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Pilot pitches in to free passenger stuck in plane bathroom

A pilot has been forced to abandon his post at the cockpit to rescue a passenger trapped in the bathroom of a plane. While onboard a Delta Airlines flight from Salt Lake City to New Orleans, a father of two named Brent became stuck in the bathroom for 35 minutes during the short domestic flight. When it was discovered that Brent was not breaking out of the bathroom by himself, the cabin crew, including the pilot, stepped in to free the 34-year-old dad. After being refused a refund by the airline's customer service, Brent's dissatisfied partner shared a video of the moment the staff all rallied to heave the door open. Recounting the tale on Reddit, the woman suggested that her husband had fled to the bathroom to have a break from his two young kids. She wrote, "After 5 minutes, I wondered what was going on. Was he using this time as a much-needed break from my children’s whiney demands and frequent tantrums? I didn’t blame him." Brent's partner went on to explain that it wasn't until she heard another passenger say the word "stuck" did she realise her husband's predicament. She turned around to see two members of the crew yanking at the door to the rear cubicle as she watched on while she kept one eye on her young kids. The flight attendants enlisted the help of a male passenger who also failed to provide the magic touch, before the pilot emerged, 20 minutes into the ordeal, to have a go. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZWOyr4J2OBo?si=FSdSkXFv4WlClKXB" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <aside> "It wasn't until Brent kicked the hell out of the door while the pilot was pulling as hard as possible that Brent finally made his escape," she wrote. Finishing off the post, the woman concluded that Delta asked her not to share the footage, filmed by another passenger who was closer to the end of the plane, but after not receiving a refund for their "terrible" journey, the mother decided to post them online. The post racked up hundreds of comments, with many people actually siding with the airline for not issuing a refund, suggesting that the author's response was not proportionate to what actually happened. Image credits: Reddit </aside>

Travel Trouble

Pitch to ditch the King from Aussie coins

Bob Katter is calling for a major overhaul of Australian coins, saying King Charles' image should be scrapped from the currency. The federal MP touted an alternative design for the national coins, suggesting it could feature a Kalkadoon warrior or distinguished Australian soldier Ralph Honner. “Surely you’d put Kokoda hero Ralph Honner on your coin, not some British monarch, demonstrating that you don’t believe that all people are born free and equal and that you don’t believe you’re a separate country, that you’re a nationalistic Australian,” Katter said on Monday. The Queensland MP plans to move an amendment to the Crown References Amendment Bill to omit references to the monarchy and substitute the words “sovereign people of Australia”. “For heaven’s sake, get rid of the affirmation that we believe that all people are free and equal,” Katter said. “If you’ve got a monarch on your coin, you do not believe that all people are free and equal.” Katter's pitch comes just weeks after the Royal Australian Mint last month unveiled the effigy of King Charles III, which will be seen on Australian coins by Christmas. For decades, the country’s coins have carried an image of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022. The Royal Mint also recently announced the production of a <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/new-commemorative-queen-coin-worth-serious-cash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commemorative coin</a> in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth, which is already in high demand among royal fans and avid coin collectors. Image credits: Getty Images

Money & Banking

Aussie shopper sparks outrage over "boomer hour" pitch at supermarkets

A frustrated Aussie shopper has called for major supermarkets to implement a dedicated "boomer hour" for seniors to do their groceries. The shopper, from Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, caused an uproar after posting on Facebook saying that elderly customers should be "more mindful of time-poor workers and busy parents". The person went on to write that senior shoppers often take up too much space in the aisles to stop and socialise, making it "inconvenient" for other shoppers in a rush. The divisive post attracted a lot of attention, with many younger shoppers flocking to the comments to back the controversial idea. One person said older shoppers should save their socialising for the cafe or park like “every other normal person”. “This means not using the entire width of supermarket aisles as a catch-up spot to discuss what cruise Bazza’s on, or how the tenants in Jenny’s 13th investment property are really grinding her gears because they want the aircon fixed before summer. Not at 5pm on a weekday.” Despite some support for the idea, consumer behaviour analyst Barry Urquhart branded the idea as "ageism personified". "It won't work because they are a primary driver of the marketplace at the moment," he told Seven News. "At a time where the cost of living and the cost of doing business is acute, you can't turn and marginalise any consumer group." "This is ageism personified. People are wanting to say 'let's marginalise the older people, let's make them invisible'' and they're saying 'no we're asserting ourselves in tourism, hospitality, flight purchases at large'," he said. "Follow the money and the money in Australia at the moment is for people aged 50 years of age and older because they've got less mortgage, more discretionary purchases and are spending it." Urquhart went on to tell <a href="https://www.3aw.com.au/frustrated-shoppers-call-for-boomer-hours-in-supermarkets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3AW</a> radio that the measures would be impractical for businesses and senior shoppers. He said, “Trying to group boomers into one group … it’s not possible.” Image credits: Getty Images

Retirement Life

The soundtrack to selling: why advertising with popular music needs to be pitch perfect

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/morteza-abolhasani-1346513">Morteza Abolhasani</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-open-university-748">The Open University</a> At some point today, it’s likely that you’ll listen to music. It may be during a commute or school run, while you do some exercise or take some time to relax. Music is all around us – an accessible and popular art form which <a href="https://online.ucpress.edu/mp/article-abstract/22/1/41/62190/Uses-of-Music-in-Everyday-Life?redirectedFrom=fulltext">accompanies our daily lives</a>. Advertisers have long understood the popularity and emotional power of music and used it to sell us things. Much time – and money – is spent on securing the right soundtrack to adverts in a bid to boost sales, such as when Microsoft <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1999-05-23/sing-a-song-of-selling?leadSource=uverify%20wall">spent a reported US$3 million</a> (£2.4 million) to use The Rolling Stones’ song Start Me Up as part of their advertising campaign for Windows 95. So how do companies choose the right music for their product? And why is it such a valuable ingredient in the mission to make us consume? Research suggests that the specific qualities of music as an art form enhances the science of selling. As one researcher <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mar.4220010303">puts it</a>: “Music […] is the catalyst of advertising. It augments pictures and colours words, and often adds a form of energy available through no other source.” Other <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-531-18916-1_19">studies have shown</a> how music transports, underlines or amplifies the persuasive message of adverts. Used well, it creates memorable commercials which influence our attitudes to a product or service. Take the visually simple but <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6bGnSEwdKY">compelling advert</a> for Air France, with the soundtrack of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23. It projects grandeur and elegance, in the hope that viewers will associate those qualities with the airline. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J6bGnSEwdKY?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1470593117692021">My research</a>, which looked at hundreds of viewer comments about the music used in advertising, suggests it was successful. Air France’s use of a sophisticated piece of classical music created a direct perception of a sophisticated and premium airline. This is supported by other <a href="https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/38632/chapter-abstract/335307151?redirectedFrom=fulltext">research</a> which suggests that music which matches the main message of an advert has a positive effect on consumer engagement. This alignment, known as “musical congruity”, can result in enhanced attention, a positive emotional response, and improved brand recall, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of an advert. <h2>Down memory lane</h2> Music is also effective at triggering <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1470593114521451?journalCode=mtqa">feelings of nostalgia</a>. The extent to which music arouses emotional memories – “musical indexicality” – in adverts creates associations with consumers’ past experiences. The music for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NwBcCUh24I">an advert</a> for Old Navy inspired <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1470593117692021">positive comments</a> based on viewers’ memories. A good choice of music allows businesses to tap into this nostalgia for commercial benefit, and my <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1470593117692021">research suggests</a> that music with autobiographical resonance can be particularly effective. Another example of this is when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pink+moon+vw">Volkswagen used</a> Nick Drake’s Pink Moon. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_-kqUkZnDcM?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> As one viewer commented: “Rarely do I get sentimental with commercials, but this one takes me back to the time when I was dating my wife and when we were first married. We used to take drives like this in the mountains and I remember looking at her beautiful face in the moonlight. The music is perfect. The sentiment is perfect.” (In this case, the 1999 advert also had a big impact on Nick Drake’s popularity, with album sales <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/nick-drake-pink-moon-song-volkwagen-commercial-182739/">dramatically increasing</a> after the advert’s release. Drake, who died at the age of 26, never saw commercial success in his lifetime.) <h2>Commercial clash</h2> But using music to advertise products doesn’t always work. For one thing, music can infiltrate the mind, repeat itself continuously and become extremely difficult to dislodge. This is why we can’t get some jingles out of our heads for ages. Involuntary and repetitive exposure to a piece of music can quickly reach the point of annoyance. The use of popular music in advertising can also provoke arguments around <a href="https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/currentmusicology/article/view/5206">the tensions</a> between artistic endeavour and commercialism. Some people believe a work of art should not be used for the pursuit of profit. In fact, the findings of my study on viewer comments showed that consumers sometimes passionately oppose the use of music by revered musicians being used in adverts, as they believe that doing this undermines its aesthetic integrity. For example, Nike’s use of the The Beatles’ song Revolution was seen by some as exploiting John Lennon’s lyrics to sell shoes. It made some Nike wearers so angry that they boycotted the brand. One wrote: “This is disgusting. Shame on Nike for exploiting priceless art. I will never buy another Nike shoe again.” Another said: “John didn’t mean change the brand of your trainers!” So advertisers need to be careful. For while the right choice of music can attract customers, boost sales, and inspire brand loyalty, the wrong choice can create something of a backlash. For many people, music is precious, and using it as a marketing tool does not always have harmonious results.<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/203856/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/morteza-abolhasani-1346513">Morteza Abolhasani</a>, Lecturer in Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-open-university-748">The Open 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/the-soundtrack-to-selling-why-advertising-with-popular-music-needs-to-be-pitch-perfect-203856">original article</a>.

Music

Rebel Wilson’s criminal save

While Rebel Wilson has found her forever love with designer Ramona Agruma, it took overcoming a few bumps in the dating road to get there. Speaking on the U Up? podcast, the Pitch Perfect star revealed one of the more notable dating near-disasters she experienced, and how it was her castmates who saved her. “I did go out with one guy I nicknamed ‘The Criminal’,” she told hosts Jordana Abraham and Jared Freid. “I think he was like a legit criminal. Basically, the Pitch Perfect girls saved me from that one.” She went on to explain that her co-stars had managed to find out “some s**t on the internet” about the guy, and warned her to steer clear of the man. She had, apparently, met him on the set of another production. Suspicion arose for them when the man agreed to come to New York to spend the weekend with Rebel, but refused to share the details of his flight with her. Upon pressing him for an explanation, the man confessed that he was not allowed to fly across state lines as he was “under investigation”. And while the relationship had been a “casual thing, so I [Rebel] didn’t get too deep into that situation”, she added that she felt the need to let him down “easy” as she didn’t want to put herself at risk with an alleged criminal. It wasn’t the only story that Rebel chose to share during her appearance, with the 43-year-old also opening up about how she’d actually been “dumped” by a woman before crossing paths with fiancée Ramona Agruma - with whom she shares daughter Royce Lillian. “I met a woman and had, like, feelings for her, which totally came as a blindside,” Rebel admitted. “It wasn’t what I was expecting.” “I said the words, ‘I don’t want to offend you, but are you interested in women?’ “I’ve never had a conversation like that [before] because I was dating dudes and never had to talk about sexuality. “She was like, ‘I have feelings for you as well’.” She noted that it was difficult for her to put her feelings into words, but that time they had together was “very important” to her, and that she wouldn’t be naming her partner out of respect. Things obviously “didn’t end up going anywhere”, but the relationship helped her open up to her sexuality, and she met Ramona soon after. And the rest, as they say, is romantic history. Images: Getty

Relationships

Rebel Wilson reveals strict Pitch Perfect "weight contract"

Rebel Wilson has lifted the lid on the strict rules she had to follow while she was starring in the Pitch Perfect films. The actress spilled the beans on her weight contract while chatting candidly on the Call Her Daddy podcast, revealing that she was contractually obliged to not lose any weight in between movies. “I couldn’t lose a massive amount of weight because I was in the contracts for that movie,” she said. “You can’t lose, I think it’s not more than 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms), or gain more than 10 pounds.” The 42-year-old actor added, “Yeah, you have to kind of stay at the weight. It’s in your contract.” Rebel famously played the role of Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfect trilogy, which conflicted with her plans to "get healthier" in order to improve her fertility before the age of 40. “I went to see a fertility doctor and he was like, ‘You’d have a much better chance with fertility if you were healthier,’” she recalled. “It really hit me hard because I was living a fantastic bigger life.” The situation made Wilson “re-examine” her lifestyle and she “slowly became healthier.” She also shared that she wanted to lose weight so she could diversify the roles she played in her movie career. <div id="indie-campaign-rHsIzpAmAj7xkA4llYlH-2" data-campaign-name="NCA ENTERTAINMENT newsletter" data-campaign-indie="newsletter-signup" data-jira="TSN-268" data-from="1640955600000" data-to="1677502800000"></div> “I was stereotyped in playing that fat funny friend, which is so hard because I love those roles. I love doing the roles. I love those characters,” she said. “But then I did want to do more things but I felt like being the bigger girl you’re just more pigeonholed.” The three Pitch Perfect movies came out between 2012 and 2017, before Rebel started her "year of health" in 2020 and lost more than 30 kilograms. Wilson revealed in 2021 that her team initially didn’t want her to embark on her health journey because they believed it would have a negative impact on her acting career. “I got a lot of pushback from my own team, actually, here in Hollywood. When I said, ‘OK, I’m going to do this year of health. I feel like I’m really gonna physically transform and change my life,’” she told the BBC at the time. “And they were like, ‘Why? Why would you wanna do that?’ Because I was earning millions of dollars being the funny fat girl and being that person.” Image credits: Getty Images

Body

Photos released as men sought over violent pitch invasion

Police have released photos of the men they want to speak to following a protest on the pitch of an A-League game in Melbourne. On Saturday night's game between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory, fans stormed the pitch in protest of The Australian Professional League's (APL) decision to host the A-League grand final in Sydney for the next three years. Around 150 football fans ran onto the field around 8pm after flares were thrown into the crowd. Three men were injured and Melbourne City's goalkeeper was taken to hospital with a head injury after being hit by a metal bucket of sand allegedly thrown at him. Police have now released a photo of a man they want to speak to in relation to the incident. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/a-league-men.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Police are looking for this man, who they allege threw the metal bucket at players. Image credits: Victoria Police A match official was hurt and a cameraman was also injured after being hit on the head with a flare, police said. As investigators launch their probe into how the protest started, they have released a photos of men they may help their investigation into ripping of flares, assaults, criminal damage and invading the field. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/a-league-men-2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Police want to talk to these men to gather more information about the incident. Image credits: Victoria Police North-West Metro Region Specialist Operations Acting Superintendent Jason Goddard called the events "disgraceful" and "disgusting," and said the fans "lacked total respect for the game of football." "I'm a lover of the game and I actually feel sad about what I saw play out on the pitch last night," he said. "Along with thousands of supporters, Victoria Police condemn the behaviour." He said he has "no doubt" police will be "knocking on a few doors soon." Witnesses of the incident, or anyone who recognises the men, have been urged to contact Crimestoppers. Image credits: Getty Images / Victoria Police

News

Nick Kyrgios' impressive pitch to Ben Stiller

After his tense and fiery quarter-final defeat at the hands of Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells – where <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/ben-stiller-dragged-into-fiery-kyrgios-outburst">Kyrgios dragged Stiller into things </a>while venting his considerable frustration over the behaviour of unruly spectators – Australia's bad boy of tennis has kept things going with Stiller in a series of social media exchanges. Kyrgios has actually had the nerve to come out and ask point blank if he could star alongside Stiller in his next film – and the response appears to be. . . yes! Stiller sent a message to Kyrgios on Twitter following his loss to Nadal: “Great match today.” Kyrgios responded on Sunday with: “Thanks. Maybe we can start working on the next film together, I think I got some acting in me. How is your tennis?” Stiller followed that up with a reply on Monday morning. “I could use some help with my serve but maybe a new doubles team? We can discuss it on set …” he wrote. Of his loss to Nadal, Kyrgios said in a post-match press conference: “This one hurts, because I know that no matches that I played before this are going to get talked about, and it’s been the story of my career." “I played three bloody good matches. I beat one of the guys that had like nearly 60 wins last year and no one remembered that. And everyone will just remember that time where Kyrgios lost to Rafa at Indian Wells or the time that he threw the racquet.” Kyrgios is referring to a moment after shaking hands with Nadal and the umpire, when he smashed his racquet into the ground. It then flew off and nearly hit a ballkid, who ducked out of the way just in time. Kyrgios later made amends by contacting the ballkid, tracking him down at the courts, and gifting him a tennis racquet. Image: Getty

Movies

Rental crisis in Tasmania results in agents pitching “pet bonds” as temporary solution

As the rental market in Hobart is incredibly tight, landlords don’t need a reason to exclude pet-owners from their rentals. However, it’s something that the state’s peak real estate body is looking to tackle. One of the ideas being suggested is a pet bond. What’s the landlord’s main concern about letting pets into their rentals? "Wholly and solely the damage to the property," Mark Berry from the Real Estate Institute of Tasmania (REIT) says to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-07/pet-bond-could-it-help-renters-tasmania/10893690">ABC Life.</a> And, he said, it wasn't always easy to predict which animals could pose the biggest threat. "If we are talking about a budgie, the potential damage is next to nil," he said. "With a goldfish, you have opened yourself up to somebody with, say, a 1,000-litre fish tank in the lounge room. "If that were to crack, all of a sudden the landlord has 1,000L flowing through the lounge room." According to the tenants Union of Tasmania, a tenant with a pet isn’t always a liability. "There is no evidence to suggest tenants with pets are worse tenants," TUT solicitor Ben Barlt said. "The evidence shows that tenants with pets are more likely to stay in their existing property for longer, so there's actually financial incentive for more landlords to accept tenants with pets." Mr Berry said real estate agents agreed. "I think actually tenants with pets have the potential to be better tenants, because they are already showing a responsibility," he said. A pet bond is looking to be the answer. A pet bond is an amount you pay above your normal rental bond to keep a pet. At the time of writing, Western Australia is the only state where a landlord can legally ask for a pet bond. Mr Bartl said some prospective renters in Hobart were so desperate that they were offering pet bonds voluntarily. "Desperate times call for desperate measures," he said. "If it is a choice between a pet bond or no pets, then the Tenants Union would support a pet bond as it may alleviate the situation for some tenants caught between putting a roof over their head and keeping their pet."

Family & Pets

NZ PM's return swipe to Allan Jones: see you on the pitch

Alan Jones has slammed claims that say he has an issue with women and isn’t concerned if his advertisers decide to take a hike. Multiple businesses have separated themselves from the breakfast radio show on 2GB after the derogatory comments he made about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The latest company to withdraw their support was Chemist Warehouse. Speaking to Nine News today, Jones said those who chose to walk away are able to make their own judgement, and that he has nothing to say on the matter. “But if they go, they’ll be others to take their place,” he said. When asked to address the claims saying he has a problem with women, Jones said “I think you better ask women that”, revealing that over the past 48 hours, many women wrote letters of support and thanked him for helping them in the past. He also said he was now the victim of a vicious social media campaign. “It seems to be OK that you can in social media, about Alan Jones, say that we should kill him,” he said. “The language used about me is just extraordinary.” The 78-year-old said that his comments about Ardern saying that Scott Morrison should “shove a sock down her throat” were “metaphorical comments” but “if I give offence, I always apologise for that.” Earlier, Ardern responded with a snappy comeback of her own when asked to address the incident. “I don’t have an opinion on every single person who says something about me. Particularly given this is an Australian commentator, we’ve got enough of our own to occupy my time,” she told NZ morning news and talk show The AM Show. But she then proceeded to deliver a slight jab as she said that her response may be best delivered on the rugby field, pointing to Jones’ past as a coach of the Wallabies from 1984 to 1988. “I understand that (Jones) of course used to be closely linked to the Wallabies … let’s just say that I think revenge is best served through a Bledisloe Cup,” said Ardern. She refused to give her opinion on whether or not Jones should be sacked for his comments, saying, “it’s a matter for across the ditch”. “I am a politician, I am open for criticism and, of course, we should all be held to account and the idea that any politician could or should be protected, I absolutely rally against that. “You should see my social media. We sign up for that when we are politicians. I have tried very hard, specifically on this Alan Jones comment, you won’t find me having particularly reacted or responded.”

News

Bill Shorten cops grilling from Leigh Sales as he makes pitch for PM

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was left flustered on Monday making his pitch for Prime Minister after he copped a grilling from Leigh Sales. In his first appearance on ABC’s 7.30 for 2018, Mr Shorten stuck to script and attacked the Government instead of focusing on his own policies. Coming off Malcom Turnbull’s 30th successive loss in the polls, Sales opened the interview by saying: “If the polls keep going the way they are for the Coalition, Bill Shorten will be moving into the Lodge”. “You have been Labor leader for nearly five years. They still don’t see you as preferred prime minister although they would currently vote out the Coalition. How worried are you that you are acting as a drag on your party?” Shorten replied he wasn’t worried and in veiled sledge at the Turnbull government, said he is glad his “united” team has “put forward three of the biggest economic reforms to our tax system in living memory.” But as Shorten repeatedly ignored questions about his own party’s policies, Sales eventually demanded answers. “As we said at the start of this, you could be the Prime Minister in a few months’ time,” she said, adding, “I am trying to get to what you want to do and not critique what they want to do.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> What does <a href="https://twitter.com/billshortenmp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@billshortenmp</a> say to the suggestion he has one message on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Adani?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Adani</a> for Queenslanders & another for inner-city Greens in Sydney & Melbourne? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc730?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#abc730</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/leighsales?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@leighsales</a> <a href="https://t.co/s2BNVUxGpe">pic.twitter.com/s2BNVUxGpe</a> — abc730 (@abc730) <a href="https://twitter.com/abc730/status/983291223052976128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2018</a></blockquote> But there was one guarantee Shorten couldn’t give when asked: “Could you promise no pensioner would be worse off under what you call the ‘pensioner guarantee’ on that plan?” He avoided giving a guarantee, instead saying he could “promise that we will protect pensioners”. Sales pointed out Shorten had backed down on his original pensioner plan. “By your own numbers, 92 per cent of Australians are unaffected by this policy, but when you have got a bit of backlash to your original plan you went to water quickly and scaled it down. “Is that how you will be as Prime Minister — announcing a policy and backing down when the heat gets a bit much?” He replied: “Let’s be fair here. This is a big change. I think most of the political class were surprised that Labor was willing to tackle one of these Howard government tax-funded largesses. Grilled again by Sales that he “backed down when you got a bit of heat”, Shorten stuck to his guns. “I think you will find we are still going with it. There is nothing wrong with big policy-making calibrations and what we have done is make a good policy even better,” he said. “What we have here is a system, the only place in the world where you can pay no income tax and you can, because of particular circumstances, get an income tax refund. How is that possible that you get a tax refund, an income tax refund when you pay no income tax? It is not sustainable.”

News

Rebel Wilson's shock Aussie media ban

Aussie actress Rebel Wilson is in the midst of promoting her new film Pitch Perfect 3 movie in Australia, but one local media outlet has received a ‘blanket ban’ on access to the star. Fairfax Media, the publisher of Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, has been refused an interview with Wilson, banned from covering the red carpet at the premiere, and staff invitations to attend the film screening have been cancelled. Fairfax reports that while no official reason for the ban has been given, Wilson is understood to be upset with the company’s CEO Greg Hywood. Wilson was unhappy that a request she made to the CEO in 2015 was revealed during her <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/books/2017/11/rebel-wilson-gives-emotional-tell-all-interview-after-legal-win/" target="_blank">defamation trial against Bauer Media</a>. During the trial, Wilson admitted to lobbying to wipe a 2002 article published by Fairfax in order to keep her age a mystery. Wilson said she wanted the article removed so emailed Hywood to ask for a favour. “This man, I was in a business relationship with, and he asked me to reach out if I ever needed anything,” she said of her request to Hywood. Nobody from Fairfax testified during the trial but they did respond to a court order to supply Wilson’s correspondence with Hywood. “We are disappointed that Ms Wilson refuses to treat Fairfax journalists professionally,” said a Fairfax Media spokesperson. “Fairfax responded to a subpoena as part of legal proceedings she commenced. We were compelled by the court to do so.” In September, Wilson was awarded Australia’s highest ever defamation payout, successfully suing Bauer Media of $4.5 million. Articles published in Woman’s Day, Australian Women’s Weekly, NW and OK! were found to have wrongly portrayed her as a serial liar who faked her way to Hollywood. Tonight, Wilson and her Pitch Perfect co-stars will walk the red carpet at the film’s premiere in Sydney.

Movies

Disturbing pitch makes Shark Tank panel squirm

The Shark Tank panel were left speechless this week when faced with what’s been described as the most disturbing pitch in the history of the business reality show. The pitch, which you can view below, was delivered by iKiFit founder Kim Macrae, who’s created a singing and dancing program that involves orange sticks and a live demonstration which can only be described as somewhat odd. <img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39747/shark-tank-in-text_498x245.jpg" alt="Shark -tank -in -text"/> The bizarre presentation. Image credit: Facebook / Ten The judges didn’t know quite what to make of it, as you can see below: <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsharktankau%2Fvideos%2F832145446949611%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> After a somewhat bewildering demonstration, Macrae faced the panel who were less than impressed with his $2.5 million valuation of the business concept. Steve Baxter was confused saying, “I don’t know what it is.” Dr Glen Richards also announced his reluctance to invest, “That felt really awkward. It felt confining, it felt uncomfortable, and I was really disturbed by that.” Twitter was set alight with reactions too: <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> As far as I can tell this guy wants $250,000 for 10 per cent of a stick. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SharkTankAU?src=hash">#SharkTankAU</a> — Joe Hildebrand (@Joe_Hildebrand) <a href="https://twitter.com/Joe_Hildebrand/status/887264771736616964">July 18, 2017</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SharkTankAU?src=hash">#SharkTankAU</a> Smart move from the Sharks. That was bizarre. — James Halliday (@JHalliday84) <a href="https://twitter.com/JHalliday84/status/887266991198806016">July 18, 2017</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> This is perhaps the worst pitch ever on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SharkTankAu?src=hash">#SharkTankAu</a>. — Michael Byrnes (@MichaelByrnes) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelByrnes/status/887266509088673797">July 18, 2017</a></blockquote> What’s your take? Do you think the panel gave him a fair chance? Or was Macrae’s pitch simply too strange? Image credit: Facebook / Shark Tank Australia

6 tips for choosing the perfect campsite

The right spot on a campsite can make or break your camping trip. Here are six tips to help you find the perfect spot the pitch a tent. 1. Flat, flatter, flattest First things first, look for the flattest spot you can find. This means both that the ground is not on a slope (which could leave you sleeping on an angle) and that the surface of the ground is also flat. You want to avoid any holes, ridges, or large mounds of grass. Beware of depressions in the ground – if it rains there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a puddle beneath you. 2. Smooth things over It’s always a good idea to give your site a quick sweep before you set up your tent. Remove any rocks, sticks or other objects that could make for an uncomfortable sleep or even tear your tent. Ideally, you should be able to set up on something relatively smooth, even and soft like grass or sand. 3. Look out for anthills We really can’t stress this enough. Nothing (really, nothing) will ruin your camping trip faster than a tent full of ants. These little guys will find you before you know it, so do a thorough check of the area around your site. 4. Be smart with shade The sun can very quickly progress from pleasantly warm to searingly hot, so you’re going to want some shade. Position yourself close to some trees that will provide shade in the afternoon, when the sun is at its strongest. Give the trees a good once over before selecting your spot and make sure there are no branches that are dead or look unstable. A strong wind can easily bring one down on you. <img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33971/image__498x245.jpg" alt="Image_ (93)"/> 5. Get some privacy If you’re camping at an established campground, you don’t want to find yourself in the middle of the most popular thoroughfare. Try to stay at least one site back from roads or paths where people will walk frequently. Avoid choosing a site too close to the amenities blocks or right by the barbecues as these can be noisy at all hours of the day (and night). 6. Pick the right neighbours Setting up next to a large family with lots of young kids or a bunch of blokes on a beer and fishing trip could spell disaster. If you want peace and quiet, choosing the right neighbours will make all the difference. Do a quick scan when you arrive and try to work out which co-campers are going to suit you best. Are you a serious camper? What tips would you suggest? Share them with the Over60 community in the comments below. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2016/10/5-reasons-to-start-wrapping-your-luggage-in-plastic/">5 reasons to start wrapping your luggage in plastic</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2016/10/major-airline-replaces-meals-with-chocolate-bars/">Major airline replaces meals with chocolate bars</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2016/10/sleep-better-in-a-hotel-room/">10 tips for a better night’s sleep in a hotel room</a>

Travel Tips

Community pitches in to buy drive-thru worker new bike

Just when you think there’s no kindness left in the world, you hear about stories like this. After learning that a drive-thru attendant at a local fast food restaurant was struggling to make his way to work each day due to having no means of transport, a New Jersey community has stepped in to give the young man a new lease on life. Jaron, a worker at the McDonald’s restaurant in the town of Franklin, is seen by his customers as a “ray of sunshine” thanks to his positive attitude and constant smile. So, to help make the struggling young man’s life easier, members of the community have pitched in to help buy Jaron a bike. “With the help of this group of ladies from the community and the Franklin Volunteer Fire Department, Jaron was able to purchase a new bike as our way of saying ‘thank you’ for always being a positive person even when times are tough!” the Fire Department explained in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lovewhatreallymatters/posts/1433364193352641" target="_blank">a post</a> on the Love What Matters Facebook page. Commenters have praised the generosity of those who helped Jaron, thanking them for showing appreciation for good workers often taken for granted. “Customer service is often a thankless job and barely exists these days,” one woman wrote. “Way to go Jaron! Keep up the great work and making people’s days. The world needs more people like you in it! Glad these lovely people showed their appreciation for his service.” Related links: <a href="/finance/money-banking/2017/03/barack-and-michelle-obama-book-deal-worth-millions/">You won’t believe what the Obama’s book deal is worth</a> <a href="/finance/money-banking/2017/03/stranger-buys-elderly-womans-groceries/">Kind stranger pays for elderly woman’s groceries</a> <a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/03/man-credits-grandma-for-inspiring-him-to-pay-for-elderly-womans-groceries/">Man credits grandma for inspiring him to pay for elderly woman’s groceries</a>

Money & Banking

6 reasons to give “Pitch and Putt” golf a try

Warren Gray has played golf most of his life but finds getting out on the traditional long course, just that little bit too hard nowadays. He now plays the Pitch and Putt version of golf and loves it. Here, he shares a few reasons why Pitch and Putt golf might be the activity for you, too. Have you ever played golf and are now starting to think your golfing life is nearing an end? Do you want to have an exercise regime that is not overly strenuous? Would you like to have some time spent with your grand children? Or, do you just want to hone your short golf game skills? Then the Canberra International Pitch and Putt (CIPP) golf club is the place for you! Come along to our catch-up day to have a coffee and a chat about CIPP and the game of Pitch and Putt (P&P) and what it is, what benefits it has and how you might get involved and playing. It is a game that provides a level of health and fitness physically, mentally and socially! In fact, the <a href="http://www.golfclubmanagement.net/2016/09/golf-is-so-good-for-you-that-doctors-should-prescribe-it-says-public-health-agency/" target="_blank">health benefits of golf are so considerable that on of Scotland’s leading doctors says that golf</a> should be prescribed. Here are six reasons why P&P may well be the activity you have been looking for and didn’t know it! <ol> <li>P&P golf suits players of all levels of ability, including the beginner/learner. You only need to have an interest in it to be able to go and play it. Like any game, you improve with practice. You don't need to be physically strong or have the fitness of a marathon runner to successfully play P&P. It caters for people from pre-teens to mid 90's including everywhere in between. It would be the ideal game to spend some quality time with your grandkids </li> <li>It does not wipe out your day. A game of P&P takes approximately 90 minutes and leaves you with plenty of fitness to play some more or, then get on with the rest of your day. Some P&P courses are floodlit and therefore, allow play during both night and day, perfect during balmy summer evenings or a quick round after you house duties have been completed or, a game with the grandkids after school.</li> <li>Like all golf, P&P uses a handicap system to allow everyone to compete on a level basis (for competition purposes only). P&P is a great adjunct to normal golf where it hones the skills of the "short game" of even the most talented of golfers. P&P represents approximately 66% of the scoring shots of normal golf. P&P excludes the 33% which are the long distance shots from the tees and long shots from fairways.</li> <li>Equipment requirements for P&P are cheaper. Only three golf clubs are allowed, a putter and two other clubs; this keeps costs down. Most players use a smaller and lighter golf bag or specialised club holder which cost less and weigh much less than conventional golf equipment. The cost of P&P is much less than normal golf. Green fees are understandably less, the cost of clubs and bags is much less and it is very rare to lose a golf ball during a game of P&P. Indeed, some players have a favourite golf ball which they may have and, use for several years.</li> <li>There is a closer and friendlier attitude between those who regularly play P&P. We typically have nothing to prove and simply enjoy socialising while getting some open air exercise. The closer proximity between tees and greens all over the course supports socialising to an extent which simply isn't possible on a conventional golf course.</li> <li>There is a level of competition available to suit everyone. Non-competitive social golf, routine competitive golf which caters for all levels of ability via the handicap system. Inter-club competitions, interstate, national and international competitions.</li> </ol> For anyone interested in learning more about Pitch and Putt and lives in Canberra, Warren is holding a Pitch and Putt Information Day. He hopes to create a regular group of grandparents and grandkids that get active and have fun together. To find more information and to RSVP, please visit the <a href="/event/?Event=111" target="_blank">Over60 Catch-ups page</a>. Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/04/tips-on-organising-an-over60-catch-up/">Tips on organising an Over60 Catch-up</a> <a href="/health/caring/2016/04/ways-to-make-friends-when-youre-60-plus/">6 ways to make friends when you’re 60-plus</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/over60-catch-ups-in-mandurah-growing-in-popularity/">Over60 catch-ups in Mandurah growing in popularity</a>

Retirement Life

Pitch purrfect: Cats who love listening to “cat music”

It turns out our feline friends are secret music fans with very particular tastes (and no, their favourite song isn’t The Cure’s Love Cats or Elton John’s Honky Cat).A recent study investigating music’s effects on cats published in the journal Applied Animal Behavioral Science found that while cats ignore our music, they are highly responsive to “cat music” – music that is written especially for cats. Two psychologists and a composer from the University of Wisconsin-Madison created a “species-specific” song, which as you can imagine, included plenty of cat-friendly sounds. As cats vocalise one octave higher than people, the pitch of the music was also an octave higher and the song tempo was matched to the tempo of cats’ purrs.“We are not actually replicating cat sounds,” says lead author Charles Snowdon, an emeritus professor of psychology. “We are trying to create music with a pitch and tempo that appeals to cats.”Next, the team played cat tunes and human tunes to 47 cats of various breeds and found that cats were significantly more positive towards cat music than our music. The cats would purr, walk towards the speaker and rub against them when played this specially-composed tune.If you’re wondering why anyone would bother to find out the musical preferences of our feline friends in the first place, the researchers wanted to evaluate the benefits of music on animals to see if music could help socialise rescue cats in shelter who are not use to human contact.<a href="https://soundcloud.com/io9/cozmos-air" target="_blank">Why not play a sample of the cat-friendly tune and let us know how they react?</a>Related links:<a href="/lifestyle/pets/2015/05/parenting-in-the-wild/">Beautiful photos from the animal kingdom that prove there’s no love quite like a parent’s love</a><a href="/lifestyle/pets/2015/04/cats-and-kittens/">10 adorable cats and their mini-me partners in crime</a><a href="/lifestyle/pets/2015/03/why-cats-purr/">The mystery behind why cats really purr</a>

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