or had a legal justification, for instance that an act of violence was in self-defence.</p> <p>If the defence raise a case they must prove, it is to the lower standard of on the balance of probabilities.</p> <p>These criminal law standard of proof is embodied in section 141 of the <em>Evidence Act 1995</em> (NSW).</p> <p><strong>Where does the standard of proof come from?</strong></p> <p>Our legal system is based on the presumption of innocence.</p> <p>Again, this means that a person accused of a crime is presumed to be innocent of that crime until and unless that person is found guilty in a court of law.</p> <p>This presumption has become an essential part of our system of justice to ensure fairness.</p> <p>Roman law had the maxim <em>ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat </em>or “proof lies on him who says, not on him who denies”.</p> <p>The concept also can be found in the traditions of Jewish and Islamic religious laws. This concept was brought into the English common law in the early Renaissance through influence from the Catholic Church and its canon law, which is based on the ancient Roman system.</p> <p>In 1791, the concept was pithily phrased by the barrister Sir William Garrow as “presumed innocent until proven guilty”. This statement ties together the two key legal concepts of the presumption of innocence and the burden of proof; accordingly it has since become known as the ‘golden thread’.</p> <p>William Blackstone writing on English laws a generation before Garrow stated the philosophy that underpins both the presumption of innocence and the burden of proof being beyond reasonable doubt: “It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.”</p> <p>The United Nations has also enshrined the importance of the presumption of innocence and burden of proof in international law under Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.</p> <p><strong>Who decides if a charge has been proven beyond reasonable doubt?</strong></p> <p>In criminal law cases, most matters are resolved in the Local Court, which is termed “summary prosecution” in legal lingo.</p> <p>The Local Court is presided over by a Magistrate, who is a local court judicial decision maker. This is an independent legal professional who oversees local court matters at all stages, from beginning to end. In cases being decided by the local court at hearing, the Magistrate is the decision-maker for both questions of fact and questions of law.</p> <p>More serious cases are dealt with “on indictment”, which escalates the matter to the District Court and entitles the defendant to a trial by jury.</p> <p>A jury trial means that the jury are the decision-makers for questions of fact, while questions of law are decided by a District Court Judge.</p> <p>However, in certain cases a defendant can forego their right to a jury in favour of a judge-alone trial, where the judge is decision-maker for both questions of fact and questions of law, like a Local Court Magistrate.</p> <p>The most serious cases the indictment is dealt with in the Supreme Court, in a trial by jury overseen by a Justice of the Supreme Court. Similarly, in certain circumstances a defendant can forego a jury in favour a judge-only trial presided over by a Supreme Court Justice.</p> <p>So, this decision as to whether a charge has been proven beyond reasonable doubt is a matter for a magistrate, a judge, or jury members to decide depending on the case.</p> <p><strong>Can an innocent person be found guilty?</strong></p> <p>Deciding whether an alleged offence is proven beyond reasonable doubt is a subjective decision, about which reasonable minds may differ.</p> <p>Both the defence and the prosecution can be unhappy about a decision made and there is recourse to appeal that decision to a higher court.</p> <p>This means the hearing or trial will be reviewed and the judge will assess whether there was or was not reasonable doubt.</p> <p>The most recent high-profile case on reasonable doubt was the decision of the full bench of the High Court of Australia in the case of <em>Pell v The Queen </em>[2020] HCA 12.</p> <p>The key issue in the case was that, to quote the judgment summary, although:</p> <p><em>“the jury had assessed the complainant’s evidence as thoroughly credible and reliable, the evidence of the opportunity witnesses nonetheless required the jury, acting rationally, to have entertained a reasonable doubt as to the applicant’s guilt in relation to the offences.”</em></p> <p>But it is indicative of how difficult this question can be to answer that it first went through the Chief Judge and a jury in the County Court of Victoria, and then before three justices on appeal to the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria.</p> <p>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/what-does-beyond-reasonable-doubt-mean-in-the-criminal-law/">Sydney Criminal Lawyers</a> and is written by Patrick O'Sullivan. </p>

Legal

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“No space for self-doubt”: Rehana reflects on Making It to the final five

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week’s episode of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Making It Australia</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> saw our remaining five crafters continue to make things on a huge scale. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But only four would make it through to the next series of challenges, and Rehana was the next Maker to exit the show.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She sat down with </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OverSixty</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to answer our crafty questions and tell us about her transition into starting her own creative business.</span></p> <p><strong>O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Honestly, the highlight was everybody on set, from the makers to the cameraman to the producers to the wardrobe ladies. I think the highlight of the show was just stepping on set and feeling like I've met my people. We just connected so instantly that it sort of baffled me a little bit. I'm like, “Oh my gosh, how do I love every single one of you within five minutes of meeting you?”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I guess when you’re on a set for two months, you’re away from your family and everything, but you know, they become your family. You just get through so much. And you experience so many things together you can't help but love one another. </span></p> <p><strong>O60: What surprised you most about your <em>Making It</em> experience?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The fact that I could get things done in eight hours. Eight hours is not a lot of time for crafting!</span></p> <p>O60: The last few episodes of Making It have involved crafting on a HUGE scale in a limited amount of time. Could you tell us a bit more about what that experience was like? </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I'm a graphic designer, so I'm used to doing most of my work on a computer. All my crafting experience comes from like a lot of Pinterest tutorials and watching YouTube and Tik Tok and that sort of thing. And, you know, I had to force myself to start just making decisions. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I tend to think that maybe something's not good enough or I don't really know what I'm doing. But when you're under that eight-hour pressure, you have no choice but to commit and just believe in yourself. There's no space for self doubt. There's no space for thinking you're not going to be able to do it. You’ve just got to get it done.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845220/making-it-rehana1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5ffd148ac4594520baf92c957138ed1e" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Supplied</span></em></p> <p><strong>O60: What’s next for you after <em>Making It</em>?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So since leaving the show, I quit my job [and went] into my own business! </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I come from a really traditional background where you either become a doctor, an engineer, an accountant or a housewife. And so when I told my parents I wanted to be an artist or a creative, they were like, “Oh, are you sure you'd be able to make a living out of that?” then I'm like, “I'm not entirely sure I can!” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So graphic design to me was a nice medium where I could be creative in my work but also it paid the bills. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[And] when I went on the show, I didn't think I'd go past the first week. I'm like, “I'm surrounded by people who do this for a living, I'm just a hobby crafter.” Sure, I do graphic design, but even then I don't really consider myself a great graphic designer. And you know, I learned that was wrong.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So getting to be in the top four was honestly a surprise [so] if I look really shocked throughout the series it’s because I'm genuinely shocked that I'm still there. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[And] even once they told me I was going home, I remember telling one of the judges that I felt like I'd already won, like I'd already proven to myself that I could do this and that I could impress people and I had people who thought the things that I was producing were worthy and of value. And that gave me the push that I needed to go full time into my </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/DayNightDusk"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Day Night Dusk</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> business and into my little design business. I ended up buying a laser cutter, I've ended up releasing two collections since we wrapped up filming on the show and in fact Christmas is coming up and I'm about to release a lovely little earring stand to commemorate coming off the show. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the end of the day I've been so fortunate to have the opportunity to realise that I am who I am and that's good enough. And that's valuable enough to launch myself into a career where I can support myself, being creative and enjoying the work that I do.</span></p> <p><strong>O60: <em>Making It</em> posed challenges that saw you use a whole range of different skills and techniques. Has it changed how you have gone about your creative practice since leaving the show?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Totally. I've been given a whole new I guess confidence in trying a lot of new things, and a lot of support as well. I mean, George's workshop is in Sydney, and she's been telling me she'll teach me how to weld for a while… I can’t wait to go to her workshop, she's got all these wacky machines that I can play with! </span></p> <p><strong>O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oh absolutely, a thousand times yes! </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was such a great experience. And I remember when I first applied I'm like, “Oh, I don't think this is going to go anywhere.” And then when they did call me back to come for a moment, I was tempted to say no, because my son was 14 months, so he was still quite young. And my husband sat with me on the steps and I was like, “I don't think I'm gonna do it.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And he said to me, “If you don't do it, do you think you’d regret it?” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And I said, “Yes. I think I’ll regret it if I don't do this.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And I'm so glad that I went ahead and did it and I would encourage anyone else who’s interested to just give it a crack and see where it takes them.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVWPYnFhjoo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVWPYnFhjoo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by DayNightDusk by Rehana Badat (@day_night_dusk)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the finale draws ever closer, the remaining contestants will return to craft their hearts out on Saturday from 7pm.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Supplied</span></em></p>

Home & Garden

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"You're not a scientist": Kochie and Craig Kelly go head to head over AstraZeneca doubts

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p><em>Sunrise</em><span> </span>host David Koch has slammed MP Craig Kelly after Kelly pushed for the Federal government to suspect the rollout of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.</p> <p>Kelly urged the government to "take the foot off the pedal a little bit" after other countries stopped using the vaccine after some recipients developed blood clots.</p> <p>Kochie, however, wasn't having any of it and accused the independent MP of "undermining confidence" in the vaccination plan.</p> <p>Kelly stood firm by his viewpoint.</p> <p>“When it was only Norway and Denmark (who had paused the jab) only two countries, it was fair enough to continue the rollout here.</p> <p>“But now when you’ve got health regulators in countries like Germany, Portugal, Italy, France and Spain, when health regulators in all those countries have looked at it and said look guys let’s just take the foot off the pedal a little bit, let’s just hold and check to make sure we’re going to err on the side of caution and apply the precautionary principle.</p> <p>“That is happening in all these countries that still have very high coronavirus deaths rates, but here in Australia we have no deaths, so I think we should take the foot off the pedal a little bit.”</p> <p>Kochie said that Europe's medicines regulator was "firmly convinced" that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risk of side effects.</p> <p>“You’re not a scientist, the European Medicines Agency, it’s full of scientists, they’re the peak body in Europe above the German authorities and the Italian authorities and the like, and they’re saying don’t stop it,” he said.</p> <p>“When we have 17,000 blood clots in Australia every year anyhow, it seems just out of whack.”</p> <p>Kelly said that there are "mixed opinions" on the vaccine anyway and that he wasn't undermining confidence.</p> <p>“I think actually if we show that we are erring on the side of caution, we would actually show that we are encouraging the rollout,” he argued.</p> <p>Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kely has said that there is "no evidence" that the AstraZeneca vaccine is linked to blood clotting.</p> <p>“We do expect to see blood clots at the time when we when vaccinations are given,” he said.</p> <p>“But this does not mean that an event that happens after vaccination has been given is indeed due to that vaccine.</p> <p>“From my perspective, I do not see that there is any specific link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots, and I’m not alone in that opinion."</p> </div> </div> </div>

Caring

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“Genuine doubt”: Why one judges’ argument could save George Pell

<p>After George Pell’s application to Victoria’s Court of Appeal was dismissed on Wednesday with two judges ruling that they thought the jury’s verdict was unreasonable, Pell’s legal team has their sights set on the High Court of Australia.</p> <p>It’s all due to one judge who disagreed and put his views forward in a<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/case-summaries/court-of-appeal-proceedings/george-pell-v-the-queen" target="_blank">203-page dissenting opinion.</a></p> <p>Justice Weinburg is a former Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution who joined the Federal Court in 1998 before moving to the Victorian Court of Appeal in 2008. He retired in 2018 but has served as an acting judge since then.</p> <p>There are five reasons as to why he disagreed with his fellow judges.</p> <p><strong>1. Genuine doubt</strong></p> <p>Weinburg says that he has a “genuine doubt as to the applicant’s guilt.” The jury was required in the case to find Pell guilty “beyond reasonable doubt”, but after reviewing the evidence himself, Weinburg thinks that there was a “significant possibility” that Pell did not commit the offences.</p> <p>“My doubt is a doubt which the jury ought also to have had,” he wrote.</p> <p><strong>2. He didn’t find the complainant convincing</strong></p> <p>Weinburg has suggested that there was a lot of evidence that casts doubt upon the complainant’s story.</p> <p>He said that there were “inconsistencies, and discrepancies, and a number of his answers simply made no sense”.</p> <p>One example Weinburg used was that the fact that the complainant did not remember there were rehearsals for the choir after mass on the two days that the abuse likely occurred.</p> <p>The complainant was also unsure if Pell had said mass that day or was leading Mass.</p> <p><strong>3. Weinburg trusts the other witnesses</strong></p> <p>He gave more weight to other witness testimonies than his fellow judges who concluded their evidence was inconsistent.</p> <p>Weinburg has disagreed and said that their evidence is critical and “if accepted, would lead inevitably to acquittal”.</p> <p>The other evidence provided by Pell’s master of ceremonies Charles Portelli established a routine within the church and helped rule out certain dates.</p> <p>The other judges found that the evidence provided by Portelli and sacristan Max Potter was inconsistent, but Weinburg said that it proves there were “modes of conduct that were subject to particularly rigorous and strong norms”.</p> <p><strong>4. Large number of improbable possibilities</strong></p> <p>Weinburg paid attention to one of the arguments put forward by Pell’s legal team which suggested that for the first incident to have happened, a large number of improbable things would have to had occurred within a short time frame.</p> <p>The boys would have had to break away from the procession, go through two normally locked doors and return to choir rehearsal without anyone noticing they were gone.</p> <p>Weinburg accepts this argument.</p> <p>“The chances of ‘all the planets aligning’, in that way, would, at the very least, be doubtful.”</p> <p><strong>5. Unusual aspects of the case </strong></p> <p>Weinburg noted that the prosecution relied entirely on the evidence of the complainant and that there was no supporting evidence.</p> <p>“These convictions were based upon the jury’s assessment of the complainant as a witness, and nothing more,” he said.</p> <p>He noted that juries were told they cannot convict an accused unless they were satisfied beyond reasonable doubt, as well as being told that they should not convict if there was a “reasonable possibility” that there was substance to the defence provided.</p> <p>“It is not now, and never has been, a question of whether (Pell’s) complainant was to be preferred as a witness to, for example, Portelli, Potter, McGlone, Finnigan, or any other particular witness who gave exculpatory evidence,” Justice Weinburg wrote.</p>

Legal

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Why Grant Denyer's radio future could be in doubt

<p>One of Australia’s most popular presenters is having to make a tough career decision as he’s forced to choose between breakfast radio and television.</p> <p>Rumours have started circulating that Grant Denyer will not be part of Sydney’s 2Day FM breakfast line-up next year, despite proving to be a huge ratings success for the network since the departure of Kyle and Jackie O.</p> <p>Denyer, who hosts a breakfast program with Ed Kavalee and Ash London, took the struggling time slot from 2.3% to 4.6% – the highest the radio network has achieved in the last 5 years.</p> <p>According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2019/7/14/exclusive-grant-denyers-radio-future-in-doubt" target="_blank"><em>TV Blackbox</em></a>, Channel 10 and Southern Cross Austereo are fighting for the star's time, with both companies wanting Denyer exclusively.</p> <p>“Grant likes radio and he’s proud of the growth of 2Day FM Breakfast. Although his contract is up at the end of the year, it is a major commitment, so we haven’t made any decisions about next year.”</p> <p>The future isn’t looking too bright for SCA, as Denyer has proven to be the most popular choice for the time slot in comparison to the others who have attempted to occupy it in the past.</p> <p>Alongside his breakfast show, Denyer also hosts <em>Celebrity Name Game </em>for Channel 10 and co-hosted <em>Dancing With The Stars</em> with Amanda Keller.</p>

Technology

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These photos prove Doubtful Sound is heaven on earth

<p>"To live a life of heaven on earth is to sail through Doubtful Sound, New Zealand."</p> <p>It's a bold statement to make but US tourist Frank Lin reckons his photo of <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/2017/02/doubtful-sound-new-zealand-greatest-gift/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">dolphins frolicking in Fiordland captures just that</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>"New Zealand was more beautiful than we had ever imagined," Lin, who lives and works in Los Angeles, says.</p> <p>"Driving in the South Island was like driving in a dream. It is what I'd imagine heaven would look like if it existed."</p> <p>Lin and his wife Nicole have travelled all over the world and spent four months planning their 10-day trip to New Zealand in 2016.</p> <p>"Our trip to New Zealand was not about the destination, but it was about the journey from one place to another.</p> <p>"To me, the best part of travelling is the anticipation and planning is a huge part of that," Lin, who owns a design and animation studio, said.</p> <p>"It is the best part of the day during down time at work."</p> <p>Lin's photo recently garnered attention after he posted it to news-sharing website Reddit, where it got nearly 1000 "upvotes", or likes.</p> <p>"NZ must be the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/03/push-for-passport-free-travel-between-australia-and-new-zealand/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">most beautiful country in the world</span></strong></a>," one person commented. "My favourite place in the world," another added.</p> <p>The travelling couple, who write about their adventures at The Wondernuts, also visited the Waitomo Caves, Hobbiton, Rotorua and Queenstown, among others.</p> <p>Lin says they were particularly impressed with the food scene, including the shipping containers of Re:Start in Christchurch and Auckland's food courts.</p> <p>"We were spoiled in Los Angeles with a wide-array of authentic food from all around the world and had a pretty high expectation for food, and NZ did not disappoint."</p> <p>Having travelled all around the world, Lin said they <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/2017/03/6-of-the-worlds-most-beautiful-waterfalls/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">even considered moving to New Zealand</span></strong></a> at one point.</p> <p>"We even looked into the insane housing market of Auckland and immigration process to entertain the idea of relocation."</p> <p>What’s your favourite destination in New Zealand?</p> <p><em>Written by Aisling O’Sullivan. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>. Image credit: Frank Lin / trapcode_knarf</em></p> <p> </p>

Domestic Travel

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Young girls less likely to think they’re smart, study finds

<p>A recently published <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6323/389" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>study</strong></span></a> has examined gender stereotypes relating to intelligence, or more accurately, perceived intelligence, and has found that young girls begin to doubt their gender’s capabilities by age six.</p> <p>The report, published in ScienceMagazine, showed that five-year-old children “seemed not to differentiate between boys and girls in expectations of ‘really, really smart’”. However, by age six, girls were more likely to designate boys as “really, really smart”, and showed less interest in games presented to them as one for the “really, really smart.”</p> <p>How did the researchers carry out their work? There were several experiments carried out with children of different ages:</p> <ul> <li>The first involved 96 children who were each told a story about a person who was “really, really smart”, but were not told this person’s gender. The kids were then shown pictures of four adults – two men, two women – and were asked to guess who the story was about.</li> <li>These same 96 children were also shown the adults in pairs – two men; two women; one man and one woman – and were instructed to choose which of the two was the “really, really smart” person.</li> <li>This first group also participated in an association game involving images of objects such as hammers, and words like smart, and asked to assign them to pictures of men and women.</li> </ul> <p>Similar experiments were carried out with six- and seven-year-olds, and the results <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/news-and-views/girls-begin-to-doubt-their-own-intelligence-at-age-6-study-shows-20170127-gu01zy.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>showed</strong></span></a> that “perceptions of brilliance” go through a fairly drastic change. The five-year-olds were likely to associate brilliance with their own gender on roughly the same level, but the older girls were significantly less likely to assign brilliance to their own gender than were the boys.</p> <p>A second set of tasks were carried out by another group of children (144 of them), who rated the intelligence of adults and children. The results remained largely unchanged with this set.</p> <p>The researchers (Lian Bian, Sarah-Jane Leslie, and Andrei Cimpian) were motivated by the fact that “common stereotypes associate high-level intellectual ability (brilliance, genius, etc.) with men more than women.” They theorise that stereotypes such as these “discourage women’s pursuit of many prestigious careers” in fields such as physics and philosophy.</p> <p>In a peer-review section of the <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6323/389/tab-e-letters" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Science Magazine</strong></em></span></a>, Physician Nancy Lutwak called the study “eye-opening and distressing” as it “demonstrates that by age six girls are convinced brilliance is a male quality.” Lutwak cites numbers showing that despite women holding close to 50 per cent of the jobs in the US economy, participation of women in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) fields is less than 25 per cent.</p> <p>Do you have young girls in your family? Have you noticed a lack of interest in areas assigned to “brilliance”?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/02/children-get-intelligence-genes-from-their-mothers/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Children get intelligence genes from their mothers</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/02/cartoons-show-how-valuable-grandmothers-are/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Sweet cartoons prove how valuable grandmothers are</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/01/photos-show-what-kids-do-when-left-alone/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>15 hilarious photos show what kids do when left alone</strong></em></span></a></p>

Family & Pets

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How self-doubt holds you back

<p>We all have moments where our confidence wavers and self-doubt creeps in. But when does this turn into something more serious?</p> <p>The idea of impostor syndrome is the belief that you don’t deserve the good things that are happening to you. It’s the idea that you have got that job, promotion, great family or healthy bank balance due to luck or trickery rather than your own skills.</p> <p>For those living with imposter syndrome, they worry that their world will eventually come crashing down around them once they are exposed as the frauds that they are.</p> <p>This could mean that a promotion at work leaves them feeling vulnerable and anxious, as they feel that everybody is watching them and waiting for them to fail (even though they are suitably qualified and experienced).</p> <p>It’s not a new concept, having been first described in the 1970s. Research shows that women tend to suffer more from impostor syndrome, but men are also affected by the condition. The cause is hard to pinpoint, but could be based on high expectations set by parents, being a perfectionist with too-high standards, or just being a person with low self-esteem.</p> <p>These feelings hold people back from reaching their true potential, as they can’t see that they deserve the good things in their life and can even sabotage their own success.</p> <p>So what you can you do if you feel the walls of self-doubt closing in on you?</p> <p><strong>1. Fake it till you make it</strong></p> <p>Talk to famous actors or company bigwigs and you’ll probably find that most of them didn’t ever feel ready for success when it happened for them.</p> <p>So the idea is that you just fake the confidence until it starts to feel normal for you. Understand that fear is natural, but that it doesn’t have to stop you from succeeding.</p> <p>Naturally, ‘faking it’ is fine if, for example, you want to appear more experienced than you are at public speaking before making a huge presentation to potential investors – but not if you are planning on performing brain surgery without being suitably qualified.</p> <p><strong>2. Step outside your comfort zone</strong></p> <p>If you want to keep developing your skills and get recognition at work, it’s important not to get stuck in a rut. It’s easy to keep doing the same old thing but it’s not going to get you on the up and up.</p> <p>Instead, put your hand up for projects that are beyond your current skill level, or offer to help out in an area that is not within your usual role. Being able to step up and challenge yourself is a key to moving out of the imposter box.</p> <p><strong>3. Don’t apologise</strong></p> <p>Some sufferers of impostor syndrome clam up and can’t speak due to fear – but for others the opposite is true. For these people, they take any chance they can to tell co-workers (or even their boss) that they are nervous or under-qualified.</p> <p>A much better idea is to refer to the two points above, and just smile and say ‘thank you’ when someone offers you a promotion or a raise.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/health/mind/2016/05/self-care-essentials-to-enrich-your-life/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Self care essentials to enrich your life</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/health/mind/2016/05/is-this-the-cause-of-most-peoples-unhappiness/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Is this the cause of most people's unhappiness?</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/health/mind/2016/05/how-being-vulnerable-can-change-your-life/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>How being vulnerable can change your life</strong></em></span></a></p>

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