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Homeowners often feel better about life than renters, but not always – whether you are mortgaged matters

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-ong-viforj-113482">Rachel Ong ViforJ</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hiroaki-suenaga-1477343">Hiroaki Suenaga</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ryan-brierty-1477346">Ryan Brierty</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a> Homeownership has long been thought of as the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-23/why-australians-are-obsessed-with-owning-property/8830976">great Australian dream</a>. For individuals, it’s seen as the path to adulthood and prosperity. For the nation, it’s seen as a cornerstone of economic and social policy. Implicit in this is the assumption that owning a home rather than renting one makes people better off. It’s an assumption we are now able to examine using data from the government-funded <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/hilda">Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia</a> (HILDA) survey, which for two decades has asked questions both about homeownership and satisfaction with life. The <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/4694137/ContinuingPersonQuestionnaireW23M.pdf">overarching question</a> asks "all things considered, how satisfied are you with your life? Pick a number between 0 and 10 to indicate how satisfied you are". We also looked at people’s satisfaction with their financial situation, their home and the neighbourhood in which they live. In a study published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00420980231190479">Urban Studies</a>, we linked those answers to home ownership and characteristics including age and income. As expected, we found homeowners were generally more satisfied with their lives than renters. But we also find the extent to which they were more satisfied depended on whether or not they were still paying off a mortgage. <h2>Mortgaged homeowners about as satisfied as renters</h2> Outright home owners were 1.5 times as likely to report high overall satisfaction as renters. But home owners still paying off a mortgage were only a little more likely to feel high overall satisfaction. Similarly, outright owners were 2.3 times as likely to report high financial satisfaction as renters – but mortgaged owners were only 1.1 times as likely. When it comes to satisfaction with their home and neighbourhood, the differences were less extreme. Outright home owners were 3.1 times as likely to report high satisfaction with their home as renters, while mortgaged owners were 2.8 times as likely. Outright owners were 1.6 times as likely to report high satisfaction with their neighbourhood as renters, and mortgaged owners 1.4 times as likely. The results also varied with age and income. <hr /> <iframe id="hK9Ua" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/hK9Ua/3/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> As shown in the graph above, outright owners were more likely to report high financial satisfaction than renters across almost the entire age range. But mortgaged owners only showed a demonstrably greater financial satisfaction than renters between the ages of 25 and 50. Beyond age 50, the existence of a mortgage debt burden appeared to cancel out any boost to financial satisfaction from homeownership. This potentially reflects the growing financial stress of making mortgage payments as retirement approaches. <hr /> <iframe id="f2GSl" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/f2GSl/3/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> By income, mortgaged owners reported experiencing more financial satisfaction compared to renters the more they earned between A$80,000 and A$240,000. Outright owners experienced more financial satisfaction than renters up to A$320,000. Beyond these income levels, owners did not have greater financial satisfaction than renters, perhaps because high-earning renters have other sources of financial satisfaction. <h2>How satisfied people feel beyond 60</h2> In other respects, outright owners and mortgaged homeowners showed similar patterns, becoming more satisfied with their homes relative to renters the more they age up – until the age of 60. That’s when their satisfaction relative to renters declined, as illustrated below. This decline might reflect the growing physical burden of maintaining an owned home as people age. <hr /> <iframe id="oLrHz" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/oLrHz/2/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> Our study has important implications. One is that age matters. Although older people consistently express a desire to <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/analysis/brief/whats-needed-make-ageing-place-work-older-australians">age in place</a>, we found satisfaction among those who owned vs rented their home declined beyond age 60. This suggests better integration between housing and care is critical to support people ageing in place. Another implication is that as low-income owners are more reliant on their homes as a source of relative financial satisfaction than high earners, they are <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-social-policy/article/housing-equity-withdrawal-perceptions-of-obstacles-among-older-australian-home-owners-and-associated-service-providers/268F54A8EAA1E9ECA118E243505AA9FD">more exposed</a> in times of crisis. They may face the risk of being forced to sell suddenly with little time to consider the consequences. And another implication is as the relative financial satisfaction of mortgage holders disappears after the age of 50, and as more of us approach retirement with mortgages intact, more of us will either <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00420980211026578">postpone retirement</a> or become dissatisfied. Our findings suggest the extension of mortgage debt into later life should be discouraged if the benefits of the Australian dream are to be preserved.<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/215147/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-ong-viforj-113482">Rachel Ong ViforJ</a>, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hiroaki-suenaga-1477343">Hiroaki Suenaga</a>, Senior Lecturer School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ryan-brierty-1477346">Ryan Brierty</a>, PhD candidate, School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/homeowners-often-feel-better-about-life-than-renters-but-not-always-whether-you-are-mortgaged-matters-215147">original article</a>.

Home & Garden

Does it matter what time of day I eat? And can intermittent fasting improve my health? Here’s what the science says

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/frederic-gachon-1379094">Frederic Gachon</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/meltem-weger-1408599">Meltem Weger</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Early hunter-gatherers faced long periods of fasting. Their <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35834774/">access to food</a> relied on successful hunting, fishing, and the availability of wild plants. Over time, the development of modern agriculture and the transition to industrialised societies <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35834774/">changed our regular eating patterns</a>, shifting our dinner time to later in the day to accommodate work schedules. Today, with access to an abundance of food, we rarely experience prolonged periods of fasting, except for weight loss or religious practices. It’s <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26411343/">now common</a> to have four or more meals a day, with the most calories consumed later in the day. Frequent snacking is also common, over a window of around 15 hours. However, research increasingly shows our health is not only affected by what and how much we eat, but also when we eat. So what does this mean for meal scheduling? And can intermittent fasting help? <h2>Our body clock controls more than our sleep</h2> Our internal biological timekeeper, or circadian clock, regulates many aspects of our physiology and behaviour. It tells us to be awake and active during the day, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-it-matter-what-time-i-go-to-bed-198146">rest and sleep</a> during the night. It can also tell us the best time to eat. Our body is biologically prepared to have food during the day. Food digestion, nutrient uptake and energy metabolism is optimised to occur when we’re supposed to be active and eating. Working against this default stage, by regularly eating when we’re supposed to sleep and fast, can compromise these processes and impact our health. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31813351/">Erratic eating patterns</a>, including late-night meals, have been linked to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36198293/">weight gain</a> and a greater risk of metabolic disease. Shift-workers, for example, and people who work evening, night or rotating shifts, have a <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-does-night-shift-increase-the-risk-of-cancer-diabetes-and-heart-disease-heres-what-we-know-so-far-190652">higher risk</a> of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. But adopting an eating pattern that aligns with our circadian rhythm can reduce these risks. <h2>So can intermittent fasting help?</h2> Nutritional interventions are increasingly focused not only on “what” we eat but also “when”. Intermittent fasting is one way to restrict the timing, rather than the content, of what we eat. There are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35834774/">several types</a> of intermittent fasting, one of which is time-restricted eating. This means eating all our calories in a consistent 8-12 hour, or even shorter, interval each day. But is it backed by evidence? Most of what we know today about intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating is from <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35834774/">mouse studies</a>, which demonstrate remarkable weight loss and overall health benefits associated with these types of dietary interventions. However, some aspects of mouse physiology can be different to humans. Mice need to eat more frequently than humans and even a short period of fasting has a more significant physiological impact on mice. One day of fasting in mice leads to a 10% <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212877820301320">loss of body weight</a>, whereas humans would need to fast for 14 days to achieve <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30881957/">similar results</a>. This makes a direct translation from mice to humans more complicated. While health benefits of <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2623528">intermittent fasting</a> and <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2114833">time-restricted eating</a> have also been observed in humans, the findings in respect of weight loss are less clear. Current data suggest only modest, if any, weight loss in human participants who undergo these diet regimens when compared to calorie-restricted diets. Drawing <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35834774/">definitive conclusions</a> in humans may be more <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32480126/">difficult</a> because of the small sample sizes and individual differences in metabolism, variations in study design (such as the use of different protocols with varying times and duration of food restriction), and participants not complying with their instructions. <h2>Health benefits could be due to eating fewer calories</h2> Most studies describing the health benefits of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33466692/#:%7E:text=and%20Future%20Perspectives-,Time%2DRestricted%20Eating%20and%20Metabolic%20Syndrome%3A%20Current%20Status%20and%20Future,doi%3A%2010.3390%2Fnu13010221.">time restricted eating</a> or <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27569118/">intermittent fasting</a> also found these diets were accompanied by calorie restriction: reducing the time of food access implicitly leads people to eat less. Studies that controlled calorie intake did not detect any more benefits of intermittent fasting than <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2623528">calorie restriction</a> alone. The weight loss and health benefits observed with intermittent fasting is likely attributed due to the resultant reduction in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34135111/">calorie intake</a>. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32986097/">Similar findings</a> have been reported for time-restricted eating. <h2>Benefit of following our body clock</h2> Nevertheless, time-restricted eating offers additional health benefits in humans, such as improved glucose metabolism and blood pressure, even without differences in calorie intake, in particular when restricted to the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29754952/">earlier part of the day</a> (that is, when having a six-hour eating window with dinner before 3pm). Restricting food intake to the daytime for shift-workers <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28635334/">can alleviate</a> metabolic differences caused by shift-work, whereas this effect is not observed when food intake is restricted to <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abg9910">nighttime</a>. One idea is that consuming food early, in alignment with our circadian rhythm, helps to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28578930/">synchronise our circadian clock</a>. This restores the rhythm of our autonomous nervous system, which regulates essential functions such as breathing and heart rate, to keep our physiology “tuned”, as it was shown <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2015873118">in mice</a>. While there’s much still to learn from research in this field, the evidence suggests that to maintain a healthy weight and overall wellbeing, aim for regular, nutritious meals during the day, while avoiding late-night eating and frequent snacking.<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/203762/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/frederic-gachon-1379094">Frederic Gachon</a>, Associate Professor, Physiology of Circadian Rhythms, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/meltem-weger-1408599">Meltem Weger</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/does-it-matter-what-time-of-day-i-eat-and-can-intermittent-fasting-improve-my-health-heres-what-the-science-says-203762">original article</a>.

Body

Should GPs bring up a patient’s weight in consultations about other matters? We asked 5 experts

<a href="https://theconversation.com/au/team#fron-jackson-webb">Fron Jackson-Webb</a>, <a href="http://www.theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a> Australian of the Year and body positivity advocate Taryn Brumfitt has <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/doctors-should-avoid-discussing-patient-s-weight-australian-of-the-year-says-20230707-p5dmhv.html">called for</a> doctors to avoid discussing a patient’s weight when they seek care for unrelated matters. A 15-minute consultation isn’t long enough to provide support to change behaviours, Brumfitt says, and GPs don’t have enough training and expertise to have these complex discussions. “Many people in larger bodies tell us they have gone to the doctor with something like a sore knee, and come out with a ‘prescription’ for a very restrictive diet, and no ongoing support,” Brumfitt <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/doctors-should-avoid-discussing-patient-s-weight-australian-of-the-year-says-20230707-p5dmhv.html">told the Nine newspapers</a>. By raising the issue of weight, Brumfitt says, GPs also risk turning patients off seeking care for other health concerns. So should GPs bring up a patient’s weight in consultations about other matters? We asked 5 experts. Brett Montgomery - GP academic Yes, sometimes – but with great care. I agree that weight stigma is damaging, and insensitively raising weight in consultations can <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0251566" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurt people's feelings and create barriers</a>to other aspects of health care. I also agree people can sometimes be “overweight” yet <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0287218" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quite healthy</a>, and that common measures and categories of weight are <a href="https://theconversation.com/bmi-alone-will-no-longer-be-treated-as-the-go-to-measure-for-weight-management-an-obesity-medicine-physician-explains-the-seismic-shift-taking-place-208174">questionable</a>. On the other hand, I know obesity <a href="https://www.racgp.org.au/FSDEDEV/media/documents/RACGP/Position%20statements/Obesity-prevention-and-management.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is associated with</a> heart disease, joint problems, diabetes and cancers. GPs should be ready to help people with their weight when they want help. <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2021-069719.full?ijkey=FnARkmvxLOMFvlb&keytype=ref">Our assistance somewhat effective</a>, though sadly dietary efforts often have minimal effect on weight in the long term. Meanwhile, treatments causing larger weight changes (<a href="https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2021/10/bariatric-surgery-public-system-access-still-terrible/">surgery</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-022-01176-2">some medicines</a> are often financially inaccessible. I feel safe discussing weight when my patient raises the issue. Fearing hurting people, I often avoid raising it myself. I focus instead on health rather than weight, discussing physical activity and healthy diet – these are good things for people of any size. Emma Beckett - Nutrition scientist No. It’s not likely to succeed. Large systematic reviews bringing together multiple studies of multiple weight-loss diets show weight loss is not generally maintained long term (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32238384/">12 months</a> to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/0802982">four years</a>). The idea that weight is about willpower is outdated. The current body of evidence <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-weight-set-point-and-why-does-it-make-it-so-hard-to-keep-weight-off-195724">suggests</a> we each have a weight set point that our body defends. This is determined by genetics and environment more so than education. There may be associations between weight and health outcomes, but losing weight <a href="https://theconversation.com/just-because-youre-thin-doesnt-mean-youre-healthy-101185">does not necessarily equate</a> with improving health. Fat stigma and fatphobia are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866597/">harmful too</a> and can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4381543/">compromise access to health care</a>. Instead, consider asking a better question. Healthy eating reduces disease risk <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3935663/">regardless of weight</a>. So maybe ask how many vegetables are your patients eating. Would they like to see a dietitian to discuss strategies for a better-quality diet? Liz Sturgiss - GP/researcher No. A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33211585/">US study</a> estimates it would take a family doctor 131% of their work hours to implement all preventive health-care recommendations. It's impossible to address every recommendation for preventative care at every consultation. One of the key skills of a GP is balancing the patient and doctor agenda. <a href="https://www.obesityevidencehub.org.au/collections/treatment/weight-bias-and-stigma-in-health-care">Weight stigma</a> can deter people from seeking health care, so raising weight when a patient doesn't have it on their agenda can be harmful. A strong <a href="https://academic.oup.com/fampra/article/38/5/644/6244494?login=false">therapeutic relationship</a> is critical for safe and effective health care to address weight. Weight is always on my agenda when there is unexpected weight loss. If a patient has rapid weight loss, I am concerned about an undetected <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7283307/">cancer</a> or infection. Additionally, I am increasingly seeing patients who are unable to afford food, who often have <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dental-oral-health/oral-health-and-dental-care-in-australia/contents/introduction">poor oral health</a>, who lose weight due to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1747-0080.12580">poverty</a>. Weight loss for the wrong reasons is also a very concerning part of general practice. Nick Fuller - Obesity researcher Yes. GPs should play a role in the early detection of weight issues and direct patients to evidence-based care to slow this progression. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31032548/">Research</a> shows many people with obesity are motivated to lose weight (48%). <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31032548/">Most</a> want their clinician to initiate a conversation about weight management and treatment options. However, this conversation <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32385580/">rarely occurs</a>, resulting in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33621413/">significant delays to treatment</a>. Starting the conversation presents challenges. Although obesity is a complex disease related to multiple factors, it's still <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25752756/">highly stigmatised</a>in our society and even in the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23144885/">clinical setting</a>. Sensitivity is required and the wording the clinician uses is important to make the patient feel safe and avoid placing blame on them. Patients often <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20823355/">prefer terms</a> such as “weight” and “BMI” (body mass index) over “fatness,” “size” or “obesity”, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27354290/">particularly women</a>. Measuring weight, height and waist circumference should be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33621413/">considered routine in primary care</a>. But this needs to be done without judgement, and in collaboration with the patient. Helen Truby - Nutrition scientist Yes. A high body weight contributes to many chronic conditions that negatively impact the <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/australias-health/summaries">quality of life and mental health</a> of millions of Australians. Not all GPs feel confident having weight conversations, given the sensitive nature of weight and its stigma. GPs' words matter – they are a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12320">trusted source</a> of health information. It’s critical GPs gain the skills to know when and how to have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-019-1026-4">positive weight conversations</a>. GPs need to offer supportive and affordable solutions. But effective specialist weight management programs are few and far between. More equitable access to programs is essential so GPs have referral pathways after conversations about weight. GPs' time is valuable. Activating this critical workforce is essential to meet the <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/national-obesity-strategy-2022-2032?language=en">National Obesity Strategy.</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/team#fron-jackson-webb">Fron Jackson-Webb</a>, Deputy Editor and Senior Health Editor, <a href="http://www.theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/should-gps-bring-up-a-patients-weight-in-consultations-about-other-matters-we-asked-5-experts-209681">original article</a>.

Body

The legal matters you need to consider as you get older

Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle. As we are ageing, it is essential at some stage to be realistic and sort our legal affairs. This incorporates writing your last will and testament. It is an individual’s choice whether to use a will kit, or to engage a solicitor. We must decide on an executor of the will, to ensure any assets are disposed of, in accordance with our intentions. Secondly, it is an excellent idea to appoint a medical power of attorney to a trusted person, to factor in a case scenario if you are on life support. Someone needs a medical power of attorney to make tough decisions on your behalf. Thirdly, when writing your will, you need to list your beneficiaries. Moreover, you need to compile a file of your assets and investments. Furthermore, it is also a good intention to prepare any wishes for your funeral, burial or cremation. Do you wish to be an organ donor? Ultimately, if any doubts occur, it is always possible and feasible to seek advice from any legal professionals. Right, having done all that, it’s easy to think, “all sorted!” But remember, any golden oldie’s status can be affected by any change in circumstance, such as either health conditions, or by marriage, or divorce, or the death of a spouse. Then we may need to revise our will and testament. But, in the interim, put morbid thoughts to one side, that is all ‘worst case scenario’. Now we can plan for our happy and leisurely retirement, enjoying being ‘golden oldies’, anyway we choose! Here are the stats: 10/10 people are going to die, so appreciate being alive! Rise and smile! Image credit: Shutterstock

Legal

I’ve indulged over the holidays. If I’m healthy the rest of the time, does it matter?

The holidays are often called the “silly season” – a time when we eat, drink and be merry. But these holiday indulgences can lead to feelings of guilt and fear that we’ve undone all the healthy habits from the rest of the year. But how much do you really need to worry about the impacts of holiday overeating? <h2>Yes, weight gain can happen in the holidays</h2> There are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31953670/">studies</a> that show weight gain can and does occur in the silly season. But on average it’s not as dramatic as diet culture would have us believe, coming in at about 0.7kg. However, because humans are complex and varied, and nutrition science is hard, there are studies with varied findings. Some show that despite significant increases in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32203107/">overall energy intake</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27618574/">reductions in diet quality</a>, <a href="https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1300&context=etd">weight gain doesn’t occur</a>. Importantly, much of this research comes from the northern hemisphere where the major holidays coincide with winter. And these studies focus on weight, not health. Weight is just a marker that’s convenient to measure, but <a href="https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-10-9">health is more complicated</a>. <h2>Food is not just fuel</h2> Food isn’t just energy and nutrients. It’s a big part of our cultures and celebrations, and contributes to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J140v06n04_04?casa_token=B88qy23WbRMAAAAA:HbizzLaYk_SDbucI00WWrJ1krwp5lZFgJjDpFBs6CkbkEXHEbfVhPfbH9uUooPh0z5ay3vLkKRJ-di8">social, cultural and emotional wellbeing</a>. While it’s harder to study, nourishing our souls with foods that connect us to our loved ones and our traditions is just as important as the role food plays in nourishing our bodies. Holiday feasts are also an opportunity to share meals. Sharing meals <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40750-017-0061-4">contributes to our emotional wellbeing and happiness</a>. <h2>Say hello to homeostasis</h2> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/homeostasis">Homeostasis</a> is a scientific term that describes how systems self-regulate. The word comes from the ancient Greek words for “similar” and “steady”. In living things it means that biology can adapt to changes to keep things in their normal constant state. Essentially, our body is always making little constant biological changes to help things stay the same. This is how we regulate things like our body temperature, blood sugar, blood pressure and other systems important for survival. The principles of homeostasis also apply to our <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.658997/full">eating and metabolism</a>. If we eat more for one or two holiday feast days (or even weeks) our biology works to minimise the impacts. This is also why losing weight on restrictive diets can be hard – homeostasis means as we reduce our energy intake our bodies adjust to using less energy. So for most people, discrete periods of indulgence aren’t likely to be the major determinants of health outcomes. It’s more likely the patterns we follow most of the time will influence our long term health. <h2>It’s about balance</h2> Biology and social norms both mean restrictive diets are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7538029/">hard to maintain long-term</a>. Some people are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296321002940">more successful</a> in maintaining a balanced diet when indulging is allowed. And now science has helped you to relax a little, a few words of caution. <h2>Drink in moderation</h2> Over-consumption of alcohol can cause <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm#:%7E:text=Over%20time%2C%20excessive%20alcohol%20use,liver%20disease%2C%20and%20digestive%20problems.&text=Cancer%20of%20the%20breast%2C%20mouth,liver%2C%20colon%2C%20and%20rectum.">increased risk for chronic diseases</a>. Excess alcohol consumption in the festive period increases the risk of alcohol-related harm, <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/-/media/ResourceCentre/PublicationsandResources/alcohol-misuse/Drinking-cultures-social-occasions-Factsheet_public-holiday.pdf?la=en&hash=6C43A7F27769C7016FBBC0C1AA35CA3FC74A7A0C">including accidents and violence</a>. Staying hydrated by alternating with non-alcoholic beverages helps reduce how much you drink and how bad a hangover is, but it won’t eliminate the risks. <h2>Food safety risks</h2> Festive eating, with sharing, travelling and over-crowded fridges increases our <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/holidays.html">risks of food poisoning</a>. Summer holidays also bring the added risk of heat. You want to share food and joy, not germs, so remember your <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/food-poisoning-prevention">basic food safety rules</a> like hand washing, avoiding cross contamination of uncooked meats and other foods, storing food chilled, and heating thoroughly. It’s also a good idea to make sure you talk to your guests or hosts about food allergens to make sure everyone has a safe holiday feast. <h2>The bottom line</h2> What we eat is a big part of determining our health, but adding a side serving of guilt to your festive feast isn’t healthy either. For true healthy choices, focus on balance and moderation for the bulk of the year and for most of your choices, but social and cultural eating is part of balance. Enjoying your celebration foods doesn’t need to mean throwing away all your healthy habits, but healthy eating and healthy indulgence can co-exist if we let it. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/ive-indulged-over-the-holidays-if-im-healthy-the-rest-of-the-time-does-it-matter-195643" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Body

Australia is investigating whether ex-defence personnel provided military training to China. Would it matter if they did?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles <a href="https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/statements/2022-11-09/statement-efforts-recruit-former-adf-pilots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> he had directed the Department of Defence to investigate reports “that ex-Australian Defence Force personnel may have been approached to provide military related training to China”. This announcement comes just weeks after the British Ministry of Defence <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/top-guns-for-hire-british-pilots-training-chinese-military-slammed-as-morally-repugnant-20221019-p5bqvx.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> around 30 of their former military pilots had been delivering flight training services to members of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) through a company based in South Africa. Marles has <a href="https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/transcripts/2022-11-09/press-conference-parliament-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">committed</a> to conducting a <blockquote> detailed examination [of] the policies and procedures that apply to our former Defence personnel, and particularly those who come into possession of our nation’s secrets. </blockquote> He explained there’s a “clear and unambiguous” obligation on current and former Commonwealth officials to “maintain [government] secrets beyond their employment with, or their engagement with, the Commonwealth”. Australia’s highly trained defence personnel are a huge asset to us, as much as our cutting-edge physical assets and technologies. As far as possible, we should ensure these assets are protected. There should also be clear guidelines around how and when privileged information can be employed. <h2>Impending investigation</h2> According to Britain’s Minister for Armed Forces and Veterans James Heappey, their authorities had <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/top-guns-for-hire-british-pilots-training-chinese-military-slammed-as-morally-repugnant-20221019-p5bqvx.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been aware of the situation for several years</a>. None of the pilots had broken existing British law. The BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-63293582" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> the British government issued this “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/oct/18/uk-officials-threat-alert-china-attempts-to-recruit-raf-pilots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threat alert</a>” to deter other would-be trainers from taking up similar offers. There’s also an updated National Security Bill currently before the House of Commons, which seeks to “create additional tools” to address security challenges like this one. By comparison, it’s unclear whether any ex-Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel took up Chinese offers to train the PLA, or whether such an action would be considered a violation of the secrecy of information provisions of the Australian Criminal Code. Marles <a href="https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/transcripts/2022-11-09/press-conference-parliament-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce is “currently investigating a number of cases” identified by the department’s initial inquiries. This investigation will also seek to determine whether current policies and procedures are fit for purpose when it comes to former defence personnel and the protection of official secrets. Taking such measures has bipartisan support. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/peter-dutton-calls-on-albanese-government-to-tighten-up-laws-to-prevent-adf-personnel-spreading-australian-secrets/news-story/37ee6dc4c585922f7abf98edcc51b7b6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has indicated</a> “if there is a hole in the legislation now, the Coalition will support a change which will tighten it up”. He added that Australia “can’t allow our secrets and our methodologies to be handed over to another country, and particularly not China under President Xi”. <h2>Exposing our tactics</h2> Dutton’s comments highlight an important distinction: while the training of PLA (or any foreign) pilots by ex-ADF personnel may not necessarily constitute a disclosure of official secrets, it still risks exposing the ways in which the ADF is trained to fight to a potential adversary – what are referred to as its tactics, techniques and procedures. There are many exchange personnel from overseas embedded in the ADF (and vice versa). But given the sensitivities involved, these positions are typically restricted to close partners such as the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand or Canada. One of the benefits of close cooperation between militaries is that they can then operate more effectively alongside each other in the event of a conflict. But if ex-ADF personnel train the armed forces of potential adversaries, those opponents may be able to use this knowledge to better develop methods of their own to erode Australia’s military advantages. Professor <a href="https://twitter.com/alessionaval/status/1582232133086892032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alessio Patalano</a> of King’s College London points out that <blockquote> skilled personnel are valued capabilities and this know-how is a national security resource, and for the same reason a potential vulnerability. </blockquote> He further <a href="https://twitter.com/alessionaval/status/1582230651834548224" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> the “reverse engineering of professional skills” has a long historical tradition. That is, personnel undergoing this training would improve their skills, but could also work backwards from the instruction they receive to draw further insights into how the other state might operate in the event of war. For example, in the so-called “<a href="https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2019/december/jump-starting-japanese-naval-aviation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sempill Mission</a>” of British aviators to Japan in the 1920s, British personnel provided detailed instruction to their Japanese counterparts on how to conduct and train for aircraft carrier operations – at the time a brand new and rapidly emerging form of naval warfare. This training mission contributed significantly to the Imperial Japanese Navy’s prowess in aircraft carrier operations displayed in 1941. While foreign governments and intelligence services are always looking for opportunities to obtain classified information about Australia and its partners, the converse is also true. The Daily Express <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1686465/RAF-news-china-uk-nato-raf-pilots-british-security-agencies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> British intelligence services used their knowledge of these recent activities as an opportunity for some pilots to obtain information on the current state of the PLA. The pilots allegedly had first-hand experience flying China’s frontline combat aircraft, and relayed the information to British authorities on their return. <h2>Protecting our assets</h2> Nevertheless, despite the “clear and unambiguous” obligation for former Commonwealth officials “to maintain [Australia’s] secrets”, ex-ADF personnel have been engaged in training foreign militaries for many years. In an interview with the ABC, former Secretary of Defence Dennis Richardson noted his <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-09/ex-defence-secretary-dennis-richardson-adf-members-china/101635972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surprise</a> “at some of the positions that some former ADF officers have occupied in other countries” and expressed his hope the government’s review “goes beyond China”. The most prominent of these figures is <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-14/former-australian-soldiers-caught-up-in-yemen-civil-war/7087566" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Major General (Ret’d) Mike Hindmarsh</a>, a former Commander of Australia’s Special Operations Command who was subsequently appointed as the Commander of the United Arab Emirates’ Presidential Guard. Australia already has <a href="https://www.defence.gov.au/business-industry/export/controls/export-controls/export" target="_blank" rel="noopener">export control</a> regulations, which limits the physical export and intangible transfer of controlled military and dual-use goods and technologies. Also, stringent <a href="https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/education/o-neil-alters-ministerial-sign-off-for-postgrad-students-20220630-p5axwq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">limitations</a> on international students undertaking postgraduate research in Australia on critical technologies were legislated in the last Parliament. However, these measures aren’t being currently being implemented until the government can more clearly define the relevant list of critical technologies. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-is-investigating-whether-ex-defence-personnel-provided-military-training-to-china-would-it-matter-if-they-did-194252" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Travel Trouble

Glute force: why big, strong bum muscles matter for your overall health

The glutes are the large, powerful muscles in your bum that help support the pelvis, stabilise the hip joint and allow the hip to move. Countless social media posts extol the virtues of building strong glutes through exercises such as squats. However, most of what you hear from such “gymfluencers” is about how the bum muscles look. Forget about how they look; what about what they do? Why is having big, strong glutes important for your body to function well? In fact, having strong bum muscles is crucial to good musculoskeletal health. <h2>Bum muscles hold your body up and protect the hip joint</h2> The gluteal muscles are a group of three separate muscles, each with unique anatomical structure and function. The deepest and smallest muscle is called the gluteus minimus, which is very close to the hip joint itself. Overlaying gluteus minimus is the gluteus medius. This one is relatively large and spans the whole outer surface of the pelvis. The gluteus maximus is the largest of the three gluteal muscles and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19449297/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overlays</a> both gluteus medius and minimus. This muscle is what gives the the bum its distinctive bum-like shape, but it plays a very important role in the way your body functions. In combination, the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus gives rise to many hip movements, and provide shock absorption when you’re walking or running. These muscles work together with your brain to generate a lot of power to hold your body up as gravity tries to pull it down. They also protect the hip joint from impact and from shearing forces that might cause long term damage. Some of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ca.23510">our</a> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1063458418315127?via%3Dihub">work</a> has identified some people with hip pain also have impairments in the gluteal muscles. These impairments could reduce the bum muscles’ ability to protect the joint against long term damage and potentially affect a person’s ability to bear weight (for example, when standing on one leg or climbing stairs). A reduction in muscle size and an increase in non-active tissue such as fat has been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31689358/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in hip conditions such as greater trochanteric pain syndrome (a common type of hip pain, also known as gluteal tendinopathy). The same is also true for <a href="https://www.oarsijournal.com/article/S1063-4584(16)30064-4/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hip osteoarthritis</a>, which affects the whole joint. The rates of osteoarthritis in Australia are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15933" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increasing</a>, with <a href="https://aoj.amegroups.com/article/view/3664/4322" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one in every seven</a> hip joint replacements conducted in people under the age of 55. However, it’s worth noting just because you have signs of arthritis on hip x-ray or MRI, it doesn’t mean you will have pain or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1063458420312310?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">develop</a> <a href="https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/7/4/e001199" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pain</a>. Research <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29439949/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggests</a> the way a person moves may contribute to the risk of hip osteoarthritis in young people. If you do have hip pain, bum muscle strengthening is <a href="https://www.racgp.org.au/download/Documents/Guidelines/Musculoskeletal/guideline-for-the-management-of-knee-and-hip-oa-2nd-edition.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended</a> as the first line treatment. But strong glutes have also been shown to improve your day-to-day function, especially in those with hip osteoarthritis. In particular, people with hip osteoarthritis who have stronger glutes walk faster and longer <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jor.1100150421" target="_blank" rel="noopener">distances</a> and climb stairs <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/acr.22329" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faster</a> than those with weaker glutes. <h2>Should I do my bum exercises?</h2> Ultimately, better bum muscle function is likely to be helpful and is often recommended by doctors, physiotherapists and other health-care practitioners. They may prescribe certain exercises to strengthen your glutes and target problems around the hip area. Having weak glutes is associated with: <ul> <li> <a href="https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12891-019-2833-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">low back pain</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18838402/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">patellofemoral</a> pain (pain under the knee cap) and </li> <li> greater <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1050641117300111?via%3Dihu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trochanteric pain syndrome</a> (the common type of hip pain we mentioned earlier, also known as gluteal tendinopathy). </li> </ul> Glute strength may even have a role to play in keeping your <a href="https://journals.lww.com/jwhpt/Abstract/2021/07000/Hip_and_Pelvic_Floor_Muscle_Strength_in_Women_With.5.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pelvic floor</a> in good shape (although further research is required). That’s not to say doing your bum exercises will automatically cure all these ailments; each case is unique and involves a range of factors. But having strong glutes is, in general, very important for hip and pelvis stability and function. No matter if you are a gymfluencer, a professional sports person, or just a regular bum-owner, having strong glutes will keep you in good stride. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/glute-force-why-big-strong-bum-muscles-matter-for-your-overall-health-190978" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Body

Democracy spreads in waves – but shared cultural history might matter more than geography

Recent events like the war in Ukraine, conflicts over Taiwan and the rise of authoritarian ideology have renewed interest in the foundations of modern democracy. They have raised questions about why some nations are more democratic than others, and how democratic institutions, freedoms and values are spread or lost. We tend to think of this variation in terms of geography – democratic Western Europe or autocratic Middle East. But in a <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/evolutionary-human-sciences/article/shared-cultural-ancestry-predicts-the-global-diffusion-of-democracy/90C7A170B924FC305DD66FF8853799FC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new analysis of 220 years of political data</a>, we show that deep cultural connections between countries such as shared linguistic or religious ancestry matter more than geography. <h2>Waves of democratisation</h2> The emergence of modern democracy coincides with the rise of nation states in Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. Democracy spread across European nations and their colonies, over <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Wave:_Democratization_in_the_Late_Twentieth_Century" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three waves</a>. The first wave lasted about a century, from 1828 to 1926, halting after the first world war. A second, rapid wave (1945-1962) followed the second world war and decolonisation. The third wave began in 1974 and continues today. It encompassed political transitions and new countries in Europe, Latin America and the Pacific. Each wave was followed by a period of reversals when nations turned to autocratic regimes, junta or fascism. Indeed, some researchers speculate we are heading into <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13510347.2019.1582029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">another period of reversal</a>. <h2>What drives modern democracy?</h2> Scholars traditionally considered factors internal to a country – economic growth, rates of education or the natural environment – as the drivers of these waves. However, the geographic clustering of democracy and the wave-like pattern of expansion suggest the process may also involve a kind of contagion where democracy passes from one nation to another. One explanation for this is that democratic change spreads across borders, so that neighbouring countries end up with similar levels of democracy. Culture provides another explanation. Neighbouring countries tend to share a common cultural heritage, such as related languages or religions. This shapes national institutions, norms and values. In our research, we tested the idea that common cultural ancestry explains variation and change in democracy around the globe. We brought together 220 years of democracy data with information on the cultural relationships between nations. The cultural relationships we examined were based on languages and religious beliefs. For example, Portugal is linguistically closer to Spanish-speaking Argentina and Spain than to England and Germany (which speak Germanic languages). Likewise, Myanmar, a Theravada Buddhist country, is religiously closer to Mongolia (where Vajrayana Buddhism is predominant) than to Muslim Malaysia. <h2>Culture is more important than geography</h2> The democracy data we studied cover 269 modern and historical nations and three widely-used democracy indicators, measuring democratic and autocratic authority in governing institutions (<a href="https://www.systemicpeace.org/polityproject.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Polity 5</a>), electoral participation and competition (<a href="https://www.prio.org/data/20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vanhanen Index</a>) and individual rights and freedoms (<a href="https://freedomhouse.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Freedom House</a>). Across all three indicators of democracy, we found countries that share linguistic or religious ancestry tend to have more similar democracy scores. These shared cultural ties were better predictors of democracy than geography, especially during the third wave of democratisation. Knowing the democratic status of a country’s linguistic or religious relatives helps predict that country’s future level of democracy five, ten or even 20 years later. These effects were not just due to countries sharing a language (for example, the English-speaking world) or religion (such as the Sunni Islam majority countries). This suggests deeper cultural connections between countries are important. <h2>What this means for the spread of democracy</h2> These effects could be the result of a number of processes. One possibility is that countries directly inherited institutions along the same pathways they inherited cultural features like language. For instance, Aotearoa New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries inherited the British legal system along with the English language. Another possibility is that cultural similarities might make countries more likely to maintain ongoing social connections, including foreign relations, which then aid the spread of institutions. For example, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-arab-spring-changed-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-forever-161394" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arab Spring</a> spread among a set of countries with common linguistic and religious heritage. A third possibility is that inherited cultural values could steer countries towards similar institutions. For example, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-019-0769-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in previous research</a> we found that tolerance of diversity (cosmopolitan values) promotes a shift to more democratic institutions, but the reverse is not true. Democratic institutions do not shift tolerance. Countries that have inherited cosmopolitan values as part of their shared cultural ancestry may be more likely to shift towards democracy. If this theory is correct, it calls into question the assumption that democratic institutions can endure without sustained efforts to promote the cultural values that support them. The US interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq may be tragic examples of this. Our findings indicate cultural history matters for understanding the spread of democracy around the globe. This does not mean culture is the only factor at play (our analyses still leave a lot of variation unexplained). Neither do our findings speak to a population’s ultimate potential to achieve democratic outcomes, but we see this as within the reach of all populations. This means those wishing to support democracy at home or abroad should take cultural barriers seriously. We cannot assume that institutions that work well in one cultural setting can be easily transplanted to another, very different setting, with different values, norms and traditions. We should pay more attention to culturally closely related countries that have succeeded at merging local norms and values with democratic institutions. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/democracy-spreads-in-waves-but-shared-cultural-history-might-matter-more-than-geography-189959" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Legal

Why the size of your glasses matters

It can be frustrating when you’ve picked up your news glasses only to find the frame presses against your head or the glasses keep slipping down your nose. Getting the right pair of glasses isn’t just about the right prescription, finding a comfortable frame is also key to enjoying relaxed and (almost) perfect vision. So if you’ve ever suffered buyer’s remorse after a glasses purchase, here are the tips to follow so you always get the perfect fit for your new glasses. The lens In general, the thinner and lighter the lens, the more comfortable the spectacles will be to wear. If possible, choose a thinner lens so your glasses won’t feel as heavy on the nose and ears. The nose bridge As one of the few points of contact with your face, it’s important to carefully consider the comfort of the glasses’ nose bridge. You want the nose pads to sit solidly on your nose, otherwise they can quickly lose their grip and keep sliding down. The sides The sides of your spectacles shouldn’t press into your temples. Some people mistakenly believe pressure means the glasses fit properly, but there should never be any heaviness felt on the temples. You might feel some pressure behind the ear, but that’s ok as this keeps the weight of the glasses from being borne wholly by your nose. The frame As a general rule, when you look through your glasses it should be at the middle of the lens. The top of the frame should sit below the eyebrows but above the fold of the eye and the frame should not be much wider than your face. Image: Getty Images

Eye Care

Why the nose-diving British pound matters for Australia

As the British pound hit its lowest value since 1971, experts are warning it could serve as a dire warning for those of us beyond UK shores. On Monday, it was reported that the pound was worth as little as $US 1.037 ($AU 1.60 or $NZ 1.82), its lowest since the currency was decimalised in 1971. It comes amid concerns about the state of the global economy, with central banks working to slow the rate of inflation, and economic changes the UK government has introduced. After Liz Truss became the UK’s new Prime Minister on September 6, Treasury chief Kwasi Krawteng released a controversial mini-budget including hefty tax cuts for the wealthy and an increase in borrowing to spur economic growth. But, many economists warn it’s more likely to increase inflation even further, with the British central bank expected to increase official interest rates in response. Since the announcement of the tax cuts on Friday, which come as the biggest cuts in 50 years, the pound lost more than five percent of its value against the US dollar. Along with the cuts that are set to total £45 billion ($AU 75 billion or $NZ 85 billion), the government also plans to cap prices for electricity and natural gas for homes and businesses to cushion the impact of price rises caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With the caps to the tune of £60 billion ($AU 100 billion or $NZ 114 billion), Kwarteng said the government would be borrowing the funds needed to finance it. How does it affect us? Though that could mean your next UK holiday is cheaper, economist Jason Murphy points to it as a warning for what could be in store for the Australian economy. Australia’s new Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is expected to release his first budget in October, which is expected to include his proposed tax cuts that will mostly benefit high-income earners, known as “stage three tax cuts”. These cuts are a hand-me-down from the Turnbull government’s 2018-19 budget, coming from then-Treasurer Scott Morrison, but they could pose some issues as Aussies face inflation everywhere from the supermarket to keeping the lights on. Tax cuts encourage spending and that spending encourages businesses to increase prices, resulting in inflation. With debts from the payouts delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/markets/world-markets/british-pound-hits-a-record-low-in-big-warning-for-australia/news-story/36c1a1c7b5c3431147948a9dcea5395a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Murphy argues</a> that steering clear of tax cuts will also help reduce the country’s debt, which is significantly higher than when Morrison’s budget was first announced. As we continue to watch what happens in the UK, senior investment and markets analyst Susannah Streeter said it’s difficult to know just how far it will fall. "It depends, I think, now on what the Bank of England does in response to sterling's most recent fall," she said. "There's been this dramatic loss of confidence in the government's economic management. But now the ball is in the Bank of England's court." Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

Waleed Aly defends cricketers refusal to support Black Lives Matter

Waleed Aly has jumped to the defence of South African cricketer Quinton de Kock, who refused to take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The world-famous wicketkeeper made international headlines when he refused to kneel at the T20 World Cup during a show of support for the global anti-racism movement. His refusal sparked outrage around the world, as ABC Breakfast host Tony Armstrong says he "saw red" and blasted the cricketer's actions on air. In the days following, Quinton de Kock, who comes from a mixed race family, issued an apology, saying he felt like his rights were "taken away" as players were instructed just hours before the commencement of the game to take a knee. The Project host leapt to his defence, saying he understood the cricketer's reluctance to participate. "Especially when it came out that he was just told on the way to the ground and all of that sort of stuff," Aly told the program on Thursday night. "I think that there's a thing that sport has to think about here, which is, it's one thing for sport to take a stand... It's another thing when you compel every player to take the same stand, especially when you compel them a couple of hours before a game." Despite saying "if I was in his position, I'm taking the knee", Waleed said he thought it was unfair for Cricket South Africa to spring the action on unsuspecting players. "There was no conversation and suddenly he's meant to process this and take on something that the game or Cricket South Africa and a statement that they want to make as his own personal one," Aly continued. "It's a really weird situation for a player to be in." Guest host on The Project Tony Armstrong accepted the cricketer's apology and explanation, and admitted he may have made a mistake calling the player a racist. "I'm so glad that he's come out and said what he said. Because I think what he might not have realised in the moment was - just what it means to so many people," he said. You can check out the whole discussion here: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kl9qOKx_JYY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Image credits: The Project

Scott Morrison fires back at budget accusations: “Nothing else matters”

Scott Morrison has furiously denied allegations that the 2021 budget was devised to win re-election. Speaking on Today, the Australian Prime Minister declared all he cared about was saving “lives and livelihoods” in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also confirmed the Federal Election would take place next year. "Nothing else matters," Mr Morrison said, shrugging off suggestions that he had spent big to win another election. "There's no politics or ideology in a pandemic, there is just government needing to do what we need to do to save lives and livelihoods and that's what we've done. "(I) couldn't careless about the politics. I care a lot about people's jobs, about their health and doing what is necessary." Mr Morrison said his "only opponent" right now was the COVID-19 pandemic. "That's the opponent I'm focused on." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The Federal Budget has painted a grim picture for international travel, assuming Australia will be closed off from the rest of the world until mid-2022. That's even after a full vaccination program is in place. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Budget2021?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Budget2021</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusPol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusPol</a> DETAILS: <a href="https://t.co/RriJ27Kzc8">https://t.co/RriJ27Kzc8</a> <a href="https://t.co/lx3gBxjLF3">pic.twitter.com/lx3gBxjLF3</a> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1392266525407580166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2021</a></blockquote> Today host Karl Stefanovic went on to say that Mr Morrison ought to be in a better mood this morning and asked if the PM was okay. "It is a very big budget. Josh Frydenberg had a very big smile. I thought you might be happier this morning, PM?" Stefanovic asked. "I'm fine, mate," Mr Morrison replied. "I appreciate the care and concern. "Budgets are big events and that's all fine but I just know the fight we're in. "I am very cognisant of how big those challenges are, it is with me every second of every day." The budget assumed the international borders would remain slammed shut until the second half of 2022, a belief that Mr Morrison says was necessary. "The borders for now, of course they have to remain closed," he said. "The pandemic is raging around the world. The idea that we could open Australia up in that environment is not responsible, it's not sensible." He went on to say the government had worked hard to keep the virus out of Australia. Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said the budget only benefits Mr Morrison ahead of the election in 2022. Mr Albanese questioned the "plans" announced by Mr Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. "The treasurer spoke about plans for jobs – this is a plan for Scott Morrison's job, no one else's" Mr Albanese said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Here's how the 2021 Federal Budget could help or hinder an average Aussie family. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Budget2021?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Budget2021</a> We've done the hard yakka for you - everything you need to know about how the Budget will impact your and your family, explained simply: <a href="https://t.co/uQTJF5OaOT">https://t.co/uQTJF5OaOT</a> <a href="https://t.co/ws27jsNLet">pic.twitter.com/ws27jsNLet</a> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1392242526556495882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2021</a></blockquote> "There is no long-term plan here." The $74 billion splurge is believed to set up decades of deficit that will see net debt peak at almost $1 trillion. Mr Morrison said Treasury had looked "into the abyss" as the country faces down the biggest economic challenge since the Great Depression. The budget has set up generations of Australians with decades of deficit that will see net debt peak at almost $1 trillion. "Australians we are living in this country like virtually nowhere else in the world," Mr Morrison said. "That has been hard won and we need to ensure we continue to hold on to these gains and we build on them."

Legal

“White Lives Matter” banner flown above football match

Burnley have criticised a banner displaying “White Lives Matter Burnley” after it was flown above the Etihad Stadium, during a game against Manchester City on Monday night. The club quickly put out a statement after the banner, which was towed by a plane, flew over the grounds of the stadium. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/AirAds2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AirAds2</a> - care to comment in your ad plane that flew above Burnley FC today towing a banner bearing the legend "White Lives Matter"? For instance, who bought that ad space? <a href="https://t.co/LqUQ5IEhjG">pic.twitter.com/LqUQ5IEhjG</a> — Di Middleton QC (@di_middleton_QC) <a href="https://twitter.com/di_middleton_QC/status/1275158013591027713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2020</a></blockquote> Just a few minutes before, team members and match officials had taken a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. “We wish to make it clear that those responsible are not welcome at Turf Moor,” the statement read. “This, in no way, represents what Burnley Football Club stands for and we will work fully with the authorities to identify those responsible and issue lifetime bans. “The club has a proud record of working with all genders, religions and faiths through its award-winning Community scheme, and stands against racism of any kind. We are fully behind the Premier League’s Black Lives Matter initiative and, in line with all other Premier League games undertaken since Project Restart, our players and football staff willingly took the knee at kick-off at Manchester City. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> So apparently there was a plane carrying the flag" White lives matter" big disgrace, burnley <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MCIBUR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MCIBUR</a> <a href="https://t.co/auGrYN2o3w">pic.twitter.com/auGrYN2o3w</a> — GROOt (@UncleDr77939074) <a href="https://twitter.com/UncleDr77939074/status/1275144914158878723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2020</a></blockquote> “We apologise unreservedly to the Premier League, to Manchester City and to all those helping to promote Black Lives Matter.” After Manchester City took the victory 5-0, Burnley defender Ben Mee took aim at the banner, saying: “We can talk about football, but there’s something I want to speak about first: the plane banner. “I’m embarrassed and ashamed at the fans bringing that out. They’ve completely missed the point. These people need to come into the 21st century and educate themselves.” “It doesn’t represent what we’re about, what the club’s about, what the players are about and what the majority of our fans are about. We’d heard some whispers that it might happen and the club tried to stop it. I hope it doesn’t happen again. I’m upset that it’s associated with our club, my club.” The former Manchester City defender Micah Richards, said on Sky Sports: “It’s so disheartening, especially with how far we’ve cone in these last couple of weeks. It really does hurt me.” European quality body, Fare, released a statement slamming the stunt. “The racist backlash against the Black Lives Matter movement across Europe is a trend we have seen and documented,” Fare’s executive director, Piara Powar said. “Set against the BLM message of equal rights ‘White Lives Matter’ can only be motivated by racism and a denial of equal rights. It shows exactly why the fight for equality is so important and why the majority of people have supported it. “At this stage we don’t know who is behind this, but it’s clear they don’t see the relevance of the message to football or the impact that racism has on so many peoples lives. So be it. The movement, the issues that are being discussed and the change that will arise is unstoppable. History will judge that this was a moment that led to change.”

Travel Trouble

Bride demands refund from wedding photographer over Black Lives Matter support

An American wedding photographer said a couple tried to cancel their contract after she expressed her support for Black Lives Matter in a social media post. Shakira Rochelle, a photographer based in Cincinnati, Ohio, shared her support of the movement on her social media pages. The post read: “Shakira Rochelle Photography stands in solidarity with the black community. The black lives matter movement has my endless support.” <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/CBEt3EblKff/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBEt3EblKff/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Shakira Rochelle Photography stands in solidarity with the black community. The black lives matter movement has my endless support ✊🏼.</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/shakirarochellephotographyy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Shakira Rochelle🌿</a> (@shakirarochellephotographyy) on Jun 5, 2020 at 5:34pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Rochelle later received a text message from a client requesting her deposit back. “We have done a lot of talking and we cannot bring ourselves to support anyone who is so outspoken on matters that simply do not concern them as well as someone that does not believe that ALL lives matter,” the bride wrote on the text. “We … feel that you aren’t stable enough to complete the job we need from you.” Rochelle told the bride that the deposit was non-refundable, as per their signed contract. “I wish you a lifetime of growth and I would like to thank you for your donation to Black Lives Matter,” the photographer concluded. The bride told Rochelle she would be “hearing from our attorney”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I love it here. <a href="https://t.co/hKH4WFOSk2">pic.twitter.com/hKH4WFOSk2</a> — Q.🍫 (@PINKdot_COM) <a href="https://twitter.com/PINKdot_COM/status/1272880090003771393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2020</a></blockquote> The screenshots of the messages – which Rochelle posted on her personal Facebook account – went on to become viral on social media sites. A Twitter post with pictures of the exchange has received more than 1.1 million likes. On Wednesday, Rochelle released a statement addressing claims that her post was fabricated. “There is a photoshopped screenshot circulating stating that coming forward with this story was a business tactic to make a profit on the BLM movement,” she said. “This is the most incredibly absurd thing I have ever heard. The original post started out private until a friend asked if she could share it. I never had the intentions or the desire to go viral for this or anything else.” Rochelle explained that prior to the incident, she had been booked until winter and was not seeking for more clients. “I have always stood up for human rights and will continue to do so. I have marched with my loved ones as well as alone. My intentions are pure,” she said. “Please know that what you saw from me was the complete story.” Black Lives Matter protests have been initiated across the US and around the world following the killing of George Floyd in police custody on May 25.

Art

Jeff Bezos slams “sickening” response to Black Lives Matter post

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> Jeff Bezos has told a racist customer he’s happy to lose his business. The founder of online giant Amazon has shared the “sickening” email he received from a customer after his company showed support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Bezos took to Instagram to post a screenshot of the email which used the N-word multiple times and warned that Amazon’s anti-racist stance “will ruin your company”. <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/CBJrhdzHKNt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBJrhdzHKNt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">There have been a number of sickening but not surprising responses in my inbox since my last post. This sort of hate shouldn’t be allowed to hide in the shadows. It’s important to make it visible. This is just one example of the problem. And, Dave, you’re the kind of customer I’m happy to lose.</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/jeffbezos/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Jeff Bezos</a> (@jeffbezos) on Jun 7, 2020 at 3:50pm PDT </div> </blockquote> “I cancelled my order and I know for a fact that I won’t be the only one,” wrote the customer named Dave. “Maintain your stance and we will watch your profits decline and laugh about it.” Bezos revealed that there had been a “number of sickening but not surprising responses” in his inbox since his last post, which also shared an email from a customer denouncing the company. “This sort of hate shouldn’t be allowed to hide in the shadows,” he wrote in the recent post. “It’s important to make it visible. This is just one example of the problem. “And, Dave, you’re the kind of customer I’m happy to lose.” In another post, Bezos shared his response to a customer named Macy who told him all lives mattered. <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/CBEcwTgneUY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBEcwTgneUY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">I got this email from a customer and wanted to share my response.</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/jeffbezos/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Jeff Bezos</a> (@jeffbezos) on Jun 5, 2020 at 3:05pm PDT </div> </blockquote> “It is quite disturbing to get on the Amazon website and see Black Lives Matter,” she wrote. “I am for everyone voicing their opinions and standing up for what you believe in, but for your company to blast this on your website is very offensive to me and I’m sure you’ll be hearing from others.” The billionaire responded by saying “black lives matter” doesn’t mean other lives didn’t matter. “Black lives matter speaks to racism and the disproportionate risk that black people face in our law enforcement and justice system,” he told her. “I have a 20-year-old son, and I simply don’t worry that he might be choked to death while being detained one day. It’s not something I worry about. Black parents can’t say the same.” Bezos said his stance wouldn’t change. </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-action-bar-component-wrapper"> <div class="post-actions-component"> <div class="upper-row"> <div class="right-box-container"> <div class="watched-bookmark-container"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Money & Banking

Meghan Markle addresses Black Lives Matter movement in new video: “The only wrong thing to say is to say nothing”

Meghan Markle has delivered a moving speech on racism in light of the Black Lives Matter movement recently re-lit by George Floyd’s death in police custody. In a powerful video message to the graduating class of the Los Angeles high school she attended, the royal member called the events of the past week “absolutely devastating”, admitting she “wasn’t sure what to say” at first. “I wasn't sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing and I was really nervous that it would get picked apart,” she said. “I realised the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing,” she told the Immaculate Heart High School students. “Because George Floyd's life mattered and Breonna Taylor's life mattered and Philando Castile's life mattered and Tamir Rice's life mattered … and so did so many other people whose names we know and whose names we do not know.” The Duchess of Sussex was born and raised in Los Angeles, where she now resides with her husband Prince Harry and their son Archie. In the new video shared to social media, the royal recounted her memories of the riots that occurred in the city in 1992, which she described as similarly triggered by “a senseless act of racism”. “I remember seeing men in the back of a van just holding guns and rifles. I remember pulling up the house and seeing the tree, that had always been there, completely charred,” she said. “Those memories don't go away, and I can't imagine that at 17 or 18 years old, which is how old you are now, that you would have to have a different version of that same type of experience. That's something you should have an understanding of as a history lesson, not as your reality.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> “We are going to rebuild and rebuild and rebuild until it is rebuilt. Because when the foundation is broken, so are we.” - Meghan Markle <a href="https://t.co/km7j5Gu7Bv">pic.twitter.com/km7j5Gu7Bv</a> — shondaland tv (@shondaland) <a href="https://twitter.com/shondaland/status/1268604404434755590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2020</a></blockquote> She went on to apologise that the world isn’t “in a place where you deserve it to be”. “I am so sorry that you have to grow up in a world where this is still present,” she said. The former Suits actress finished off her powerful five-minute speech by urging students of her former highschool take action and be leaders in inspiring change as they forge a path outside high school. “We are going to rebuild and rebuild and rebuild until it is rebuilt. Because when the foundation is broken, so are we,” she said to the students. “You are going to lead with love, you are going to lead with compassion, you are going to use your voice in a stronger way than you've ever been able to, because most of you are 18, or you're going to turn 18, and you're going to vote. “I know you know that black lives matter, so I am already excited for what you are going to do in the world. You are equipped, you are ready, we need you and you are prepared.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBCIojaDggp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBCIojaDggp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by El Universo Vida y Estilo (@eluniversovidayestilo)</a> on Jun 4, 2020 at 5:30pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Both Meghan and Harry have maintained a low profile during the Black Lives Matter protests, having stayed offline during Black Out Tuesday this week on their Sussex Royal Instagram page. The Queen's Commonwealth Trust, which is overseen by the Queen, Harry and Meghan, this week shared on Instagram and Twitter a Martin Luther King Jr quote, saying “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Beauty & Style

A thousand yarns and snapshots – why poetry matters during a pandemic

Why do we have the arts? Why do they seem to matter so much? It is all very well muttering something vague about eternal truths and spiritual values. Or even gesturing toward Bach and Leonardo da Vinci, along with our own Patrick White. But what can the poets make of, and for, our busy, present lives? What do they have to say during grave crises? Well, they can speak eloquently to their readers for life, in writing from the very base of their own experiences. Every generation has laid claim, afresh, to its vital modernity. In the 17th century, Andrew Marvell did so with witty lyrical elegance in his verse <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44688/to-his-coy-mistress">To a Coy Mistress</a>. Three centuries later, the <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/rene-char">French poet René Char</a> thought of us as weaving tapestries against the threat of extinction. Accordingly, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1668153.Hypnos_Waking">he wrote</a>: The poet is not angry at the hideous extinction of death, but confident of his own particular touch, he transforms everything into long wools. In short, the poet will, at best, weave lasting, memorable, salvific tapestries out of words. The poems in question will come out live, if the poet is lucky, and possibly as disparate as the sleepy, furred animals caged in Melbourne Zoo. What is truly touching or intimate need not be tapped by elegies, for all that they can fill a mortal need. Yet the great modern poet <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/w-h-auden">W. H. Auden</a> <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=Iae_YsTmAT8C&pg=PA231&lpg=PA231&dq=%22only+one+object+in+his+world+which+is+at+once+sacred+and+hated%22&source=bl&ots=Ib10mT6Q8x&sig=ACfU3U38Y8tHrdfsSqHYljJa1Rz9RdHG8Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwipmZGf4rTpAhVF7HMBHU2NDFkQ6AEwAHoECAEQAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false">wrote in memory</a> of poet, writer and broadcaster John Betjeman: There is one, only one object in his world which is at once sacred and hated, but it is far too formidable to be satirizable: namely Death. As William Wordsworth and Judith Wright both well knew, in their separate generations – and quite polar cultures – the best poetry grasps moments of our ordinary lives, and renders them memorable. Poetry can give us back our dailiness in musical technicolour: in a thousand yarns or snapshots. Poems sing to us that life really matters, now. That can emerge as songs or satires, laments, landscapes or even somebody’s portrait done in imaginative words. Yes, verse at its finest is living truth “done” in verbal art. The great Russian playwright Anton Chekhov once insisted “nothing ever happens later”, and the point of poetry in our own time – as always, at its best – is surely to shine the light of language on what is happening now. The devil is in the detail, yes. But so is the redemptive beauty, along with “the prophetess Deborah under her palm-tree” in the words of the Australian poet, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/glutton-for-words-crafted-rare-prose-20120702-21d2a.html">Peter Steele</a>. Poetry sees the palm tree, and the prophetess herself, vividly, even in the middle of a widespread epidemic. Modern poetry is an art made out of living language. In these times, at least, it tends to be concise, barely spilling over the end of the page: too tidy for that, unlike the vast memorised narratives of the Israelites, the Greeks or even the Icelanders. But what it shares with the ancient, oral cultures is its connection with wisdom, crystallising nodes of value, fables of the tribe, moments or decades that made us all. In the brief age of a national pandemic, poetry’s role and its duties may come to seem all the more important: all the more civil and politically sane. The poem – even in the case when it is quite a short lyric, even if comic – carries the message of moral responsibility in its saddle bag. Perhaps all poets do, even when they are also charming the pants off their willing readers. Written by Christopher Wallace-Crabbe. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-thousand-yarns-and-snapshots-why-poetry-matters-during-a-pandemic-138723">The Conversation</a>.

Caring

No joking matter: Prince William's coronavirus quip on Ireland trip

Prince William has joked about spreading coronavirus with his wife Kate as they make their way through Ireland. As he met emergency workers at a reception hosted by Britain’s Ambassador to Ireland Robin Barnett, he joked about the panic surrounding the disease. I bet everyone’s like ‘I’ve got coronavirus, I’m dying’, and you’re like ‘No, you’ve just got a cough’, he joked to Joe Mooney, an advance paramedic with the National Ambulance Service. “Does it seem quite dramatic about coronavirus at the moment? Is it being a little bit hyped up do you think in the media?” As the two continued talking, the Duke of Cambridge later grimaced with mock horror and explained his part in spreading the disease. “By the way, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spreading coronavirus, sorry. “We’re keeping an eye on that, so do tell us if we need to stop.” <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N58eu-qM1aA"></iframe></div> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> A royal insider told <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11094200/prince-william-jokes-coronavirus-ireland-trip/" target="_blank">The Sun</a> that the couple are following guidelines from Public Health England and the Department of Health, which means “business as usual” for now. “This is a discussion we have been having and everything we are doing should continue as usual,” said the insider. During the event, Prince William also joked that he never thought he’d see his grandmother the Queen in a pub. "We are retracing the footsteps of my grandmother, who was shown how to pour the perfect pint here in 2011,” he told the crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen let me tell you it is not often that I find myself following the Queen to a pub!” The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on their first official visit to Ireland, nine years after the Queen became the first British monarch to visit the country since its independence. </div> </div> </div> </div>

Body

Indigenous languages matter - but all is not lost when they change or disappear

UNESCO’s <a href="https://en.iyil2019.org/">International Year of Indigenous Languages</a> recently came to an end after a year of celebration of linguistic diversity. And with a “<a href="https://en.unesco.org/news/building-legacy-2019-international-year-indigenous-languages">decade of Indigenous languages</a>” now under consideration, it’s a good time to review what these celebrations mean. When <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/four-things-happen-when-language-dies-and-one-thing-you-can-do-help-180962188/">the media report</a> on the crisis of endangered languages, the view there’s an <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-languages-die-we-lose-a-part-of-who-we-are-51825">associated loss</a> of culture, identity and even memory, is widely expressed. While there are very good reasons to deplore the loss of small languages, assuming this loss condemns cultural identity may be unhelpful and reductive to those who have already shifted away from their heritage language. To test the claim “losing language means losing culture”, I carried out <a href="https://www.crcpress.com/Difference-and-Repetition-in-Language-Shift-to-a-Creole-The-Expression/Ponsonnet/p/book/9781138601352">linguistic research</a> on <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-largest-language-spoken-exclusively-in-australia-kriol-56286">Kriol</a>, a postcolonial language now spoken by thousands of Indigenous Australians in the north of the country. I found that regardless of the language they speak, people still find ways to express old ways of speaking in a new language, so language doesn’t fundamentally alter their cultural identity. In other words, their culture can shape their language, not just the other way around. Reclaiming suppressed languages UNESCO’s year-long campaign has highlighted the role of language in preserving cultural identities: <a href="https://en.iyil2019.org/about/#action-plan">its action plan</a> says languages <blockquote> foster and promote unique local cultures, customs and values. </blockquote> Highlighting the role of language with respect to culture is important to help minorities access the support they need to maintain or reclaim heritage languages. Many people experience strong emotional attachment to their mother tongue. In Australia and other colonised countries, many Indigenous languages have been actively suppressed. In such contexts, language maintenance and reclamation constitute responses to historical trauma, as well as acts of resistance. However, when praise of linguistic diversity does not go hand in hand with nuanced discussion about the complex relationship between language and culture, it can feed the already prevalent misconceptions that language “conditions” culture. Post-colonial languages In a country like Australia, where more than 80% of the Indigenous population has <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-state-of-australias-indigenous-languages-and-how-we-can-help-people-speak-them-more-often-109662">adopted new, post-colonial languages</a>, this thinking is oversimplified. Today, most Indigenous Australians speak <a href="http://www.tesol.org.au/esl/docs/whatis.pdf">Aboriginal English</a>, a form of English with dialectal differences. A few thousand others speak <a href="https://theconversation.com/while-old-indigenous-languages-disappear-new-ones-evolve-32559">creoles or mixed languages</a> – languages that combine English-like forms with some features of older Australian languages. This means for the vast majority of Indigenous Australians – and perhaps for descendants of migrants as well – singling out language as one of the main ways to maintain culture may be misplaced, and sometimes plainly hurtful. Under Australian Native Title laws, for instance, Indigenous groups must demonstrate cultural continuity to be granted legal rights over their traditional land. While language isn’t mentioned in the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00054">Native Title Act 1993</a>, the ways language can be used as evidence, and how it can influence court proceedings, is <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0075424208321142">well-documented</a>. In this context, putting emphasis on traditional languages is a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299873235_The_Cost_of_Language_Mobilization_Wangkatha_Language_Ideologies_and_Native_Title">disadvantage</a> for English-speaking Indigenous groups. This shows that broader colonial ideology is still in play, where Indigenous populations are expected to conform to a static concept of Indigeneity, defined by the coloniser. Languages can reflect values The linguistic and anthropological literature provides many examples of how <a href="https://www.dynamicsoflanguage.edu.au/news-and-media/latest-headlines/article/?id=video-nick-evans-on-the-language-of-poetry-in-indigenous-australian-song">languages can reflect cultural values and knowledge</a>. This often surfaces in the way languages <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-seasonal-calendars-of-indigenous-australia-88471">organise their vocabularies</a>. For instance, some Australian languages, including Kriol, have a word that means both “feel sorry” and “give”, which fits in well with the <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520074118/pintupi-country-pintupi-self">moral values</a> of many Indigenous Australian societies. Other examples of possible correlation between language and culture are metaphors, or the expression of kinship relations. <hr /> Read more: <a href="https://theconversation.com/countering-the-claims-about-australias-aboriginal-number-systems-65042">Countering the claims about Australia's Aboriginal number systems</a> <hr /> While researchers often note such correlations between language and culture, little scientific research has explored <a href="https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-02105741">what happens to such linguistic properties</a> when people adopt a new language. My <a href="https://www.crcpress.com/Difference-and-Repetition-in-Language-Shift-to-a-Creole-The-Expression/Ponsonnet/p/book/9781138601352">recent linguistic study</a> has shown how <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-largest-language-spoken-exclusively-in-australia-kriol-56286">Kriol</a> can preserve many of the meanings and convey the same emotions in the older Australian languages it replaces, such as the critically endangered <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalabon_language">Dalabon language</a>. Language is shaped by culture The basic grammar of Kriol and the shape of its words resemble English, and differ sharply from Dalabon. But many of the meanings of Kriol words match the meanings of Dalabon words, so culturally specific concepts are preserved, even though the words sound different. For instance, in Dalabon the word marrbun means both “feel sorry” and “give”, as mentioned. In Kriol, we find the word sori, which sounds like “sorry” in English, but its meanings include “feel sorry” and “give”, just like marrbun. Similar adaptation mechanisms occur throughout the grammar. What this shows is that language and meaning are highly plastic: they adapt to what speakers have to say. In this way, language is shaped by culture, and even when language is replaced, culture can continue. This aligns well with the way Kriol speakers perceive their own language. Working with many Kriol speakers in communities near Katherine, Northern Territory, I have learned they regard Kriol as <a href="https://www.academia.edu/1918825/_Brainwash_from_English_Barunga_Kriol_Speakers_Views_on_Their_Own_Language">part of their identity</a>. Some wish to maintain Dalabon or other Australian languages, just like they wish to maintain artistic traditions or story telling. But this doesn’t mean the language they currently speak, although much closer to English, distances them from their own culture and identity.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127519/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ma-a-ponsonnet-233319">Maïa Ponsonnet</a>, Senior lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-western-australia-1067">University of Western Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/indigenous-languages-matter-but-all-is-not-lost-when-they-change-or-even-disappear-127519">original article</a>.

Domestic Travel

Why seeing live music as a child matters

The mass media invented the teenager during the 1950s and 60s – and thus emerged a whole new audience for popular culture. What we’re seeing now is the recognition of children as an ever more important audience. Musicians and performers, including many <a href="http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2014/Family/">on the program</a> at the Sydney Festival, are tailoring their shows to meet the needs of their young fans. Of course adolescence was nothing new back in the 1950s – but teenagers became an identifiable group who were targeted by people selling music, advertising and live performance in a way that they never had been during this time. The follow-on effect has been quite remarkable, with 50s and 60s teenagers – AKA babyboomers – continuing their teenage patterns of music and media consumption. As Andy Bennett and his colleagues have noted of the emerging era of <a href="http://www.bloomsbury.com/au/ageing-and-youth-cultures-9781847888358/">Aging and Popular Music Studies</a>, “in the early 21st century, the concept of ‘youth culture’ appears increasingly ambiguous and open to interpretation”. Audiences don’t grow out of mass media consumption, live music, and arts performance – rather, they take those habits with them as they grow up and on. Step aside, teens, the kids are in town If the teenager was invented in the 50s and 60s, the pre-teenager, the “tween” (in between child and teenager) and even the toddler, have been created by changes in the late 1990s and into the 2000s. The rise of Australian children’s entertainers <a href="http://www.thewiggles.com/">The Wiggles</a> as all-round performers, composers, merchandisers and popular music innovators has proven that an audience once considered too young for “youth music” is, in fact, a group to be considered. Not only have The Wiggles had <a href="http://www.brw.com.au/p/brw-lounge/the_biggest_earners_in_show_business_pL28d9FkZRUrlqqg0LoCmJ">the type of financial success</a> most musicians can only dream of, theirs is a unique position in terms of influencing the next generation of music makers. This was demonstrated by <a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/rewiggled-a-tribute-to-the-wiggles">Re-Wiggled</a>, a covers album released for The Wiggles’ 20th anniversary, in which “grown-up” musicians gave the pre-school fodder serious treatment. Particularly impressive are offerings by bands with members in their twenties. Their first experiences of The Wiggles come full circle with the new recordings. Live music for young audiences Listening to recorded music at home with your family is such an important thing for kids, and it can unquestionably set off a lifelong love of music. But seeing music live with a group of strangers is something else again. Live music remains an important part of a working musician’s life and a music fan’s experience, with a <a href="http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/news/allnews/LiveMusicfuelsAustralianeconomytothetuneof%2412billion.aspx">2011 study</a> finding that live music in Australia is an industry worth over a billion dollars. Once that light has been fired up, it seems, it’s hard to extinguish. It makes sense then that live music and performance generally for young audiences being increasingly incorporated into community festivals and live performance events. Dedicated kids performances and experiences, such as Ali McGregor’s <a href="http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2014/Family/Jazzamatazz!/">Jazzamattazz! At The Spiegeltent</a> for the current Sydney Festival, a show she previously <a href="https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/childrens-shows/ali-mcgregor-s-jazzamatazz">toured</a> at other large cultural events such as the Edinburgh Fringe. It’s not unlike other successful shows, such as Holly Throsby’s program, in previous years. These aim to acknowledge the special needs of young fans with early starting times and encouraged interaction. At these events kids learn how to be audiences in person rather than consumers at home. We’re also seeing children’s events at key venues, such as the <a href="http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/about/program_kids_at_the_house.aspx">Kids at the House</a> programs at the Sydney Opera House. It would be great to see more opportunities set regionally, and perhaps even staged for free or at discounted rates. Tailoring live music to young audiences helps provide a more rounded musical experience generally, but can also build up lifelong music and arts-going habits. By tying these shows to a broader experience – of going to the annual festival, say, or to a particular venue – the hope is that audiences may continue to visit those places/ events in years to come. An intimate and a social experience In a recent book, <a href="http://au.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1405192410.html">Why Music Matters</a>, music academic and fan David Hesmondhalgh tackles the puzzle of music’s appeal. Exploring music across a range of different types of artistic expressions and audience experiences, he argues that “the fact that music matters so much to so many people may derive from two contrasting yet complementary dimensions of modern societies” – that is, “the intimate and the social, the private and the public”. Similarly, the British <a href="http://livemusicexchange.org/">Live Music Exchange</a>, headed up by iconic industry and academic commentators Martin Cloonan and Simon Frith, also makes the case for the importance of both private and public music engagement. Locally, initiatives such as <a href="http://slamrally.org/">Save Live Music Australia</a> actively put their weight behind the maintenance of a sustainable live music culture in Australia. The grassroots organisation is backed as much by those onstage and in the audience – a love for the live experience is something shared across the barriers as well as during all stages of life. Being able to access mediated music whenever we want – either via broadcasting, digital delivery or personal recorded music collections – is something that many young listeners get attached to at a very young age. But experiencing music live, as often and as young as we can, provides something special again. It gives a type of context for where sounds are coming from, and the first steps into learning how we socially experience something that matters so much to so many. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22003/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/liz-giuffre-105499">Liz Giuffre</a>, Lecturer of Media, Music and Cultural Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/shows-for-little-people-why-seeing-live-music-early-matters-22003">original article</a>.

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